BEACH CHANGES AROUND MISAWA FISHING HARBOR AND FUTURE SHORE PROTECTION

Shoreline changes around Misawa fishing harbor facing the Pacific Ocean in Aomori Prefecture were analyzed through the comparison of aerial photographs taken between 1966 and 1997. On this coast, northward longshore sand transport dominates and construction of harbor breakwaters caused beach erosion on the north side and accretion on the south side of the harbor due to the obstruction of continuous sand movement. Since sand source disappeared on further south coast, sand bypassing from south to north coast of the harbor became impossible. Instead, sand recycle from inside the harbor to the south coast is required with suitable facilities to form a stable beach.