Analysis of the recent storm record in the southwestern Spanish coast:: implications for littoral management

This work compares the geomorphologic evolution of the Huelva coast (SW Spain), some climatic-oceanographic data of the Cadiz Gulf and the recent storm record of this zone, covering the last 4 decades (1956-1996). An interesting correlation was found between the southwestern wind periodicity, the number of storm periods and the beach ridges observed in the main spits (El Rompido and Donana). The spectral analysis of the wind time series permits to establish two most probable levels of periodicity: 6 and 9-10 years. Both periods coincide with the storm record and the creation of new beach ridges after a high-energy period. Beach damage, another storm-induced effect, was analysed by deducing different implications for the future management of tourist localities. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.