Historical Shoreline of Cape Cod, Massachusetts from NOAA Maps

A high-resolution historical shoreline dataset for Cape Cod, Massachusetts, automated for use as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. The data are derived from shoreline maps produced by the NOAA National Ocean Service and its predecessor agencies, based on office interpretation of imagery and/or field surveys. Attribution follows the NOAA-developed C-COAST scheme, influenced by the International Hydrographic Organization's S-57 standard.

Use Cases

• Analyze coastal erosion or accretion over time based on the historical shoreline data.
• Create GIS base layers for coastal zone management based on the high-resolution shoreline.
• Validate or compare modern shoreline datasets against historical interpretations.
• Study the evolution of specific coastal features on Cape Cod using the mapped data.

Strengths

• Data is described as high-resolution and accurate for GIS use.
• Shoreline is derived from authoritative NOAA National Ocean Service maps.
• Attribution uses a structured scheme (C-COAST) influenced by an international standard.

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.
• Data is based on office interpretation of imagery/surveys, which may introduce interpretation bias.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Derived from shoreline maps produced by NOAA NOS based on interpretation of imagery and/or field surveys.

Time Range

Historical (specific range not provided).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 21:56:49.674541; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.