<%namespace name="tools" file="tools.tex"/>

The field site is located around Cadiz town, in south-western Spain, facing the Atlantic Ocean. It is constituted by two different beaches extending along 10 km, providing the opportunity for studying the effects of storms on different types of coastal environments. 
The study area is a mesotidal coast with a mean tidal range of 3.2 m and 1.1 m during springs and neaps tides, respectively. Dominant winds blow from ESE (19.6\% of annual occurrence) and WNW (12.8\%), which together with coastline orientation makes sea and swell waves approach generally from the third and fourth quadrants. According to this, prevailing longshore drift is directed south-eastwards. Significant wave height is usually lower than 1 m, with waves over 4 m high being uncommon and occurring only during the most important storms, which usually take place between November and March and approach from the third quadrant. In fact, waves greater than 1.5 m are considered storm waves, so the area can be classified as a low-energy one. 
The storm event that was selected is a moderate storm event with a return period of about 1 year. The maximum significant wave (Hs) height during the peak of the event was 3.7m with a spectral period (Tp) of 8.7sec. The total duration of the storm was 46 hours (light grey shaded area). The tidal conditions over that period were from springs to neaps with an average tidal range of 2.27m.

% if interpret:

Both the XBeach model and the off-the-shelf model Petra were used to predict the morphological changes of the storm described above. Despite the fact that applied models simulate different physical processes, both produce a relative good final profile (\autoref{fig:MICORE_Cadiz_Urban_Beach_north_profiles}). Nevertheless some discrepancies with the measured profile are present. XBeach better predicts the near berm erosion and beach slope and PETRA performs better in the intermediate and low intertidal area. 

% endif

${tools.image('MICORE_Cadiz_Urban_Beach/north/', 'profiles.png')}
##${tools.image('MICORE_Cadiz_Urban_Beach/center/', 'profiles.png')}
##${tools.image('MICORE_Cadiz_Urban_Beach/south/', 'profiles.png')}