Abstract

HERNANDEZ SANTANA, José Ramón  and  REYES GONZALEZ, Ramiro. Varadero Beach, Hicacos Península, Cuba: relief genesis and evolution, and environmental experience linked to its artificial regeneration. Invest. Geog [online]. 2002, n.49, pp.43-56. ISSN 2448-7279.

The coastal system constitutes one of the most fragüe systems of the Earth's surface, specially in cumulative áreas such as beaches. Dumping sand is one of the main ways to artificially promote the sedimentary enrichment and temporary stability of beaches, thus contributing to their environmental protection and sustainable development. The present work improves our knowledge on the structure, morphology, genesis and dynamics of the peninsular relief of Hicacos, Cuba, fundamentally at its northern sector, focusing on its use and optimized management. The study proposes an evolutionary model for its geomorphological consolidation; it describes the environmental experiences related to dumping sand in Varadero beach in 1998 as a beach-recovering measure, and suggests a number of preventive and corrective measures that favor geomorphic stability, in harmony with current and projected resorts and services.

Keywords : Geomorphological evolution; coastal systems; beach regeneration.