Quantification of sediments accumulated in the NW sector of Tróia Peninsula (Portugal) between 1928 and 1995

Quantification of the accumulated or eroded sediment is an important procedure towards the understanding of shoreline migration and therefore, to the evaluation of littoral dynamics. Troia Peninsula is a sand spit, made up of dunes and beaches. It is located on the left margin of the Sado River mouth near the foot of the Arrabida Mountain, on the west coast of Portugal, 30 km south of Lisbon. Data from 1928 to 1995 clearly shows an oceanwards coastline migration during this period. The objective of this work is to quantify the volume of sediment accumulated in the NW sector of Troia Peninsula from 1928 to 1995, a 67 years period, and determine sediments net accumulation rate for that period of time. Using the 1928 bathymetry, from a 1930 nautical chart, and the altimetry, from the 1995 Imoareia topographic survey, the volume of sediments accumulated was calculated, with a Geographic Information System. Digital Terrain Models, representing the topography and bathymetry of both years, were created for the evaluation. Results show a positive variation of 5.718.224 m3 for an area of 938.440 m2, i.e. a net sedimentation rate of approximately 85.000 m3year-1 or 0,09 myear-1.