Annotating Change in Satellite Images
Published: July 21, 2003. Last Revision: December 30, 2004.
Description
This chapter walks users through a technique for documenting change in before-and-after sets of satellite images. The technique can be used for any set of images that show the same area at the same scale at different times.
In the chapter, users examine three Landsat images of the Pearl River delta in southeastern China. The time series images show the region in 1988, 1992, and 1995. Users create an animation stack (movie) from the three images, then flip between them to identify areas that changed. Users observe changes in land use over time, including yearly differences in vegetative cover and lake levels. To document one type of change in the region, users outline new land created through land reclamation projects. The final product of the chapter is an annotated image showing new land and indicating when it was created.
This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook. Each chapter provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page.
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