Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of shoreline and bedrock irregularities on the morphodynamics of the Alexandria coast littoral cell, Egypt

  • Original
  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Beach-nearshore profiles combined with beach and surficial sediment samples were analyzed in conjunction with wave, current, littoral drift and sea-level data to determine the effect of bedrock on morphodynamic processes within the littoral zone of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. This 14.5-km-long littoral cell is bounded by pronounced embayments and pocket beaches separated by headlands which prevent bypassing of beach sands, in effect making this cell a large, semi-closed basin. The compartmented nature of this cell acts together with the rough irregularity of the rocky seafloor to trap a thin veneer of sediment (<3 m thick), showing proportional mixing between two sedimentary provinces. A modern fine-grained sediment facies consisting of mixed carbonate/siliciclastic sand flanks most of the nearshore zone down to a depth of 8–10 m. Beyond this depth, considered to be the depth of closure, a relict late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene coarse-grained facies composed of biogenic carbonate sand is found. Along a short section of the coastline (km 3–6), the coarser sediment also occupies the nearshore zone. Over most of the study area the two sediment types are mixed in various proportions, largest mixing coinciding with poorest sorting. Profile analyses revealed seasonal changes in sediment volume along the coast which closely follow the cyclicity of seasonal changes in wave climate. The present shoreline orientation, headlands and rough, irregular rocky seabed are reflected in the erosion/accretion pattern, sediment characteristics, and the reversibility of longshore currents and littoral drift. Although there is a marked deficiency in the sediment balance, the sand budget for this cell, including artificial material (2.339*106 m3) has increased slightly by 0.041*106 m3 year−1 as a result of engineering works carried out to widen the coastal road (Corniche). In addition to the physical properties of the bedrock (degree of induration), the accelerating sea-level rise during the Holocene and human influences, the modern morphology of the coast, the erosional seabed features in the nearshore zone, and the texture of seabed sediments are all controlled by the original geometry of the coast which consisted of an elevated subaerial ridge.

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. 1A
Fig. 2A–G
Fig. 3
Fig. 4A
Fig. 5A–F
Fig. 6A, B
Fig. 7A–E
Fig. 8
Fig. 9A

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Aal AA, Frihy OE (1987) Study of Bryozoa in the sediments of the Nile delta continental shelf. Bull Inst Oceanogr Fish Egypt 13:269–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdou HF, Samir AM, Frihy OE (1991) Distribution of benthonic foraminifera on the continental shelf off the Nile delta. N Jahrb Geol Paläontol Mn Stuttgart 1:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Badr AA, Lotfy MF (1999) Tracing beach sand movement using fluorescent quartz along the Nile Delta promontories, Egypt. J Coastal Res 14:261–265

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadus JJ, Milliman S, Edwards D, Aubrey, Gable F (1986) Rising sea level and damming of rivers: possible effects in Egypt and Bangladesh. In: Titus J (ed) Effect of changes in stratospheric ozone and global climate, Paris, vol 4, pp 165–189

  • Butzer KW (1960) On the Pleistocene shorelines of Arabs’ Gulf, Egypt. J Geol 68:626–637

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Z, Warne AG, Stanley DJ (1992) Late Quaternary evolution of the northwest Nile delta between Rosetta and Alexandria, Egypt. J Coastal Res 8:527–561

    Google Scholar 

  • Delft Hydraulics, CRI (1991) Implication of relative sea-level rise on the development of the lower Nile delta, Egypt. Pilot study for a quantitative approach, final report. Delft Hydraulics, CRI

  • El Din SH, Khafagy AM, Fanos AM, Ibrahim AM (1989) Extreme sea level values on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast for the next 50 years. Int Sem Climatic Fluctuations and Water Management. Water Research Centre, Cairo

  • El Fishawi NM, Fanos AM (1989) Prediction of sea level rise by 2100, Nile delta coast. INQUA, Commission Quat Shorelines Newslett 11:43–47

  • El Raey M, Nasr S, Frihy O, Desouk S, Dowidar Kh (1995) Potential impacts of accelerated sea-level rise on Alexandria, Governorate, Egypt. J Coastal Res 51:190–204

    Google Scholar 

  • El Sayed MKh (1987) Progressive cementation in Pleistocene carbonate sediments along the coastal area of Alexandria. J Coastal Res 4:163–172

    Google Scholar 

  • El Sayed MKh (1988) Sea level rise in Alexandria during the late Holocene: archaeological evidences. Rapp Comm Int Mer Méditerranée

    Google Scholar 

  • El Sayed MKh (1991) Implications of climatic changes for coastal areas along the Nile Delta. Environ Prof USA 13:59–65

    Google Scholar 

  • El Wakeel SK, El Sayed MKh (1978) The texture, mineralogy and chemistry of bottom sediments and beach sands from Alexandria region. J Mar Geol 27:137–160

    Google Scholar 

  • El Wakeel SK, El Sayed MKh, Mahmoud B (1980) The evolution of Alexandria beaches: a preliminary study. Thalassia Jugoslavica 16:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Elwany MH, Khafagy AA, Inman DL, Fanos AM (1988) Analysis of waves from arrays at Abu Quir and Ras El Bar, Egypt. Advances in Underwater Technology: Ocean Science and Offshore Engineering, vol 16, pp 89–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery KO (1968) Relict sediments on continental shelves of worlds. AAPG Bull 52:445–464

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery KO, Aubrey DG, Goldsmith V (1988) Coastal neo-tectonics of the Mediterranean from tide-gauge records. J Mar Geol 81:41–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairbanks RG (1989) A 17,000 year glacio-eustatic sea level record: influence of glacial melting on the younger Dryas event and deep-ocean circulation. Nature 342:637–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fanos AM, Frihy OE, Khafagy AA, Komar PD (1991) Processes of shoreline change along the Nile Delta coast of Egypt. Coastal Sediments’91 Conf USA, vol 2, pp 1547–1557

  • Flemming BW (1988) Process and pattern of sediment mixing in a microtidal coastal lagoon along the west coast of South Africa. In: de Boer PL, van Gelder A, Nio SD (eds) Tide-influenced sedimentary environments and facies. D Reidel, Dordrecht, pp 257–288

  • Folk RL, Robles R (1964) Carbonate sediments of Isla Perez, Alacran Reef Complex, Yucatan. J Geol 72:255–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk RL, Ward WC (1957) Brazos river bar: a study in the significance of grain size parameters. J Sediment Petrol 27:3–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Fourtau R (1893) La région de Maryut; étude géologique. Bull Inst Egypt Sér 3:1–141

  • Frihy OE (1992) Sea level rise and shoreline retreat of the Nile delta promontories, Egypt. Natural Hazards Netherlands 5:65–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Frihy OE (2003) The Nile delta-Alexandria coast: vulnerability to sea-level rise, consequences and adaptation. Mitigation Adaptation Strategies Global Changes 8:115–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frihy OE, Dean R (1992) Artificial beach nourishment projects on the Egyptian coast. In: Int Coastal Congr ICC Kiel’92, 7–12 September 1992, pp 84–95

  • Frihy OE, Stanley DJ (1988) Texture and coarse fraction composition of Nile delta deposits: facies analysis and stratigraphic correlation. J Afr Earth Sci 7:237–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallermeier RJ (1981) A profile zonation for seasonal sand beaches from wave climate. Coastal Eng 4:253–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamed AA (1983) Atmospheric circulation features over the southeastern part of the Mediterranean Sea in relation to weather conditions and wind waves along the Egyptian coast. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University

  • Hamed AA, El Gindy AA (1988) Storm surge generation by winter cyclone at Alexandria, Egypt. J Int Hydrogr Rev Monaco 36:129–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilmy ME (1951) Beach sands of the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. J Sediment Petrol 21:109–120

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ingle JC Jr (1966) The movement of beach sand. Elsevier, New York, Developments in Sedimentology Series 5

  • Iskander MM (2000) Sediment transport along Alexandria coast. MSc Thesis, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University

  • Iskander MM, El-Anssary AE, Abd El-Mooty MM, Nagy HM (2004) Modified N-line numerical model for mapping bottom topography changes—case study Edko city, Egypt. J Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University (in press)

  • Komar PD (1976) Beach processes and sedimentation. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

  • Krumbein WC (1963) Application of logarithmic moments to size frequency distributions of sediments. J Sediment Petrol 6:35–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Krumbein WC, James WR (1965) A lognormal size distribution model for estimating stability of beach fill material. Coastal Engineering Research Center, US Army Eng Waterw Exp Station, Vicksburg, MS, Rep TM-16

  • Lindell LT, Alexandersson ET, Norman JO (1991) Satellite mapping of oolitic ridges in Arabs Gulf, Egypt. J Geocarto Int Sweden 1:49–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Milliman JD, Broadus JM, Gable F (1989) Environmental and economic implications of rising sea level and subsidence deltas: the Nile and Bengal examples. Ambio 18:340–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Nafaa MG, Frihy OE (1993) Beach and nearshore features along the dissipative coastline of the Nile delta, Egypt. J Coastal Res 9:423–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Nafaa MG, Fanos AM, El Ganainy MA (1991) Characteristics of waves off the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. J Coastal Res 30:25–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Perlin M, Dean RG (1983) A numerical model to simulate sediment transport in the vicinity of coastal structures. US Army Corps of Engineers, CERC, Fort Belvoir, Misc Rep 83-10

  • Said R, Philip G, Shukri NM (1956) Post Tyrrhenian climatic fluctuations in northern Egypt. Quaternaria 3:167–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Sestini G (1992) Implications of climate change for the Nile delta. In: Jeftic L, Milliman JD, Sestini G (eds) Climate change and the Mediterranean. Environmental and societal impacts of climate and sea-level rise in the Mediterranean Sea. Edward Arnold, London, pp 533–601

  • Shepard FP (1950) Longshore bars and longshore troughs. Beach Erosion Board, US Army Corp of Engineers, Washington, DC, Tech Memo 15

  • Shukri NM, Philip G, Said R (1956) The geology of the Mediterranean coast between Rosetta and Bardia. Part II. Pleistocene sediments: geomorphology and microfacies. Bull Inst Egypt 37:395–427

    Google Scholar 

  • Silvester RJ, John RC (1993) Coastal stabilization. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

  • Stanley DJ, Bernasconi MP (1998) Relict and palimpsest depositional patterns on the Nile shelf recorded by molluscan faunas. Palaios 13:79–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Stive MJ, Roelvink DA, De Vriend JJ (1990) Longterm scale coastal evolution concept. In: Proc 22nd Coastal Engineering Conf ASCE, New York, pp 1962–1974

  • Summerhayes CP, Sestini G, Misdorp R, Marks N (1978) Nile delta: nature and evolution of continental shelf sediments. Mar Geol 27:43–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Swift DJ, Stanley DJ, Curray JR (1971) Relict sediment on continental shelves: a reconsideration. J Geol 79:322–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Toussoun O (1934) Les ruines sous-marines de la Baie d’Abukir. Bull Soc R Archéol Alexandria 29:342–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Warne AG, Stanley DG (1993) Late Quaternary evolution of the northwest Nile delta and adjacent coast in the Alexandria region, Egypt. J Coastal Res 1:26–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson JB (1988) A model of temporal changes in the faunal composition of shell gravels during a transgression on the continental shelf around the British Isles. Sediment Geol 60:95–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winant CD, Inman DL, Nordstorm CE (1975) Description of seasonal beach changes using empirical eigen functions. J Geophys Res 80:1979–1986

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright LD, Short AD (1983) Morphodynamics of beaches and surfzones in Australia. In: Komar PD (ed) CRC handbook of coastal processes and erosion. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp 35–64

  • Wright LD, Short AD (1984) Morphodynamic variability of surfzone and beaches: a synthesis. Mar Geol 56:93–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaghloul ZA, Elgamal MM (1999) Deltas modern and ancient. In: Zaghloul ZM, Elgamal MM (eds) Deltas—modern and ancient. Proc 1st Int Symp Deltas, Mansoura University, Egypt

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was undertaken as part of the Coastal Research Institute program to monitor morphodynamic changes along the Alexandria coast. The authors appreciate the assistance and efforts the staff of the Coastal Research Institute contributed in the field and laboratory activities of this study. We also express our appreciation to Dr. Deborah Lawrence, University of Reading, UK, whose review helped to improve this manuscript. Also appreciated is the help of Dr. Mahmoud Kh. El Sayed, Oceanography Department, Alexandria University of Egypt, and Dr. A. Abdel-Aal, Geology Department, for identification of the molluscan faunas.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coastal Research Institute, 15 El Pharaana Street, El Shallalat, 21514, Alexandria, Egypt

    Omran E. Frihy, Moheb M. Iskander & Abd El Moniem A. Badr

Authors
  1. Omran E. Frihy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Moheb M. Iskander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Abd El Moniem A. Badr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Omran E. Frihy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frihy, O.E., Iskander, M.M. & Badr, A.E.M.A. Effects of shoreline and bedrock irregularities on the morphodynamics of the Alexandria coast littoral cell, Egypt. Geo-Mar Lett 24, 195–211 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-004-0178-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-004-0178-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation