Monitoring Beach Topography and Nearshore Bathymetry Using Spaceborne Remote Sensing: A Review

• Published in: Remote sensing (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2019-10, Vol.11 (19), p.2212
• Main Authors: Salameh, Edward, Frappart, Frédéric, Almar, Rafael, Baptista, Paulo, Heygster, Georg, Lubac, Bertrand, Raucoules, Daniel, Almeida, Luis, Bergsma, Erwin, Capo, Sylvain, De Michele, Marcello, Idier, Deborah, Li, Zhen, Marieu, Vincent, Poupardin, Adrien, Silva, Paulo, Turki, Imen, Laignel, Benoit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Anthropogenic factors; Bathymeters; Bathymetry; Beaches; Climate change; Climate effects; Coastal management; Coastal zone; Coastal zone management; Computational fluid dynamics; digital elevation model (DEM); Engineering Sciences; Flood forecasting; Flood management; Fluid flow; Global positioning systems; GPS; Hydrodynamics; intertidal; Mapping; Mean square errors; Methods; Monitoring; Morphology; nearshore; Pressure effects; Remote sensing; satellite; Satellites; Sciences of the Universe; Sea level rise; Sensors; shallow waters; spaceborne remote sensing; Spatial data; Topography; Unmanned aerial vehicles
• ISSN: 2072-4292; 2072-4292
• DOI: 10.3390/rs11192212

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.