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Comparisons of Shoreline Positions from Satellite-Derived and Traditional Field- and Remote-Sensing Techniques

Open-File Report 2025-1054
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
By: , , , , , , , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251054

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Abstract

Satellite-derived shorelines (SDS) have the potential to help researchers answer critical coastal science questions and support work to predict coastal change by filling in the spatial and temporal gaps present in current field-based and remote-sensing data collection methods. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted comparison analyses of traditionally sourced shorelines and SDS in diverse coastal landscapes to determine how SDS could be used in ongoing and future work across varied coastal environments and provided some initial findings that could be used for implementation. Using CoastSeg, a browser-based program for SDS detection and mapping, SDS for the period 1984–2023 for multiple locations across the United States were compared to shoreline positions from traditionally sourced shoreline data. In this report, the authors present these comparisons alongside lessons learned and challenges encountered when building SDS workflows in different coastal locations. Results show that individual SDS have larger uncertainty and yet produced similar linear trends to sparser, traditionally sourced shoreline data; because SDS methods provide orders of magnitude more data than traditional shoreline-detection methods, they can be used to evaluate shoreline behaviors. Refining average scalar slopes used in tidal corrections did not result in substantial decreases in uncertainty. Using lessons from this work to outline needs for regional implementation, initial setup time would be considerable, being on the order of weeks. However, once complete, shoreline detections and analyses are fast (on the order of minutes to hours) and achievable using a desktop computer.

Suggested Citation

O’Neill, A.C., Batiste, S.F., Buscombe, D.D., Burgess, J., Doran, K.S., Gibbs, A.E., Henderson, R.E., Heslin, J.L., Janda, C.N., Lundine, M.A., Terrano, J.F., Warrick, J.A., and Weber, K.M., 2025, Comparisons of shoreline positions from satellite-derived and traditional field- and remote-sensing techniques: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1054, 41 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251054.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • 1.0. Introduction
  • 2.0. Background
  • 3.0. Study Sites
  • 4.0. Methods
  • 5.0. Results and Comparisons of Shoreline Positions
  • 6.0. Discussion
  • 7.0. Summary
  • References Cited
  • Glossary
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Comparisons of shoreline positions from satellite-derived and traditional field- and remote-sensing techniques
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2025-1054
DOI 10.3133/ofr20251054
Publication Date November 26, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description viii, 41 p.
Country United States
State Alaska, Florida, Massachusetts, Washington
Other Geospatial Puerto Rico
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Additional publication details