Bardawil Lake and the Surrounding Sabkhas

Abstract

Bardawil Lake and the surrounding sabkhas are located centrally along the coastal front of the Mediterranean coast of northern Sinai. The lake is also known as sabkha, due to intermittent connection with the Mediterranean before 1953, when two artificial openings (Bogazes I & II) were dug to allow permanent water flow from the sea. Its maximum length is ~85 km and maximum width is ~20 km, covering an area of ~600 km2. It is a shallow lake, with a mean depth of ~1.5 m. The lake originated as a tectonic trough, with a depth of ~50 m. Afterward, it has become filled with various sediments. Bardawil is a compound lake, since it is composed of two main basins and several other internal smaller ones. The lake accommodates several minor forms, of which sand barriers are the most widespread. Other forms are drowned dunes and inter-dune low areas—tidal flats and channels. Surrounding sabkhas represents a characteristic feature along the southern shores of the lake.