Recent and future trends of beach zone evolution in relation to its physical characteristics: The case of the Almiros Bay (Island of Crete, south Aegean Sea)

The present study investigates recent and future evolution of the beach zone of Almiros Bay, one of the most touristic developed beaches of north Crete, in relation to its morphodynamic setting and the anticipated sea level rise. The beach zone is exposed to northerly winds, with maximum wave heights and periods of 4.3 m and 9 s, respectively. The comparison of the aerial photographs (1982-1996) and a satellite image of 2007 have revealed an extended retreat of the beach zone, with its highest retreating rates (i.e. 0.6-0.8 m y-1 for the last 25 years) found at its central part. Moreover, an estimation of the future shoreline retreat, due to the anticipated sea level rise (i.e. 0.38 or 1 m for the year 2100), has shown that there is a potential coastal zone loss from 48% up to 100%, respectively. A gross evaluation of the economical impact due to the aforementioned beach loss accounts to approximately from $ 270,000 up to $ 720.000, annually.