Coastline change detection of the Yellow River Delta by satellite remote sensing

We used remote sensing and geographic information system to extracted coastlines of the Yellow River Delta from muti-temporal Landsat TM/ETM+ images(1989~2009),and analyzed the length and area variations of the Yellow River Delta.The shape and length of the coastline in the Yellow River Delta had significantly changed since 1989.Coastal erosion occurred in the Diaokou Estuary area where the shoreline was not protected by dam.The whole coastline in Qingshuigou area extended seaward because some parts of it suffered from erosion.Coastline in Shenxiangou area changed little because most parts of it were protected by dam.The area of the Yellow River Delta increased from 1989 to 2009,though it decreased from 2006 to 2009.The annual average of area that erosion occurred or siltation changed from small to large.The Yellow River Delta was in expansion in the last 20 years.But from 2006 to 2009,the area of the Yellow River Delta was decreased and more area had been in erosion or siltation status.Discharge and sediment concentration of the Yellow River,precipitation and water diversion were main factors that influenced the area change of the Yellow River Delta.Artificial dams were able to resist the invasion of sea wave and to maintain the stability of coastline.The result of this work is contributed to the management and reservation of coastal environment.