Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland

Coastal erosion poses an acute threat to cultural heritage resources, particularly in island contexts where erosional and degradational threats can be amplified by increased exposure and sea-level changes. We present a generalizable, best-practice approach that integrates multi-temporal, multi-resol...

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Main Authors: Sean Field, Ian Kuijt, Ryan Lash, Tommy Burke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/15/2709
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author Sean Field
Ian Kuijt
Ryan Lash
Tommy Burke
author_facet Sean Field
Ian Kuijt
Ryan Lash
Tommy Burke
author_sort Sean Field
collection DOAJ
description Coastal erosion poses an acute threat to cultural heritage resources, particularly in island contexts where erosional and degradational threats can be amplified by increased exposure and sea-level changes. We present a generalizable, best-practice approach that integrates multi-temporal, multi-resolution, and inconsistently ground-controlled data to demonstrate how suites of remotely sensed data can be integrated under real-world constraints. This approach is used to conduct a longitudinal analysis of cultural resources on the island of Inishark, Western Ireland. Results show evidence of significant and potentially accelerating shoreline erosion and structural loss within the past century, with rates of erosion ranging from 0.15 to 0.3 m/year along shorelines and 3–5 m<sup>2</sup>/year for structures. Outcomes demonstrate the utility and importance of an integrative data approach for cultural resource management.
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series Remote Sensing
spelling doaj-art-655c7a2ebb714fe4925dcace3a73f9d42025-08-20T03:36:32ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-08-011715270910.3390/rs17152709Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, IrelandSean Field0Ian Kuijt1Ryan Lash2Tommy Burke3The School of Computing and Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USAThe Department of Anthropology, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USASchool of Archaeology, University College Dublin, D04 C1P1 Dublin, IrelandIndependent Researcher, H91 V12K Inishbofin, IrelandCoastal erosion poses an acute threat to cultural heritage resources, particularly in island contexts where erosional and degradational threats can be amplified by increased exposure and sea-level changes. We present a generalizable, best-practice approach that integrates multi-temporal, multi-resolution, and inconsistently ground-controlled data to demonstrate how suites of remotely sensed data can be integrated under real-world constraints. This approach is used to conduct a longitudinal analysis of cultural resources on the island of Inishark, Western Ireland. Results show evidence of significant and potentially accelerating shoreline erosion and structural loss within the past century, with rates of erosion ranging from 0.15 to 0.3 m/year along shorelines and 3–5 m<sup>2</sup>/year for structures. Outcomes demonstrate the utility and importance of an integrative data approach for cultural resource management.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/15/2709aerial remote sensingcoastal erosionIrelandphotogrammetryLiDARcultural resource management
spellingShingle Sean Field
Ian Kuijt
Ryan Lash
Tommy Burke
Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland
Remote Sensing
aerial remote sensing
coastal erosion
Ireland
photogrammetry
LiDAR
cultural resource management
title Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland
title_full Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland
title_fullStr Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland
title_full_unstemmed Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland
title_short Monitoring Irish Coastal Heritage Destruction: A Case Study from Inishark, Co. Galway, Ireland
title_sort monitoring irish coastal heritage destruction a case study from inishark co galway ireland
topic aerial remote sensing
coastal erosion
Ireland
photogrammetry
LiDAR
cultural resource management
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/15/2709
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