This repository contains comprehensive documentation for the CliffMetrics SAGA-GIS Tool - an automatic cliff metrics delineation tool for coastal analysis.
CliffMetrics automatically delineates coastline locations, coastline normals, and cliff top and toe positions along coastal areas. It's integrated into SAGA-GIS version 8.2.3+ under the Terrain Analysis → Coastal Morphology menu.
This collection includes complete wiki documentation ready for GitHub deployment:
| File | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Home.md | Wiki Home Page | Overview, quick start, and navigation hub |
| Installation.md | Setup Guide | SAGA-GIS installation and CliffMetrics access |
| Getting-Started.md | Beginner Tutorial | Step-by-step first analysis workflow |
| Parameters-Reference.md | Technical Reference | Complete documentation of all 25+ parameters |
| File | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Examples.md | Practical Workflows | Real-world scenarios and batch processing |
| Command-Line-Usage.md | CLI Reference | Command-line syntax and automation scripts |
| Troubleshooting.md | Problem Solving | Common issues, solutions, and diagnostics |
| File | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub-Setup-Instructions.md | Deployment Guide | How to create GitHub repository and wiki |
| File | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tool CliffMetrics _ SAGA-GIS Tool Library Documentation.html | Original Source | SAGA-GIS generated documentation |
- ✅ Progressive complexity - Basic to advanced topics
- ✅ Cross-referenced navigation between related sections
- ✅ Practical examples for different coastal scenarios
- ✅ Comprehensive troubleshooting with specific solutions
- 6 detailed workflow examples (high cliffs, low cliffs, regional analysis, etc.)
- Complete parameter reference with ranges and recommendations
- Command-line documentation including batch processing scripts
- Troubleshooting matrix with 20+ common issues and solutions
- Validation workflows for quality assurance
- Coastal researchers analyzing cliff retreat
- GIS analysts working with coastal data
- Environmental consultants doing coastal assessments
- Graduate students learning coastal geomorphology tools
- Cliff retreat monitoring
- Coastal hazard assessment
- Regional cliff surveys
- Multi-temporal change analysis
- Automated coastal mapping
Based on peer-reviewed research:
- Payo, A., Jigena Antelo, B., Hurst, M., et al. (2018): Development of an automatic delineation of cliff top and toe on very irregular planform coastlines (CliffMetrics v1.0). Geoscientific Model Development 11, 4317–4337. doi: 10.5194/gmd-11-4317-2018
- SAGA-GIS: Version 8.2.3 or later
- Operating System: Windows, Linux, or macOS
- Memory: 4GB+ RAM (8GB+ recommended for large datasets)
- Digital Elevation Model: High-resolution coastal DEM
- Coverage: Must extend from inland areas to below water level
- Resolution: 1-5m recommended for optimal results
- Report unclear instructions or errors
- Suggest additional examples or use cases
- Submit parameter optimization tips
- Share validation results
- Follow existing documentation style
- Include practical examples with explanations
- Test all parameter recommendations
- Reference original CliffMetrics papers
- Check Troubleshooting.md first
- Review parameter ranges in Parameters-Reference.md
- Try examples in Examples.md
- Official website: saga-gis.org
- SAGA-GIS user forums and mailing lists
- Tool documentation within SAGA-GIS
- Original research papers (see references)
- Author contact information in publications
Documentation is provided under open terms to support the coastal research community. Original CliffMetrics algorithm and SAGA-GIS interface maintain their respective licenses.
- Documentation Version: 1.0
- SAGA-GIS Compatibility: 8.2.3+
- Last Updated: March 2026
- Original HTML Source: SAGA-GIS Tool Library Documentation
- New Users: Start with Getting-Started.md
- Experienced Users: Jump to Parameters-Reference.md
- Command-Line Users: See Command-Line-Usage.md
- Having Issues: Check Troubleshooting.md
Ready to deploy? Follow GitHub-Setup-Instructions.md →