2020 Ortho OSNI: Northern Ireland Shoreline Change Analysis Since 1800s

Northern Ireland's coastline is analyzed for historical shoreline change using Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery dating back to the early 1800s. Ulster University produced this dataset by applying the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to calculate rate-of-change statistics at 25-meter intervals. The data was last updated on March 18, 2026, and is provided by OpenDataNI.

Use Cases

• Calculate long-term shoreline erosion or accretion rates based on Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) and End Point Rate (EPR) statistics.
• Model coastal change dynamics using Linear Regression Rate (LRR) and Weighted Linear Regression Rate (WLR) metrics.
• Identify specific stretches of coastline experiencing significant retreat or advance based on spatially displayed rate-of-change data.
• Visualize historical shoreline positions and geometry changes over annual to decadal time periods for the entire Northern Ireland coast.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on all available historical Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, providing a long-term perspective.
• Rate-of-change statistics are calculated at a high spatial resolution of 25-meter intervals.
• Provides multiple statistical measures of change, including NSM, SCE, EPR, LRR, and WLR.
• Temporal coverage spans over two centuries, from the early 1800s to at least 2020.

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.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Northern Ireland focus.

Provenance

Source

OpenDataNI, with analysis by Ulster University.

Collection Method

Historical shoreline analysis using Ordnance Survey maps and aerial imagery, processed with the ArcGIS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

Time Range

Early 1800s to at least 2020.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 11:23:49.366132; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The entire coastline of Northern Ireland.