Using Remote Sensing Data to Detect Sea Level Change

Remote sensing data and Geographic information systems (GIS) are relatively new and potentially valuable tools for coastal zone management. This paper examines the effectiveness of using remote sensing data to detect sea level change. Since resolution is such an important and vital element of spatial digital data for use in geographic information systems, it is important to know how to assess its quality, accuracy and level of precision. Using remote sensing data to detect sea level change also requires accurate historical baseline spatial data and knowledge of how the coastline is defined and mapped. Map datum refers to the various locations to which geographic measurements are referenced. This referencing system is an important item on the list of cartographic components that help to identify and categorize individual maps. For example, many North American maps have been, or will soon be, converted to a horizontal map datum known as NAD83. Along with horizontal datum, maps are also referenced to vertical datum. The choice of vertical and horizontal map datum along with other cartographic elements such as map projection, scale and meta data will determine to what level of precision coastal change can be accurately measured. This paper will explain how to select the most appropriate baseline spatial data as well as the type of the remote sensing data that will provide the most reliable results for the detection of seal level change. Cobscook Bay, Maine was used for two case studies to demonstrate some of these coastal mapping parameters.