INVESTIGATING MORPHODYNAMIC CHANGES OF TANG ESTUARY INLET, IRANIAN COASTLINE OF THE OMAN SEA

Tang Inlet with its complex morphodynamic behavior is of high interest not only from a theoretical coastal engineering perspective, but also it deserves attention due to its potential for development on the Iranian Makran Coastline. The estuary is located approximately 75 km east of Chabahar Port. It is a tidal estuary formed landward of a crescentic bay on the Oman Sea. The estuary’s inlet is located at the end of this bay in an area sheltered by an approximately 1.7 km long island (Figure 1). This island acts as a natural offshore breakwater, which results in formation of a tombolo connecting the estuary’s inlet to the island. An important feature of the system is the migration of the inlet and its alternative opening to the west and east sides of the tombolo feature behind the island. This phenomenon has occurred at least three times during the past 50 years.