Geomorphologic land classification map of the Mekong Delta utilizing JERS-1 SAR images

Flood damage in the Mekong Delta is currently influenced by population growth and the expansion of farmland. The objectives of this study are to describe a method for visualizing flooded areas, classify the geomorphology of the area, and develop a flood-risk map of the Mekong Delta using Japanese earth resources satellite-1 synthetic aperture radar (JERS-1 SAR) data. JERS-1 SAR data-processing involves geo-referencing, image-noise reduction, re-sampling, and calculation of the normalized radar cross-section (NRCS) using TNTmips. Furthermore, we visualized the flooded area of the Mekong River Delta and discussed flood dynamics. The relation between NRCS and micro-geomorphology was clarified using the geomorphologic land classification map. After evaluating flood risk, we developed a flood-risk map to visualize the evaluated risk. The differences in NRCS derived from JERS-1 SAR data were calculated before and after flooding; visualization of the flooded area revealed that the difference between the two datasets was less than -1.8 (dB). This value was determined from field investigations. We then compiled a map of the flooded area. The relation between NRCS and geomorphology was clarified based on the geomorphologic land classification map. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.