Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Change detection of the coastal zone east of the Nile Delta using remote sensing

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The coastal zone of the Nile Delta is a promising area for energy resources and industrial activities. It also contains important wetland ecosystems. This coastal area witnessed several changes during the last century. A set of four satellite images from the multi-spectral scanner (MSS), thematic mapper (TM) and Systeme Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) sensors were utilized in order to estimate the spatio-temporal changes that occurred in the coastal zone between Damietta Nile branch and Port-Said between 1973 and 2007. Image processing applied in this study included geometric rectification; atmospheric correction; on-screen shoreline digitizing of the 1973 (MSS) and 2007 (SPOT) images for tracking the shoreline position between Damietta promontory and Port-Said; and water index approach for quantifying Manzala lagoon surface area change using 1973 (MSS), 1984 (TM) and 2003 (TM) images. Results showed that coastal erosion was severe near Damietta promontory and decreased eastward, however, accretion was observed near Port-Said. About 50% of the coastal strip was under erosion and 13% was under accretion. In addition, a remarkable decline (34.5%) of the Manzala lagoon surface area was estimated. These changes were attributed mainly to the control of the River Nile flooding and the land use change by anthropogenic activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Daiem A (2000) Morphological and hydrochemical characteristics of Bardawil lagoon in comparison with that of Manzala lagoon, Northern Egypt. J. Environ Sci, Mansoura University, Egypt 20:177–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed MH, El Leithy BM, Thompson JR, Flower RJ, Ramdani M, Ayache F, Hassan S (2009) Applications of remote sensing to site characterization and environmental change analysis of North African coastal lagoons. Hydrobiologica 622:147–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayache F, Thompson J, Flower J, Boujarra A, Rouatbi F, Makina H (2009) Environmental characteristics, landscape history and pressures on three coastal lagoons in the Southern Mediterranean Region: Merja Zerga (Morocco), Ghar El Melh (Tunisia) and Lake Manzala (Egypt). Hydrobiologia 622:15–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benninger LK, Suayah IB, Stanley DJ (1998) Manzala lagoon, Nile delta, Egypt: modern sediment accumulation based on radioactive tracers. Environ Geol 34:183–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chavez PS (1996) Image-based atmospheric correction—revised and improved. Photogramm Eng Remote Sens 62:1025–1036

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman JM, Robert HH, Murray SP, Salama M (1981) Morphology and dynamic sedimentology of the eastern Nile delta shelf. Mar Geol 42:301–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta S, Laplante B, Meisner C, Wheeler D, Yan J (2009) The impact of sea level rise on developing countries: a comparative analysis. Clim Change 93:379–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Banna M, Frihy O (2009) Human-induced changes in the geomorphology of the northeastern coast of the Nile Delta, Egypt. Geomorphology 107:72–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Asmar HM (2002a) Short term coastal changes along Damietta–Port Said coast northeast of the Nile Delta, Egypt. J Coast Res 18:433–441

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Asmar HM (2002b) Holocene paleoshorelines along the Manzala lagoon, northeast of the Nile Delta, Egypt. N Jb Geol Paloont Mh, Stuttgart, 6:337–361

  • El Banna M (2007) Erosion and accretion rates and their associated sediment characters along Ras El Bar coast, northeast Nile Delta, Egypt. Environ Geol 52:41–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Fishawi NM (1989) Coastal erosion in relation to sea level changes, subsidence and river discharge, Nile Delta coast. Acta Mineral Petrogr 30:161–171

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Raey M, Sharaf El-Din SH, Khafagy AA, Abo Zed AI (1999) Remote sensing of beach erosion/accretion patterns along Damietta–Port Said shoreline, Egypt. Int J Remote Sens 20:1087–1106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frihy OE (1988) Nile Delta shoreline changes: aerial photographic study of a 28-year period. J Coast Res 4:597–606

    Google Scholar 

  • Frihy OE, Dewidar KM (2003) Patterns of erosion/sedimentation, heavy mineral concentration and grain size to interpret boundaries of littoral sub-cells of the Nile Delta. Mar Geol 199:27–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frihy O, Dewidar Kh, Nasr S, El Raey M (1998) Change detection of the northern Nile delta of Egypt: shoreline changes, Spit evolution, margin changes of Manzala lagoon and its islands. Int J Remote Sens 19:1901–1912

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frihy O, Debes AE, El Sayed WR (2003) Processes reshaping the Nile delta promontories of Egypt: pre- and post-protection. Geomorphology 53:263–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao B (1996) NDWI—a normalized difference water index for remote sensing of vegetation liquid water from space. Remote Sens Environ 58:257–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hereher ME (2009) Inventory of agricultural land area of Egypt using MODIS data. Egypt J Remote Sens Space Sci 12:179–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Hereher ME (2010) Sand movement patterns in the western desert of Egypt: an environmental concern. Environ Earth Sci 59:1119–1127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iba-ez C, Day JW, Canicio A, Prat N, Curc A (1996) The Ebro Delta, Spain: water and sediment management in the context of relative sea level rise. In: Zhan E (ed) Proc second int conf on the Mediterranean coastal environment, MEDCOAST, Ankara, Turkey, pp 809–826

  • Lu D, Mausel P, Brondizio E, Moran E (2004) Change detection techniques. Int J Remote Sens 25:2365–2404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lunetta RS, Elvidge CD (1998) Remote sensing change detection: environmental monitoring methods and applications. Ann Arbor Press, Michigan

    Google Scholar 

  • Manohar M (1981) Coastal processes at the Nile delta coast. Shore Beach 49:8–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Mass JF (1999) Monitoring land-cover changes: a comparison of change detection techniques. Int J Remote Sens 20:139–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFeeters SK (1996) The use of normalized difference water index (NDWI) in the delineation of open water features. Int J Remote Sens 17:1425–1432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouma Y, Tateishi R (2006) A water index for rapid mapping of shoreline changes of five East African Rift Valley lakes: an empirical analysis using Landsat TM and ETM + data. Int J Remote Sens 27:3153–3181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randazzo D, Stanley D, Geronimo I, Amore C (1998) Human-induced sedimentological changes in Manzala Lagoon, Nile Delta, Egypt. Environ Geol 36:235–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sestini G (1992) Implications of climatic changes for the Nile Delta. In: Jeftic L, Milliman D, Sestini G (eds) Climatic change and the Mediterranean. Edward Arnold, London, pp 535–601

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh A (1989) Digital change detection techniques using remotely sensed data. Int J Remote Sens 10:989–1003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley DJ (1988) Subsidence in the northeastern Nile Delta: rapid rates, possible cause, and consequence. Science 240:497–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley DJ (1990) Recent subsidence and northeast tilting in the Nile Delta, Egypt. Mar Geol 94:147–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley D, Warne A (1993) Nile Delta: recent geological evolution and human impact. Science 260:628–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syvitski JPM (2008) Deltas at risk. Sustain Sci 3:23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syvitski JPM, Harvey N, Wolanski E, Burnett WC, Perillo GME, Gornitz V (2005) Dynamics of the coastal zone. In: Crossland CJ, Kremer HH, Lindeboom HJ, Marshall Crossland JI, Le Tissier MDA (eds) Global fluxes in the Anthropocene. Springer, Berlin, pp 39–94

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H (2006) Modification of normalized difference water index (NDWI) to enhance open water features in remotely sensed imagery. Int J Remote Sens 27:3025–3033

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Damietta Branch, Mansoura University, New Damietta, Egypt

    H. M. El-Asmar

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Damietta Branch, Mansoura University, New Damietta, Egypt

    M. E. Hereher

Authors
  1. H. M. El-Asmar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. E. Hereher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. M. El-Asmar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

El-Asmar, H.M., Hereher, M.E. Change detection of the coastal zone east of the Nile Delta using remote sensing. Environ Earth Sci 62, 769–777 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0564-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0564-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation