Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the geomorphological environment changes of tidal flat in the Cheonsu Bay. Especially, it centers on the changes in the sedimentary environment using remote sensing data. Multi-temporal Landsat data and topographic maps were used in this study. The results are summarized as follows: the tidal flat of Cheonsu Bay changes in many ways depending on the direction of the tidal current. In the neighborhood of Ganwoldo, the scale of the tidal flat has continuously been expanded due to the superiority of sedimentation after a tide embankment was built. When we analyzed the grain size of sediments and implemented in-situ field survey, it was found that the innermost part of the bay consists of a mud flat, with the midway part mixed flat, and the nearest part to the sea sand flat. On the other hand, in the neighborhood of Seomot isle and its beach, sedimentation is superior in the eastern part whereas erosion is superior in the western part. In other words, the western coast of the beach is contacted with the open seas and under much influence of ocean wave. The eastern coast is placed at the entrance of the bay and has sand bar and tidal flat developed due to submarine deposits that are accumulated on the sea floor by the tidal current. In conclusions, remote sensing methods can be effectively applied for quantitative analysis of geomorphological changes in tidal flat, and it is expected that the proposed schemes can be applied to another geomorphological environments such as beach, sand dune, and sand wave.