Abstract: The beach of Safi is located between the latitudes 32°19’ 30’ ‘ N and 32°18’ 50’ ‘ N and longitudes 9°10’ W and 9°20’ W. It is a beach truncated between a cliff towards the north and the port of Safi towards the south. The evolution and the dynamic balance of the beach of Safi rest on the sedimentary exchanges between the estran and the submerged zone (beach and before beach). This sedimentary dynamics in the system beach and before beach causes a change in the position of the coast feature. The use of the air photographs enabled us to determine the evolution of the coast feature on a decennial scale, to identify the advanced and retreat zone, and the surface variations of the morphological units. The vertical air photographs are at the present time the documents which

reflect better the aspect of a coast at a given time (Crowell and Al, 1993).

The action of the hydrodynamic processes (waves and currents) modifies the whole of the sandy system of the beach of Safi. This morph-sedimentary evolution, the result of sedimentary transport long shore and cross shore, is materialized by the presence of the zones of accretion and erosion.

From the space changes of the granulometric indices of the sediments (the average grain, the classification and asymmetry), we could describe the heterogeneity of the local forcing agents and identify the direction of the episodical transport of sediments.

This work was completed within the framework of FEEDS 101/MA/04