Geomorphological changes along the coastline of As Sabriya, northern Kuwait

Abstract

As Sabriya area is located in the NW sector of the Arabian Gulf, bounded from the north by Umm-Niqa natural reserve, from the east by Khor Al-Subiyah tidal channel, and from the south by Ras Al-Subiyah area. As Sabriya area is mainly characterized by sabkha deposits, wide tidal flats, and well-developed drainage system and receives sediments through Khor Al-Subiyah from Iraqi marshes by Al-Basra canal and Shatt Al-Arab estuary. The geomorphological features in the study area have been subjected to severe changes due to natural and anthropogenic activities. The geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics were investigated and presented a new geomorphic classification of the surface features in As Sabriya area. The study aims to investigate the geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics and discuss the influence of Al-Basra canal in the study area. The main objective of the study is to perform a new geomorphic classification of the surface features of As Sabriya area and detect the geomorphic changes in the coastal line. The study is based on integrating in situ and remotely sensed data from 2002 until 2017, which were used as a source of land-use and land-cover information. Lab analyses for surface sediment samples were made; geographic information system (GIS) and remotely sensed techniques were applied. Change detection results showed geomorphic changes in the area particularly along the coastline during the periods of (2002–2014), (2014–2017), and (2002–2017) due to the influences of Al-Basra canal as increasing in the tidal flat from 2002 to 2015 into Khor Al-Subiyah. During the periods from (2002 to 2014) and (2002 to 2017), the largest “class changes” in coastal line were shown by the coastal sabkhas at 61.917%, and 37.116% respectively, while during the period from (2014–2017), the largest effect was noticed by the sand sheet at 39.484%, which may be attributed to the eolian sedimentation driven from the lower Mesopotamian flood plain by the northwesterly winds. The particle size statistical parameter analyses indicated the variety in the sediments characteristics and depositional environments and the change detection maps revealed the major effect of sand sheet movement and alluvial deposits on geomorphic features along the coastline in As Sabriya area, as well as eolian sedimentation processes in the area.