TY - JOUR
T1 - Analyzing coastal erosion and sedimentation using Sentinel-1 SAR change detection
T2 - An application on the Volta Delta, Ghana
AU - Di Biase, Valeria
AU - Hanssen, Ramon F.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Ghana's coastline has been facing erosion and sedimentation phenomena for several decades, resulting in a serious threat to life and property considering that major urban settlements are located on the coast. In this region, there has been a lack of emphasis on comprehensive, large-scale investigations into coastal changes: prior research has predominantly centered on site-specific assessments. These studies have revealed alarming erosion rates, with reports indicating that nearly ten meters are lost annually. The use of high-resolution remotely sensed data can be a consistent support in regions where physical or economic obstacles interfere with collecting in situ information. In particular, the use of continuous all-weather SAR data may facilitate the evaluation of erosion and sedimentation phenomena in coastal areas. In this paper, we apply SAR data over a time period between 2017 and 2021. Sentinel-1 data are pre-processed using the Google Earth Engine platform, and a dedicated algorithm is then applied to identify and quantify erosion and sedimentation processes. Optical images are used as a reference for detecting the location of two areas where consistent sedimentation and erosion phenomena occurred in the considered four years. The results demonstrate that SAR backscattering variations over time offer a reliable method for monitoring coastal changes. This approach enables the identification of the type of phenomena occurring - sedimentation or erosion -, and allows for the quantification of their intensity and dimensions over time. The method can be worldwide applied once the appropriate thresholds are evaluated and help in predictive studies and environmental planning.
AB - Ghana's coastline has been facing erosion and sedimentation phenomena for several decades, resulting in a serious threat to life and property considering that major urban settlements are located on the coast. In this region, there has been a lack of emphasis on comprehensive, large-scale investigations into coastal changes: prior research has predominantly centered on site-specific assessments. These studies have revealed alarming erosion rates, with reports indicating that nearly ten meters are lost annually. The use of high-resolution remotely sensed data can be a consistent support in regions where physical or economic obstacles interfere with collecting in situ information. In particular, the use of continuous all-weather SAR data may facilitate the evaluation of erosion and sedimentation phenomena in coastal areas. In this paper, we apply SAR data over a time period between 2017 and 2021. Sentinel-1 data are pre-processed using the Google Earth Engine platform, and a dedicated algorithm is then applied to identify and quantify erosion and sedimentation processes. Optical images are used as a reference for detecting the location of two areas where consistent sedimentation and erosion phenomena occurred in the considered four years. The results demonstrate that SAR backscattering variations over time offer a reliable method for monitoring coastal changes. This approach enables the identification of the type of phenomena occurring - sedimentation or erosion -, and allows for the quantification of their intensity and dimensions over time. The method can be worldwide applied once the appropriate thresholds are evaluated and help in predictive studies and environmental planning.
KW - Change detection
KW - Coastal environment
KW - Coastal erosion
KW - SAR
KW - Sentinel-1
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85184989425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejrs.2024.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ejrs.2024.02.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85184989425
SN - 1110-9823
VL - 27
SP - 137
EP - 145
JO - Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science
JF - Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science
IS - 1
ER -