Houses on the move. Illustration by Smout Allen.
I experimented with a software called Processing. I used "agent" logic to create water and sand particles to test with. I found interesting precedent work by Alisa Andrasek, she uses the same software to simulate the motion of water current in relation to a shoreline contour. This research proved useful in helping me code realistic sea current. However, i am not able to completely imitate currents, as it is of a highly complex nature.
multi-agent based coast curvature analysis for marine development by Alisa Andresek.
A quick visit of Auckland council website, retrieved information on coastal erosion in Auckland:
- Change in sediment supply (eg seawalls blocking sediment falling from cliffs )
- Wave processes or sea level change
- Wind removal of sediment
- Stormwater discharges direct onto the beach
- Formation of updrift littoral barriers that stop sediment movement (eg groynes, breakwaters
- Loss of vegetation, which helps soak up heavy rainfall
- Loss of natural headland control.
typical causes of cliff erosion include:
- Weathering, or the effects of wetting and drying
- Bio-erosion, which is the biological weakening of rock
- Wave action
- Increased groundwater levels
- Overloading by added material, such as fill
- Landslides, slumping and slipping
- Loss of vegetation."
I have separated Auckland permanent shoreline and shoreline susceptible to erosion. I have included North shore to make things more interesting. A little research tells me that the general direction of water current comes from the north west, moving south, down the right hand side of the North Island. I have mapped this out as vector fields inside the processing software. this will provide the simulated water currents with a flow.
Relationships between the water particles and sand particles determine how the water flow, and how sand is eroded or re-deposited.