The National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) was coordinated by the USGS as an interagency project to acquire cloud-free aerial photographs at an altitude of 20,000 feet above mean terrain elevation. The photographs were taken with a 6-inch focal length lens at a scale of 1:40,000. Coverage over the conterminous United States includes both black-and-white (BW) and color infrared (CIR) aerial photographs. Film type and extent of coverage were determined by available funds and operational requirements. The NAPP program, which was operational from 1987 to 2007, consists of more than 1.3 million images. Photographs were acquired on 9-inch film and were centered over quarters of USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles.To view historical imagery availability by county please visit the Historical Availability of Imagery map.To view more NAPP imagery visit the NAPP Historical Imagery Portfolio app.For ordering information please contact the GEO Customer Service Section at geo.sales@usda.gov.

January 2002

Historical disturbance occurrence data collected by aerial survey and ground surveys for the State of Massachusetts by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

This collection of geo-referenced photos vary with regards to spatial accuracy and resolution. Use the hotlinks below to learn the details of each collection or review MassGIS's new story map explaining all the vintages of aerial photos. Tip: Reviewing that story map might be an easier way to digest the information rather than reviewing the more formal/standard metadata accessible via the hotlinks below.Within the web map certain layers will only be visible at particular zoom extents. If a layer is unavailable to turn on/off, then zoom in or out as needed until the layer becomes active.All photos, except year 1938, are captured during leaf-off (typically late winter/early spring). With the exception of the 1938 & 1990s collection, all photos are in true color. The 1938 & 1990s are in black and white. With regards to Dukes County (which includes the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands) these are the applicable years of acquisition for those State-wide collections that span multiple years: "1990s collection" -- Only year 1999 for Dukes County"2001-2003 collection" -- Only year 2003 for Dukes County"2008-2009 collection" - Only year 2009 for Dukes County"2011-2012 collection" - Only year 2011 for Dukes County"2013-2014 collection" - Only year 2014 for Dukes CountyPhoto Details (Metadata)1938 Black & White Aerials (georeferenced & hosted by Harvard Forest)1990s Black & White Aerials2001-2003 Color Aerials2005 Color Aerials2008-2009 Color Aerials2011-2012 Color Aerials2013-2014 Color Aerials2015 Satellite Images - Extra Details2019 Color Aerials2021 Color Aerials2023 Color AerialsParcel Lines -- These data are NOT survey grade and are intended for general reference only. The parcel data comply with the MassGIS Level 3 parcel data standard. Each town in Dukes County hires a GIS Consultant to prepare their digital parcel lines and to link the properties to the respective records from the town's assessing database. The linkage is static and not updated in real-time - it is only 'as current' as the day the data was exported from the assessing database. The Martha's Vineyard Commission does not edit nor maintain any assessing data or parcel lines/property bounds. Each town within Dukes County updates their digital parcel data when they see fit (most, typically, update annually). Click on a specific town in this map to see when their parcel data was updated and by whom. Similarly, clicking on a parcel in this "MA Aerial Photos Since 1990s web map" will show you the applicable Fiscal Year the assessing info was exported.

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast by compiling a database of historical (1800's-1989) shoreline positions and shoreline change maps. Trends of shoreline position over long and short-term timescales provide information to landowners, managers, and potential buyers about possible future impacts to coastal resources and infrastructure. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. In 2013 two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts were added using 2008-2009 color aerial orthoimagery and 2007 topographic lidar datasets obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The 2013 update also included a 2000 lidar shoreline covering most of the open-ocean coast, as well as a 2001 shoreline for the South Shore coastal region. In 2018, ...

These data represent tree cover for two cities (Chelsea and the urban core of Holyoke) in Massachusetts. Tree cover was manually delineated on aerial imagery from 1952, 1971, 2003 and 2014. Also included are neighborhood boundaries for both of these study locations.Urban foresters assess urban tree canopy cover trends using remotely sensed imagery as a way to provide data for municipalities to set or maintain goals for tree canopy. However, these assessments typically do not take into account historical and socioeconomical dynamics of tree cover change over many decades. These land cover change data were collected to assess the rates and drivers of tree canopy cover change, using Holyoke and Chelsea to investigate the processes of tree cover change in post-industrial cities. Understanding historical drivers of tree canopy cover change can be used to inform multi-decadal urban tree canopy assessments and the creation of targeted, feasible urban tree canopy goals at neighborhood and city scales. These historical analyses can help urban natural resource managers to better understand how to protect and expand their cities’ urban tree canopy over time.For more information about these data see Healy et al. (2022).

These data were published on 02/22/2022. Minor metadata updates were made on 04/25/2023.

This dataset includes shorelines from 161 years ranging from 1848 to 2009 within the Cape Cod Bay coastal region from the Cape Cod Canal in Sandwich to Long Point in Provincetown. Shorelines were compiled from T-sheets and air-photos obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM), and lidar obtained from the US Geological Survey (USGS). Historical shoreline positions serve as easily understood features that can be used to describe the movement of beaches through time. These data are used to calculate rates of shoreline change for the MA CZM Shoreline Change Project. Rates of long-term and short-term shoreline change were generated in a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.3. DSAS uses a measurement baseline method to calculate rate-of-change statistics. Transects are cast from the reference baseline to intersect each shoreline, establishing measurement points used to calculate shoreline change rates. For publication purposes, the shoreline data for Massachusetts were organized by region in order match the extent of previously published uncertainty files used in shoreline change calculations. Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). .

This dataset includes shorelines from 161 years ranging from 1847 to 2008 within the Boston coastal region from Carson Beach in South Boston to Weymouth River, including the Boston Harbor Islands. Shorelines were compiled from T-sheets and air-photos obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM). Historical shoreline positions serve as easily understood features that can be used to describe the movement of beaches through time. These data are used to calculate rates of shoreline change for the MA CZM Shoreline Change Project. Rates of long-term and short-term shoreline change were generated in a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.3. DSAS uses a measurement baseline method to calculate rate-of-change statistics. Transects are cast from the reference baseline to intersect each shoreline, establishing measurement points used to calculate shoreline change rates. For publication purposes, the shoreline data for Massachusetts were organized by region in order match the extent of previously published uncertainty files used in shoreline change calculations. Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS)..

This dataset includes shorelines from 163 years ranging from 1846 to 2009 within the Massachusetts coastal region from Salisbury, to Westport, including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands. Shorelines were compiled from T-sheets and air-photos obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM), and lidar obtained from the US Geological Survey (USGS). Historical shoreline positions serve as easily understood features that can be used to describe the movement of beaches through time. These data are used to calculate rates of shoreline change for the MA CZM Shoreline Change Project. Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). .

This dataset consists of long-term (100+ years) linear regression shoreline change rates for the Boston region of Massachusetts. Rates of long-term shoreline change were computed within a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.3, an ArcGIS extension developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The baseline is used as a reference line for the transects cast by the DSAS software. The transects intersect each shoreline at the measurement points, which are then used to calculate a linear regression rate for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Shoreline Change Project. Long-term linear regression statistics were calculated with all of the historical shorelines compiled for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Shoreline Change Project. Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

NOTE: Harvard Forest did not provide written metadata. Rather, this metadata was written by the Martha's Vineyard Commission based on a phone conversation with Harvard Forest staff in Dec. 2023.Utilizing Harvard Forest's "Ancient Woodlands" data of 2019, the Martha's Vineyard Commission ran the Identity geoprocessing tool with that dataset and the MVC's 12/22/2023 version of the Open Space Conservation data for Martha's Vineyard. This process retained all of the Ancient Woodlands data and superimposed the attributes of [Level of Protection] and [OS_ID] into the Ancient Woodlands polygons. This permits one to readily analyze the data to see where Ancient Forests are currently protected in perpetuity, etc. Please see the Description section for background about Harvard Forest's delineation of the Ancient Woodlands.A domain table is provided which explains the Level of Protection codes. The [OS_ID] is a numeric ID which links back to the MVC's Open Space Conservation dataset. OS_ID is a unique identifier within that dataset. The numbers before the hyphen is the Town ID. 62 = Chilmark, 89 = Edgartown, 104 = Aquinnah, 221 = Oak Bluffs, 296 = Tisbury, 327 = West Tisbury.The Ancient Woodlands data were produced by Harvard Forest in Dec. 2019. Data for Martha's Vineyard were received from Harvard Forest in November of 2023. Looking at historic maps and older aerial photographs, Harvard Forest noted for 4 time periods when forest was present on the map or photo. Locations where forest was present for all 4 time periods, were regarded as 'Ancient Woodlands'. The 4 time periods reviewed were: circa 1850, circa 1890, 1938, 1993. Then the data were updated, based on Google's November 2018 photos, for recent development or new agricultural areas. Areas where development or agricultural fields existed were removed from the Ancient Woodlands dataset. The areas delineated in this dataset, represent Ancient Woodlands present as of year-end 2018. Please note: Ancient Woodlands are not the same as "Old Growth Forest".The specific citation for the 1850 and 1890 map are unknown. Harvard Forest georeferenced those maps in ArcGIS software. The 1938 black and white aerial photographs were georeferenced by a consultant hired by Harvard Forest. As an aside FYI, the 1993 photographs (color infrared? black & white?) is the same year of photography which was used for The Nature Conservancy's vegetation delineation of Martha's Vineyard. Not sure if Harvard Forest used the exact same photos as the TNC project but the time period is the same.Harvard Forest is in the process of analyzing the potential ecological benefit of these Ancient Woodlands. Preliminary results show these area have more huckleberry than non-Ancient Woodland areas.The Martha's Vineyard Commission did convert the Harvard Forest Ancient Woodlands data from multi-part polygons to single-part polygons prior to running the Identity analysis.

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast by compiling a database of historical (mid 1800's-1989) shoreline positions. Trends of shoreline position over long and short-term timescales provide information to landowners, managers, and potential buyers about possible future impacts to coastal resources and infrastructure. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. In 2013, two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts were added using 2008-2009 color aerial orthoimagery and 2007 topographic lidar datasets obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Service (NOAA), Coastal Services Center. In 2018, two new mean high water (MHW) shorelines for the Massachusetts coast extracted from lidar data between 2010-2014 were added to the dataset. This 2021 data release includes rates that incorporate one new shoreline from lidar data extracted in 2018 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX), added to the existing database of all historical shorelines (1844-2014), for the North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod Bay, Outer Cape, Buzzard’s Bay, South Cape, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. 2018 lidar data did not cover the Boston or Elizabeth Islands regions. Included in this data release is a proxy-datum bias reference line that accounts for the positional difference in a proxy shoreline (the High Water Line shoreline) and a datum shoreline (the Mean High Water shoreline). This issue is explained further in Ruggiero and List (2009) and in the process steps of the metadata associated with the rates. This release includes both long-term (~150+ years) and short term (~30 years) rates. Files associated with the long-term rates have “LT” in their names, files associated with short-term rates have "ST” in their names.

description: Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).; abstract: Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

This project illustrates how the shoreline of Massachusetts has shifted between the mid-1800s and 2018. Using data from historical and modern sources, up to ten shorelines depicting the local high water line (i.e., the landward limit of wave runup at the time of local high tide) have been generated with transects at 50-meter (approximately 164-feet) intervals predominantly along the ocean-facing shore. For each of these more than 26,000 transects, data are provided on shoreline change rates and uncertainty values. CZM has incorporated these shoreline change data into the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System (MORIS).To interpret and apply the shoreline change data, both general shoreline trends and long- and short-term rates must be analyzed and evaluated in light of current shoreline conditions, recent changes in shoreline uses, and the effects of human-induced alterations to natural shoreline movement. In areas that show shoreline change reversals (i.e., where the shoreline fluctuates between erosion and accretion) and areas that have been extensively altered by human activities (e.g., seawalls and jetties), professional judgment and knowledge of natural and human impacts are typically required for proper data interpretation and incorporation of the data into project planning and design.For example, a group of 10 transects along Sankaty Head on Nantucket indicate a generally stable (close to zero) long-term trend of shoreline change from 1846 to 2009. The beach is not stable, however, as illustrated by the short-term erosion rates of approximately -9.5 feet per year and the approximately 300-feet of erosion experienced in this area from 1978 to 2009. In this particular example, the beach was accreting up until the 1950s, when it began to erode rapidly. The accretion and erosion in essence mathematically "cancel each other out," leaving a long-term shoreline change rate of around zero.Where the shoreline has been armored with sea walls, revetments, and other structures, the shoreline change data must be looked at very closely to determine the effects of the structures. The natural sources of beach sand for North Scituate Beach were severely diminished by seawall and revetment construction during the 1940s through the 1970s. Consequently, the trend of erosion is not only continuing in this area—it is increasing from approximately -0.5 to -2.5 feet per year. Transects on Scusset Beach in Bourne show long-term accretion rates of more than seven feet per year. However, the short-term accretion rates of approximately five feet per year are more reflective of the current shoreline trend. The north jetty of the Cape Cod Canal was constructed in the early 1900s and resulted in an initial rapid growth of Scusset Beach, contributing to the higher long-term rates that have since leveled off.In addition, the shorelines were derived from different historical maps, aerial photographs, and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) topographic data sources. Each shoreline was assigned an uncertainty value based on an estimate of errors inherent in the source material and method used to delineate the local high water line. These estimates of total shoreline position uncertainty, which ranged from 11.6 meters (38.1 feet) for 1800s shorelines to 1.27 meters (4.17 feet) for LIDAR-derived shorelines, should be considered when analyzing shoreline movement over time and were included in the calculation of uncertainty at each transect. Each transect has values for long- and short-term rates, as well as estimated uncertainty values for those rates. The shoreline change rates should be looked at as a range, particularly for transects with uncertainty values that are greater than the shoreline change rate. For example, for a transect with an erosion rate of -1.0 feet per year with an uncertainty range of ±2.5 feet per year, the range for the shoreline change rate would be +1.5 to -3.5 feet per year—meaning that the area may be either eroding or accreting. To best protect coastal properties in the long term, the most aggressive rate of erosion over the expected life of the building or structure should be used for project design.See the USGS Open-File Report, Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project, 2013 Update, for an in-depth explanation of the shoreline change project and data interpretation.

This dataset includes shorelines from 167 years ranging from 1848 to 2014 within the Cape Cod Bay coastal region of Massachusetts. Shorelines were compiled from T-sheets and air-photos obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM), and lidar obtained from the US Geological Survey (USGS). Historical shoreline positions serve as easily understood features that can be used to describe the movement of beaches through time. These data are used to calculate rates of shoreline change for the MA CZM Shoreline Change Project. Rates of long-term and short-term shoreline change were generated in a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 5.0. DSAS uses a measurement baseline method to calculate rate-of-change statistics. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. In 2013 two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts were added using 2008-2009 color aerial orthoimagery and 2007 topographic lidar datasets obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. This 2018 update includes two new mean high water (MHW) shorelines for the Massachusetts coast extracted from lidar data collected between 2010-2014. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) and USGS historical shoreline data to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). For publication purposes, the shoreline data for Massachusetts were organized by region in order match the extent of previously published uncertainty files used in shoreline change calculations.

Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km in total length) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

This dataset consists of short-term (1970-2009) end point shoreline change rates for the Boston region of Massachusetts where there was not enough historic data to compute a linear regression rate (LRR). Rates of short-term shoreline change were computed within a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.3, an ArcGIS extension developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The baseline is used as a reference line for the transects cast by the DSAS software. The transects intersect each shoreline at the measurement points, which are then used to calculate the short-term rates. Due to continued coastal population growth and increased threats of erosion, current data on trends and rates of shoreline movement are required to inform shoreline and floodplain management. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter intervals along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, has compiled reliable historical shoreline data along open-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast under the Massachusetts Shoreline Change Mapping and Analysis Project 2013 Update. Two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts (approximately 1,800 km) were (1) delineated using 2008/09 color aerial orthoimagery, and (2) extracted from topographic LIDAR datasets (2007) obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. The new shorelines were integrated with existing Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and USGS historical shoreline data in order to compute long- and short-term rates using the latest version of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS).

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast and support local land-use decisions. Trends of shoreline position over long and short-term timescales provide information to landowners, managers, and potential buyers about possible future impacts to coastal resources and infrastructure. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. In 2013 two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts were added using 2008-2009 color aerial orthoimagery and 2007 topographic lidar datasets obtained from NOAA's Ocean Service, Coastal Services Center. In 2018, two new mean high water (MHW) shorelines for the Massachusetts coast extracted from lidar data between 2010-2014 were added to the dataset. This 2021 data release includes rates that incorporate one new shoreline extracted from 2018 lidar data collected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX), added to the existing database of all historical shorelines (1844-2014), for the North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod Bay, Outer Cape, Buzzard’s Bay, South Cape, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. 2018 lidar data did not cover the Boston or Elizabeth Islands regions.

This dataset describes the long-term (~150+ years) shoreline change rates for the Boston, MA coastal region. Rate calculations were computed within a GIS using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 5.1, an ArcGIS extension developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Long-term and short-term rates of shoreline change were calculated using a linear regression rate based on available shoreline data. A reference baseline was used as the originating point for the orthogonal transects cast by the DSAS software. The transects intersect each shoreline establishing measurement points, which are then used to calculate rates. This dataset consists of shoreline change rates calculated with DSAS v5.1 and stored as a new transect layer. Original measurement transects are cast by DSAS from the baseline to intersect shoreline vectors, and the intersect data provide location and time information used to calculate rates of change.