DAERA commissioned Ulster University to undertake a
Historical Shoreline Analysis project of the Northern Ireland coastline.
A key requirement of the Historical Shoreline Analysis Project was to delineate first order coastal cell boundaries for the entire Northern Ireland coastline. Coastal cells are paramount for coastal managers to calculate the sediment budget on a specific coastal sector and identify zones within which changes to the coast might affect adjacent coastal areas.
The boundary of each coastal cell is identified and mapped according to two basic types: littoral drift divides and sediment sinks.
- Littoral drift divides – These boundary types normally occur at a point where the coastal orientation changes abruptly (for example, at a headland), or where sediment drift occurs in opposing directions.
- Sediment sinks – These boundary types are the end points where sand or gravel transport routes terminate or meet. These can occur at deeply indented bays, tidal inlets, and estuaries. Sediment tends to accumulate in such locations forming beaches and/or sedimentary landforms at or close to the shore.
The boundaries identified in the Historical Shoreline Analysis Project were delineated using the historical Ordnance Survey maps and the aerial photographs as well as expert coastal geomorphological knowledge. The end result is a spatial tool which will be extremely useful for future coastal management.
This is the output, which divides the Northern Ireland coastline into 7 first order coastal cells.
