Morphologic changes and sedimentary budgets

Morphologic changes and sedimentary
budgets along a Mediterranean coastline
with a sand spit: case of the littoral fringe
Sidi Ali El Mekki–Gammarth (NE Tunisia)
Hanen Saïdi, Radhia Souissi, Mourad
Louati & Fouad Zargouni
Rendiconti Lincei
SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI
ISSN 2037-4631
Volume 25
Number 3
Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei (2014) 25:393-401
DOI 10.1007/s12210-014-0314-0
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Author's personal copy
Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei (2014) 25:393–401
DOI 10.1007/s12210-014-0314-0
Morphologic changes and sedimentary budgets
along a Mediterranean coastline with a sand spit: case
of the littoral fringe Sidi Ali El Mekki–Gammarth (NE Tunisia)
Hanen Saı¨di • Radhia Souissi • Mourad Louati
Fouad Zargouni
•
Received: 16 January 2014 / Accepted: 24 June 2014 / Published online: 17 July 2014
Ó Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei 2014
Abstract Morphological changes and both surface and
volume budgets along the Mediterranean coastline Sidi Ali
El Mekki–Gammarth which is located at the western fringe
of the Gulf of Tunis (NE Tunisia) are studied, over the
1887–2010 period, by ancient minute of bathymetry and
aerial photographs treated using digital photogrammetric
methods and GIS tools. The accretion areas are located
upstream the fishing port of Ghar El Melh which interrupts
alongshore sediment transport (0.22–0.66 ± 0.21 m/year,
i.e., 21,309 ± 1,113 m2/year, i.e., 106,546 ± 5,565 m3/
year) and around the recent mouth of the Medjerda River
because of fluvial deposits and accumulation of sediment
transported by drift currents (2.35–3.35 ± 0.21 m/year,
i.e., 4,956 ± 1,050 m2/year, i.e., 24,780 ± 5,250 m3/
year). The erosion areas are situated downstream the fishing port of Ghar El Melh (-4.32 to 0.9 ± 0.21 m/year, i.e.,
-4,822 ± 1,232 m2/year, i.e., -24,114 ± 6,163 m3/year),
around the ancient mouth of the Medjerda River which was
abandoned and deprived from fluvial sediment supply
(-15.44 to -4.55 ± 0.21 m/year, i.e., -4,499 ± 264 m2/
year, i.e., -22,495 ± 1,323 m3/year). The eroded sediments are displaced to the south giving rise to the sand spit
H. Saı¨di (&) M. Louati F. Zargouni
Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Campus University, 2092 Tunis,
Tunisia
e-mail: [email protected]
M. Louati
e-mail: [email protected]
F. Zargouni
e-mail: [email protected]
R. Souissi
National Institute of Research and Chemical and Physical
Analysis, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
e-mail: [email protected]
of Kalaˆat El Andalous. Coastline retreated also along the
Raoued–Gammarth sector which lost sediments by SE–
NW drift currents (-0.75 to -0.23 ± 0.21 m/year, i.e.,
-3,765 ± 1,113 m2/year, i.e., -18,828 ± 5,565 m3/year).
The alongshore distribution of accretion/erosion patterns
lead to divide the studied coastline into three littoral cells
limited by natural boundaries: (a) Cap Sidi Ali El Mekki—
the ancient mouth of the Medjerda River, (b) from the
ancient to the recent mouth of the Medjerda river, and
(c) the recent mouth of the Medjerda River–Cap
Gammarth.
Keywords Coastline Erosion Accretion Littoral cell Sand spit Gulf of Tunis Tunisia
1 Introduction
Coastal areas are in continuous evolution (Bird 2000) that
can be due to hydrodynamic parameters, mainly waves and
tidal currents, and to various anthropic actions (Losada
et al. 1991; Viles and Spencer 1995; Lorenzo et al. 2007).
Coastal processes attract the attention of the scientific
community (Raynal et al. 2009) mainly over the last decade (Allard et al. 2008). Extensive morpho-hydrodynamical surveys must be planned to characterize the processes
that control the morphodynamics of coastal sedimentary
systems (Barusseau et al. 1996). Being part of the Mediterranean Tunisian coastlines, the Gulf of Tunis which is
situated in the North-East of Tunisia, consists of various
deposition landforms, such as sand spits, deltas and
tombolos. It has been the subject of numerous research
works (Nouri 1979; Nouri and Paskoff 1980; Sliti 1984;
Kouki 1984; Bouhafa 1985; Oueslati 1993, 1994, 2004;
Zeggaf-Tahri 1993, 1999; El Arrim 1996; Saı¨di 2004,2013;
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394
Louati and Zargouni 2009, 2013; Saı¨di et al. 2010, 2012a,
2013). Its western coastline is characterized by the sand
spit of Kalaˆat El Andalous which consists of a stretch of
beach extending in the long-shore direction (Komar et al.
2001; Kentaro et al. 2010). The present work aims to study
the coastline evolution of the western littoral fringe situated
between Sidi Ali El Mekki and Gammarth for the determination of erosion/accretion areas and the coastal compartmentalization into littoral cells. It aims also to present
principal factors that control coastal morphologic changes.
2 Presentation of the studied area
The coastal area situated between Sidi Ali El Mekki and
Gammarth is a part of the western coastline of the Gulf
of Tunis which is located in NE Tunisia. It is bordered
Fig. 1 Location map of the
studied area
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by the cliff of Cap Sidi Ali El Mekki to the North-East
and by the cliff of Cap Gammarth to the South-East
(Fig. 1).
Cap Sidi Ali El Mekki constitutes the extension of Jebel
Nadhour and a point of separation between a rocky
coastline to the north and a sand beach to the south. This
beach separates the lagoon of Ghar El Melh from the Gulf
of Tunis and extends up to the ancient mouth of the
Medjerda River. From this mouth to Cap Gammarth, the
coastline has a concave form.
The studied area is a microtidal coastline with tide
amplitudes of about 35 cm (Oueslati 1993).
Monthly statistics of waves’ characteristics during the
period 2002–2004 (Table 1) show that the dominant
waves’ directions in the Gulf of Tunis are from North,
North-East, and North-West (Fig. 2). They have heights of
1–3 m.
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Table 1 Occurrence (%) of
waves in the Gulf of Tunis on
the basis of their directions and
their heights, during the period
2002–2004 (Gasdaoui 2005;
Saı¨di 2013)
Height (m)
395
Direction
W
NNW
NW
1
0.45
0.45
5.84
4.04
12.12
1.8
5.98
0.89
4.64
36.22
2
6.44
0
9.43
7.63
8.83
2.84
3.44
0
2.84
41.46
3
1.2
0
4.94
5.39
2.39
0
2.39
0
0.3
16.61
4
0.9
0
0
0.45
1.64
0
0.3
0
0
3.29
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.15
0
0
0.150
6
0.15
0
0
0
0.15
0
0
0
0
0.3
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.6
0
0
0.6
8
0
0
0
0
0.15
0
0
Total (%)
9.13
0.45
0.89
7.78
0
N
0
20.21
17.51
NE
25.15
E
4.64
SE
13.02
S
SW
Total (%)
0.15
98.9
Fig. 2 Occurrence (%) of waves in the Gulf of Tunis on the basis on their direction (a) and their height (b), during the period 2002–2004 (Saı¨di
et al. 2013)
Dominant waves in the studied area come from the
North-Eastern sector (Saı¨di 2013). Their characteristics are
deducted using bibliographic data and empirical formulas
(Table 2).
According to Saı¨di (2013) and Saı¨di et al. (2013), the
NE dominant waves generate two opposite drift currents
responsible for alongshore sediment transport: from Sidi
Ali El Mekki to the recent mouth of the Medjerda River
and from Cap Gammarth to this mouth (Fig. 3).
The hydrographic regime of the coastline between Sidi
Ali El Mekki and Gammarth is controlled by the Medjerda
River which represents the most important river in Tunisia.
In 1953, an emissary was built on it, in Henchir Tobbias, to
reduce effects of floods. It led to the formation of a new
artificial bed and the displacement of the mouth of the
Medjerda River from Foum El Oued, near Utique, to
Kalaˆat El Andalous. Many dams were built on the Medjerda River and its tributaries: Melle`gue, Beni M’tir, Kasseb Sidi Salem, Lakhmess, Bou Hardma, and Siliana.
Currently, dams suffer from decrease of their capacity due
to the infilling processes. The Medjerda River coastal plain
was affected by many floods such as those of March 1973
and of January–February 2003 (Zahar and Benzarti 2008).
Along the studied coastline, three ports were constructed:
the port of Ghar El Melh which was built between 1975 and
1980 and which has a protective dike 1,037 m long and two
protective groins upstream, the fishing port of Kalaˆat El Andalous which was built in 1995 and which presently suffers
from infilling process that makes it nonfunctional (Guide des
ports de peˆche 2007) and the new pleasure port of Gammarth
which is under construction in 2010. This port, which is a part
of a great project named ‘‘The Bay of Gammarth’’, consists in
making a marina in the touristic zone of Gammarth (http://
www.destinationtunisie.info/interviews/karim-miled-directeurgeneral-de-la-baie-de-gammarth.14.81.html).
3 Methodology
The evolution of the coastline situated between Sidi Ali El
Mekki and Gammarth was studied using aerial photographs
having a scale of 1:25,000 and taken in 1974, 2000, and
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Table 2 Characteristics of the NE dominant waves along the coastline Sidi Ali El Mekki–Gammarth (Saı¨di 2013)
pﬃﬃﬃﬃﬃﬃﬃﬃ
Pb (m) = 1.5H0
ad (°) (El
T(s) = n ? H0, n = 4.5 in the
H0 Hb (m) = 1.3H0
L0 (m) = T gPd
(m) (Mignot 1988a)
(Mignot 1988a)
Arrim
Mediterranean Sea (Mignot 1988a) (CERC 1984)
1996)
Ha
(m)
Hs (m) = 1.6Hm
(Mignot 1988a)
1
1.3
1.55
05
5.5
21.43
1.76
2.83
2
2.6
3.1
05
6.5
35.82
3
4
3.9
5.2
4.65
6.2
05
05
7.5
8.5
50.62
66.25
6
7.8
9.3
05
10.5
100.24
H0 height in the deep sea, L0 wavelength in the deep sea, T period, Hb height of breaking waves, Pb breaking depth, ad incidence angle of
breaking waves, Ha average height of all waves, Hs significant height
Fig. 3 Alongshore sediment
transports between Sidi Ali El
Mekki and Gammarth (Saı¨di
2013; Saı¨di et al. 2013)
2010 and from an ancient minute of bathymetry taken in
1887 (the map 4,250 (1/61,750) which covered the area
between Cap Farina and Cap Carthage).
The georeferencing was done using digital photogrammetric methods. The global error of mapping is about
±12 m for aerial photographs taken in two different dates.
According to SHOM (2004), the error of mapping near
the shoreline for the minute of the ancient bathymetry is
±20 m. So, the global error of mapping between the
ancient minute (1887) and aerial photographs is ±26 m.
The correct positions of coastlines were identified by the
use of stereoscopy. The variations of the coastline are
analyzed from 32 cross-shore profiles. The distances of
coastline retreat or advance, as well as the surface lost or
gained, were calculated using the software Arc-GIS.
Volumes gained and lost by the coastline were estimated
by applying the formula of CERC (1984):
The closure depth is the underwater depth from which
the sedimentary movements are reduced (Hallermeir 1981).
The formula which is the most used for determining the
closure depth is the formula of Birkemeier (1985):
Pf = 1.57. Hso (Hso: annual significant wave heigh).
Thus, the closure depth in the Gulf of Tunis is about
-5 m.
The surface and the volume budgets are, respectively,
the difference between the surface and the volume gained
and those which are lost by the beach.
Q ¼ Dy Pf
1.
Q volume gained and lost, Dy coastline variations (areas),
Pf closure depth.
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4 Results and discussion
4.1 Coastline evolution
The coastline evolution was studied during three periods:
1887–1974 during which the mouth of the Mejerda
River was displaced from Foum El Oued to Kalaˆat El
Andalous because of the formation of a new artificial
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397
Table 3 Coastline rates and sedimentary budgets between Sidi Ali El Mekki and Gammarth, during the period 1887–2010
Littoral sectors
Cap SAM–upstream P.Gh.M
Downstream P.Gh.M
Downstream the P.Gh.M–upstream the AMM
AMM
Sand spit of KA
Downstream the sand spit of KA
RMM
Downstream the RMM–Raoued
Raoued–Cap Gammarth
Period
Coastline rates (m/year)
Surface budget (m2/year)
Volume budget (m3/year)
0
1887–1974
-0.736 to 0.782 ± 0.29
0
1974–2000
-2.308 to -0.923 ± 0.46
0
0
2000–2010
2.4 to 6.7 ± 1.2
21,309 ± 6360
106,546 ± 31,800
1887–2010
0.22 to 0.66 ± 0.21
21,309 ± 1,113
106,546 ± 5,565
1887–1974
-1.23 to 1.2 ± 0.29
-873 ± 356
-4,365 ± 1,783
1974–2000
-7.19 to 9.57 ± 0.46
634 ± 567
3,171 ± 2,835
2000–2010
-23.8 to 4.5 ± 1.2
-7,976 ± 1,476
-39,880 ± 7,380
1887–2010
-4.32 to 0.9 ± 0.21
-1,131 ± 258
1887–1974
2.64 to 2.79 ± 0.29
6,490 ± 1,702
1974–2000
-12. 61 to 3.77 ± 0.46
-49,969 ± 2,706
-249,849 ± 13,530
2000–2010
1887–2010
4.7 to 6.9 ± 1.2
-4.55 to 3.05 ± 0.21
14,131 ± 7,044
-4,822 ± 1,232
70,658 ± 35,220
-24,114 ± 6,163
-5,659 ± 1,291
32,453 ± 8,511
1887–1974
-1.01 to -13.94 ± 0.29
-11,386 ± 365
-56,930 ± 1,827
1974–2000
-12.61 to 3.79 ± 0.46
22,062 ± 580
110,312 ± 2,904
2000–2010
-16.2 to -12 ± 1.2
-13,643 ± 1,512
-68,217 ± 7,560
1887–2010
-15.44 to -4.55 ± 0.21
-4,499 ± 264
-22,495 ± 1,323
1887–1974
-13.94 to 2.04 ± 0.138
7,995 ± 1,522
39,975 ± 7,612
1974–2000
-20.15 to 1.73 ± 0.46
-17,071 ± 2,420
-85,356 ± 12,101
2000–2010
-16.2 to 2.6 ± 1.2
39,316 ± 6,300
196,580 ± 31,500
1887–2010
-0.67 to 0.92 ± 0.21
1887–1974
-1.11 to 1.19 ± 0.29
5,242 ± 1,102
3,922 ± 1,870
26,214 ± 5,512
19,612 ± 9,352
1974–2000
1.31 to 5.96 ± 0.46
18,439 ± 2,973
92,199 ± 14,867
2000–2010
4.6 to 5 ± 1.2
15,245 ± 7,740
76,228 ± 38,700
1887–2010
1.44 to 2.36 ± 0.21
1887–1974
4.75 to 7.63 ± 0.29
7,911 ± 1,354
8,300 ± 1,450
39,559 ± 6,772
41,503 ± 7,250
1974–2000
-9.04 to -2.73 ± 0.46
-4,329 ± 2,305
-21,646 ± 11,525
2000–2010
1887–2010
-1.7 to 2.8 ± 1.2
2.35 to 3.35 ± 0.21
0
0
1887–1974
0.23 to 0.55 ± 0.29
2,585 ± 2,465
12,927 ± 12,325
1974–2000
-1.27 to 2.38 ± 0.46
14,134 ± 3,918
70,671 ± 19,592
19,486 ± 10,200
97,431 ± 51,000
2000–2010
1.4 to 5.2 ± 1.2
1887–2010
0.1 to 0.87 ± 0.21
1887–1974
4,956 ± 1,050
24,780 ± 5,250
6,400 ± 1,785
32,003 ± 8,925
-0.79 to -0.23 ± 0.29
-2,409 ± 1,537
-12,049 ± 7,685
1974–2000
-3.5 to -1.11 ± 0.46
-22,319 ± 2,443
-111,595 ± 12,216
2000–2010
4.2 to 7.2 ± 1.2
32,678 ± 6,360
163,393 ± 31,800
1887–2010
-0.75 to -0.23 ± 0.21
-3,765 ± 1,113
-18,828 ± 5,565
SAM Sidi Ali El Mekki, P.Gh.M port of Ghar El Melh, AMM ancient mouth of the Medjerda River, KA Kalaˆat El Andalous, RMM recent mouth
of the Medjerda
2.
3.
bed after the construction of the emissary of Henchir
Tobbias in 1953 and after the flood that occurred in
1973;
1974–2000 when the fishing port of Ghar El Melh was
built between 1975 and 1980;
2000–2010 which presented recent coastline changes
especially after the flood of the Medjerda River in
2003.
From 1887 to 1974 (Table 3; Fig. 4), the coastline
retreated from Sidi Ali El Mekki to Ghar El Melh (-1.23
to -0.73 ± 0.29 m/year) and from Raoued to Gammarth
(-0.79 to -0.48 ± 0.29 m/year). The main erosion area
is around the ancient mouth of the Medjerda River
(-13.94 to -1.01 ± 0.29 m/year) where the surface lost
was about -11,386 ± 365 m2/year (i.e., -56,930 ±
1,827 m3/year).
During this period, the coastline advanced mainly
around the recent mouth of the Medjerda River
(4.75–7.63 ± 0.29 m/year) to gain an area of
8,300 ± 1,450 m2/year (i.e., 41,503 ± 7,250 m3/year).
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Fig. 4 Coastline evolution (m/year) between Sidi Ali El Mekki and
Gammarth, during the period 1887–2010
Fig. 5 Surface and volume budgets between Sidi Ali El Mekki and
Gammarth, during the period 1887–2010
Erosion and accretion areas which were, respectively, in
the ancient and the recent mouth of the Medjerda River
were due to the displacement of the mouth of the River,
from Foum El Oued, near Utique, to Kalaˆat El Andalous
after the construction of the emissary of Henchir Tobbias in
1953, to reduce the impact of floods and exactly after the
inundation of the Medjerda River in 1973. Thus, sediments
carried by the Medjerda River were accumulated in the
recent mouth.
A sand spit having an alongshore direction was formed
downstream the ancient mouth of the Medjerda River. It
had an area of about 695,571 m2. Sediments which were,
normally, accumulated at the ancient mouth of the Medjerda River moved to the south by NE–SW drift currents
giving rise to this sand spit which is named as the sand spit
of Kalaˆat El Andalous. Thus, the ancient mouth of the
Medjerda River enriched this sand spit of sediments
(Oueslati 2004; Saı¨di 2013).
Between 1974 and 2000, coastline evolution was characterized essentially by an important retreat downstream
the fishing port of Ghar El Melh which was built between
1975 and 1980 (-12.61 to -7.19 ± 0.46 m/year). Erosion
is due to drift currents which deprived the area located
downstream this structure from sediments.
During this period, the sand spit of Kalaˆat El Andalous
migrated to the shoreline and lost an area of
-17,071 ± 2,420 m2/year.
From 2000 to 2010, the coastline advanced upstream the
fishing port of Ghar El Melh (2.4–6.7 ± 1.2 m/year). The
area
gained
was
21,309 ± 6,360 m2/year
(i.e.,
3
106,546 ± 31,800 m /year). At the other hand, the coastline retreated downstream this port to lose an area of
-7,976 ± 1,476 m2/year (i.e., -39,880 ± 7,380 m3/year).
It is the case of the majority of harbors which block and
perturb alongshore sediment transport (Paskoff 1994;
Oueslati 2004; Anfuso et al. 2007).
Accretion was observed between the recent mouth of the
Medjerda River and Cap Gammarth (1.4–7.2 ± 1.2 m/
year). The gain of area was 52,164 ± 16,560 m2/year (i.e.,
260,824 ± 82,800 m3/year). The coastline advance is due
sediment supply by the Medjerda River mainly after the
flood of January–February 2003 and by sediment transported by drift currents.
In this period, the sand spit of Kalaˆat El Andalous
migrated to the coastline and became increasingly tapered.
Alongshore distribution of erosion/accretion patterns
lead to coastal compartmentalization (Anfuso et al. 2011,
2013) into littoral cells which are defined as basic units and
self-contained segments (Inman and Frautschy 1966; Carter 1988) confined by natural barriers or human-made
structures (Lowry and Carter 1982).
According to Rijn (2010), alongshore cell boundaries
are classified into three types:
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–
–
–
fixed absolute boundaries like cliffs, long jetties, deep
inlets, canyons, navigation channels, long harbors,
heavy protective structures (breakwaters, groins);
fixed partial boundaries; bypassing or periodic throughput of sediments (soft rock/compound cliff type
headlands and shallow inlets);
transient partial boundaries which have a more diffusive character and have limited stability (spits, sand
banks, shallow channels, short headlands, short
breakwaters).
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Each littoral cell exists as a distinct entity with little or
no sediment transport between cells (Patsch and Griggs
2006). Cell and subcell boundaries can be defined by
identification of discontinuities in rate or direction of sediment transport (Rijn 2010).
Thus, the surface and volume budgets during the period
1887–2010 and the alongshore distribution of erosion/
accretion sectors, between Sidi Ali El Mekki and
399
Gammarth, (Fig. 5) lead to divide this sector, from north to
south, into three littoral cells (Fig. 6):
–
–
–
the first cell is limited by Cap Sidi Ali El Mekki and the
ancient mouth of the Medjerda River;
the second cell is enclosed between the two mouths of
the Medjerda River (the ancient and the recent mouths);
the third cell is enclosed between the recent mouth of
the Medjerda River and Cap Gammarth.
Fig. 6 Alongshore distribution
of littoral cells between Sidi Ali
El Mekki and Gammarth
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400
5 Conclusion
The study of coastline evolution between Cap Sidi Ali El
Mekki and Cap Gammarth as well as the estimation of
surface and volume budgets, over a period of 123 years,
from 1887 to 2010, lead to localize erosion and accretion
areas. During the period 1887–2010, the coastline
advanced from Cap Sidi Ali El Mekki to the ancient mouth
of the Medjerda River and around the recent mouth of this
river, from Kalaˆat El Andalous to Raoued. It retreated
downstream the fishing port of Ghar El Melh, around the
ancient mouth of the Medjerda River and from Raoued to
Cap Gammarth.
On the basis of the alongshore distribution of the
accretion/erosion patterns, from north to south, the coastline Sidi Ali El Mekki–Gammarth is divided into three
littoral cells: (a) Cap Sidi Ali El Mekki—the ancient mouth
of the Medjerda River, (b) the ancient mouth—the recent
mouth of the Medjerda River, and (c) the recent mouth of
the Medjerda River-Cap Gammarth.
The beach responses in these littoral cells are controlled
by natural parameters; in particular, the drift currents
generated by the North-East dominant waves and which are
responsible for alongshore sediment transports (from Sidi
Ali El Mekki to the recent mouth of the Medjerda River
and from Cap Gammarth to this mouth) and the floods of
the Medjerda River (notably in 1973 and in 2003). The
various human actions participated in the coastline status.
The fishing port of Ghar El Melh interrupted the sediment
transport in the first cell giving rise to unbalance in sediment distribution along it: accretion upstream the port and
erosion downstream. The construction of the emissary of
Henchir Tobbias (in 1953) and the flood of the Medjerda
River in 1973 caused the displacement of the mouth of the
Medjerda from Foum El Oued to Kalaˆat El Andalous. The
abandoned mouth became deprived of sediment supply and
was eroded. Lost sediments were transported by drift currents to the south giving rise to the elongated sand spit of
Kalaˆat El Andalous which became increasingly close to the
coastline. The recent mouth of the Medjerda River is an
accretion area. It receives both fluvial sediments and those
transported by drift currents.
Thus, the present work shows that the accretion/erosion
areas along a coastline are the result of both natural and
anthropogenic actions such as the interruption of alongshore sediment transport by ports and displacement of the
mouth of an important river as well as the sediment supply
by rivers and drift currents. It presents a coastline compartmentalization into littoral cells on the basis of the
alongshore distribution of the accretion/erosion patterns.
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the members of
the Office of Topography and Cadastre of Tunis (Tunisia) for their
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Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei (2014) 25:393–401
help in the treatment of the minute of bathymetry and the aerial
photographs.
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