Abstract
The main objective of the present study was to highlight and analyze the exchange between the land cover components at Cairo with focusing on urban area and agricultural land between 1973 and 2006 using Landsat satellite data with the aid of Digital Elevation Models (DEM). The techniques utilized in this investigation involved a rigorous supervised classification of the Landsat and the DEM images. Results showed that urban area of Cairo was 233.78 km2 in 1973 and increased to 557.87 km2 in 2006. The cut-off from agricultural lands was 136.75 km2, whereas urbanization into the neighboring desert was estimated at 187.32 km2 for the same period. The direction of urban sprawl was mainly controlled by regional topography. Urban sprawl was attributed mainly to accelerated population growth.
Highlights
Satellite remote sensing has been considered an ideal technology and data source for large-area land cover classifications and change detection [1]
To accomplish the objectives of the present study, three available satellite images were obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) databases online resources: Two cloud-free Landsat MSS and ETM+ images acquired in May 1973 and August 2006, respectively and one Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Models (DEM) (90 m spatial resolution) acquired in December 2000
The land cover maps resulted from the supervised classification are shown in Figure 3, which shows a tremendous expansion of urban areas toward the north and northeast
Summary
Satellite remote sensing has been considered an ideal technology and data source for large-area land cover classifications and change detection [1]. Remote sensing has witnessed several improvements in the spatial, spectral, temporal resolutions and the possibility for stereoimaging. The first generation of the Landsat satellite (Multi-Spectral Scanner, MSS) provided images with 80 m spatial resolution and 4 spectral bands. The Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and the Enhanced Thematic Matter plus (ETM+) afforded images with 30 m spatial resolution and 7 basic spectral bands in the visible, near infrared, shortwave infrared and thermal infrared. Other satellite sensors could provide images with finer spatial resolution and a greater number of spectral bands. DEM images are available in 30, 90 and 1000 m spatial resolutions. The 30 m resolution DEMs are available only to the United States, whereas the 90 m and 1000 m resolution are available to the entire world and could be accessed from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) online open resources
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
