2005 Ortho OSNI: Northern Ireland Shoreline Change Analysis

Historical shoreline positions for the Northern Ireland coastline, analyzed from Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery dating back to the early 1800s. The data was processed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to calculate rate-of-change statistics at 25-meter intervals. The end product was provided by Ulster University and is hosted by OpenDataNI.

Use Cases

• Calculate rates of shoreline change based on Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) and End Point Rate (EPR) statistics.
• Identify areas of coastal retreat or accretion using spatially displayed rate-of-change data.
• Model historical coastal dynamics using Linear Regression Rate (LRR) and Weighted Linear Regression Rate (WLR) statistics.
• Visualize shoreline geometry changes over annual to decadal time periods for management reports.

Strengths

• Analysis based on all available Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, providing a long-term view.
• Rate-of-change statistics were calculated at a high spatial resolution of 25-meter intervals.
• Includes multiple statistical measures (NSM, SCE, EPR, LRR, WLR) for robust change analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Northern Ireland coastline.

Provenance

Source

OpenDataNI, with analysis and end product provided by Ulster University.

Collection Method

Historical shoreline analysis based on Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, processed 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 11:23:53.609782; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The entire coastline of Northern Ireland.