The Impact of Coastal Modification and Caspian Rapid Sea Level Change on the Amirabad Coastal Zone

We measured the impacts of coastal modification on beach erosion and beach retreat conditions, selecting the Miankaleh Region as an example of a complex high-pressure free zone with high levels of engineering and tourism activity. Nine sampling transects, stretching from the shoreline to a 10 meter depth, were defined and 36 sediment samples were collected from the sea bed at depths of 1, 3, 5, and 10 m. After conducting laboratory tests, data were analyzed in terms of sediment dynamic parameters such as grain size, sediment size distribution, mean, median, skewness, kurtosis, standard deviation, and mineral composition. Beach structure and morphodynamic conditions were assessed in the Miankaleh region, by means of satellite image interpretation and field surveys. Results show that from 1978 until the present the average rate of beach retreat rapidly increased due to sea level rise and coastal constructions that have resulted in a progressive increase in sea level height in this region. Erosion vulnerability hazards have also increased in the eastern part of the study area and deposition processes have developed in the western Amirabad region.