Data Sheet 1_Multi-source remote sensing approach for monitoring the Caspian Sea shoreline dynamics.zip

Meanwhile, the AWEI2 method with median aggregation produced a more spatially coherent water mask and was used as an additional quality-control layer to identify local artifacts and gaps in the MNDWI_p25 mask during subsequent manual correction. Based on the selected algorithm, a multi-year geospatial dataset of shorelines and water surface polygons of the Caspian Sea was generated for the period 2016–2025. The results showed that the sea level declined by 1.33 m, the water surface area decreased by 11,216.31 km², and the shoreline length was reduced from 19,907.94 km to 15,551.79 km.

The most pronounced changes, reflecting the high sensitivity of shallow-water regions to fluctuations in water level, were observed in the northeastern Caspian Sea, where shoreline retreat exceeded 20 km in some areas. The obtained results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach as a basis for scalable monitoring of coastal-zone dynamics and demonstrate its potential for geoecological assessments, forecasting morphodynamic processes, and developing adaptation strategies under conditions of continued Caspian Sea level decline.</p>