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International Journal of Marine Science 2013, Vol.3, No.32, 253-257
http://ijms.sophiapublisher.com
253
Research Article Open Access
Caspian Rapid Sea Level Changing Impact on Estuaries Morphodynamic
Deformation
Homayoun Khoshravan , Masoumeh Banihashemi
Caspian Sea Research Center, Water Research Institute, Km 8 Khezerabad, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran
Corresponding author email: h_khoshravan@yahoo.com
International Journal of Marine Science, 2013, Vol.3, No.32 doi: 10.5376/ijms.2013.03.0032
Received: 05 May, 2013
Accepted: 03 Jun., 2013
Published: 12 Jun., 2013
Copyright
©
2013 Khoshravan and Banihashemi, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Khoshravan and Banihashemi, 2013, Caspian Rapid Sea Level Changing Impact on Estuaries Morphodynamic Deformation, International Journal of Marine
Science, Vol.3, No.32 253
-
257 (doi: 10.5376/ijms.2013.03.0032)
Abstract
In this paper, the evaluation of sedimentary-morphodynamic deformation of main estuaries of rivers in the southern
coasts of the Caspian Sea is main target. With selecting, eight main rivers and by sampling of sediments on them in the beach zones,
geometry of surrounded beach structure, morphodynamic condition and sedimentary deposition processes were analyzed. with
interpretation satellite and aerial images of study area along the period between 1983 till 2004 that correspond to last progression
phase of Caspian sea level arise (+ 2.5m), the effect of rapid sea level changing of the Caspian Sea on beach and mouth of rivers have
been measured. The results show that there are different type of the estuaries in the study area and the last sea level arise has caused
morphdynamic deformation (trait inclination of rivers, inflation of mouth and it’s widen) on the beach zone and the rivers mouth
condition. Therefore as conclusion, the rivers of the Caspian Sea southern coasts have different behavior against rapid sea level
changing in the coastal zones and they are classified to three statements: erosion, accretion and transition.
Keywords
Caspian; River; Sediment; Morphodynamic; Fluctuation; Estuary
Introduction
Morphodynamic structures figures in the estuary area
were associated to sedimentary depositional processes
and hydrodynamic of sea and hydraulic of river
(Lichter and Viely, 2010). The protection and
remediation of rivers in the coastal zone against to
erosion and destructing events and preventing of
environmental disturbances development on there
have required enough understanding on natural
condition of marine forces (waves, currents, storms)
and river discharge amount (Wright and Thom, 1980).
So in this research recognition and classification of
sedimentary-morphodynamic condition of rivers
mouth and its deformation situation against rapid sea
level changing is the main problem. Previous studies
results show that hydrodynamic and hydraulic effects
have special trait in study area (Alahmad, 1996). As
the annually regime of prevailing winds is very
different. So physical condition of wind-induce wave
in the coastal area is complex and different (Alahmad,
1996). This agent caused the energy of the breaking
waves would be dissimilar in the different part of the
southern coasts of the Caspian Sea (Alahmad, 1996).
Therefore wave dominated area has been spread along
the West part of Mazandaran province beach and East
of Gilan province shore. At the other hand the
South-Eastern coasts of the Caspian Sea (Bandar e
Torkaman) and the coasts in the West part of Gilan
have low energy statements (Alahmad, 1996). Other
coasts along the West part of Mazandaran central zone
have transition condition of energy level (Alahmad,
1996). Also the statement of hydraulic forces of rivers
is similar to hydrodynamic of sea. The rivers of study
area were classified to permanent and temporary
conditions considering the amount of water and
sediment discharge to the Caspian Sea (Khoshravan,
2001). From morphological point of view the southern
coasts of the Caspian Sea has been classified to five
zones (Khoshravan, 2000). Each of them has special
condition related to beach structure geometry and
morphodynamic and sedimentary condition (Khoshravan,
2000). as result of the beach response to environmental
forces. Therefore the shape of estuary and river mouth
completely was associated to surrounded morphological
zone. As previous research showed that the Southern
coasts of the Caspian Sea has been classified to three
hydrodynamic condition (dissipative, reflective and
transition) (Khoshravan, 2007). Also past study on