GIS Technique applied to Goggle–Earth image for automated extraction of dunes: case study: Laayoune city, south of Morocco.

D.Dakir; H. Rhinane; Y.A. Mhammedi; A. Bensalmia; S. Fal

Volume : IV, Issue : IX, September - 2014

GIS Technique applied to Goggle–Earth image for automated extraction of dunes: case study: Laayoune city, south of Morocco.

D. Dakir, H. Rhinane, Y. A. Mhammedi, A. Bensalmia, S. Fal

Abstract :

In a deserted environment, the sandy dunes are considered as a threat for all human activities. Studying dunes at a large scale requires intensive fieldwork and a huge dataset. But this task is not always easy because of the high cost and the limited availability of data. In this paper, we present a technique based on the process of Google–Earth image for automated extraction of dunes of the Laayoune city in the south of Morocco. To extract dunes from such images, a subset of Google–Earth image scene of the study location, a pre–processing and enhancement images were used. The Google–Earth image has been georeferenced and integrated in a GIS. Extraction of dunes from this image was performed using spatial analyst tools in ArcGIS. The technique allowed us not only to extract the dunes but also to extend our study to the morphometric analysis.