Application of the Landsat TM/ETM+, KOMPSAT EOC, and IKONOS to Study the Sedimentary Environments in the Tidal Flats of Kanghwa and Hwang-Do, Korea

The west coast of the Korean Peninsula is famous for its large tidal range (up to 9 m) and vast tidal flats. With comparison the sedimentary environments of open and close tidal flat using remote sensing, we select Kanghwa tidal flat and Hwang-Do tidal flat in Cheonsu Bay. Prior to surface sediment discrimination using remote sensing, sedimentary environments including intertidal OEM, hydraulic condition, and relationship between grain size and various tidal condition are investigated. Remote sensing has the potential to provide synoptic information of intertidal environments. The objectives of this study are: (i) to generate an intertidal digital elevation model (OEM) using the waterline method of Lansat TM/ETM+, (ii) to investigate the tidal channel distribution using texture analysis, and (iii) to analyze the relationship between surface grain size by using in-situ data and intertidal OEM and tidal channel density by using high-resolution satellite data such as IKONOS and Kompsat EOC. The results demonstrate that satellite remote sensing is an efficient and effective tool for a surface sediment discrimination and long term morphologic change estimation in tidal flats.