Sea level changes of Sharm Yanbu and its expected impacts on development processes using GIS and remote sensing

Abstract

The eastern coast of the Red Sea is characterised by many coastal entrances that penetrate the sea. Its origins can be traced to the estuaries of ancient wadis that influenced the evolution of the geological environment, marine structures, and sea factors. The objective of this study is to discover the geomorphological development of Sharm Yanbu and to determine the factors of its development and the most important changes that occurred on the coast between 1990-2016. The study also aims to identify areas that have suffered a decline due to erosion and marine factors that have threatened tourism and economic development in the region. The risk of flooding in marine areas and surrounding sea floods during periods of high tide and storm waves is also examined to determine coastal ranges. Two Landsat images are used over a 26-years period to monitor changes in the coastline and identify the areas of decline through the satellite image analysis program. Radar data is also used to identify topography and surrounding areas, and to construct a pattern of occurrence of marine floods and identify areas likely to be covered by seawater in the future. The first factor is related to the geological formation and the structure that surrounds the sharm. The second factor is related to marine factors whose effects appear in the form of carving down and the dissolution of the limestone coastline to form grooves and trenches. The third factor relates to the topography of the low sloping coastal plain.

Keywords

• costal change
• coastal erosion
• shoreline hazards
• gis
• sharm yanbu
• saudi arabia