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TitleDetecting landscape changes in high latitude environments using Landsat trend analysis: 1. visualization
 
AuthorFraser, R HORCID logo; Olthof, I; Kokelj, S V; Lantz, T C; Lacelle, D; Brooker, A; Wolfe, SORCID logo; Schwarz, S
SourceRemote Sensing 6, 11, 2014 p. 11533-11557, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs61111533 Open Access logo Open Access
Image
Year2014
Alt SeriesEarth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20150081
PublisherMDPI AG
Documentserial
Lang.English
Mediapaper; on-line; digital
RelatedThis publication is related to Detecting landscape changes in high latitude environments using Landsat trend analysis: 2. classification
File formatpdf
ProvinceNorthwest Territories
NTS75; 85; 95; 86; 96; 97; 105; 106; 107; 115; 116; 117
Lat/Long WENS-140.0000 -110.0000 70.0000 60.0000
Subjectsgeophysics; environmental geology; Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; Economics and Industry; remote sensing; LANDSAT; LANDSAT imagery; environmental studies; environmental impacts; fires; permafrost; ground ice; periglacial features; thermokarst; slumps; vegetation; surface waters; lakes; rivers; erosion; shoreline changes; fluvial systems; Trends; retrogressive thaw flows; Resource development; Urban development; cumulative effects; permafrost thaw; Climate change
Illustrationslocation maps; Landsat images; schematic diagrams; graphs; photographs; aerial photographs
ProgramRemote Sensing Science
Released2014 11 20
AbstractSatellite remote sensing is a promising technology for mapping natural and anthropogenic changes occurring in remote, northern high latitude environments. It offers the potential to scale-up in-situ, local environmental monitoring efforts to document disturbance types, extents, and frequencies at regional scales. Here we present a simple, but effective means of visually assessing landscape disturbances in northern environments using trend analysis of Landsat satellite image stacks. Linear trends of the Tasseled Cap brightness, greenness, and wetness indices, when composited into an RGB image, portray a wide range of interpretable changes based on additive color logic. Using a variety of reference datasets within Northwest Territories, Canada, we show that the trend composites are effective for identifying wildfire regeneration, tundra greening, fluvial dynamics, thermokarst processes including lake surface area changes and retrogressive thaw slumps, and the footprint of resource development operations and municipal development. Interpretation of the trend composites is aided by a color wheel legend and contextual information related to the size, shape, and location of change features. A companion paper in this issue (Olthof and Fraser) is focused on quantitative methods for classifying these changes.
Summary(Plain Language Summary, not published)
Satellite remote sensing is a promising technology for mapping natural and anthropogenic changes occurring in remote, northern high latitude environments. It offers the potential to scale-up local monitoring efforts to document disturbance types, extents, and frequencies at regional scales. We present a simple, but effective means of visually assessing landscape disturbances in northern environments using trend analysis of Landsat satellite imagery. Linear trends of three vegetation indices, when composited into an RGB image, portray a wide range of interpretable changes. Using a variety of reference datasets within NWT, we show that the trend composites are effective for identifying wildfire regeneration, tundra greening, lake area changes, thaw slumps, and the footprint of resource development. It is envisioned that NWT environmental and land management agencies could use the trend products to flag the occurrence of previously undetected landscape changes for further investigation or to quantify the nature and distribution of known disturbances.
GEOSCAN ID296559

 
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