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25/05/2007
The coastline on Géoportail
Tracing the border between land and sea, the coastline is a reference item produced as a result of our partnership with the SHOM (French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service), available for consultation now on Géoportail.
Defining the coastline
The coastline is defined as the contour line delineating the intersection of land and sea at high tide (coefficient 120) in normal weather conditions. Running along France’s three coasts, its length is estimated at 5,850 km.
The coastline can be accessed freely on Géoportail, where it takes the form of an extra data layer for users to display whenever they want.
Resulting from Géoportail’s partnership with the SHOM (French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service) and produced using information from the HistoLitt database, the coastline has many different uses in coastal management. As an integral part of a geographical information system (GIS) it complements other geographical data.
The first stage
But the coastline is only the first stage of a much bigger project, a joint venture by the SHOM and the IGN designed to make even more data available about the coast. Eventually, Litto 3D will be able to provide a 3D model of the French coasts, with 50 cm accuracy. A truly unique reference tool for improving knowledge of the coastal zone, this very special area between land and sea.