Application of Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to Study Sediment Movement along Harwada Beach, Uttar Kannada, West Coast of India

Beaches, the most dynamic coastal landform on Earth, show dynamic changes over different timescales such as diurnal, tidal, monthly, and seasonal changes. These changes can be constructive or destructive. The long-term studies on beaches help in understanding and planning for any coastal management programs. The present study was undertaken on Harwada Beach located in Karwar of Uttara Kannada district, on the West Coast of India, mainly to understand the morphological changes, sediment movement, and depositional environment through bimonthly beach profiles at five stations. In the present study correlation of the field data along with the remote sensing data (Sentinel 2A multispectral sensor) was carried out to understand the long-term changes. This study shows that the beach has undergone dominant erosion and exhibits cyclic movement of the sediments within the study area. The seasonal and annual study undertaken on Harwada Beach showed that the central part of the study area is most stable during the 4-year observation, while rest of the beach shows erosion.