Shoreline Variability of a Bay Beach: The Case of Apam Beach, Ghana

• Published in: Estuaries and coasts Vol. 45; no. 8; pp. 2373 - 2386
• Main Authors: Abdul-Kareem, Raheem, Asare, Noble Kwame, Angnuureng, Donatus Bapentire, Brempong, Emmanuel K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Beaches; Coastal erosion; Coastal Sciences; Coastal zone management; Coasts; Deposition; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Environment; Environmental Management; Equilibrium; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Remote sensing; Satellite imagery; Sediment; Sediment transport; Shoreline changes; Shorelines; Soil erosion; Topography; Water and Health; Spatio-temporal changes; DoD; Shoreline; CoastSat; Bay beach; Dynamic equilibrium
• ISSN: 1559-2723; 1559-2731
• DOI: 10.1007/s12237-022-01110-9

The Ghanaian coast is eroding at a significant rate. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of a beach is vital for its management. Two decades of shoreline and a short-term sediment volume change data on the Apam Beach were analysed from freely available satellite and drone images, respectively. After assessing its long-term shoreline changes, it was revealed that the beach is gradually accreting at a mean rate of + 0.60 m/year. This, coupled with a net sediment deposition of + 3725.22 m
3
within 5 months, could be attributed to fluvial discharges and the topography of the beach. The Parabolic Bay Shape Equation (PBSE) further characterised this beach as being in the dynamic equilibrium state. Thus, any disruption to the existing sediment transport mechanism will lead to a chronic erosion problem. To avert this, it is proposed that all future developments on this beach should be thoroughly planned.