Environmental pattern change as revealed by Landsat MSS data

The environmental pattern change of land and sea surface are studied based on the MSS data of Landsat-1 and 2. The analysis of land use in Nagoya and Toyohashi areas located in central Japan indicates a large change of land use took place during 3 yr between 1972 and 1975. Land use change is especially large in the periphery and suburbs of large city Nagoya, the fourth largest city of Japan with 2 million population.Out of total studied area of 350 km² in Nagoya District, 5.79 and 3.20% were transformed into new urban and open areas respectively from forest, agricultural and suburban areas.Over the sea surface, “red tide” named after its color which causes damage to fishing industry is increasing in a bay and Seto Inland Sea. During the analysis a small vortex of approximately 40 km in diameter was found off the tip of Kii Peninsula in the periphery of Kuroshio, a large warm ocean current.It is the first time that the existence of this kind of small vortex is visually recognized near Japan along the Kuroshio. It is found that this vortex is manifested by the red tide driven into the vortex.