Effortless coastal monitoring: Unsupervised detection of shoreline alterations due to tin mining in Bangka Belitung

Abstract This study presents an innovative, unsupervised workflow for efficient coastal monitoring, focusing on detecting shoreline alterations due to tin mining in Bangka Belitung, Indonesia. Utilizing high-resolution PlanetScope imagery (2016-2024) and the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), the research demonstrates a method for quantifying shoreline changes without relying on survey or in-situ data. The workflow integrates unsupervised classification techniques with DSAS analysis to provide comprehensive metrics of coastal dynamics. Results reveal significant shoreline variations, with 63.51% of analyzed transects showing accretion and 36.49% experiencing erosion. The average Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE) of 256.49 meters and Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) of 90.11 meters indicate substantial coastal changes. Linear Regression Rate (LRR) analysis shows an average change rate of 13.32 meters per year, highlighting rapid coastline transformation. This research effectively links observed shoreline changes to tin mining activities, providing valuable insights for coastal management and policy-making. The developed workflow’s efficiency and reliance on freely available data make it a promising tool for wider application in coastal areas facing similar challenges. While the study’s limitation lies in the absence of ground-truth validation to maintain workflow independence from field data, it offers a replicable methodology for monitoring mining-induced shoreline changes, contributing to sustainable coastal management practices.