COASTAL EROSION POTENTIAL AT HORMOZGAN PROVINCE THROUGH SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS

Information on the rates of erosion or sedimentation and trends of shoreline change would be used to improve our understanding of the underlying causes of coastalerosion and the potential effects on coastal populations and infrastructure. This information can improve coastal management decisions [1]. Long-term beach erosion isaggravated locally by engineering works, such as breakwaters and long jetties. Construction of seawalls results in shifting of erosion sites from one place to anotheradjacent place, whereas, breakwaters act as barriers for littoral drift [2] and cause accretion of sediment in the immediate vicinity of the structure and erosion on itsdownstream side. The erosion induced by man-made structures is studied for coastal zone of Hormozgan province in Iran as a part of Hormozgan ICZM project. In this regard, all the existing marine structures (60 structures) along the Hormozgan province shoreline and their nearby erosion and sedimentation phenomena are studied. Identification of potential coastal erosion due to construction of coastal structures is very important for shoreline management plans (SMP) that are part of the integrated coastal zone management plan. For this study satellite images over a period of 40 years have been analyzed along the 1000 km coastlines of Hormozgan province and for the first time the effects of water level variations have been included on extraction of the shoreline position.