2006 Ortho OSNI: Historical Shoreline Change Analysis for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's coastline is analyzed for historical shoreline position and geometry changes from the early 1800s to 2006. The dataset was created by Ulster University using Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, processed with the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to calculate rate-of-change statistics. It provides a dynamic picture of coastal retreat and accretion over annual to decadal time periods.

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 based on spatially displayed rate-of-change data at 25m intervals.
• Model historical coastal evolution using Linear Regression Rate (LRR) and Weighted Linear Regression Rate (WLR) statistics.
• Visualize the total change in shoreline movement using the Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE) metric.

Strengths

• Analysis spans a long temporal range, from the early 1800s to 2006.
• Rate-of-change calculations are provided at a detailed 25-meter interval along the coast.
• Employs 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.
• The description does not specify the exact years of all source maps and imagery used.

Provenance

Source

Ulster University, based on Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery.

Collection Method

Historical shoreline analysis using the ArcGIS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

Time Range

Early 1800s to 2006.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 11:23:10.124796; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The entire coastline of Northern Ireland.