DETECTING LAND COVER CHANGES USING VHR SATELLITE IMAGES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The new satellites sensors such as GeoEye , WorldView and Ikonos , provide new data for better delineation, detection, and visualization of Land cover changes. Several techniques have been proposed and developed for change detection automatically. The main aim of this research is to assess the use of very high-resolution satellites images in monitoring land cover changes in Egypt. Five change detection techniques have been tested using Ikonos and WorldView images. The techniques considered are image difference, image ratio, principal component analysis, postclassification comparison, and multi-date direct classification. The accuracy of each technique is evaluated via the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient. The results showed that the principal component analysis technique produced more accurate change detection map compared to other methods. Also, it was found that changes from vegetation to urban in the study area are greater than changes from bare soil to vegetation.

Keywords

• change detection
• very high-resolution
• object-based