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Knowledge of the characteristics of storm surges is of paramount importance for an effective coastal hazard risk assessment. The vast Majority of storm surges in southern Brazil are generated by extratropical cyclones. In this context, this study focuses on spatial and temporal analysis of storm surges caused by the cyclones within a 30-year period. The wind and pressure from CFSv2 data were analyzed from 1979 to 2010 time span, with a time lag of 9 h identified for pressure and 26 h for wind stress. A multiple linear regression model was then employed to estimate the expected intensity of the storm surge. The results suggest that the model represented 82% of the variations in the storm surge levels. The accuracy of the surge predictions was validated by the recorded storm surges using tide gauge data for Itajai port. The agreement between the modelled and the observed values were considered good by explaining 74% of the variations in the storm surge. Finally, Analysis of future scenarios of 1-, 10-, 50- and 100-return period revealed that positive storm surge events may be higher, increasing coastal risks in the coastal zone of southern Brazil.

The Santa Catarina coast is located in southern Brazil between 26° and 29.3°S. The coast trends south then southwest for about 430 km, and contains 922 km of open coast and bay shoreline, with 246 sandy beaches occupying 60 % of the shore. Based on geology and orientation the coast is divided into five coastal provinces, each of which contains a different suite of beach systems. The provinces and their beaches range for the highly embayed Penha to Baia Norte province which is dominated by short low energy reflective beaches, to the exposed high energy Cabo Santa Marta to Torres province which has long near continuous multi-barred dissipative beaches. This chapter reviews the provinces and their beach systems including spatial and temporal controls, as well as beach erosion, hazards and safety.

Brazil possesses one of the great national coastlines of the world, extending for approximately 9000 km between latitudes 4°N and 34°S. The Amazon, the world largest river dominates the northern 1500 km. South of the Amazon, sandy beaches increasingly dominate the shore with more than 4000 beaches occupying much of the coast. This chapter provides an overview of the range of beach systems that occupy the Brazilian coast. This is followed by a review of previous research on the Brazilian coast together with management issues facing the coast. It then provides an updated classification of the entire coast, dividing it into seven coastal regions based on coastal processes, geology and geomorphology, that include from the northern Amazon Gulf mud coast; Northern tide-dominated; Northern tide-modified; Northeast wave-dominated; Eastern wave-dominated, Southeast wave-dominated; and Southern wave-dominated.

This chapter reviews the nature and status of the Brazilian coast and particularly its beach systems as detailed in the preceding nineteen chapters. It begins by reviewing the nature of the beaches in each of the seven coastal regions and seventeen coastal states, from the muddy Amazon Gulf in the north to the long sandy beaches of Rio Grande do Sul in the south. This is followed by a state by state review of beach erosion and inundation; beach development and impacts; and beach hazards, risk and safety. It finishes with a discussion of the range of beach research required in Brazil in order to obtain a better understanding of the coast and ts beach systems.