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Troia Peninsula Evolution: The Dune Morphology Record

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Journal of Coastal Research SI 56 352 - 355 ICS2009 (Proceedings) Portugal ISSN 0749-0258

Tróia Peninsula Evolution: The Dune Morphology Record

L. P. Rebêlo†, M. Ferraz† and P. O. Brito†
† Marine Geology Dept.
INETI, Estrada da Portela Zambujal, Alfragide
Apartado 7586, 2720-866 Amadora
Portugal
luis.rebelo@ineti.pt

ABSTRACT

REBÊLO, L. P., FERRAZ, M., and BRITO, P. O., 2009. Tróia Peninsula Evolution: The Dune Morphology Record.
Journal of Coastal Research, SI 56 (Proceedings of the 10th International Coastal Symposium), 352 – 355.
Lisbon, Portugal, ISSN 0749-0258

Tróia peninsula, located near Setúbal, in the Portuguese west coast, has a length of approximately 25 km, a
maximum width of 1,8 km and a SSE-NNW orientation. It is situated in the mouth of the Sado River, separating
the estuary from the Atlantic Ocean. The peninsula is mainly built by dune and beach deposits as a result of an
ENE to WSW growth and a SSE to NNW elongation related with the local longshore sand drift regime.
The wind regime is complex due to the Arrábida chain, located north of the peninsula. The NW wind, specially
intense during the summer in the Portuguese coast, is affected in such a way that a N-S sand transport occurs
only in the north part of the peninsula, while in the central and south part a W-E sand transport is observed.
Foredunes are the most common dunes in the peninsula, although different types can be found. Blowouts are also
present, mainly associated to foredune breaching. Complex transgressive dunes are also observed, mainly in the
northern part of the spit.

Since foredunes develop near the coastline, the reconstruction of the evolution of the peninsula shape may be
achieved by old foredunes position. Moreover, because different foredune morphology is a consequence of
different processes, progradation and erosion events, may be inferred by the existent dune morphology.
As a result of the dune morphology analysis, paleo-coastlines have been inferred, shoreline displacement has
been traced and accretion/erosion phases detected, giving an important contribution to understand the peninsula
evolution.

ADITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Foredunes, accretion, erosion, coastline, sand spit.

INTRODUCTION coast, the Sado estuary is not directly subjected to the oceanic
The Tróia Peninsula is a sandy spit, made up of dunes and waves. The NW waves are refracted generating a W-E to WSW-
beaches. It is located on the left margin of the Sado River mouth ENE wave direction. At a larger scale, the Sado river delta also
near the foot of the Arrábida Mountain, on the west coast of
Portugal (Figure 1).
The peninsula corresponds to the north part of the Tróia-Sines
littoral arch, trending NNW-SSE, in the south sector, and NW-SE
in the north sector. It is 25km long, has a maximum width of
1.8km and maximum height of 27m.
It is of general agreement that the Tróia spit formed in close
dependence of its location at the foot of the WSW-ENE trending
Arrábida mountain belt. The Arrábida Mountain (Figure 1) is
approximately 35km long and rises abruptly from sea level to
500m high, at a distance of only 2km from the north part of Tróia.
This mountain belt, raised at the end of the Miocene, forms a
conspicuous jog on the Portuguese coast that protects the north
part of the peninsula from the direct action of dominant NW swell
and winds.
The Portuguese West coast is affected by a wave regime with
waves approaching from W and NW and waves approaching from
SW. Waves from W and NW are more frequent and have more
energy, occurring throughout the entire year, while SW waves are
more common in winter storms (COSTA, 1994). Most of the Figure 1. Tróia Peninsula location. Background image adapted
Portuguese West coast, due to its fairly linear north-south trending from GoogleTM and georeferenced according to Datum
is exposed to this wave regime and, as a consequence, a resultant “Lisboa”.
N-S sand drift occurs. However, due to the local shape of the

Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue 56, 2009

352
 Tróia Peninsula Evolution

plays an important role in the wave refraction.

Because it is a very shallow sand body, wave refraction is
enhanced in the north part of the peninsula, contributing
significantly to the spit development (GOMES, 1992).
Prevailing regional winds blow from the NW quadrant, during
the summer, and from SW quadrant, during the winter (GOMES,
1992). However, due to the Arrábida Mountain, the local wind
regime that affects Tróia peninsula is more complex. Its proximity
to the peninsula has a significant impact on winds. When the
northerly winds blow, the local direction of the flow is deflected
closer to a W-E direction. However, between the eastern end of
the Arrábida chain and the Palmela hill there is a small valley that
promotes the increase of the wind velocity, affecting the N and NE
areas of the peninsula. This complex wind pattern was shown by
the study of pine trees orientation. According to NETO (2000),
pine trees, that mostly grow in the spring/summer period, when
NW winds prevail, are bended to south in the N and NE part of the
peninsula, and to E, in the central and ocean facing side of the
peninsula. Transgressive dunes also corroborate this wind pattern.
BRITO et al. (2006), suggests that the Sado river delta is one of
the sediments sources of the peninsula. The enlargement of the
peninsula is a reflection of the sediment accumulation that occurs
by two different processes: Sand deposited by the waves on the
beach, leading to the coastline shift; and sand transported inland
by the wind leading to the coastal dune formation.
Although the age of its formation is still unknown, the
development of the peninsula is believed to have occurred with the
sea level at a value similar to the present one, around 4000 BP
(ANDRADE et al, 2006).

METHODS
Dune topography analysis was made using multiple sets of
aerial photographs and two altimetry datasets as well as
stereoscopic interpretation. The obtained data was imported into a
Geographical Information System (GIS), where Digital Terrain
Model (DTM) was built.
In order to validate the results, ground truething of the
interpreted morphology was performed in the field.
Inferred paleocoastlines, used in the evolution reconstruction of
the peninsula, were drawn parallel to the foredune crestlines,
mismatching present processes.
RESULTS
A map of dune crestlines was made (Figure 2) as a result of
stereoscopic interpretation and DTM analysis. From this map, a
paleocoastline map was inferred and a model for the evolution was
established (Figure 3).
Detailed analysis of the dune field shows a multiplicity of dune
crests (Figure 2). The peninsula may be divided in two main areas,
regarding dune morphology: the north part, from the Sado river
mouth to Malha da Costa area; and the south part, from Malha da
Costa to Carvalhal.
In the north part of the peninsula foredunes are dominant.
Foredune morphology ranges from gentle ondulating features,
similar to beach ridge topography to well developed foredunes.
These later can range from linear, narrow continuous and
sometimes long crests to wide, long and irregular crestline dunes.
Blowouts reflecting, a W-E sand transport, occur usually
associated with foredune breaching, being more frequent and
larger as we go south. In the north tip and in the NE side of the
peninsula, facing the estuary, transgressive forms are also present.
In this case, sand transport seems to have occurred with a N-S
orientation.
Figure 2. Dune crests of the north and south part of the
peninsula.
In the south part of the peninsula the dunes have a more
transgressive behavior, reflected by its higher altitude and a well
developed precipitation ridge facing the estuary side. Blowouts are
the dominant dune forms and are larger than in the north sector.
As we progress to south the asymmetry of blowout arms rises,
giving an indication of a more WNW-ESE resultant sand
movement.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Dune Forms and Dynamics
Foredunes are the most common dunes in the peninsula,
although different types of foredunes can be found. Blowouts are
also present, mainly associated to foredune breaching. Other
transgressive dunes are present, mainly in the northern part of the
spit.
Tróia dune morphology has already been studied by several
authors (GOMES, 1992; PSUTY, 1992; REBÊLO et al. 2005). In the
north part of the peninsula, from the mouth of the Sado River to
the Malha da Costa, foredune morphology prevails (Figure 2). As
coastline prograded, foredunes remain trapped inside the peninsula
as new foredunes were formed, preserving its morphology until
present days. Blowout formation seems to be contemporaneous
with foredune formation and not with later reactivation.

Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue 56, 2009

353
 Rebêlo et al.
Figure 3. Paleocoastlines inferred from foredune crestlines and
direction of growth of the peninsula.
In the north tip of the peninsula, because of the strong northerly
wind that derives from the Palmela valley, dunes have a different
morphology. Here, a transgressive dune behavior, form N to S, is
shown by the shape of the crests, orientation of the precipitation
ridges and by the spatial relation between the dunes and the
partially covered buildings of an old roman settlement. As we
progress to south, the northerly trangressive signal is given by the
reworking of the estuary facing dunes (old foredunes), as sand
gets exposed to the wind due to coastline erosion.
Since foredunes develop in relation with the beach (PSUTY,
1992), the reconstruction of the peninsula shape evolution may be
achieved by the analysis old foredunes crestline positions.
Moreover, because different foredune morphology and crestline
shape is a consequence of different geological processes,
progradation and erosion events, may be inferred by the dunes
study.
Accordingly to PSUTY (1992), foredune development reaches
its maximum when the beach budget is slightly negative and
foredune budget is positive. If foredune budget is positive but
beach budget is also positive, foredunes tend to decrease in size,
leading to a dune-ridge topography. If beach budget is negative
and foredune budget is also negative, blowouts may occur, and in
a more accentuated negative phase, hummocky may be dominant.
Current Tróia foredune shows all this morphologies, in accordance
with local sand supply and changes in wind conditions. Similar
structures may be seen in old foredunes, presently lying in the
interior of the peninsula.
Consequently, two features of dune morphology were used to
interpret coastal dynamics during dune buildup: size and shape.
Large foredunes, leading to dune cordons formation, were
connected to a more stable or slightly eroding coastline, while
small foredune ridge succession was associated to a rapid
prograding coastline. According to its position in relation with the
coastline, a convex foredune crestline was connected to an
accretionary phase and a concave dune crestline was related with
an eroding period. Because dune morphology is well preserved in
Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue 56, 2009
354
older dunes, marine scarping is evident in some of this concave
crestlines, showing a morphology identical to the sectors where
present erosion occurs.
Blowouts are transgressive dunes that usually have origin in the
breaching of older fixed dunes. Breaching on foredunes is usually
related with foredune scarping and vegetation cover
destabilization when beach erosion occurs, being associated to
slightly negative dune and beach budget (PSUTY, 1992). So, the
presence of blowouts in association with foredunes with irregular
crestlines is a good indicator of coastline retreat.
Tróia Evolution
Tróia dune evolution has already been studied by several
authors. From these studies, a SSE-NNW elongation and an E-W
coastline displacement may be inferred. PSUTY, 1992, suggests a
downdrift progradation along with wave refraction, on the ebb-
tide delta, as the mechanism to create a series of offset foredune
crests, with a seaward displacement of the crestlines. GOMES
(1992) referred the existence of four dune cordons, being the
younger in the west side of the peninsula and the oldest in the east
part. PINTO et al. 2002, referred also that the vegetation cover is
older in the estuary side of the peninsula than in the oceanic side.
REBÊLO et al. (2005), based on a more detailed analysis of the
dune morphology, concluded towards a higher complexity of the
dune field crestlines, suggesting also different processes in the
evolution of the north and south parts of the peninsula.
According to ÉTTIENE et al. (1994), in the historical roman
period (approximately 2000 years before present), one island
existed in the Sado estuary: the Acála island. The Romans used
that island to establish a village, whose ruins may be seen today in
the NE part of the peninsula. If an island existed, Tróia Peninsula
was shorter than today, and a second inlet should exist. Evidence
of the joining of both structures has not yet been found. The fact
that the estuary side of the peninsula is eroding may have erased
the closure structures of the probable second inlet.
The shape and evolution of the southern part shoreline of the
peninsula seems to be associated with the littoral sand drift
derived from wave refraction connected with the Arrábida chain.
The shape of this coastline sector in accordance to a theoretical
littoral arch (GOMES, 1992), and short time changes in wave
regime is not expected to occur frequently, because the refraction
controlling factor, the Arrábida Chain, is stable (at the Holocene
timescale). However, in the north part, the river Sado delta sand
body plays an important role in the peninsula evolution.
Analyzing the local bathimetry, the relation with the delta and this
portion of the peninsula is obvious, as stressed out by BRITO et al.
(2006). This part of the peninsula may be seen as the emerged
portion of the delta. Therefore, the submerged portion of the delta
has a strong influence in the coastline shape and position since the
delta volume variation, affecting sand supply to the beach and
wave refraction, will result in coastline changes.
The south part of the peninsula, from Malha da Costa to the
Carvalhal, is narrower than the north part and the dune
morphology is significantly different. Foredune succession is not
evident, since large blowouts dominate. Present foredune is highly
active, showing an irregular shape due to breaching processes.
This is believed to be caused by a repeated back and forth
movement that leads to destabilization of the dune. Nevertheless
two to three lines of dunes may be depicted. The internal part of
the peninsula, the one facing the estuary and the rice fields
between Carvalhal and Comporta, shows a well developed
precipitation ridge, as a result of the transgressive tendency of this
part of the dune field.
 Tróia Peninsula Evolution
In the north part, evolution of the coastline may be traced by
analyzing spatial distribution and sequence of foredune crestlines.
The oldest foredunes have already disappeared due to the
estuary side coastal erosion. The remnants of those old dunes are
cut and reworked by the northerly winds, that blow the sand to the
inside of the peninsula, leading to a complex dune morphology.
The erosion is proved by the existence of old roman structures
underwater and by the presence of the village ruins working as
seawalls. N-S sand migration is well shown by the spatial relation
between the ruins and the migrating dunes.
Internal Coastline migration toward the West may be related,
presently, with the shift of the Sado River south channel.
However, the enclosure of the second inlet, when the island and
the peninsula merged, should have had a much larger impact,
changing significantly the estuary dynamics and triggering the
dune destabilization that lead to the burying of the roman village.
The coastline displacement towards the West is not continuous.
Sand spits should have been built by waves and currents
alternating with eroding periods. Although examples may be
found in the peninsula interior, the Caldeira Lagoon formation is
the best example for this forward and backward movement of the
coastline. A more recent example happened in the 1920 decade.
Coastline retreat leads to the formation of a continuous concave
foredune, with an approximately 5km crest parallel to the dune
that closed the Caldeira Lagoon. Since then, the general trend of
the coastline shift has been toward West, making the peninsula
wider. However, in this process, a small erosion event occurred
again, during the 1980 decade, leading to a small erosion period,
marked by another concave crestline. The Soltroia coastal sector,
close to the southern edge of the delta, is presently a place where
erosion and accretion shifts in a sazonal timescale. Again, concave
crestlines are found in association with erosion events.
A recent study by FERRAZ (2008), on the oceanic coastline of
the north sector shows an overall area increase of 16% regarding
the north part of the peninsula between 1947 and 2005 (58 years).
Concerning the volume of sediment accumulation, REBÊLO et al.
(2008), concluded that between 1928 and 1995 (67 years)
5.7106m3 where added to the peninsula, for a 938103m2 growth.
CONCLUSIONS
The Tróia peninsula is a sandy spit made up of dunes and
beaches. Its morphology is significantly different in the north and
in the south, reflecting different evolution processes of both
sectors. While in the north, where the peninsula is wider and with
a lower relief, foredune ridges are dominant, in the south the
peninsula is thinner, has a higher relief, blowouts are dominant
and a well developed precipitation ridge, facing the estuary, is
present.
Although an N-S windblown sand transport component is
present in the north tip of the peninsula and in the NE margin,
dominant sand transport seems to occur from the W-E direction.
N-S sand transport is related with the local northerly winds that
blow trough the Palmela valley, meanwhile the W-E aeolian sand
transport is caused by the effect of the Arrábida Chain in the
predominant northerly winds.
In the north part of the peninsula two evolutionary trends may
be inferred concerning the dune morphology record. The
peninsula grew from SE to NW with a seaward displacement of
the oceanic shoreline. Together with this seaward displacement of
the oceanic shoreline, the estuary margin evolved in the same
direction, due to erosion. This coastal erosion is perceptible by the
present concave shape of the coastline and by archeological
evidences. The dune record also gives indication that the spit
Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue 56, 2009
355
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growth is not continuous, but changes from accretionary phases to
erosional periods.
In the south part of the peninsula the evolution processes is
different. Oceanic coastline changes are not so evident, although a
slow retreat may be assumed, in accordance with the southern
cliffs erosion, and a landward displacement of the estuary side
coastline is observed, due to the transgressive behavior of the
dunes.
Presently, the oceanic side of Tróia peninsula, namely its
northerly sector, is rapidly accreting, making Tróia in one of the
few places in Portugal where coastline is prograding.
LITERATURE CITED
ANDRADE, C., REBÊLO, L., BRITO, P., and FREITAS, M.C. 2006.
Processos Holocénicos; Aspectos da Geologia, Geomorfologia
e Dinâmica Sedimentar do Troço Litoral Tróia-Sines. In: U.
Évora (ed), Geologia de Portugal no Contexto da Ibéria.
Universidade de Évora, Évora, pp. 397-418.
BRITO, P., ANDRADE, C., TERRINHA, P., REBÊLO, L., MONTEIRO,
J.H. and FREITAS, M.C. 2006. Variação da morfologia e
volumetria do delta de vazante do estuário do Sado. In: U
Aveiro (Editor), 5º Simpósio sobre a Margem Ibérica
Atlântica. Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro-Portugal.
COSTA, M., 1994. Agitação Marítima na Costa Portuguesa. Anais
do Instituto Hidrográfico, Nº 13: pp. 35-40. Lisboa. Portugal.
ÉTIENNE, R., MAKAROUN, Y., MAYET, F. 1994. Un Grand
Complexe Industriel a Tróia (PORTUGAL). Diffusion E. de
Boccard, Paris.
FERRAZ, M., 2008. Identificação e Caracterização das Dunas e
Campos Dunares da Parte Norte da Península de Tróia.
Master’s Thesis, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 151 p.
GOMES, N.M.N., 1992. Dinâmica Dunar do Arco Litoral Tróia-
Sines (Portugal). Master’s Thesis, Universidade de Lisboa,
Lisboa, 121 p.
NETO, C.S., 2000. A circulação do ar na Península de Tróia e na
Costa da Gale. Finisterra, XXXXV(70): 41-55.
PINTO, M. J., CARVALHO, P., LEITÃO, P., and MENDES, M. 2002.
Flora e Comunidades Vegetais: sector Norte da península de
Tróia. In: Imoareia (ed), Estudo de Impacte Ambiental da
Marina e Novo Cais dos Ferries do Tróia Resort, Sonae
Turismo, IMOAREIA, IMAR.
PSUTY, N.P., 1992. Spatial variation in coastal foredune
development. In: R.W.G. Carter, T.G.F.Curtis, M.J. Sheehy-
Skeffington (ed), Coastal Dunes. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 3-
13.
REBÊLO, L., BRITO, P., TERRINHA, P., and MONTEIRO, H. 2005.
Evolution of The Tróia Península: The Foredunes Record. In:
M.C. Freitas e T. Drago (Editors), Coastal Hope 2005.
Faculdade de Ciências Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, pp.
110-111.
REBÊLO, L., FERRAZ, M., BRITO, P., TERRINHA, P., and ZANETTI,
L. 2008. Sediment Volume Variation n The NW Sector of
Tróia Península (Portugal) Between 1928 e 1995. In: FEUP
(Editor), 1st PoCoast Seminar on Coastal Research.
Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto
Portugal.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was made possible due to the financial support
provided by FCT (Portuguese Science Foundation) that funded the
EVO-TRÓIA project – Tróia Peninsula Evolution – Coastline and
dune systems morphodynamics during the end of the Quaternary,
under the POCI 2010 program, and IMOAREIA, Sonae Turismo,
which made topography data available for scientific studies.