Characterization of land degradation along the receding Dead Sea coastal zone using airborne laser scanning

•We analyze laser scanning survey of the Dead Sea coastal plain's geomorphic system•We demonstrate characterization levels of gullies, headcuts and sinkholes•We develop algorithms to extract and model geomorphic features•We study land degradation processes influenced by lowering lake levels•We compute soil volume loss, and analyze erosion and evolution of the features

The Dead Sea, the lowest place on the Earth's continents, was at its highest level in 1896, reaching an elevation of ~ 388.4 m below mean sea level (m.b.m.s.l) and ~ 390 m in the early 1920s. Since then it has almost constantly been dropping, reaching the level of 426 m.b.m.s.l in 2013. Since the late 1990s its level has been decreasing by approximately 1 my− 1. The rapid lake retreat accelerates large-scale environmental deterioration, including soil erosion, land degradation, rapid headcut migration and widespread development of collapse sinkhole fields. These geomorphic elements threaten the natural environment and anthropogenic infrastructure.We provide an overview of the geomorphic processes in the form of soil erosion, channel incision, land degradation, and the development of collapse sinkholes. We take advantage of the high-resolution airborne laser scanning technology for three-dimensional detection of surficial changes, quantification of their volumes, and documentation of the present state of the terrain with utmost accuracy and precision. This type of information and the identification of future trends are vital for proper planning of any rapidly-changing environment.