Abstract
With high anthropogenic pressure and the effects of climate change (e.g., sea level rise) on coastal regions, there is a greater need for accurate and up-to-date information about the topography of these systems. Reliable topography and bathymetry information are fundamental parameters for modelling the morpho-hydrodynamics of coastal areas, for flood forecasting, and for coastal management. Traditional methods such as ground, ship-borne, and airborne surveys suffer from limited spatial coverage and temporal sampling due to logistical constraints and high costs which limit their ability to provide the needed information. The recent advancements of spaceborne remote sensing techniques, along with their ability to acquire data over large spatial areas and to provide high frequency temporal monitoring, has made them very attractive for topography and bathymetry mapping. In this review, we present an overview of the current state of spaceborne-based remote sensing techniques used to estimate the topography and bathymetry of beaches, intertidal, and nearshore areas. We also provide some insights about the potential of these techniques when using data provided by new and future satellite missions.
Highlights
Coastal zones have always been attractive regions for human settlement because of their rich resources and localization at the interface between land and sea [1]
Mapping the nearshore bathymetry and the foreshore topography is considered as an “observational priority” [7]
This review focuses on spaceborne-based methods used for deriving topography and bathymetry in coastal environments
Summary
Coastal zones have always been attractive regions for human settlement because of their rich resources and localization at the interface between land and sea [1] These zones are densely populated, accounting for about 39% of the global population residing within 100 km from the coast [2]. Marine-land topography and bathymetry with high spatiotemporal resolution and a reasonable vertical accuracy are essential for a better understanding of the evolution of coastal systems [7] They are, as well, essential for various types of applications and studies, including: Coastal flood forecasting, erosion forecasting, coastal defense, the monitoring of morphological changes, the identification of shoreline erosion or accretion, navigation, and fishing [8]. Inaccurate DEMs limit the performance of such models and may lead to inappropriate results [9,10]
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