A Hybrid Spectral Change Identification/Post-Classification Land Cover Change Analysis of the Hamilton Area
by Oksana Kutna © 2005

A time series Landsat MSS and TM images were used to extract land use/cover change data of the Hamilton area, Ontario. A combined image enhancementlpost- classification analysis was applied and proofed to be effective in land use change analysis. Spectral change identification was used to define areas where post-classification land use/cover change analysis can be applied. Relative radiometric normalization was applied to one date of imagery to match the radiometric condition of earlier data prior to image subtraction. Accuracy assessment indicated that the image processing procedures were effective in extracting land use/cover maps and statistics of the Hamilton area. Overall classification accuracy of 98.12% was achieved. Use ofGIS techniques has made possible the production of single-theme land use/cover change maps, which emphasize spatial dynamics. The loss of agricultural land and urban sprawl have been revealed by the analysis as the major problems of Hamilton's urban development.