2.1. Study area

Colombia has officially three coastal zones, according to Decree 1120 of 2013: Continental Caribbean Coast, Insular Caribbean Coast and Pacific Coast. The dataset shown in this article covers the first of them. In the same Decree, five Environmental Coastal Units (ECU) are defined for the study area: La Guajira peninsula (GUAJIRA); the northern slope of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta (VNSMR); Magdalena Delta and Canal del Dique (MAGDIQUE); Sinu Delta (SINU); and Darien Gulf (DARIEN). Their boundaries are shown in Fig. 5.

Study area: Caribbean coast of Colombia.

The approximately 1700 km shoreline of the study area alternates between deltaic plains and low coasts with high coasts of mountainous segments [2]. The low-lying coasts contain beaches, sand barriers and spits, normally associated with lagoons and mangrove swamps. On the other hand, the high coast sectors are represented by cliffs of sedimentary rocks in the northernmost end (La Guajira) and the middle part (between Barranquilla and Cartagena city), while the cliffs around the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta massif and the southernmost end (Panama border) correspond to more resistant igneous and metamorphic rocks [3]. Between the deltas of the Magdalena and Atrato rivers, the coast is backed by Holocene marine terraces and influenced by the mud diapiric phenomena [4]. This last one is a process reshaping the sea bottom trigged by the rising of low density material deforming the upper sediment layers or outflowing of the continental shelf; in both cases shoals and islands can form, such as El Rosario archipelago near Cartagena city [5]. Similar phenomena occur at the coast (e.g. mud volcanos of Totumo and Arboletes) producing tourist attractions, but also a relevant risk for the surrounding population.

According to National Statistics Institute [6], the Caribbean region of Colombia has large areas (departments of Choco, Cordoba, Sucre, Magdalena, La Guajira) with socioeconomic development based on the primary sector. The industries and the third economic sector is highly concentrated in the densest areas between Cartagena and Santa Marta, which represents less than a third part of the coastline. Furthermore, the most populated cities of the study area (Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cienaga and Riohacha) represent one sixth of the most populated cities (over 3 million inhabitants) in the country, and still concentrates little over 6% of the total national population [6]. Related to the economic infrastructure, port activity is highly concentrated in Barranquilla and Cartagena, where the biggest port facilities are placed [7]. In addition, tourist activity within the ‘3S’ tourism category (Sun, Sea and Sand; [8]), is highly concentrated in Santa Marta, Cartagena, and Coveñas [6,9].