Monitoring long-term shoreline changes along Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Abstract

This study presents the shoreline position changes of Yanbu coastal zone from 1965 to 2109, using multitemporal satellite data and the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) application. The shoreline change rates were calculated based on End Point Rate (EPR), Linear Regression Rate (LRR), Weighted Linear regression (WLR) and Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) statistical methods to assess the short- and long-term trends. The maximum accretion reached was 1655.9 m (30.66, 32.32 and 36.9 m/year based on EPR, LRR and WLR methods respectively) while the maximum erosion was −1484.8 m (−37.9 m/year, −32.7 m/year and −33.5 m/year based on EPR, LRR and WLR methods respectively). An area of about 20 sq. km of sea and islets has been backfilled or dug in for various facilities. Thus, major changes in the configuration of the coastline are linked to human activities. This study provides a synoptic outlook of the degree of potential threat to the coastal system and their potential consequences.