Multitemporal aerial image analysis for the monitoring of the processes in the landscape affected by deep coal mining

Abstract

In the last seventy years aerial images have represented an important source of information on land cover on a detailed scale. The paper deals with the usage of aerial photographs in the study of landscape changes produced by deep coal mining. The authors show the possibilities of multitemporal land cover analysis in the Ostrava-Karviná mining district analysing a series of aerial photographs covering the period from the second half of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century. The paper highlights not only the specific features of deep coal mining displays on aerial images, but it also points to the necessity of understanding the fundamental processes that are related to the land cover changes. On the base of the multitemporal analysis the authors defined seven basic processes that reflect the trends in the landscape changes in the area of interest.