Reply to Discussion by Per Bruun (1993) on the paper by Dubois, R. N., 1992. A re-evaluation of Bruun's rule and supporting evidence.

Abstract

In 1962 Bruun proposed a theory that linked rising sea level with shoreline erosion. Given an equilibrium shore profile, he reasoned that a rise in sea level would perturb coastal processes so as to cause shore erosion and offshore deposition, thereby elevating the offshore bottom in proportion to the rise in sea level in order to re-establish an equilibrium profile (Figure 1). The sediment volume eroded from the shore would be equal to that deposited in the offshore. This explanation of how a shore profile should respond to rising sea level is now known as "Bruun's rule" (SCHWARTZ, 1967). There are, however, major concerns about Bruun's rule, and BRUUN (1993) raises two of them in his discussion.