A Web-Based Platform for Quantitative Assessment of Change Detection Using Rao’s Q Index in Remote Multispectral Sensing Data

This study presents the development and implementation of a web-based geospatial platform for the quantitative assessment of land use and land cover change (LULCC) based on multispectral satellite images. The system operationalizes the Rao spectral diversity metric (Rao’s Q) to detect and quantify LULCC resulting from different environmental agents. The platform supports single-band (classic mode) or multi-band (multidimensional mode) processing. Its main functionalities include the interactive de-limitation of areas of interest (AOI) and calendar-based temporal selection, allowing analyses to be performed at discrete time points or at defined intervals. Among the tools available in the application are the automated calculation of Rao’s Q surfaces and maps of change between pairs of dates. Additionally, the platform allows the selection of several spectral indices, with the aim of supporting ecosystem monitoring and the characterization of the Earth’s surface. In the use case demonstration (Reykjanes Peninsula volcanic eruption of February 2024), the Rao’s Q method applied to Sentinel-2 SWIR imagery demonstrated strong performance in lava flow detection, with the multidimensional approach (bands 11 + 12) achieving the most balanced results (OA = 83.0%, PA = 84.0%, UA = 82.4%), while band 11 alone yielded the highest precision (UA = 97.4%). By integrating spatiotemporal analysis, spectral diversity metrics, and spectral indices into an accessible and extensible framework, the platform constitutes a robust tool for monitoring LULCC and assessing environmental impacts.