Research Outputs
Coastal evolution in a wetland affected by large tsunamigenic earthquakes in South-Central Chile: Criteria for integrated coastal management
The coastal evolution of the microtidal Tubul-Raqui wetland in south-central Chile (36° S), which historically has been affected by large earthquakes and tsunamis, particularly the 1960 (Mw = 9.5) and 2010 (Mw = 8.8) subduction earthquakes and their associated tsunamis, is analyzed. Historical aerial photographs and topographic and bathymetric surveys from the 1961–2017 period, as well as salinity, sediment, and flora data obtained following the 2010 earthquake were used for comparison with data from prior to the event. A steady state of the shoreline was established, with an average erosion rate of −0.016 m/year in the 1961–2017 period. However, erosion predominated in the period between these two large earthquakes (1961–2009), with an average rate of −0.386 m/year. The wetland dried up, partially recovered saline intrusion a year later, and recovered the salinity conditions it had before the earthquake two years later. The postearthquake effects on the floristic composition were not significant, with the species Spartina densiflora, which presented a high tolerance to these types of changes, predominating. Moreover, 75 percent of the taxa in pre- and postearthquake conditions coincided, with the halophyte species Spartina densiflora, Sarcocornia fructicosa, and Cotula coronopifolia predominating, while the best-conserved community was Spartina-Sarcocornia association located in the saltmarsh. Seven years after the earthquake, the shoreline presented an accretion rate of 2.935 m/year; if the current tectonic conditions prevail, an erosive trend can be expected in the coming decades. The morphological variability and the changes associated with the shoreline in this wetland are strongly controlled by tectonic factors. Criteria aimed at integrated coastal management to promote its occupancy and use in accordance with its evolutionary dynamics are proposed.
Coastal Erosion and a Characterization of the Morphological Dynamics of Arauco Gulf Beaches under Dominant Wave Conditions
Sandy coastlines in Chile currently have strong erosive tendencies. However, little is known about the morphodynamics of these coastlines; such knowledge would allow us to understand coastline changes and incorporate this knowledge into coastal management. Accordingly, the historical scale of coastal erosion and the morphodynamic characteristics of six beaches of the Arauco Gulf, central-southern Chile (36â—¦ S), were analyzed to determine the prevailing wave conditions during winter and summer. Historical changes in the relative position of the coastline were determined using DSAS v5.1. The coupled WAVE-FLOW-MOR modules of the Delft3D 4.02 software package were used for the morphodynamic analysis. Using image processing, it was established that erosion predominates in winter seasons for almost every beach analyzed. However, the EscuadrĂ³n beach presents this trend both in winter and summer, with rates of up to −0.90 m/year (2010–2021). In addition, accretion was observed in both stations at Tubul beach. On the other hand, numerical models for the dominant conditions predict accretion in the beaches of EscuadrĂ³n, Chivilingo, and Arauco, stable conditions for Coronel beach, and erosion in Llico.
Proof of concept of a novel frictional shock absorber: Analytical model and experimental analysis
Recurrent impact protection devices usually need to dissipate large amounts of energy to prevent damage to the infrastructure they protect and to make efficient use of them. This requires that protection devices consider some type of damping and have some mechanism to recover their original form. In this study a novel device is proposed, capable of absorbing a large part of the energy imposed by impact loads and recovering its original form autonomously. The device proposed in this article is composed of rigid parts with articulated joints, an elastic element that allows the recovery of its shape and an element that dissipates energy by friction. The necessary equations were developed to describe the non-linear behavior of the device and parametric simulations of the proposed model were performed to describe the dynamic interaction between the device and a mass that impacts. Additionally, a scale model of the device was constructed to be experimentally tested, which allowed to verify the effectiveness in the dissipation of energy, the reduction in the force transmitted to the support structures and the decrease in the rebound speed of the impacting mass. An error parameter was defined for a load-unload cycle between experimental results and analytical calculations. The error considers both the impact force and the dissipated energy, obtaining values of up to 6%. The energy absorption capacity of the device –between 83% and 93% of the impact energy– was verified experimentally, as well as the reduction of the impact speed –between 91% and 96%.
Characterizing the longshore sediment transport pattern on beaches in the Gulf of Arauco, Chile, to assess morphological shoreline evolution
Coastal evolution is an important research topic worldwide and has become increasingly relevant due to growing anthropogenic pressure on the coast and a climate change scenario (Masselink et al., 2016). The Gulf of Arauco covers an area of roughly 40,000 km2 and has a sandy-rocky coastline located in a very seismic environment. The area has suffered several major earthquakes during the last century (Valdivia 1960, Maule 2010) and seismic displacement has widely affected the coastline (BĂ©jar-Pizarro et al., 2010). Despite these findings, the morphological evolution of sandy coastlines is mainly caused by wave-driven littoral processes. In this paper, using numerical modeling (Delft3D), we aim to characterize the longshore sediment transport (LST) direction at several spots (7 beaches) spread along the coastline of the Gulf of Arauco. Wave patterns were identified at each study site, revealing the importance of Santa Maria Island, located at the entrance to the gulf, despite the approach direction of deep water waves. The island acts as a moderator of wave patterns, softening the highly energetic swell that comes from the Antarctic Ocean and sorting the wave propagation inside the gulf. Moreover, LST patterns were characterized at each site for dominant wave conditions (SW swell and NW winter storms) and it was possible to explain how each condition has a different response at each spot, even under similar co-seismic displacements. Adaptation capabilities differ from site to site, suggesting a dynamic equilibrium of beaches in the area.