A REMOTE SENSING STUDY OF THE LAND COVER CHANGE AROUND BAYOU PEROT, LOUISIANA

Purpose: Evaluate the impacts of Hurricane Ida on the coastal ecosystem of Bayou Perot –Little Lake using remote sensing techniques

Supervisors: Dr. Yaw Twumasi (Southern University A&M College)

Software: Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS Pro

Introduction

Global climate change has affected rising sea level rates, and the frequency, intensity, timing, and distribution of hurricanes and tropical storms which threaten coastal ecosystems such as Bayou Perot, Little Lake in New Orleans, along the Gulf of Mexico. Even though sea-level rise is a relatively slow process that may allow more time to prepare and acclimatize, hurricane strikes are short-term, brief events that create immediate as well as long-term effects on coastal ecosystems such as swamps, marshes, valuable dune habitats, that could be overwhelming. The impact of hurricanes on ecosystems could include wetland loss and coastal land loss.

• This paper compares the land cover changes around Bayou-Perot, Little Lake, New Orleans, USA following Hurricanes Ida (August 26, 2021 to September 3, 2021)

Data Pre and Post - processing in Google Earth Engine

1. Cloud Masking of images

4. Spatio-Temporal Variation

Land Cover statistics Before Hurricane Ida

Conclusions

After Hurricane Ida

• The results of the land cover change shows exposed old coastal marsh, valuable dune habitat providing storm protection to estuaries, wetlands, and the coastal population destroyed. Marsh areas/ swamp areas which could include fresh marsh and  brackish marsh decrease in acreage as 3.5% of the marsh land cover class was inundated with water.

• The rates of loss and gain in land cover, after repeated verification can be used in future predictive modelling and will be valuable in assessing changes produced by hurricanes.