Comparative Analysis of the Remotely Sensed Coastline with Geological Cartography: The Case Study of the Puglia Region

Abstract

As part of the Polytechnic of Bari’s research project on the evaluation of the geological risk in the coastal environment (DICATECH), the planimetric position of the coastline of the Puglia Region was analyzed using a digitally extracted orthophoto made available from the Office of the State Property of the Puglia Region in 2017.

Remote sensing data analysis led to the geometric extraction of the shoreline from orthophoto maps through automatic extraction and visual digitization techniques. Particular attention was paid to the geological analysis of the coast, with respect to its morphological characters. A comparison study was conducted using the most recent cartographic surveys available on the official geological cartography (CARG project).

The results have allowed a more detailed and in-depth definition of some aspects of geological cartography and the various elements of geohazard as well as a clearer reconstruction of the mechanisms of interaction between the various processes involved in geohazard.

The detailed analysis of some of the most representative cases has also confirmed the complexity of the coastal issues and highlighted some crucial questions about the making of geological cartography and coastal maps of the ongoing CARG project to further investigate.

We call for a greater in-depth knowledge of the geomorphological and meteo-marine characteristics of the coastal environment to observe its evolution through accurate and continuous monitoring over time. This allows the analysis of evolutionary trends and both natural and anthropogenic factors influencing the delicate balance of the coastline.