Climate-Driven Wave Analysis Reveals Changes in Alongshore Sediment Transport: The Case of the Coastal Zone of a Harbor in Thermaikos Bay (NW Aegean Sea).

The sediment transport along a coastal zone of Thermaikos Bay and the interaction with the coastline were studied in the present research. This study concerns the greater basin of an existing breakwater, for which the sand transport during the time periods 1950–1968 and 2009–2017, before and after the construction of the breakwater, were examined. The breakwater led to sand accumulation behind it, causing the well-known phenomenon of salient. It was revealed that climate change, in terms of wind conditions, significantly affected sediment transport; more specifically, the sand transport during 2009–2017 not only decreased significantly, but also changed its direction, in relation to 1950–1968. Based on the information obtained, technical interventions are proposed for the interception of sediment transport and the consequent accumulation of sand behind the breakwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]