Coastline Protection
The protection of people, property and the natural environment against floods and destructive attacks of the sea is an important task of coastal protection. Continually exposed to the natural forces of ocean waves, wind, and rain, many coastal areas are subject to natural erosion. The various measures to reduce or prevent coastal erosion, beach erosion, and land loss (e.g. construction of dams and dikes) safeguard areas of human subsistence and utilization such as infrastructure and agriculture. Coastal areas are ecologically sensitive and economically valuable and must be protected against continued attacks of the sea.
Color-coded DSM Schelde estuary
© Aerodata International Surveys, Belgium
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3D image of Mellum
© WSA Bremerhaven, Germany
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Aerial laser scanner data provides an excellent basis for recording coastal areas and islands whose existence is threatened by influences of the sea. Areas of application of high-resolution elevation and image data for coastline protection include:
- Inventory and monitoring
- Monitoring dike heights
- Planning and management of dike and coastline protection systems
- Simulation of tide-dependent water levels
- Recording of drainage channels
- Determination of flood-endangered areas
- Localization of cliff erosion and alluvial deposits
- Calculation of volumes of erosion and accumulation
- Determination of water-land boundary
Regular mapping of an area with an aerial laser scanner enables multi-temporal evaluations for monitoring and change detection. By superimposing the elevation data recorded at various points in time in a GIS, changes can be recorded and visualized and volumes of erosion and accumulation can be calculated.
Relief image of coastal section in the Netherlands,
2000 (left) and 2002 (right)
© Aerodata International Surveys, Belgium
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Difference model of coastal section in the Netherlands,
2000 - 2002
© Copyright symbol Aerodata International Surveys, Belgium
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The water-land boundary can be determined due to the different textures of water and ground surface. With the aid of laser scanner data, rough water surfaces can be precisely separated from smooth sand surfaces.
Relief image of coastal section in the Netherlands
© Aerodata International Surveys, Belgium
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Cross section of water-land transition
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