Estimation of morphological change using waterline method in the Ganghwado tidal flats

Waterline extraction is the one of widely used methods for studying changes in tidal flat environment and coastlines using multi-temporal optical images such as Landsat TM and Landsat ETM+. High dynamics of tidal currents and land reclamation which accelerate sedimentation and/or erosion cause waterline change in tidal flats. The amount of sediment deposited or eroded can be evaluated by precisely estimating waterline changes in tidal flats. The objective of this study is to detect the change of waterlines during 17 years and analyze the trends of erosion and sedimentation in the study areas. The Ganghwado tidal flat on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula was selected. The study area is famous for high dynamics of tidal currents and vast tidal flats. Land reclamation which has been carried out on a large scale is also considered as one of elements that have accelerated the environmental changes in this tidal flat. In this study, we acquired 26 waterlines from Landsat TM and Landsat ETM+ images. We extracted the waterline from each satellite image to generate a digital elevation map (DEM) which was used for reference and to compare with the other waterline which was extracted from DEM having a same tide. The result of comparison well depicted the areas of dominant sedimentation and erosion, and general trends of sedimentation and erosion according to sub-regions are also revealed during the investigation time. Results showed that erosion during a decade was dominant at the west of the Southern Ganghwado tidal flat, while sedimentation was dominant at the wide channel between the Southern Ganghwado tidal flat and the Yeongjongdo tidal flat. This area has been commonly affected by high currents and sedimentation energy. Although we were not able to verify the accuracy of the waterline changes, this result clearly showed the waterline change and therefore, the waterline extraction method used in this study has proven as an effective tool for long term tidal change estimation.