Application of X-Band Wave Radar for coastal dynamic analysis: case test of Bagnara Calabra (south Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

Sea state knowledge has a key role in evaluation of coastal erosion, in the assessment of vulnerability and potential in coastal zone utilization and development of numerical models to predict its evolution. X-band radar measurements were conducted to observe the spatial and temporal variation of the sea￾state parameters along the littoral cell on Bagnara Calabra. We produced a sequence of 1000 images of the sea state extending offshore up to 1 mile. The survey has allowed to monitor the coastline, the directional wave spectra, the sea surface current fields and to detect strong rip currents. The possibility to validate the data acquired with other dataset demonstrate the potential of the X-band radar technology as a monitoring tool to advance the understanding of the linkages between sea conditions, nearshore sediment dynamics and coastal change. This work proves the possibility to obtain relevant information for evaluation of local erosion phenomena and of morphological changes.