EGU25-16135, updated on 15 Mar 2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16135
EGU General Assembly 2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Long-Term Changes of Tidal Flat Areas in the Korean West Coast Using Time Series Satellite Imagery
Jingyo Lee1,2, keunyong Kim1, Donguk Lee1, Geun-Ho Kwak3, and Joo-Hyung Ryu1,2
Jingyo Lee et al.
  • 1KIOST(Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology), Busan, South Korea (jingyo@kiost.ac.kr)
  • 2KMOU(Korea Maritime and Ocean University), Busan, South Korea
  • 3NAS(National Institute of Agricultural Sciences), Jeonju, South Korea

The tidal flats along the Korean west coast have experienced significant area changes due to both natural and anthropogenic factors, including ongoing development, erosion, land reclamation, and sea level rise. These tidal flats hold substantial ecological, economic, and environmental value, necessitating systematic management through monitoring area changes. Recently, tidal flat investigations have increasingly utilized satellite imagery, which allows for periodic and large-scale observations. This approach effectively addresses the accessibility limitations of traditional field surveys and the high costs associated with platforms like ships or aircraft. However, tidal flat regions pose challenges for satellite-based observations due to tidal variations, making it difficult to capture images at specific times such as lowest and highest tide. Furthermore, frequent cloud cover in coastal areas imposes significant constraints on acquiring input data for tidal flat mapping.

This study applied a machine learning based classification method to minimize the effects of cloud cover and tidal variations during the tidal flat mapping process. It utilized synthetic datasets derived from time-series imagery, incorporating indices such as the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), along with brightness information from individual images. Using this approach, the study developed tidal flat area maps for the Korean west coast over a 40-year period from 1984 to 2024, using Landsat satellite series data in 5-year intervals. A case study was conducted to analyze area changes over time, and the accuracy of the generated tidal flat maps was validated against tidal flat area data provided by the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA).

The results demonstrated that the machine learning-based method produced reliable tidal flat maps, effectively mitigating the impacts of clouds and tidal conditions. Moreover, the approach successfully monitored long-term changes in tidal flat areas. This study provides essential scientific evidence for the systematic management and conservation of Korea tidal flats and is expected to contribute to the formulation of sustainable tidal flat management policies in the future.

How to cite: Lee, J., Kim, K., Lee, D., Kwak, G.-H., and Ryu, J.-H.: Long-Term Changes of Tidal Flat Areas in the Korean West Coast Using Time Series Satellite Imagery, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16135, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16135, 2025.