Spit Migration Evolution across the Estuary of Rosetta Branch of the Nile River in Egypt

Abstract

Coastal geomorphology changes are commonly experienced phenomena. Its study is important for the overall and sustainable strategy for integrated coastal zone management and forecasting of the future coastal changes. Impacts such as these not only affect the estuarine ecology, they also impact on the stability of the shoreline, water salinity change, social and economic value of estuaries. Spits are very dynamic coastal features steered by complex formation and evolution processes. Rosetta Estuary spit is observed with spatial and temporal changes. Spit situation has been compared with its historical information to check the variation using satellite images and field visit. Mechanical analysis of Rosetta Estuary sediments was executed to confirm that the surface sediments of the last part of Rosetta Estuary were originally from the coastal area. has been carried out. Moreover, salinity has been measured at different location of the study area. Migration of the spit was recognized towards the riverside. The detected migration was 1.5 km during the period from 2007 to 2015 with rate about 187 m/y. The factors that affect the formation of the spit inside Rosetta Estuary were listed and discussed.