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PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY OF COASTAL 
TROPICAL ZONES USING SATELLITE DATA 
Leonardo Gonima 
CIPRES - Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi 
CRA, 30 no. 48-51 
Santafé de Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Giroup 8 
ABSTRACT 
High resolution satellite image data were used for a qualitative description of vegetation cover, general 
morphology, water discharge and climatic conditions of the Sen Juan River Delta (Pacific ocean- 
Colombia), and its estuaries area. The physically processed satellite images (atmospherically corrected 
reflectance; vegetation and soil-moisture indexes, global and solar net radiation images) allow an 
identification of the main vegetation units. Littoral and water strearas with different associated turbidities 
were also identified. A. comparison of the results obtained by using satellite image data with aerial 
photographs show some important morphological chances due to variations in the land-ocean interface.