Data application of multi-temporal and multi-source data for land cover change detection in Guam, USA

Guam, USA has been facing drastic landscape change since World War II, especially when President John F. Kennedy lifted the Naval Clearing Act which opened Guam´s ports to domestic and foreign visitors in 1962. Extensive construction activities in 1970s and 1980s changed the land cover in Guam, particularly the central and northern parts of Guam a lot. This research is focused on determination of land cover change in Guam from early 1973 to late 2000. Data from different dates and sources were applied to address the land cover change phenomena in Guam. Landsat Multi-Spectral System (MSS) image of 1973 and QuickBird image of 2006 were employed to derive land cover information, and then land cover change was determined. The results from this research indicate that land cover changed a lot from early 1970 to 2000s, and the change will continue considering the on-going buildup activities in Guam.