Developing a new red band–SEVI–blue band (RSB) enhancement method for recognition the extra-high-voltage transmission line corridor in green mountains

Abstract

Monitoring the extra-high-voltage transmission line corridor (EHVTLC) in mountains is critical for safe smart-grid operation. However, the transmission lines are so narrow that they are difficult to recognize using multispectral satellite images with a spatial resolution of 10 m. In this study, we developed a new method using the red band–shadow-eliminated vegetation index (SEVI)–blue band (RSB) composite image to enhance the EHVTLC in green mountains (named RSB-enhancement method). Using this method, the EHVTLC becomes evident in the false-color synthesis of the RSB composite of the Sentinel-2 image. Then, we recognized and extracted approximately 342.45 km of the EHVTLC in a mountainous region of Fuzhou City, China, including a 46.73 km three-parallel-lane segment of 1000 kV and a 295.72 km two-parallel-lane segment of 500 kV. Spatial analysis shows that the SEVI mean difference between the EHVTLC and the buffer zone reaches approximately 10%, and three landslides and 2.66 km2 soil erosion reside in the buffer zone which area is approximately 73.67 km2. Finally, the RSB-enhancement method can be used in other satellite images with spatial resolutions of greater than 10 m for enhancement and recognition the transmission line corridors in green mountains.