Rapid Response Surveying of Coastal Zones Using SmallSat Imagery

Dear Colleagues,

Coastal systems worldwide are exposed to both long- and short-term transgression under the influence of rising sea levels, increase in the occurrence and strength of extreme storm events, and overdevelopment of the coastal zone. Moderate resolution satellite imagery (i.e., Landsat) has been utilized in recent decades to address these concerns by monitoring shoreline erosion rates, coastal vegetation and wetland loss, and extent of inland flooding, among other important applications across large spatial and temporal scales. Although satellite remote sensing was a significant improvement on in situ field surveys, it is not suitable for rapid assessments of coastal zone changes caused by sudden and short-lived events (i.e., tropical storms) due to the prolonged repeat interval of the satellite platform and its prohibitive spatial resolution. Therefore, there is a robust need for the widespread adoption and method development of novel satellite data products that can detect global changes at the timescale of days and at finer-scale spatial resolutions. The very recent development of small satellite constellations, also known as “SmallSats” or “CubeSats”, represents the next advancement in global coastal monitoring due to their markedly improved spatiotemporal resolution over single and even twin satellite platforms. Relevant research and application topics for inclusion in this Special Issue includes topics related to the assessment of coastal change. Specifically, we encourage submissions related to: (1) assessments of rapid coastal zone changes induced by natural and/or anthropogenic forces using SmallSat data; (2) development of innovative methodological techniques using SmallSat data; (3) evaluations on the accuracy of SmallSat-derived classifications and other interpretive datasets; and (4) integration of SmallSat data with other satellite data, aerial imagery, or ground-based measurements. Manuscripts that contain research or applications that have been extensively described in other published sources will not be considered for publication in this Special Issue.   

Dr. Joshua T. Kelly
Dr. Allen M. Gontz
Guest Editors

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• Coastal change
• Shoreline erosion
• CubeSat
• SmallSat
• Sea-level rise