Study for land use and land use changes with satellite images

Determining land use and land use changes had been studied by using two methods including visual interpretation and digital image analysis with satellite images of study area that taken different dates including Landsat MSS, Landsat TM and Landsat ETM+. A reserved aim of the study is also justify visual interpretation method that still importantly usable in certain cases contrary to digital image analysis method that being used more often via developing technology. Visual interpretation method used black-white images, composite images and spectrally transformed images for determining land use of study area. Land use changes examined by putting two images that taken at different dates, side by side and forming one image using same spectral band of two image data. Digital image analysis method used supervised classification method. Study area is classified into 6 categories including; ?coniferous trees?, ?deciduous trees?, ?populated areas?, ?grass and farming areas?, ?bare land? and ?water?. Maximum likelihood method is used as classification algorithm. Classification accuracy assessment was made by using 256 random points that selected by Erdas Imagine software. Average accuracy of classification is found 84,35 percent. As a result of the study, it is verified that visual interpretation method is feasible for studying small areas while digital image analysis is feasible for studying large areas. .It is also have been assessed that best results will be got when both methods have would be used together. One of the striking result of the study is found as visual interpretation method is most effective method for studies that having restricted time and low detail levels. However; since algorithms used with digital image analysis are developing day by day and more accurate products are being produced, in the future digital image analysis method will be certainly superior to visual interpretation method. Keywords: Visual interpretation, digital image analysis, classification, land use.