*5.3. Static Equilibrium Condition*

Before moving on the application of the methodology exposed in the previous paragraphs to the case study, it has been verified that the bay under study is in a static equilibrium condition. Therefore, we analysed the shoreline position over 10 years, specifically from 2008 to 2018. Data comes from the digitalization, in QGIS environment, of historical imageries of the area from Google Earth (Figure 16a).

**Figure 16.** (**a**) y(x,t) coordinates of shorelines over time; (**b**) EPR (black line) and LRR (red line).

The *Linear Regression Rate (LRR)* and the *End Point Rate (EPR)* have been used as indicators of the rate of shoreline change. LRR corresponds to the slope of a least-square straight-line, fitted through the shoreline positions at the various available times; EPR, takes into account exclusively shoreline positions at the first and the last years concerned and represents shoreline movement during that time.

From the analysis of both LRR and EPR (Figure 16b), an erosive trend has been observed in the curved zone, meanwhile the linear stretch has been accreted. Therefore, this suggests that a long-shore transport occurs, which moves sediments from the shadow zone to the downcoast sector (illuminated zone). Nevertheless, the maximum rate of erosion and accretion are negligible, as they are approximatively 0.2 m/year and 0.4 m/year, respectively. Therefore, it can be asserted that the case study bay is in a static equilibrium condition.
