Temporal variability of runup and total water level on Cape Cod sandy beaches

In the present study, we evaluate the temporal variability in runup and total water level for sandy beaches along Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA), and their impact on dune and beach erosion. We use a 43-year hindcast of waves and water levels and calculate runup and total water level based on the Stockdon formulation using previously extracted beach slopes. The dominant components of the runup are identified and their temporal variability evaluated. The seasonal and interannual variability of total water level is evaluated. For most locations along the outer Cape Cod coast, the comparison between total water level and dune elevations suggested that the coastal response remained predominantly under swash regime. The results over these study locations could be extended to other similar areas at regional scales to provide better characterization of total water level and coastal change at long temporal scales.