The normal = coastline tag is employed to mark the mean high water springs line along the shoreline in the side of the ocean.

Where could be the coastline?

Essentially that’s the highest line the water reaches in typical situation. (start to see the graphics on the right for a few some ideas simple tips to choose where that range is actually.)

Around Antarctica in which discover ice shelves the coastline try mapped during the « calving line », that’s the line where available drinking water satisfies the long lasting ice shelving. See Antarctica/Tagging for info.

Mean low water springs is the place associated with the cheapest tide. There clearly was at this time no arranged method of tagging this range in OSM. Place between mean low-water springs and OSM coast can be tagged based the type of soilA : for examples sand (see all-natural = mud or all-natural = shoal ), stones (discover organic = bare_rock or organic = stone ), muddy (read wetland = tidalflat or all-natural = mud ).

Ideas on how to enter the data

Tagging the coastline is a bit different than with all other features in OSM and you need to be careful attain this correct. Make certain you make use of natural=coastline on approaches, maybe not nodes or relations.

For smaller isles an individual shut way are attracted across perimeter of an island, looping back once again on alone. For bigger landmasses the shoreline means a few linear means linked end to end. These ways must produce a continuing interlinked coast, the end node of just one method should be the start node of this then way. Some slack from inside the coast and other mistake causes big troubles when utilizing this facts. If you aren’t positive about modifying, it’s always best to perhaps not render significant changes beyond changing nodes to align greater with aerial images.

The way the methods include attracted is very important! They need to getting attracted in order that the land is found on the remaining side and drinking water about right side on the method (when viewing toward ways arrows). Should you view this as tracing around an area of secure, e.g., an island, then your coastline means must certanly be working counterclockwise.

Little isles

Usually do not include other values of normal =* making use of semi-colon value separators, since it is certainly not recommended. (furthermore not acquiesced by the majority of data people and renderers, but it is maybe not sufficient factor to take into account it a bad idea by itself). An example might possibly be natural = coastline;bare_rock for islets, which should become represented as organic = coastline as a member of a multipolygon relationship marked with natural = bare_rock .

Sample

• methods tagged natural = coastlineexample
• relation with all-natural = bare_rocktype = multipolygon – and e =* + room = isletexample
  • all-natural = coastline ways will be in this connection with outerrole.

  Validation

  The validator in JOSM can look at the coastline for legitimacy. Put it to use if you use JOSM. Or else make use of the OSM Inspector coastline see at to evaluate for errors.

  Coastlines usually correspond together with other characteristics, for example river lips, landuse and boundaries. Possible split up the coast in as numerous items as you need to, just make sure often there is a consistent line.

  How about ponds?

  This tag really should not be utilized for freshwater ponds. Ponds become mapped as sealed means or multipolygon interaction with tags such as for example all-natural = h2o or landuse = reservoir .

  Before multipolygon relations had been added to OSM, some large ponds comprise furthermore marked with natural=coastline, nonetheless all were converted today. The Only Real waterbody without stage connection to the seas that will be utilizing this label will be the A  Caspian Ocean . No one should utilize this tag regarding various other inland liquid segments.

  Lake lips

  River methods tagged as waterway = lake or waterway = stream conclusion in the shoreline on a common node your lake method and also the coastline ways. Large rivers marked with waterway = riverbank or natural = water and liquids = lake has a means across their own throat that’s tagged natural = coastline . In those cases the lake line can also increase on the reverse side regarding the shoreline, for instance if you have a dug deepwater channel or a marked transport way.

  You will find conversations about where in fact the transition involving the ocean to an extensive river (marked with waterway = riverbank ) should happen; there clearly was a see that this should preferably getting on top of the tidal area in the river, however it is furthermore accepted your junction might nearer to the throat from the river using the tidal portion of the lake marked with tidal = yes . The important thing would be to ensure that the coastline and riverbank show at least two surrounding nodes to produce a seamless junction between the lake plus the ocean. There is certainly a proposal outlining higher and lower limitations associated with the keeping this junction as there are another suggestion explaining tagging of tidal rivers.

  Bays also huge tidal salt-water places are included in the ocean when they attached to the sea and ought to always be marked therefore.

  Data options

  The coast data for the majority of countries was actually originally created from a low-resolution data utilizing the PGS significance and other imports. Inaccurate shorelines is visible largely in a sawtooth form, whereas in reality the coastlines are typically gentle figure. In many countries the shoreline techniques has consequently started increased either with tracing from aerial imagery, or replaced by much better vector data.

  Be cautious when tracing coastlines from aerial artwork. Those photos tend to be not quite during the proper situation, so your shoreline might appear to be it suits completely into the graphics, however in real life really a hundred or so meters down. Ensure that the data fits to GPS data.

  (including official high water and low-water information for any UK).

  Errors and persistence examining

  It’s very important that the coast is made and tagged properly. An individual mistake inside coast someplace in Africa might suggest every one of Asia-Africa-Europe landmass can’t be pulled correctly! Always be certain the coast has got the correct orientation (area to the left, liquid on the right). Cannot get across a coastline over alone – it’s no meaning and e point why not check here twice (pinch aim) aside from the start/end aim (if appropriate). If you want to render an island, beginning a new way.

  More coastal characteristics

  Along the coast it is often beneficial to include organic = beach , organic = bare_rock and natural = cliff for coastlines, subjected bedrock and cliffs; also natural = wetland for a variety of types of wetland, like wetland = tidalflat , wetland = mangrove and wetland = saltmarsh . man_made = groyne can be used for ocean defenses.

  For separated aspects of unconsolidated supplies into the ocean that are partialy revealed at lower tide, read all-natural = shoal .

  Utilizing OSM coastline information