Abstract
Many low-lying coastlines are exposed to overwash and marine flooding
during large wave events and the role of coastal ecosystems in reducing
these hazards is more and more cited. The proposed article deals with
the assessment of processes involved in runup-induced coastal flooding
over two years and 10 months at Anse Maurice, a reef-fringed pocket
beach located in Guadeloupe Island, in the Caribbean region. Daily
maximum marine inundation was assessed using a fixed video system and
two hydrodynamic measurements campaigns were organised to monitor local
wave transformation through the reef system. Daily Highest Runups (DHR)
remains primarily correlated to individual storm events as extreme
runups are observed in correlation with storm swells. However, results
evidenced that storm runup intensity is highly modulated by (1) the
annual periodicity of sea level (24% of the global runup variability)
showing minimums in May and maximums in November and (2) the tidal level
influencing short waves and infragravity waves propagation into the reef
flat. Those variabilities determine the reef submergence, an important
parameter involved in wave transformation over reefs. This leads to
different runup responses for similar incident wave conditions. For
example, most of the winter storm events only induce moderate intensity
runup while cyclonic events with the same swell intensity generate more
extreme runups. The upperbeach vegetation also clearly influences the
maximum swash excursion at the beach and potential back beach flooding
by swash processes. This study brings new comprehensive elements on
runup beahavior and nearshore processes at different timescales on
reef-lined beaches.