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Letter

Nature Geoscience 1, 169–172 (1 March 2008) | doi:10.1038/ngeo127

Significant contribution of the 18.6 year tidal cycle to regional coastal changes

N. Gratiot , E. J. Anthony , A. Gardel , C. Gaucherel , C. Proisy & J. T. Wells

Although rising global sea levels will affect the shape of coastlines over the coming decades, the most severe and catastrophic shoreline changes occur as a consequence of local and regional-scale processes. Changes in sediment supply and deltaic subsidence, both natural or anthropogenic, and the occurrences of tropical cyclones and tsunamis have been shown to be the leading controls on coastal erosion.