Abstract

ABUALHIN, Khaldoun. Mapping of Underwater Seabed Morphology of the Gaza Strip Coastal Zone Using Remote sensing technique. Earth Sci. Res. J. [online]. 2016, vol.20, n.2, pp.1-7. ISSN 1794-6190.  https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v20n2.50256.

The study investigated the feasibility of applying the depth-invariant index algorithm to delineate the shallow underwater geomorphological features using QuickBird imagery. Although the technical procedures of the depth-invariant index are already demonstrated in the professional literature, the algorithm needs to be applied and tested in several coastal regions with different seawater conditions and properties. Some of the geomorphological features in the coastal zone of the Gaza Strip are seasonal features such as underwater sand bars. However, since these features are non-permanent and dynamic, it would be useful to utilize satellite data to detect changes in both locations and depth, and also to monitor this feature in shallow coastal water. The importance of identifying the underwater sand bars in the coastal zone can be significant in the case of rip currents, and swimming conditions. Additionally, using satellite imagery for detecting dynamic underwater coastal morphologies may enable local authorities to adopt such an algorithm with a combination of satellite imagery for fast, efficient and extensive coverage mapping. While information about seafloor features can be obtained using active satellite data such as RADAR or LiDAR imagery, active satellite data are not available and require advanced processing and logistical resources, which are difficult to obtain in the case of the Gaza Strip. The study instead used passive QuickBird satellite imagery to map and delineate the seabed morphologies through the calculating the depth-invariant index for the spectral bands. By using the depth-invariant index, it was possible to distinguish and delineate the major underwater sand bars within the entire coastal zone of the Gaza Strip. Also, the spectral and spatial resolution of QuickBird imagery exhibited a substantial capability in mapping and delineating the underwater seabed morphologies.

Keywords : Remote sensing; seabed morphology; depth-invariant index; Gaza Strip; Palestine.

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