Coastal erosion processes: the case study of the Cala del Cefalo beach (Cilento and Vallo di Diano Geopark, southern Italy)

Alessio Valente (*), Marina Monaco (**) & Franco Peduto (***)
(*) Department of Sciences and Technology, University of Sannio, Via dei Mulini, 59A, 82100, Benevento, Italy. E-mail: valente@unisannio.it (**) Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy. (***) Provincia di Salerno, Settore Ambiente ed Ecologia, 84100, Salerno, Italy.

The beach of Cala del Cefalo is located in the southern coast of Cilento and Vallo di Diano Geopark in Campania (southern Italy). The research carried out along it show strong erosion process, with a dramatic and increased retreat of the shoreline especially in recent decades. Such condition highlights an obvious loss of material as well as implies a negative balance in the coastal dunes, which develop in the backshore. These forms, which also represent an important ecosystem, constitute both a defense to the ingression of the sea and a source of sediment to the beach in occurrence of winter sea waves. Therefore, in order to assess the existence and extent of sediment flow within the beach-dune system, and eventually focus on the deficit, several approaches have been applied. Among these it has been proposed a numerical model to showing the morphological changes on the beach due to the swell or has been used. In conclusion, suitable interventions to mitigate the retreat of the Cala del Cefalo beach are indicated, even if they must take account of excellent environmental features and highly touristic area.

Coastal erosion, Beach-Dune system, Geopark, Hazard mitigation, Shoreline changes, Southern Italy, Wave climate