Harris, M.S., Tinker, T.P., and Wright, E.E. 2007. Online Beach Profile Management and Analysis System (PMAS). Journal of Coastal Research, SI 50 (Proceedings of the 9th International Coastal Symposium), 62 – 66. Gold Coast, Australia, ISSN 0749.0208
Long-term beach profile datasets provide coastal communities with information critical to understanding temporal and spatial variability in coastal systems. Given the economic growth in coastal systems, decades of profile data from numerous projects are often needed to conduct accurate analyses for engineering projects, habitat assessment, and scientific study. To make datasets easily accessible, we have developed an SDSFIE compliant relational geodatabase and online beach profile management and analysis system (PMAS) toolset to store, retrieve, view, and analyse beach profile datasets as part of our implementation of the eCoastal and ArcMarine datamodels. Using a combination of HTML, PHP, Java, and Visual Basic with MySQL, MSSQL, ArcGIS™, ArcIMS™ and ArcSDE™, tools are available for logging into the system; loading, viewing, analysing, and managing beach profile data; creating bench marks; and exporting the data (including comma-delimited, RMAP, and ESRI™ Shapefile or Geodatabase format). The system is designed to accommodate additional input and export data formats. Profile analyses currently include cross-sectional area (converted to volume across 1 unit of beach) seaward of a pre-determined or user-defined distance down line, above a certain contour, and/or below a specified contour, and include both beach profile plots and graphical plots of volume and contour through time. Offshore bars are handled automatically or by selecting an offshore intersect. Reports can be saved for later viewing. With contributions from USGS--SC Sea Grant Consortium coastal erosion program, SC-OCRM, and the USACE Charleston District, we have accumulated over nine-thousand wading-depth and long beach profiles collected since 1987 for South Carolina, USA (http://gis.coastal.edu/ or http://www.beachprofiles.com/).
