Shoreline Variation between Puerto Chicama and Puémape, La Libertad, Perú (1961-2006)

Abstract

A spatial -temporal analysis was made by using cartographic material and Geographic Information Systems techniques. Here we compared the setting of the littoral line of a sector minimally affected by human occupation (Puémape–Puerto Chicama) with other sectors with moderate occupation (La Chira–Lurín) to strongly modified (Salaverry–Las Delicias and the Miraflores Bay). During the period 1961-2006 in the sector Puémape – Puerto Chicama, we identified the predominance of the advance or stability of the coastal line. The sector La Chira – Lurín presented a setting similar, with the tendency to stability and, the sectors strongly intervened showed a setting openly erosive. To the contrary as expected, the rising of sea level due to global warming doesn’t seem to be the principal cause of beach erosion in Perú. This is mainly due to the strong human intervention in the coast because at undisturbed sectors the predominance is stability or advance of the littoral line.