Quantitative appraisal of naturalistic/anthropic shoreline shifts for hurghada: Egypt

Abstract

This investigation aims to establish a system to test the identification of shoreline changes along the coast of Hurghada. Besides, the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) studies the shoreline shift rate analysis. Multi-temporal satellite images have revealed accretion and erosion patterns in the areas of concern. Landsat images with different periods were geometrically and radiometrically corrected, then classified through assigning 8 different classes for the quantitative coastline delineation analysis from 1987 to 2019: (Landsat 5–TM, Thematic Mapper (TM)), Landsat7 ETM+, worldview 2, and Sentinel 2). To detect both land use and land cover change (LULCC) and shoreline growth, a maximum controlled classification tool is used. The DSAS was used to measure the coastal changing rate as a powerful statistical analysis tool, and thus to predict the behavior of the coastal shift over a long time. DSAS used two separate methods: EPR and LRR. The results concluded that, primarily as a consequence of unregulated landfill practices before tourist facilities, Hurghada's coastal region experienced an average accretion rate of 1.38 m/y. Moreover, the El-Gouna study revealed drastic modifications because of the development of its coastal zone's closed inland lagoons. Finally, the creation of the decision matrix reveals the evolution of the shorelines in the three last decades and the statistical projection for the three next decades. This study highlights the problem of extreme erosion in the Southern part (which is still not completely developed).

Keywords:

• Red Sea
• Hurghada
• remote sensing
• DSAS
• shoreline prediction

Acknowledgement

Special thanks to the technical support provided by both Aya El-Adawy and Aya Abdel Moneim while dealing with the DSAS program and analyzing satellite imagery data.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no affiliation with any organization with a direct or indirect financial interest in the subject matter discussed in the manuscript.