Dynamic Analysis of Urban Outlook Using Multi-Time Satellite Images: Comparison of two oil cities

Rapid urbanization as a result of population growth and migration from village to city, is considered a critical process in urban areas. This study examines the dynamics of the landscape using multi-time satellite images of two cities, the Houston of the state of Texas in the United States and Daqing of the state of Heilongjiang in China. Although the two cities have been in different socio-political contexts, the development of both has been based on oil over the last 50 years. By comparing the pattern and dynamics of the landscape in these two cities, we can understand that urbanization in these two oil cities has been effective in landscape pattern, especially in the natural landscape. A series of landscape indicators are selected along with ecological complementary concepts for ease of analysis of spatial dynamics during a 20-year interval. Based on the obtained indicators, a general trend in the changes of the landscape in these two cities has become evident. Since human landscape, such as residential areas, is widely replaced by other natural classes, natural landscapes such as pastures and wetlands have been eroded or have been cut into inconsistent patterns.