Shores of the central west coast of India - a case study using remote sensing data

Abstract

Geomorphological studies along the Central West Coast of India extending between Bombay to Goa, have been undertaken, using aerial photographs and LANDSAT imagery. Coastal features like active and abandoned cliffs, spits, bars, beach rock, beach ridges, littoral terraces, dunes, tidal flats etc. have been described and demarcated. Ground truth have been collected for all the features identified from remote sensing data. The coast, with abandoned cliffs, littoral terraces, beach ridges, tidal flats, can be ascribed to the possibilities of its continuous progradation. Whereas, the coastal tract with active cliffs, broad wave-cut terraces etc. indicate the retrograding coast. The shoreline of the central west coast, therefore, can be classified mainly as depositional coastal segments which are prograding, and erosional coastal segments which are retrograding along the cliffs and headlands.