Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) delivered a digital terrain model of a better spatial resolution and accuracy than the traditional free global DEM datasets at near-global coverage and made a wide range of detailed hydrologic applications feasible. In this study, the ASTER data is compared with the digitalized topographic contour DEM in hydrological analysis over the Loukkos catchment in Larache province, Morocco. Extracted stream network and flow directions were compared with the ones derived from the digitalized topographic maps. The result shows, for the stream network, more similarity in average altitude and large differences in lowlands as well as high elevations. For flow directions, the results are almost identical.
The study of the multi dates shoreline evolution in the area of Ksar Esghir, located in the northwest of Morocco on Strait of Gibraltar between Tangiers and Ceuta, allowed the appreciation of the following progressive characters:
- Ksar Esghir watershed geomorphologic, which provides a mountainous character, allowing the distinction of the three main units: Highest areas, plain areas and coastal areas.
- Typically Mediterranean climate, characterized simultaneously by a cold damp winter and hot dry summer, where the weather and marine conditions are dominated by: Dominant West- North west swells which may exhibit Atlantic Ocean origin and East- North east swells may due to local wind seas.
- Evolutionary trend of the Ksar Esghir beaches shorelines, between the years 1966 and 2005 (40 years), marked by: an erosion of approximately 65%, an accretion of 25% and coastal stability of around 10% being considered with an almost total absence of stable areas.
- Areas occupancy evolution characterized by: an increase in developed areas with an average annual rate which may reach up + 0.28 km
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