Photogrammetry and image processing techniques for beach monitoring

Abstract

The land-water boundary varies according to the sea level and the shape of a beach profile that is continuously modelled by incident waves. Attempting to model the response of a landscape as geomorphologically volatile as beaches requires multiple precise measurements to recognize responses to the actions of various geomorphic agents. It is therefore essential to have monitoring systems capable of systematically recording the shoreline accurately and effectively. New methods and tools are required to efficiently capture, characterize, and analyze information – and so obtain geomorphologically significant indicators. This is the aim of the doctoral thesis, focusing on the development of tools and procedures for coastal monitoring using satellite images and terrestrial photographs. The work brings satellite image processing and photogrammetric solutions to scientists, engineers, and coastal managers by providing results that demonstrate the usefulness of these viable and low-cost techniques. Existing and freely accessible public information (satellite images, video-derived data, or crowd-sourced photographs) can be converted into high quality data for monitoring morphological changes on beaches and thus help achieve a sustainable management of coastal resources.