Tracing Beach Sand Movement Using Fluorescent Quartz Along the Nile Delta Promontories, Egypt

Abstract

Two main problems affecting the Nile delta coast: one problem is due to the loss of sand and the other one is related to the siltation of coastal lake outlets and the mouths of the Nile branches. To address these problems, the dispersion and rate of sediment movement have been carried out by using fluorescent sand tracers at Rosetta, Burullus and Damietta Nile delta promontories. Results indicate that there is a net eastwards littoral sand transport in the surf zone of the three delta promontories. The average drift rate measures at Rosetta (3.21 X 10⁶m³/yr), Burullus (1.48 X10⁶m³/yr) and Damietta (1.8 X 10⁶m³/yr) show a wide difference which in part explains the severe erosion that has occurred at the tips of these promontories. Dispersion of the surf zone fluorescent tracers in vicinity of these promontories indicates that the most significant portion of sediments (0.40 X 10⁶m³/yr, 0.39 X 10⁶m³/yr and 0.44 X 10⁶m³/yr) is partly responsible for the silting of the Rosetta exit, Burullus lake outlet and Damietta exit, respectively.