MORPHOLOGICAL MODELING OF TIDAL INLET EVOLUTION: AN APPLICATION TO MUNDAÚ INLET, BRAZIL

The aim of this study was to develop a morphological model for long-term inlet evolution to be applied using a minimum amount of input data and requiring low computational costs. The model was implemented numerically and then validated for a real inlet application: Mundaú inlet (northeastern Brazil), a dynamic inlet with a marked freshwater seasonality and alongshore sand transport, reduced by reef sheltering. The model performance was verified, over a total period of 11 years, comparing the simulated inlet width with Landsat and Google Earth images. The simulated inlet channel morphology presented a satisfactory agreement with observations. With the low computational costs, the developed model represented a reliable approach with demonstrated potential to be applied in the quantitative assessment of inlet evolution over long time periods.