Integrated method for long-term environmental change detection by remote sensing

Remote sensing methods make it possible to analyze and describe landscape changes. However, one can hardly acquire sufficient data for direct long-term analysis. Multiple sensors, geometric distortions, phenological phase differences, atmospheric conditions, different solar angles and many other effects cause inter-scene variability. Furthermore, the temporal distribution of available data sets is often inhomogeneous, which tends to amplify the above-mentioned problems. In our work, we propose a methodology to cope with these difficulties for long-term environmental monitoring and quantitative change detection. A complex approach was chosen with the objective of integrating different methods and disciplines (radiometric and geometric correction, classification, image segmentation and GIS analysis, among others) to extract the maximum of information from the available data. This methodology is presented and tested on an interesting case study that deals the environmental effects of a barrage system in the northwestern part of Hungary.