Mapping and visualizing the Great Salt Lake landscape dynamics using multi‐temporal satellite images, 1972–1996

Abstract

This study focuses on monitoring and visualizing the Great Salt Lake dynamics from satellite images. Objectives of this research are to identify the Great Salt Lake and vicinity areas land cover types, to detect and quantify water and wetland dynamics, and to visualize these dynamics. Satellite imagery, including Landsat Multi‐Spectral Scanner (MSS) and Thematic Mapper (TM) images, were obtained for the extent of the Great Salt Lake and vicinity from 1972 to 1996, with a three‐year interval, except 1978 and 1981. These satellite images were first classified to map five land cover types: water, wetland, salt, developed land, and undeveloped land. These classified images were compared with each other to identify areas of change. Documentation, including tables and charts, was generated to report changes. In the final stage, computer animation files were created from both classified images and satellite images to visualize and simulate the Great Salt Lake and vicinity land cover changes and landscape dynamics, respectively. The implication of this study is that it is easy, with the right educational materials, for land managers and planners, as well as the public, to quickly comprehend that the Great Salt Lake is very dynamic. Satellite images, visualization techniques, and computer animation files prove useful for demonstrating these dynamic characters.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Gregory Gault, a former DIGIT Lab director, for his full support of this research. We also like to thank Jeffrey Frizzell for his careful review of the manuscript.