Sediment movement on steep slopes to the Mekong River: an application of remote sensing

摘要

We utilize archived satellite images for studying erosion and sediment movement on steep slopes of the middle Mekong River basin in Lao PDR. Such images enable rapid evaluation of a large area as well as monitoring change over time which is otherwise difficult. In this paper we have traced the seasonal pattern of erosion and sediment storage and transfer for about 225 km~2 of steep terrain drained by one of the world's largest rivers. The first several weeks of the wet season is the period of maximum erosion and sediment transfer on slopes which are then covered with vegetation, although sediment transfer continues for the rest of the wet season in the channels. We have also observed the changes over 8 years of data. We submit that information in the form of archived satellite images can be used to significantly extend current observations on accelerated erosion and sediment storage and transfer.