Mapping and monitoring temporal changes for coastline and coastal area by using aerial data images and digital photogrammetry: A case study from Samsun, Turkey

Abstract

Coastline and coastal areas are not only the supports for local economics based on fisheries and agriculture, but also, a source of food and energy, apart from offering diverse opportunities for recreation and tourism. Moreover, they provide protection to coastlines against storms and other meteorological perturbations. Coastline mapping and coastline change detection are critical for coastal resource management, coastal environmental protection and sustainable coastal development and planning. Changes in the shape of coastline may fundamentally affect the environment of the coastal zone. These may be caused by natural processes and human activities. The coastal areas of Turkey have been under an intensive restraint associated with a population press due to the internal and external touristic demands. Aerial photos with a medium spatial resolution and high resolution satellite imagery are ideal data sources for mapping coastal land use and monitoring their changes for a large area. This research is focused on the coastline monitoring and its potential change estimation by digital photogrammetry techniques using aerial data images at the eastern coasts of the Black Sea in Turkey. The study area includes the coastal zone located in Samsun, Turkey coasts. The aim of this study is to analyze coastline changes in 1935, 1972 and 2006 in Samsun, using aerial data images. Results show that digital photogrammetry, which is using the images as data source, are an effective approach for monitoring coastal land use status of large area, and over 95.32 ha areas were filled up along the coastal land between the 1935 - 1972 periods and over 70.74 ha areas were filled up along the coastal land between the 1972 - 2006 periods in the study area. Consequently, coastal land use change monitoring is necessary for coastal area planning in order to protect coastal areas from climate changes and other coastal processes. It is found that significant changes in land cover occurred during the study period.