Natural accretion mechanisms: the role in future coastal sustainability

Although recent research has focused on erosive processes, natural accretion mechanisms have been known for many years, and they can provide an efficient solution to deal with sediment starved coasts. In this paper we shall review natural accretion mechanisms linked to sediment over-wash associated to wave storms in the Spanish Mediterranean. The analysis will encompass general marine flooding in a deltaic coastal fringe, for wide and narrow cross-shore profiles. The analyses will prove the natural capability of dynamic coasts to act in a resilient manner for cases of sediment starvation, such as it is the situation for many deltas and low-lying coasts in developed or developing countries.