Coastal Landform Characteristics of Qawz al Ja'afirah of the Jazan Area, Saudi Arabia

This study investigates the diverse coastal landforms along the Qawz al Ja'afirah shoreline in the Jazan region and examines the natural processes responsible for shaping them. The area hosts a variety of geomorphological features, including vegetated zones, sabkhas, sandy beaches, sand sheets, intertidal flats, alluvial terrace deposits (notably associated with wadi systems), sand dunes and mangrove stands. The presence and arrangement of these features reflect significant transformations in the coastal environment, particularly along the beach zones. To identify and classify these landforms, Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager satellite imagery was processed using digital image analysis techniques. Interpretations drawn from the remote sensing data were subsequently verified through field surveys to ensure accuracy and reliability. True colour composite and false colour composite techniques proved especially effective in distinguishing between deep and shallow marine zones, sabkhas, mangrove habitats and aeolian dune fields. Moreover, supervised classification revealed distinct wadi drainage networks and estuarine systems, notably those formed by Wadi As Sabya and Wadi Baysh, which discharge along various segments of the Qawz al Ja'afirah coast. The resulting imagery and classification outputs provide a clear spatial understanding of the coastal landform distribution. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the region's coastal dynamics but also offer a foundational reference for future environmental monitoring and coastal management initiatives.