Coastal morphological modelling for decision makers
Using the Coastal Modelling Environment tool to change how the UK manages coastal risks.
Boulders used as sea defences at Happisburgh, Norfolk. Image credit: British Geological Survey.
Coastal Modelling Environment (CoastalME)
Andres Payo Garcia 1, Dave Favis Mortlock 2, Jim Hall 3, Robert Nicholls 4 and Mike Walkden 5
1 British Geological Survey, United Kingdom
2 Visiting Research Associate – British Geological Survey, United Kingdom
3 Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University, United Kingdom
4 Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom
5 Moffatt & Nichol and Visiting Research Associate – British Geological Survey, United Kingdom
Improved predictions are essential to quantify risks from coastal erosion and flooding. However, predicting how coastal landscapes change over decadal timescales raises challenges that don’t have solutions yet. The Integrated COASTal Sediment Systems (iCOAST) project funded by NERC from 2012 to 2016, provided essential demonstrations of new approaches to address this challenge.
Among the tools developed through the project, the engineering tool Coastal Modelling Environment (CoastalME) stood out. It is being used in the UK and internationally. It provides improved predictive capability for coastal adaptation. Modellers can use CoastalME to simulate the interaction of coastal landforms and human interventions for open coast systems. This enables users to model and visualise coastal landscape changes more effectively using commonly available spatial data. CoastalME is freely available, making it an accessible resource.
This research has resulted in significant changes in the way that the UK manages coastal risks. It enables better-informed use of the limited amount of coastal-aggregate material - the foundation of the human-natural UK defence system against coastal flooding and erosion.
Impact
CoastalME is used in several projects across the UK and Europe, as a planning tool in both research and engineering contexts.
As a research tool, CoastalME is being used in 2 multi-year NERC funded projects. The Coastal Hazards, Multi-hazard Controls on Flooding and Erosion (CHAMFER) project is a collaboration between the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the BGS which runs from 2022 to 2027.
The tool is being used in the CHAMFER project to better assess the risk of compound flooding and erosion. CoastalME is also being used within the UKGravelBarriers project (2023 to 2027) led by the BGS. This aims to understand the effectiveness of gravel barriers in coastal protection under changing climatic conditions. Effective management of these coastal landforms is needed to ensure that they can reduce risks from coastal erosion and flooding. The role of CoastalME is to allow gravel beach and barrier dynamics to be modelled as integral components of larger coastal systems, supporting more realistic simulations under a range of climate and policy scenarios.
Blanco and others (Environment Agency, 2019) in developing guidance for the use of coastal morphological models for decision makers found (page 74):
The computational cost of these [CoastalME and ESTEEM] models is low and they have proved effective in exploring morphodynamic trends and improving the understanding of mesoscale behaviour. Their potential is significant as they combine different types of models and behaviours, and can therefore encompass many features over long time and spatial scales. They aim to fill the gaps where other more conventional models are not that strong. For example, CoastalME includes different sediment fractions – sand, gravel and mud.
As an operational tool, CoastalME is being used to inform decision making at regional, international and global levels.
At the regional level, the tool is being used as part of the Resilient Coast (RC) Project funded by the Flood and coastal innovation programmes. The RC project explores the concept of a sediment circular economy for coastal adaptation in East Anglia. CoastalME is used to quantify the sand, gravel and fine material along the coast and its value as a nature-based resource. Early results suggest that allowing a 10 metre wide section of cliff between Felixstowe and Caister to recede by 1 metre would release 1.8 million cubic metres of sand. This is equivalent to the volume imported during the largest sandscaping project to date, at Bacton, at a total cost of £21 million (Johnson and others, 2020).
At the international level, CoastalME has been used to assess the risk of flooding and erosion for the whole of Andalusia’s coastline, which extends for 1,200km, measured at a scale of 1:25,000, and traverses 5 of 8 provinces. This study represents the first attempt to map the spatial distribution of sediment thickness along this coastal zone by integrating various publicly available datasets. It demonstrated the flexible design of CoastalME by incorporating representations of geomorphological features such as ‘ramblas’ (a dry riverbed used as a road or thoroughfare) that are important sources of sediment during heavy rainfall events.
The European Space Agency’s Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative aims ‘to create a digital model of Earth that will be used to monitor the effects of natural and human activity on our planet, anticipate extreme events and adapt policies to climate-related challenges’ (European Space Agency). The DestinE initiative is using CoastalME as part of the Digital Twin lead component on coastal processes and extremes as a thematic module to provide 4D coastal landscape capability. The integration of CoastalME into the European Space Agency’s initiative signified that this research has the potential to impact coastal areas worldwide, providing a model for global resilience in the face of climate change.
Resources
Argans. (2024). Coastal Processes and Extremes - EO Based Digital Twin. Available at: https://www.argans.co.uk/proj-dtc.html (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
British Geological Survey. (2025). CoastalME. Available at: https://www.osgeo.org/projects/coastalme/ (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
British Geological Survey. (2025). UKGravelBarriers Project Overview. Available at:https://earthwise.bgs.ac.uk (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
Environment Agency. (2025). Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme (CTAP). Available at: https://engageenvironmentagency.uk (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
Environment Agency. (2024). Resilient Coasts. Available at: https://engageenvironmentagency.uk (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
Environment Agency. (2019). Coastal morphological modelling for decision-makers. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research-reports/coastal-morphological-modelling-for-decision-makers (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
European Space Agency. (2025). Destination Earth Overview. Available at: https://www.esa.int (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
Hall, J. (2012). UKRI - iCOAST Project Overview. Available at: https://gotw.nerc.ac.uk (Accessed 24 March 2025).
Johnson, M., Goodliffe, R.J.W., Doygun, G., Flikweert, J. and Spaan, G. (2020). From idea to reality: The UK’s first sandscaping project. Terra et Aqua. Spring: 158. Available at: https://www.iadc-dredging.com (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
National Oceanography Centre (NOC). (2025). CHAMFER Project Overview. Available at: https://projects.noc.ac.uk/chamfer (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
Torrecillas, C., Payo, A., Cobos, M., Burke, H., Morgan, D., Smith, H. and Jenkins, G.O. (2024). Sediment Thickness Model of Andalusia’s Nearshore and Coastal Inland Topography. Journal of Marine Science Engineering. 12(2): 269. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12020269 (Accessed: 24 March 2025).
Funder
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Collaborators
- British Geological Survey
- Oxford University
- University of East Anglia
- Environment Agency
- Moffatt & Nichol
Research period
- 2012 to 2016 iCOAST, NE/J005584/1
- 2016 to 2022 BLUEcoast, NE/N015649/1
- 2022 to 2027 CHAMFER, NE/W004992/1
- 2024 to 2028 UKGravelBarriers, NE/Y503265/1
Impact period
- 2016 to present
Impact country
- UK
- Spain (Andalusia)
Contributing to the areas of research interest
- 1 - Understanding future flood and coastal erosion risk
- 2 - Resilience and adaptation to flooding and coastal change
- 3 - Funding and investment
- 5 - Asset management
- 6 - Digital technology