Analysis of multitemporal changes in the environment using GIS and remote sensing in the aspect of construcion projects

Modern changes of environment are the result of many factors, of which anthropogenic activities and the development of infrastructure play the leading role in environmental, morphometric changes. The dynamics of expansion of construction lands, which until recently have changed only as a result of natural factors, makes it invariably important to analyse time changes and forecast potential effects of construction projects on the environment. A good source of information about changes, for example the course of rivers, hydrological conditions, diversity of vegetation in the areas of investment, are cartographic sources, in particular GIS techniques, satellite images, and aerial photographs. Proper assessing of the territory using GIS techniques may allow constructing roads not only with less damage to the environment and human health, but also avoiding technical problems, such as low bearing capacity of soils. The main objective of the study is to evaluate multitemporal changes of the environment in the course of the ongoing construction project, which is the construction of the A4 motorway in its Rzeszów Wschód – Jarosław Zachód section, in the area of the Wierzbna junction. The analysis was carried out on the basis of Landsat satellite images recorded in two different investment periods of the tested object: in 2006 – prior to the start of construction works, in 2015 – in the course of the ongoing construction works. In addition, the analysis of the obtained Landsat multitemporal satellite images made it possible to examine the morphology of the substrate conditions of river valleys of the San, Wislok, and Mleczka.