Salt-marsh geomorphological patterns analysis based on remote sensing images and lidar-derived digital elevation model: a case study of Xiaoyangkou, Jiangsu

Abstract

It is very difficult to perform geomorphological analyses and modeling in the salt marshes because of fieldwork logistics, the tidal oscillation and variability, and the inherent dynamic nature of these environments. Recently novel technologies and methods introduce the capability to create high-resolution biophysical and elevation databases to quantitatively characterize salt marsh geomorphology in support of improved understanding of the evolution of intertidal systems. This study combines the use of high-resolution imagery obtained at low tides with a LIDAR-derived digital elevation mode (DEM) of Xiaoyangkou, a typical Jiangsu Coastal tidal estuarine system near the Jiangsu Radiate Sand Ridges, to quantify relationships among marsh features, their metrics, elevations, and tidal datum. The methods used to quantify features across an intertidal watershed in its entirety represent a significant advance in support of future development of process-driven models to explain these observations.