Work package 2 focuses on storm surge-induced dune erosion. The goal is to better understand the complex interaction between hydrodynamic stress and the morphodynamic response of dunes under storm surge conditions, and to examine the dynamics of breaches in greater detail. In this context, natural breaches will be studied to identify key influencing factors regarding short- and long-term coastal development.

A key aspect is the presence of dune vegetation, which has a decisive influence on storm surge-induced dune erosion. In this context, the influence of dune vegetation (marram grass) on storm surge-induced dune erosion will be further investigated using experimental modeling. Together with the findings on breach dynamics, the results will be used to set up and further develop numerical models (e.g. XBeach) to conduct in-depth investigations regarding subsequent coastal development and to improve our understanding of this complex system.