Scientific Data (Jan 2025)

GCL_FCS30: a global coastline dataset with 30-m resolution and a fine classification system from 2010 to 2020

  • Jian Zuo,
  • Li Zhang,
  • Jingfeng Xiao,
  • Bowei Chen,
  • Bo Zhang,
  • Yingwen Hu,
  • M. M. Abdullah Al Mamun,
  • Yang Wang,
  • Kaixin Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04430-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 20

Abstract

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Abstract The coastline reflects coastal environmental processes and dynamic changes, serving as a fundamental parameter for coast. Although several global coastline datasets have been developed, they mainly focus on coastal morphology, the typology of coastlines are still lacking. We produced a Global CoastLine Dataset (GCL_FCS30) with a detailed classification system. The coastline extraction employed a combined algorithm incorporating the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index and an adaptive threshold segmentation method. The coastline classification was performed a hybrid transect classifier that integrates a random forest algorithm with stable training samples derived from multi-source geophysical data. The GCL_FCS30 offers significant advantages in capturing artificial coastlines, reflecting strong alignment with location validation data. The GCL_FCS30 classification was found to achieve an overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient over 85% and 0.75. Each coastline category accurately covered the majority of the area represented in third-party data and exhibited a high degree of spatial relevance. Therefore, the GCL_FCS30 is the first global coastline category dataset covering the high latitudes in a continuous and smooth line vector format.