Monitoring of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Thermal Pollution Based on Remotely Sensed Landsat Data

The Tianwan nuclear power plant located in Jiangsu province of China discharges warm water from its cooling system into the Yellow Sea and may cause ecological consequences. In this study, the sea surface temperature changes before and after the operation of the Tianwan nuclear power plant was studied by using Landsat data. After retrieving the sea surface temperature near Tianwan nuclear power plant, the datum temperature was firstly extracted. Consequently, the thermal pollution value was calculated. Finally, the area distribution maps of different temperature rise levels were analyzed. The results showed that there was no obvious thermal pollution before the nuclear power plant was put into use. Since the commercial operation of the nuclear power plant, the thermal pollution appears around the nuclear power plant. In the following years, the distribution area of thermal drainage has increased. The area of warm temperature pollution at the + 1 °C level was the largest in every year.