Thermal discharge pollution from the nuclear power plants has considerable impact on the coastal environment. The means of detecting thermal discharge from nuclear power plants by using satellites thermal infrared data can not only reduce costs and improve efficiency of monitoring, but also reflect the extent of spatial diffusion and spatial-temporal variability of thermal discharge on a large scale. In this research, multi-temporal Landsat TM and ETM+ band 6 thermal infrared images were used to quantify the variability of sea surface temperature (SST) around the Tianwan nuclear power plant in Tian Bay, Jiangsu Province, eastern China. The general patterns of SST variability during 2003–2009 indicated the extent of influence of thermal discharge from Tianwan nuclear power plant, and furthermore, the intensity and range of this influence were also investigated and compared in different seasons. The research results provided a basis for protection of the health of coastal marine ecosystems in Tian Bay.
