GIS Analysis of Shoreline Change Using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS)
Summary
The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) is a software extension for ArcGIS that allows for automated shoreline change calculations along the coast. The user must supply the shoreline data and the software helps the user create measurement locations (transects) and completes the shoreline change calculations at each location. The result is a visual representation of the shoreline change along a coastline. This representation is far more useful for analysis that one overall average. Unusually high rates of erosion/accretion are easily recognized from the resulting map.
The study location is Rodanthe, NC. The data used in this exercise is the sample data provided by the USGS.
Context
Audience
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
- learn to add a new extension into ArcGIS,
- use the DSAS to calculate the shoreline change, and
- create a map showing a meaningful representation of the shoreline change.
How the activity is situated in the course
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
1. Have the students complete a shoreline analysis in ArcGIS.
2. Teach the students how to install and use an external ArcGIS extension.
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
- Analyze shoreline data.
- Evaluate the results.
- Create a map displaying the results.
Other skills goals for this activity
Description and Teaching Materials
Student Handout (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 3.4MB May31 17)
Thieler, E.R., Himmelstoss, E.A., Zichichi, J.L., and Ergul, Ayhan, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.0—An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1278. Data (Zip Archive 319kB May31 17)
Teaching Notes and Tips
Assessment
The assessment is based on the map produced. The students should produce a map similar to the one below.
References and Resources
Data and extension from:
Thieler, E.R., Himmelstoss, E.A., Zichichi, J.L., and Ergul, Ayhan, Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.0—An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1278.
DSAS User Guide and Download : https://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/DSAS/version4/index.html
Note: Currently (May 2017) the DSAS does not work with ArcGIS 10.4. This should be fixed by the end of the summer. The tool does work with version 10.3 or earlier.