Using the GPS Station to Study Wind and Coastal Morpho-dynamics in North-eastern Morocco

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the potential of Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements for the monitoring of aeolian and coastal dynamics. The studied sites are the Moulouya estuary, Bouarfa’s area and Tigri Chott. The study shows that GPS is used to determine the dune kinematics and the Moulouya estuary in 3-D with an annual temporal resolution and a sub-centimeter accuracy. The GPS measurements carried out between 2013 and 2021 have shown spatial and temporal variations of the dune kinematics and Moulouya estuary. The results presented here show that the GPS measurements have the capability of continuously surveying the geomorphological entities’ kinematics with small and slow displacements and thus, they could complement conventional topometric techniques in a warning system.