Remote Sensing Coupled to a Database of Catchments and Coastal Zones

Stefanía G. Halldórsdóttir (1), Helgi Thorbergsson (2)

(1) National Energy Authority (NEA), Hydrological Service, Reykjavik (IS)
(2) The University of Iceland, Reykjavik (IS)

A great deal of coast changes in Iceland are occuring in response to sediment transport and changes in Glacier Mass Balance. In order to investigate the effects of sediment transport and glaciers on the coastline, research institutes in Iceland have started a project to develop a database to integrate remote sensed data, fielddata and spatial data on catchments and coastal areas. In the project remote sensed data on coastal changes will be coupled to catchment data on land use, soil, vegetation, hydrology, sediment transport, glacier mass balance and freshwater biology.
Model of the data involved will be created and an assessment made on which data are relevant for the project.
The Research institutes have been working on integration of different scientific and spatial data into a common database. This has lead to more cooperation between the institutes and the knowledge in the field of database technologoy has increased. The next step is now to expand the data collection, followed by integration of remote sensed data into this common database, where a relation will be established between all spatial and environmental data of different origin.
The results will be presented by GIS, and it will be investigated how remote sensing data (aerial photos and satellite images) can be coupled to ground truth data in the best way so as to fulfil the aims of the project.
Aerial photos and satellite images will be used to assess changes on the coastline. Database technology will be used to find a relation between changes on the coastline and other environmental factors like sediment transport and changes in the extent of glaciers. The research will be carried out on 2 test areas, the Catchment of Hvita in Borgarfjordur west Iceland and the coastal area around the delta, and the Catchment of Ölfusa south Iceland and the coastal area around the delta.