Change detection of soil erosion on the Clarkston watershed using multidate satellite imagery and aerial photography.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to develop a method by which eroded areas of land may be detected at Clarkston, Utah. The erosion analysis was intended to determine the loss of soil on the study site. The data set consisted of a "Le Systeme Pour l'Observationde la Terre" (SPOT) image from the summer of 1994 and aerial photographs from the spring and summer of 1946, 1953, 1974, and 1987.The change detection method performed image differencing on the 1994 SPOT image, and the 1946 and 1974 aerial photographs. The change maps displayed areas of erosion increases, decreases, and no change. The 1953 and 1987 aerial photographs were used as independent tests of the change difference model.The change detection method indicated a maximum increase in exposed subsoil of 18.42 ha in the 44.92 ha study site. The Universal Soil Loss Equation estimated an erosion rate of 18 mt/ha/yr, which generally agreed with the change detection estimates.