ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Coastal systems are dynamic environments which comprise three main interrelated components namely; morphology, sediments and forcing parameters. Numerical models for shoreline evolution are useful tools in establishing trends and forecasting shoreline position scenarios for decadal temporal scales. In the present study, an attempt was made to study beach morphological changes in the Valiathura-Poonthura stretch of the Trivandrum coast using LITPACK software. Sediment transport, profile change and shoreline evolution were simulated using different modules of the LITPACK model. The southern-most region of the stretch is undergoing severe erosion during the monsoon. Coastline evolution for a period of ten years implies that the coast is undergoing erosion and the beach is declining eastward. An average approximate decline of 30 m was observed for the shoreline over the period 2005-2015. A numerical model was applied to analyze the best layout of protective structures and found that groynes with a spacing of twice the length was effective for sediment trapping and shoreline development when compared to detached breakwaters.
