A GIS Procedure to Assess Shoreline Changes over Time Using Multi-temporal Maps: An Analysis of a Sandy Shoreline in Southern Italy over the Last 100 Years

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to identify a methodology capable of assessing shoreline changes through a geomatic approach based on the use of GIS (Geographic Information System) software. The paper describes a case study that reports the evolution of a coastline over a period of more than 100 years using medium and large-scale metric maps available in different periods. In fact, the coastlines were obtained from the source maps of the Italian Cadastre (dated 1890), from numerical cartography available on the coastline and acquired in different period at scales 1:5000 and 1:2000 and, more recently, from the Google Earth Pro platform. To analyse the evolution of the coastline a new procedure has been performed which is based on the use of GIS software, in particular a plugin called DSAS that allows the evaluation of the changes in the coastline and also obtains a statistical analysis of its evolution. The results showed the ease and applicability of the method in determining the evolution of the coastline and the strong erosion of a stretch of coastline with important socio-economic consequences and repercussions was highlighted in the analysed case study.

Futuristic prediction of the lagoon coast shorelines using spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery

“…The coastal zone change is however defined quantitatively from observing the shoreline variation either inward or outward from the ocean body. The interplay between the physical features of this dynamic ecosystem and the driving factors are very important subject in studying the position variation of shorelines (Olali, 2015;Pepe et al, 2023). Coupled with the economic benefits generated from the coastal zone, it becomes important that they are monitored from time to time and the results are put into use for urban development and environmental management.…”

“…Shoreline changes have been studied using a variety of methods at local, regional and global scales with variant levels of accuracy. Some studies have utilized, remotely sensed satellite data (Bartsch et al, 2020;Popoola, 2022), historical maps (Pepe et al, 2023) as well as aerial photographs, LiDAR imagery and terrestrial/in-situ data. Recent advancements in the use of remote sensing techniques to monitor shoreline changes have shown promise in comparison to the traditional ground surveying method, which has proven to be relatively high in terms of cost, labour, and schedule (Klemas, 2013).…”

“…By combining the high-resolution imagery obtained from the satellite and the great capability of the Geographic Information System (GIS) for data capturing, manipulation, processing and interpretation, the future position of the Lagoon Barrier coastline can be estimated creating an avenue for putting up measures that would manage the accompanying effects of this projection. In previous research, GIS technology has shown its promising strength in the handling of geospatial data like remotely sensed imagery to precisely, investigate shoreline changes (Oyinloye et al, 2016;Adefisan et al, 2018;Akinluyi et al, 2018;Fashea et al, 2022;Popoola, 2022;Pepe et al, 2023), however, no literature has used Sentinel-1 SAR imagery to forecast the future position of the Lagoon Barrier coastline in Lagos State. As an alternative to the previously used methodologies (Oyinloye et al, 2016;Adefisan et al, 2018;Akinluyi et al, 2018;Fashea et al, 2022;Popoola, 2022), this study presents an approach that uses extracted shorelines from Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery to forecast the future position of the Lagoon Barrier Coast in Lagos State, Nigeria.…”