Spatial-Temporal Analysis and Stability Investigation of Coastline Changes: A Case Study in Shenzhen, China

Abstract

Coastlines are some of the most important dynamic linear features on the Earth's surface. Conducting research on coastline changes is essential to improve the environmental management and development of the coast. In this study, Landsat satellite images that cover the entire coastal zone of Shenzhen, which was the first special economic zone in China, are used to study coastline changes. Multitemporal coastline information for Shenzhen from 1988 to 2015 is extracted based on the object-oriented classification approach. The overall classification accuracy of this approach can reach 85% or more when it is used to classify the land-use types present within the coastal zone in this study. Moreover, coastline change rates are calculated using a point-based approach. Coastline stability changes are analyzed, and driving rules are explored, using a data-mining approach that addresses natural and social factors. The research results demonstrate that the object-based approach can extract accurate coastline information from Landsat images and that the coastlines in Shenzhen have varied with time and location. The coastline changes in Shenzhen from 1988 to 2015 can be divided into two stages: one displays accelerated change (1988–2003), whereas the other displays decelerated change (2003–2015). Completely different change characteristics of coastline stability are found between the eastern and western coastlines in Shenzhen, and the differences are mainly reflected in the coastline's morphological changes and varying rules.