Landsat Application of Remote Sensing to Shoreline-form Analysis

The author has identified the following significant results. Areas of the coast were selected which have historically shown vulnerability to storm damage. On Assateague Island, there are six such areas: the western tip of Fishing Point; the southern National Park Service parking lot; Smith Hammocks; Fox Hill Level; Little Fox Hill Level; and the northern five kilometers of the island. Comparative analysis of these areas with other data and with large and small scale aerial photographs shows them to be associated with large overwash fans and shoreline cusping. Initial analysis of Landsat imagery and high altitude photography indicates that the areas of high vulnerability are also associated with the angular orientation of the shoreline.