Paulo Baganha Baptista, a researcher at CESAM/DGEO, was one of the invited speakers at the session “My beach seen from Space”, part of the 6th edition of the “Space on Wednesdays” programme, an ESERO Portugal initiative dedicated to showing how space science and technology are present in everyday life and can help address concrete societal challenges.
The session focused on coastal areas and on how Earth observation, remote sensing and other monitoring technologies can help understand beach evolution, coastal erosion and the risks associated with extreme events. In a context marked by human pressure on the coastline, sediment deficit and the impacts of climate change, the debate brought together experts from different fields to discuss how to better preserve beaches and support coastal management decisions.
In his contribution, Paulo Baganha Baptista highlighted the role of the European project Space for Shore, funded by the European Space Agency, which sought to assess the extent to which satellite data, particularly open-access data, can be used to extract useful indicators of coastal erosion. The researcher explained that these tools make it possible to analyse long time series and identify trends in shoreline evolution, providing a broader view of the territory and helping to flag more vulnerable areas.
Although satellite data do not replace high-resolution local monitoring, Paulo Baganha Baptista underlined their value as a first approximation, especially when the aim is to observe medium- and long-term trends. Using images collected by different missions, including Landsat, SPOT and Sentinel, it is possible to monitor changes in the shoreline, at the base of dunes and cliffs, as well as to obtain indicators on seabed morphology.
The CESAM researcher also explained how bathymetry can be estimated by satellite, taking advantage of changes in wave behaviour as waves approach shallower areas. As waves interact with the seabed, their length, height and shape change, making it possible to infer variations in depth. According to Paulo Baganha Baptista, this type of approach can achieve interesting results at certain depths, although it always requires validation and critical interpretation.
Full programme here.