Mapping of Coastline Changes in Athens Riviera over the Past 76 Year's Measurements

Mapping of coastline changes assists in coastal development and monitoring. Athens Riviera, located in the southwestern coastal zone in Attica in central Greece, has undergone major and radical changes generated by human interference during the last decades. The aim of this paper is to map record and measure the coastline changes in Athens Riviera over the past 76 years. Aerial photographs and satellite images from 1945 to 2021 as well as geographic information system (GIS) techniques were used to depict the spatial and temporal variations of the coastline. The results show that 60% of the total length of the coastline is artificial coast, while 29% is rocky coast and 12% beach. The study of seven subareas showed that human interventions caused significant coastline changes in Faliro Bay, Alimos and Glyfada. The adjacent coastal regions to Athens metropolitan area illustrate the highest modifications in the coastline. The main changes in the coastlines are recorded from 1960 to 1987, while the rate of changes in coastline slowed down from 1987 to 2021. The total changes in the coastline of Athens Riviera demonstrate that, during the past 76 years, the coastline was enhanced by 40% while land reclaimed to the sea area approaches 2.67 km(2). The applied method is effective and rapid and may utilize in the coastal monitoring and management.

Automated summary

Mapping and monitoring coastline changes in Athens Riviera over the past 76 years have revealed significant alterations mainly caused by human interference. The study shows that human interventions have led to major coastline changes in areas such as Faliro Bay, Alimos, and Glyfada, while the coastal regions adjacent to Athens metropolitan area have experienced the highest modifications. The analysis indicates that the rate of coastline changes slowed down after 1987, with 40% increase in coastline length and 2.67 km(2) of land reclaimed to the sea over the past 76 years. The applied method using aerial photographs and GIS techniques proves effective for coastal monitoring and management.