Work

Synergistic Forcing and Extreme Coastal Abrasion in the Sea of Azov: A Multi-Source Geospatial Assessment

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Coastal erosion poses a significant threat to global shorelines, exacerbated by anthropogenic pressures and climate change. The Sea of Azov, a shallow, semi-enclosed basin with coastlines composed of weakly consolidated sediments, represents a highly vulnerable and understudied hotspot for abrasion processes. This study provides a comprehensive, multi-decadal assessment of coastal retreat rates for the Sea of Azov by synergistically integrating long-term field observations with a multi-temporal analysis of satellite imagery from 1971 to 2022. We employed a diverse array of satellite data, including declassified CORONA, SPOT, Sentinel-2, and high-resolution Resurs-P imagery, which were processed and analyzed within a GIS framework using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Our results quantify extreme coastal abrasion, revealing maximum retreat rates of 1.0–3.5 m/yr along the eastern Sea of Azov coast and specific sectors of Taganrog Bay. The spatiotemporal analysis identified the period of 2013–2014, marked by two major storms, as a peak of erosional activity across all coastal sectors. This study demonstrates that the spatial distribution of erosion is controlled by a convergence of high-energy wind-wave forcing, low geotechnical resistance of Quaternary sedimentary deposits, and unfavorable coastal morphometry. This research underscores the critical value of merging historical field data with modern geospatial technologies to establish baseline rates, identify erosion hotspots, and inform future coastal zone management strategies in vulnerable marine environments.

Source: Water

DOI: 10.3390/w17243518

Authors: Samir Misirov, Natalia Yaitskaya, Valerii Kulygin, Anastasiia Magaeva, Sergey Berdnikov, Liudmila Bespalova

Institutions: Russian Academy of Sciences, Southern Scientific Center, Southern Federal University

Language: English

Topic: Coastal and Marine Dynamics

Subfield: Earth-Surface Processes

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life below water

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137