2016 Ortho OSNI: Historical Shoreline Change Analysis for Northern Ireland

Historical shoreline position and geometry data for the entire Northern Ireland coastline, analyzed from Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery dating back to the early 1800s. The dataset 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 managed 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 change over annual to decadal time periods for coastal management planning.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on all available Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, providing a long-term historical perspective.
• Rate-of-change statistics were calculated at a consistent 25-meter interval along the coast.
• Data processing utilized the established Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software package.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

OpenDataNI

Collection Method

Analysis of historical Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery using the ArcGIS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

Time Range

Early 1800s to at least 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 11:23:57.660591; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Ireland coastline.