Susceptibility mapping to coastal erosion of the northern coast of Malta

Abstract

A coast is not simply a land that meets the sea or an ocean but it serves a multi-purposes that a country is necessary to have. The coast is a contributor to port facalities, recreation, and inhabited community areas amongst others. Coastal recession is the pre-eminent threat to these purposes. The inevitable waves attacking the coast, causing denudation and loss of prestige. Moreover, this is enhanced because of the anthropogenic induced climate change, a great contributor to coastal recession. Climate change cannot be controlled and leaves its effects after a short period of time, but it persists for centuries. However, waves can be controlled through the implementation of techniques, planned by experts. In doing so, the author analyses the coastal degree of susceptibility to erosion impact as a result of wave actions over the Northern coastal part of Malta through the outputs of susceptibility maps. These were accomplished by observation in-situ and record all the empirical data of the studied coast on the ordinance survey maps and field notebook. Input of observed data in the Geographical Information System (GIS) software was a useful tool to the author to produce three sets of maps, where the third set of map representing susceptibility map cannot be produced without producing the first two sets. The first set of map features the coastal characteristics identified during fieldworks with addition of the coastal landforms shown on the map of Biolchi, Furlani, Devoto, Gauci, Castaldini, and Soldati (2014). This was produced to give a more detailed map of the northern coast of Malta, particularly from Fomm ir-Rih on the western coast to Salina Bay on the east coast. The production of the second output of GIS maps, identifies shorelines of different geological hardness, reflecting the resistance to erosion. The geological hardness were classified under ‘Unconsolidated’, ‘Soft Rock’, and ‘Hard Rock’. In order to protect these coastal zones, best appropriate techniques are required to be implemented with all research required and eliminate any residual impacts that may be caused from implementations.