Historical Shoreline Change Analysis for Northern Ireland, 1800s Onwards

Ulster University and OpenDataNI provide a historical shoreline analysis for the Northern Ireland coastline. The dataset visualizes shoreline change and calculates rates of change using statistics like Net Shoreline Movement and Linear Regression Rate, derived from Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery. It was last updated on March 18, 2026.

Use Cases

• Calculate rates of shoreline erosion or accretion based on the Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) and End Point Rate (EPR) statistics.
• Model long-term coastal change trends using the Linear Regression Rate (LRR) and Weighted Linear Regression Rate (WLR) metrics.
• Identify specific areas of coastal retreat or advance by analyzing change data collected at 25-meter intervals.
• Support coastal management and planning decisions with a dynamic picture of shoreline geometry from the early 1800s.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on all available historical Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery.
• Provides multiple rate-of-change statistics (NSM, SCE, EPR, LRR, WLR) for robust trend analysis.
• Shoreline change data is collected at a high spatial resolution of 25-meter intervals.
• Covers a long temporal range, with analysis beginning in the early 1800s.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

OpenDataNI, with analysis provided by Ulster University.

Collection Method

Historical shoreline positions were derived from Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, analyzed using the ArcGIS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

Time Range

Early 1800s onwards, with analysis over annual to decadal periods.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 11:24:21.625691; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The entire coastline of Northern Ireland.