Coastline evolution of the Yucatan peninsula between 1980 and 2019: potential source of socio-natural risk

Abstract

The Yucatan peninsula is exposed to meteorological phenomena that have historically affected its coastline, given the geographical position and relatively flat relief while the urban planning and coastal infrastructure processes have not been totally well designed; the combination of both factors (natural and anthropic) are causing a gradual retreat of the coastline. This study focuses on rebuilding the coastline for 1980-2019 stage using satellite images from Landsat 1-5 MSS 1 and Landsat 7 collection. For this purpose, coastlines corresponding to 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2019 years were digitized and analyzed in space and time. The level of detail reached allowed demonstrating that erosive processes are prevailing over cumulative processes in the peninsula. The highest values of erosion rates occurred in Punta Cancún, from 1980 to 1990 (-0,75 m/year) and in Playa del Carmen, in the 1990s, with -0,63 m/year.

Keywords

• península de yucatán
• procesos erosivos
• tasa de erosión
• imágenes landsat
• línea de costa.