Geo-environmental monitoring of coastal and land resources for Coatzacoalcos coastal region

Abstract

Coatzacoalcos is one of the notable Mexico coastal areas regarding location, activities, and resources. The purpose of the current study is to use geographic techniques to assess the spatial and temporal changes in Land Use/Cover (LULC), Land Surface Temperature (LST), and Shoreline as a result of anthropogenic and natural factors. Four calibrated multi-temporal Landsat images, dated 1993, 2003, 2013, and 2023, were combined and processed to accomplish this goal. The six primary LULC classes forest, built-up land, mining, water bodies, and agriculture were mapped using RF Machine learning algorithms. The last period (2003–2023) shows the highest rate of built-up land expansion, while the years 1993–2013 show the lowest rate of agricultural land reduction. Forest cover in the southeast decreased steadily from 339.25, 308.49, 287.43, and 211.83 km² in 1993, 2003, 2013, and 2023. There is a slight difference in mean LST between built-up areas that recorded 26, 29, 32, and 33 °C in 1993, 2003, 2013, and 2023, respectively. The following is an order of LULC from lowest to highest LST during 2023 water body 12 °C, Forest 19 °C, Agriculture Land 22 °C, Mining 26 °C, Barren Land 34 °C and Built-up Land 33 °C. In Zone B near Coatzacoalcos showed particularly high accretion as a result of building artificial structures. Maximum rates of accretion and erosion were recorded at 2.0 m/year and −9.63 m/year, respectively. Fortunately, Zone C has minimal urban development and is home to forests and agricultural areas, so the potential negative effects are reduced. This study aids in understanding spatial and temporal LULC changes, LST variations, and shoreline dynamics, crucial for the sustainable management of Coatzacoalcos coastal resources in Mexico.