Shoreline Response and Morphological Characteristics Behind Coastal Protection Structures: A Case Study in Southern Italy

The focus of the paper is to analyze the shoreline response of curved beaches behind detached coastal protection rubble mound structures. The study evaluates the use of static-equilibrium parabolic formulations to determine the formation of a tombolo/salient and the morphological characteristics of the fully developed beach in relation to breakwater length, distance between the offshore breakwater and the final equilibrium shoreline position, and wavelength. The research validates these formulations using field data from Pizzo Calabro, along the Tyrrhenian coast in southern Italy, and verifies a proposed relationship for sand deposition behind the structure. The primary objective is to assess the impact of detached coastal protection structures on the shoreline's morphological characteristics, with a specific focus on the formation of tombolos/salients and the relationship between breakwater parameters and beach morphology.