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SATELLITE MONITORING OF THE DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE OF THE 
ACTIVE YELLOW RIVER DELTA, CHINA 
Xiaojun Yang 
Department of Geography, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA 
Commission VII, Working Group 10 
KEY WORDS: Remote Sensing, Environment, Monitoring, Landsat, Imagery, Multitemporal 
ABSTRACT 
This paper firstly reveals a comprehensive macro-evolution of a large river delta by remote sensing. An 
integrated approach of satellite remote sensing and geographic information system techniques has been 
employed to survey and monitor the contemporary processes and the dynamics of the active delta (after 1976), 
the most rapidly changing portion of the Yellow River Delta, China. The main source of data is the Landsat 
MSS and TM images (60 scenes or windows) spanning the last nineteen years. This set of multi-temporal data 
has been selectively scanned, georeferenced, and digitally interpreted under an ILWIS environment to quantify 
and characterize the dynamic environmental changes during 1976 - 1994. Two major aspects have been 
presently focused on. The coastal fluvial morphologic changes, including channel shifting change (both banks 
and channel thalweg), channel geometric change (channel length and width), and channel pattern change, are 
described. The river outlet changes (x-shift, y-shift, and displacement), together with the coastline change as 
well as the continent-making rates, are systematically measured. Furthermore, a general discussion on the 
factors controlling the deltaic morphology and its change is given. This research demonstrates that satellite 
remote sensing in the context of a GIS is very useful for documenting the time-sequential dynamic 
environmental changes and analyzing the contemporary processes involved. 
1. INTRODUCTION erosion and accretion features can be well detected 
and assessed under such favourable factors as low 
Satellite sensors are valuable tools for surveying and — water level, low river discharge, and calm weather 
monitoring the dynamic environmental system. condition (Yang, 1995). Thus, the fluvial system and 
Passive sensor systems, like Landsat MSS and TM, the intertidal area can be examined using the visible 
record and measure reflected energy in the visible ^ portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. 
and infrared portions of the electromagnetic 
spectrum, in which the majority of spectral This work was performed during the recent two 
information on bathymetric and landform features years as a joint research project between the People’s 
may be detected, identified, and classified. Remote Republic of China and the Netherlands. The main 
sensing techniques have been operationized by a focus of this study is to integrate satellite remote 
number of researchers to derive information on those sensing and GIS technologies in order to survey and 
features which occur within delta and related systems monitor the contemporary processes and the 
(Noorbergen, 1993; Fan, et al, 1992; Gao, et al, dynamics of the active delta (after 1976), the most 
1991; Robert, et al, 1994; Yang, 1995). rapidly changing portion of the Yellow River Delta, 
China. 
Present-day deltas, such as the active Yellow River 
Delta, belong to the most dynamic environmental 
systems on earth. They are ideal systems to study 2. STUDY AREA 
using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Using 
images with high quality, landform features are The Yellow River, well-known as the cradle of 
readily distinguished and classified. In addition, ^ Chinese Civilization, has constructed a huge 
801 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B7. Vienna 1996