The coastline and inter-tidal zone are notoriously difficult to monitor given the limitations on activity imposed by the tide, the extent of coastline, and the limited availability of reliable, permanent control.

The coastal environment is an important asset and its condition needs to be carefully monitored in order to improve the understanding of coastal processes and mechanisms. Understanding these processes can lead to improved management decisions and policies. Also, it’s not just the ever changing topography of coastal cliffs that need constant monitoring, but also the profile of the beach and the extent and type of vegetation.

In the past, scattered periodic measurements were used to survey coastal change, but these have largely been replaced by airborne surveys which use photogrammetry and/or airborne laser scanning (ALS) that provide data at a higher spatial resolution.

With funding from the RICS Education Trust Drs David Barber and Jon Mills of Newcastle University, UK, investigated the use of a ground based Mobile Mapping System by collecting data along a 7km stretch of coastline at Filey Bay, North Yorkshire, UK. They compared this data with a similar dataset collected by ALS.

The findings from the study contribute to the discussion on new methodologies for the rapid survey of linear features, and should help to provide coastal managers and engineers with a clearer view of the dynamic environments – something that has previously been very difficult to achieve using ground based surveying techniques.