Coastal Education & Research Foundation, Inc.

Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula, Southern Sweden

Author(s): Sten Blomgren and Hans Hanson
Source: Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Winter, 2000), pp. 15-25
Published by: Coastal Education & Research Foundation, Inc.
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Journal of Coastal Research 16 1 15-25 1 Royal Palm Beach, Florida Winter 2000

Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula,

Southern Sweden

Sten Blomgren and Hans Hanson

Department of Water Resources Engineering
Lund University
Box 118

Lund, Sweden
SE-221 00

sten.blomgren@tvrl.lth.se
ABSTRACT I

BLOMGREN, S. and HANSON, H., 2000. Coastal geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula, Southern Sweden. Journal of Coastal Research, 16(1), 15-25. Royal Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.
The objective of this work is to explain the presence and shape of certain morphological features along the practically

tideless coast of the Falsterbo Peninsula, and to validate to what extent numerical modeling of nearshore waves can
assist in the interpretation.
Clear indications that the peninsula has not yet reached its equilibrium shape are found. The island of Maklaippen
will become totally integrated with the peninsula, and the two sand-tongues on the south coast will eventually join
and establish a new coastline. Then, processes similar to those which once created the peninsula, will fill the lagoon
within. Both the joining of the two sand-tongues and the integration of Matklippen can be related to dumped dredging
material in the 1940s. The construction of the harbor led to the birth of a downdrift spit, which is several kilometers
long. The use of a near-coast wave model can provide useful information on the changes the wave climate may undergo
if the sea level rises. As an example, it is shown that for a particular part of the peninsula coast, the nearshore wave
heights can be expected to increase by 100% during storm conditions if the sea level rises 1 m.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Coastal morphology, Falsterbo Peninsula, numerical modeling, sediment transport.

INTRODUCTION

This study focuses on the coastal geomorphology of the Falsterbo Peninsula in southern Sweden (Figure 1) and the com-

plex nearshore processes active in its vicinity. The objective

is to explain the presence and shape of certain geomorphological features along the coast. Interpretations are partly
supported by numerical wave modeling, where the wave generation and propagation model WAVAD (RESIO, 1993a) was
used for deriving input spectra to the nearshore-wave model
STDGRW (RESIO, 1993b).
Today, heavy exploitation of coastal areas takes place in
most countries around the world. The associated demand for

construction works along the shores, such as harbors, breakwaters, and groins, makes knowledge and understanding of
how ocean waves and beach sediments interact essential to

the practicing engineer. Unfortunately, this interaction is

most complex and governed by numerous parameters (KRAUS
et al., 1994), involving a wide range of scales, in space as well
as in time.

Field studies, laboratory experiments, and numerical

wave-generation and sediment transport models serve as the
primary sources of improved understanding. However, field
studies typically involve expensive and/or time consuming
surveys, laboratory tests suffer from scale effects, and numerical models require solid mathematical formulations of
98119 received 13 April 1998; accepted in revision 17 December 1998.

sediment transport and wave generation/transformation in

order to perform satisfactorily.

Several studies on coastal dynamics around the Falsterbo

Peninsula have been carried out, but most of them pertain to
local management and are not reported in official scientific
publications. They contain quantitative estimations of sediment transport rates and directions, but the methods used
are sometimes questionable and the conclusions reached are
often contradictory. Examples of comprehensive, official in-

vestigations are RICHTER (1936), DAVIDSSON (1963), and

HANSON and LARSON (1993), whereas shorter articles are

provided by REINIUS (1968) and MATTSSON (1973).
STUDY SITE

The trumpet-shaped Falsterbo Peninsula is located in the

southwest part of the practically tideless Baltic Sea and

forms together with the banks of Sandflyttan and Blenheim
the three main sand deposits in the study area (Figure 1).
The peninsula extends some 7.5 km in both east-west and
north-south direction, and has an area of about 23 km2. The

peninsula is famous for its unique scenery, white beaches,

and three championship golf courses, factors that make it an
excellent recreational area. A great part of it has nature reserve status, and the wild life refuge of Mtklaippen (Figure
1) has long been recognized for its rich bird life and plays
also an important role for the Baltic Sea seal colonies. Yet,
almost 10,000 people reside permanently on the outer part

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16

Blomgren

and

Hanson

Vfstra Haken Ham ar

N Badreveln/Kndsen
/ \F

ovb cken
Location
of geological
Skanbr
Gyelmen
according
to Fig. 2.profile

Harbor SKANOR
The Falsterbo

Flo en Amnerhnnan Canal

Falterbo ALSTE Ljunghusen Kmpinge

Lighthouse Falsferbo Bay

Falsterbo Kampinge
Ule Nabbe

Bay Stenudden

Mklappen
Blinda

Segelskir
Falsterbo

Bank

Lund

Sandflyttan DENMA . SWEDEN 50 K

The Baltic Sea

2.5

Kilometers

Blenheim GERMANY POLAND

Figure 1. Map of the study site, the Falsterbo Peninsula in the south-west Baltic Sea.

(west of the Falsterbo Canal) of the peninsula, reaching

15,000 residents during the summer. Thus, the peninsula is
a very valuable asset from many points of view.
The peninsula started to form 6-7000 years ago, during
post-glacial time, and has a rather simple geologic stratigraphy (e.g., Hebrand and Nilsson, 1987). The on average
about 10-m thick unconsolidated, fine- to medium sand layer
rests on clay-till, under which is bedrock of Danian limestone
(Figure 2). Along three stretches, the clay-till rises higher and

locally almost reaches the surface. It was around these elevated parts the peninsula once started to form (RICHTER,
1936). The unconsolidated layer is very sensitive to erosion
and high water levels, especially as the topography is very
flat; the major part of the peninsula lies below the 3-m curve.

This is troublesome, because future high water levels around

the peninsula may be both higher and more frequent compared to today due to ongoing climatic changes and expected
increased greenhouse effect (BLOMGREN and HANSON, 1997).

S0

The

INTERPRETATION OF COASTAL
GEOMORPHOLOGY

The subsequent discussion will only treat coastal dynamics

along the valuable south and west coasts, characterized by
rather wide sandy beaches suitable for recreation but prone
to erosion. The north shoreline is subject to much lower incoming wave energy and generally quite stable, typically
made up of muddy meadows and heavily vegetated. No geomorphological features of particular interest exist here and
it is not as valuable, in recreational terms, as are the beaches
on the south and west coasts. Hence, this latter shoreline will
not be discussed here.

Background Information
Three elevated zones of clay-till, all oriented in a more or
less north-south direction, are believed to constitute the incitement that both led to the birth of the peninsula and de-

Falsterbo

Canal

- 10-.

= 20-) -30
0

5km

LimestoneClay

Is

Clay-till , Sand and fine sand

Figure 2. Geological profile in east-west direction through the Falsterbo Peninsula along line indicated in Fig. 1. (Modified after Ringberg, 1975.)

Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2000

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Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula 17

Elevation Relative

6149 -2 to Ground (m)

-3

-4

6148

Skanbr SKAN

6147

Harbor

-10

-12yeholmen

The Falsterbo
Canal

6146 - -14

35,000 m3/year FALSTERBO Ljunghusen

I

Kampinge

FalsterboBay

6145

Bay
61,000 m3/year
6144
0

2.5

M~klappen Kilometers

enudden

6143 Orientation of till "ridges"---1311 1312 1313 1314 1315 1316 1317 1318

Figure 4. Calculated net sediment transport rates according to Hanson

and Larson (1993).

Coordinate, RT90 2.5 gon W (km)

Figure 3. Interpolated isopach map showing the elevation of the underlying clay-till surface (based on material from Davidsson (1963) and the
Swedish Geological Survey).

termined its present shape. The isopach map in Figure 3 is

based on soil strata information from wells, provided by the
Swedish Geological Survey, and some information from DAVIDSSON (1963). The contours show the elevation of the till
surface underlying the sand relative to National Geodetic
Vertical Datum (NGVD) and two of the three "ridges" mentioned above are clearly outlined. The third formation is not
shown in Figure 3, but located beneath Falsterbo Bank and
Maklippen (Figure 1). It is obvious that the protrusion of
Stenudden and Gyeholmen is related to the till deposit, being
more resistant against erosion than the unconsolidated sand
deposits. It can also be seen that the orientation of these for-

mations coincides with that of Hammars Nis (Figure 1),

which also rests on till.

Through wind and wave action, sand accumulated around

these resistant deposits and built spits and tombolos, which,
in turn, created lagoons by connecting the till deposits to each
other and to the mainland. These lagoons then became filled
with sand through overwash and eolian transport, and the
peninsula started to form (RICHTER 1936, DAVIDSSON, 1963).
HANSON and LARSON (1993) applied the numerical shoreline change model GENESIS (HANSON and KRAUS, 1989) to
estimate the potential sediment transport rates along the
south and west coasts, respectively. The waves used were derived with the SMB-method (SPM 1984) from a 16-year wind
data series. GENESIS was calibrated against a sediment
budget formulated at Skanor Harbor, which indicates that
the net longshore sediment transport along the west coast is
about 39,000 m3/year to the north.
Along the west coast the average net transport rate was
calculated to 35,000 m3/year, and along the most westerly
part of Falsterbo Bay the corresponding figure was 61,000
m3/year, directed westward (Figure 4).
HANSON and LARSON (1993) argued that the net rate of
61,000 m3/year along the south coast was considered reasonable because it had to be larger than the net rate along the

west coast to explain the increasing size of Maklappen. This

figure must, hence, be regarded as "semi-qualitative" because
it cannot be validated against field measurements or other
quantitative investigations.
The South Coast

This reach is essentially made up of two bays, Kampinge

Bay and Falsterbo Bay, separated by the cape of Stenudden.

The shoreline in Kimpinge Bay (Figure 1) has remained

quite stable during the last decades, and no points or features
of specific morphologic interest exist. However, in order to
investigate its "stability status", an analysis using the crenulate bay-shape theory as suggested by SILVESTER and Hsu
(1993, Ch. 4) was implemented.
Briefly, the concept behind this theory relies on observations that sandy bays downcoast of a headland typically arrange themselves in a crenulate or parabolic shape (Figure
5) due to diffraction and refraction of the incident waves. The

parabolic shape can be mathematically described, and if

down- and upcoast control points can be determined, the the-

Wave direction

Upcoast

headland

~ Control point
--- Control line

Parabolic section R

,_, ,, r Downcoastsection
tangential
.6 - moons
,0 a. a. , . .,....,......8%8%6.
..... .,....,,.t.(..:..,,....,.....,...0_
...... .. . .Ne 0 .a - -0

Figure 5. Terminology of crenulate bay-shape theory.

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18

Blomgren

and

Hanson

Amnerfinnan

Ba 1986
91986
)54

?5'

Kampinge
Bay

19841978

----- Control line

1973

The Baltic Sea Stenudden

- --Tangent
- o Net transport direction

Stenudden .........I Equilibrium bay shape

- 1984 shoreline

0 0.5 1
Kilometers

Figure 6. Predicted static shorelines in Kaimpinge Bay according to the

crenulate bay-shape theory.

oretical static equilibrium bay shape can be estimated with

the following relationship (Hsu et al., 1987, SILVESTER and
Hsu, 1993):

R R,
= Co
+ C + C2 p (1)
8 0
where (c.f Figure 5):
R = Distance between headland control point and arbitrary
point on parabolic curve

Ro = Length of control line (= distance between headland

control point and downcoast limit of bayed beach)
p = Angle between control line and incident wave crests

0 = Angle between R and incident wave crests

and Co, C1, and C2 are coefficients chosen depending on actual

p-value (tabulated in SILVESTER and Hsu, 1993).

Static equilibrium is reached when no additional sediment
supplies are available and the shoreline has eroded to a state

of zero littoral drift.

The tangential section of a crenulate bay in static equilibrium has been found experimentally to be parallel to the
crests of the incident waves, and under this (ideal) condition
the incident waves will diffract and refract into the bay in
such a way that they break simultaneously around the entire
periphery of the bay.
Dynamic equilibrium denotes conditions when material is
moving through the bay from upcoast or into the bay from a
river within it. This state can be maintained for long times
(- several decades) and the dynamic equilibrium bay may
also be oriented in a crenulate-shape but the shoreline is not
as indented as its static counterpart (Hsu et al., 1987).

For the present situation east of the breakwater in Kimpinge Bay, seen in Figure 6, the crenulate bay-shape theory
indicates a static equilibrium shoreline position at up to 200
m shoreward of the actual shoreline (Hsu, Pers. Comm.,
1997). As mentioned above, this indicates that the beach is
in a dynamic condition, and that significant longshore transport is occurring within the bay area. The bay shoreline can

0.5

Kilometers

Figure 7. Amne Bay and the two sand-tongues at the south coast.

be expected to recede only if this transport for some reason

is stopped and, if so, never further than to the predicted inner
line.

For the stretch between Stenudden and the west break-

water, the crenulate bay-shape approach also yields a result

where the static equilibrium shoreline is located behind the
actual shoreline, although not more than some 50 m at the
most (Hsu, Pers comm., 1997). This would imply that the
shoreline eventually may recede back to this static equilibrium shoreline and that the net transport is westbound. However, this is doubtful mainly because the west breakwater,
obviously acting as a sand trap, indicates a local eastbound
transport direction. If the net longshore transport had been
westbound, diffraction alone would have been responsible for
the build-up, which is unlikely.
Instead, the cape of Stenudden acts as a divergent nodal
point, east of which the longshore transport is directed toward northeast and contributes to the beach build-up at the
west breakwater.

An important emphasis has to be made here. The crenulate

bay shape theory assumes that a bay downcoast of a natural
headland will loose sediment along its tangential downcoast
section. Therefore, the bay shape can be regarded as an erosional feature. If, on the other hand, the net sediment transport is directed toward the headland, in the present case the
breakwaters, the build-up on the updrift side of the breakwater contributes to the characteristic bay shape, which,
hence, is a depositional feature. Because the bay also in this
case arranges itself in a crenulate shape, the theory still applies.
The reach along Falsterbo Bay could not be analyzed with
the crenulate bay-shape theory due to difficulties in locating
proper control points (Hsu, Pers. Comm, 1997).
West of Stenudden a small sand-tongue extends westward
and further to the west a long narrow sand-tongue extends
eastward (Figure 7). At first, it is tempting to regard the latter as an indicator of eastbound net transport, i.e., opposed
to actual conditions. However, if this were the case, there
should be significant build-up where the two transport direc-

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Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula 19

tions meet, but such a build-up does not exist. The explanation is that the two sand-tongues actually are one formation,
broken through at its weakest point. The small inlet is kept
open by water level differences between the Baltic Sea and
Amne Bay.
The results given by a comparison between aerial photographs taken in 1973, 1978, 1984, 1986, and 1994 indicate
that the tips are approaching each other and will most likely
join. The photographs indicate that it is mainly the east part
that grows westward, while the west part remains fixed.
Water-levels at the times when the aerial photographs

1994..

1986 .....,
1990 --..,
Badreveln
0

0.5

1984 ... ..,

Kilometers

1978 ..

1965 ..
1955

1938 ......
bac en

were taken were obtained from the Falsterbo Canal and tak-

en into account in determination of the tip locations. Also,

the 1984 aerial photograph indicates a distance between the
tips of some 200 m at MSL -10 cm, whereas a field observation in June 1996 showed that the distance, at MSL -5
cm (obtained from the same records), was about 70 m. These
observations also confirm that westbound longshore transport dominates, much depending on the sheltering effect of
M~klippen.
The governing mechanisms behind these sand-tongues separating Amne Bay from the Baltic Sea are similar to those
which once created the peninsula. The stepwise joining of the
elevated parts of the underlying clay-till deposits created lagoons which gradually became filled by overwash and eolian
transport (RICHTER, 1936). The large segment of the peninsula north of Amne Bay, located between two till formations
(Figure 3), obviously requires a long time to fill entirely. This
filling will be completed when Amne Bay eventually becomes

filled, and a new outline of the peninsula will be established

(provided that the prevailing wave climate does not change
significantly during the next century or so). The small creek,
Amnerdnnan, (Figure 7), also indicates that the mid-section
of the peninsula is the part that has required most time to
become filled. Amnerannan can be regarded as a "seam"
forming a border between two previously separate parts of
the peninsula.
In general, the observations discussed above constitute a
good example of the still active post-glacial rearrangement
and adjustment to present conditions, a process which now
has been active for over 6,000 years.
The West Coast
The main features of interest here are located north of Ska-

nor Harbor; the spit of Badreveln, extending northward from

the harbor, and the hook-shaped formation Hovbacken east

of Badreveln (Figure 8).
Directly north of the harbor, the shoreline has moved seaward some 150 m between the medieval ages and 1860, when
the harbor was constructed (HORNSTEN 1996, Pers. Comm.).
The harbor has introduced large changes to the sediment
transport patterns and greatly affected the shoreline, something that clearly shows the sensitivity and dynamic state of
the peninsula.
As counterintuitive as it may seem at first, the presence of
the harbor is the main reason for the creation of Badreveln.

Topographic maps, dated 1813, 1860, and 1913, respectively,

1916 ...

Skanor 1860

Harbor 0

Figure 8. The evolution of the spit Badreveln since the harbor construction in 1860.

clearly show that the spit began to form after the harbor construction.

The explanation may be found in that the harbor was accessed by a bridge until 1913. Therefore, the longshore transport was retained for over 50 years and a small spit was
formed in the lee of the harbor. When the bridge was converted into an embankment, the longshore transport was cut
off and impounded on the updrift side. When this compartment eventually was filled, bypassing commenced and the
spit, now over 3 km long, continued to grow.
Finally, the hook-shaped feature of Hovbacken located between Badreveln and the north part of the peninsula (Figure
8) has existed for many centuries, as it now is fossilized. On
the topographic map from 1813 it virtually has the same
shape as today. It was most likely formed by processes similar to the ones that formed the rest of the spits which today
are integrated in the Flommen marsh area (Figure 1).
In other words, gradients in northbound net longshore sediment transport shifted the west coastline south of Skanor
Harbor westward. Several hundred years ago, the sand deposits around Vistra Haken were much smaller than today
and the incoming wave energy from W to N was not dissipated to the same extent. Thus, they may very well would
have been powerful enough to curve the spit into its present
shape. This observation is investigated further in the numerical modeling section and confirms the importance of the
presence of Badreveln and the limited water depths around
Vastra Haken for reducing nearshore wave heights.
The long-term changes in sediment transport patterns and
shoreline orientation caused by Skanor Harbor compose an
interesting example of how unpredictable the consequences
can be when introducing large structures in the nearshore
zone.

Mkliippen Island
This little island, extending southward from Ule Nabbe,
continuously experiences most significant changes in shape

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20

Blomgren

1938

1956

1961

and

Hanson

ably erode the west coast, which up to now largely has been
fed by sand transported around Ule Nabbe. The small sand
spit extending from the mainland in 1990 can be seen as a
manifestation of this southward diversion (when Maklippen
has reached north of Ule Nabbe). The spit was not there in
1984 when the passage still was open.
Given the significant northward progression and northeasterly movement of Miklippen, the primary driving force
are the dominant waves arriving from SW. The small spurs
on the north tip of the hook (Figure 9) are also a sign of the

1967

significance of the SW-waves as they are formed by refraction

N
New spit

1000 m

1978

1984

1990

Figure 9. The shape and evolution of Maklappen since 1938. (After Davidsson, 1963, Hebrand and Nilsson, 1987, and topographic maps.)

and size (Figure 9). It can be seen that 60 years ago, the
island was very small and much more compact, and its total
area above MSL has increased tremendously since then.
Maklappen is composed of material deposited around a
part of Falsterbo Bank, one of the underlying till formations
discussed previously. Sand masses transported from Falsterbo Bay and Sandflyttan have contributed to its growth, but
the main reason for its remarkable changes is the spoil material on Falsterbo Bank and Blinda Segelskdir dumped in
connection with the construction of the Falsterbo Canal

around 1940 (Hebrand and Nilsson, 1987). In the modeling

section below, it can be seen that strong southeast winds induce transport of sediment from Blinda Segelskir to Miklippen, around which the sediment accumulates. Once this accumulation started, the water depth around M.klappen decreased, and facilitated additional deposition.
A migration trend of the island toward N and E can be
distinguished, at least after 1961 (Figure 9). Earlier, when
Maklappen did not extend so far north, it grew slowly towards NNE probably due to continuous movement of sand
from the windward side to the lee side, by a combined action
of winds and -overwash, i.e., similar to the migration of barrier

islands. This movement is supported by the fact that the underlying till has successively been turned over and shifted up
towards the surface, which today contains much more gravel,
compared to the situation 50 years ago (HORNSTEN 1996,
Pers. Comm.).
An explanation to the post-1961 migration is that the west
flank of the island has grown 2 to 2.5 km to the north during
the last 60 years, presently reaching some 600 m north of Ule

Nabbe. This growth has resulted in that sand, previously being transported around Ule Nabbe, now is being impounded
and pushed southward, where it contributes to the growth
and accelerated migration of the hook. The growth will prob-

and diffraction of these waves.

Although a severe storm probably could undermine and

wash away a portion of Maklappen, it is likely that it eventually will become closely integrated with the south part of
the peninsula. This presumption is based on two factors; 1)
the island now impounds sediment previously moved around
Ule Nabbe, and 2) the increased resistance against erosion
which is caused by the armoring due to upward shift and
surfacing of the underlying, coarser fractions.
If this integration becomes a reality, it may lead to the end
of the secluded wildlife refuge hosted on the island, as predators and humans can access it more easily when no longer
detached. When the sand masses from the canal dredging
was dumped at Blinda Segelskair almost 60 years ago, few
probably realized what consequences for Maklippen that action could cause in the future. This is another example of how

important it is to possess solid knowledge of the coastal dynamics before carrying out nearshore construction activities
and changes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERICAL MODELS

The numerical modeling part of the present study was undertaken to evaluate to what extent numerical wave generation and propagation models can be of help in explaining
the presence and shape of certain coastal geomorphology features. It is also examined whether the modeling results qualitatively support conclusions and hypotheses from the coastal
geomorphology section.
WAVAD

The numerical model WAVAD (RESIO, 1993a) calculates

wave generation, propagation, and decay in both deep and
shallow water in a basin of arbitrary shape. The model, which
has been validated extensively in previous studies (HUBERTZ
et al., 1991), was employed in this study to provide wave energy spectra to be used as input to the nearshore wave generation and propagation model STDGRW, described below.
From input of wind speed and direction at user-specified time

intervals on a bathymetry grid, the model calculates wave

energy density spectra, represented as discretized frequencydirection bands, in every grid cell. From these spectra, characteristic wave heights, periods, and directions of propagation are determined.

WAVAD is a second-generation wave model, denoting that

the non-linear wave-wave interaction, which redistributes
wave energy over the spectrum, is described in a simplified
parameterized from (KOMEN et al., 1994). The second-gener-

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Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula 21

and LARSON (1993) and WAHL (1973) provide some inforN

wN EAll Winds
NW

NE

>9

WNW EE ...NE4

>14

WSW

Sw
SSW
S

m/s
Radius = 5.0 /c

ESE

HANSON and LARSON (1993) used the empirical SMBmethod (SPM 1984) on a 16-year record of wind measurements to derive a wave hindcast time series from which significant wave heights-denoted Hs-were calculated off the
west coast at 8 m depth and off the south coast at 12 m depth.

>19

mation.

SE
SSE

Figure 10. Wind roses reflecting the prevailing local wind climate.
(Based on a 19-year data series from Falsterbo lighthouse, provided by
the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.)

For both sites, the resulting mean Hs was 0.2 m (periods of

negligible wave heights included). It was also shown, that
west of the harbor, the majority of the waves greater than
0.5 m approach from the W-SW sector, whereas the SW and
SE sectors dominate for the study point south of Ule Nabbe
(Figure 1).
In WAHL (1973), wave statistics based on 4,430 visual observations of wave heights and periods over four years are
presented and calibrated against measurements carried out
with a wave rider buoy. This resulted in a mean Hs of 0.8 m
(at 17 m water depth), however with no connections to propagation direction.
STDGRW Simulations

ation concept also implies that wave growth and spectral

shape is adequately described by the Joint North Sea Wave
Program (JONSWAP) spectral shape and growth criteria
(HASSELMANN et al., 1976, RIs, 1997).
STDGRW

STDGRW (RESIO, 1993b) is a steady-state spectral wave

model used for simulating generation and transformation of
waves propagating into coastal environments. This model has
also been validated and utilized in a number of earlier studies

(RESIO, 1993b). Wave energy spectra ranging from monochromatic conditions, where all energy is confined to a single
frequency band, to broad storm-wave spectra, can be modeled. A bathymetry grid, together with spectral wave properties (provided by, e.g., WAVAD) at the left-hand boundary
of the grid constitute the main input together with wind data.
The waves are propagated from this boundary toward the
shore and the output consists of directional wave energy spectra from which the wave height, period, and direction can be
derived. Diffraction, shoaling, and refraction are incorporated
in the model.

NUMERICAL MODELING

The waves in the study area are characterized as locallygenerated wind waves with negligible swell components.
Therefore, the directional distribution of deep-water wave
propagation can be expected to coincide well with that of the
prevailing winds. In Figure 10, wind roses describing the directional distribution of all winds together with winds exceeding 9, 14, and 19 m/s, respectively, are shown. It can be
seen that the winds from the W-WNW sector become more

dominant with increasing wind speed.

Quantitative descriptions of wave characteristics in the vicinity of the Falsterbo Peninsula are limited, but HANSON

STDGRW was applied to undertake a more detailed qualitative study of the nearshore wave characteristics over the
complex bathymetry surrounding the Falsterbo Peninsula.
Because the peninsula is sensitive to intense wave action,
storm conditions characterized by boundary wave heights of
some 2 m, were simulated over a quadratic bathymetry grid
of 300 m resolution, derived from a 1:50,000 sea chart. Figures 11, 12, and 13 show the wave propagation patterns when
the waves arrive from SE, SW, and NW, respectively.
If Figures 11 and 12 are compared, it can be seen that a
boundary wave height of about 2 m arriving from SE yields
significantly higher nearshore waves than do waves of the
same height arriving from SW. The reason for this is that
Maklaippen shelters the south coast against waves arriving
from WSW to W, and to some extent also against SW waves.
Also, the waves approaching from SSW to SW will be subject
to pronounced refraction when approaching the south coast.
This, in turn, means that the directional spread of the waves
significantly decreases. This sheltering and refraction, together with the long fetch in the ESE to SE direction, explain
why the net longshore sediment transport west of Stenudden
at the south coast is directed westward and not eastward,
which could be wrongfully concluded from the wind climate
and the orientation of the long, narrow sand-tongue on the
south coast (Figure 7).
In both Figures 11 and 12, it can be seen that the waves
converge around Stenudden and that waves arriving from
SW induce a longshore transport potential along the stretch
between Stenudden and the canal entrance. Stenudden ob-

viously constitutes a nodal point which would have eroded

severely if it had not been for the resistant underlying claytill.

For the west coast (Figure 12 and 13), the net longshore
transport is directed northward because the major part of the
significant waves approach the peninsula from the W-SW sec-

tor. For winds from the W-NW sector, the spit Badreveln
(Figure 1) offers substantial sheltering to the coast within,

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22

Blomgren

and

Hanson

NN'\N\ \ N ..\ \ \ N N \ \ \ \ \\N\ \\\NN NN. .....

NN\N\

INI

1-1

I\

*--

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\NN N "N ..Lower right arrow

NNNN\\'NN\\NNNNNNN.NNN.N.NNN
NNNN

NNN

N\\

.N

NN\N

NNN

.NN~NNN

N.N

XNN

NNNN

*-I11 \ N\NI\1- NN," N NNN. . corresponds to Hs=2 m

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\% %\\\\ \\\\\

7 0 N "NN ,NN , N ,N\\ \ \ \ \,NN\ \ \ \N N

'N\NNN"IN\\\\\\N
1,\\\1,\\\1.,
\\N N, \\NN , NN\
N N.
\\N.NNN\
N\\\NNNNNNNNN\
NN\\\\NNNNNNNNNN
\\N\N
....
\\N.'NNN\\\\NNN\\\ N\NN\\\\NN NNNNNNN\NNN\\\ NNNNN ....
\\\\\NNNNN\ NNNNN NN N N N N NN N NNN \N \\N\NN N. NNN N....

\\\\N.'NN.\\N NN\ \NN NN

N,

\\\\\\N

60 NN\\\\\ I.'\ NN\

NN%

60 \\ \\
\\X\\\
\\\xxx \\xx,, \\ \\ \\ .. . .. x\
,\xxx
\\
\\\\\\\\\\xxxxxxx,,,,,,..xxxxxxx\
x ... x......
. xx
. . .. . .
\\\
\\\ \\\ xx~ \ \\\ ... ....... .xx xxx..
40 \K \\\\\\\\\\
K\\\ \ \NNNN\

50

.... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
\\
\\\\\
\\
....\....
.... \...... .. ... .. ..... .....
50 ~ ~ ~ \\\ \\ \\
\ \\
. . ....
. .. ...
.........
,

..........................................

\ \ \ \ \\ \ \\\ , . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .

10
\'N\ \\\\
\\ %..

,?NNNXX\\\I

30 \\ X Nx

Com....uttioal.e

203
..\
als rb

07

~\\NN\\\
NN\\\\\\\
X

40s~ ~~~ i "\\\ \~t

X

20
Com

10

utaioal

20

ellNo

3040

10

20

5060

30

40

50

60

70

Computational cell No.

Figure 11. Example of wave propagation patterns-winds from SE.

but at times with high water levels storm-waves may break

through this spit (which typically rises only about 0.5 m
above MSL) and cause severe erosion and inundation of the

hinterland. To quantify this situation, the sea level was increased by 1 m over the entire computational grid, and the
model was run again with the boundary condition of 2 m
waves approaching from NW. In Figure 14, the resulting
wave heights at MSL + 1 m are expressed relative to the original wave height (%). A rise of 1 m may not seem very severe,
but the overall sensitivity of the peninsula and the fact that
the area is virtually tideless must be kept in mind. It can be
seen that the wave height along the north part of the west
coast is doubled if the protective function of the spit becomes
eliminated. This example illustrates how a numerical model
can be used to quantify hypothetical, yet likely, future situations on engineering alternatives and responses.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The Falsterbo Peninsula is a sandy formation which start-

ed to form some 6,000 years ago through sedimentation

around three elevated parts of the underlying clay-till cover.
It is exposed to complex coastal processes, characterized by
interaction between nearshore circulation and large-scale
currents. This study has shown that:

(1) Several indications that the peninsula has not yet

reached its "final" equilibrium shape can be found. An
example of this is the island of Miklaippen, which is about
to become totally integrated with the main peninsula. Integration will probably lead to additional growth and alter the well-known shape of the peninsula. The two sandtongues south of Amne Bay should be regarded as one
single formation, broken through at its weakest point by

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Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula 23

80

Lower left arrow

70

7',.corresponds to Hs=2 m

60

i / /- .- / - .- - /- - - - - -. --/

50

Skana6r c N.
40

Falsterbo
30If

20

10
10

20

30

40

50

Computational cell No.

60

70

Figure 12. Example of wave propagation patterns-winds from SW.

a current induced by water level gradient. The two sandtongues will join and establish a new coastline. Then, overwash and eolian processes, similar to those that once

created the peninsula, will take over and fill the lagoon

within.

(2) An analysis according to the crenulate bay-shape theory

indicated that the static equilibrium lines of the short
stretches on either side of the south canal entrance lies

between some 50 and 200 m shoreward of the present

shorelines, respectively. The latter estimate signifies an
erosion potential that can be realized if the sediment
transport from east for some reason is reduced.
(3) Both the joining of the two sand-tongues and the integration of Maklappen can largely be related to the on Blinda

Segelskir and Falsterbo Bank dumped dredging masses

in connection with the construction of the Falsterbo Ca-

nal in the 1940s. This is an obvious example of unpredictable and far-reaching consequences not only in space
but also in time, following major coastal zone activities.
(4) The construction of Skan6r Harbor around 1860 led to the
creation of the spit of Badreveln through complex interaction between the harbor and gradients in longshore
sediment transport.
(5) The hook-shape of the fossilized spit Hovbacken can most
likely be explained by the greater incident wave energy
from the W-N sector several hundred years ago when the
water depth at Vistra Haken was greater than today and
the spit Badreveln did not exist.
(6) Numerical modeling of nearshore wave characteristics
may provide valuable knowledge the coastal processes.
For areas sensitive to high water levels and wave action,
such as the Falsterbo Peninsula, a near-coast wave model

Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2000

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24

Blomgren

80

and

Hanson

a
Upper left arrow

corresponds to Hs=2 m
70

60

"\\

50

-Skandr

40

Falsterbo- ,_
30 , ' ' "-- . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..- -. . . . . .

30

~~-----------

2N \ N\N \ "\ "\N N N, 1 \N I\ \ I\N \ \N 1 \NN.N

N0 I-. NNN NI.N.NI .NI . NI".I N. , N N N N N N N N N N N N N.

01.N -- -N\\ .\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\-\\\\

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Computational cell No.

Figure 13. Example of wave propagation patterns-winds from NW.

can provide useful information on the impact on the wave

climate due to changes in, for example, sea-level. It was

shown that for a particular part of the peninsula coast
the nearshore wave heights can be expected to increase
by 100% if the sea level rises one meter in combination
with winds from WNW to NW.

Combined, these observations clearly signify that the Falsterbo Peninsula is a sensitive system in a very dynamic state
and, therefore, responds quickly to anthropogenic and climatological changes. Because it is also low-lying and consists
of easily erodible deposits, thorough investigations of possible
consequences related to introduction of new structures (or alteration of existing structures) in the coastal zone, must be
undertaken.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was partly sponsored by the community of Vellinge and partly by the Baltic Sea System Study (BASYS) project, funded by the European Commission through its MAST
Program (Contract No. MAS3-CT96-0058). This is gratefully
acknowledged. Fruitful discussions and opinions have been
richly supplied by Mr. Ake Hornsten, formerly at the Swedish
Geological Survey in Uppsala, and by Prof. Leif Bjelm at the
Department of Engineering Geology, Lund Institute of Tech-

nology. These are gratefully acknowledged. The authors

would also like to express their sincere gratitude for the discussion and assistance supplied by Dr. John Hsu at the Department of Environmental Engineering at the University of
Western Australia, regarding the crenulate bay-shape ap-

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Coastal Geomorphology at the Falsterbo Peninsula 25

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