Role of shore platforms on coastal cliffs protection in Algarve (South Portugal): first approach

摘要

The complex interaction between morphogenetic processes acting on rocky coasts and substrate characteristicsdifficult the assessment of its evolution at different time scales. In opposition to other coastal environments suchas beaches, where variations on substrate’s attributes are constrained to a few possibilities, rocky coasts exposesubstrates having large amount of variables, among them, lithology, mechanical and chemical strength, densityand orientation of faults and joints and, rocks’ texture and structure (e.g., Trenhaile, 2003).