Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
doi: 10.14355/ijrsa.2014.0401.04
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Abstract
The Niger Delta is one of the most dynamic deltas in the
world. It is experiencing relatively strong environmental
changes resulting from the complex interaction of natural
and human-induced processes that operate upon it. The
research focuses on the Niger Delta coastline change
detection and vulnerability assessment to coastline changes
using remote sensing and geographical information system.
The change detection involves, processing of multi-temporal
images (1972-2008), followed by image differencing, post
classification image overlaying, image fusion, image visual
interpretation and on-screen digitising. The result shows
that the image differencing and post-classification image
overlaying change detection techniques are useful to
monitor coastline change. The image visual interpretation
and on-screen digitising is the main quantitative method to
detect the Niger Delta coastline change. The coast line was
analyzed in sections starting and terminating a major river
mouths. Quantitative measurement and analysis showed
that for most of the coast line sections there have been period
of erosion and accretion over the 36 year study period. Only
very few sections show consistent erosion or accretion over
the years. The natural fluvial and marine factors and also
human activities played an important role on this development..
Keywords
Niger Delta; Coastal; Change Detection; Mangrove
Introduction
The Niger Delta being one of the most dynamic deltas
in the world is supporting one of the worlds most
extensive wetlands. It experiences a combination of
wave, tide and current action from the waters of the
Atlantic Ocean. This results in relatively significant
environmental changes resulting from the complex
interaction of natural and human induced processes
that operates on it. The natural processes include
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2) Metocean Setting
The Niger delta is peculiar in that it experiences the
triple effect of tide, wave and current action, it is
however a wave dominated delta. Forces generated
by these three phenomena act on the coastline in
various ways leading to the generation of various
features and consequencies.
Waves: These transfer energy from one place to
another. Waves in the oceans are caused by wind
blowing over the surface of the water. The size of a
wave is determined by how far, how fast and how
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Geometric
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Image Type
Landsat MSS
Landsat TM
Spot 4
Landsat ETM
Landsat ETM+
Band
Combination
1,2,3
5,4,3
4,3,2
5,4,3
5,4,3
Colour
Composite
False Colour
Natural colour
Natural colour
Natural colour
Natural colour
Remarks
High Cloud
Excellent
Hazy
Fairly Cloudy
Cloudy
Image
No. of
Iterations
% Unchanged
Landsat MSS
Landsat TM
Spot 4
Landsat ETM
Landsat ETM+
1200
1000
1000
1000
1000
98
98
98
98
98
Maximum Minimum
standard distance b/w
deviation
class mean
4.2
4.0
4.2
4.2
3.0
2.8
3.0
3.0
1.8K
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Discussion
Impacts of the Fluvial Processes
As a wave dominated delta, the fluvial influence on
the development of the Niger delta is relatively weak.
However river forces have been responsible for the
transport and deposition of sediments especially in
areas where there have been accretion and significant
land growth, and other phenomena such as the
vegetation of previously bare land and waterbodies.
This situation is quite evident in the section between
Dodo and the Escravos river. The development and
disappearance of near offshore in the mouth of the San
Bathelomeo river is also a possible consequence of
sediment discharge into the Atlantic ocean. Hence the
nature of the River Niger system, and its main
tributraries of the Nun and Forcados river is an
important player in coastline dynamics.
Impacts of the Marine Processes
The Niger Delta is a wave dominated delta, and
marine processes are the major players in influencing
coastline change. Tides play a significant role but
highly complicated role because tide changes. In
addition wave, current and longshore drift are
primary responsible for shaping the coastline, most
evidently in area where spits and bars have developed.
It should be noted that the marine forces are more
erosive in nature. Their effect is prominent between
Imo river and Dodo river. The erosive forces in the
marine environment is less potent between the
Forcados and the Benin river due to the presence of
the offshore Mahin canyon.
S/N
Transect
Location
State
Epoch1-2
Epoch2-3
Epoch3-4
Epoch4-5
Net Shift
A-A'
Agansa
Akwa
Ibom
+ 172m
- 33m
+ 102m
- 42m
199
B-B'
Obianga
Akwa
Ibom
+ 494m
- 61m
- 46m
+ 112m
499
C-C'
Abazi
Rivers
State
+ 526m
+ 253m
- 11m
+ 114m
882
D-D'
Amaetuk
Rivers
State
-133m
+ 58m
- 16m
0m
-91
E-E'
Ama remer
Rivers
State
-201m
- 127m
- 55m
+ 238m
-145
F-F'
Agaja
Rivers
State
-2m
+ 93m
+ 24m
+ 278m
393
G-G'
Bonny
Rivers
State
-795
- 200m
- 137m
+ 56m
-1076
H-H'
Bonny
Rivers
State
400m
- 27m
+ 14m
0m
387
I-I'
Amalinakiri
Rivers
State
-215m
- 3m
0m
0m
-218
10
J-J'
Ifoko
Rivers
State
-137m
- 383m
- 8m
400m
-128
11
K-K'
Kpogakiri
Rivers
State
-1700m
- 243m
- 67m
375m
-1635
12
L-L'
Sangakiri
Rivers
State
No data
- 60m
0m
0m
60
13
M-M'
Kula
Rivers
State
No data
+ 172m
+ 400m
+ 275m
847
14
N-N'
Otukiri
Bayelsa
-400m
- 25m
+ 36m
0m
-389
15
O-O'
Diema
Bayelsa
-330m
- 17m
- 2m
0m
-349
16
P-P'
Brass
Bayelsa
0m
- 26m
- 22m
- 30m
-78
17
Q-Q'
Liama
Bayelsa
No Data
+ 0m
0m
+ 41m
41
18
R-R'
Sangana
Bayelsa
-1064m
+ 10m
- 46m
+ 18m
-1082
19
S-S'
Foniweiforo
Bayelsa
+ 815m
- 106m
- 102m
+ 64m
671
20
T-T'
Pepegbene
Bayelsa
+ 258m
- 78m
- 55m
0m
125
21
U-U'
Erebugbene
Bayelsa
+ 385m
0m
0m
- 35m
350
22
V-V'
Egbeletobo
Bayelsa
+ 825m
+ 96m
- 260m
- 39m
622
23
W-W'
New Amatu
Bayelsa
no data
- 68m
0m
- 38m
-106
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Conclusions
This study has two objectives. One is to explore the
applicability of satellite imagery in the context of a GIS
for the monitoring of the coastline change of the entire
Niger Delta coastline. The second aim is to deal with
assessment of the vulnerability of sections of the
coastline to physical processes around the coastline of
the Niger Delta.
Geographic information system has been proved to be
a very useful tool in assessing the vulnerability of the
Niger Delta coastline to physical processes impacting
it. Sea level rise scenarios not used for the
vulnerability analysis as only wide estimates uniform
across the Niger Delta have been proposed by earlier
studies.
For images with the same tidal level, image
differencing and image overlaying based on postclassification images are very useful and efficient
techniques to monitor coastline change. Due to tidal
effect, for coastal water and land classification, it is
always difficult to identify whether the classified
coastline represents the low tidal line or occurring
between the two.
For the interpretation and on-screen digitization, the
high tidal line is defined as the coastline to detect the
coastline change. As tideland slope data are not
available, more attention should be paid to coastline
interpretation. Due to tidal change, ocean wave
movement, beach gentle slope, soil and air moisture,
water quality, water substratum and habitats,
inaccuracies are introduced into interpretation of the
coastline.
The entire Niger Delta coastline is not entirely eroding
or accreting over the 36 year study period. Also almost
no section of the coastline that has consistently been
eroding or accreting from 1972 to 2008, but have all
had periods of erosion and periods of accretion at one
time or another.
Generally, accretion is more predominant from
Sangana river to Benin river in the western Niger
Delta. While erosion is generally more predominant
from the New Calabar river mouth to the Nun river.
Human activities play an important but complicated
role in the coastline change of the Nigeria Delta. The
impact of human activities on the delta may include
damming, artificial diversion of water courses,
pumping of ground fluids, shore protection, dredging
and engineering structures such as oil and gas pipeline
across waterways. However in terms of unavailability
of requisite 36 year data on the operations of dams in
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Causes,
Control
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Implications, (2006).
Olaniyan, E. Afiesimama, E.A. On marine winds, waves and
swells over West African coast for effective coastal
management - a case study of Victoria Island beach in
Nigeria, 2002.
Ong, J. E. Vulnerability of Malaysia to sea-level change, 2002.
Orupabo, S. Coastline migration in Nigeri , 2004.
Reijer,
T.J.A.
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