A Method for Coastline Evolution Analysis Using GIS and Remote Sensing—A Case Study from the Guamaré City, Northeast Brazil

This study focused on the evolution of the Guamare coastline, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technology. We used theGeoProcessing Wizard extension of the ArcView GIS 3.2 software (ESRI, Redlands, California) for the time analysis of the coastline's evolution during three timeframes, which each included the union of two years: 1989–98, 1998–2000, and 2000–01. The results indicate that in the last two of the considered time periods, the accretion and erosion processes of the coastline were more intense when compared with those of the earlier period. In the 1989–98 period, the contribution from each process to the total alteration was the same; in the following period, the accretion process was more significant, contributing 91.2% of the total alteration; and in the last period, erosion prevailed, prevailed, contributing 78.1% of the total alteration. The use of GIS technology was efficient for evaluating the evolution of the coastline, but the need to continuously monitor the area is important for a better understanding of the accretion and erosion processes.