A remotely sensed change detection exercise is underway to perceive the effects of urban development on the natural ecosystem and its link to the increased flooding in Houston. Houston lends itself well to an analysis of this type due to its 1.95 million population, large geographic area and fast growth rate. The lack of significant topography in the area surrounding Houston is also advantageous. Results of this work will provide valuable tools for scientists, resource managers, policy makers, and others, for efficient detection, monitoring, mapping, and modeling of changes. For this task fourteen Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images are used to see the changes caused by urbanization in Houston area from 1990 to 2003. Classification and change detection of these images are carried out using a Neural network, post-classification and manual on-screen digitization methods. Results of change detection are compared with surface run off data to establish the relationship (if any) between increased flooding and urban development. Finally change/urbanization will be projected for the next 12 years (i.e. 2015). We are in the process of making our preliminary results available to the public via ION server.
http://geoinfo.geosc.uh.edu/Houston/
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Satellite image showing urban development in the Houston area - red indicates vegetation |