Storm-Induced Boulder Displacements: Inferences from Field Surveys and Hydrodynamic Equations

Abstract

The storm of 12–13 November 2019 provoked the displacements of boulders on a central Mediterranean rocky coast; with reference to a selected area, prone to boulder production and geomorphologically monitored for years, a field-oriented study approach was applied for the phenomenon, by collating data concerning the pre-storm locations and kinematics of these boulders. The number of displaced boulders is 11, that is in terms of the morphological imprint of a specific storm, one of the major study cases for the Mediterranean. In addition, based on widely used hydrodynamic equations, the minimum wave height required to displace the boulders is assessed. The values conform with the expected values for the wave climate dominating during the causative meteorological event and give a measure of the energy of the storm slamming the coast. Boulder dislodgement usually plays a key role in determining the rate of the coastal recession, likely also in the investigated area. In view of an adverse climate evolution with a possible increase of the energy and frequency of severe storms, the results deriving from the study of this morphodynamics should be considered for hazard assessment and coastal management.