Availability of fresh water sources in the Lebanese marine environment

A Lebanese paper to the eighth International Symposium on Remote Sensing Applications said that an airborne infrared thermal survey was carried out along the coast of Lebanon (Akkar - Beirut) to detect differential temperature anomalies, especially between the cold fresh water and the comparatively warmer salt water.

Preliminary analysis of TIR images shows that some 65 anomalies were detected, ten of which are offshore. The anomalies are represented by different configurations and have different geographic extents. The common forms are linear, either parallel to the shore reaching to about 750 m long, and radial or fanning type with a diameter up to 500 m.

The anomalies are obvious along Nahr Ibrahim and Jal el-Deeb segment, then in the vicinity of Tripoli. Until more detailed field work is established to certify these localities, many of the anomalies may be considered to be due to either surface water sources or sewage outflow.

Depending on previous studies done by FAO, 1972 and from local known freshwater sources, the use of natural resources during the last 25 years has left a noticable impact. This is clear from the comparative data of TIR survey done in the two periods. Most of the submarine fresh water sources have disappeared, while excessive sources of contamination have been increased along the shoreline.

A study concerning these anomalies should be carried out to assess the fresh water sources and monitoring the contaminated water out falls, since it has already reached and alarming level, the paper said.