Abstract
This study aimed at verifying the grain-sized distribution of surface deposits in a tidal flat using multi-spectral Landsat TM. In this study, we employed the grain-sized analysis, PCA and unsupervised classification techniques for analyzing the distribution of deposits. As a result in this study, the unsupervised classification method using PCA image was found to be most useful in classifying tidal flat deposits using satellite data. This method is considerably effective in analyzing not only the aspects of distribution in terms of accumulated deposits and erosion, but also the changes in seaside topography and shoreline. The grain-sized distribution analysis indicates that the mud flat inside the Cheonsu-bay tidal flat is distributed, the mixed flat located in the middle, and the sand flat distributed near the sea. The sand flat is dominant around the southern part of Seomot isle and its beach. On the other hand, the mud and mixed flat is dominant on the western part. Likewise, the western coast of Seomot isle and its beach is significantly affected by waves facing the offshore. However, the eastern side of the bay could be a site for the evolution of tidal flat made of fine materials where it is less affected by ocean waves. These results show that multi-spectral satellite data are effective for the classification of distribution materials and environmental impact assessment and continuous monitoring. In particular, the research on environmental deposits can provide important decision-supporting information for decision-making on seaside development, by analyzing the progress of deposits and environmental changes.