Use of SLC-Off Landsat Image Data for Monitoring Land Use/Land Cover Trends in West Africa

摘要

Landsat 7 imagery is one of the pillars of an ongoing program to monitor and map land use and land cover trends across West Africa. The program has a continuing need for Landsat data. When the SLC-Off problem occurred on Landsat 7 in May 2003, basic questions were raised by program scientists and counterparts in Africa as to the usefulness of SLC-off image data for future efforts to monitor land use and land cover. In an effort to help evaluate these concerns, we participated in an evaluation of SLC-off image data over southern Senegal, comparing it to original (SLC-on) imagery. In this paper we begin by describing the general project background and objectives, and methodologies used (they are described more fully in Tappan et al., in press). This is followed by a specific analysis of the SLC-off product for five target areas within a single Landsat scene in southern Senegal. We conclude with a discussion of results.