Analysis of coastal changes using remote sensing and geographical information systems in the Gulf of Izmit, Turkey

The shoreline is constantly under the influence of physical elements, such as geomorphological events, earthquakes, and tectonic movements. In recent years, it has been changing due to the intensive use of coasts and the impact of human factors on coastal areas. This study’s aim was to analyze the coastal change in the Gulf of Izmit, Turkey, using satellite images from different dates. In this context, coastal changes were analyzed in a 95% confidence interval by the end point rate (EPR), linear regression rate (LRR), and weighted linear regression (WLR) statistical methods, after the automatic extraction of shorelines from Landsat satellite images of 17 periods belonging to different dates between 1975 and 2017 in four different scenarios. Furthermore, the effects of the destructive earthquake (Mw, 7.4), which caused the loss of many lives and property in the Gulf of Izmit on August 17, 1999, were also examined in detail.