ORCID

Abstract

Monitoring sandy shoreline evolution from years to decades is critical to understand the past and predict the future of our coasts. Optical satellite imagery can now infer such datasets globally, but sometimes with large uncertainties, poor spatial resolution, and thus debatable outcomes. Here we validate and analyse satellite-derived-shoreline positions (1984–2021) along the Atlantic coast of Europe using a moving-averaged approach based on coastline characteristics, indicating conservative uncertainties of long-term trends around 0.4 m/year and a potential bias towards accretion. We show that west-facing open coasts are more prone to long-term erosion, whereas relatively closed coasts favor accretion, although most of computed trends fall within the range of uncertainty. Interannual shoreline variability is influenced by regionally dominant atmospheric climate indices. Quasi-straight open coastlines typically show the strongest and more alongshore-uniform links, while embayed coastlines, especially those not exposed to the dominant wave climate, show weaker and more variable correlation with the indices. Our results provide a spatial continuum between previous local-scale studies, while emphasizing the necessity to further reduce satellite-derived shoreline trend uncertainties. They also call for applications based on a relevant averaging approach and the inclusion of coastal setting parameters to unravel the forcing-response spectrum of sandy shorelines globally.

Publication Date

2024-06-06

Publication Title

Scientific Reports

Volume

14

Issue

1

ISSN

2045-2322

Keywords

Climate indices, Coastal settings, Interannual variability, Long-term erosion, Sandy coast, Satellite-derived shoreline

Download

Plum Print visual indicator of research metrics
PlumX Metrics
  • Citations
    • Citation Indexes: 3
  • Usage
    • Downloads: 1
  • Captures
    • Readers: 27
see details

Share

COinS