Coastal Sedimentation, Erosion and Management of Southwest Nukufetau Atoll, Tuvalu
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COASTAL SEDIMENTATION, EROSION AND MANAGEMENT OF SOUTHWEST NUKUFETAU ATOLL, TUVALU Chunting Xue SOPAC Secretariat September 1996 SOPAC Technical Report 238 This project was funded by the Government of the People's Republic of China [3] TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................................. 6 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 7 STUDY METHODS..................................................................................................................... 8 COASTAL GEOLOGY................................................................................................................ 9 SEDIMENT SUPPLY AND TRANSPORTATION ..................................................................... 17 COASTAL EROSION, ACCUMULATION AND CAUSES ........................................................ 22 CURRENT MEASUREMENTS IN THE CHANNEL .................................................................. 30 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 37 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT........................................................ 38 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................... 40 APPENDIX Beach Profile Data............................................................................................................. 40 ENCLOSURE Xue, C. (1996) Coastal Geology of Tuvalu - Southwest Nukufetau . SOPAC Coastal Series Map 8. (Inside back cover). [TX238 – Xue] [4] LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Location of the investigation area .................................................................................................................................8 2 1943 air photo of the southwest corner of Nukufetau Atoll.....................................................................................10 3 1984 air photo of the southwest corner of Nukufetau Atoll.....................................................................................11 4 Breccia and rubble ridges on the reef flat northwest of Savave ............................................................................13 5 Reef crest rubble with a large block of reef rock (6 m long, 1.8-2.4 m high), ocean reef flat, south of Temotuloto .......................................................................................................................................................13 6 Lagoon reef flat pavement with sand beach in background, northeast coast of Savave .................................14 7 Tidal channel on the reef flat between Savave and Fale ........................................................................................15 8 Funafuti wind data ..........................................................................................................................................................18 9 Dominant sediment transport......................................................................................................................................18 10 Sand accumulation at the north corner of Savave....................................................................................................19 11 Sand accumulation at the southwest end of the concrete blocks paved seawall, northeast coast Savave ...................................................................................................................................................................19 12 Sand deposition at the corner between two seawalls, northwest coast, Savave ..............................................20 13 The sand beach at the southwest end of Savave showing sediment transport towards the south ..............20 14 Prograding shore with wider sand beach and reef flat sand in front of it, at the point west of the Hospital, Savave .............................................................................................................................................................21 15 Summary of coastal stability of the southwest Nukufetau Atoll.............................................................................22 16 Historical change of the shoreline southwest of the present artificial channel (passage), lagoon coast, Savave ..................................................................................................................................................................23 17 Erosional shore with 1 m erosion scarp, close to the southwest end of the artificial channel, Savave ..............................................................................................................................................................................24 18 Sediment distribution at the southwest end of the artificial channel, Savave.....................................................25 19 The 1.6 m high erosion scarp with marked undercutting, northwest ocean prograding shore of Fale ........26 20 The west ocean prograding shore of Fale ................................................................................................................27 21 A cross section of the prograding shore at the north point of Fale.......................................................................27 22 Prograding shore at the north point of Fale...............................................................................................................28 23 Prograding shore at the east corner of Fale .............................................................................................................28 24 Profile of the prograding coast at the north point of Fale........................................................................................29 25 Prograding shore at the northeast point of Fale.......................................................................................................31 26 Erosional shore with erosion scarp ...........................................................................................................................31 27 Location of current measuring site and directions of water moving on reef flat in falling and rising tides .......................................................................................................................................................................33 28 The current speed, direction and water depths measured in the channel.........................................................34 29 The channel at the beginning of the stage 2.............................................................................................................35 30 The channel in the middle of stage 2 .........................................................................................................................35 31 The channel in the stage 3, close to lowest tide......................................................................................................36 32 Schematic diagram of the recommended wharf and pier......................................................................................38 [TX238 – Xue] [5] SUMMARY Field investigations on southwest Nukufetau Atoll were made from 23 April to 8 May, 1996. Observations on the coast and reef flat of Savave, Fale and Temotuloto and three small adjacent islets were made and beach profiles were measured. The bottom currents in the artificial channel were also determined over one tidal cycle. The principal conclusions are as follows: · The reef flat can be divided into five areas. There are reef flat ridges on the reef flat northwest of Savave and south of Savave and Temotuloto. · Erosion is occurring on Fale, but the coast is little influenced by human activities. · Savave is an area of sand accumulation. It received sediment from reef flat and the lagoon and is protected by Fale to the southwest. · Erosion on the northwest ocean coast of Savave was caused by mining of the beach and reef flat. · Erosion on the lagoon coast of Savave was caused by the artificial channel, which not only traps sediment but also transports sediment to the lagoon. · The high speed lagoonward ebb currents in the artificial channel last much longer than the high flood currents in the opposite direction. Therefore the net sand transport in the channel is always towards the lagoon. The following are recommended: · Stop mining gravel and sand from the coast of Fale, Temotuloto and three small islets and mine only from the inland parts of Fale. · Fill part of the artificial channel (passage) at the nearshore end and build a pier in order to avoid interfering with longshore movement of sand. [TX238 – Xue] [6] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Funds for this project were contributed by the government of the People’s Republic of China. The work was carried out in collaboration with the Tuvalu Government. Particular assistance was received from the Land and Survey Department, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Council of Nukufetau. I am grateful for the assistance and valuable information from Mr Meauma Maeaga. Appreciation is extended to Mr S. Solomon and Mr R. Howorth for their useful comments on the drafts of the report. [TX238 – Xue] [7] INTRODUCTION Nukufetau Atoll (8o 00’S; 178o 23’E) is situated in the centre of the group of