MAPPING SPATIAL ACCURACY AND ESTIMATING LANDSCAPE INDICATORS FROM THEMATIC LAND COVER MAPS USING FUZZY SET THEORY

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents a fuzzy set-based method of mapping spatial accuracy of thematic map and computing several ecological indicators while taking into account spatial variation of accuracy associated with different land cover types and other factors (e.g., slope, soil type, etc.)...

The National Map 2.0 Tactical Plan: "Toward the (Integrated) National Map"

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zulick, Carl A.

2008-01-01

The National Map's 2-year goal, as described in this plan, is to provide a range of geospatial products and services that meet the basic goals of the original vision for The National Map while furthering the National Spatial Data Infrastructure that underpins U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science. To accomplish this goal, the National Geospatial Program (NGP) will acquire, store, maintain, and distribute base map data. The management team for the NGP sets priorities for The National Map in three areas: Data and Products, Services, and Management. Priorities for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2009), involving the current data inventory, data acquisition, and the integration of data, are (1) incorporating current data from Federal, State, and local organizations into The National Map to the degree possible, given data availability and program resources; (2) collaborating with other USGS programs to incorporate data that support the USGS Science Strategy; (3) supporting the Department of the Interior (DOI) high-priority geospatial information needs; (4) emergency response; (5) homeland security, natural hazards; and (6) graphics products delivery. The management team identified known constraints, enablers, and drivers for the acquisition and integration of data. The NGP management team also identified customer-focused products and services of The National Map. Ongoing planning and management activities direct the development and delivery of these products and services. Management of work flow processes to support The National Map priorities are identified and established through a business-driven prioritization process. This tactical plan is primarily for use as a document to guide The National Map program for the next two fiscal years. The document is available to the public because of widespread interest in The National Map. The USGS collaborates with a broad range of customers and partners who are essential to the success of The

Survey methods for assessing land cover map accuracy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nusser, S.M.; Klaas, E.E.

2003-01-01

The increasing availability of digital photographic materials has fueled efforts by agencies and organizations to generate land cover maps for states, regions, and the United States as a whole. Regardless of the information sources and classification methods used, land cover maps are subject to numerous sources of error. In order to understand the quality of the information contained in these maps, it is desirable to generate statistically valid estimates of accuracy rates describing misclassification errors. We explored a full sample survey framework for creating accuracy assessment study designs that balance statistical and operational considerations in relation to study objectives for a regional assessment of GAP land cover maps. We focused not only on appropriate sample designs and estimation approaches, but on aspects of the data collection process, such as gaining cooperation of land owners and using pixel clusters as an observation unit. The approach was tested in a pilot study to assess the accuracy of Iowa GAP land cover maps. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling design addressed sample size requirements for land covers and the need for geographic spread while minimizing operational effort. Recruitment methods used for private land owners yielded high response rates, minimizing a source of nonresponse error. Collecting data for a 9-pixel cluster centered on the sampled pixel was simple to implement, and provided better information on rarer vegetation classes as well as substantial gains in precision relative to observing data at a single-pixel.

Accuracy Assessment of Professional Grade Unmanned Systems for High Precision Airborne Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mostafa, M. M. R.

2017-08-01

Recently, sophisticated multi-sensor systems have been implemented on-board modern Unmanned Aerial Systems. This allows for producing a variety of mapping products for different mapping applications. The resulting accuracies match the traditional well engineered manned systems. This paper presents the results of a geometric accuracy assessment project for unmanned systems equipped with multi-sensor systems for direct georeferencing purposes. There are a number of parameters that either individually or collectively affect the quality and accuracy of a final airborne mapping product. This paper focuses on identifying and explaining these parameters and their mutual interaction and correlation. Accuracy Assessment of the final ground object positioning accuracy is presented through real-world 8 flight missions that were flown in Quebec, Canada. The achievable precision of map production is addressed in some detail.

Vegetation classification, mapping, and monitoring at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota: An application of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faber-Langendoen, D.; Aaseng, N.; Hop, K.; Lew-Smith, M.; Drake, J.

2007-01-01

Question: How can the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) serve as an effective tool for classifying and mapping vegetation, and inform assessments and monitoring? Location: Voyageurs National Park, northern Minnesota, U.S.A and environs. The park contains 54 243 ha of terrestrial habitat in the sub-boreal region of North America. Methods: We classified and mapped the natural vegetation using the USNVC, with 'alliance' and 'association' as base units. We compiled 259 classification plots and 1251 accuracy assessment test plots. Both plot and type ordinations were used to analyse vegetation and environmental patterns. Color infrared aerial photography (1:15840 scale) was used for mapping. Polygons were manually drawn, then transferred into digital form. Classification and mapping products are stored in publicly available databases. Past fire and logging events were used to assess distribution of forest types. Results and Discussion: Ordination and cluster analyses confirmed 49 associations and 42 alliances, with three associations ranked as globally vulnerable to extirpation. Ordination provided a useful summary of vegetation and ecological gradients. Overall map accuracy was 82.4%. Pinus banksiana - Picea mariana forests were less frequent in areas unburned since the 1930s. Conclusion: The USNVC provides a consistent ecological tool for summarizing and mapping vegetation. The products provide a baseline for assessing forests and wetlands, including fire management. The standardized classification and map units provide local to continental perspectives on park resources through linkages to state, provincial, and national classifications in the U.S. and Canada, and to NatureServe's Ecological Systems classification. ?? IAVS; Opulus Press.

Noise pollution mapping approach and accuracy on landscape scales.

PubMed

Iglesias Merchan, Carlos; Diaz-Balteiro, Luis

2013-04-01

Noise mapping allows the characterization of environmental variables, such as noise pollution or soundscape, depending on the task. Strategic noise mapping (as per Directive 2002/49/EC, 2002) is a tool intended for the assessment of noise pollution at the European level every five years. These maps are based on common methods and procedures intended for human exposure assessment in the European Union that could be also be adapted for assessing environmental noise pollution in natural parks. However, given the size of such areas, there could be an alternative approach to soundscape characterization rather than using human noise exposure procedures. It is possible to optimize the size of the mapping grid used for such work by taking into account the attributes of the area to be studied and the desired outcome. This would then optimize the mapping time and the cost. This type of optimization is important in noise assessment as well as in the study of other environmental variables. This study compares 15 models, using different grid sizes, to assess the accuracy of the noise mapping of the road traffic noise at a landscape scale, with respect to noise and landscape indicators. In a study area located in the Manzanares High River Basin Regional Park in Spain, different accuracy levels (Kappa index values from 0.725 to 0.987) were obtained depending on the terrain and noise source properties. The time taken for the calculations and the noise mapping accuracy results reveal the potential for setting the map resolution in line with decision-makers' criteria and budget considerations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gap Analysis of Benthic Mapping at Three National Parks: Assateague Island National Seashore, Channel Islands National Park, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Kathryn V.; Nayegandhi, Amar; Moses, Christopher S.; Beavers, Rebecca; Lavoie, Dawn; Brock, John C.

2012-01-01

The National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program initiated a benthic habitat mapping program in ocean and coastal parks in 2008-2009 in alignment with the NPS Ocean Park Stewardship 2007-2008 Action Plan. With more than 80 ocean and Great Lakes parks encompassing approximately 2.5 million acres of submerged territory and approximately 12,000 miles of coastline (Curdts, 2011), this Servicewide Benthic Mapping Program (SBMP) is essential. This report presents an initial gap analysis of three pilot parks under the SBMP: Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), Channel Islands National Park (CHIS), and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) (fig. 1). The recommended SBMP protocols include servicewide standards (for example, gap analysis, minimum accuracy, final products) as well as standards that can be adapted to fit network and park unit needs (for example, minimum mapping unit, mapping priorities). The SBMP requires the inventory and mapping of critical components of coastal and marine ecosystems: bathymetry, geoforms, surface geology, and biotic cover. In order for a park unit benthic inventory to be considered complete, maps of bathymetry and other key components must be combined into a final report (Moses and others, 2010). By this standard, none of the three pilot parks are mapped (inventoried) to completion with respect to submerged resources. After compiling the existing benthic datasets for these parks, this report has concluded that CHIS, with 49 percent of its submerged area mapped, has the most complete benthic inventory of the three. The ASIS submerged inventory is 41 percent complete, and SLBE is 17.5 percent complete.

Feature Orientation and Positional Accuracy Assessment of Digital Orthophoto and Line Map for Large Scale Mapping: the Case Study on Bahir Dar Town, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisay, Z. G.; Besha, T.; Gessesse, B.

2017-05-01

This study used in-situ GPS data to validate the accuracy of horizontal coordinates and orientation of linear features of orthophoto and line map for Bahir Dar city. GPS data is processed using GAMIT/GLOBK and Lieca GeoOfice (LGO) in a least square sense with a tie to local and regional GPS reference stations to predict horizontal coordinates at five checkpoints. Real-Time-Kinematic GPS measurement technique is used to collect the coordinates of road centerline to test the accuracy associated with the orientation of the photogrammetric line map. The accuracy of orthophoto was evaluated by comparing with in-situ GPS coordinates and it is in a good agreement with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 12.45 cm in x- and 13.97 cm in y-coordinates, on the other hand, 6.06 cm with 95 % confidence level - GPS coordinates from GAMIT/GLOBK. Whereas, the horizontal coordinates of the orthophoto are in agreement with in-situ GPS coordinates at an accuracy of 16.71 cm and 18.98 cm in x and y-directions respectively and 11.07 cm with 95 % confidence level - GPS data is processed by LGO and a tie to local GPS network. Similarly, the accuracy of linear feature is in a good fit with in-situ GPS measurement. The GPS coordinates of the road centerline deviates from the corresponding coordinates of line map by a mean value of 9.18 cm in x- direction and -14.96 cm in y-direction. Therefore, it can be concluded that, the accuracy of the orthophoto and line map is within the national standard of error budget ( 25 cm).

An accuracy assessment of forest disturbance mapping in the western Great Lakes

Treesearch

P.L. Zimmerman; I.W. Housman; C.H. Perry; R.A. Chastain; J.B. Webb; M.V. Finco

2013-01-01

The increasing availability of satellite imagery has spurred the production of thematic land cover maps based on satellite data. These maps are more valuable to the scientific community and land managers when the accuracy of their classifications has been assessed. Here, we assessed the accuracy of a map of forest disturbance in the watersheds of Lake Superior and Lake...

Accuracy of lineaments mapping from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Short, Nicholas M.

1989-01-01

The use of Landsat and other space imaging systems for lineaments detection is analyzed in terms of their effectiveness in recognizing and mapping fractures and faults, and the results of several studies providing a quantitative assessment of lineaments mapping accuracies are discussed. The cases under investigation include a Landsat image of the surface overlying a part of the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, the Landsat images and selected radar imagery of major lineaments systems distributed over much of Canadian Shield, and space imagery covering a part of the East African Rift in Kenya. It is demonstrated that space imagery can detect a significant portion of a region's fracture pattern, however, significant fractions of faults and fractures recorded on a field-produced geological map are missing from the imagery as it is evident in the Kenya case.

Maps for the nation: The current federal mapping establishment

USGS Publications Warehouse

North, G.W.

1983-01-01

The U.S. Government annually produces an estimated 53,000 new maps and charts and distributes about 160 million copies. A large number of these maps are produced under the national mapping program, a decentralized Federal/State cooperative approach to mapping the country at standard scales. Circular A-16, issued by the Office of Management and Budget in 1953 and revised in 1967, delegates the mapping responsibilities to various federal agencies. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Geological Survey is the principal federal agency responsible for implementing the national mapping program. Other major federal map producing agencies include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. To make maps and mapping information more readily available, the National Cartographic Information Center was established in 1974 and an expanded National Map Library Depository Program in 1981. The most recent of many technological advances made under the mapping program are in the areas of digital cartography and video disc and optical disc information storage systems. Future trends and changes in the federal mapping program will involve expanded information and customer service operations, further developments in the production and use of digital cartographic data, and consideration of a Federal Mapping Agency. ?? 1983.

THEMATIC ACCURACY OF THE 1992 NATIONAL LAND-COVER DATA (NLCD) FOR THE EASTERN UNITED STATES: STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY AND REGIONAL RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

The accuracy of the National Land Cover Data (NLCD) map is assessed via a probability sampling design incorporating three levels of stratification and two stages of selection. Agreement between the map and reference land-cover labels is defined as a match between the primary or a...

Crowdsourcing The National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCartney, Elizabeth; Craun, Kari J.; Korris, Erin M.; Brostuen, David A.; Moore, Laurence R.

2015-01-01

Using crowdsourcing techniques, the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) project known as “The National Map Corps (TNMCorps)” encourages citizen scientists to collect and edit data about man-made structures in an effort to provide accurate and authoritative map data for the USGS National Geospatial Program’s web-based The National Map. VGI is not new to the USGS, but past efforts have been hampered by available technologies. Building on lessons learned, TNMCorps volunteers are successfully editing 10 different structure types in all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Structures data collection for The National Map using volunteered geographic information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poore, Barbara S.; Wolf, Eric B.; Korris, Erin M.; Walter, Jennifer L.; Matthews, Greg D.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has historically sponsored volunteered data collection projects to enhance its topographic paper and digital map products. This report describes one phase of an ongoing project to encourage volunteers to contribute data to The National Map using online editing tools. The USGS recruited students studying geographic information systems (GIS) at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Denver in the spring of 2011 to add data on structures - manmade features such as schools, hospitals, and libraries - to four quadrangles covering metropolitan Denver. The USGS customized a version of the online Potlatch editor created by the OpenStreetMap project and populated it with 30 structure types drawn from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a USGS database of geographic features. The students corrected the location and attributes of these points and added information on structures that were missing. There were two rounds of quality control. Student volunteers reviewed each point, and an in-house review of each point by the USGS followed. Nine-hundred and thirty-eight structure points were initially downloaded from the USGS database. Editing and quality control resulted in 1,214 structure points that were subsequently added to The National Map. A post-project analysis of the data shows that after student edit and peer review, 92 percent of the points contributed by volunteers met National Map Accuracy Standards for horizontal accuracy. Lessons from this project will be applied to later phases. These include: simplifying editing tasks and the user interfaces, stressing to volunteers the importance of adding structures that are missing, and emphasizing the importance of conforming to editorial guidelines for formatting names and addresses of structures. The next phase of the project will encompass the entire State of Colorado and will allow any citizen to contribute structures data. Volunteers will benefit from this

DESIGNA ND ANALYSIS FOR THEMATIC MAP ACCURACY ASSESSMENT: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

EPA Science Inventory

Before being used in scientific investigations and policy decisions, thematic maps constructed from remotely sensed data should be subjected to a statistically rigorous accuracy assessment. The three basic components of an accuracy assessment are: 1) the sampling design used to s...

Mapping invasive wetland plants in the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve using quickbird satellite imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laba, M.; Downs, R.; Smith, S.; Welsh, S.; Neider, C.; White, S.; Richmond, M.; Philpot, W.; Baveye, P.

2008-01-01

The National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) program is a nationally coordinated research and monitoring program that identifies and tracks changes in ecological resources of representative estuarine ecosystems and coastal watersheds. In recent years, attention has focused on using high spatial and spectral resolution satellite imagery to map and monitor wetland plant communities in the NERRs, particularly invasive plant species. The utility of this technology for that purpose has yet to be assessed in detail. To that end, a specific high spatial resolution satellite imagery, QuickBird, was used to map plant communities and monitor invasive plants within the Hudson River NERR (HRNERR). The HRNERR contains four diverse tidal wetlands (Stockport Flats, Tivoli Bays, Iona Island, and Piermont), each with unique water chemistry (i.e., brackish, oligotrophic and fresh) and, consequently, unique assemblages of plant communities, including three invasive plants (Trapa natans, Phragmites australis, and Lythrum salicaria). A maximum-likelihood classification was used to produce 20-class land cover maps for each of the four marshes within the HRNERR. Conventional contingency tables and a fuzzy set analysis served as a basis for an accuracy assessment of these maps. The overall accuracies, as assessed by the contingency tables, were 73.6%, 68.4%, 67.9%, and 64.9% for Tivoli Bays, Stockport Flats, Piermont, and Iona Island, respectively. Fuzzy assessment tables lead to higher estimates of map accuracies of 83%, 75%, 76%, and 76%, respectively. In general, the open water/tidal channel class was the most accurately mapped class and Scirpus sp. was the least accurately mapped. These encouraging accuracies suggest that high-resolution satellite imagery offers significant potential for the mapping of invasive plant species in estuarine environments. ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toward a national fuels mapping strategy: Lessons from selected mapping programs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loveland, Thomas R.

2001-01-01

The establishment of a robust national fuels mapping program must be based on pertinent lessons from relevant national mapping programs. Many large-area mapping programs are under way in numerous Federal agencies. Each of these programs follows unique strategies to achieve mapping goals and objectives. Implementation approaches range from highly centralized programs that use tightly integrated standards and dedicated staff, to dispersed programs that permit considerable flexibility. One model facilitates national consistency, while the other allows accommodation of locally relevant conditions and issues. An examination of the programmatic strategies of four national vegetation and land cover mapping initiatives can identify the unique approaches, accomplishments, and lessons of each that should be considered in the design of a national fuel mapping program. The first three programs are the U.S. Geological Survey Gap Analysis Program, the U.S. Geological Survey National Land Cover Characterization Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey National Wetlands Inventory. A fourth program, the interagency Multiresolution Land Characterization Program, offers insights in the use of partnerships to accomplish mapping goals. Collectively, the programs provide lessons, guiding principles, and other basic concepts that can be used to design a successful national fuels mapping initiative.

National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program: Natchez Trace Parkway vegetation mapping project report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hop, Kevin D.; Strassman, Andrew C.; Nordman, Carl; Pyne, Milo; White, Rickie; Jakusz, Joseph; Hoy, Erin E.; Dieck, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Mapping Inventory (VMI) Program is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VMI Program is managed by the NPS I&M Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, NatureServe, NPS Gulf Coast Network, and NPS Natchez Trace Parkway (NATR; also referred to as Parkway) have completed vegetation classification and mapping of NATR for the NPS VMI Program.Mappers, ecologists, and botanists collaborated to affirm vegetation types within the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) of NATR and to determine how best to map them by using aerial imagery. Analyses of data from 589 vegetation plots had been used to describe an initial 99 USNVC associations in the Parkway; this classification work was completed prior to beginning this NATR vegetation mapping project. Data were collected during this project from another eight quick plots to support new vegetation types not previously identified at the Parkway. Data from 120 verification sites were collected to test the field key to vegetation associations and the application of vegetation associations to a sample set of map polygons. Furthermore, data from 900 accuracy assessment (AA) sites were collected (of which 894 were used to test accuracy of the vegetation map layer). The collective of all these datasets resulted in affirming 122 USNVC associations at NATR.To map the vegetation and open water of NATR, 63 map classes were developed. including the following: 54 map classes represent natural (including ruderal) vegetation types in the USNVC, 5 map classes represent cultural (agricultural and developed) vegetation types in the USNVC, 3 map classes represent nonvegetation open-water bodies (non-USNVC), and 1 map class represents landscapes that

Combining accuracy assessment of land-cover maps with environmental monitoring programs

Treesearch

Stephen V. Stehman; Raymond L. Czaplewski; Sarah M. Nusser; Limin Yang; Zhiliang Zhu

2000-01-01

A scientifically valid accuracy assessment of a large-area, land-cover map is expensive. Environmental monitoring programs offer a potential source of data to partially defray the cost of accuracy assessment while still maintaining the statistical validity. In this article, three general strategies for combining accuracy assessment and environmental monitoring...

The National Map: from geography to mapping and back again

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelmelis, John A.; DeMulder, Mark L.; Ogrosky, Charles E.; Van Driel, J. Nicholas; Ryan, Barbara J.

2003-01-01

When the means of production for national base mapping were capital intensive, required large production facilities, and had ill-defined markets, Federal Government mapping agencies were the primary providers of the spatial data needed for economic development, environmental management, and national defense. With desktop geographic information systems now ubiquitous, source data available as a commodity from private industry, and the realization that many complex problems faced by society need far more and different kinds of spatial data for their solutions, national mapping organizations must realign their business strategies to meet growing demand and anticipate the needs of a rapidly changing geographic information environment. The National Map of the United States builds on a sound historic foundation of describing and monitoring the land surface and adds a focused effort to produce improved understanding, modeling, and prediction of land-surface change. These added dimensions bring to bear a broader spectrum of geographic science to address extant and emerging issues. Within the overarching construct of The National Map, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is making a transition from data collector to guarantor of national data completeness; from producing paper maps to supporting an online, seamless, integrated database; and from simply describing the Nation’s landscape to linking these descriptions with increased scientific understanding. Implementing the full spectrum of geographic science addresses a myriad of public policy issues, including land and natural resource management, recreation, urban growth, human health, and emergency planning, response, and recovery. Neither these issues nor the science and technologies needed to deal with them are static. A robust research agenda is needed to understand these changes and realize The National Map vision. Initial successes have been achieved. These accomplishments demonstrate the utility of

The National Map - Orthoimagery Layer

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2007-01-01

Many Federal, State, and local agencies use a common set of framework geographic information databases as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and homeland security applications rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continually maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, framework geographic information databases. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using data easily and consistently. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. The National Map includes digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information.

The National Map Pilot Projects

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other government and private sector data easily and consistently.

Accuracy assessment of a mobile terrestrial lidar survey at Padre Island National Seashore

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lim, Samsung; Thatcher, Cindy A.; Brock, John C.; Kimbrow, Dustin R.; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Reynolds, B.J.

2013-01-01

The higher point density and mobility of terrestrial laser scanning (light detection and ranging (lidar)) is desired when extremely detailed elevation data are needed for mapping vertically orientated complex features such as levees, dunes, and cliffs, or when highly accurate data are needed for monitoring geomorphic changes. Mobile terrestrial lidar scanners have the capability for rapid data collection on a larger spatial scale compared with tripod-based terrestrial lidar, but few studies have examined the accuracy of this relatively new mapping technology. For this reason, we conducted a field test at Padre Island National Seashore of a mobile lidar scanner mounted on a sport utility vehicle and integrated with a position and orientation system. The purpose of the study was to assess the vertical and horizontal accuracy of data collected by the mobile terrestrial lidar system, which is georeferenced to the Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. To accomplish the study objectives, independent elevation data were collected by conducting a high-accuracy global positioning system survey to establish the coordinates and elevations of 12 targets spaced throughout the 12 km transect. These independent ground control data were compared to the lidar scanner-derived elevations to quantify the accuracy of the mobile lidar system. The performance of the mobile lidar system was also tested at various vehicle speeds and scan density settings (e.g. field of view and linear point spacing) to estimate the optimal parameters for desired point density. After adjustment of the lever arm parameters, the final point cloud accuracy was 0.060 m (east), 0.095 m (north), and 0.053 m (height). The very high density of the resulting point cloud was sufficient to map fine-scale topographic features, such as the complex shape of the sand dunes.

Accuracy assessment of maps of forest condition: Statistical design and methodological considerations [Chapter 5

Treesearch

Raymond L. Czaplewski

2003-01-01

No thematic map is perfect. Some pixels or polygons are not accurately classified, no matter how well the map is crafted. Therefore, thematic maps need metadata that sufficiently characterize the nature and degree of these imperfections. To decision-makers, an accuracy assessment helps judge the risks of using imperfect geospatial data. To analysts, an accuracy...

Design and analysis for thematic map accuracy assessment: Fundamental principles

Treesearch

Stephen V. Stehman; Raymond L. Czaplewski

1998-01-01

Land-cover maps are used in numerous natural resource applications to describe the spatial distribution and pattern of land-cover, to estimate areal extent of various cover classes, or as input into habitat suitability models, land-cover change analyses, hydrological models, and risk analyses. Accuracy assessment quantifies data quality so that map users may evaluate...

Will it Blend? Visualization and Accuracy Evaluation of High-Resolution Fuzzy Vegetation Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zlinszky, A.; Kania, A.

2016-06-01

Instead of assigning every map pixel to a single class, fuzzy classification includes information on the class assigned to each pixel but also the certainty of this class and the alternative possible classes based on fuzzy set theory. The advantages of fuzzy classification for vegetation mapping are well recognized, but the accuracy and uncertainty of fuzzy maps cannot be directly quantified with indices developed for hard-boundary categorizations. The rich information in such a map is impossible to convey with a single map product or accuracy figure. Here we introduce a suite of evaluation indices and visualization products for fuzzy maps generated with ensemble classifiers. We also propose a way of evaluating classwise prediction certainty with "dominance profiles" visualizing the number of pixels in bins according to the probability of the dominant class, also showing the probability of all the other classes. Together, these data products allow a quantitative understanding of the rich information in a fuzzy raster map both for individual classes and in terms of variability in space, and also establish the connection between spatially explicit class certainty and traditional accuracy metrics. These map products are directly comparable to widely used hard boundary evaluation procedures, support active learning-based iterative classification and can be applied for operational use.

The National Map product and services directory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newell, Mark R.

2008-01-01

As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP), The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, state, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web, as products, and as downloadable data. The geographic information available from The National Map includes orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation, geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover. Other types of geographic information can be added to create specific types of maps. Of major importance, The National Map currently is being transformed to better serve the geospatial community. The USGS National Geospatial Program Office (NGPO) was established to provide leadership for placing geographic knowledge at the fingertips of the Nation. The office supports The National Map, Geospatial One-Stop (GOS), National Atlas of the United States®, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). This integrated portfolio of geospatial information and data supports the essential components of delivering the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and capitalizing on the power of place.

Accuracy assessment, using stratified plurality sampling, of portions of a LANDSAT classification of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Card, Don H.; Strong, Laurence L.

1989-01-01

An application of a classification accuracy assessment procedure is described for a vegetation and land cover map prepared by digital image processing of LANDSAT multispectral scanner data. A statistical sampling procedure called Stratified Plurality Sampling was used to assess the accuracy of portions of a map of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain. Results are tabulated as percent correct classification overall as well as per category with associated confidence intervals. Although values of percent correct were disappointingly low for most categories, the study was useful in highlighting sources of classification error and demonstrating shortcomings of the plurality sampling method.

The National Map seamless digital elevation model specifications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Archuleta, Christy-Ann M.; Constance, Eric W.; Arundel, Samantha T.; Lowe, Amanda J.; Mantey, Kimberly S.; Phillips, Lori A.

2017-08-02

This specification documents the requirements and standards used to produce the seamless elevation layers for The National Map of the United States. Seamless elevation data are available for the conterminous United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. territories, in three different resolutions—1/3-arc-second, 1-arc-second, and 2-arc-second. These specifications include requirements and standards information about source data requirements, spatial reference system, distribution tiling schemes, horizontal resolution, vertical accuracy, digital elevation model surface treatment, georeferencing, data source and tile dates, distribution and supporting file formats, void areas, metadata, spatial metadata, and quality assurance and control.

Thematic accuracy of the 1992 National Land-Cover Data for the eastern United States: Statistical methodology and regional results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stehman, S.V.; Wickham, J.D.; Smith, J.H.; Yang, L.

2003-01-01

The accuracy of the 1992 National Land-Cover Data (NLCD) map is assessed via a probability sampling design incorporating three levels of stratification and two stages of selection. Agreement between the map and reference land-cover labels is defined as a match between the primary or alternate reference label determined for a sample pixel and a mode class of the mapped 3×3 block of pixels centered on the sample pixel. Results are reported for each of the four regions comprising the eastern United States for both Anderson Level I and II classifications. Overall accuracies for Levels I and II are 80% and 46% for New England, 82% and 62% for New York/New Jersey (NY/NJ), 70% and 43% for the Mid-Atlantic, and 83% and 66% for the Southeast.

MapEdit: solution to continuous raster map creation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rančić, Dejan; Djordjevi-Kajan, Slobodanka

2003-03-01

The paper describes MapEdit, MS Windows TM software for georeferencing and rectification of scanned paper maps. The software produces continuous raster maps which can be used as background in geographical information systems. Process of continuous raster map creation using MapEdit "mosaicking" function is also described as well as the georeferencing and rectification algorithms which are used in MapEdit. Our approach for georeferencing and rectification using four control points and two linear transformations for each scanned map part, together with nearest neighbor resampling method, represents low cost—high speed solution that produce continuous raster maps with satisfactory quality for many purposes (±1 pixel). Quality assessment of several continuous raster maps at different scales that have been created using our software and methodology, has been undertaken and results are presented in the paper. For the quality control of the produced raster maps we referred to three wide adopted standards: US Standard for Digital Cartographic Data, National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy and US National Map Accuracy Standard. The results obtained during the quality assessment process are given in the paper and show that our maps meat all three standards.

Thematic accuracy of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 land cover for Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Selkowitz, D.J.; Stehman, S.V.

2011-01-01

The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 Alaska land cover classification is the first 30-m resolution land cover product available covering the entire state of Alaska. The accuracy assessment of the NLCD 2001 Alaska land cover classification employed a geographically stratified three-stage sampling design to select the reference sample of pixels. Reference land cover class labels were determined via fixed wing aircraft, as the high resolution imagery used for determining the reference land cover classification in the conterminous U.S. was not available for most of Alaska. Overall thematic accuracy for the Alaska NLCD was 76.2% (s.e. 2.8%) at Level II (12 classes evaluated) and 83.9% (s.e. 2.1%) at Level I (6 classes evaluated) when agreement was defined as a match between the map class and either the primary or alternate reference class label. When agreement was defined as a match between the map class and primary reference label only, overall accuracy was 59.4% at Level II and 69.3% at Level I. The majority of classification errors occurred at Level I of the classification hierarchy (i.e., misclassifications were generally to a different Level I class, not to a Level II class within the same Level I class). Classification accuracy was higher for more abundant land cover classes and for pixels located in the interior of homogeneous land cover patches. ?? 2011.

Using known map category marginal frequencies to improve estimates of thematic map accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Card, D. H.

1982-01-01

By means of two simple sampling plans suggested in the accuracy-assessment literature, it is shown how one can use knowledge of map-category relative sizes to improve estimates of various probabilities. The fact that maximum likelihood estimates of cell probabilities for the simple random sampling and map category-stratified sampling were identical has permitted a unified treatment of the contingency-table analysis. A rigorous analysis of the effect of sampling independently within map categories is made possible by results for the stratified case. It is noted that such matters as optimal sample size selection for the achievement of a desired level of precision in various estimators are irrelevant, since the estimators derived are valid irrespective of how sample sizes are chosen.

Similarity and accuracy of mental models formed during nursing handovers: A concept mapping approach.

PubMed

Drach-Zahavy, Anat; Broyer, Chaya; Dagan, Efrat

2017-09-01

Shared mental models are crucial for constructing mutual understanding of the patient's condition during a clinical handover. Yet, scant research, if any, has empirically explored mental models of the parties involved in a clinical handover. This study aimed to examine the similarities among mental models of incoming and outgoing nurses, and to test their accuracy by comparing them with mental models of expert nurses. A cross-sectional study, exploring nurses' mental models via the concept mapping technique. 40 clinical handovers. Data were collected via concept mapping of the incoming, outgoing, and expert nurses' mental models (total of 120 concept maps). Similarity and accuracy for concepts and associations indexes were calculated to compare the different maps. About one fifth of the concepts emerged in both outgoing and incoming nurses' concept maps (concept similarity=23%±10.6). Concept accuracy indexes were 35%±18.8 for incoming and 62%±19.6 for outgoing nurses' maps. Although incoming nurses absorbed fewer number of concepts and associations (23% and 12%, respectively), they partially closed the gap (35% and 22%, respectively) relative to expert nurses' maps. The correlations between concept similarities, and incoming as well as outgoing nurses' concept accuracy, were significant (r=0.43, p<0.01; r=0.68 p<0.01, respectively). Finally, in 90% of the maps, outgoing nurses added information concerning the processes enacted during the shift, beyond the expert nurses' gold standard. Two seemingly contradicting processes in the handover were identified. "Information loss", captured by the low similarity indexes among the mental models of incoming and outgoing nurses; and "information restoration", based on accuracy measures indexes among the mental models of the incoming nurses. Based on mental model theory, we propose possible explanations for these processes and derive implications for how to improve a clinical handover. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All

To the National Map and beyond

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelmelis, J.

2003-01-01

Scientific understanding, technology, and social, economic, and environmental conditions have driven a rapidly changing demand for geographic information, both digital and analog. For more than a decade, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been developing innovative partnerships with other government agencies and private industry to produce and distribute geographic information efficiently; increase activities in remote sensing to ensure ongoing monitoring of the land surface; and develop new understanding of the causes and consequences of land surface change. These activities are now contributing to a more robust set of geographic information called The National Map (TNM). The National Map is designed to provide an up-to-date, seamless, horizontally and vertically integrated set of basic digital geographic data, a frequent monitoring of changes on the land surface, and an understanding of the condition of the Earth's surface and many of the processes that shape it. The USGS has reorganized its National Mapping Program into three programs to address the continuum of scientific activities-describing (mapping), monitoring, understanding, modeling, and predicting. The Cooperative Topographic Mapping Program focuses primarily on the mapping and revision aspects of TNM. The National Map also includes results from the Land Remote Sensing and Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Programs that provide continual updates, new insights, and analytical tools. The National Map is valuable as a framework for current research, management, and operational activities. It also provides a critical framework for the development of distributed, spatially enabled decision support systems.

Influence of lidar, Landsat imagery, disturbance history, plot location accuracy, and plot size on accuracy of imputation maps of forest composition and structure

Treesearch

Harold S.J. Zald; Janet L. Ohmann; Heather M. Roberts; Matthew J. Gregory; Emilie B. Henderson; Robert J. McGaughey; Justin Braaten

2014-01-01

This study investigated how lidar-derived vegetation indices, disturbance history from Landsat time series (LTS) imagery, plot location accuracy, and plot size influenced accuracy of statistical spatial models (nearest-neighbor imputation maps) of forest vegetation composition and structure. Nearest-neighbor (NN) imputation maps were developed for 539,000 ha in the...

Mapping soil texture classes and optimization of the result by accuracy assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laborczi, Annamária; Takács, Katalin; Bakacsi, Zsófia; Szabó, József; Pásztor, László

2014-05-01

There are increasing demands nowadays on spatial soil information in order to support environmental related and land use management decisions. The GlobalSoilMap.net (GSM) project aims to make a new digital soil map of the world using state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for soil mapping and predicting soil properties at fine resolution. Sand, silt and clay are among the mandatory GSM soil properties. Furthermore, soil texture class information is input data of significant agro-meteorological and hydrological models. Our present work aims to compare and evaluate different digital soil mapping methods and variables for producing the most accurate spatial prediction of texture classes in Hungary. In addition to the Hungarian Soil Information and Monitoring System as our basic data, digital elevation model and its derived components, geological database, and physical property maps of the Digital Kreybig Soil Information System have been applied as auxiliary elements. Two approaches have been applied for the mapping process. At first the sand, silt and clay rasters have been computed independently using regression kriging (RK). From these rasters, according to the USDA categories, we have compiled the texture class map. Different combinations of reference and training soil data and auxiliary covariables have resulted several different maps. However, these results consequentially include the uncertainty factor of the three kriged rasters. Therefore we have suited data mining methods as the other approach of digital soil mapping. By working out of classification trees and random forests we have got directly the texture class maps. In this way the various results can be compared to the RK maps. The performance of the different methods and data has been examined by testing the accuracy of the geostatistically computed and the directly classified results. We have used the GSM methodology to assess the most predictive and accurate way for getting the best among the

Mapping Applications Center, National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1996-01-01

The Mapping Applications Center (MAC), National Mapping Division (NMD), is the eastern regional center for coordinating the production, distribution, and sale of maps and digital products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It is located in the John Wesley Powell Federal Building in Reston, Va. The MAC's major functions are to (1) establish and manage cooperative mapping programs with State and Federal agencies; (2) perform new research in preparing and applying geospatial information; (3) prepare digital cartographic data, special purpose maps, and standard maps from traditional and classified source materials; (4) maintain the domestic names program of the United States; (5) manage the National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP); (6) coordinate the NMD's publications and outreach programs; and (7) direct the USGS mapprinting operations.

The National Map - Orthoimagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mauck, James; Brown, Kim; Carswell, William J.

2009-01-01

Orthorectified digital aerial photographs and satellite images of 1-meter (m) pixel resolution or finer make up the orthoimagery component of The National Map. The process of orthorectification removes feature displacements and scale variations caused by terrain relief and sensor geometry. The result is a combination of the image characteristics of an aerial photograph or satellite image and the geometric qualities of a map. These attributes allow users to: *Measure distance *Calculate areas *Determine shapes of features *Calculate directions *Determine accurate coordinates *Determine land cover and use *Perform change detection *Update maps The standard digital orthoimage is a 1-m or finer resolution, natural color or color infra-red product. Most are now produced as GeoTIFFs and accompanied by a Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)-compliant metadata file. The primary source for 1-m data is the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) leaf-on imagery. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) utilizes NAIP imagery as the image layer on its 'Digital- Map' - a new generation of USGS topographic maps (http://nationalmap.gov/digital_map). However, many Federal, State, and local governments and organizations require finer resolutions to meet a myriad of needs. Most of these images are leaf-off, natural-color products at resolutions of 1-foot (ft) or finer.

Airborne laser mapping of Assateague National Seashore Beach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krabill, W.B.; Wright, C.W.; Swift, R.N.; Frederick, E.B.; Manizade, S.S.; Yungel, J.K.; Martin, C.F.; Sonntag, J.G.; Duffy, Mark; Hulslander, William; Brock, John C.

2000-01-01

Results are presented from topographic surveys of the Assateague Island National Seashore using an airborne scanning laser altimeter and kinematic Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. The instrument used was the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), developed by the NASA Arctic Ice Mapping (AIM) group from the Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility. In November, 1995, and again in May, 1996, these topographic surveys were flown as a functionality check prior to conducting missions to measure the elevation of extensive sections of the Greenland Ice Sheet as part of NASA's Global Climate Change program. Differences between overlapping portions of both surveys are compared for quality control. An independent assessment of the accuracy of the ATM survey is provided by comparison to surface surveys which were conducted using standard techniques. The goal of these projects is to make these measurements to an accuracy of ± 10 cm. Differences between the fall 1995 and 1996 surveys provides an assessment of net changes in the beach morphology over an annual cycle.

Accuracy assessment of vegetation community maps generated by aerial photography interpretation: perspective from the tropical savanna, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Donna L.; Phinn, Stuart

2011-01-01

Aerial photography interpretation is the most common mapping technique in the world. However, unlike an algorithm-based classification of satellite imagery, accuracy of aerial photography interpretation generated maps is rarely assessed. Vegetation communities covering an area of 530 km2 on Bullo River Station, Northern Territory, Australia, were mapped using an interpretation of 1:50,000 color aerial photography. Manual stereoscopic line-work was delineated at 1:10,000 and thematic maps generated at 1:25,000 and 1:100,000. Multivariate and intuitive analysis techniques were employed to identify 22 vegetation communities within the study area. The accuracy assessment was based on 50% of a field dataset collected over a 4 year period (2006 to 2009) and the remaining 50% of sites were used for map attribution. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient for both thematic maps was 66.67% and 0.63, respectively, calculated from standard error matrices. Our findings highlight the need for appropriate scales of mapping and accuracy assessment of aerial photography interpretation generated vegetation community maps.

National Atlas of the United States Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

The "National Atlas of the United States of America®", published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1970, is out of print, but many of its maps can be purchased separately. Maps that span facing pages in the atlas are printed on one sheet. Maps dated after 1970 and before 1997 are either revisions of original atlas maps or new maps published in the original atlas format. The USGS and its partners in government and industry began work on a new "National Atlas" in 1997. Though most new atlas products are designed for the World Wide Web, we are continuing our tradition of printing high-quality maps of America. In 1998, the first completely redesigned maps of the "National Atlas of the United States®" were published.

Cost, accuracy, and consistency comparisons of land use maps made from high-altitutde aircraft photography and ERTS imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, Katherine A.

1975-01-01

Accuracy analyses for the land use maps of the Central Atlantic Regional Ecological Test Site were performed for a 1-percent sample of the area. Researchers compared Level II land use maps produced at three scales, 1:24,000, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000 from high-altitude photography, with each other and with point data obtained in the field. They employed the same procedures to determine the accuracy of the Level I land use maps produced at 1:250,000 from high-altitude photography and color composite ERTS imagery. The accuracy of the Level II maps was 84.9 percent at 1:24,000, 77.4 percent at 1:100,000, and 73.0 percent at 1:250,000. The accuracy of the Level I 1:250,000 maps produced from high-altitude aircraft photography was 76.5 percent and for those produced from ERTS imagery was 69.5 percent The cost of Level II land use mapping at 1:24,000 was found to be high ($11.93 per km2 ). The cost of mapping at 1:100,000 ($1.75) was about 2 times as expensive as mapping at 1:250,000 ($.88), and the accuracy increased by only 4.4 percent. Level I land use maps, when mapped from highaltitude photography, were about 4 times as expensive as the maps produced from ERTS imagery, although the accuracy is 7.0 percent greater. The Level I land use category that is least accurately mapped from ERTS imagery is urban and built-up land in the non-urban areas; in the urbanized areas, built-up land is more reliably mapped.

ASSESSING ACCURACY OF NET CHANGE DERIVED FROM LAND COVER MAPS

EPA Science Inventory

Net change derived from land-cover maps provides important descriptive information for environmental monitoring and is often used as an input or explanatory variable in environmental models. The sampling design and analysis for assessing net change accuracy differ from traditio...

National Magnetic Anomaly Map

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1976-01-01

A record of the conclusions of a three-day meeting and workshop of the Committee for a National Magnetic Anomaly Map held in February 1976 is presented. The purpose of he workshop was to prepare a statement of the benefits, objectives, specifications, and requirements of a NMAM and establish a working plan for producing the map. (ACR)

Assessment of the Thematic Accuracy of Land Cover Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höhle, J.

2015-08-01

Several land cover maps are generated from aerial imagery and assessed by different approaches. The test site is an urban area in Europe for which six classes (`building', `hedge and bush', `grass', `road and parking lot', `tree', `wall and car port') had to be derived. Two classification methods were applied (`Decision Tree' and `Support Vector Machine') using only two attributes (height above ground and normalized difference vegetation index) which both are derived from the images. The assessment of the thematic accuracy applied a stratified design and was based on accuracy measures such as user's and producer's accuracy, and kappa coefficient. In addition, confidence intervals were computed for several accuracy measures. The achieved accuracies and confidence intervals are thoroughly analysed and recommendations are derived from the gained experiences. Reliable reference values are obtained using stereovision, false-colour image pairs, and positioning to the checkpoints with 3D coordinates. The influence of the training areas on the results is studied. Cross validation has been tested with a few reference points in order to derive approximate accuracy measures. The two classification methods perform equally for five classes. Trees are classified with a much better accuracy and a smaller confidence interval by means of the decision tree method. Buildings are classified by both methods with an accuracy of 99% (95% CI: 95%-100%) using independent 3D checkpoints. The average width of the confidence interval of six classes was 14% of the user's accuracy.

The National Map: New Viewer, Services, and Data Download

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dollison, Robert M.

2010-01-01

Managed by the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map has transitioned data assets and viewer applications to a new visualization and product and service delivery environment, which includes an improved viewing platform, base map data and overlay services, and an integrated data download service. This new viewing solution expands upon the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) Palanterra X3 viewer, providing a solid technology foundation for navigation and basic Web mapping functionality. Building upon the NGA viewer allows The National Map to focus on improving data services, functions, and data download capabilities. Initially released to the public at the 125th anniversary of mapping in the USGS on December 3, 2009, the viewer and services are now the primary distribution point for The National Map data. The National Map Viewer: http://viewer.nationalmap.gov

Initial implementation of The National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roth, K.

2003-01-01

The development of The National Map is "national" in the broadest sense of the word. Although the U.S. Geological Survey is taking the lead, local governments, states, and regions are active and essential partners in the process, contributing, for example, data updates, problem-solving data integration, and map development from multiple data layers.

Characteristics of Marine Gravity Anomaly Reference Maps and Accuracy Analysis of Gravity Matching-Aided Navigation.

PubMed

Wang, Hubiao; Wu, Lin; Chai, Hua; Xiao, Yaofei; Hsu, Houtse; Wang, Yong

2017-08-10

The variation of a marine gravity anomaly reference map is one of the important factors that affect the location accuracy of INS/Gravity integrated navigation systems in underwater navigation. In this study, based on marine gravity anomaly reference maps, new characteristic parameters of the gravity anomaly were constructed. Those characteristic values were calculated for 13 zones (105°-145° E, 0°-40° N) in the Western Pacific area, and simulation experiments of gravity matching-aided navigation were run. The influence of gravity variations on the accuracy of gravity matching-aided navigation was analyzed, and location accuracy of gravity matching in different zones was determined. Studies indicate that the new parameters may better characterize the marine gravity anomaly. Given the precision of current gravimeters and the resolution and accuracy of reference maps, the location accuracy of gravity matching in China's Western Pacific area is ~1.0-4.0 nautical miles (n miles). In particular, accuracy in regions around the South China Sea and Sulu Sea was the highest, better than 1.5 n miles. The gravity characteristic parameters identified herein and characteristic values calculated in various zones provide a reference for the selection of navigation area and planning of sailing routes under conditions requiring certain navigational accuracy.

Characteristics of Marine Gravity Anomaly Reference Maps and Accuracy Analysis of Gravity Matching-Aided Navigation

PubMed Central

Wang, Hubiao; Chai, Hua; Xiao, Yaofei; Hsu, Houtse; Wang, Yong

2017-01-01

The variation of a marine gravity anomaly reference map is one of the important factors that affect the location accuracy of INS/Gravity integrated navigation systems in underwater navigation. In this study, based on marine gravity anomaly reference maps, new characteristic parameters of the gravity anomaly were constructed. Those characteristic values were calculated for 13 zones (105°–145° E, 0°–40° N) in the Western Pacific area, and simulation experiments of gravity matching-aided navigation were run. The influence of gravity variations on the accuracy of gravity matching-aided navigation was analyzed, and location accuracy of gravity matching in different zones was determined. Studies indicate that the new parameters may better characterize the marine gravity anomaly. Given the precision of current gravimeters and the resolution and accuracy of reference maps, the location accuracy of gravity matching in China’s Western Pacific area is ~1.0–4.0 nautical miles (n miles). In particular, accuracy in regions around the South China Sea and Sulu Sea was the highest, better than 1.5 n miles. The gravity characteristic parameters identified herein and characteristic values calculated in various zones provide a reference for the selection of navigation area and planning of sailing routes under conditions requiring certain navigational accuracy. PMID:28796158

Urban Land Cover Mapping Accuracy Assessment - A Cost-benefit Analysis Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, T.

2012-12-01

One of the most important components in urban land cover mapping is mapping accuracy assessment. Many statistical models have been developed to help design simple schemes based on both accuracy and confidence levels. It is intuitive that an increased number of samples increases the accuracy as well as the cost of an assessment. Understanding cost and sampling size is crucial in implementing efficient and effective of field data collection. Few studies have included a cost calculation component as part of the assessment. In this study, a cost-benefit sampling analysis model was created by combining sample size design and sampling cost calculation. The sampling cost included transportation cost, field data collection cost, and laboratory data analysis cost. Simple Random Sampling (SRS) and Modified Systematic Sampling (MSS) methods were used to design sample locations and to extract land cover data in ArcGIS. High resolution land cover data layers of Denver, CO and Sacramento, CA, street networks, and parcel GIS data layers were used in this study to test and verify the model. The relationship between the cost and accuracy was used to determine the effectiveness of each sample method. The results of this study can be applied to other environmental studies that require spatial sampling.

Airborne Laser/GPS Mapping of Assateague National Seashore Beach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kradill, W. B.; Wright, C. W.; Brock, John C.; Swift, R. N.; Frederick, E. B.; Manizade, S. S.; Yungel, J. K.; Martin, C. F.; Sonntag, J. G.; Duffy, Mark;

Enhancing The National Map Through Tactical Planning and Performance Monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

Tactical planning and performance monitoring are initial steps toward improving 'the way The National Map works' and supporting the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Science Strategy. This Tactical Performance Planning Summary for The National Map combines information from The National Map 2.0 Tactical Plan and The National Map Performance Milestone Matrix. The National Map 2.0 Tactical Plan is primarily a working document to guide The National Map program's execution, production, and metrics monitoring for fiscal years (FY) 2008 and 2009. The Tactical Plan addresses data, products, and services, as well as supporting and enabling activities. The National Map's 2-year goal for FY 2008 and FY 2009 is to provide a range of geospatial products and services that further the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and underpin USGS science. To do this, the National Geospatial Program will develop a renewed understanding during FY 2008 of key customer needs and requirements, develop the infrastructure to support The National Map business model, modernize its business processes, and reengineer its workforce. Priorities for The National Map will be adjusted if necessary to respond to changes to the project that may impact resources, constrain timeframes, or change customer needs. The supporting and enabling activities that make it possible to produce the products and services of The National Map will include partnership activities, improved compatibility of systems, outreach, and integration of data themes.

The National Map - Texas Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

The National Map - Florida Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

The National Map - Pennsylvania Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

The National Map - Delaware Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

The National Map - Missouri Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

US Topo - A new national map series

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Laurence R.

2011-01-01

In the second half of the 20th century, the foundation of the U.S. Geological Survey's national map series was the handcrafted 7.5-minute topographic map. Times change, budgets get squeezed and currency expectations become ever more challenging. The USGS's Larry Moore, who oversees data production operations at two National Geospatial Technical Operations Centers, provides an introduction to the new US Topo quadrangle maps.

A method for mapping corn using the US Geological Survey 1992 National Land Cover Dataset

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maxwell, S.K.; Nuckols, J.R.; Ward, M.H.

2006-01-01

Long-term exposure to elevated nitrate levels in community drinking water supplies has been associated with an elevated risk of several cancers including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, colon cancer, and bladder cancer. To estimate human exposure to nitrate, specific crop type information is needed as fertilizer application rates vary widely by crop type. Corn requires the highest application of nitrogen fertilizer of crops grown in the Midwest US. We developed a method to refine the US Geological Survey National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) (including map and original Landsat images) to distinguish corn from other crops. Overall average agreement between the resulting corn and other row crops class and ground reference data was 0.79 kappa coefficient with individual Landsat images ranging from 0.46 to 0.93 kappa. The highest accuracies occurred in Regions where corn was the single dominant crop (greater than 80.0%) and the crop vegetation conditions at the time of image acquisition were optimum for separation of corn from all other crops. Factors that resulted in lower accuracies included the accuracy of the NLCD map, accuracy of corn areal estimates, crop mixture, crop condition at the time of Landsat overpass, and Landsat scene anomalies.

National Maps - Pacific - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

select the go button to submit request City, St Go Sign-up for Email Alerts RSS Feeds RSS Feeds Warnings Skip Navigation Links weather.gov NOAA logo-Select to go to the NOAA homepage National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Select to go to the NWS homepage National Weather Service Site Map News

Procedural Documentation and Accuracy Assessment of Bathymetric Maps and Area/Capacity Tables for Small Reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Gary L.; Richards, Joseph M.

2006-01-01

Because of the increasing use and importance of lakes for water supply to communities, a repeatable and reliable procedure to determine lake bathymetry and capacity is needed. A method to determine the accuracy of the procedure will help ensure proper collection and use of the data and resulting products. It is important to clearly define the intended products and desired accuracy before conducting the bathymetric survey to ensure proper data collection. A survey-grade echo sounder and differential global positioning system receivers were used to collect water-depth and position data in December 2003 at Sugar Creek Lake near Moberly, Missouri. Data were collected along planned transects, with an additional set of quality-assurance data collected for use in accuracy computations. All collected data were imported into a geographic information system database. A bathymetric surface model, contour map, and area/capacity tables were created from the geographic information system database. An accuracy assessment was completed on the collected data, bathymetric surface model, area/capacity table, and contour map products. Using established vertical accuracy standards, the accuracy of the collected data, bathymetric surface model, and contour map product was 0.67 foot, 0.91 foot, and 1.51 feet at the 95 percent confidence level. By comparing results from different transect intervals with the quality-assurance transect data, it was determined that a transect interval of 1 percent of the longitudinal length of Sugar Creek Lake produced nearly as good results as 0.5 percent transect interval for the bathymetric surface model, area/capacity table, and contour map products.

The accuracy of selected land use and land cover maps at scales of 1:250,000 and 1:100,000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick-Lins, Katherine

1980-01-01

Land use and land cover maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey are found to meet or exceed the established standard of accuracy. When analyzed using a point sampling technique and binomial probability theory, several maps, illustrative of those produced for different parts of the country, were found to meet or exceed accuracies of 85 percent. Those maps tested were Tampa, Fla., Portland, Me., Charleston, W. Va., and Greeley, Colo., published at a scale of 1:250,000, and Atlanta, Ga., and Seattle and Tacoma, Wash., published at a scale of 1:100,000. For each map, the values were determined by calculating the ratio of the total number of points correctly interpreted to the total number of points sampled. Six of the seven maps tested have accuracies of 85 percent or better at the 95-percent lower confidence limit. When the sample data for predominant categories (those sampled with a significant number of points) were grouped together for all maps, accuracies of those predominant categories met the 85-percent accuracy criterion, with one exception. One category, Residential, had less than 85-percent accuracy at the 95-percent lower confidence limit. Nearly all residential land sampled was mapped correctly, but some areas of other land uses were mapped incorrectly as Residential.

Geologic map of Big Bend National Park, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, Kenzie J.; Berry, Margaret E.; Page, William R.; Lehman, Thomas M.; Bohannon, Robert G.; Scott, Robert B.; Miggins, Daniel P.; Budahn, James R.; Cooper, Roger W.; Drenth, Benjamin J.; Anderson, Eric D.; Williams, Van S.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this map is to provide the National Park Service and the public with an updated digital geologic map of Big Bend National Park (BBNP). The geologic map report of Maxwell and others (1967) provides a fully comprehensive account of the important volcanic, structural, geomorphological, and paleontological features that define BBNP. However, the map is on a geographically distorted planimetric base and lacks topography, which has caused difficulty in conducting GIS-based data analyses and georeferencing the many geologic features investigated and depicted on the map. In addition, the map is outdated, excluding significant data from numerous studies that have been carried out since its publication more than 40 years ago. This report includes a modern digital geologic map that can be utilized with standard GIS applications to aid BBNP researchers in geologic data analysis, natural resource and ecosystem management, monitoring, assessment, inventory activities, and educational and recreational uses. The digital map incorporates new data, many revisions, and greater detail than the original map. Although some geologic issues remain unresolved for BBNP, the updated map serves as a foundation for addressing those issues. Funding for the Big Bend National Park geologic map was provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program and the National Park Service. The Big Bend mapping project was administered by staff in the USGS Geology and Environmental Change Science Center, Denver, Colo. Members of the USGS Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center completed investigations in parallel with the geologic mapping project. Results of these investigations addressed some significant current issues in BBNP and the U.S.-Mexico border region, including contaminants and human health, ecosystems, and water resources. Funding for the high-resolution aeromagnetic survey in BBNP, and associated data analyses and

Mapping vegetation communities using statistical data fusion in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chastain, R.A.; Struckhoff, M.A.; He, H.S.; Larsen, D.R.

2008-01-01

A vegetation community map was produced for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways consistent with the association level of the National Vegetation Classification System. Vegetation communities were differentiated using a large array of variables derived from remote sensing and topographic data, which were fused into independent mathematical functions using a discriminant analysis classification approach. Remote sensing data provided variables that discriminated vegetation communities based on differences in color, spectral reflectance, greenness, brightness, and texture. Topographic data facilitated differentiation of vegetation communities based on indirect gradients (e.g., landform position, slope, aspect), which relate to variations in resource and disturbance gradients. Variables derived from these data sources represent both actual and potential vegetation community patterns on the landscape. A hybrid combination of statistical and photointerpretation methods was used to obtain an overall accuracy of 63 percent for a map with 49 vegetation community and land-cover classes, and 78 percent for a 33-class map of the study area.

Cartographic mapping study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, C.; Dye, R.; Reed, L.

1982-01-01

The errors associated with planimetric mapping of the United States using satellite remote sensing techniques are analyzed. Assumptions concerning the state of the art achievable for satellite mapping systems and platforms in the 1995 time frame are made. An analysis of these performance parameters is made using an interactive cartographic satellite computer model, after first validating the model using LANDSAT 1 through 3 performance parameters. An investigation of current large scale (1:24,000) US National mapping techniques is made. Using the results of this investigation, and current national mapping accuracy standards, the 1995 satellite mapping system is evaluated for its ability to meet US mapping standards for planimetric and topographic mapping at scales of 1:24,000 and smaller.

A Servicewide Benthic Mapping Program for National Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moses, Christopher S.; Nayegandhi, Amar; Beavers, Rebecca; Brock, John

2010-01-01

In 2007, the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program directed the initiation of a benthic habitat mapping program in ocean and coastal parks in alignment with the NPS Ocean Park Stewardship 2007-2008 Action Plan. With 74 ocean and Great Lakes parks stretching over more than 5,000 miles of coastline across 26 States and territories, this Servicewide Benthic Mapping Program (SBMP) is essential. This program will deliver benthic habitat maps and their associated inventory reports to NPS managers in a consistent, servicewide format to support informed management and protection of 3 million acres of submerged National Park System natural and cultural resources. The NPS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) convened a workshop June 3-5, 2008, in Lakewood, Colo., to discuss the goals and develop the design of the NPS SBMP with an assembly of experts (Moses and others, 2010) who identified park needs and suggested best practices for inventory and mapping of bathymetry, benthic cover, geology, geomorphology, and some water-column properties. The recommended SBMP protocols include servicewide standards (such as gap analysis, minimum accuracy, final products) as well as standards that can be adapted to fit network and park unit needs (for example, minimum mapping unit, mapping priorities). SBMP Mapping Process. The SBMP calls for a multi-step mapping process for each park, beginning with a gap assessment and data mining to determine data resources and needs. An interagency announcement of intent to acquire new data will provide opportunities to leverage partnerships. Prior to new data acquisition, all involved parties should be included in a scoping meeting held at network scale. Data collection will be followed by processing and interpretation, and finally expert review and publication. After publication, all digital materials will be archived in a common format. SBMP Classification Scheme. The SBMP will map using the Coastal and Marine Ecological

Assessment of the Relative Accuracy of Hemispheric-Scale Snow-Cover Maps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Kelly, Richard E.; Riggs, George A.; Chang, Alfred T. C.; Foster, James L.; Houser, Paul (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

There are several hemispheric-scale satellite-derived snow-cover maps available, but none has been fully validated. For the period October 23 - December 25, 2000, we compare snow maps of North America derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC), which both rely on satellite data from the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum; we also compare MODIS and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) passive-microwave snow maps. The maps derived from visible and near-infrared data are more accurate for mapping snow cover than are the passive-microwave-derived maps, however discrepancies exist as to the location and extent of the snow cover among those maps. The large (approx. 30 km) footprint of the SSM/I data and the difficulty in distinguishing wet and shallow snow from wet or snow-free ground, reveal differences up to 5.32 million sq km in the amount of snow mapped using MODIS versus SSM/I data. Algorithms that utilize both visible and passive-microwave data, which would take advantage of the all-weather mapping ability of the passive-microwave data, will be refined following the launch of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) in the fall of 2001.

A cost-benefit analysis of The National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halsing, David L.; Theissen, Kevin; Bernknopf, Richard

2003-01-01

The Geography Discipline of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted this cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of The National Map. This analysis is an evaluation of the proposed Geography Discipline initiative to provide the Nation with a mechanism to access current and consistent digital geospatial data. This CBA is a supporting document to accompany the Exhibit 300 Capital Asset Plan and Business Case of The National Map Reengineering Program. The framework for estimating the benefits is based on expected improvements in processing information to perform any of the possible applications of spatial data. This analysis does not attempt to determine the benefits and costs of performing geospatial-data applications. Rather, it estimates the change in the differences between those benefits and costs with The National Map and the current situation without it. The estimates of total costs and benefits of The National Map were based on the projected implementation time, development and maintenance costs, rates of data inclusion and integration, expected usage levels over time, and a benefits estimation model. The National Map provides data that are current, integrated, consistent, complete, and more accessible in order to decrease the cost of implementing spatial-data applications and (or) improve the outcome of those applications. The efficiency gains in per-application improvements are greater than the cost to develop and maintain The National Map, meaning that the program would bring a positive net benefit to the Nation. The average improvement in the net benefit of performing a spatial data application was multiplied by a simulated number of application implementations across the country. The numbers of users, existing applications, and rates of application implementation increase over time as The National Map is developed and accessed by spatial data users around the country. Results from the 'most likely' estimates of model parameters and data inputs indicate that

Accuracy of remotely sensed data: Sampling and analysis procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Congalton, R. G.; Oderwald, R. G.; Mead, R. A.

1982-01-01

A review and update of the discrete multivariate analysis techniques used for accuracy assessment is given. A listing of the computer program written to implement these techniques is given. New work on evaluating accuracy assessment using Monte Carlo simulation with different sampling schemes is given. The results of matrices from the mapping effort of the San Juan National Forest is given. A method for estimating the sample size requirements for implementing the accuracy assessment procedures is given. A proposed method for determining the reliability of change detection between two maps of the same area produced at different times is given.

Updating flood maps efficiently using existing hydraulic models, very-high-accuracy elevation data, and a geographic information system; a pilot study on the Nisqually River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Joseph L.; Haluska, Tana L.; Kresch, David L.

2001-01-01

A method of updating flood inundation maps at a fraction of the expense of using traditional methods was piloted in Washington State as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Urban Geologic and Hydrologic Hazards Initiative. Large savings in expense may be achieved by building upon previous Flood Insurance Studies and automating the process of flood delineation with a Geographic Information System (GIS); increases in accuracy and detail result from the use of very-high-accuracy elevation data and automated delineation; and the resulting digital data sets contain valuable ancillary information such as flood depth, as well as greatly facilitating map storage and utility. The method consists of creating stage-discharge relations from the archived output of the existing hydraulic model, using these relations to create updated flood stages for recalculated flood discharges, and using a GIS to automate the map generation process. Many of the effective flood maps were created in the late 1970?s and early 1980?s, and suffer from a number of well recognized deficiencies such as out-of-date or inaccurate estimates of discharges for selected recurrence intervals, changes in basin characteristics, and relatively low quality elevation data used for flood delineation. FEMA estimates that 45 percent of effective maps are over 10 years old (FEMA, 1997). Consequently, Congress has mandated the updating and periodic review of existing maps, which have cost the Nation almost 3 billion (1997) dollars. The need to update maps and the cost of doing so were the primary motivations for piloting a more cost-effective and efficient updating method. New technologies such as Geographic Information Systems and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) elevation mapping are key to improving the efficiency of flood map updating, but they also improve the accuracy, detail, and usefulness of the resulting digital flood maps. GISs produce digital maps without manual estimation of inundated areas between

The National Map - Utah Transportation Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

The National Map - Washington-Idaho Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

Theoretical Accuracy of Global Snow-Cover Mapping Using Satellite Data in the Earth Observing System (EOS) Era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, D. K.; Foster, J. L.; Salomonson, V. V.; Klein, A. G.; Chien, J. Y. L.

1998-01-01

Following the launch of the Earth Observing System first morning (EOS-AM1) satellite, daily, global snow-cover mapping will be performed automatically at a spatial resolution of 500 m, cloud-cover permitting, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. A technique to calculate theoretical accuracy of the MODIS-derived snow maps is presented. Field studies demonstrate that under cloud-free conditions when snow cover is complete, snow-mapping errors are small (less than 1%) in all land covers studied except forests where errors are greater and more variable. The theoretical accuracy of MODIS snow-cover maps is largely determined by percent forest cover north of the snowline. Using the 17-class International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) land-cover maps of North America and Eurasia, the Northern Hemisphere is classified into seven land-cover classes and water. Snow-mapping errors estimated for each of the seven land-cover classes are extrapolated to the entire Northern Hemisphere for areas north of the average continental snowline for each month. Average monthly errors for the Northern Hemisphere are expected to range from 5 - 10%, and the theoretical accuracy of the future global snow-cover maps is 92% or higher. Error estimates will be refined after the first full year that MODIS data are available.

NATIONAL CARTOGRAPHIC INFORMATION CENTER: AN INFORMATION RESOURCE ON MAPPING PRODUCTS FOR THE NATION.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Alan R.

1985-01-01

Since its inception in 1974 the National Cartographic Information Center (NCIC), US Geological Survey, has rapidly developed to become a focal point for providing information on the availability of cartographic data, including maps/charts, aerial photographs, satellite imagery, geodetic control, digital mapping data, map materials and related cartographic products. In early years NCIC concentrated its efforts on encoding and entering several major National Mapping Division record collections into its systems. NCIC is now stressing the acquisition of data from sources outside the National Mapping Division, including 37 Federal agencies and more than a thousand State and private institutions. A critical review has recently been conducted by NCIC of its systems with the aim of improving its efficiency and levels of operation. Several activities which resulted include improving its existing networks, refinement of digital data distribution, study of new storage media and related projects.

Accuracy assessment of the U.S. Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset, and comparison with other large-area elevation datasets: SRTM and ASTER

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gesch, Dean B.; Oimoen, Michael J.; Evans, Gayla A.

2014-01-01

The National Elevation Dataset (NED) is the primary elevation data product produced and distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The NED provides seamless raster elevation data of the conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. island territories, Mexico, and Canada. The NED is derived from diverse source datasets that are processed to a specification with consistent resolutions, coordinate system, elevation units, and horizontal and vertical datums. The NED serves as the elevation layer of The National Map, and it provides basic elevation information for earth science studies and mapping applications in the United States and most of North America. An important part of supporting scientific and operational use of the NED is provision of thorough dataset documentation including data quality and accuracy metrics. The focus of this report is on the vertical accuracy of the NED and on comparison of the NED with other similar large-area elevation datasets, namely data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER).

Improved spatial accuracy of functional maps in the rat olfactory bulb using supervised machine learning approach.

PubMed

Murphy, Matthew C; Poplawsky, Alexander J; Vazquez, Alberto L; Chan, Kevin C; Kim, Seong-Gi; Fukuda, Mitsuhiro

2016-08-15

Functional MRI (fMRI) is a popular and important tool for noninvasive mapping of neural activity. As fMRI measures the hemodynamic response, the resulting activation maps do not perfectly reflect the underlying neural activity. The purpose of this work was to design a data-driven model to improve the spatial accuracy of fMRI maps in the rat olfactory bulb. This system is an ideal choice for this investigation since the bulb circuit is well characterized, allowing for an accurate definition of activity patterns in order to train the model. We generated models for both cerebral blood volume weighted (CBVw) and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI data. The results indicate that the spatial accuracy of the activation maps is either significantly improved or at worst not significantly different when using the learned models compared to a conventional general linear model approach, particularly for BOLD images and activity patterns involving deep layers of the bulb. Furthermore, the activation maps computed by CBVw and BOLD data show increased agreement when using the learned models, lending more confidence to their accuracy. The models presented here could have an immediate impact on studies of the olfactory bulb, but perhaps more importantly, demonstrate the potential for similar flexible, data-driven models to improve the quality of activation maps calculated using fMRI data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

US Topo—Topographic maps for the Nation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fishburn, Kristin A.; Carswell, William J.

2017-06-23

Building on the success of 125 years of mapping, the U.S. Geological Survey created US Topo, a georeferenced digital map produced from The National Map data. US Topo maps are designed to be used like the traditional 7.5-minute quadrangle paper topographic maps for which the U.S. Geological Survey is so well known. However, in contrast to paper-based maps, US Topo maps provide modern technological advantages that support faster, wider public distribution and basic, onscreen geospatial analysis, including the georeferencing capability to display the ground coordinate location as the user moves the cursor around the map.

Hazards, Disasters, and The National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.; Newell, Mark R.

2009-01-01

Federal, State, and local response and management personnel must have current, reliable, and easily accessible geographic information and maps to prepare for, respond to, or recover from emergency situations. In life-threatening events, such as earthquakes, floods, or wildland fires, geographic information is essential for locating critical infrastructure and carrying out evacuation and rescue operations. The USGS promotes partnerships to ensure that base map data are up to date, readily available, and shareable among local, state, and National users. The National Map enables other government agencies, private industry, and the public to link and share additional data that provide even more information. These efforts with state and local governments have helped standardize the data by reducing data inconsistencies between neighboring jurisdictions and will help fill in the gaps for those places where data are lacking.

Increasing the availability of national mapping products.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roney, J.I.; Ogilvie, B.C.

1981-01-01

A discussion of the means employed by the US Geological Survey to facilitate map usage, covering aspects of project Map Accessibility Program including special rolled and folded map packaging, new market testing, parks and campgrounds program, expanded map dealer program, new booklet-type State sales index and catalog and new USGS map reference code. The USGS is seen as the producer of a tremendous nation-wide inventory of topographic and related map products available in unprecedented types, formats and scales, and as endeavouring to increase access to its products. The new USGS map reference code is appended. -J.C.Stone

Accuracy and precision of stream reach water surface slopes estimated in the field and from maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Isaak, D.J.; Hubert, W.A.; Krueger, K.L.

1999-01-01

The accuracy and precision of five tools used to measure stream water surface slope (WSS) were evaluated. Water surface slopes estimated in the field with a clinometer or from topographic maps used in conjunction with a map wheel or geographic information system (GIS) were significantly higher than WSS estimated in the field with a surveying level (biases of 34, 41, and 53%, respectively). Accuracy of WSS estimates obtained with an Abney level did not differ from surveying level estimates, but conclusions regarding the accuracy of Abney levels and clinometers were weakened by intratool variability. The surveying level estimated WSS most precisely (coefficient of variation [CV] = 0.26%), followed by the GIS (CV = 1.87%), map wheel (CV = 6.18%), Abney level (CV = 13.68%), and clinometer (CV = 21.57%). Estimates of WSS measured in the field with an Abney level and estimated for the same reaches with a GIS used in conjunction with l:24,000-scale topographic maps were significantly correlated (r = 0.86), but there was a tendency for the GIS to overestimate WSS. Detailed accounts of the methods used to measure WSS and recommendations regarding the measurement of WSS are provided.

Accuracy of vertical radial plume mapping technique in measuring lagoon gas emissions.

PubMed

Viguria, Maialen; Ro, Kyoung S; Stone, Kenneth C; Johnson, Melvin H

2015-04-01

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted a ground-based optical remote sensing method on its Web site called Other Test Method (OTM) 10 for measuring fugitive gas emission flux from area sources such as closed landfills. The OTM 10 utilizes the vertical radial plume mapping (VRPM) technique to calculate fugitive gas emission mass rates based on measured wind speed profiles and path-integrated gas concentrations (PICs). This study evaluates the accuracy of the VRPM technique in measuring gas emission from animal waste treatment lagoons. A field trial was designed to evaluate the accuracy of the VRPM technique. Control releases of methane (CH4) were made from a 45 m×45 m floating perforated pipe network located on an irrigation pond that resembled typical treatment lagoon environments. The accuracy of the VRPM technique was expressed by the ratio of the calculated emission rates (QVRPM) to actual emission rates (Q). Under an ideal condition of having mean wind directions mostly normal to a downwind vertical plane, the average VRPM accuracy was 0.77±0.32. However, when mean wind direction was mostly not normal to the downwind vertical plane, the emission plume was not adequately captured resulting in lower accuracies. The accuracies of these nonideal wind conditions could be significantly improved if we relaxed the VRPM wind direction criteria and combined the emission rates determined from two adjacent downwind vertical planes surrounding the lagoon. With this modification, the VRPM accuracy improved to 0.97±0.44, whereas the number of valid data sets also increased from 113 to 186. The need for developing accurate and feasible measuring techniques for fugitive gas emission from animal waste lagoons is vital for livestock gas inventories and implementation of mitigation strategies. This field lagoon gas emission study demonstrated that the EPA's vertical radial plume mapping (VRPM) technique can be used to accurately measure lagoon gas

Improved Snow Mapping Accuracy with Revised MODIS Snow Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riggs, George; Hall, Dorothy K.

2012-01-01

The MODIS snow cover products have been used in over 225 published studies. From those reports, and our ongoing analysis, we have learned about the accuracy and errors in the snow products. Revisions have been made in the algorithms to improve the accuracy of snow cover detection in Collection 6 (C6), the next processing/reprocessing of the MODIS data archive planned to start in September 2012. Our objective in the C6 revision of the MODIS snow-cover algorithms and products is to maximize the capability to detect snow cover while minimizing snow detection errors of commission and omission. While the basic snow detection algorithm will not change, new screens will be applied to alleviate snow detection commission and omission errors, and only the fractional snow cover (FSC) will be output (the binary snow cover area (SCA) map will no longer be included).

The National Map - Elevation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gesch, Dean; Evans, Gayla; Mauck, James; Hutchinson, John; Carswell, William J.

2009-01-01

The National Elevation Dataset (NED) is the primary elevation data product produced and distributed by the USGS. The NED provides seamless raster elevation data of the conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the island territories. The NED is derived from diverse source data sets that are processed to a specification with a consistent resolution, coordinate system, elevation units, and horizontal and vertical datums. The NED is the logical result of the maturation of the long-standing USGS elevation program, which for many years concentrated on production of topographic map quadrangle-based digital elevation models. The NED serves as the elevation layer of The National Map, and provides basic elevation information for earth science studies and mapping applications in the United States. The NED is a multi-resolution dataset that is updated bimonthly to integrate newly available, improved elevation source data. NED data are available nationally at grid spacings of 1 arc-second (approximately 30 meters) for the conterminous United States, and at 1/3 and 1/9 arc-seconds (approximately 10 and 3 meters, respectively) for parts of the United States. Most of the NED for Alaska is available at 2-arc-second (about 60 meters) grid spacing, where only lower resolution source data exist. Part of Alaska is available at the 1/3-arc-second resolution, and plans are in development for a significant upgrade in elevation data coverage of the State over the next 5 years. Specifications for the NED include the following: *Coordinate system: Geographic (decimal degrees of latitude and longitude), *Horizontal datum: North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83), *Vertical datum: North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) over the conterminous United States and varies in other areas, and *Elevation units: Decimal meters.

The National Map - Lake Tahoe Area Pilot Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Governments depend on a common set of geographic base information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and defense operations rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. Available geographic data often have the following problems: * They do not align with each other because layers are frequently created or revised separately, * They do not match across administrative boundaries because each producing organization uses different methods and standards, and * They are not up to date because of the complexity and cost of revision. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continuously maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, geographic base information to address these issues. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. In collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, academia, and volunteer groups, the USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data. The National Map will include digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. Many technical and institutional issues must be resolved as The National Map is implemented. To begin the refinement of this new paradigm, pilot projects are being designed to identify and investigate these issues. The pilots are the foundation upon which future partnerships for data sharing and maintenance will be built.

Geologic map of Yosemite National Park and vicinity, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huber, N.K.; Bateman, P.C.; Wahrhaftig, Clyde

1989-01-01

This digital map database represents the general distribution of bedrock and surficial deposits of the Yosemite National Park vicinity. It was produced directly from the file used to create the print version in 1989. The Yosemite National Park region is comprised of portions of 15 7.5 minute quadrangles. The original publication of the map in 1989 included the map, described map units and provided correlations, as well as a geologic summary and references, all on the same sheet. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The scale of the source maps limits the spatial resolution (scale) of the database to 1:125,000 or smaller.

How sampling and scale limit accuracy assessment of vegetation maps: A comment on Loehle et al. (2015)

Treesearch

David M. Bell; Matthew J. Gregory; Heather M. Roberts; Raymond J. Davis; Janet L. Ohmann

2015-01-01

Accuracy assessments of remote sensing products are necessary for identifying map strengths and weaknesses in scientific and management applications. However, not all accuracy assessments are created equal. Motivated by a recent study published in Forest Ecology and Management (Volume 342, pages 8–20), we explored the potential limitations of accuracy assessments...

National-scale crop type mapping and area estimation using multi-resolution remote sensing and field survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, X. P.; Potapov, P.; Adusei, B.; King, L.; Khan, A.; Krylov, A.; Di Bella, C. M.; Pickens, A. H.; Stehman, S. V.; Hansen, M.

2016-12-01

Reliable and timely information on agricultural production is essential for ensuring world food security. Freely available medium-resolution satellite data (e.g. Landsat, Sentinel) offer the possibility of improved global agriculture monitoring. Here we develop and test a method for estimating in-season crop acreage using a probability sample of field visits and producing wall-to-wall crop type maps at national scales. The method is first illustrated for soybean cultivated area in the US for 2015. A stratified, two-stage cluster sampling design was used to collect field data to estimate national soybean area. The field-based estimate employed historical soybean extent maps from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cropland Data Layer to delineate and stratify U.S. soybean growing regions. The estimated 2015 U.S. soybean cultivated area based on the field sample was 341,000 km2 with a standard error of 23,000 km2. This result is 1.0% lower than USDA's 2015 June survey estimate and 1.9% higher than USDA's 2016 January estimate. Our area estimate was derived in early September, about 2 months ahead of harvest. To map soybean cover, the Landsat image archive for the year 2015 growing season was processed using an active learning approach. Overall accuracy of the soybean map was 84%. The field-based sample estimated area was then used to calibrate the map such that the soybean acreage of the map derived through pixel counting matched the sample-based area estimate. The strength of the sample-based area estimation lies in the stratified design that takes advantage of the spatially explicit cropland layers to construct the strata. The success of the mapping was built upon an automated system which transforms Landsat images into standardized time-series metrics. The developed method produces reliable and timely information on soybean area in a cost-effective way and could be implemented in an operational mode. The approach has also been applied for other crops in

APPLICATION OF A "VITURAL FIELD REFERENCE DATABASE" TO ASSESS LAND-COVER MAP ACCURACIES

EPA Science Inventory

An accuracy assessment was performed for the Neuse River Basin, NC land-cover/use
(LCLU) mapping results using a "Virtual Field Reference Database (VFRDB)". The VFRDB was developed using field measurement and digital imagery (camera) data collected at 1,409 sites over a perio...

Nationwide forestry applications program. Analysis of forest classification accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Congalton, R. G.; Mead, R. A.; Oderwald, R. G.; Heinen, J. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The development of LANDSAT classification accuracy assessment techniques, and of a computerized system for assessing wildlife habitat from land cover maps are considered. A literature review on accuracy assessment techniques and an explanation for the techniques development under both projects are included along with listings of the computer programs. The presentations and discussions at the National Working Conference on LANDSAT Classification Accuracy are summarized. Two symposium papers which were published on the results of this project are appended.

Accuracy of mapping the Earth's gravity field fine structure with a spaceborne gravity gradiometer mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, W. D.

1984-01-01

The spaceborne gravity gradiometer is a potential sensor for mapping the fine structure of the Earth's gravity field. Error analyses were performed to investigate the accuracy of the determination of the Earth's gravity field from a gravity field satellite mission. The orbital height of the spacecraft is the dominating parameter as far as gravity field resolution and accuracies are concerned.

US Topo: topographic maps for the nation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2013-01-01

US Topo is the next generation of topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Arranged in the familiar 7.5-minute quadrangle format, digital US Topo maps are designed to look and feel (and perform) like the traditional paper topographic maps for which the USGS is so well known. In contrast to paper-based maps, US Topo maps provide modern technical advantages that support faster, wider public distribution and enable basic, on-screen geographic analysis for all users. The US Topo quadrangle map has been redesigned so that map elements are visually distinguishable with the imagery turned on and off, while keeping the file size as small as possible. The US Topo map redesign includes improvements to various display factors, including symbol definitions (color, line thickness, line symbology, area fills), layer order, and annotation fonts. New features for 2013 include the following: a raster shaded relief layer, military boundaries, cemeteries and post offices, and a US Topo cartographic symbols legend as an attachment. US Topo quadrangle maps are available free on the Web. Each map quadrangle is constructed in GeoPDF® format using key layers of geographic data (orthoimagery, roads, geographic names, topographic contours, and hydrographic features) from The National Map databases. US Topo quadrangle maps can be printed from personal computers or plotters as complete, full-sized, maps or in customized sections, in a user-desired specific format. Paper copies of the maps can also be purchased from the USGS Store. Download links and a users guide are featured on the US Topo Web site. US Topo users can turn geographic data layers on and off as needed; they can zoom in and out to highlight specific features or see a broader area. File size for each digital 7.5-minute quadrangle, about 30 megabytes. Associated electronic tools for geographic analysis are available free for download. The US Topo provides the Nation with a topographic product that users can

National center for airborne laser mapping proposed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Bill; Shrestha, Ramesh L.; Dietrich, Bill

Researchers from universities, U.S. government agencies, U.S. national laboratories, and private industry met in the spring to learn about the current capabilities of Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM), share their experiences in using the technology for a wide variety of research applications, outline research that would be made possible by research-grade ALSM data, and discuss the proposed operation and management of the brand new National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM).The workshop successfully identified a community of researchers with common interests in the advancement and use of ALSM—a community which strongly supports the immediate establishment of the NCALM.

Automatic and robust extrinsic camera calibration for high-accuracy mobile mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goeman, Werner; Douterloigne, Koen; Bogaert, Peter; Pires, Rui; Gautama, Sidharta

2012-10-01

A mobile mapping system (MMS) is the answer of the geoinformation community to the exponentially growing demand for various geospatial data with increasingly higher accuracies and captured by multiple sensors. As the mobile mapping technology is pushed to explore its use for various applications on water, rail, or road, the need emerges to have an external sensor calibration procedure which is portable, fast and easy to perform. This way, sensors can be mounted and demounted depending on the application requirements without the need for time consuming calibration procedures. A new methodology is presented to provide a high quality external calibration of cameras which is automatic, robust and fool proof.The MMS uses an Applanix POSLV420, which is a tightly coupled GPS/INS positioning system. The cameras used are Point Grey color video cameras synchronized with the GPS/INS system. The method uses a portable, standard ranging pole which needs to be positioned on a known ground control point. For calibration a well studied absolute orientation problem needs to be solved. Here, a mutual information based image registration technique is studied for automatic alignment of the ranging pole. Finally, a few benchmarking tests are done under various lighting conditions which proves the methodology's robustness, by showing high absolute stereo measurement accuracies of a few centimeters.

Mapping simulated scenes with skeletal remains using differential GPS in open environments: an assessment of accuracy and practicality.

PubMed

Walter, Brittany S; Schultz, John J

2013-05-10

Scene mapping is an integral aspect of processing a scene with scattered human remains. By utilizing the appropriate mapping technique, investigators can accurately document the location of human remains and maintain a precise geospatial record of evidence. One option that has not received much attention for mapping forensic evidence is the differential global positioning (DGPS) unit, as this technology now provides decreased positional error suitable for mapping scenes. Because of the lack of knowledge concerning this utility in mapping a scene, controlled research is necessary to determine the practicality of using newer and enhanced DGPS units in mapping scattered human remains. The purpose of this research was to quantify the accuracy of a DGPS unit for mapping skeletal dispersals and to determine the applicability of this utility in mapping a scene with dispersed remains. First, the accuracy of the DGPS unit in open environments was determined using known survey markers in open areas. Secondly, three simulated scenes exhibiting different types of dispersals were constructed and mapped in an open environment using the DGPS. Variables considered during data collection included the extent of the dispersal, data collection time, data collected on different days, and different postprocessing techniques. Data were differentially postprocessed and compared in a geographic information system (GIS) to evaluate the most efficient recordation methods. Results of this study demonstrate that the DGPS is a viable option for mapping dispersed human remains in open areas. The accuracy of collected point data was 11.52 and 9.55 cm for 50- and 100-s collection times, respectfully, and the orientation and maximum length of long bones was maintained. Also, the use of error buffers for point data of bones in maps demonstrated the error of the DGPS unit, while showing that the context of the dispersed skeleton was accurately maintained. Furthermore, the application of a DGPS for

Soil Salinity Mapping in Everglades National Park Using Remote Sensing Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, H.; Khadim, F. K.; Blankenship, J.; Sobhan, K.

2017-12-01

The South Florida Everglades is a vast subtropical wetland with a globally unique hydrology and ecology, and it is designated as an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance. Everglades National Park (ENP) is a hydro-ecologically enriched wetland with varying salinity contents, which is a concern for terrestrial ecosystem balance and sustainability. As such, in this study, time series soil salinity mapping was carried out for the ENP area. The mapping first entailed a maximum likelihood classification of seven land cover classes for the ENP area—namely mangrove forest, mangrove scrub, low-density forest, sawgrass, prairies and marshes, barren lands with woodland hammock and water—for the years 1996, 2000, 2006, 2010 and 2015. The classifications for 1996-2010 yielded accuracies of 82%-94%, and the 2015 classification was supported through ground truthing. Afterwards, electric conductivity (EC) tolerance thresholds for each vegetation class were established,which yielded soil salinity maps comprising four soil salinity classes—i.e., the non- (EC = 0 2 dS/m), low- (EC = 2 4 dS/m), moderate- (EC = 4 8 dS/m) and high-saline (EC = >8 dS/m) areas. The soil salinity maps visualized the spatial distribution of soil salinity with no significant temporal variations. The innovative approach of "land cover identification to salinity estimation" used in the study is pragmatic and application oriented, and the study upshots are also useful, considering the diversifying ecological context of the ENP area.

Localizing National Fragmentation Statistics with Forest Type Maps

Treesearch

Kurt H. Riitters; John W. Coulston; James D. Wickham

2003-01-01

Fragmentation of forest types is an indicator of biodiversity in the Montreal Process, but the available national data permit assessment of only overall forestland fragmentation, not forest type fragmentation. Here we illustrate how to localize national statistics from the 2003 National Report on Sustainable Forests by combining state vegetation maps with national...

Single-edition quadrangle maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1998-01-01

In August 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Mapping Division and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service signed an Interagency Agreement to begin a single-edition joint mapping program. This agreement established the coordination for producing and maintaining single-edition primary series topographic maps for quadrangles containing National Forest System lands. The joint mapping program saves money by eliminating duplication of effort by the agencies and results in a more frequent revision cycle for quadrangles containing national forests. Maps are revised on the basis of jointly developed standards and contain normal features mapped by the USGS, as well as additional features required for efficient management of National Forest System lands. Single-edition maps look slightly different but meet the content, accuracy, and quality criteria of other USGS products. The Forest Service is responsible for the land management of more than 191 million acres of land throughout the continental United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, including 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands. These areas make up the National Forest System lands and comprise more than 10,600 of the 56,000 primary series 7.5-minute quadrangle maps (15-minute in Alaska) covering the United States. The Forest Service has assumed responsibility for maintaining these maps, and the USGS remains responsible for printing and distributing them. Before the agreement, both agencies published similar maps of the same areas. The maps were used for different purposes, but had comparable types of features that were revised at different times. Now, the two products have been combined into one so that the revision cycle is stabilized and only one agency revises the maps, thus increasing the number of current maps available for National Forest System lands. This agreement has improved service to the public by requiring that the agencies share the same maps and that the maps meet a

Improved Topographic Mapping Through Multi-Baseline SAR Interferometry with MAP Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yuting; Jiang, Houjun; Zhang, Lu; Liao, Mingsheng; Shi, Xuguo

2015-05-01

There is an inherent contradiction between the sensitivity of height measurement and the accuracy of phase unwrapping for SAR interferometry (InSAR) over rough terrain. This contradiction can be resolved by multi-baseline InSAR analysis, which exploits multiple phase observations with different normal baselines to improve phase unwrapping accuracy, or even avoid phase unwrapping. In this paper we propose a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation method assisted by SRTM DEM data for multi-baseline InSAR topographic mapping. Based on our method, a data processing flow is established and applied in processing multi-baseline ALOS/PALSAR dataset. The accuracy of resultant DEMs is evaluated by using a standard Chinese national DEM of scale 1:10,000 as reference. The results show that multi-baseline InSAR can improve DEM accuracy compared with single-baseline case. It is noteworthy that phase unwrapping is avoided and the quality of multi-baseline InSAR DEM can meet the DTED-2 standard.

Audiovisual communication of object-names improves the spatial accuracy of recalled object-locations in topographic maps.

PubMed

Lammert-Siepmann, Nils; Bestgen, Anne-Kathrin; Edler, Dennis; Kuchinke, Lars; Dickmann, Frank

2017-01-01

Knowing the correct location of a specific object learned from a (topographic) map is fundamental for orientation and navigation tasks. Spatial reference systems, such as coordinates or cardinal directions, are helpful tools for any geometric localization of positions that aims to be as exact as possible. Considering modern visualization techniques of multimedia cartography, map elements transferred through the auditory channel can be added easily. Audiovisual approaches have been discussed in the cartographic community for many years. However, the effectiveness of audiovisual map elements for map use has hardly been explored so far. Within an interdisciplinary (cartography-cognitive psychology) research project, it is examined whether map users remember object-locations better if they do not just read the corresponding place names, but also listen to them as voice recordings. This approach is based on the idea that learning object-identities influences learning object-locations, which is crucial for map-reading tasks. The results of an empirical study show that the additional auditory communication of object names not only improves memory for the names (object-identities), but also for the spatial accuracy of their corresponding object-locations. The audiovisual communication of semantic attribute information of a spatial object seems to improve the binding of object-identity and object-location, which enhances the spatial accuracy of object-location memory.

Audiovisual communication of object-names improves the spatial accuracy of recalled object-locations in topographic maps

PubMed Central

Bestgen, Anne-Kathrin; Edler, Dennis; Kuchinke, Lars; Dickmann, Frank

2017-01-01

Knowing the correct location of a specific object learned from a (topographic) map is fundamental for orientation and navigation tasks. Spatial reference systems, such as coordinates or cardinal directions, are helpful tools for any geometric localization of positions that aims to be as exact as possible. Considering modern visualization techniques of multimedia cartography, map elements transferred through the auditory channel can be added easily. Audiovisual approaches have been discussed in the cartographic community for many years. However, the effectiveness of audiovisual map elements for map use has hardly been explored so far. Within an interdisciplinary (cartography-cognitive psychology) research project, it is examined whether map users remember object-locations better if they do not just read the corresponding place names, but also listen to them as voice recordings. This approach is based on the idea that learning object-identities influences learning object-locations, which is crucial for map-reading tasks. The results of an empirical study show that the additional auditory communication of object names not only improves memory for the names (object-identities), but also for the spatial accuracy of their corresponding object-locations. The audiovisual communication of semantic attribute information of a spatial object seems to improve the binding of object-identity and object-location, which enhances the spatial accuracy of object-location memory. PMID:29059237

Vegetation Water Content Mapping in a Diverse Agricultural Landscape: National Airborne Field Experiment 2006

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosh, Michael H.; Jing Tao; Jackson, Thomas J.; McKee, Lynn; O'Neill, Peggy

2011-01-01

Mapping land cover and vegetation characteristics on a regional scale is critical to soil moisture retrieval using microwave remote sensing. In aircraft-based experiments such as the National Airborne Field Experiment 2006 (NAFE 06), it is challenging to provide accurate high resolution vegetation information, especially on a daily basis. A technique proposed in previous studies was adapted here to the heterogenous conditions encountered in NAFE 06, which included a hydrologically complex landscape consisting of both irrigated and dryland agriculture. Using field vegetation sampling and ground-based reflectance measurements, the knowledge base for relating the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the vegetation water content was extended to a greater diversity of agricultural crops, which included dryland and irrigated wheat, alfalfa, and canola. Critical to the generation of vegetation water content maps, the land cover for this region was determined from satellite visible/infrared imagery and ground surveys with an accuracy of 95.5% and a kappa coefficient of 0.95. The vegetation water content was estimated with a root mean square error of 0.33 kg/sq m. The results of this investigation contribute to a more robust database of global vegetation water content observations and demonstrate that the approach can be applied with high accuracy. Keywords: Vegetation, field experimentation, thematic mapper, NDWI, agriculture.

Map of National Aquatic Resource Surveys Sampling Locations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This map displays all of the lakes, rivers and streams, wetlands, and coastal waters sampled by the National Aquatic Resource Surveys, a collaborative EPA program that assesses the condition of the nation's waters using statistical designs.

Comparative analysis of Worldview-2 and Landsat 8 for coastal saltmarsh mapping accuracy assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasel, Sikdar M. M.; Chang, Hsing-Chung; Diti, Israt Jahan; Ralph, Tim; Saintilan, Neil

2016-05-01

Coastal saltmarsh and their constituent components and processes are of an interest scientifically due to their ecological function and services. However, heterogeneity and seasonal dynamic of the coastal wetland system makes it challenging to map saltmarshes with remotely sensed data. This study selected four important saltmarsh species Pragmitis australis, Sporobolus virginicus, Ficiona nodosa and Schoeloplectus sp. as well as a Mangrove and Pine tree species, Avecinia and Casuarina sp respectively. High Spatial Resolution Worldview-2 data and Coarse Spatial resolution Landsat 8 imagery were selected in this study. Among the selected vegetation types some patches ware fragmented and close to the spatial resolution of Worldview-2 data while and some patch were larger than the 30 meter resolution of Landsat 8 data. This study aims to test the effectiveness of different classifier for the imagery with various spatial and spectral resolutions. Three different classification algorithm, Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were tested and compared with their mapping accuracy of the results derived from both satellite imagery. For Worldview-2 data SVM was giving the higher overall accuracy (92.12%, kappa =0.90) followed by ANN (90.82%, Kappa 0.89) and MLC (90.55%, kappa = 0.88). For Landsat 8 data, MLC (82.04%) showed the highest classification accuracy comparing to SVM (77.31%) and ANN (75.23%). The producer accuracy of the classification results were also presented in the paper.

The status of soil mapping for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olson, G.L.; Lee, R.D.; Jeppesen, D.J.

This report discusses the production of a revised version of the general soil map of the 2304-km{sup 2} (890-mi{sup 2}) Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) site in southeastern Idaho and the production of a geographic information system (GIS) soil map and supporting database. The revised general soil map replaces an INEL soil map produced in 1978 and incorporates the most current information on INEL soils. The general soil map delineates large soil associations based on National Resources Conservation Services [formerly the Soil Conservation Service (SCS)] principles of soil mapping. The GIS map incorporates detailed information that could not be presentedmore » on the general soil map and is linked to a database that contains the soil map unit descriptions, surficial geology codes, and other pertinent information.« less

Feasibility of a GNSS-Probe for Creating Digital Maps of High Accuracy and Integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vartziotis, Dimitris; Poulis, Alkis; Minogiannis, Alexandros; Siozos, Panayiotis; Goudas, Iraklis; Samson, Jaron; Tossaint, Michel

The “ROADSCANNER” project addresses the need for increased accuracy and integrity Digital Maps (DM) utilizing the latest developments in GNSS, in order to provide the required datasets for novel applications, such as navigation based Safety Applications, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Digital Automotive Simulations. The activity covered in the current paper is the feasibility study, preliminary tests, initial product design and development plan for an EGNOS enabled vehicle probe. The vehicle probe will be used for generating high accuracy, high integrity and ADAS compatible digital maps of roads, employing a multiple passes methodology supported by sophisticated refinement algorithms. Furthermore, the vehicle probe will be equipped with pavement scanning and other data fusion equipment, in order to produce 3D road surface models compatible with standards of road-tire simulation applications. The project was assigned to NIKI Ltd under the 1st Call for Ideas in the frame of the ESA - Greece Task Force.

Mapping with Small UAS: A Point Cloud Accuracy Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toth, Charles; Jozkow, Grzegorz; Grejner-Brzezinska, Dorota

2015-12-01

Interest in using inexpensive Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology for topographic mapping has recently significantly increased. Small UAS platforms equipped with consumer grade cameras can easily acquire high-resolution aerial imagery allowing for dense point cloud generation, followed by surface model creation and orthophoto production. In contrast to conventional airborne mapping systems, UAS has limited ground coverage due to low flying height and limited flying time, yet it offers an attractive alternative to high performance airborne systems, as the cost of the sensors and platform, and the flight logistics, is relatively low. In addition, UAS is better suited for small area data acquisitions and to acquire data in difficult to access areas, such as urban canyons or densely built-up environments. The main question with respect to the use of UAS is whether the inexpensive consumer sensors installed in UAS platforms can provide the geospatial data quality comparable to that provided by conventional systems. This study aims at the performance evaluation of the current practice of UAS-based topographic mapping by reviewing the practical aspects of sensor configuration, georeferencing and point cloud generation, including comparisons between sensor types and processing tools. The main objective is to provide accuracy characterization and practical information for selecting and using UAS solutions in general mapping applications. The analysis is based on statistical evaluation as well as visual examination of experimental data acquired by a Bergen octocopter with three different image sensor configurations, including a GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition, a Nikon D800 DSLR and a Velodyne HDL-32. In addition, georeferencing data of varying quality were acquired and evaluated. The optical imagery was processed by using three commercial point cloud generation tools. Comparing point clouds created by active and passive sensors by using different quality sensors, and finally

Geospatial resources for the geologic community: The USGS National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Witt, Emitt C.

2015-01-01

Geospatial data are a key component of investigating, interpreting, and communicating the geological sciences. Locating geospatial data can be time-consuming, which detracts from time spent on a study because these data are not obviously placed in central locations or are served from many disparate databases. The National Map of the US Geological Survey is a publicly available resource for accessing the geospatial base map data needs of the geological community from a central location. The National Map data are available through a viewer and download platform providing access to eight primary data themes, plus the US Topo and scanned historical topographic maps. The eight themes are elevation, orthoimagery, hydrography, geographic names, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover, and they are being offered for download as predefined tiles in formats supported by leading geographic information system software. Data tiles are periodically refreshed to capture the most current content and are an efficient method for disseminating and receiving geospatial information. Elevation data, for example, are offered as a download from the National Map as 1° × 1° tiles for the 10- and 30- m products and as 15′ × 15′ tiles for the higher-resolution 3-m product. Vector data sets with smaller file sizes are offered at several tile sizes and formats. Partial tiles are not a download option—any prestaged data that intersect the requesting bounding box will be, in their entirety, part of the download order. While there are many options for accessing geospatial data via the Web, the National Map represents authoritative sources of data that are documented and can be referenced for citation and inclusion in scientific publications. Therefore, National Map products and services should be part of a geologist’s first stop for geospatial information and data.

A Statistical Examination of Magnetic Field Model Accuracy for Mapping Geosynchronous Solar Energetic Particle Observations to Lower Earth Orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, S. L.; Kress, B. T.; Rodriguez, J. V.; McCollough, J. P.

2013-12-01

Operational specifications of space environmental hazards can be an important input used by decision makers. Ideally the specification would come from on-board sensors, but for satellites where that capability is not available another option is to map data from remote observations to the location of the satellite. This requires a model of the physical environment and an understanding of its accuracy for mapping applications. We present a statistical comparison between magnetic field model mappings of solar energetic particle observations made by NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to the location of the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES). Because CRRES followed a geosynchronous transfer orbit which precessed in local time this allows us to examine the model accuracy between LEO and GEO orbits across a range of local times. We examine the accuracy of multiple magnetic field models using a variety of statistics and examine their utility for operational purposes.

Generating high-accuracy urban distribution map for short-term change monitoring based on convolutional neural network by utilizing SAR imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iino, Shota; Ito, Riho; Doi, Kento; Imaizumi, Tomoyuki; Hikosaka, Shuhei

2017-10-01

In the developing countries, urban areas are expanding rapidly. With the rapid developments, a short term monitoring of urban changes is important. A constant observation and creation of urban distribution map of high accuracy and without noise pollution are the key issues for the short term monitoring. SAR satellites are highly suitable for day or night and regardless of atmospheric weather condition observations for this type of study. The current study highlights the methodology of generating high-accuracy urban distribution maps derived from the SAR satellite imagery based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which showed the outstanding results for image classification. Several improvements on SAR polarization combinations and dataset construction were performed for increasing the accuracy. As an additional data, Digital Surface Model (DSM), which are useful to classify land cover, were added to improve the accuracy. From the obtained result, high-accuracy urban distribution map satisfying the quality for short-term monitoring was generated. For the evaluation, urban changes were extracted by taking the difference of urban distribution maps. The change analysis with time series of imageries revealed the locations of urban change areas for short-term. Comparisons with optical satellites were performed for validating the results. Finally, analysis of the urban changes combining X-band, L-band and C-band SAR satellites was attempted to increase the opportunity of acquiring satellite imageries. Further analysis will be conducted as future work of the present study

Land use and land cover (LULC) of the Republic of the Maldives: first national map and LULC change analysis using remote-sensing data.

PubMed

Fallati, Luca; Savini, Alessandra; Sterlacchini, Simone; Galli, Paolo

2017-08-01

The Maldives islands in recent decades have experienced dramatic land-use change. Uninhabited islands were turned into new resort islands; evergreen tropical forests were cut, to be replaced by fields and new built-up areas. All these changes happened without a proper monitoring and urban planning strategy from the Maldivian government due to the lack of national land-use and land-cover (LULC) data. This study aimed to realize the first land-use map of the entire Maldives archipelago and to detect land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) using high-resolution satellite images and socioeconomic data. Due to the peculiar geographic and environmental features of the archipelago, the land-use map was obtained by visual interpretation and manual digitization of land-use patches. The images used, dated 2011, were obtained from Digital Globe's WorldView 1 and WorldView 2 satellites. Nine land-use classes and 18 subclasses were identified and mapped. During a field survey, ground control points were collected to test the geographic and thematic accuracy of the land-use map. The final product's overall accuracy was 85%. Once the accuracy of the map had been checked, LULCC maps were created using images from the early 2000s derived from Google Earth historical imagery. Post-classification comparison of the classified maps showed that growth of built-up and agricultural areas resulted in decreases in forest land and shrubland. The LULCC maps also revealed an increase in land reclamation inside lagoons near inhabited islands, resulting in environmental impacts on fragile reef habitat. The LULC map of the Republic of the Maldives produced in this study can be used by government authorities to make sustainable land-use planning decisions and to provide better management of land use and land cover.

Geometric accuracy of Landsat-4 and Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper images.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borgeson, W.T.; Batson, R.M.; Kieffer, H.H.

1985-01-01

The geometric accuracy of the Landsat Thematic Mappers was assessed by a linear least-square comparison of the positions of conspicuous ground features in digital images with their geographic locations as determined from 1:24 000-scale maps. For a Landsat-5 image, the single-dimension standard deviations of the standard digital product, and of this image with additional linear corrections, are 11.2 and 10.3 m, respectively (0.4 pixel). An F-test showed that skew and affine distortion corrections are not significant. At this level of accuracy, the granularity of the digital image and the probable inaccuracy of the 1:24 000 maps began to affect the precision of the comparison. The tested image, even with a moderate accuracy loss in the digital-to-graphic conversion, meets National Horizontal Map Accuracy standards for scales of 1:100 000 and smaller. Two Landsat-4 images, obtained with the Multispectral Scanner on and off, and processed by an interim software system, contain significant skew and affine distortions. -Authors

Proposal for a study of computer mapping of terrain using multispectral data from ERTS-A for the Yellowstone National Park test site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smedes, H. W. (Principal Investigator); Root, R. R.; Roller, N. E. G.; Despain, D.

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A terrain map of Yellowstone National Park showed plant community types and other classes of ground cover in what is basically a wild land. The map comprised 12 classes, six of which were mapped with accuracies of 70 to 95%. The remaining six classes had spectral reflectances that overlapped appreciably, and hence, those were mapped less accurately. Techniques were devised for quantitatively comparing the recognition map of the park with control data acquired from ground inspection and from analysis of sidelooking radar images, a thermal IR mosaic, and IR aerial photos of several scales. Quantitative analyses were made in ten 40 sq km test areas. Comparison mechanics were performed by computer with the final results displayed on line printer output. Forested areas were mapped by computer using ERTS data for less than 1/4 the cost of the conventional forest mapping technique for topographic base maps.

Landslides susceptibility mapping at Gunung Ciremai National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizin; Nur, Bambang Azis

2018-02-01

In addition to agriculture, tourism became one of primary economic income for communities around Mount Ciremai, West, Java. Unfortunately, the landscape of West Java has many potential causes to disasters, mainly landslides. Mapping of disaster susceptibility area is needed as a consideration of tourism planning. The study was conducted in Gunung Ciremai National Park, West Java. This paper propose a methodology to map landslides susceptibilities based on spatial data. Using Geographic Information System tools, several environmental parameters such as slope, land use, elevation, and lithology are scored to build a landslide susceptibility map. Then, susceptibility map is overlaid with Utilization Zone.

Spatial Structure of Above-Ground Biomass Limits Accuracy of Carbon Mapping in Rainforest but Large Scale Forest Inventories Can Help to Overcome

PubMed Central

Guitet, Stéphane; Hérault, Bruno; Molto, Quentin; Brunaux, Olivier; Couteron, Pierre

2015-01-01

Precise mapping of above-ground biomass (AGB) is a major challenge for the success of REDD+ processes in tropical rainforest. The usual mapping methods are based on two hypotheses: a large and long-ranged spatial autocorrelation and a strong environment influence at the regional scale. However, there are no studies of the spatial structure of AGB at the landscapes scale to support these assumptions. We studied spatial variation in AGB at various scales using two large forest inventories conducted in French Guiana. The dataset comprised 2507 plots (0.4 to 0.5 ha) of undisturbed rainforest distributed over the whole region. After checking the uncertainties of estimates obtained from these data, we used half of the dataset to develop explicit predictive models including spatial and environmental effects and tested the accuracy of the resulting maps according to their resolution using the rest of the data. Forest inventories provided accurate AGB estimates at the plot scale, for a mean of 325 Mg.ha-1. They revealed high local variability combined with a weak autocorrelation up to distances of no more than10 km. Environmental variables accounted for a minor part of spatial variation. Accuracy of the best model including spatial effects was 90 Mg.ha-1 at plot scale but coarse graining up to 2-km resolution allowed mapping AGB with accuracy lower than 50 Mg.ha-1. Whatever the resolution, no agreement was found with available pan-tropical reference maps at all resolutions. We concluded that the combined weak autocorrelation and weak environmental effect limit AGB maps accuracy in rainforest, and that a trade-off has to be found between spatial resolution and effective accuracy until adequate “wall-to-wall” remote sensing signals provide reliable AGB predictions. Waiting for this, using large forest inventories with low sampling rate (<0.5%) may be an efficient way to increase the global coverage of AGB maps with acceptable accuracy at kilometric resolution. PMID

Spatial Structure of Above-Ground Biomass Limits Accuracy of Carbon Mapping in Rainforest but Large Scale Forest Inventories Can Help to Overcome.

PubMed

Guitet, Stéphane; Hérault, Bruno; Molto, Quentin; Brunaux, Olivier; Couteron, Pierre

2015-01-01

Precise mapping of above-ground biomass (AGB) is a major challenge for the success of REDD+ processes in tropical rainforest. The usual mapping methods are based on two hypotheses: a large and long-ranged spatial autocorrelation and a strong environment influence at the regional scale. However, there are no studies of the spatial structure of AGB at the landscapes scale to support these assumptions. We studied spatial variation in AGB at various scales using two large forest inventories conducted in French Guiana. The dataset comprised 2507 plots (0.4 to 0.5 ha) of undisturbed rainforest distributed over the whole region. After checking the uncertainties of estimates obtained from these data, we used half of the dataset to develop explicit predictive models including spatial and environmental effects and tested the accuracy of the resulting maps according to their resolution using the rest of the data. Forest inventories provided accurate AGB estimates at the plot scale, for a mean of 325 Mg.ha-1. They revealed high local variability combined with a weak autocorrelation up to distances of no more than10 km. Environmental variables accounted for a minor part of spatial variation. Accuracy of the best model including spatial effects was 90 Mg.ha-1 at plot scale but coarse graining up to 2-km resolution allowed mapping AGB with accuracy lower than 50 Mg.ha-1. Whatever the resolution, no agreement was found with available pan-tropical reference maps at all resolutions. We concluded that the combined weak autocorrelation and weak environmental effect limit AGB maps accuracy in rainforest, and that a trade-off has to be found between spatial resolution and effective accuracy until adequate "wall-to-wall" remote sensing signals provide reliable AGB predictions. Waiting for this, using large forest inventories with low sampling rate (<0.5%) may be an efficient way to increase the global coverage of AGB maps with acceptable accuracy at kilometric resolution.

The National Map - geographic names

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yost, Lou; Carswell, William J.

2009-01-01

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), contains information about the official names for places, features, and areas in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the territories and outlying areas of the United States, including Antarctica. It is the geographic names component of The National Map. The BGN maintains working relationships with State names authorities to cooperate in achieving the standardization of geographic names. The GNIS contains records on more than 2 million geographic names in the United States - from populated places, schools, reservoirs, and parks to streams, valleys, springs, ridges, and every feature type except roads and highways. Entries include information such as the federally-recognized name and variant names and spellings for the feature; former names; the status of the name as determined by the BGN; county or counties in which each named feature is located; geographic coordinates that locate the approximate center of an aerial feature or the mouth and source of a linear feature, such as a stream; name of the cell of the USGS topographic map or maps on which the feature may appear; elevation figures derived from the National Elevation Dataset; bibliographic code for the source of the name; BGN decision dates and historical information are available for some features. Data from the GNIS are used for emergency preparedness, mapmaking, local and regional planning, service delivery routing, marketing, site selection, environmental analysis, genealogical research, and other applications.

The influence of nationality on the accuracy of face and voice recognition.

PubMed

Doty, N D

1998-01-01

Sixty English and U.S. citizens were tested to determine the effect of nationality on accuracy in recognizing previously witnessed faces and voices. Subjects viewed a frontal facial photograph and were then asked to select that face from a set of 10 oblique facial photographs. Subjects listened to a recorded voice and were then asked to select the same voice from a set of 10 voice recordings. This process was repeated 7 more times, such that subjects identified a male and female face and voice from England, France, Belize, and the United States. Subjects demonstrated better accuracy recognizing the faces and voices of their own nationality. Subgoups analysis further supported the other-nationality effect as well as the previously documented other-race effect.

2008 United States National Seismic Hazard Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, M.D.; ,

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey recently updated the National Seismic Hazard Maps by incorporating new seismic, geologic, and geodetic information on earthquake rates and associated ground shaking. The 2008 versions supersede those released in 1996 and 2002. These maps are the basis for seismic design provisions of building codes, insurance rate structures, earthquake loss studies, retrofit priorities, and land-use planning. Their use in design of buildings, bridges, highways, and critical infrastructure allows structures to better withstand earthquake shaking, saving lives and reducing disruption to critical activities following a damaging event. The maps also help engineers avoid costs from over-design for unlikely levels of ground motion.

Removing non-urban roads from the National Land Cover Database to create improved urban maps for the United States, 1992-2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soulard, Christopher E.; Acevedo, William; Stehman, Stephen V.

2018-01-01

Quantifying change in urban land provides important information to create empirical models examining the effects of human land use. Maps of developed land from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) of the conterminous United States include rural roads in the developed land class and therefore overestimate the amount of urban land. To better map the urban class and understand how urban lands change over time, we removed rural roads and small patches of rural development from the NLCD developed class and created four wall-to-wall maps (1992, 2001, 2006, and 2011) of urban land. Removing rural roads from the NLCD developed class involved a multi-step filtering process, data fusion using geospatial road and developed land data, and manual editing. Reference data classified as urban or not urban from a stratified random sample was used to assess the accuracy of the 2001 and 2006 urban and NLCD maps. The newly created urban maps had higher overall accuracy (98.7 percent) than the NLCD maps (96.2 percent). More importantly, the urban maps resulted in lower commission error of the urban class (23 percent versus 57 percent for the NLCD in 2006) with the trade-off of slightly inflated omission error (20 percent for the urban map, 16 percent for NLCD in 2006). The removal of approximately 230,000 km2 of rural roads from the NLCD developed class resulted in maps that better characterize the urban footprint. These urban maps are more suited to modeling applications and policy decisions that rely on quantitative and spatially explicit information regarding urban lands.

National-scale cropland mapping based on spectral-temporal features and outdated land cover information.

PubMed

Waldner, François; Hansen, Matthew C; Potapov, Peter V; Löw, Fabian; Newby, Terence; Ferreira, Stefanus; Defourny, Pierre

2017-01-01

The lack of sufficient ground truth data has always constrained supervised learning, thereby hindering the generation of up-to-date satellite-derived thematic maps. This is all the more true for those applications requiring frequent updates over large areas such as cropland mapping. Therefore, we present a method enabling the automated production of spatially consistent cropland maps at the national scale, based on spectral-temporal features and outdated land cover information. Following an unsupervised approach, this method extracts reliable calibration pixels based on their labels in the outdated map and their spectral signatures. To ensure spatial consistency and coherence in the map, we first propose to generate seamless input images by normalizing the time series and deriving spectral-temporal features that target salient cropland characteristics. Second, we reduce the spatial variability of the class signatures by stratifying the country and by classifying each stratum independently. Finally, we remove speckle with a weighted majority filter accounting for per-pixel classification confidence. Capitalizing on a wall-to-wall validation data set, the method was tested in South Africa using a 16-year old land cover map and multi-sensor Landsat time series. The overall accuracy of the resulting cropland map reached 92%. A spatially explicit validation revealed large variations across the country and suggests that intensive grain-growing areas were better characterized than smallholder farming systems. Informative features in the classification process vary from one stratum to another but features targeting the minimum of vegetation as well as short-wave infrared features were consistently important throughout the country. Overall, the approach showed potential for routinely delivering consistent cropland maps over large areas as required for operational crop monitoring.

National-scale cropland mapping based on spectral-temporal features and outdated land cover information

PubMed Central

Hansen, Matthew C.; Potapov, Peter V.; Löw, Fabian; Newby, Terence; Ferreira, Stefanus; Defourny, Pierre

2017-01-01

The lack of sufficient ground truth data has always constrained supervised learning, thereby hindering the generation of up-to-date satellite-derived thematic maps. This is all the more true for those applications requiring frequent updates over large areas such as cropland mapping. Therefore, we present a method enabling the automated production of spatially consistent cropland maps at the national scale, based on spectral-temporal features and outdated land cover information. Following an unsupervised approach, this method extracts reliable calibration pixels based on their labels in the outdated map and their spectral signatures. To ensure spatial consistency and coherence in the map, we first propose to generate seamless input images by normalizing the time series and deriving spectral-temporal features that target salient cropland characteristics. Second, we reduce the spatial variability of the class signatures by stratifying the country and by classifying each stratum independently. Finally, we remove speckle with a weighted majority filter accounting for per-pixel classification confidence. Capitalizing on a wall-to-wall validation data set, the method was tested in South Africa using a 16-year old land cover map and multi-sensor Landsat time series. The overall accuracy of the resulting cropland map reached 92%. A spatially explicit validation revealed large variations across the country and suggests that intensive grain-growing areas were better characterized than smallholder farming systems. Informative features in the classification process vary from one stratum to another but features targeting the minimum of vegetation as well as short-wave infrared features were consistently important throughout the country. Overall, the approach showed potential for routinely delivering consistent cropland maps over large areas as required for operational crop monitoring. PMID:28817618

US Topo: Topographic Maps for the Nation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hytes, Patricia L.

2009-01-01

US Topo is the next generation of topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Arranged in the familiar 7.5-minute quadrangle format, digital US Topo maps are designed to look and feel (and perform) like the traditional paper topographic maps for which the USGS is so well known. In contrast to paper-based maps, US Topo maps provide modern technical advantages that support faster, wider public distribution and enable basic, on-screen geographic analysis for all users. US Topo maps are available free on the Web. Each map quadrangle is constructed in GeoPDF? format from key layers of geographic data (orthoimagery, roads, geographic names, topographic contours, and hydrographic features) found in The National Map. US Topo quadrangles can be printed from personal computers or plotters as complete, full-sized, maps or in customized sections, in a user-desired specific format. Paper copies of the maps can also be purchased from the USGS Store. Download links and a users guide are featured on the US Topo Web site. US Topo users can turn geographic data layers on and off as needed; they can zoom in and out to highlight specific features or see a broader area. File size for each digital 7.5-minute quadrangle, about 15-20 megabytes, is suitable for most users. Associated electronic tools for geographic analysis are available free for download.

Digital soil mapping as a basis for climatically oriented agriculture a thematic on the territory of the national crop testing fields of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahabiev, I. A.; Giniyatullin, K. G.; Ryazanov, S. S.

2018-01-01

The concept of climate-optimized agriculture (COA) of the UN FAO implies the transformation of agriculture techniques in conditions of changing climate. It is important to implement a timely transition to the concept of COA and sustainable development of soil resources, accurate digital maps of spatial distribution of soils and soil properties are needed. Digital mapping of soil humus content was carried out on the territory of the national crop testing fields (NCTF) of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) and the accuracy of the maps obtained was estimated.

Geologic Map of Lassen Volcanic National Park and Vicinity, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clynne, Michael A.; Muffler, L.J. Patrick

2010-01-01

The geologic map of Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP) and vicinity encompasses 1,905 km2 at the south end of the Cascade Range in Shasta, Lassen, Tehama, and Plumas Counties, northeastern California (fig. 1, sheet 3). The park includes 430 km2 of scenic volcanic features, glacially sculpted terrain, and the most spectacular array of thermal features in the Cascade Range. Interest in preserving the scenic wonders of the Lassen area as a national park arose in the early 1900s to protect it from commercial development and led to the establishment in 1907 of two small national monuments centered on Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone. The eruptions of Lassen Peak in 1914-15 were the first in the Cascade Range since widespread settling of the West in the late 1800s. Through the printed media, the eruptions aroused considerable public interest and inspired renewed efforts, which had languished since 1907, to establish a national park. In 1916, Lassen Volcanic National Park was established by combining the areas of the previously established national monuments and adjacent lands. The southernmost Cascade Range is bounded on the west by the Sacramento Valley and the Klamath Mountains, on the south by the Sierra Nevada, and on the east by the Basin and Range geologic provinces. Most of the map area is underlain by middle to late Pleistocene volcanic rocks; Holocene, early Pleistocene, and late Pliocene volcanic rocks (<3.5 m.y.) are less common. Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks are inferred to underlie the volcanic deposits (Jachens and Saltus, 1983), but the nearest exposures of pre-Tertiary rocks are 15 km to the south, 9 km to the southwest, and 12 km to the west. Diller (1895) recognized the young volcanic geology and produced the first geologic map of the Lassen area. The map (sheet 1) builds on and extends geologic mapping by Williams (1932), Macdonald (1963, 1964, 1965), and Wilson (1961). The Lassen Peak area mapped by Christiansen and others (2002) and published in greater

Geologic Map of Wupatki National Monument and Vicinity, Coconino County, Northern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Billingsley, George H.; Priest, Susan S.; Felger, Tracey J.

2007-01-01

Introduction The geologic map of Wupatki National Monument is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and the Navajo Nation to provide geologic information for resource management officials of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Navajo Indian Reservation (herein the Navajo Nation), and visitor information services at Wupatki National Monument, Arizona. Funding for the map was provided in part by the Water Rights Branch of the Water Resources Division of the National Park Service. Field work on the Navajo Nation was conducted under a permit from the Navajo Nation Minerals Department. Any persons wishing to conduct geologic investigations on the Navajo Nation must first apply for, and receive, a permit from the Navajo Nation Minerals Department, P.O. Box 1910, Window Rock, Arizona 86515, telephone (928)-871-6587. Wupatki National Monument lies within the USGS 1:24,000-scale Wupatki NE, Wupatki SE, Wupatki SW, Gray Mountain, East of SP Mountain, and Campbell Francis Wash quadrangles in northern Arizona. The map is bounded approximately by longitudes 111? 16' to 111? 32' 30' W. and latitudes 35? 30' to 35? 37' 40' N. The map area is in Coconino County on the southern part of the Colorado Plateaus geologic province (herein Colorado Plateau). The map area is locally subdivided into three physiographic parts, the Coconino Plateau, the Little Colorado River Valley, and the San Francisco Volcanic Field as defined by Billingsley and others (1997) [fig. 1]. Elevations range from 4,220 ft (1,286 m) at the Little Colorado River near the northeast corner of the map area to about 6,100 ft (1,859 m) at the southwest corner of the map area. The small community of Gray Mountain is about 16 mi (26 km) northwest of Wupatki National Monument Visitor Center, and Flagstaff, Arizona, the nearest metropolitan area, is about 24 mi (38 km) southwest of the Visitor Center (fig. 1). U.S. Highway 89 provides access to the west entrance of

Digital Mapping and Environmental Characterization of National Wild and Scenic River Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McManamay, Ryan A; Bosnall, Peter; Hetrick, Shelaine L

2013-09-01

Spatially accurate geospatial information is required to support decision-making regarding sustainable future hydropower development. Under a memorandum of understanding among several federal agencies, a pilot study was conducted to map a subset of National Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs) at a higher resolution and provide a consistent methodology for mapping WSRs across the United States and across agency jurisdictions. A subset of rivers (segments falling under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service) were mapped at a high resolution using the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). The spatial extent and representation of river segments mapped at NHD scale were compared withmore » the prevailing geospatial coverage mapped at a coarser scale. Accurately digitized river segments were linked to environmental attribution datasets housed within the Oak Ridge National Laboratory s National Hydropower Asset Assessment Program database to characterize the environmental context of WSR segments. The results suggest that both the spatial scale of hydrography datasets and the adherence to written policy descriptions are critical to accurately mapping WSRs. The environmental characterization provided information to deduce generalized trends in either the uniqueness or the commonness of environmental variables associated with WSRs. Although WSRs occur in a wide range of human-modified landscapes, environmental data layers suggest that they provide habitats important to terrestrial and aquatic organisms and recreation important to humans. Ultimately, the research findings herein suggest that there is a need for accurate, consistent, mapping of the National WSRs across the agencies responsible for administering each river. Geospatial applications examining potential landscape and energy development require accurate sources of information, such as data layers that portray realistic spatial representations.« less

CARETS: A prototype regional environmental information system. Volume 6: Cost, accuracy and consistency comparisons of land use maps made from high-altitude aircraft photography and ERTS imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Fitzpatrick, K. A.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Level 2 land use maps produced at three scales (1:24,000, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000) from high altitude photography were compared with each other and with point data obtained in the field. The same procedures were employed to determine the accuracy of the Level 1 land use maps produced at 1:250,000 from high altitude photography and color composite ERTS imagery. Accuracy of the Level 2 maps was 84.9 percent at 1:24,000, 77.4 percent at 1:100,000 and 73.0 percent at 1:250,000. Accuracy of the Level 1 1:250,000 maps was 76.5 percent for aerial photographs and 69.5 percent for ERTS imagery. The cost of Level 2 land use mapping at 1:24,000 was found to be high ($11.93 per sq km). The cost of mapping at 1:100,000 ($1.75) was about two times as expensive as mapping at 1:250,000 ($.88), and the accuracy increased by only 4.4 percent.

75 FR 16719 - Information Collection; Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... Collection; Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest Planning AGENCY: Forest... on the new information collection, Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National... holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National...

Predictive Mapping of Forest Attributes on the Fishlake National Forest

Treesearch

Tracey S. Frescino; Gretchen G. Moisen

2005-01-01

Forest land managers increasingly need maps of forest characteristics to aid in planning and management. A set of 30-m resolution maps was prepared for the Fishlake National Forest by modeling FIA plot variables as nonparametric functions of ancillary digital data. The set includes maps of volume, biomass, growth, stand age, size, crown cover, and various aspen...

National Park Service vegetation inventory program: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hop, Kevin D.; Drake, Jim; Strassman, Andrew C.; Hoy, Erin E.; Jakusz, Joseph; Menard, Shannon; Dieck, Jennifer

2015-01-01

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) vegetation mapping project is an initiative of the National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) to classify and map vegetation types of MISS. (Note: “MISS” is also referred to as “park” throughout this report.) The goals of the project are to adequately describe and map vegetation types of the park and to provide the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program, resource managers, and biological researchers with useful baseline vegetation information.The MISS vegetation mapping project was officially started in spring 2012, with a scoping meeting wherein partners discussed project objectives, goals, and methods. Major collaborators at this meeting included staff from the NPS MISS, the NPS Great Lakes Network (GLKN), NatureServe, and the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was also in attendance. Common to all NPS VIP projects, the three main components of the MISS vegetation mapping project are as follows: (1) vegetation classification, (2) vegetation mapping, and (3) map accuracy assessment (AA). In this report, each of these fundamental components is discussed in detail.With the completion of the MISS vegetation mapping project, all nine park units within the NPS GLKN have received vegetation classification and mapping products from the NPS and USGS vegetation programs. Voyageurs National Park and Isle Royale National Park were completed during 1996–2001 (as program pilot projects) and another six park units were completed during 2004–11, including the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Grand Portage National Monument, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Multitemporal Accuracy and Precision Assessment of Unmanned Aerial System Photogrammetry for Slope-Scale Snow Depth Maps in Alpine Terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Marc S.; Bühler, Yves; Fromm, Reinhard

2017-12-01

Reliable and timely information on the spatio-temporal distribution of snow in alpine terrain plays an important role for a wide range of applications. Unmanned aerial system (UAS) photogrammetry is increasingly applied to cost-efficiently map the snow depth at very high resolution with flexible applicability. However, crucial questions regarding quality and repeatability of this technique are still under discussion. Here we present a multitemporal accuracy and precision assessment of UAS photogrammetry for snow depth mapping on the slope-scale. We mapped a 0.12 km2 large snow-covered study site, located in a high-alpine valley in Western Austria. 12 UAS flights were performed to acquire imagery at 0.05 m ground sampling distance in visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths with a modified commercial, off-the-shelf sensor mounted on a custom-built fixed-wing UAS. The imagery was processed with structure-from-motion photogrammetry software to generate orthophotos, digital surface models (DSMs) and snow depth maps (SDMs). Accuracy of DSMs and SDMs were assessed with terrestrial laser scanning and manual snow depth probing, respectively. The results show that under good illumination conditions (study site in full sunlight), the DSMs and SDMs were acquired with an accuracy of ≤ 0.25 and ≤ 0.29 m (both at 1σ), respectively. In case of poorly illuminated snow surfaces (study site shadowed), the NIR imagery provided higher accuracy (0.19 m; 0.23 m) than VIS imagery (0.49 m; 0.37 m). The precision of the UASSDMs was 0.04 m for a small, stable area and below 0.33 m for the whole study site (both at 1σ).

The Design and Product of National 1:1000000 Cartographic Data of Topographic Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guizhi

2016-06-01

National administration of surveying, mapping and geoinformation started to launch the project of national fundamental geographic information database dynamic update in 2012. Among them, the 1:50000 database was updated once a year, furthermore the 1:250000 database was downsized and linkage-updated on the basis. In 2014, using the latest achievements of 1:250000 database, comprehensively update the 1:1000000 digital line graph database. At the same time, generate cartographic data of topographic map and digital elevation model data. This article mainly introduce national 1:1000000 cartographic data of topographic map, include feature content, database structure, Database-driven Mapping technology, workflow and so on.

USE OF ROAD MAPS IN NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF FOREST FRAGMENTATION IN THE UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Including road-mediated forest fragmentation is a contentious issue in United States national assessments. We compared fragmentation as calculated from national land-cover maps alone, and from land-cover maps in combination with road maps. The increment of forest edge from roads ...

Fusion of pan-tropical biomass maps using weighted averaging and regional calibration data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Yong; Avitabile, Valerio; Heuvelink, Gerard B. M.; Wang, Jianghao; Herold, Martin

2014-09-01

Biomass is a key environmental variable that influences many biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Recently, a number of biomass maps at national, regional and global scales have been produced using different approaches with a variety of input data, such as from field observations, remotely sensed imagery and other spatial datasets. However, the accuracy of these maps varies regionally and is largely unknown. This research proposes a fusion method to increase the accuracy of regional biomass estimates by using higher-quality calibration data. In this fusion method, the biases in the source maps were first adjusted to correct for over- and underestimation by comparison with the calibration data. Next, the biomass maps were combined linearly using weights derived from the variance-covariance matrix associated with the accuracies of the source maps. Because each map may have different biases and accuracies for different land use types, the biases and fusion weights were computed for each of the main land cover types separately. The conceptual arguments are substantiated by a case study conducted in East Africa. Evaluation analysis shows that fusing multiple source biomass maps may produce a more accurate map than when only one biomass map or unweighted averaging is used.

Integrating recent land cover mapping efforts to update the National Gap Analysis Program's species habitat map

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKerrow, Alexa; Davidson, A.; Earnhardt, Todd; Benson, Abigail L.; Toth, Charles; Holm, Thomas; Jutz, Boris

2014-01-01

Over the past decade, great progress has been made to develop national extent land cover mapping products to address natural resource issues. One of the core products of the GAP Program is range-wide species distribution models for nearly 2000 terrestrial vertebrate species in the U.S. We rely on deductive modeling of habitat affinities using these products to create models of habitat availability. That approach requires that we have a thematically rich and ecologically meaningful map legend to support the modeling effort. In this work, we tested the integration of the Multi-Resolution Landscape Characterization Consortium's National Land Cover Database 2011 and LANDFIRE's Disturbance Products to update the 2001 National GAP Vegetation Dataset to reflect 2011 conditions. The revised product can then be used to update the species models. We tested the update approach in three geographic areas (Northeast, Southeast, and Interior Northwest). We used the NLCD product to identify areas where the cover type mapped in 2011 was different from what was in the 2001 land cover map. We used Google Earth and ArcGIS base maps as reference imagery in order to label areas identified as "changed" to the appropriate class from our map legend. Areas mapped as urban or water in the 2011 NLCD map that were mapped differently in the 2001 GAP map were accepted without further validation and recoded to the corresponding GAP class. We used LANDFIRE's Disturbance products to identify changes that are the result of recent disturbance and to inform the reassignment of areas to their updated thematic label. We ran species habitat models for three species including Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) and the White-tailed Jack Rabbit (Lepus townsendii) and Brown Headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla). For each of three vertebrate species we found important differences in the amount and location of suitable habitat between the 2001 and 2011 habitat maps. Specifically, Brown headed nuthatch habitat in

Geologic map of southwestern Sequoia National Park, Tulare County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sisson, Thomas W.; Moore, James G.

2013-01-01

This map shows the geology of 675 km2 (260 mi2) on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, California, mainly in Sequoia National Park and Sequoia National Forest. It was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the request of the National Park Service to complete the geologic map coverage of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The area includes the Mineral King 15’ topographic quadrangle (sheet 1) and strips along the east and northeast edges of the Kaweah 15’ topographic quadrangle (sheet 2), both in Tulare County. Mapping was performed mainly on the 1:24,000-scale Mineral King, Silver City, Quinn Peak, Moses Mountain, Case Mountain, and Dennison Peak 7.5’ topographic quadrangle bases. Rocks within the study area are chiefly Cretaceous granites and granodiorites of the Sierra Nevada batholith that intruded coherent masses of Mesozoic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks. Quaternary till and talus are the principal surficial deposits, with the exception of a large bouldery alluvial apron near the southwest corner of the map area. The study area includes the headwaters of the Kaweah River (East and South Forks), Tule River (North Fork and North Fork of the Middle Fork), and the Little Kern River. Relief is considerable, with elevations spanning from 1,500 feet along the Middle Fork Kaweah River to 12,432 feet at the summit of Florence Peak along the crest of the Great Western Divide.

Documentation for the 2008 Update of the United States National Seismic Hazard Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, Mark D.; Frankel, Arthur D.; Harmsen, Stephen C.; Mueller, Charles S.; Haller, Kathleen M.; Wheeler, Russell L.; Wesson, Robert L.; Zeng, Yuehua; Boyd, Oliver S.; Perkins, David M.; Luco, Nicolas; Field, Edward H.; Wills, Chris J.; Rukstales, Kenneth S.

2008-01-01

The 2008 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Maps display earthquake ground motions for various probability levels across the United States and are applied in seismic provisions of building codes, insurance rate structures, risk assessments, and other public policy. This update of the maps incorporates new findings on earthquake ground shaking, faults, seismicity, and geodesy. The resulting maps are derived from seismic hazard curves calculated on a grid of sites across the United States that describe the frequency of exceeding a set of ground motions. The USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project developed these maps by incorporating information on potential earthquakes and associated ground shaking obtained from interaction in science and engineering workshops involving hundreds of participants, review by several science organizations and State surveys, and advice from two expert panels. The National Seismic Hazard Maps represent our assessment of the 'best available science' in earthquake hazards estimation for the United States (maps of Alaska and Hawaii as well as further information on hazard across the United States are available on our Web site at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/hazmaps/).

Relief Presentation on US National Park Service Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, Tom

2018-05-01

This paper examines the evolution of relief presentations on maps developed by Harpers Ferry Center, the media service center of the US National Park Service (NPS). Harpers Ferry Center produces the maps used by park visitors. I will discuss five park maps, each with a distinctive relief style and mode of production. They appear in rough chronological order of their development. Recent relief presentations are generally more detailed, colorful, and realistic than those from earlier years. Changing technology is largely responsible for the different relief styles found on park maps. Some relief treatments today were not possible, or imaginable, in 1977 when the NPS established the brochure program in its modern phase. Landscape heterogeneity is another factor behind the development of different relief styles. With over 400 park sites ranging from the glacial mountains of Alaska to the rolling piedmont of Virginia, a one-style-fits-all approach cannot adequately depict all landscapes. NPS maps serve some 300 million park visitors each year. Our ongoing effort to make understandable maps for this diverse audience has further spurred experiments in relief presentation.

Scoping of Flood Hazard Mapping Needs for Merrimack County, New Hampshire

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

DOQ Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle DOQQ Digital Ortho Quarter Quadrangle DTM Digital Terrain Model FBFM Flood Boundary and Floodway Map FEMA Federal...discussed available data and coverages within New Hampshire (for example, 2003 National Agriculture Imag- ery Program (NAIP) color Digital Orthophoto ... orthophotos providing improved base map accuracy. NH GRANIT is presently converting the standard, paper FIRMs and Flood Boundary and Floodway maps (FBFMs

Positional Accuracy of Airborne Integrated Global Positioning and Inertial Navigation Systems for Mapping in Glen Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanchez, Richard D.; Hothem, Larry D.

2002-01-01

High-resolution airborne and satellite image sensor systems integrated with onboard data collection based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial navigation systems (INS) may offer a quick and cost-effective way to gather accurate topographic map information without ground control or aerial triangulation. The Applanix Corporation?s Position and Orientation Solutions for Direct Georeferencing of aerial photography was used in this project to examine the positional accuracy of integrated GPS/INS for terrain mapping in Glen Canyon, Arizona. The research application in this study yielded important information on the usefulness and limits of airborne integrated GPS/INS data-capture systems for mapping.

The National Map: Benefits at what cost?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halsing, D.L.; Theissen, K.M.; Bernknopf, R.L.

2004-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of The National Map, and determined that, during its 30-year projected lifespan, the project will likely bring a net present value of benefits to society of $2.05 billion. Such a survey enhances the United States' ability to access, integrate, and apply geospatial data at global, national, and local scales. This paper gives an overview on the underlying economic model for evaluating program benefits and presents the primary findings as well as a sensitivity analysis assessing the robustness of the results.

INFOMAR, Ireland's National Seabed Mapping Programme; Sharing Valuable Insights.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Judge, M. T.; McGrath, F.; Cullen, S.; Verbruggen, K.

2017-12-01

Following the successful high-resolution deep-sea mapping carried out as part of the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS), a strategic, long term programme was established: INtegrated mapping FOr the sustainable development of Ireland MArine Resources (INFOMAR). Funded by Ireland's Department of Communication, Climate Action and Environment, INFOMAR comprises a multi-platform approach to completing Ireland's marine mapping, and is a key action in the integrated marine plan, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth. Co-managed by Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute, the programme has three work strands: Data Acquisition; Data Exchange and Integration; Value Added Exploitation.The Data Acquisition strand includes collection of geological, hydrographic, oceanographic, habitat and heritage datasets that underpin sustainable development and management of Ireland's marine resources. INFOMAR operates a free data policy; data and outputs are delivered online through the Data Exchange and Integration strand. Uses of data and outputs are wide-ranging and multipurpose. In order to address the evolution and diversification of user requirements, further data product development is facilitated through the Value Added Exploitation strand.Ninety percent of Ireland's territory lies offshore. Therefore, strategic national seabed mapping continues to provide critical, high-resolution baseline datasets for numerous economic sectors and societal needs. From these we can glean important geodynamic knowledge of Ireland's vast maritime territory. INFOMAR remains aligned with national and European policies and directives. Exemplified by our commitment to EMODnet, a European Commission funded project that supports the collection, standardisation and sharing of available marine information, data and data products across all European Seas. As EMODnet Geology Minerals leaders we have developed a framework for mapping marine minerals. Furthermore, collaboration with the international research

Habitat Mapping and Classification of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve using AISA Hyperspectral Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, K.

2012-12-01

Habitat mapping and classification provides essential information for land use planning and ecosystem research, monitoring and management. At the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GRDNERR), Mississippi, habitat characterization of the Grand Bay watershed will also be used to develop a decision-support tool for the NERR's managers and state and local partners. Grand Bay NERR habitat units were identified using a combination of remotely sensed imagery, aerial photography and elevation data. Airborne Imaging Spectrometer for Applications (AISA) hyperspectral data, acquired 5 and 6 May 2010, was analyzed and classified using ENVI v4.8 and v5.0 software. The AISA system was configured to return 63 bands of digital imagery data with a spectral range of 400 to 970 nm (VNIR), spectral resolution (bandwidth) at 8.76 nm, and 1 m spatial resolution. Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) and Inverse Minimum Noise Fraction were applied to the data prior to using Spectral Angle Mapper ([SAM] supervised) and ISODATA (unsupervised) classification techniques. The resulting class image was exported to ArcGIS 10.0 and visually inspected and compared with the original imagery as well as auxiliary datasets to assist in the attribution of habitat characteristics to the spectral classes, including: National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial photography, Jackson County, MS, 2010; USFWS National Wetlands Inventory, 2007; an existing GRDNERR habitat map (2004), SAV (2009) and salt panne (2002-2003) GIS produced by GRDNERR; and USACE lidar topo-bathymetry, 2005. A field survey to validate the map's accuracy will take place during the 2012 summer season. ENVI's Random Sample generator was used to generate GIS points for a ground-truth survey. The broad range of coastal estuarine habitats and geomorphological features- many of which are transitional and vulnerable to environmental stressors- that have been identified within the GRDNERR point to the value of the Reserve for

Health promotion capacity mapping: the Korean situation.

PubMed

Nam, Eun Woo; Engelhardt, Katrin

2007-06-01

Ten years ago the Republic of Korea enacted the National Health Promotion Act, setting the stage for health promotion action in the country. A National Health Promotion Fund was established, financed through tobacco taxes, which is now one of the largest in the world. However, despite abundant financial resources, the infrastructure needed to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate health promotion efforts is still underdeveloped. Currently, health promotion capacity mapping efforts are emerging in Korea. Two international capacity mapping tools have been used to assess the Korean situation, namely HP-Source and the Health Promotion Capacity Profile, which was developed prior to the sixth Global Conference of Health Promotion, held in August 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand. The article summarizes and discusses the results of the capacity mapping exercise, highlights its challenges and suggest ways to improve the accuracy of health promotion capacity mapping.

Mapping global cropland and field size.

PubMed

Fritz, Steffen; See, Linda; McCallum, Ian; You, Liangzhi; Bun, Andriy; Moltchanova, Elena; Duerauer, Martina; Albrecht, Fransizka; Schill, Christian; Perger, Christoph; Havlik, Petr; Mosnier, Aline; Thornton, Philip; Wood-Sichra, Ulrike; Herrero, Mario; Becker-Reshef, Inbal; Justice, Chris; Hansen, Matthew; Gong, Peng; Abdel Aziz, Sheta; Cipriani, Anna; Cumani, Renato; Cecchi, Giuliano; Conchedda, Giulia; Ferreira, Stefanus; Gomez, Adriana; Haffani, Myriam; Kayitakire, Francois; Malanding, Jaiteh; Mueller, Rick; Newby, Terence; Nonguierma, Andre; Olusegun, Adeaga; Ortner, Simone; Rajak, D Ram; Rocha, Jansle; Schepaschenko, Dmitry; Schepaschenko, Maria; Terekhov, Alexey; Tiangwa, Alex; Vancutsem, Christelle; Vintrou, Elodie; Wenbin, Wu; van der Velde, Marijn; Dunwoody, Antonia; Kraxner, Florian; Obersteiner, Michael

2015-05-01

A new 1 km global IIASA-IFPRI cropland percentage map for the baseline year 2005 has been developed which integrates a number of individual cropland maps at global to regional to national scales. The individual map products include existing global land cover maps such as GlobCover 2005 and MODIS v.5, regional maps such as AFRICOVER and national maps from mapping agencies and other organizations. The different products are ranked at the national level using crowdsourced data from Geo-Wiki to create a map that reflects the likelihood of cropland. Calibration with national and subnational crop statistics was then undertaken to distribute the cropland within each country and subnational unit. The new IIASA-IFPRI cropland product has been validated using very high-resolution satellite imagery via Geo-Wiki and has an overall accuracy of 82.4%. It has also been compared with the EarthStat cropland product and shows a lower root mean square error on an independent data set collected from Geo-Wiki. The first ever global field size map was produced at the same resolution as the IIASA-IFPRI cropland map based on interpolation of field size data collected via a Geo-Wiki crowdsourcing campaign. A validation exercise of the global field size map revealed satisfactory agreement with control data, particularly given the relatively modest size of the field size data set used to create the map. Both are critical inputs to global agricultural monitoring in the frame of GEOGLAM and will serve the global land modelling and integrated assessment community, in particular for improving land use models that require baseline cropland information. These products are freely available for downloading from the http://cropland.geo-wiki.org website. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

45 CFR 60.21 - How to dispute the accuracy of National Practitioner Data Bank information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Practitioner Data Bank information. 60.21 Section 60.21 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services GENERAL ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL PRACTITIONER DATA BANK Disclosure of Information by the National Practitioner Data Bank § 60.21 How to dispute the accuracy of National Practitioner Data Bank information. (a...

45 CFR 60.21 - How to dispute the accuracy of National Practitioner Data Bank information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Practitioner Data Bank information. 60.21 Section 60.21 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL PRACTITIONER DATA BANK Disclosure of Information by the National Practitioner Data Bank § 60.21 How to dispute the accuracy of National Practitioner Data Bank information. (a...

Database for the geologic map of Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abendini, Atosa A.; Robinson, Joel E.; Muffler, L. J. Patrick; White, D. E.; Beeson, Melvin H.; Truesdell, A. H.

2015-01-01

This dataset contains contacts, geologic units, and map boundaries from Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1371, "The Geologic map of upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone, National Park, Wyoming". This dataset was constructed to produce a digital geologic map as a basis for ongoing studies of hydrothermal processes.

Applications of national land cover maps in United States forestry

Treesearch

Kurt H. Riitters; Gregory A. Reams

2008-01-01

Land cover maps derived from satellite imagery have a long and varied history of uses in United States forestry science and management. This article reviews recent developments concerning the use of national- to continental-scale land cover maps for inventory, monitoring, and resource assessment in the U.S. Forest Service. The use of mid-scale digital resolution...

Use of Road Maps in National Assessments of Forest Fragmentation in the United States

Treesearch

Kurt H. Riitters; James Wickham; John Coulston

2004-01-01

The question of incorporating road maps into U.S. national assessments of forest fragmentation has been a contentious issue, but there has not been a comparative national analysis to inform the debate. Using data and indices from previous national assessments, we compared fragmentation as calculated from high-resolution land-cover maps alone (Method 1) and after...

Analysis and Mapping of Vegetation and Habitat for the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tagestad, Jerry D.

The Lakeview, Oregon, office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) contracted Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to classify vegetation communities on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Nevada. The objective of the mapping project was to provide USFWS refuge biologists and planners with detailed vegetation and habitat information that can be referenced to make better decisions regarding wildlife resources, fuels and fire risk, and land management. This letter report describes the datasets and methods used to develop vegetation cover type and shrub canopy cover maps for the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge. The two map products described in this reportmore » are (1) a vegetation cover classification that provides updated information on the vegetation associations occurring on the refuge and (2) a map of shrub canopy cover based on high-resolution images and field data.« less

OVERVIEW OF US NATIONAL LAND-COVER MAPPING PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

Because of escalating costs amid growing needs for large-scale, satellite-based landscape information, a group of US federal agencies agreed to pool resources and operate as a consortium to acquire the necessary data land-cover mapping of the nation . The consortium was initiated...

Comparing the performance of various digital soil mapping approaches to map physical soil properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laborczi, Annamária; Takács, Katalin; Pásztor, László

2015-04-01

Spatial information on physical soil properties is intensely expected, in order to support environmental related and land use management decisions. One of the most widely used properties to characterize soils physically is particle size distribution (PSD), which determines soil water management and cultivability. According to their size, different particles can be categorized as clay, silt, or sand. The size intervals are defined by national or international textural classification systems. The relative percentage of sand, silt, and clay in the soil constitutes textural classes, which are also specified miscellaneously in various national and/or specialty systems. The most commonly used is the classification system of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Soil texture information is essential input data in meteorological, hydrological and agricultural prediction modelling. Although Hungary has a great deal of legacy soil maps and other relevant soil information, it often occurs, that maps do not exist on a certain characteristic with the required thematic and/or spatial representation. The recent developments in digital soil mapping (DSM), however, provide wide opportunities for the elaboration of object specific soil maps (OSSM) with predefined parameters (resolution, accuracy, reliability etc.). Due to the simultaneous richness of available Hungarian legacy soil data, spatial inference methods and auxiliary environmental information, there is a high versatility of possible approaches for the compilation of a given soil map. This suggests the opportunity of optimization. For the creation of an OSSM one might intend to identify the optimum set of soil data, method and auxiliary co-variables optimized for the resources (data costs, computation requirements etc.). We started comprehensive analysis of the effects of the various DSM components on the accuracy of the output maps on pilot areas. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate different

A topographic feature taxonomy for a U.S. national topographic mapping ontology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Varanka, Dalia E.

2013-01-01

Using legacy feature lists from the U.S. National Topographic Mapping Program of the twentieth century, a taxonomy of features is presented for purposes of developing a national topographic feature ontology for geographic mapping and analysis. After reviewing published taxonomic classifications, six basic classes are suggested; terrain, surface water, ecological regimes, built-up areas, divisions, and events. Aspects of ontology development are suggested as the taxonomy is described.

a Free and Open Source Tool to Assess the Accuracy of Land Cover Maps: Implementation and Application to Lombardy Region (italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bratic, G.; Brovelli, M. A.; Molinari, M. E.

2018-04-01

The availability of thematic maps has significantly increased over the last few years. Validation of these maps is a key factor in assessing their suitability for different applications. The evaluation of the accuracy of classified data is carried out through a comparison with a reference dataset and the generation of a confusion matrix from which many quality indexes can be derived. In this work, an ad hoc free and open source Python tool was implemented to automatically compute all the matrix confusion-derived accuracy indexes proposed by literature. The tool was integrated into GRASS GIS environment and successfully applied to evaluate the quality of three high-resolution global datasets (GlobeLand30, Global Urban Footprint, Global Human Settlement Layer Built-Up Grid) in the Lombardy Region area (Italy). In addition to the most commonly used accuracy measures, e.g. overall accuracy and Kappa, the tool allowed to compute and investigate less known indexes such as the Ground Truth and the Classification Success Index. The promising tool will be further extended with spatial autocorrelation analysis functions and made available to researcher and user community.

Mapping as a Spatial Data Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudecová, Ľubica

2013-03-01

The basic database for a geographic information system (BD GIS) forms the core of a national spatial data infrastructure. Nowadays decisions are being made about the potential data sources for additional data updates and refinement of the BD GIS. Will the data from departmental or other information system administrators serve for this purpose? This paper gives an answer as to whether it is advisable to use "geodetic mapping" (the results realized in the process of land consolidation) or "cadastral mapping" (the results realized in the process of the renewal of cadastral documentation by new mapping) for additional data updates. In our analysis we focus on the quality parameters at the individual data element level, namely the positional accuracy, attribute accuracy, logical consistency, and data resolution. The results of the analysis are compared with the contents of the Object Class Catalog of BD GIS (OCC), which describes the group of objects managed by BD GIS and defines the data collection methods, types of geometry and its properties.

Forest and range mapping in the Houston area with ERTS-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, G. R.; Parker, H. D.

1973-01-01

ERTS-1 data acquired over the Houston area has been analyzed for applications to forest and range mapping. In the field of forestry the Sam Houston National Forest (Texas) was chosen as a test site, (Scene ID 1037-16244). Conventional imagery interpretation as well as computer processing methods were used to make classification maps of timber species, condition and land-use. The results were compared with timber stand maps which were obtained from aircraft imagery and checked in the field. The preliminary investigations show that conventional interpretation techniques indicated an accuracy in classification of 63 percent. The computer-aided interpretations made by a clustering technique gave 70 percent accuracy. Computer-aided and conventional multispectral analysis techniques were applied to range vegetation type mapping in the gulf coast marsh. Two species of salt marsh grasses were mapped.

The use of landsat 7 enhanced thematic mapper plus for mapping leafy spurge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mladinich, C.S.; Bustos, M.R.; Stitt, S.; Root, R.; Brown, K.; Anderson, G.L.; Hager, S.

2006-01-01

Euphorbia esula L. (leafy spurge) is an invasive weed that is a major problem in much of the Upper Great Plains region, including parts of Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Infestations in North Dakota alone have had a serious economic impact, estimated at $87 million annually in 1991, to the state's wildlife, tourism, and agricultural economy. Leafy spurge degrades prairie and badland ecosystems by displacing native grasses and forbs. It is a major threat to protected ecosystems in many national parks, national wild lands, and state recreational areas in the region. This study explores the use of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (Landsat) imagery and derived products as a management tool for mapping leafy spurge in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in southwestern North Dakota. An unsupervised clustering approach was used to map leafy spurge classes and resulted in overall classification accuracies of approximately 63%. The uses of Landsat imagery did not provide the accuracy required for detailed mapping of small patches of the weed. However, it demonstrated the potential for mapping broad-scale (regional) leafy spurge occurrence. This paper offers recommendations on the suitability of Landsat imagery as a tool for use by resource managers to map and monitor leafy spurge populations over large areas.

Thematic and positional accuracy assessment of digital remotely sensed data

Treesearch

Russell G. Congalton

2007-01-01

Accuracy assessment or validation has become a standard component of any land cover or vegetation map derived from remotely sensed data. Knowing the accuracy of the map is vital to any decisionmaking performed using that map. The process of assessing the map accuracy is time consuming and expensive. It is very important that the procedure be well thought out and...

Automatic Computer Mapping of Terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smedes, H. W.

1971-01-01

Computer processing of 17 wavelength bands of visible, reflective infrared, and thermal infrared scanner spectrometer data, and of three wavelength bands derived from color aerial film has resulted in successful automatic computer mapping of eight or more terrain classes in a Yellowstone National Park test site. The tests involved: (1) supervised and non-supervised computer programs; (2) special preprocessing of the scanner data to reduce computer processing time and cost, and improve the accuracy; and (3) studies of the effectiveness of the proposed Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) data channels in the automatic mapping of the same terrain, based on simulations, using the same set of scanner data. The following terrain classes have been mapped with greater than 80 percent accuracy in a 12-square-mile area with 1,800 feet of relief; (1) bedrock exposures, (2) vegetated rock rubble, (3) talus, (4) glacial kame meadow, (5) glacial till meadow, (6) forest, (7) bog, and (8) water. In addition, shadows of clouds and cliffs are depicted, but were greatly reduced by using preprocessing techniques.

Modified look-locker inversion recovery T1 mapping indices: assessment of accuracy and reproducibility between magnetic resonance scanners

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping indices, such as T1 time and partition coefficient (λ), have shown potential to assess diffuse myocardial fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate how scanner and field strength variation affect the accuracy and precision/reproducibility of T1 mapping indices. Methods CMR studies were performed on two 1.5T and three 3T scanners. Eight phantoms were made to mimic the T1/T2 of pre- and post-contrast myocardium and blood at 1.5T and 3T. T1 mapping using MOLLI was performed with simulated heart rate of 40-100 bpm. Inversion recovery spin echo (IR-SE) was the reference standard for T1 determination. Accuracy was defined as the percent error between MOLLI and IR-SE, and scan/re-scan reproducibility was defined as the relative percent mean difference between repeat MOLLI scans. Partition coefficient was estimated by ΔR1myocardium phantom/ΔR1blood phantom. Generalized linear mixed model was used to compare the accuracy and precision/reproducibility of T1 and λ across field strength, scanners, and protocols. Results Field strength significantly affected MOLLI T1 accuracy (6.3% error for 1.5T vs. 10.8% error for 3T, p<0.001) but not λ accuracy (8.8% error for 1.5T vs. 8.0% error for 3T, p=0.11). Partition coefficients of MOLLI were not different between two 1.5T scanners (47.2% vs. 47.9%, p=0.13), and showed only slight variation across three 3T scanners (49.2% vs. 49.8% vs. 49.9%, p=0.016). Partition coefficient also had significantly lower percent error for precision (better scan/re-scan reproducibility) than measurement of individual T1 values (3.6% for λ vs. 4.3%-4.8% for T1 values, approximately, for pre/post blood and myocardium values). Conclusion Based on phantom studies, T1 errors using MOLLI ranged from 6-14% across various MR scanners while errors for partition coefficient were less (6-10%). Compared with absolute T1 times, partition coefficient showed less variability across

The Research and Compilation of City Maps in the National Geomatics Atlas of the PEOPLE'S Republic of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, G.; Wang, D.; Zhou, W.; Chen, M.; Zhao, T.

2018-04-01

The research and compilation of new century version of the National Huge Atlas of the People's Republic of China is the special basic work project by Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China. Among them, the research and compilation of the National Geomatics Atlas of the People's Republic of China is its main content. The National Geomatics Atlas of China consists of 4 groups of maps and place name index. The 4 groups of maps are separately nationwide thematic map group, provincial fundamental geographical map group, landcover map group and city map group. The city map group is an important component part of the National Geomatics Atlas of China and mainly shows the process of urbanization in China. This paper, aim at design and compilation of 39 city-wide maps, briefly introduces mapping area research and scale design, mapping technical route, content selection and cartographic generalization, symbol design and visualization of map, etc.

Sampling Simulations for Assessing the Accuracy of U.S. Agricultural Crop Mapping from Remotely Sensed Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwyer, Linnea; Yadav, Kamini; Congalton, Russell G.

2017-04-01

Providing adequate food and water for a growing, global population continues to be a major challenge. Mapping and monitoring crops are useful tools for estimating the extent of crop productivity. GFSAD30 (Global Food Security Analysis Data at 30m) is a program, funded by NASA, that is producing global cropland maps by using field measurements and remote sensing images. This program studies 8 major crop types, and includes information on cropland area/extent, if crops are irrigated or rainfed, and the cropping intensities. Using results from the US and the extensive reference data available, CDL (USDA Crop Data Layer), we will experiment with various sampling simulations to determine optimal sampling for thematic map accuracy assessment. These simulations will include varying the sampling unit, the sampling strategy, and the sample number. Results of these simulations will allow us to recommend assessment approaches to handle different cropping scenarios.

Improving the Accuracy of Direct Geo-referencing of Smartphone-Based Mobile Mapping Systems Using Relative Orientation and Scene Geometric Constraints.

PubMed

Alsubaie, Naif M; Youssef, Ahmed A; El-Sheimy, Naser

2017-09-30

This paper introduces a new method which facilitate the use of smartphones as a handheld low-cost mobile mapping system (MMS). Smartphones are becoming more sophisticated and smarter and are quickly closing the gap between computers and portable tablet devices. The current generation of smartphones are equipped with low-cost GPS receivers, high-resolution digital cameras, and micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS)-based navigation sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetic compasses, and barometers). These sensors are in fact the essential components for a MMS. However, smartphone navigation sensors suffer from the poor accuracy of global navigation satellite System (GNSS), accumulated drift, and high signal noise. These issues affect the accuracy of the initial Exterior Orientation Parameters (EOPs) that are inputted into the bundle adjustment algorithm, which then produces inaccurate 3D mapping solutions. This paper proposes new methodologies for increasing the accuracy of direct geo-referencing of smartphones using relative orientation and smartphone motion sensor measurements as well as integrating geometric scene constraints into free network bundle adjustment. The new methodologies incorporate fusing the relative orientations of the captured images and their corresponding motion sensor measurements to improve the initial EOPs. Then, the geometric features (e.g., horizontal and vertical linear lines) visible in each image are extracted and used as constraints in the bundle adjustment procedure which correct the relative position and orientation of the 3D mapping solution.

Partnerships - Working Together to Build The National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2004-01-01

Through The National Map, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with partners to ensure that current, accurate, and complete base geographic information is available for the Nation. Designed as a network of online digital databases, it provides a consistent geographic data framework for the country and serves as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using data easily and reliably. It provides public access to high quality geospatial data and information from multiple partners to help inform decisionmaking by resource managers and the public, and to support intergovernmental homeland security and emergency management requirements.

Low Cost Multi-Sensor Robot Laser Scanning System and its Accuracy Investigations for Indoor Mapping Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C.; Zou, X.; Tian, M.; Li, J.; Wu, W.; Song, Y.; Dai, W.; Yang, B.

2017-11-01

In order to solve the automation of 3D indoor mapping task, a low cost multi-sensor robot laser scanning system is proposed in this paper. The multiple-sensor robot laser scanning system includes a panorama camera, a laser scanner, and an inertial measurement unit and etc., which are calibrated and synchronized together to achieve simultaneously collection of 3D indoor data. Experiments are undertaken in a typical indoor scene and the data generated by the proposed system are compared with ground truth data collected by a TLS scanner showing an accuracy of 99.2% below 0.25 meter, which explains the applicability and precision of the system in indoor mapping applications.

High-fidelity national carbon mapping for resource management and REDD+

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background High fidelity carbon mapping has the potential to greatly advance national resource management and to encourage international action toward climate change mitigation. However, carbon inventories based on field plots alone cannot capture the heterogeneity of carbon stocks, and thus remote sensing-assisted approaches are critically important to carbon mapping at regional to global scales. We advanced a high-resolution, national-scale carbon mapping approach applied to the Republic of Panama – one of the first UN REDD + partner countries. Results Integrating measurements of vegetation structure collected by airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) with field inventory plots, we report LiDAR-estimated aboveground carbon stock errors of ~10% on any 1-ha land parcel across a wide range of ecological conditions. Critically, this shows that LiDAR provides a highly reliable replacement for inventory plots in areas lacking field data, both in humid tropical forests and among drier tropical vegetation types. We then scale up a systematically aligned LiDAR sampling of Panama using satellite data on topography, rainfall, and vegetation cover to model carbon stocks at 1-ha resolution with estimated average pixel-level uncertainty of 20.5 Mg C ha-1 nationwide. Conclusions The national carbon map revealed strong abiotic and human controls over Panamanian carbon stocks, and the new level of detail with estimated uncertainties for every individual hectare in the country sets Panama at the forefront in high-resolution ecosystem management. With this repeatable approach, carbon resource decision-making can be made on a geospatially explicit basis, enhancing human welfare and environmental protection. PMID:23866822

Hazards, Disasters, and The National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2003-01-01

Governments depend on base geographic information that describes the Earth's surface and locates features. They use this information for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, delivery of health services, and ensuring public safety. It is also the foundation for studying and solving geographically based problems. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. It is an important part of our national infrastructure in the same way that the Interstate Highway System is an essential element of our transportation network. Federal, State, and local response and management personnel must have current, reliable, and easily accessible geographic information and maps to prepare for, respond to, or recover from emergency situations. In life-threatening events, such as earthquakes, floods, or wildland fires, geographic information is essential for locating critical infrastructure and carrying out evacuation and rescue operations.

Evaluating the accuracy of orthophotos and 3D models from UAV photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julge, Kalev; Ellmann, Artu

2015-04-01

Rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in recent years has made their use for various applications more feasible. This contribution evaluates the accuracy and quality of different UAV remote sensing products (i.e. orthorectified image, point cloud and 3D model). Two different autonomous fixed wing UAV systems were used to collect the aerial photographs. One is a mass-produced commercial UAV system, the other is a similar state-of-the-art UAV system. Three different study areas with varying sizes and characteristics (including urban areas, forests, fields, etc.) were surveyed. The UAV point clouds, 3D models and orthophotos were generated with three different commercial and free-ware software. The performance of each of these was evaluated. The effect of flying height on the accuracy of the results was explored, as well as the optimum number and placement of ground control points. Also the achieved results, when the only georeferencing data originates from the UAV system's on-board GNSS and inertial measurement unit, are investigated. Problems regarding the alignment of certain types of aerial photos (e.g. captured over forested areas) are discussed. The quality and accuracy of UAV photogrammetry products are evaluated by comparing them with control measurements made with GNSS-measurements on the ground, as well as high-resolution airborne laser scanning data and other available orthophotos (e.g. those acquired for large scale national mapping). Vertical comparisons are made on surfaces that have remained unchanged in all campaigns, e.g. paved roads. Planar comparisons are performed by control surveys of objects that are clearly identifiable on orthophotos. The statistics of these differences are used to evaluate the accuracy of UAV remote sensing. Some recommendations are given on how to conduct UAV mapping campaigns cost-effectively and with minimal time-consumption while still ensuring the quality and accuracy of the UAV data products. Also the

An expanded map of vegetation communities at Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Struckhoff, Matthew A.

2013-01-01

In 2012, a map of vegetation communities on Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was expanded based on interpretation of aerial photographs and field data. National Agricultural Imagery Program aerial photographs were used to identify distinct communities on previously unmapped refuge units and newly acquired parcels. Newly mapped polygons were then visited to adjust map boundaries, classify communities according to the National Vegetation Classification System, and quantify the abundance of dominant species and non-native, invasive species of concern to the refuge and other resource management agencies along the Missouri River. The expanded map now covers 6,136 hectares representing 33 community types, including 6 previously unmapped types. The full map includes 1,113 polygons, of which 627 are new, 21 are updated from the 2009 mapping effort, and 465 are unchanged from 2009. Mortality of primarily cottonwood stems, because of growing-season floods between 2008 and 2011, has reduced foliar cover of woody stems and created more open wooded communities. In herbaceous communities, dominance by herbaceous old fields has increased due to the inclusion of refuge units dominated by lands in recent agricultural production in the expanded map. Wetland community abundance has increased slightly due to recent flooding.

The US Geological Survey's National Mapping Division programs, products, and services that can support wetlands mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baxter, F.S.

1990-01-01

The US Geological Survey (USGS) programs can play an important role in support of President Bush's policy of no net loss of wetlands. A principal goal of USGS is to provide cartographic information that contributes to the wise management of the Nation's natural resources. This information consists of maps, cartographic data bases (graphic and digital), remotely sensed imagery, and information services. These products are used by Federal, State, and local governments, the private sector, and individual citizens in making decisions on the existence and use of land and water resources. I discuss the programs, products, and information services of the National Mapping Division, the tools available to determine where wetlands exist, and the capability of periodic measurement of wetlands to help in assessing compliance with the concept of no net loss of wetlands. -from Author

Improving the Accuracy of Direct Geo-referencing of Smartphone-Based Mobile Mapping Systems Using Relative Orientation and Scene Geometric Constraints

PubMed Central

Alsubaie, Naif M.; Youssef, Ahmed A.; El-Sheimy, Naser

2017-01-01

This paper introduces a new method which facilitate the use of smartphones as a handheld low-cost mobile mapping system (MMS). Smartphones are becoming more sophisticated and smarter and are quickly closing the gap between computers and portable tablet devices. The current generation of smartphones are equipped with low-cost GPS receivers, high-resolution digital cameras, and micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS)-based navigation sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetic compasses, and barometers). These sensors are in fact the essential components for a MMS. However, smartphone navigation sensors suffer from the poor accuracy of global navigation satellite System (GNSS), accumulated drift, and high signal noise. These issues affect the accuracy of the initial Exterior Orientation Parameters (EOPs) that are inputted into the bundle adjustment algorithm, which then produces inaccurate 3D mapping solutions. This paper proposes new methodologies for increasing the accuracy of direct geo-referencing of smartphones using relative orientation and smartphone motion sensor measurements as well as integrating geometric scene constraints into free network bundle adjustment. The new methodologies incorporate fusing the relative orientations of the captured images and their corresponding motion sensor measurements to improve the initial EOPs. Then, the geometric features (e.g., horizontal and vertical linear lines) visible in each image are extracted and used as constraints in the bundle adjustment procedure which correct the relative position and orientation of the 3D mapping solution. PMID:28973958

Geologic map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park region, Tennessee and North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, Scott; Schultz, Art; Denenny, Danielle

2005-01-01

The geology of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) region of Tennessee and North Carolina was studied from 1993 to 2003 as part of a cooperative investigation with the National Park Service (NPS). This work has been compiled as a 1:100,000-scale map derived from mapping done at 1:24,000 and 1:62,500 scale. The geologic data are intended to support cooperative investigations with NPS, the development of a new soil map by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (http://www.discoverlifeinamerica.org/). At the request of NPS, we mapped areas previously not visited, revised the geology where stratigraphic and structural problems existed, and developed a map database for use in interdisciplinary research, land management, and interpretive programs for park visitors.

Geologic map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park region, Tennessee and North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, Scott; Schultz, Art; Aleinikoff, John N.; Merschat, Arthur J.

2012-01-01

The geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park region of Tennessee and North Carolina was studied from 1993 to 2003 as part of a cooperative investigation by the U.S. Geological Survey with the National Park Service (NPS). This work resulted in a 1:100,000-scale geologic map derived from mapping that was conducted at scales of 1:24,000 and 1:62,500. The geologic data are intended to support cooperative investigations with the NPS, the development of a new soil map by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. In response to a request by the NPS, we mapped previously unstudied areas, revised the geology where problems existed, and developed a map database for use in interdisciplinary research, land management, and interpretive programs for park visitors.

Mapping Vegetation Structure in Kakadu National Park: An AIRSAR and GIS Application in Conservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imhoff, Marc L.; Sisk, Thomas D.; Hampton, Haydee; Milne, Anthony K.

1999-01-01

Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) data were used to map vegetation structure in Kakadu National Park Australia as part of the PACRIM project. SAR data were co-registered with Landsat TM, aerial photos, and map data in a geographic information system for a small test area consisting of mangrove, floodplain grasslands, lowland tropical evergreen forest and upland mixed deciduous and evergreen tropical forest near the South Alligator River. Landsat (Thematic Mapper) TM very clearly showed the floristic composition and burn scars from the previous years fires and the AIRSAR data provided a profile of vegetation structure. Extensive field data on vegetation species composition and structure were collected across a series of transects in cooperation with a survey of avifauna in an effort to link the habitat edge structure with bird species responses. A test site was found that contained two types of habitat edges: 1) A structure specific edge - characterized by the appearance of a very strong structural change in the forest canopy occurring in the absence of a substantial turnover in floristics. 2) Floristic edge - a sharp transition in vegetation genetic composition with a mixed set of structural changes. Specific polarization combinations were selected that were highly correlated to a set of desired structural parameters found in the field data. Classification routines were employed to group radar pixels into 3 structural classes based on: the Surface Area to Volume ratio (SA/V) of the stems, the SA/V of the branches, and the leaf area index of the canopy. Separate canopy structure maps were then entered into the GIS and bird responses were observed relative to the classes and their boundaries. Follow-on work will consist of extending this approach to neighboring areas, generating structure maps, predicting bird responses across the edges, and make accuracy assessments.

Introduction to special issue on map accuracy

Treesearch

Stephen V. Stehman; Raymond L. Czaplewski

2003-01-01

With the advent of satellite remote sensing and computing technology, mapping land cover over extensive regions of the earth has become practical and cost effective. For example, land-cover maps have been produced covering pan-Europe (Mucher et al., 2000), Great Britain (Fuller et al., 1994), Canada (Cihlar et al., 1999), Mexico (Mas et al., 2002) the United States (...

New vegetation type map of India prepared using satellite remote sensing: Comparison with global vegetation maps and utilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, P. S.; Behera, M. D.; Murthy, M. S. R.; Roy, Arijit; Singh, Sarnam; Kushwaha, S. P. S.; Jha, C. S.; Sudhakar, S.; Joshi, P. K.; Reddy, Ch. Sudhakar; Gupta, Stutee; Pujar, Girish; Dutt, C. B. S.; Srivastava, V. K.; Porwal, M. C.; Tripathi, Poonam; Singh, J. S.; Chitale, Vishwas; Skidmore, A. K.; Rajshekhar, G.; Kushwaha, Deepak; Karnatak, Harish; Saran, Sameer; Giriraj, A.; Padalia, Hitendra; Kale, Manish; Nandy, Subrato; Jeganathan, C.; Singh, C. P.; Biradar, C. M.; Pattanaik, Chiranjibi; Singh, D. K.; Devagiri, G. M.; Talukdar, Gautam; Panigrahy, Rabindra K.; Singh, Harnam; Sharma, J. R.; Haridasan, K.; Trivedi, Shivam; Singh, K. P.; Kannan, L.; Daniel, M.; Misra, M. K.; Niphadkar, Madhura; Nagabhatla, Nidhi; Prasad, Nupoor; Tripathi, O. P.; Prasad, P. Rama Chandra; Dash, Pushpa; Qureshi, Qamer; Tripathi, S. K.; Ramesh, B. R.; Gowda, Balakrishnan; Tomar, Sanjay; Romshoo, Shakil; Giriraj, Shilpa; Ravan, Shirish A.; Behera, Soumit Kumar; Paul, Subrato; Das, Ashesh Kumar; Ranganath, B. K.; Singh, T. P.; Sahu, T. R.; Shankar, Uma; Menon, A. R. R.; Srivastava, Gaurav; Neeti; Sharma, Subrat; Mohapatra, U. B.; Peddi, Ashok; Rashid, Humayun; Salroo, Irfan; Krishna, P. Hari; Hajra, P. K.; Vergheese, A. O.; Matin, Shafique; Chaudhary, Swapnil A.; Ghosh, Sonali; Lakshmi, Udaya; Rawat, Deepshikha; Ambastha, Kalpana; Malik, Akhtar H.; Devi, B. S. S.; Gowda, Balakrishna; Sharma, K. C.; Mukharjee, Prashant; Sharma, Ajay; Davidar, Priya; Raju, R. R. Venkata; Katewa, S. S.; Kant, Shashi; Raju, Vatsavaya S.; Uniyal, B. P.; Debnath, Bijan; Rout, D. K.; Thapa, Rajesh; Joseph, Shijo; Chhetri, Pradeep; Ramachandran, Reshma M.

2015-07-01

A seamless vegetation type map of India (scale 1: 50,000) prepared using medium-resolution IRS LISS-III images is presented. The map was created using an on-screen visual interpretation technique and has an accuracy of 90%, as assessed using 15,565 ground control points. India has hitherto been using potential vegetation/forest type map prepared by Champion and Seth in 1968. We characterized and mapped further the vegetation type distribution in the country in terms of occurrence and distribution, area occupancy, percentage of protected area (PA) covered by each vegetation type, range of elevation, mean annual temperature and precipitation over the past 100 years. A remote sensing-amenable hierarchical classification scheme that accommodates natural and semi-natural systems was conceptualized, and the natural vegetation was classified into forests, scrub/shrub lands and grasslands on the basis of extent of vegetation cover. We discuss the distribution and potential utility of the vegetation type map in a broad range of ecological, climatic and conservation applications from global, national and local perspectives. We used 15,565 ground control points to assess the accuracy of products available globally (i.e., GlobCover, Holdridge's life zone map and potential natural vegetation (PNV) maps). Hence we recommend that the map prepared herein be used widely. This vegetation type map is the most comprehensive one developed for India so far. It was prepared using 23.5 m seasonal satellite remote sensing data, field samples and information relating to the biogeography, climate and soil. The digital map is now available through a web portal (http://bis.iirs.gov.in).

Mapping shorelines to subpixel accuracy using Landsat imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abileah, Ron; Vignudelli, Stefano; Scozzari, Andrea

2013-04-01

A promising method to accurately map the shoreline of oceans, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers is proposed and verified in this work. The method is applied to multispectral satellite imagery in two stages. The first stage is a classification of each image pixel into land/water categories using the conventional 'dark pixel' method. The approach presented here, makes use of a single shortwave IR image band (SWIR), if available. It is well known that SWIR has the least water leaving radiance and relatively little sensitivity to water pollutants and suspended sediments. It is generally the darkest (over water) and most reliable single band for land-water discrimination. The boundary of the water cover map determined in stage 1 underestimates the water cover and often misses the true shoreline by a quantity up to one pixel. A more accurate shoreline would be obtained by connecting the center point of pixels with exactly 50-50 mix of water and land. Then, stage 2 finds the 50-50 mix points. According to the method proposed, image data is interpolated and up-sampled to ten times the original resolution. The local gradient in radiance is used to find the direction to the shore, thus searching along that path for the interpolated pixel closest to a 50-50 mix. Landsat images with 30m resolution, processed by this method, may thus provide the shoreline accurate to 3m. Compared to similar approaches available in the literature, the method proposed discriminates sub-pixels crossed by the shoreline by using a criteria based on the absolute value of radiance, rather than its gradient. Preliminary experimentation of the algorithm shows that 10m resolution accuracy is easily achieved and in some cases is often better than 5m. The proposed method can be used to study long term shoreline changes by exploiting the 30 years of archived world-wide coverage Landsat imagery. Landsat imagery is free and easily accessible for downloading. Some applications that exploit the Landsat dataset and

On the accuracy and reproducibility of a novel probabilistic atlas-based generation for calculation of head attenuation maps on integrated PET/MR scanners.

PubMed

Chen, Kevin T; Izquierdo-Garcia, David; Poynton, Clare B; Chonde, Daniel B; Catana, Ciprian

2017-03-01

To propose an MR-based method for generating continuous-valued head attenuation maps and to assess its accuracy and reproducibility. Demonstrating that novel MR-based photon attenuation correction methods are both accurate and reproducible is essential prior to using them routinely in research and clinical studies on integrated PET/MR scanners. Continuous-valued linear attenuation coefficient maps ("μ-maps") were generated by combining atlases that provided the prior probability of voxel positions belonging to a certain tissue class (air, soft tissue, or bone) and an MR intensity-based likelihood classifier to produce posterior probability maps of tissue classes. These probabilities were used as weights to generate the μ-maps. The accuracy of this probabilistic atlas-based continuous-valued μ-map ("PAC-map") generation method was assessed by calculating the voxel-wise absolute relative change (RC) between the MR-based and scaled CT-based attenuation-corrected PET images. To assess reproducibility, we performed pair-wise comparisons of the RC values obtained from the PET images reconstructed using the μ-maps generated from the data acquired at three time points. The proposed method produced continuous-valued μ-maps that qualitatively reflected the variable anatomy in patients with brain tumor and agreed well with the scaled CT-based μ-maps. The absolute RC comparing the resulting PET volumes was 1.76 ± 2.33 %, quantitatively demonstrating that the method is accurate. Additionally, we also showed that the method is highly reproducible, the mean RC value for the PET images reconstructed using the μ-maps obtained at the three visits being 0.65 ± 0.95 %. Accurate and highly reproducible continuous-valued head μ-maps can be generated from MR data using a probabilistic atlas-based approach.

National Seabed Mapping Programmes Collaborate to Advance Marine Geomorphological Mapping in Adjoining European Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteys, X.; Guinan, J.; Green, S.; Gafeira, J.; Dove, D.; Baeten, N. J.; Thorsnes, T.

2017-12-01

Marine geomorphological mapping is an effective means of characterising and understanding the seabed and its features with direct relevance to; offshore infrastructure placement, benthic habitat mapping, conservation & policy, marine spatial planning, fisheries management and pure research. Advancements in acoustic survey techniques and data processing methods resulting in the availability of high-resolution marine datasets e.g. multibeam echosounder bathymetry and shallow seismic mean that geological interpretations can be greatly improved by combining with geomorphological maps. Since December 2015, representatives from the national seabed mapping programmes of Norway (MAREANO), Ireland (INFOMAR) and the United Kingdom (MAREMAP) have collaborated and established the MIM geomorphology working group) with the common aim of advancing best practice for geological mapping in their adjoining sea areas in north-west Europe. A recently developed two-part classification system for Seabed Geomorphology (`Morphology' and Geomorphology') has been established as a result of an initiative led by the British Geological Survey (BGS) with contributions from the MIM group (Dove et al. 2016). To support the scheme, existing BGS GIS tools (SIGMA) have been adapted to apply this two-part classification system and here we present on the tools effectiveness in mapping geomorphological features, along with progress in harmonising the classification and feature nomenclature. Recognising that manual mapping of seabed features can be time-consuming and subjective, semi-automated approaches for mapping seabed features and improving mapping efficiency is being developed using Arc-GIS based tools. These methods recognise, spatially delineate and morphologically describe seabed features such as pockmarks (Gafeira et al., 2012) and cold-water coral mounds. Such tools utilise multibeam echosounder data or any other bathymetric dataset (e.g. 3D seismic, Geldof et al., 2014) that can produce a

75 FR 75693 - National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) Advisory Committee AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior. ACTION: Notice of audio conference. [[Page 75694

NORTH AMERICAN DATUM 1983 IMPLEMENTATION IMPACTS ON THE USGS NATIONAL MAPPING PROGRAM.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, William J.; Needham, Paul E.

1985-01-01

The U. S. Geological Survey has previously experienced the impacts on the National Mapping Program that are associated with implementing a readjustment of the horizontal datum. The impacts of these past readjustments were minimal compared to those of the current readjustment. The Geological Survey currently has produced and published over 60,000 different map products. The 7. 5-minute mapping program is nearing completion with over 85 percent of the conterminous States mapped. The intermediate-scale mapping program of the conterminous United States is scheduled for completion of planimetric editions by the end of 1986. It is apparent that until digital cartographic data are available, implementation of the North American Datum 1983 will primarily consist of cartographic adjustment of existing map products.

Landscape features, standards, and semantics in U.S. national topographic mapping databases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Varanka, Dalia

2009-01-01

The objective of this paper is to examine the contrast between local, field-surveyed topographical representation and feature representation in digital, centralized databases and to clarify their ontological implications. The semantics of these two approaches are contrasted by examining the categorization of features by subject domains inherent to national topographic mapping. When comparing five USGS topographic mapping domain and feature lists, results indicate that multiple semantic meanings and ontology rules were applied to the initial digital database, but were lost as databases became more centralized at national scales, and common semantics were replaced by technological terms.

Aerial Radiological Survey of Abandoned Uranium Mines (AUM) Map Service, Navajo Nation, 1994-1999, US EPA Region 9

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This map service contains data from aerial radiological surveys of 41 potential uranium mining areas (1,144 square miles) within the Navajo Nation that were conducted during the period from October 1994 through October 1999. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 9 funded the surveys and the US Department of Energy (USDOE) Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) in Las Vegas, Nevada conducted the aerial surveys. The aerial survey data were used to characterize the overall radioactivity and excess Bismuth 214 levels within the surveyed areas.This US EPA Region 9 web service contains the following map layers: Total Terrestrial Gamma Activity Polygons, Total Terrestrial Gamma Activity Contours, Excess Bismuth 214 Contours, Excess Bismuth 214 Polygons, Flight AreasFull FGDC metadata records for each layer can be found by clicking the layer name at the web service endpoint and viewing the layer description.Security Classification: Public. Access Constraints: None. Use Constraints: None. Please check sources, scale, accuracy, currentness and other available information. Please confirm that you are using the most recent copy of both data and metadata. Acknowledgement of the EPA would be appreciated.

Seismic hazard in the South Carolina coastal plain: 2002 update of the USGS national seismic hazard maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cramer, C.H.; Mays, T.W.; ,

2005-01-01

The damaging 1886 moment magnitude ???7 Charleston, South Carolina earthquake is indicative of the moderately likely earthquake activity along this portion of the Atlantic Coast. A recurrence of such an earthquake today would have serious consequences for the nation. The national seismic hazard maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provide a picture of the levels of seismic hazard across the nation based on the best and most current scientific information. The USGS national maps were updated in 2002 and will become part of the International Codes in 2006. In the past decade, improvements have occurred in the scientific understanding of the nature and character of earthquake activity and expected ground motions in the central and eastern U.S. The paper summarizes the new knowledge of expected earthquake locations, magnitudes, recurrence, and ground-motion decay with distance. New estimates of peak ground acceleration and 0.2 s and 1.0 s spectral acceleration are compared with those displayed in the 1996 national maps. The 2002 maps show increased seismic hazard in much of the coastal plain of South Carolina, but a decrease in long period (1 s and greater) hazard by up to 20% at distances of over 50 km from the Charleston earthquake zone. Although the national maps do not account for the effects of local or regional sediments, deep coastal-plain sediments can significally alter expected ground shaking, particularly at long period motions where it can be 100% higher than the national maps.

A Synergy Cropland of China by Fusing Multiple Existing Maps and Statistics.

PubMed

Lu, Miao; Wu, Wenbin; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Di; Zhang, Li; Yang, Peng; Tang, Huajun

2017-07-12

Accurate information on cropland extent is critical for scientific research and resource management. Several cropland products from remotely sensed datasets are available. Nevertheless, significant inconsistency exists among these products and the cropland areas estimated from these products differ considerably from statistics. In this study, we propose a hierarchical optimization synergy approach (HOSA) to develop a hybrid cropland map of China, circa 2010, by fusing five existing cropland products, i.e., GlobeLand30, Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (CCI-LC), GlobCover 2009, MODIS Collection 5 (MODIS C5), and MODIS Cropland, and sub-national statistics of cropland area. HOSA simplifies the widely used method of score assignment into two steps, including determination of optimal agreement level and identification of the best product combination. The accuracy assessment indicates that the synergy map has higher accuracy of spatial locations and better consistency with statistics than the five existing datasets individually. This suggests that the synergy approach can improve the accuracy of cropland mapping and enhance consistency with statistics.

Effect of Traffic Position Accuracy for Conducting Safe Airport Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Denise R.; Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Bailey, Randall E.; Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Barnes, James R.

2014-01-01

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) concept proposes many revolutionary operational concepts and technologies, such as display of traffic information and movements, airport moving maps (AMM), and proactive alerts of runway incursions and surface traffic conflicts, to deliver an overall increase in system capacity and safety. A piloted simulation study was conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center to evaluate the ability to conduct safe and efficient airport surface operations while utilizing an AMM displaying traffic of various position accuracies as well as the effect of traffic position accuracy on airport conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) capability. Nominal scenarios and off-nominal conflict scenarios were conducted using 12 airline crews operating in a simulated Memphis International Airport terminal environment. The data suggest that all traffic should be shown on the airport moving map, whether qualified or unqualified, and conflict detection and resolution technologies provide significant safety benefits. Despite the presence of traffic information on the map, collisions or near collisions still occurred; when indications or alerts were generated in these same scenarios, the incidences were averted.

Isostatic gravity map and principal facts for 694 gravity stations in Yellowstone National Park and vicinity, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carle, S.F.; Glen, J.M.; Langenheim, V.E.; Smith, R.B.; Oliver, H.W.

1990-01-01

The report presents the principal facts for gravity stations compiled for Yellowstone National Park and vicinity. The gravity data were compiled from three sources: Defense Mapping Agency, University of Utah, and U.S. Geological Survey. Part A of the report is a paper copy describing how the compilation was done and presenting the data in tabular format as well as a map; part B is a 5-1/4 inch floppy diskette containing only the data files in ASCII format. Requirements for part B: IBM PC or compatible, DOS v. 2.0 or higher. Files contained on this diskette: DOD.ISO -- File containing the principal facts of the 514 gravity stations obtained from the Defense Mapping Agency. The data are in Plouff format* (see file PFTAB.TEX). UTAH.ISO -- File containing the principal facts of 153 gravity stations obtained from the University of Utah. Data are in Plouff format. USGS.ISO -- File containing the principal facts of 27 gravity stations collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in July 1987. Data are in Plouff format. PFTAB.TXT -- File containing explanation of principal fact format. ACC.TXT -- File containing explanation of accuracy codes.

Assessment of Classification Accuracies of SENTINEL-2 and LANDSAT-8 Data for Land Cover / Use Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale Topaloğlu, Raziye; Sertel, Elif; Musaoğlu, Nebiye

2016-06-01

This study aims to compare classification accuracies of land cover/use maps created from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 data. Istanbul metropolitan city of Turkey, with a population of around 14 million, having different landscape characteristics was selected as study area. Water, forest, agricultural areas, grasslands, transport network, urban, airport- industrial units and barren land- mine land cover/use classes adapted from CORINE nomenclature were used as main land cover/use classes to identify. To fulfil the aims of this research, recently acquired dated 08/02/2016 Sentinel-2 and dated 22/02/2016 Landsat-8 images of Istanbul were obtained and image pre-processing steps like atmospheric and geometric correction were employed. Both Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images were resampled to 30m pixel size after geometric correction and similar spectral bands for both satellites were selected to create a similar base for these multi-sensor data. Maximum Likelihood (MLC) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) supervised classification methods were applied to both data sets to accurately identify eight different land cover/ use classes. Error matrix was created using same reference points for Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 classifications. After the classification accuracy, results were compared to find out the best approach to create current land cover/use map of the region. The results of MLC and SVM classification methods were compared for both images.

Progress in national-scale landslide susceptibility mapping in Romania using a combined statistical-heuristical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bălteanu, Dan; Micu, Mihai; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Jurchescu, Marta; Sima, Mihaela; Kucsicsa, Gheorghe; Dumitrică, Cristina; Petrea, Dănuţ; Mărgărint, Ciprian; Bilaşco, Ştefan; Văcăreanu, Radu; Georgescu, Sever; Senzaconi, Francisc

2017-04-01

Landslide processes represent a very widespread geohazard in Romania, affecting mainly the hilly and plateau regions as well as the mountain sectors developed on flysch formations. Two main projects provided the framework for improving the existing national landslide susceptibility map (Bălteanu et al. 2010): the ELSUS (Pan-European and nation-wide landslide susceptibility assessment, EC-CERG) and the RO-RISK (Disaster Risk Evaluation at National Level, ESF-POCA) projects. The latter one, a flagship project aiming at strengthening risk prevention and management in Romania, focused on a national-level evaluation of the main risks in the country including landslides. The strategy for modeling landslide susceptibility was designed based on the experience gained from continental and national level assessments conducted in the frame of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL) project IPL-162, the European Landslides Expert Group - JRC and the ELSUS project. The newly proposed landslide susceptibility model used as input a reduced set of landslide conditioning factor maps available at scales of 1:100,000 - 1:200,000 and consisting of lithology, slope angle and land cover. The input data was further differentiated for specific natural environments, defined here as morpho-structural units in order to incorporate differences induced by elevation (vertical climatic zonation), morpho-structure as well as neotectonic features. In order to best discern the specific landslide conditioning elements, the analysis has been carried out for one single process category, namely slides. The existence of a landslide inventory covering the whole country's territory ( 30,000 records, Micu et al. 2014), although affected by incompleteness and lack of homogeneity, allowed for the application of a semi-quantitative, mixed statistical-heuristical approach having the advantage of combining the objectivity of statistics with expert-knowledge in calibrating class and factor weights. The

Accurate Mobile Urban Mapping via Digital Map-Based SLAM †

PubMed Central

Roh, Hyunchul; Jeong, Jinyong; Cho, Younggun; Kim, Ayoung

2016-01-01

This paper presents accurate urban map generation using digital map-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). Throughout this work, our main objective is generating a 3D and lane map aiming for sub-meter accuracy. In conventional mapping approaches, achieving extremely high accuracy was performed by either (i) exploiting costly airborne sensors or (ii) surveying with a static mapping system in a stationary platform. Mobile scanning systems recently have gathered popularity but are mostly limited by the availability of the Global Positioning System (GPS). We focus on the fact that the availability of GPS and urban structures are both sporadic but complementary. By modeling both GPS and digital map data as measurements and integrating them with other sensor measurements, we leverage SLAM for an accurate mobile mapping system. Our proposed algorithm generates an efficient graph SLAM and achieves a framework running in real-time and targeting sub-meter accuracy with a mobile platform. Integrated with the SLAM framework, we implement a motion-adaptive model for the Inverse Perspective Mapping (IPM). Using motion estimation derived from SLAM, the experimental results show that the proposed approaches provide stable bird’s-eye view images, even with significant motion during the drive. Our real-time map generation framework is validated via a long-distance urban test and evaluated at randomly sampled points using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK)-GPS. PMID:27548175

Mapping Fuels on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests

Treesearch

Crystal L. Raymond; Lara-Karena B. Kellogg; Donald McKenzie

2006-01-01

Resource managers need spatially explicit fuels data to manage fire hazard and evaluate the ecological effects of wildland fires and fuel treatments. For this study, fuels were mapped on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests (OWNF) using a rule-based method and the Fuels Characteristic Classification System (FCCS). The FCCS classifies fuels based on their...

Enriching the national map database for multi-scale use: Introducing the visibilityfilter attribution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stauffer, Andrew J.; Webinger, Seth; Roche, Brittany

2016-01-01

The US Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Geospatial Technical Operations Center is prototyping and evaluating the ability to filter data through a range of scales using 1:24,000-scale The National Map (TNM) datasets as the source. A “VisibilityFilter” attribute is under evaluation that can be added to all TNM vector data themes and will permit filtering of data to eight target scales between 1:24,000 and 1:5,000,000, thus defining each feature’s smallest applicable scale-of-use. For a prototype implementation, map specifications for 1:100,000- and 1:250,000-scale USGS Topographic Map Series are being utilized to define feature content appropriate at fixed mapping scales to guide generalization decisions that are documented in a ScaleMaster diagram. This paper defines the VisibilityFilter attribute, the generalization decisions made for each TNM data theme, and how these decisions are embedded into the data to support efficient data filtering.

Improving the Accuracy of Mapping Urban Vegetation Carbon Density by Combining Shadow Remove, Spectral Unmixing Analysis and Spatial Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qie, G.; Wang, G.; Wang, M.

2016-12-01

Mixed pixels and shadows due to buildings in urban areas impede accurate estimation and mapping of city vegetation carbon density. In most of previous studies, these factors are often ignored, which thus result in underestimation of city vegetation carbon density. In this study we presented an integrated methodology to improve the accuracy of mapping city vegetation carbon density. Firstly, we applied a linear shadow remove analysis (LSRA) on remotely sensed Landsat 8 images to reduce the shadow effects on carbon estimation. Secondly, we integrated a linear spectral unmixing analysis (LSUA) with a linear stepwise regression (LSR), a logistic model-based stepwise regression (LMSR) and k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), and utilized and compared the integrated models on shadow-removed images to map vegetation carbon density. This methodology was examined in Shenzhen City of Southeast China. A data set from a total of 175 sample plots measured in 2013 and 2014 was used to train the models. The independent variables statistically significantly contributing to improving the fit of the models to the data and reducing the sum of squared errors were selected from a total of 608 variables derived from different image band combinations and transformations. The vegetation fraction from LSUA was then added into the models as an important independent variable. The estimates obtained were evaluated using a cross-validation method. Our results showed that higher accuracies were obtained from the integrated models compared with the ones using traditional methods which ignore the effects of mixed pixels and shadows. This study indicates that the integrated method has great potential on improving the accuracy of urban vegetation carbon density estimation. Key words: Urban vegetation carbon, shadow, spectral unmixing, spatial modeling, Landsat 8 images

High accuracy mapping with cartographic assessment for a fixed-wing remotely piloted aircraft system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves Júnior, Leomar Rufino; Ferreira, Manuel Eduardo; Côrtes, João Batista Ramos; de Castro Jorge, Lúcio André

2018-01-01

The lack of updated maps on large scale representations has encouraged the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to generate maps for a wide range of professionals. However, some questions arise: do the orthomosaics generated by these systems have the cartographic precision required to use them? Which problems can be identified in stitching orthophotos to generate orthomosaics? To answer these questions, an aerophotogrammetric survey was conducted in an environmental conservation unit in the city of Goiânia. The flight plan was set up using the E-motion software, provided by Sensefly-a Swiss manufacturer of the RPAS Swinglet CAM used in this work. The camera installed in the RPAS was the Canon IXUS 220 HS, with the number of pixels in the sensor array of 12.1 megapixel, complementary metal oxide semiconductor 1 ∶ 2.3 ? (4000 × 3000 pixel), horizontal and vertical pixel sizes of 1.54 μm. Using the orthophotos, four orthomosaics were generated in the Pix4D mapper software. The first orthomosaic was generated without using the control points. The other three mosaics were generated using 4, 8, and 16 premarked ground control points. To check the precision and accuracy of the orthomosaics, 46 premarked targets were uniformly distributed in the block. The three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates of the premarked targets were read on the orthomosaic and compared with the coordinates obtained by the geodetic survey real-time kinematic positioning method using the global navigation satellite system receiver signals. The cartographic accuracy standard was evaluated by discrepancies between these coordinates. The bias was analyzed by the Student's t test and the accuracy by the chi-square probability considering the orthomosaic on a scale of 1 ∶ 250, in which 90% of the points tested must have a planimetric error of <0.13 m with a standard deviation of 0.08 m and altimetric errors of <0.30 m with a standard deviation of 0.20 m. It was observed that some buildings

A multicriteria framework for producing local, regional, and national insect and disease risk maps

Treesearch

Frank J. Jr. Krist; Frank J. Sapio

2010-01-01

The construction of the 2006 National Insect and Disease Risk Map, compiled by the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry Area, Forest Health Protection Unit, resulted in the development of a GIS-based, multicriteria approach for insect and disease risk mapping that can account for regional variations in forest health concerns and threats. This risk mapping...

National Park Service Vegetation Inventory Program, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hop, Kevin D.; Drake, J.; Strassman, Andrew C.; Hoy, Erin E.; Menard, Shannon; Jakusz, J.W.; Dieck, J.J.

2013-01-01

The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VIP is managed by the NPS Biological Resources Management Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Vegetation Characterization Program lends a cooperative role in the NPS VIP. The USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, NatureServe, and NPS Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA) have completed vegetation classification and mapping of CUVA.Mappers, ecologists, and botanists collaborated to identify and describe vegetation types within the National Vegetation Classification Standard (NVCS) and to determine how best to map them by using aerial imagery. The team collected data from 221 vegetation plots within CUVA to develop detailed descriptions of vegetation types. Data from 50 verification sites were also collected to test both the key to vegetation types and the application of vegetation types to a sample set of map polygons. Furthermore, data from 647 accuracy assessment (AA) sites were collected (of which 643 were used to test accuracy of the vegetation map layer). These data sets led to the identification of 45 vegetation types at the association level in the NVCS at CUVA.A total of 44 map classes were developed to map the vegetation and general land cover of CUVA, including the following: 29 map classes represent natural/semi-natural vegetation types in the NVCS, 12 map classes represent cultural vegetation (agricultural and developed) in the NVCS, and 3 map classes represent non-vegetation features (open-water bodies). Features were interpreted from viewing color-infrared digital aerial imagery dated October 2010 (during peak leaf-phenology change of trees) via digital onscreen three-dimensional stereoscopic workflow systems in geographic

Development of predictive mapping techniques for soil survey and salinity mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elnaggar, Abdelhamid A.

Conventional soil maps represent a valuable source of information about soil characteristics, however they are subjective, very expensive, and time-consuming to prepare. Also, they do not include explicit information about the conceptual mental model used in developing them nor information about their accuracy, in addition to the error associated with them. Decision tree analysis (DTA) was successfully used in retrieving the expert knowledge embedded in old soil survey data. This knowledge was efficiently used in developing predictive soil maps for the study areas in Benton and Malheur Counties, Oregon and accessing their consistency. A retrieved soil-landscape model from a reference area in Harney County was extrapolated to develop a preliminary soil map for the neighboring unmapped part of Malheur County. The developed map had a low prediction accuracy and only a few soil map units (SMUs) were predicted with significant accuracy, mostly those shallow SMUs that have either a lithic contact with the bedrock or developed on a duripan. On the other hand, the developed soil map based on field data was predicted with very high accuracy (overall was about 97%). Salt-affected areas of the Malheur County study area are indicated by their high spectral reflectance and they are easily discriminated from the remote sensing data. However, remote sensing data fails to distinguish between the different classes of soil salinity. Using the DTA method, five classes of soil salinity were successfully predicted with an overall accuracy of about 99%. Moreover, the calculated area of salt-affected soil was overestimated when mapped using remote sensing data compared to that predicted by using DTA. Hence, DTA could be a very helpful approach in developing soil survey and soil salinity maps in more objective, effective, less-expensive and quicker ways based on field data.

Accuracy assessment for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Land-Cover Mapping Program: New York and New Jersey Region

Treesearch

Zhiliang Zhu; Limin Yang; Stephen V. Stehman; Raymond L. Czaplewski

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with other government and private organizations, is producing a conterminous U.S. land-cover map using Landsat Thematic Mapper 30-meter data for the Federal regions designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accuracy assessment is to be conducted for each Federal region to estimate overall and class-specific...

Geologic Map of the Shenandoah National Park Region, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, Scott; Aleinikoff, John N.; Bailey, Christopher M.; Burton, William C.; Crider, E.A.; Hackley, Paul C.; Smoot, Joseph P.; Tollo, Richard P.

2009-01-01

The geology of the Shenandoah National Park region of Virginia was studied from 1995 to 2008. The focus of the study was the park and surrounding areas to provide the National Park Service with modern geologic data for resource management. Additional geologic data of the adjacent areas are included to provide regional context. The geologic map can be used to support activities such as ecosystem delineation, land-use planning, soil mapping, groundwater availability and quality studies, aggregate resources assessment, and engineering and environmental studies. The study area is centered on the Shenandoah National Park, which is mostly situated in the western part of the Blue Ridge province. The map covers the central section and western limb of the Blue Ridge-South Mountain anticlinorium. The Skyline Drive and Appalachian National Scenic Trail straddle the drainage divide of the Blue Ridge highlands. Water drains northwestward to the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and southeastward to the James and Rappahannock Rivers. East of the park, the Blue Ridge is an area of low relief similar to the physiography of the Piedmont province. The Great Valley section of the Valley and Ridge province is west of Blue Ridge and consists of Page Valley and Massanutten Mountain. The distribution and types of surficial deposits and landforms closely correspond to the different physiographic provinces and their respective bedrock. The Shenandoah National Park is underlain by three general groups of rock units: (1) Mesoproterozoic granitic gneisses and granitoids, (2) Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Swift Run Formation and metabasalt of the Catoctin Formation, and (3) siliciclastic rocks of the Lower Cambrian Chilhowee Group. The gneisses and granitoids mostly underlie the lowlands east of Blue Ridge but also rugged peaks like Old Rag Mountain (996 meter). Metabasalt underlies much of the highlands, like Stony Man (1,200 meters). The siliciclastic rocks underlie linear

Design and development of linked data from the National Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Usery, E. Lynn; Varanka, Dalia E.

2012-01-01

The development of linked data on the World-Wide Web provides the opportunity for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to supply its extensive volumes of geospatial data, information, and knowledge in a machine interpretable form and reach users and applications that heretofore have been unavailable. To pilot a process to take advantage of this opportunity, the USGS is developing an ontology for The National Map and converting selected data from nine research test areas to a Semantic Web format to support machine processing and linked data access. In a case study, the USGS has developed initial methods for legacy vector and raster formatted geometry, attributes, and spatial relationships to be accessed in a linked data environment maintaining the capability to generate graphic or image output from semantic queries. The description of an initial USGS approach to developing ontology, linked data, and initial query capability from The National Map databases is presented.

Geologic map of the eastern part of the Challis National Forest and vicinity, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, A.B.; Skipp, B.A.

1994-01-01

The paper version of the Geologic Map of the eastern part of the Challis National Forest and vicinity, Idaho was compiled by Anna Wilson and Betty Skipp in 1994. The geology was compiled on a 1:250,000 scale topographic base map. TechniGraphic System, Inc. of Fort Collins Colorado digitized this map under contract for N.Shock. G.Green edited and prepared the digital version for publication as a GIS database. The digital geologic map database can be queried in many ways to produce a variety of geologic maps.

Photogrammetric Accuracy and Modeling of Rolling Shutter Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, W.; Qiao, G.; Kong, F.; Guo, S.; Ma, X.; Tong, X.; Li, R.

2016-06-01

Global climate change is one of the major challenges that all nations are commonly facing. Long-term observations of the Antarctic ice sheet have been playing a critical role in quantitatively estimating and predicting effects resulting from the global changes. The film-based ARGON reconnaissance imagery provides a remarkable data source for studying the Antarctic ice-sheet in 1960s, thus greatly extending the time period of Antarctica surface observations. To deal with the low-quality images and the unavailability of camera poses, a systematic photogrammetric approach is proposed to reconstruct the interior and exterior orientation information for further glacial mapping applications, including ice flow velocity mapping and mass balance estimation. Some noteworthy details while performing geometric modelling using the ARGON images were introduced, including methods and results for handling specific effects of film deformation, damaged or missing fiducial marks and calibration report, automatic fiducial mark detection, control point selection through Antarctic shadow and ice surface terrain analysis, and others. Several sites in East Antarctica were tested. As an example, four images in the Byrd glacier region were used to assess the accuracy of the geometric modelling. A digital elevation model (DEM) and an orthophoto map of Byrd glacier were generated. The accuracy of the ground positions estimated by using independent check points is within one nominal pixel of 140 m of ARGON imagery. Furthermore, a number of significant features, such as ice flow velocity and regional change patterns, will be extracted and analysed.

Accuracy assessment of NOAA gridded daily reference evapotranspiration for the Texas High Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moorhead, Jerry; Gowda, Prasanna H.; Hobbins, Michael; Senay, Gabriel; Paul, George; Marek, Thomas; Porter, Dana

2015-01-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides daily reference evapotranspiration (ETref) maps for the contiguous United States using climatic data from North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). This data provides large-scale spatial representation of ETref, which is essential for regional scale water resources management. Data used in the development of NOAA daily ETref maps are derived from observations over surfaces that are different from short (grass — ETos) or tall (alfalfa — ETrs) reference crops, often in nonagricultural settings, which carries an unknown discrepancy between assumed and actual conditions. In this study, NOAA daily ETos and ETrs maps were evaluated for accuracy, using observed data from the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (TXHPET) network. Daily ETos, ETrs and the climatic data (air temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation) used for calculating ETref were extracted from the NOAA maps for TXHPET locations and compared against ground measurements on reference grass surfaces. NOAA ETrefmaps generally overestimated the TXHPET observations (1.4 and 2.2 mm/day ETos and ETrs, respectively), which may be attributed to errors in the NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed, to which reference ETref is most sensitive. Therefore, a bias correction to NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed data, or adjustment to the resulting NOAA ETref, may be needed to improve the accuracy of NOAA ETref maps.

A Vegetation Database for the Colorado River Ecosystem from Glen Canyon Dam to the Western Boundary of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ralston, Barbara E.; Davis, Philip A.; Weber, Robert M.; Rundall, Jill M.

2008-01-01

A vegetation database of the riparian vegetation located within the Colorado River ecosystem (CRE), a subsection of the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and the western boundary of Grand Canyon National Park, was constructed using four-band image mosaics acquired in May 2002. A digital line scanner was flown over the Colorado River corridor in Arizona by ISTAR Americas, using a Leica ADS-40 digital camera to acquire a digital surface model and four-band image mosaics (blue, green, red, and near-infrared) for vegetation mapping. The primary objective of this mapping project was to develop a digital inventory map of vegetation to enable patch- and landscape-scale change detection, and to establish randomized sampling points for ground surveys of terrestrial fauna (principally, but not exclusively, birds). The vegetation base map was constructed through a combination of ground surveys to identify vegetation classes, image processing, and automated supervised classification procedures. Analysis of the imagery and subsequent supervised classification involved multiple steps to evaluate band quality, band ratios, and vegetation texture and density. Identification of vegetation classes involved collection of cover data throughout the river corridor and subsequent analysis using two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). Vegetation was classified into six vegetation classes, following the National Vegetation Classification Standard, based on cover dominance. This analysis indicated that total area covered by all vegetation within the CRE was 3,346 ha. Considering the six vegetation classes, the sparse shrub (SS) class accounted for the greatest amount of vegetation (627 ha) followed by Pluchea (PLSE) and Tamarix (TARA) at 494 and 366 ha, respectively. The wetland (WTLD) and Prosopis-Acacia (PRGL) classes both had similar areal cover values (227 and 213 ha, respectively). Baccharis-Salix (BAXX) was the least represented at 94 ha. Accuracy assessment of the

Statistical mapping of sheet aiquile SE-20-9 (national map) making use of ERTS images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torrez, J. G.; Brockman, C. E.; Castro, A. F.

1977-01-01

New possibilities of remote sensing by means of satellites to do research on natural resources are reported. These images make it possible to carry out integrated studies of natural resources in the shortest time possible and with small investments. Various maps and a complete description of each are included. With the use of these satellites, scientists can hopefully plan development projects at the national level.

Characterization of Incidental Renal Mass With Dual-Energy CT: Diagnostic Accuracy of Effective Atomic Number Maps for Discriminating Nonenhancing Cysts From Enhancing Masses.

PubMed

Mileto, Achille; Allen, Brian C; Pietryga, Jason A; Farjat, Alfredo E; Zarzour, Jessica G; Bellini, Davide; Ebner, Lukas; Morgan, Desiree E

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of effective atomic number maps reconstructed from dual-energy contrast-enhanced data for discriminating between nonenhancing renal cysts and enhancing masses. Two hundred six patients (128 men, 78 women; mean age, 64 years) underwent a CT renal mass protocol (single-energy unenhanced and dual-energy contrast-enhanced nephrographic imaging) at two different hospitals. For each set of patients, two blinded, independent observers performed measurements on effective atomic number maps from contrast-enhanced dual-energy data. Renal mass assessment on unenhanced and nephrographic images, corroborated by imaging and medical records, was the reference standard. The diagnostic accuracy of effective atomic number maps was assessed with ROC analysis. Significant differences in mean effective atomic numbers (Z eff ) were observed between nonenhancing and enhancing masses (set A, 8.19 vs 9.59 Z eff ; set B, 8.05 vs 9.19 Z eff ; sets combined, 8.13 vs 9.37 Z eff ) (p < 0.0001). An effective atomic number value of 8.36 Z eff was the optimal threshold, rendering an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.89-0.94), sensitivity of 90.8% (158/174 [95% CI, 85.5-94.7%]), specificity of 85.2% (445/522 [95% CI, 81.9-88.2%]), and overall diagnostic accuracy of 86.6% (603/696 [95% CI, 83.9-89.1%]). Nonenhancing renal cysts, including hyperattenuating cysts, can be discriminated from enhancing masses on effective atomic number maps generated from dual-energy contrast-enhanced CT data. This technique may be of clinical usefulness when a CT protocol for comprehensive assessment of renal masses is not available.

Land cover mapping in Latvia using hyperspectral airborne and simulated Sentinel-2 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakovels, Dainis; Filipovs, Jevgenijs; Brauns, Agris; Taskovs, Juris; Erins, Gatis

2016-08-01

Land cover mapping in Latvia is performed as part of the Corine Land Cover (CLC) initiative every six years. The advantage of CLC is the creation of a standardized nomenclature and mapping protocol comparable across all European countries, thereby making it a valuable information source at the European level. However, low spatial resolution and accuracy, infrequent updates and expensive manual production has limited its use at the national level. As of now, there is no remote sensing based high resolution land cover and land use services designed specifically for Latvia which would account for the country's natural and land use specifics and end-user interests. The European Space Agency launched the Sentinel-2 satellite in 2015 aiming to provide continuity of free high resolution multispectral satellite data thereby presenting an opportunity to develop and adapted land cover and land use algorithm which accounts for national enduser needs. In this study, land cover mapping scheme according to national end-user needs was developed and tested in two pilot territories (Cesis and Burtnieki). Hyperspectral airborne data covering spectral range 400-2500 nm was acquired in summer 2015 using Airborne Surveillance and Environmental Monitoring System (ARSENAL). The gathered data was tested for land cover classification of seven general classes (urban/artificial, bare, forest, shrubland, agricultural/grassland, wetlands, water) and sub-classes specific for Latvia as well as simulation of Sentinel-2 satellite data. Hyperspectral data sets consist of 122 spectral bands in visible to near infrared spectral range (356-950 nm) and 100 bands in short wave infrared (950-2500 nm). Classification of land cover was tested separately for each sensor data and fused cross-sensor data. The best overall classification accuracy 84.2% and satisfactory classification accuracy (more than 80%) for 9 of 13 classes was obtained using Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier with 109 band

Thematic accuracy of the NLCD 2001 land cover for the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wickham, J.D.; Stehman, S.V.; Fry, J.A.; Smith, J.H.; Homer, Collin G.

2010-01-01

The land-cover thematic accuracy of NLCD 2001 was assessed from a probability-sample of 15,000 pixels. Nationwide, NLCD 2001 overall Anderson Level II and Level I accuracies were 78.7% and 85.3%, respectively. By comparison, overall accuracies at Level II and Level I for the NLCD 1992 were 58% and 80%. Forest and cropland were two classes showing substantial improvements in accuracy in NLCD 2001 relative to NLCD 1992. NLCD 2001 forest and cropland user's accuracies were 87% and 82%, respectively, compared to 80% and 43% for NLCD 1992. Accuracy results are reported for 10 geographic regions of the United States, with regional overall accuracies ranging from 68% to 86% for Level II and from 79% to 91% at Level I. Geographic variation in class-specific accuracy was strongly associated with the phenomenon that regionally more abundant land-cover classes had higher accuracy. Accuracy estimates based on several definitions of agreement are reported to provide an indication of the potential impact of reference data error on accuracy. Drawing on our experience from two NLCD national accuracy assessments, we discuss the use of designs incorporating auxiliary data to more seamlessly quantify reference data quality as a means to further advance thematic map accuracy assessment.

Rule-based mapping of fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes for the Monongahela National Forest

Treesearch

Melissa A. Thomas-Van Gundy; Gregory J. Nowacki; Thomas M. Schuler

2007-01-01

A rule-based approach was employed in GIS to map fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes within the proclamation boundary of the Monongahela National Forest. Spatial analyses and maps were generated using ArcMap 9.1. The resulting fireadaptation scores were then categorized into standard fire regime groups. Fire regime group V (200+ yrs) was the most common, assigned...

Evaluation criteria for software classification inventories, accuracies, and maps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jayroe, R. R., Jr.

1976-01-01

Statistical criteria are presented for modifying the contingency table used to evaluate tabular classification results obtained from remote sensing and ground truth maps. This classification technique contains information on the spatial complexity of the test site, on the relative location of classification errors, on agreement of the classification maps with ground truth maps, and reduces back to the original information normally found in a contingency table.

Using Bi-Seasonal WorldView-2 Multi-Spectral Data and Supervised Random Forest Classification to Map Coastal Plant Communities in Everglades National Park.

PubMed

Wendelberger, Kristie S; Gann, Daniel; Richards, Jennifer H

2018-03-09

Coastal plant communities are being transformed or lost because of sea level rise (SLR) and land-use change. In conjunction with SLR, the Florida Everglades ecosystem has undergone large-scale drainage and restoration, altering coastal vegetation throughout south Florida. To understand how coastal plant communities are changing over time, accurate mapping techniques are needed that can define plant communities at a fine-enough resolution to detect fine-scale changes. We explored using bi-seasonal versus single-season WorldView-2 satellite data to map three mangrove and four adjacent plant communities, including the buttonwood/glycophyte community that harbors the federally-endangered plant Chromolaena frustrata . Bi-seasonal data were more effective than single-season to differentiate all communities of interest. Bi-seasonal data combined with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) elevation data were used to map coastal plant communities of a coastal stretch within Everglades National Park (ENP). Overall map accuracy was 86%. Black and red mangroves were the dominant communities and covered 50% of the study site. All the remaining communities had ≤10% cover, including the buttonwood/glycophyte community. ENP harbors 21 rare coastal species threatened by SLR. The spatially explicit, quantitative data provided by our map provides a fine-scale baseline for monitoring future change in these species' habitats. Our results also offer a method to monitor vegetation change in other threatened habitats.

Using Bi-Seasonal WorldView-2 Multi-Spectral Data and Supervised Random Forest Classification to Map Coastal Plant Communities in Everglades National Park

PubMed Central

Richards, Jennifer H.

2018-01-01

Coastal plant communities are being transformed or lost because of sea level rise (SLR) and land-use change. In conjunction with SLR, the Florida Everglades ecosystem has undergone large-scale drainage and restoration, altering coastal vegetation throughout south Florida. To understand how coastal plant communities are changing over time, accurate mapping techniques are needed that can define plant communities at a fine-enough resolution to detect fine-scale changes. We explored using bi-seasonal versus single-season WorldView-2 satellite data to map three mangrove and four adjacent plant communities, including the buttonwood/glycophyte community that harbors the federally-endangered plant Chromolaena frustrata. Bi-seasonal data were more effective than single-season to differentiate all communities of interest. Bi-seasonal data combined with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) elevation data were used to map coastal plant communities of a coastal stretch within Everglades National Park (ENP). Overall map accuracy was 86%. Black and red mangroves were the dominant communities and covered 50% of the study site. All the remaining communities had ≤10% cover, including the buttonwood/glycophyte community. ENP harbors 21 rare coastal species threatened by SLR. The spatially explicit, quantitative data provided by our map provides a fine-scale baseline for monitoring future change in these species’ habitats. Our results also offer a method to monitor vegetation change in other threatened habitats. PMID:29522476

Accuracy of National Weather Service wind-direction forecasts at Macon and Augusta, Georgia

Treesearch

Leonidas G. Lavdas

1997-01-01

National Weather Service wind forecasts and observations over a nine-year period (1985 to 1993) were analyzed to determine the usefulness of these forecasts for forestry smoke management. Data from Macon, GA indicated that forecasts were accurate to within plus or minus 22.5E about 38 percent of the time. When a wider plus or minus 67.5E window was used, accuracy...

The National Map Customer Requirements: Findings from Interviews and Surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sugarbaker, Larry; Coray, Kevin E.; Poore, Barbara

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to receive customer feedback and to understand data and information requirements for The National Map. This report provides results and findings from interviews and surveys and will guide policy and operations decisions about data and information requirements leading to the development of a 5-year strategic plan for the National Geospatial Program. These findings are based on feedback from approximately 2,200 customers between February and August 2008. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted more than 160 interviews with 200 individuals. The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) surveyed their memberships and received feedback from over 400 members. The Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) received feedback from over 1,600 of its U.S.-based software users through an online survey sent to customers attending the ESRI International User Conference in the summer of 2008. The results of these surveys were shared with the USGS and have been included in this report.

Using Mobile Laser Scanning Data for Features Extraction of High Accuracy Driving Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bisheng; Liu, Yuan; Liang, Fuxun; Dong, Zhen

2016-06-01

High Accuracy Driving Maps (HADMs) are the core component of Intelligent Drive Assistant Systems (IDAS), which can effectively reduce the traffic accidents due to human error and provide more comfortable driving experiences. Vehicle-based mobile laser scanning (MLS) systems provide an efficient solution to rapidly capture three-dimensional (3D) point clouds of road environments with high flexibility and precision. This paper proposes a novel method to extract road features (e.g., road surfaces, road boundaries, road markings, buildings, guardrails, street lamps, traffic signs, roadside-trees, power lines, vehicles and so on) for HADMs in highway environment. Quantitative evaluations show that the proposed algorithm attains an average precision and recall in terms of 90.6% and 91.2% in extracting road features. Results demonstrate the efficiencies and feasibilities of the proposed method for extraction of road features for HADMs.

Citygml Modelling for Singapore 3d National Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soon, K. H.; Khoo, V. H. S.

2017-10-01

Since 2014, the Land Survey Division of Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has spearheaded a Whole-of-Government (WOG) 3D mapping project to create and maintain a 3D national map for Singapore. The implementation of the project is divided into two phases. The first phase of the project, which was based on airborne data collection, has produced 3D models for Relief, Building, Vegetation and Waterbody. This part of the work was completed in 2016. To complement the first phase, the second phase used mobile imaging and scanning technique. This phase is targeted to be completed by the mid of 2017 and is creating 3D models for Transportation, CityFurniture, Bridge and Tunnel. The project has extensively adopted the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)'s CityGML standard. Out of 10 currently supported thematic modules in CityGML 2.0, the project has implemented 8. The paper describes the adoption of CityGML in the project, and discusses challenges, data validations and management of the models.

High resolution mapping of development in the wildland-urban interface using object based image extraction.

PubMed

Caggiano, Michael D; Tinkham, Wade T; Hoffman, Chad; Cheng, Antony S; Hawbaker, Todd J

2016-10-01

The wildland-urban interface (WUI), the area where human development encroaches on undeveloped land, is expanding throughout the western United States resulting in increased wildfire risk to homes and communities. Although census based mapping efforts have provided insights into the pattern of development and expansion of the WUI at regional and national scales, these approaches do not provide sufficient detail for fine-scale fire and emergency management planning, which requires maps of individual building locations. Although fine-scale maps of the WUI have been developed, they are often limited in their spatial extent, have unknown accuracies and biases, and are costly to update over time. In this paper we assess a semi-automated Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach that utilizes 4-band multispectral National Aerial Image Program (NAIP) imagery for the detection of individual buildings within the WUI. We evaluate this approach by comparing the accuracy and overall quality of extracted buildings to a building footprint control dataset. In addition, we assessed the effects of buffer distance, topographic conditions, and building characteristics on the accuracy and quality of building extraction. The overall accuracy and quality of our approach was positively related to buffer distance, with accuracies ranging from 50 to 95% for buffer distances from 0 to 100 m. Our results also indicate that building detection was sensitive to building size, with smaller outbuildings (footprints less than 75 m 2 ) having detection rates below 80% and larger residential buildings having detection rates above 90%. These findings demonstrate that this approach can successfully identify buildings in the WUI in diverse landscapes while achieving high accuracies at buffer distances appropriate for most fire management applications while overcoming cost and time constraints associated with traditional approaches. This study is unique in that it evaluates the ability of an OBIA

High resolution mapping of development in the wildland-urban interface using object based image extraction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caggiano, Michael D.; Tinkham, Wade T.; Hoffman, Chad; Cheng, Antony S.; Hawbaker, Todd J.

2016-01-01

The wildland-urban interface (WUI), the area where human development encroaches on undeveloped land, is expanding throughout the western United States resulting in increased wildfire risk to homes and communities. Although census based mapping efforts have provided insights into the pattern of development and expansion of the WUI at regional and national scales, these approaches do not provide sufficient detail for fine-scale fire and emergency management planning, which requires maps of individual building locations. Although fine-scale maps of the WUI have been developed, they are often limited in their spatial extent, have unknown accuracies and biases, and are costly to update over time. In this paper we assess a semi-automated Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach that utilizes 4-band multispectral National Aerial Image Program (NAIP) imagery for the detection of individual buildings within the WUI. We evaluate this approach by comparing the accuracy and overall quality of extracted buildings to a building footprint control dataset. In addition, we assessed the effects of buffer distance, topographic conditions, and building characteristics on the accuracy and quality of building extraction. The overall accuracy and quality of our approach was positively related to buffer distance, with accuracies ranging from 50 to 95% for buffer distances from 0 to 100 m. Our results also indicate that building detection was sensitive to building size, with smaller outbuildings (footprints less than 75 m2) having detection rates below 80% and larger residential buildings having detection rates above 90%. These findings demonstrate that this approach can successfully identify buildings in the WUI in diverse landscapes while achieving high accuracies at buffer distances appropriate for most fire management applications while overcoming cost and time constraints associated with traditional approaches. This study is unique in that it evaluates the ability of an OBIA

Applications of space technology to developing nations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freden, S. C.

1976-01-01

The use of imagery from the Landsat spacecraft for the monitoring and management of natural resources in developing countries is discussed. The Landsat imagery can be used to make cartographic maps at scales of 1:250,000 which meet the US National Map Accuracy Standards, providing a means of map updating to correct for river meanders or changing shorelines. The Landsat data can also be used in defining and measuring agricultural areas, identifying pest breeding areas, and monitoring irrigation practices and crop performance. Total volume estimates can be obtained in many cases for surface bodies of water, and subsurface water supplies can be detected from changes in vegetation in some instances.

Partially pre-calculated weights for the backpropagation learning regime and high accuracy function mapping using continuous input RAM-based sigma-pi nets.

PubMed

Neville, R S; Stonham, T J; Glover, R J

2000-01-01

In this article we present a methodology that partially pre-calculates the weight updates of the backpropagation learning regime and obtains high accuracy function mapping. The paper shows how to implement neural units in a digital formulation which enables the weights to be quantised to 8-bits and the activations to 9-bits. A novel methodology is introduced to enable the accuracy of sigma-pi units to be increased by expanding their internal state space. We, also, introduce a novel means of implementing bit-streams in ring memories instead of utilising shift registers. The investigation utilises digital "Higher Order" sigma-pi nodes and studies continuous input RAM-based sigma-pi units. The units are trained with the backpropagation learning regime to learn functions to a high accuracy. The neural model is the sigma-pi units which can be implemented in digital microelectronic technology. The ability to perform tasks that require the input of real-valued information, is one of the central requirements of any cognitive system that utilises artificial neural network methodologies. In this article we present recent research which investigates a technique that can be used for mapping accurate real-valued functions to RAM-nets. One of our goals was to achieve accuracies of better than 1% for target output functions in the range Y epsilon [0,1], this is equivalent to an average Mean Square Error (MSE) over all training vectors of 0.0001 or an error modulus of 0.01. We present a development of the sigma-pi node which enables the provision of high accuracy outputs. The sigma-pi neural model was initially developed by Gurney (Learning in nets of structured hypercubes. PhD Thesis, Department of Electrical Engineering, Brunel University, Middlessex, UK, 1989; available as Technical Memo CN/R/144). Gurney's neuron models, the Time Integration Node (TIN), utilises an activation that was derived from a bit-stream. In this article we present a new methodology for storing sigma

Spatial Patterns of NLCD Land Cover Change Thematic Accuracy (2001 - 2011)

EPA Science Inventory

Research on spatial non-stationarity of land cover classification accuracy has been ongoing for over two decades. We extend the understanding of thematic map accuracy spatial patterns by: 1) quantifying spatial patterns of map-reference agreement for class-specific land cover c...

A priori evaluation of two-stage cluster sampling for accuracy assessment of large-area land-cover maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wickham, J.D.; Stehman, S.V.; Smith, J.H.; Wade, T.G.; Yang, L.

2004-01-01

Two-stage cluster sampling reduces the cost of collecting accuracy assessment reference data by constraining sample elements to fall within a limited number of geographic domains (clusters). However, because classification error is typically positively spatially correlated, within-cluster correlation may reduce the precision of the accuracy estimates. The detailed population information to quantify a priori the effect of within-cluster correlation on precision is typically unavailable. Consequently, a convenient, practical approach to evaluate the likely performance of a two-stage cluster sample is needed. We describe such an a priori evaluation protocol focusing on the spatial distribution of the sample by land-cover class across different cluster sizes and costs of different sampling options, including options not imposing clustering. This protocol also assesses the two-stage design's adequacy for estimating the precision of accuracy estimates for rare land-cover classes. We illustrate the approach using two large-area, regional accuracy assessments from the National Land-Cover Data (NLCD), and describe how the a priorievaluation was used as a decision-making tool when implementing the NLCD design.

Vertical Accuracy Assessment of ZY-3 Digital Surface Model Using Icesat/glas Laser Altimeter Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, G.; Tang, X.; Yuan, X.; Zhou, P.; Hu, F.

2017-05-01

The Ziyuan-3 (ZY-3) satellite, as the first civilian high resolution surveying and mapping satellite in China, has a very important role in national 1 : 50,000 stereo mapping project. High accuracy digital surface Model (DSMs) can be generated from the three line-array images of ZY-3, and ZY-3 DSMs of China can be produced without using any ground control points (GCPs) by selecting SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) and ICESat/GLAS (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite, Geo-science Laser Altimeter System) as the datum reference in the Satellite Surveying and Mapping Application Center, which is the key institute that manages and distributes ZY-3 products. To conduct the vertical accuracy evaluation of ZY-3 DSMs of China, three representative regions were chosen and the results were compared to ICESat/GLAS data. The experimental results demonstrated that the root mean square error (RMSE) elevation accuracy of the ZY-3 DSMs was better than 5.0 m, and it even reached to less than 2.5 m in the second region of eastern China. While this work presents preliminary results, it is an important reference for expanding the application of ZY-3 satellite imagery to widespread regions. And the satellite laser altimetry data can be used as referenced data for wide-area DSM evaluation.

Surficial Geologic Map of Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carrara, Paul E.

2012-01-01

Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado was established in 1906 to preserve and protect the artifacts and dwelling sites, including the famous cliff dwellings, of the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the area from about A.D. 550 to A.D. 1300. In 1978, the United Nations designated the park as a World Heritage Site. The geology of the park played a key role in the lives of these ancient people. For example, the numerous (approximately 600) cliff dwellings are closely associated with the Cliff House Sandstone of Late Cretaceous age, which weathers to form deep alcoves. In addition, the ancient people farmed the thick, red loess (wind-blown dust) deposits on the mesa tops, which because of its particle size distribution has good moisture retention properties. The soil in this loess cover and the seasonal rains allowed these people to grow their crops (corn, beans, and squash) on the broad mesa tops. Today, geology is still an important concern in the Mesa Verde area because the landscape is susceptible to various forms of mass movement (landslides, debris flows, rockfalls), swelling soils, and flash floods that affect the park's archeological sites and its infrastructure (roads, septic systems, utilities, and building sites). The map, which encompasses an area of about 100 mi2 (260 km2), includes all of Mesa Verde National Park, a small part of the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation that borders the park on its southern and western sides, and some Bureau of Land Management and privately owned land to the north and east. Surficial deposits depicted on the map include: artificial fills, alluvium of small ephemeral streams, alluvium deposited by the Mancos River, residual gravel on high mesas, a combination of alluvial and colluvial deposits, fan deposits, colluvial deposits derived from the Menefee Formation, colluvial deposits derived from the Mancos Shale, rockfall deposits, debris flow deposits, earthflow deposits, translational and rotational landslide

EnviroAtlas -Durham, NC- One Meter Resolution Urban Area Land Cover Map (2010)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EnviroAtlas Durham, NC land cover map was generated from USDA NAIP (National Agricultural Imagery Program) four band (red, green, blue and near infrared) aerial photography from July 2010 at 1 m spatial resolution. Five land cover classes were mapped: impervious surface, soil and barren, grass and herbaceous, trees and forest, and water. An accuracy assessment using a stratified random sampling of 500 samples yielded an overall accuracy of 83 percent using a minimum mapping unit of 9 pixels (3x3 pixel window). The area mapped is defined by the US Census Bureau's 2010 Urban Statistical Area for Durham, and includes the cities of Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, NC. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets ).

INFOMAR - Ireland's National Seabed Mapping Programme: A Tool For Marine Spatial Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furey, T. M.

2016-02-01

INFOMAR is Ireland's national seabed mapping programme and is a key action in the national integrated marine plan, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth. It comprises a multi-platform approach to delivering marine integrated mapping in 2 phases, over a projected 20 year timeline (2006-2026). The programme has three work strands; Data Acquisition, Data Exchange and Integration, and Value Added Exploitation. The Data Acquisition strand includes collection of hydrographic, oceanographic, geological, habitat and heritage datasets that will underpin future sustainable development and management of Ireland's marine resource. INFOMAR outputs are delivered through the Data Exchange and Integration strand. Uses of these outputs are wide ranging and multipurpose, from management plans for fisheries, aquaculture and coastal protection works, to environmental impact assessments, ocean renewable development and integrated coastal zone management. In order to address the evolution and diversification of maritime user requirements, the programme has realigned and developed outputs and new products, in part, through an innovative research funding initiative. Development is also fostered through the Value Added Exploitation strand. INFOMAR outputs and products serve to underpin delivery of Ireland's statutory obligations and enhance compliance with EU and national legislation. This is achieved through co-operation with the agencies responsible for supporting Ireland's international obligations and for the implementation of marine spatial planning. A strategic national seabed mapping programme such as INFOMAR, provides a critical baseline dataset which underpins development of the marine economy, and improves our understanding of the response of marine systems to pressures, and the effect of cumulative impacts. This paper will focus on the evolution and scope of INFOMAR, and look at examples of outputs being harnessed to serve approaches to the management of activities having an impact on the

Forest Classification Accuracy as Influenced by Multispectral Scanner Spatial Resolution. [Sam Houston National Forest, Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nalepka, R. F. (Principal Investigator); Sadowski, F. E.; Sarno, J. E.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A supervised classification within two separate ground areas of the Sam Houston National Forest was carried out for two sq meters spatial resolution MSS data. Data were progressively coarsened to simulate five additional cases of spatial resolution ranging up to 64 sq meters. Similar processing and analysis of all spatial resolutions enabled evaluations of the effect of spatial resolution on classification accuracy for various levels of detail and the effects on area proportion estimation for very general forest features. For very coarse resolutions, a subset of spectral channels which simulated the proposed thematic mapper channels was used to study classification accuracy.

User's Guide for MapIMG 2: Map Image Re-projection Software Package

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Michael P.; Trent, Jason R.; Buehler, Robert A.

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND Scientists routinely accomplish small-scale geospatial modeling in the raster domain, using high-resolution datasets for large parts of continents and low-resolution to high-resolution datasets for the entire globe. Direct implementation of point-to-point transformation with appropriate functions yields the variety of projections available in commercial software packages, but implementation with data other than points requires specific adaptation of the transformation equations or prior preparation of the data to allow the transformation to succeed. It seems that some of these packages use the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) General Cartographic Transformation Package (GCTP) or similar point transformations without adaptation to the specific characteristics of raster data (Usery and others, 2003a). Usery and others (2003b) compiled and tabulated the accuracy of categorical areas in projected raster datasets of global extent. Based on the shortcomings identified in these studies, geographers and applications programmers at the USGS expanded and evolved a USGS software package, MapIMG, for raster map projection transformation (Finn and Trent, 2004). Daniel R. Steinwand of Science Applications International Corporation, National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science, originally developed MapIMG for the USGS, basing it on GCTP. Through previous and continuing efforts at the USGS' National Geospatial Technical Operations Center, this program has been transformed from an application based on command line input into a software package based on a graphical user interface for Windows, Linux, and other UNIX machines.

Developmental Changes in Cross-Situational Word Learning: The Inverse Effect of Initial Accuracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitneva, Stanka A.; Christiansen, Morten H.

2017-01-01

Intuitively, the accuracy of initial word-referent mappings should be positively correlated with the outcome of learning. Yet recent evidence suggests an inverse effect of initial accuracy in adults, whereby greater accuracy of initial mappings is associated with poorer outcomes in a cross-situational learning task. Here, we examine the impact of…

InSAR.no: First results from the Norwegian national deformation mapping service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehls, John F.; Larsen, Yngvar; Marinkovic, Petar; Moldestad, Dag Anders

2017-04-01

For more than a decade, InSAR has been used in Norway to study landslides and subsidence. Initial studies concentrated on understanding and validating the technique in various settings. During the last seven years, however, we have moved towards using InSAR in operational settings, primarily using data from Radarsat-2 and TerraSAR-X. In May 2016, we launched a national InSAR-based deformation mapping service, based upon the Sentinel-1 satellites. Its mandate is to provide the public in Norway with nationwide deformation products. The service will provide periodically updated deformation data, with varying resolution for urban and non-urban areas. The products will be made available to various local, regional and national authorities via appropriate web GIS protocols. The data will also be made available to the public via a web map interface with simple tools to query and visualize the information. Scaling up from regional operations, based upon data every 24 days, to a national operation, with data every 6 days, is challenging. In addition to the the challenges of scaling up (processing system, algorithms, products, data management, dissemination), Norway has the additional challenges of long winter seasons and rough topography. In this contribution, we will present our approach by summarizing the basic product requirements from the end user perspective. We will also describe ongoing research and development activities needed to meet the identified requirements. We will conclude by demonstrating an initial version of large-scale deformation maps that are to be provided by InSAR.no.

Engaging national organizations for knowledge translation: comparative case studies in knowledge value mapping.

PubMed

Lane, Joseph P; Rogers, Juan D

2011-09-12

Government sponsors of research and development, along with their funded investigators, are increasingly tasked with demonstrating evidence of knowledge use by nontraditional audiences. This requires efforts to translate their findings for effective communication. For technology-related knowledge, these audiences include clinicians, consumers, manufacturers, public policy agencies, and knowledge brokers. One potentially efficient approach is to communicate research findings through relevant national organizations. However, this requires an understanding of how such organizations view and treat research knowledge, which can be determined through knowledge-value mapping. Do knowledge values differ between national organizations representing different audiences? Can a deeper understanding of knowledge values help sponsors, investigators, and organizations better communicate research findings to stakeholders? A series of comparative case studies on knowledge-value mapping were derived through interviews with spokespersons for six national organizations. The semi-structured interviews followed a 10-item questionnaire to characterize different ways in which each organization engages with research-based knowledge. Each participating organization represents a particular stakeholder group, while all share a common interest in the research subject matter. Each national organization considers the value of the research knowledge in the context of their organization's mission and the interests of their members. All are interested in collaborating with researchers to share relevant findings, while they vary along the following dimensions of knowledge engagement: create, identify, translate, adapt, communicate, use, promote, absorptive capacity, and recommendations for facilitation. The principles of knowledge translation suggest that investigators can increase use by tailoring the format and context of their findings to the absorptive capacity of nonscholars. Greater absorption

Special-Status Plant Species Surveys and Vegetation Mapping at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Preston, R E

This report presents the results of Jones & Stokes special-status plant surveys and vegetation mapping for the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Special-status plant surveys were conducted at Site 300 in April to May 1997 and in March to April 2002. Eight special-status plants were identified at Site 300: large-flowered fiddleneck, big tarplant, diamond-petaled poppy, round-leaved filaree, gypsum-loving larkspur, California androsace, stinkbells, and hogwallow starfish. Maps identifying the locations of these species, a discussion of the occurrence of these species at Site 300, and a checklist of the flora of Site 300 are presented. A reconnaissance surveymore » of the LLNL Livermore Site was conducted in June 2002. This survey concluded that no special-status plants occur at the Livermore Site. Vegetation mapping was conducted in 2001 at Site 300 to update a previous vegetation study done in 1986. The purpose of the vegetation mapping was to update and to delineate more precisely the boundaries between vegetation types and to map vegetation types that previously were not mapped. The vegetation map is presented with a discussion of the vegetation classification used.« less

Influence of pansharpening techniques in obtaining accurate vegetation thematic maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibarrola-Ulzurrun, Edurne; Gonzalo-Martin, Consuelo; Marcello-Ruiz, Javier

2016-10-01

In last decades, there have been a decline in natural resources, becoming important to develop reliable methodologies for their management. The appearance of very high resolution sensors has offered a practical and cost-effective means for a good environmental management. In this context, improvements are needed for obtaining higher quality of the information available in order to get reliable classified images. Thus, pansharpening enhances the spatial resolution of the multispectral band by incorporating information from the panchromatic image. The main goal in the study is to implement pixel and object-based classification techniques applied to the fused imagery using different pansharpening algorithms and the evaluation of thematic maps generated that serve to obtain accurate information for the conservation of natural resources. A vulnerable heterogenic ecosystem from Canary Islands (Spain) was chosen, Teide National Park, and Worldview-2 high resolution imagery was employed. The classes considered of interest were set by the National Park conservation managers. 7 pansharpening techniques (GS, FIHS, HCS, MTF based, Wavelet `à trous' and Weighted Wavelet `à trous' through Fractal Dimension Maps) were chosen in order to improve the data quality with the goal to analyze the vegetation classes. Next, different classification algorithms were applied at pixel-based and object-based approach, moreover, an accuracy assessment of the different thematic maps obtained were performed. The highest classification accuracy was obtained applying Support Vector Machine classifier at object-based approach in the Weighted Wavelet `à trous' through Fractal Dimension Maps fused image. Finally, highlight the difficulty of the classification in Teide ecosystem due to the heterogeneity and the small size of the species. Thus, it is important to obtain accurate thematic maps for further studies in the management and conservation of natural resources.

Field Guide to the Plant Community Types of Voyageurs National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faber-Langendoen, Don; Aaseng, Norman; Hop, Kevin; Lew-Smith, Michael

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The objective of the U.S. Geological Survey-National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Program is to classify, describe, and map vegetation for most of the park units within the National Park Service (NPS). The program was created in response to the NPS Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring Guidelines issued in 1992. Products for each park include digital files of the vegetation map and field data, keys and descriptions to the plant communities, reports, metadata, map accuracy verification summaries, and aerial photographs. Interagency teams work in each park and, following standardized mapping and field sampling protocols, develop products and vegetation classification standards that document the various vegetation types found in a given park. The use of a standard national vegetation classification system and mapping protocol facilitate effective resource stewardship by ensuring compatibility and widespread use of the information throughout the NPS as well as by other Federal and state agencies. These vegetation classifications and maps and associated information support a wide variety of resource assessment, park management, and planning needs, and provide a structure for framing and answering critical scientific questions about plant communities and their relation to environmental processes across the landscape. This field guide is intended to make the classification accessible to park visitors and researchers at Voyageurs National Park, allowing them to identify any stand of natural vegetation and showing how the classification can be used in conjunction with the vegetation map (Hop and others, 2001).

Mapping the world: cartographic and geographic visualization by the United Nations Geospatial Information Section (formerly Cartographic Section)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagawa, Ayako; Le Sourd, Guillaume

2018-05-01

United Nations Secretariat activities, mapping began in 1946, and by 1951, the need for maps increased and an office with a team of cartographers was established. Since then, with the development of technologies including internet, remote sensing, unmanned aerial systems, relationship database management and information systems, geospatial information provides an ever-increasing variation of support to the work of the Organization for planning of operations, decision-making and monitoring of crises. However, the need for maps has remained intact. This presentation aims to highlight some of the cartographic representation styles over the decades by reviewing the evolution of selected maps by the office, and noting the changing cognitive and semiotic aspects of cartographic and geographic visualization required by the United Nations. Through presentation and analysis of these maps, the changing dynamics of the Organization in information management can be reflected, with a reminder of the continuing and expanding deconstructionist role of a cartographer, now geospatial information management experts.

Field Accuracy Test of Rpas Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, P.; Coakley, R.

2013-08-01

Baseline Surveys Ltd is a company which specialises in the supply of accurate geospatial data, such as cadastral, topographic and engineering survey data to commercial and government bodies. Baseline Surveys Ltd invested in aerial drone photogrammetric technology and had a requirement to establish the spatial accuracy of the geographic data derived from our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry before marketing our new aerial mapping service. Having supplied the construction industry with survey data for over 20 years, we felt that is was crucial for our clients to clearly understand the accuracy of our photogrammetry so they can safely make informed spatial decisions, within the known accuracy limitations of our data. This information would also inform us on how and where UAV photogrammetry can be utilised. What we wanted to find out was the actual accuracy that can be reliably achieved using a UAV to collect data under field conditions throughout a 2 Ha site. We flew a UAV over the test area in a "lawnmower track" pattern with an 80% front and 80% side overlap; we placed 45 ground markers as check points and surveyed them in using network Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS). We specifically designed the ground markers to meet our accuracy needs. We established 10 separate ground markers as control points and inputted these into our photo modelling software, Agisoft PhotoScan. The remaining GPS coordinated check point data were added later in ArcMap to the completed orthomosaic and digital elevation model so we could accurately compare the UAV photogrammetry XYZ data with the RTK GPS XYZ data at highly reliable common points. The accuracy we achieved throughout the 45 check points was 95% reliably within 41 mm horizontally and 68 mm vertically and with an 11.7 mm ground sample distance taken from a flight altitude above ground level of 90 m.The area covered by one image was 70.2 m × 46.4 m, which equals 0.325 Ha. This finding has shown

Mapping elemental contamination on Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Struckhoff, Matthew A.; Orazio, Carl E.; Tillitt, Donald E.; Shaver, David K.; Papoulias, Diana M.

2018-01-01

Palmyra Atoll, once a WWII U.S. Navy air station, is now a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge with nearly 50 km2 of coral reef and 275 ha of emergent lands with forests of Pisonia grandistrees and colonies of several bird species. Due to the known elemental and organic contamination from chemicals associated with aviation, power generation and transmission, waste management, and other air station activities, a screening survey to map elemental concentrations was conducted. A map of 1944 Navy facilities was georeferenced and identifiable features were digitized. These data informed a targeted survey of 25 elements in soils and sediment at locations known or suspected to be contaminated, using a hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. At dozens of locations, concentrations of elements exceeded established soil and marine sediment thresholds for adverse ecological effects. Results were compiled into a publically available geospatial dataset to inform potential remediation and habitat restoration activities.

Mapping elemental contamination on Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

PubMed

Struckhoff, Matthew A; Orazio, Carl E; Tillitt, Donald E; Shaver, David K; Papoulias, Diana M

2018-03-01

Palmyra Atoll, once a WWII U.S. Navy air station, is now a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge with nearly 50km 2 of coral reef and 275ha of emergent lands with forests of Pisonia grandis trees and colonies of several bird species. Due to the known elemental and organic contamination from chemicals associated with aviation, power generation and transmission, waste management, and other air station activities, a screening survey to map elemental concentrations was conducted. A map of 1944 Navy facilities was georeferenced and identifiable features were digitized. These data informed a targeted survey of 25 elements in soils and sediment at locations known or suspected to be contaminated, using a hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. At dozens of locations, concentrations of elements exceeded established soil and marine sediment thresholds for adverse ecological effects. Results were compiled into a publically available geospatial dataset to inform potential remediation and habitat restoration activities. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Generation of a U.S. national urban land use product

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falcone, James A.; Homer, Collin G.

2012-01-01

Characterization of urban land uses is essential for many applications. However, differentiating among thematically-detailed urban land uses (residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, recreational, etc.) over broad areas is challenging, in part because image-based solutions are not ideal for establishing the contextual basis for identifying economic function and use. At present no current United States national-scale mapping exists for urban land uses similar to the classical Anderson Level II classification. This paper describes a product that maps urban land uses, and is linked to and corresponds with the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2006. In this product, NLCD urban pixels, in addition to their current imperviousness intensity classification, are assigned one of nine urban use classes based on information drawn from multiple data sources. These sources include detailed infrastructure information, population characteristics, and historical land use. The result is a method for creating a 30 m national-scale grid providing thematically-detailed urban land use information which complements the NLCD. Initial results for 10 major metropolitan areas are provided as an on-line link. Accuracy assessment of initial products yielded an overall accuracy of 81.6 percent.

Variance approximations for assessments of classification accuracy

Treesearch

R. L. Czaplewski

1994-01-01

Variance approximations are derived for the weighted and unweighted kappa statistics, the conditional kappa statistic, and conditional probabilities. These statistics are useful to assess classification accuracy, such as accuracy of remotely sensed classifications in thematic maps when compared to a sample of reference classifications made in the field. Published...

Land cover mapping of the National Park Service northwest Alaska management area using Landsat multispectral and thematic mapper satellite data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markon, C.J.; Wesser, Sara

1998-01-01

A land cover map of the National Park Service northwest Alaska management area was produced using digitally processed Landsat data. These and other environmental data were incorporated into a geographic information system to provide baseline information about the nature and extent of resources present in this northwest Alaskan environment.This report details the methodology, depicts vegetation profiles of the surrounding landscape, and describes the different vegetation types mapped. Portions of nine Landsat satellite (multispectral scanner and thematic mapper) scenes were used to produce a land cover map of the Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Noatak National Preserve and to update an existing land cover map of Kobuk Valley National Park Valley National Park. A Bayesian multivariate classifier was applied to the multispectral data sets, followed by the application of ancillary data (elevation, slope, aspect, soils, watersheds, and geology) to enhance the spectral separation of classes into more meaningful vegetation types. The resulting land cover map contains six major land cover categories (forest, shrub, herbaceous, sparse/barren, water, other) and 19 subclasses encompassing 7 million hectares. General narratives of the distribution of the subclasses throughout the project area are given along with vegetation profiles showing common relationships between topographic gradients and vegetation communities.

Alaska national hydrography dataset positional accuracy assessment study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arundel, Samantha; Yamamoto, Kristina H.; Constance, Eric; Mantey, Kim; Vinyard-Houx, Jeremy

2013-01-01

Initial visual assessments Wide range in the quality of fit between features in NHD and these new image sources. No statistical analysis has been performed to actually quantify accuracy Determining absolute accuracy is cost prohibitive (must collect independent, well defined test points) Quantitative analysis of relative positional error is feasible.

Canopy Density Mapping on Ultracam-D Aerial Imagery in Zagros Woodlands, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erfanifard, Y.; Khodaee, Z.

2013-09-01

Canopy density maps express different characteristics of forest stands, especially in woodlands. Obtaining such maps by field measurements is so expensive and time-consuming. It seems necessary to find suitable techniques to produce these maps to be used in sustainable management of woodland ecosystems. In this research, a robust procedure was suggested to obtain these maps by very high spatial resolution aerial imagery. It was aimed to produce canopy density maps by UltraCam-D aerial imagery, newly taken in Zagros woodlands by Iran National Geographic Organization (NGO), in this study. A 30 ha plot of Persian oak (Quercus persica) coppice trees was selected in Zagros woodlands, Iran. The very high spatial resolution aerial imagery of the plot purchased from NGO, was classified by kNN technique and the tree crowns were extracted precisely. The canopy density was determined in each cell of different meshes with different sizes overlaid on the study area map. The accuracy of the final maps was investigated by the ground truth obtained by complete field measurements. The results showed that the proposed method of obtaining canopy density maps was efficient enough in the study area. The final canopy density map obtained by a mesh with 30 Ar (3000 m2) cell size had 80% overall accuracy and 0.61 KHAT coefficient of agreement which shows a great agreement with the observed samples. This method can also be tested in other case studies to reveal its capability in canopy density map production in woodlands.

Topographic mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produced its first topographic map in 1879, the same year it was established. Today, more than 100 years and millions of map copies later, topographic mapping is still a central activity for the USGS. The topographic map remains an indispensable tool for government, science, industry, and leisure. Much has changed since early topographers traveled the unsettled West and carefully plotted the first USGS maps by hand. Advances in survey techniques, instrumentation, and design and printing technologies, as well as the use of aerial photography and satellite data, have dramatically improved mapping coverage, accuracy, and efficiency. Yet cartography, the art and science of mapping, may never before have undergone change more profound than today.

Map Downloads | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Science.gov Websites

formats. National, regional, and state maps are available under the View Maps section. Print Quality Maps dpi Graphic TIF 222 MB US Map 300 dpi Adobe Photoshop PS 25 MB *Print quality maps are very large | Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov

Automated high resolution mapping of coffee in Rwanda using an expert Bayesian network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukashema, A.; Veldkamp, A.; Vrieling, A.

2014-12-01

African highland agro-ecosystems are dominated by small-scale agricultural fields that often contain a mix of annual and perennial crops. This makes such systems difficult to map by remote sensing. We developed an expert Bayesian network model to extract the small-scale coffee fields of Rwanda from very high resolution data. The model was subsequently applied to aerial orthophotos covering more than 99% of Rwanda and on one QuickBird image for the remaining part. The method consists of a stepwise adjustment of pixel probabilities, which incorporates expert knowledge on size of coffee trees and fields, and on their location. The initial naive Bayesian network, which is a spectral-based classification, yielded a coffee map with an overall accuracy of around 50%. This confirms that standard spectral variables alone cannot accurately identify coffee fields from high resolution images. The combination of spectral and ancillary data (DEM and a forest map) allowed mapping of coffee fields and associated uncertainties with an overall accuracy of 87%. Aggregated to district units, the mapped coffee areas demonstrated a high correlation with the coffee areas reported in the detailed national coffee census of 2009 (R2 = 0.92). Unlike the census data our map provides high spatial resolution of coffee area patterns of Rwanda. The proposed method has potential for mapping other perennial small scale cropping systems in the East African Highlands and elsewhere.

Unmanned aircraft systems image collection and computer vision image processing for surveying and mapping that meets professional needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, James Preston, II

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are rapidly blurring the lines between traditional and close range photogrammetry, and between surveying and photogrammetry. UAS are providing an economic platform for performing aerial surveying on small projects. The focus of this research was to describe traditional photogrammetric imagery and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) geospatial products, describe close range photogrammetry (CRP), introduce UAS and computer vision (CV), and investigate whether industry mapping standards for accuracy can be met using UAS collection and CV processing. A 120-acre site was selected and 97 aerial targets were surveyed for evaluation purposes. Four UAS flights of varying heights above ground level (AGL) were executed, and three different target patterns of varying distances between targets were analyzed for compliance with American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) mapping standards. This analysis resulted in twelve datasets. Error patterns were evaluated and reasons for these errors were determined. The relationship between the AGL, ground sample distance, target spacing and the root mean square error of the targets is exploited by this research to develop guidelines that use the ASPRS and NSSDA map standard as the template. These guidelines allow the user to select the desired mapping accuracy and determine what target spacing and AGL is required to produce the desired accuracy. These guidelines also address how UAS/CV phenomena affect map accuracy. General guidelines and recommendations are presented that give the user helpful information for planning a UAS flight using CV technology.

Data layer integration for the national map of the united states

USGS Publications Warehouse

Usery, E.L.; Finn, M.P.; Starbuck, M.

2009-01-01

The integration of geographic data layers in multiple raster and vector formats, from many different organizations and at a variety of resolutions and scales, is a significant problem for The National Map of the United States being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Our research has examined data integration from a layer-based approach for five of The National Map data layers: digital orthoimages, elevation, land cover, hydrography, and transportation. An empirical approach has included visual assessment by a set of respondents with statistical analysis to establish the meaning of various types of integration. A separate theoretical approach with established hypotheses tested against actual data sets has resulted in an automated procedure for integration of specific layers and is being tested. The empirical analysis has established resolution bounds on meanings of integration with raster datasets and distance bounds for vector data. The theoretical approach has used a combination of theories on cartographic transformation and generalization, such as T??pfer's radical law, and additional research concerning optimum viewing scales for digital images to establish a set of guiding principles for integrating data of different resolutions.

Surficial Geologic Map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Region, Tennessee and North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, Scott; Schultz, Art; Denenny, Danielle; Triplett, James

2004-01-01

The Surficial Geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Region, Tennessee and North Carolina was mapped from 1993 to 2003 under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS). This 1:100,000-scale digital geologic map was compiled from 2002 to 2003 from unpublished field investigations maps at 1:24,000-scale. The preliminary surficial geologic data and map support cooperative investigations with NPS, the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (http://www.dlia.org/) (Southworth, 2001). Although the focus of our work was within the Park, the geology of the surrounding area is provided for regional context. Surficial deposits document the most recent part of the geologic history of this part of the western Blue Ridge and eastern Tennessee Valley of the Valley and Ridge of the Southern Appalachians. Additionally, there is great variety of surficial materials, which directly affect the different types of soil and associated flora and fauna. The surficial deposits accumulated over tens of millions of years under varied climatic conditions during the Cenozoic era and resulted from a composite of geologic processes.

Documentation for the 2014 update of the United States national seismic hazard maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, Mark D.; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Powers, Peter M.; Mueller, Charles S.; Haller, Kathleen M.; Frankel, Arthur D.; Zeng, Yuehua; Rezaeian, Sanaz; Harmsen, Stephen C.; Boyd, Oliver S.; Field, Edward; Chen, Rui; Rukstales, Kenneth S.; Luco, Nico; Wheeler, Russell L.; Williams, Robert A.; Olsen, Anna H.

2014-01-01

The national seismic hazard maps for the conterminous United States have been updated to account for new methods, models, and data that have been obtained since the 2008 maps were released (Petersen and others, 2008). The input models are improved from those implemented in 2008 by using new ground motion models that have incorporated about twice as many earthquake strong ground shaking data and by incorporating many additional scientific studies that indicate broader ranges of earthquake source and ground motion models. These time-independent maps are shown for 2-percent and 10-percent probability of exceedance in 50 years for peak horizontal ground acceleration as well as 5-hertz and 1-hertz spectral accelerations with 5-percent damping on a uniform firm rock site condition (760 meters per second shear wave velocity in the upper 30 m, VS30). In this report, the 2014 updated maps are compared with the 2008 version of the maps and indicate changes of plus or minus 20 percent over wide areas, with larger changes locally, caused by the modifications to the seismic source and ground motion inputs.

Accuracy of epicardial electroanatomic mapping and ablation of sustained ventricular tachycardia merged with heart CT scan in chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Valdigem, Bruno Pereira; da Silva, Nilton José Carneiro; Dietrich, Cristiano Oliveira; Moreira, Dalmo; Sasdelli, Roberto; Pinto, Ibraim M; Cirenza, Claudio; de Paola, Angelo Amato Vincenzo

2010-11-01

As damage to coronary arteries is a potential complication of epicardial RF catheter ablation (EPRFCA), the procedure must be associated with coronary angiography. Chronic Chagasic cardiomiopathy (CCC) is a disease where epicardial VT are common. Eletroanatomic mapping merged with computed totmography (CT) scan data is a useful tool for mapping the endocardium, and its accuracy in guiding ablation on the epicardium was not adequately evaluated so far. Compare electronatomic map merged with Heart CT to fluoroscopy for epicardial ablation of CCC. Describe the distribution of the scars on CCC. We performed epicardial and endocardial mapping and ablation using CARTO XP V8 on eight patients and merged the map with coronary arteries CT scan using at least three landmarks. To compare the 3D image obtained with CARTO MERGE and the 2D fluoroscopic image obtained during the ablation procedure, we used computer graphic software (Inkscape™) in order to prove that the images were equivalent and to compare the distance between the catheter tip on fluoroscopy to catheter tip on 3D EA map. EPRFCA was successfully performed in all patients and they did not present recurrence for at least 3-month follow-up. The mean difference between the tip of the catheter on fluoroscopy and on the 3D model was 6.03 ± 2.09 mm. Scars were present in the epicardium and endocardium and most of patients presented with posterior wall scars and RV scar. The combination of electroanatomic map and CT coronary artery scan data is feasible and can be an important tool for EPRFCA in patients with CCC and VT.

The 2008 U.S. Geological Survey national seismic hazard models and maps for the central and eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, Mark D.; Frankel, Arthur D.; Harmsen, Stephen C.; Mueller, Charles S.; Boyd, Oliver S.; Luco, Nicolas; Wheeler, Russell L.; Rukstales, Kenneth S.; Haller, Kathleen M.

2012-01-01

In this paper, we describe the scientific basis for the source and ground-motion models applied in the 2008 National Seismic Hazard Maps, the development of new products that are used for building design and risk analyses, relationships between the hazard maps and design maps used in building codes, and potential future improvements to the hazard maps.

Engaging national organizations for knowledge translation: Comparative case studies in knowledge value mapping

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Government sponsors of research and development, along with their funded investigators, are increasingly tasked with demonstrating evidence of knowledge use by nontraditional audiences. This requires efforts to translate their findings for effective communication. For technology-related knowledge, these audiences include clinicians, consumers, manufacturers, public policy agencies, and knowledge brokers. One potentially efficient approach is to communicate research findings through relevant national organizations. However, this requires an understanding of how such organizations view and treat research knowledge, which can be determined through knowledge-value mapping. Do knowledge values differ between national organizations representing different audiences? Can a deeper understanding of knowledge values help sponsors, investigators, and organizations better communicate research findings to stakeholders? Methods A series of comparative case studies on knowledge-value mapping were derived through interviews with spokespersons for six national organizations. The semi-structured interviews followed a 10-item questionnaire to characterize different ways in which each organization engages with research-based knowledge. Each participating organization represents a particular stakeholder group, while all share a common interest in the research subject matter. Results Each national organization considers the value of the research knowledge in the context of their organization's mission and the interests of their members. All are interested in collaborating with researchers to share relevant findings, while they vary along the following dimensions of knowledge engagement: create, identify, translate, adapt, communicate, use, promote, absorptive capacity, and recommendations for facilitation. Conclusions The principles of knowledge translation suggest that investigators can increase use by tailoring the format and context of their findings to the absorptive

USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frankel, A.D.; Mueller, C.S.; Barnhard, T.P.; Leyendecker, E.V.; Wesson, R.L.; Harmsen, S.C.; Klein, F.W.; Perkins, D.M.; Dickman, N.C.; Hanson, S.L.; Hopper, M.G.

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed new probabilistic seismic hazard maps for the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. These hazard maps form the basis of the probabilistic component of the design maps used in the 1997 edition of the NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings and Other Structures, prepared by the Building Seismic Safety Council arid published by FEMA. The hazard maps depict peak horizontal ground acceleration and spectral response at 0.2, 0.3, and 1.0 sec periods, with 10%, 5%, and 2% probabilities of exceedance in 50 years, corresponding to return times of about 500, 1000, and 2500 years, respectively. In this paper we outline the methodology used to construct the hazard maps. There are three basic components to the maps. First, we use spatially smoothed historic seismicity as one portion of the hazard calculation. In this model, we apply the general observation that moderate and large earthquakes tend to occur near areas of previous small or moderate events, with some notable exceptions. Second, we consider large background source zones based on broad geologic criteria to quantify hazard in areas with little or no historic seismicity, but with the potential for generating large events. Third, we include the hazard from specific fault sources. We use about 450 faults in the western United States (WUS) and derive recurrence times from either geologic slip rates or the dating of pre-historic earthquakes from trenching of faults or other paleoseismic methods. Recurrence estimates for large earthquakes in New Madrid and Charleston, South Carolina, were taken from recent paleoliquefaction studies. We used logic trees to incorporate different seismicity models, fault recurrence models, Cascadia great earthquake scenarios, and ground-motion attenuation relations. We present disaggregation plots showing the contribution to hazard at four cities from potential earthquakes with various magnitudes and

About the geologic map in the National Atlas of the United States of America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, John C.; Bush, Charles A.

2007-01-01

Introduction The geologic map in the National Atlas of the United States of America shows the age, distribution, and general character of the rocks that underlie the Nation, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (but excluding other small island possessions). (The National Atlas of the United States can be accessed at URL http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp.) The map depicts the bedrock that lies immediately beneath soils or surficial deposits except where these deposits are so thick and extensive that the type of bedrock beneath them can only be inferred by deep drilling or geophysical methods, or both. Thus, it does not show the extensive glacial deposits of the North Central and Northeastern States, the deep residuum of the Southeastern and South Central States, the relatively thin alluvium along many major rivers and basins, and extensive eolian deposits on the high plains. However, it does show, in a general way, the thick alluvial deposits along the lower Mississippi River and on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, and in the deep basins of the western cordillera. The rocks are classified as either sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, or metamorphic, and their geologic ages are given in terms using a simplified version of the 1999 Geological Society of America geologic time scale. In some places rocks depicted as sedimentary are interlayered with volcanic rocks, including tuff, volcanic breccia, and volcanic flows. Conversely, many of the rocks shown as volcanic include interlayered sedimentary rocks. Plutonic rocks are classified by age and as granitic, intermediate, mafic, or ultramafic, but no similar classification has been attempted for the volcanic rocks in this version of the map. Where sedimentary or volcanic rocks have been metamorphosed but still retain clear evidence of their depositional age and origin, the extent of the metamorphism is shown by a pattern. Where the metamorphism has been so intense that the rocks

The National Mapping of Teacher Professional Learning Project: A Multi-Dimensional Space?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doecke, Brenton; Parr, Graham

2011-01-01

This essay focuses on the "National Mapping of Teacher Professional Learning" (2008), a report that we co-authored along with a number of other researchers on the basis of extensive surveys and interviews relating to the policies and practices of teacher professional learning in Australia. The report is an update of an earlier survey…

Developing stressor-watershed function relationships to refine the national maps of watershed integrity

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract ESA 2017Developing stressor-watershed function relationships to refine the national maps of watershed integrityJohnson, Z.C., S.G. Leibowitz, and R.A. Hill. To be submitted to the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. August 2017.Human-induced ecolo...

Geographic information systems for mapping the National Exam Result of Junior High School in 2014 at West Java Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan Abdullah, Atje; Nurani Ruchjana, Budi; Rejito, Juli; Rosadi, Rudi; Candra Permana, Fahmi

2017-10-01

National Exam level of schooling is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Culture for the development of education in Indonesia. The national examinations are centrally evaluated by the National Education Standards Agency, and the expected implementation of the national exams can describe the successful implementation of education at the district, municipal, provincial, or national level. In this study, we evaluate, analyze, and explore the implementation of the national exam database of the results of the Junior High School in 2014, with the Junior High School (SMP/MTs) as the smallest unit of analysis at the district level. The method used in this study is a data mining approach using the methodology of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) using descriptive analysis and spatial mapping of national examinations. The results of the classification of the data mining process to national exams of Junior High School in 2014 using data 6,878 SMP/MTs in West Java showed that 81.01 % were at moderate levels. While the results of the spatial mapping for SMP/MTs in West Java can be explained 36,99 % at the unfavorable level. The evaluation results visualization in graphic is done using ArcGIS to provide position information quality of education in municipal, provincial or national level. The results of this study can be used by management to make decision to improve educational services based on the national exam database in West Java. Keywords: KDD, spatial mapping, national exam.

Role of interoceptive accuracy in topographical changes in emotion-induced bodily sensations

PubMed Central

Jung, Won-Mo; Ryu, Yeonhee; Lee, Ye-Seul; Wallraven, Christian; Chae, Younbyoung

2017-01-01

The emotion-associated bodily sensation map is composed of a specific topographical distribution of bodily sensations to categorical emotions. The present study investigated whether or not interoceptive accuracy was associated with topographical changes in this map following emotion-induced bodily sensations. This study included 31 participants who observed short video clips containing emotional stimuli and then reported their sensations on the body map. Interoceptive accuracy was evaluated with a heartbeat detection task and the spatial patterns of bodily sensations to specific emotions, including anger, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, and neutral, were visualized using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) analyses. Distinct patterns of bodily sensations were identified for different emotional states. In addition, positive correlations were found between the magnitude of sensation in emotion-specific regions and interoceptive accuracy across individuals. A greater degree of interoceptive accuracy was associated with more specific topographical changes after emotional stimuli. These results suggest that the awareness of one’s internal bodily states might play a crucial role as a required messenger of sensory information during the affective process. PMID:28877218

Land use mapping and modelling for the Phoenix Quadrangle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Place, J. L. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The mapping of generalized land use (level 1) from ERTS 1 images was shown to be feasible with better than 95% accuracy in the Phoenix quadrangle. The accuracy of level 2 mapping in urban areas is still a problem. Updating existing maps also proved to be feasible, especially in water categories and agricultural uses; however, expanding urban growth has presented with accuracy. ERTS 1 film images indicated where areas of change were occurring, thus aiding focusing-in for more detailed investigation. ERTS color composite transparencies provided a cost effective source of information for land use mapping of very large regions at small map scales.

Clean Air Markets - Where You Live (National and State Maps)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Where You Live accesses facility and unit attribute data as well as emissions data using a series of interactive national and state maps. This module allows the user to view data for regions of interest throughout the country using an intuitive interface, while also providing a national and statewide context for data specific to one or more facilities.EPA's Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) includes several market-based regulatory programs designed to improve air quality and ecosystems. The most well-known of these programs are EPA's Acid Rain Program and the NOx Programs, which reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)-compounds that adversely affect air quality, the environment, and public health. CAMD also plays an integral role in the development and implementation of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR).

The USGS role in mapping the nation's submerged lands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, Bill; Haines, John

2004-01-01

The seabed provides habitat for a diverse marine life having commercial, recreational, and intrinsic value. The habitat value of the seabed is largely a function of the geological structure and related geological, biological, oceanologic, and geochemical processes. Of equal importance, the nation's submerged lands contain energy and mineral resources and are utilized for the siting of offshore infrastructure and waste disposal. Seabed character and processes influence the safety and viability of offshore operations. Seabed and subseabed characterization is a prerequisite for the assessment, protection, and utilization of both living and non-living marine resources. A comprehensive program to characterize and understand the nation's submerged lands requires scientific expertise in the fields of geology, biology, hydrography, and oceanography. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has long experience as the Federal agency charged with conducting geologic research and mapping in both coastal and offshore regions. The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) leads the nation in expertise related to characterization of seabed and subseabed geology, geological processes, seabed dynamics, and (in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and international partners) habitat geoscience. Numerous USGS studies show that sea-floor geology and processes determine the character and distribution of biological habitats, control coastal evolution, influence the coastal response to storm events and human alterations, and determine the occurrence and concentration of natural resources.

Mapping sudden oak death risk nationally using host, climate, and pathways data

Treesearch

Frank H. Koch; William D. Smith

2008-01-01

In 2002, a team of United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service (USDA-FS) scientists developed a preliminary risk map to serve as the foundation for an efficient, cost effective sample design for the national sudden oak death detection survey. At the time, a need to initiate rapid detection in the face of limited information on Phytophthora ramorum...

The Mapping Project: Preliminary Results from the National Survey of Faculty. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drago, Robert; Varner, Amy

This document reports preliminary results from a national survey of college faculty performed as part of the Mapping Project. The project and the survey concern the ways faculty balance, or do not balance, commitments to work and family. The theoretical framework was based on the work of J. Williams (1991) and others who have argued that an…

Accuracy and Spatial Variability in GPS Surveying for Landslide Mapping on Road Inventories at a Semi-Detailed Scale: the Case in Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murillo Feo, C. A.; Martnez Martinez, L. J.; Correa Muñoz, N. A.

2016-06-01

The accuracy of locating attributes on topographic surfaces when, using GPS in mountainous areas, is affected by obstacles to wave propagation. As part of this research on the semi-automatic detection of landslides, we evaluate the accuracy and spatial distribution of the horizontal error in GPS positioning in the tertiary road network of six municipalities located in mountainous areas in the department of Cauca, Colombia, using geo-referencing with GPS mapping equipment and static-fast and pseudo-kinematic methods. We obtained quality parameters for the GPS surveys with differential correction, using a post-processing method. The consolidated database underwent exploratory analyses to determine the statistical distribution, a multivariate analysis to establish relationships and partnerships between the variables, and an analysis of the spatial variability and calculus of accuracy, considering the effect of non-Gaussian distribution errors. The evaluation of the internal validity of the data provide metrics with a confidence level of 95% between 1.24 and 2.45 m in the static-fast mode and between 0.86 and 4.2 m in the pseudo-kinematic mode. The external validity had an absolute error of 4.69 m, indicating that this descriptor is more critical than precision. Based on the ASPRS standard, the scale obtained with the evaluated equipment was in the order of 1:20000, a level of detail expected in the landslide-mapping project. Modelling the spatial variability of the horizontal errors from the empirical semi-variogram analysis showed predictions errors close to the external validity of the devices.

Accuracy assessment of seven global land cover datasets over China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongke; Xiao, Pengfeng; Feng, Xuezhi; Li, Haixing

2017-03-01

Land cover (LC) is the vital foundation to Earth science. Up to now, several global LC datasets have arisen with efforts of many scientific communities. To provide guidelines for data usage over China, nine LC maps from seven global LC datasets (IGBP DISCover, UMD, GLC, MCD12Q1, GLCNMO, CCI-LC, and GlobeLand30) were evaluated in this study. First, we compared their similarities and discrepancies in both area and spatial patterns, and analysed their inherent relations to data sources and classification schemes and methods. Next, five sets of validation sample units (VSUs) were collected to calculate their accuracy quantitatively. Further, we built a spatial analysis model and depicted their spatial variation in accuracy based on the five sets of VSUs. The results show that, there are evident discrepancies among these LC maps in both area and spatial patterns. For LC maps produced by different institutes, GLC 2000 and CCI-LC 2000 have the highest overall spatial agreement (53.8%). For LC maps produced by same institutes, overall spatial agreement of CCI-LC 2000 and 2010, and MCD12Q1 2001 and 2010 reach up to 99.8% and 73.2%, respectively; while more efforts are still needed if we hope to use these LC maps as time series data for model inputting, since both CCI-LC and MCD12Q1 fail to represent the rapid changing trend of several key LC classes in the early 21st century, in particular urban and built-up, snow and ice, water bodies, and permanent wetlands. With the highest spatial resolution, the overall accuracy of GlobeLand30 2010 is 82.39%. For the other six LC datasets with coarse resolution, CCI-LC 2010/2000 has the highest overall accuracy, and following are MCD12Q1 2010/2001, GLC 2000, GLCNMO 2008, IGBP DISCover, and UMD in turn. Beside that all maps exhibit high accuracy in homogeneous regions; local accuracies in other regions are quite different, particularly in Farming-Pastoral Zone of North China, mountains in Northeast China, and Southeast Hills. Special

Species data: National inventory of range maps and distribution models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gergely, Kevin J.; McKerrow, Alexa

2013-01-01

The Gap Analysis Program (GAP) produces data and tools that help meet critical national challenges such as biodiversity conservation, renewable energy development, climate change adaptation, and infrastructure investment. The GAP species data includes vertebrate range maps and distribution models for the continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. The vertebrate species include amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Furthermore, data used to create the distribution models (for example, percent canopy cover, elevation, and so forth) also are available.

Accuracy of national key performance indicator reporting from two Aboriginal medical services: potential to underestimate the performance of primary health care.

PubMed

2017-05-09

about the topic? There has been limited validation of health data exported via data-extraction tools in Australia. More specifically, there are no current published data describing the accuracy of the CAT in mapping health data extracted from Communicare or the accuracy of internal nKPI reports generated by Communicare. Further, no systematic review has been undertaken to assess the accuracy of the nKPI data submission pathway from PIMSs at the health service level to the OCHREStreams qiConnect portal using the CAT. What does this paper add? The CAT accurately extracts a subset of nKPI data from Communicare and accurately submits this to the qiConnect portal. Minor errors exist in some Communicare internal nKPI reports. The inclusion of deceased clients and past patients in the nKPI reporting system for ACCHSs is likely to have resulted in systematic under-reporting of health service performance nationally through this program. What are the implications for practitioners? The inclusion of deceased clients and past patients in the OCHREStreams nKPI program limits the usefulness of these data for local quality improvement activities and national monitoring of health service performance for participating ACCHSs. The use of the CAT by ACCHSs independently from the OCHREStreams program can enable deceased clients and past patients to be excluded from reports that can provide more accurate nKPI data from Communicare for local quality improvement and planning purposes.

Mapping rice areas of South Asia using MODIS multitemporal data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gumma, Murali Krishna; Nelson, Andrew; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Singh, Amrendra N.

2011-01-01

Our goal is to map the rice areas of six South Asian countries using moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) time-series data for the time period 2000 to 2001. South Asia accounts for almost 40% of the world's harvested rice area and is also home to 74% of the population that lives on less than $2.00 a day. The population of the region is growing faster than its ability to produce rice. Thus, accurate and timely assessment of where and how rice is cultivated is important to craft food security and poverty alleviation strategies. We used a time series of eight-day, 500-m spatial resolution composite images from the MODIS sensor to produce rice maps and rice characteristics (e.g., intensity of cropping, cropping calendar) taking data for the years 2000 to 2001 and by adopting a suite of methods that include spectral matching techniques, decision trees, and ideal temporal profile data banks to rapidly identify and classify rice areas over large spatial extents. These methods are used in conjunction with ancillary spatial data sets (e.g., elevation, precipitation), national statistics, and maps, and a large volume of field-plot data. The resulting rice maps and statistics are compared against a subset of independent field-plot points and the best available subnational statistics on rice areas for the main crop growing season (kharif season). A fuzzy classification accuracy assessment for the 2000 to 2001 rice-map product, based on field-plot data, demonstrated accuracies from 67% to 100% for individual rice classes, with an overall accuracy of 80% for all classes. Most of the mixing was within rice classes. The derived physical rice area was highly correlated with the subnational statistics with R2 values of 97% at the district level and 99% at the state level for 2000 to 2001. These results suggest that the methods, approaches, algorithms, and data sets we used are ideal for rapid, accurate, and large-scale mapping of paddy rice as well as for generating

Toward an operational framework for fine-scale urban land-cover mapping in Wallonia using submeter remote sensing and ancillary vector data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaumont, Benjamin; Grippa, Tais; Lennert, Moritz; Vanhuysse, Sabine; Stephenne, Nathalie; Wolff, Eléonore

2017-07-01

Encouraged by the EU INSPIRE directive requirements and recommendations, the Walloon authorities, similar to other EU regional or national authorities, want to develop operational land-cover (LC) and land-use (LU) mapping methods using existing geodata. Urban planners and environmental monitoring stakeholders of Wallonia have to rely on outdated, mixed, and incomplete LC and LU information. The current reference map is 10-years old. The two object-based classification methods, i.e., a rule- and a classifier-based method, for detailed regional urban LC mapping are compared. The added value of using the different existing geospatial datasets in the process is assessed. This includes the comparison between satellite and aerial optical data in terms of mapping accuracies, visual quality of the map, costs, processing, data availability, and property rights. The combination of spectral, tridimensional, and vector data provides accuracy values close to 0.90 for mapping the LC into nine categories with a minimum mapping unit of 15 m2. Such a detailed LC map offers opportunities for fine-scale environmental and spatial planning activities. Still, the regional application poses challenges regarding automation, big data handling, and processing time, which are discussed.

A large-area, spatially continuous assessment of land cover map error and its impact on downstream analyses.

PubMed

Estes, Lyndon; Chen, Peng; Debats, Stephanie; Evans, Tom; Ferreira, Stefanus; Kuemmerle, Tobias; Ragazzo, Gabrielle; Sheffield, Justin; Wolf, Adam; Wood, Eric; Caylor, Kelly

2018-01-01

Land cover maps increasingly underlie research into socioeconomic and environmental patterns and processes, including global change. It is known that map errors impact our understanding of these phenomena, but quantifying these impacts is difficult because many areas lack adequate reference data. We used a highly accurate, high-resolution map of South African cropland to assess (1) the magnitude of error in several current generation land cover maps, and (2) how these errors propagate in downstream studies. We first quantified pixel-wise errors in the cropland classes of four widely used land cover maps at resolutions ranging from 1 to 100 km, and then calculated errors in several representative "downstream" (map-based) analyses, including assessments of vegetative carbon stocks, evapotranspiration, crop production, and household food security. We also evaluated maps' spatial accuracy based on how precisely they could be used to locate specific landscape features. We found that cropland maps can have substantial biases and poor accuracy at all resolutions (e.g., at 1 km resolution, up to ∼45% underestimates of cropland (bias) and nearly 50% mean absolute error (MAE, describing accuracy); at 100 km, up to 15% underestimates and nearly 20% MAE). National-scale maps derived from higher-resolution imagery were most accurate, followed by multi-map fusion products. Constraining mapped values to match survey statistics may be effective at minimizing bias (provided the statistics are accurate). Errors in downstream analyses could be substantially amplified or muted, depending on the values ascribed to cropland-adjacent covers (e.g., with forest as adjacent cover, carbon map error was 200%-500% greater than in input cropland maps, but ∼40% less for sparse cover types). The average locational error was 6 km (600%). These findings provide deeper insight into the causes and potential consequences of land cover map error, and suggest several recommendations for land

Cadastral Positioning Accuracy Improvement: a Case Study in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, N. M.; Omar, A. H.; Omar, K. M.; Abdullah, N. M.; Yatim, M. H. M.

2016-09-01

Cadastral map is a parcel-based information which is specifically designed to define the limitation of boundaries. In Malaysia, the cadastral map is under authority of the Department of Surveying and Mapping Malaysia (DSMM). With the growth of spatial based technology especially Geographical Information System (GIS), DSMM decided to modernize and reform its cadastral legacy datasets by generating an accurate digital based representation of cadastral parcels. These legacy databases usually are derived from paper parcel maps known as certified plan. The cadastral modernization will result in the new cadastral database no longer being based on single and static parcel paper maps, but on a global digital map. Despite the strict process of the cadastral modernization, this reform has raised unexpected queries that remain essential to be addressed. The main focus of this study is to review the issues that have been generated by this transition. The transformed cadastral database should be additionally treated to minimize inherent errors and to fit them to the new satellite based coordinate system with high positional accuracy. This review result will be applied as a foundation for investigation to study the systematic and effectiveness method for Positional Accuracy Improvement (PAI) in cadastral database modernization.

Mapping large-area landscape suitability for honey bees to assess the influence of land-use change on sustainability of national pollination services.

PubMed

Gallant, Alisa L; Euliss, Ned H; Browning, Zac

2014-01-01

Pollination is a critical ecosystem service affected by various drivers of land-use change, such as policies and programs aimed at land resources, market values for crop commodities, local land-management decisions, and shifts in climate. The United States is the world's most active market for pollination services by honey bees, and the Northern Great Plains provide the majority of bee colonies used to meet the Nation's annual pollination needs. Legislation requiring increased production of biofuel crops, increasing commodity prices for crops of little nutritional value for bees in the Northern Great Plains, and reductions in government programs aimed at promoting land conservation are converging to alter the regional landscape in ways that challenge beekeepers to provide adequate numbers of hives for national pollination services. We developed a spatially explicit model that identifies sites with the potential to support large apiaries based on local-scale land-cover requirements for honey bees. We produced maps of potential apiary locations for North Dakota, a leading producer of honey, based on land-cover maps representing (1) an annual time series compiled from existing operational products and (2) a realistic scenario of land change. We found that existing land-cover products lack sufficient local accuracy to monitor actual changes in landscape suitability for honey bees, but our model proved informative for evaluating effects on suitability under scenarios of land change. The scenario we implemented was aligned with current drivers of land-use change in the Northern Great Plains and highlighted the importance of conservation lands in landscapes intensively and extensively managed for crops.

Mapping large-area landscape suitability for honey bees to assess the influence of land-use change on sustainability of national pollination services

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gallant, Alisa L.; Euliss, Ned H.; Browning, Zac

2014-01-01

Pollination is a critical ecosystem service affected by various drivers of land-use change, such as policies and programs aimed at land resources, market values for crop commodities, local land-management decisions, and shifts in climate. The United States is the world's most active market for pollination services by honey bees, and the Northern Great Plains provide the majority of bee colonies used to meet the Nation's annual pollination needs. Legislation requiring increased production of biofuel crops, increasing commodity prices for crops of little nutritional value for bees in the Northern Great Plains, and reductions in government programs aimed at promoting land conservation are converging to alter the regional landscape in ways that challenge beekeepers to provide adequate numbers of hives for national pollination services. We developed a spatially explicit model that identifies sites with the potential to support large apiaries based on local-scale land-cover requirements for honey bees. We produced maps of potential apiary locations for North Dakota, a leading producer of honey, based on land-cover maps representing (1) an annual time series compiled from existing operational products and (2) a realistic scenario of land change. We found that existing land-cover products lack sufficient local accuracy to monitor actual changes in landscape suitability for honey bees, but our model proved informative for evaluating effects on suitability under scenarios of land change. The scenario we implemented was aligned with current drivers of land-use change in the Northern Great Plains and highlighted the importance of conservation lands in landscapes intensively and extensively managed for crops.

Mapping Large-Area Landscape Suitability for Honey Bees to Assess the Influence of Land-Use Change on Sustainability of National Pollination Services

PubMed Central

Gallant, Alisa L.; Euliss, Ned H.; Browning, Zac

2014-01-01

Pollination is a critical ecosystem service affected by various drivers of land-use change, such as policies and programs aimed at land resources, market values for crop commodities, local land-management decisions, and shifts in climate. The United States is the world's most active market for pollination services by honey bees, and the Northern Great Plains provide the majority of bee colonies used to meet the Nation's annual pollination needs. Legislation requiring increased production of biofuel crops, increasing commodity prices for crops of little nutritional value for bees in the Northern Great Plains, and reductions in government programs aimed at promoting land conservation are converging to alter the regional landscape in ways that challenge beekeepers to provide adequate numbers of hives for national pollination services. We developed a spatially explicit model that identifies sites with the potential to support large apiaries based on local-scale land-cover requirements for honey bees. We produced maps of potential apiary locations for North Dakota, a leading producer of honey, based on land-cover maps representing (1) an annual time series compiled from existing operational products and (2) a realistic scenario of land change. We found that existing land-cover products lack sufficient local accuracy to monitor actual changes in landscape suitability for honey bees, but our model proved informative for evaluating effects on suitability under scenarios of land change. The scenario we implemented was aligned with current drivers of land-use change in the Northern Great Plains and highlighted the importance of conservation lands in landscapes intensively and extensively managed for crops. PMID:24919181

Historical shoreline mapping (II): Application of the Digital Shoreline Mapping and Analysis Systems (DSMS/DSAS) to shoreline change mapping in Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thieler, E. Robert; Danforth, William W.

1994-01-01

A new, state-of-the-art method for mapping historical shorelines from maps and aerial photographs, the Digital Shoreline Mapping System (DSMS), has been developed. The DSMS is a freely available, public domain software package that meets the cartographic and photogrammetric requirements of precise coastal mapping, and provides a means to quantify and analyze different sources of error in the mapping process. The DSMS is also capable of resolving imperfections in aerial photography that commonly are assumed to be nonexistent. The DSMS utilizes commonly available computer hardware and software, and permits the entire shoreline mapping process to be executed rapidly by a single person in a small lab. The DSMS generates output shoreline position data that are compatible with a variety of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A second suite of programs, the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) has been developed to calculate shoreline rates-of-change from a series of shoreline data residing in a GIS. Four rate-of-change statistics are calculated simultaneously (end-point rate, average of rates, linear regression and jackknife) at a user-specified interval along the shoreline using a measurement baseline approach. An example of DSMS and DSAS application using historical maps and air photos of Punta Uvero, Puerto Rico provides a basis for assessing the errors associated with the source materials as well as the accuracy of computed shoreline positions and erosion rates. The maps and photos used here represent a common situation in shoreline mapping: marginal-quality source materials. The maps and photos are near the usable upper limit of scale and accuracy, yet the shoreline positions are still accurate ±9.25 m when all sources of error are considered. This level of accuracy yields a resolution of ±0.51 m/yr for shoreline rates-of-change in this example, and is sufficient to identify the short-term trend (36 years) of shoreline change in the study area.

EnviroAtlas -Durham, NC- One Meter Resolution Urban Area Land Cover Map (2010) Web Service

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas web service supports research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ). The EnviroAtlas Durham, NC land cover map was generated from USDA NAIP (National Agricultural Imagery Program) four band (red, green, blue and near infrared) aerial photography from July 2010 at 1 m spatial resolution. Five land cover classes were mapped: impervious surface, soil and barren, grass and herbaceous, trees and forest, and water. An accuracy assessment using a stratified random sampling of 500 samples yielded an overall accuracy of 83 percent using a minimum mapping unit of 9 pixels (3x3 pixel window). The area mapped is defined by the US Census Bureau's 2010 Urban Statistical Area for Durham, and includes the cities of Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, NC. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas ) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets ).

Fixed-Wing Micro Aerial Vehicle for Accurate Corridor Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehak, M.; Skaloud, J.

2015-08-01

In this study we present a Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) equipped with precise position and attitude sensors that together with a pre-calibrated camera enables accurate corridor mapping. The design of the platform is based on widely available model components to which we integrate an open-source autopilot, customized mass-market camera and navigation sensors. We adapt the concepts of system calibration from larger mapping platforms to MAV and evaluate them practically for their achievable accuracy. We present case studies for accurate mapping without ground control points: first for a block configuration, later for a narrow corridor. We evaluate the mapping accuracy with respect to checkpoints and digital terrain model. We show that while it is possible to achieve pixel (3-5 cm) mapping accuracy in both cases, precise aerial position control is sufficient for block configuration, the precise position and attitude control is required for corridor mapping.

Block Adjustment and Image Matching of WORLDVIEW-3 Stereo Pairs and Accuracy Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, C.; Xiao, X.; Hou, Q.; Li, B.

2018-05-01

WorldView-3, as a high-resolution commercial earth observation satellite, which is launched by Digital Global, provides panchromatic imagery of 0.31 m resolution. The positioning accuracy is less than 3.5 meter CE90 without ground control, which can use for large scale topographic mapping. This paper presented the block adjustment for WorldView-3 based on RPC model and achieved the accuracy of 1 : 2000 scale topographic mapping with few control points. On the base of stereo orientation result, this paper applied two kinds of image matching algorithm for DSM extraction: LQM and SGM. Finally, this paper compared the accuracy of the point cloud generated by the two image matching methods with the reference data which was acquired by an airborne laser scanner. The results showed that the RPC adjustment model of WorldView-3 image with small number of GCPs could satisfy the requirement of Chinese Surveying and Mapping regulations for 1 : 2000 scale topographic maps. And the point cloud result obtained through WorldView-3 stereo image matching had higher elevation accuracy, the RMS error of elevation for bare ground area is 0.45 m, while for buildings the accuracy can almost reach 1 meter.

Mapping timing, extent, type and magnitude of disturbances across the national forest system, 1990–2011

Treesearch

Alexander Hernandez; Sean P. Healey; Chenquan Huang; R. Douglas Ramsey

2015-01-01

As part of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Forest System (NFS) comprehensive plan for carbon monitoring, a detailed temporal mapping of forest disturbances across all National Forests in the United States has been conducted. A long-term annual time series of data layers that show the timing, extent, type, and magnitude of disturbance beginning in 1990 and...

Achieving Accuracy Requirements for Forest Biomass Mapping: A Data Fusion Method for Estimating Forest Biomass and LiDAR Sampling Error with Spaceborne Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montesano, P. M.; Cook, B. D.; Sun, G.; Simard, M.; Zhang, Z.; Nelson, R. F.; Ranson, K. J.; Lutchke, S.; Blair, J. B.

2012-01-01

The synergistic use of active and passive remote sensing (i.e., data fusion) demonstrates the ability of spaceborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multispectral imagery for achieving the accuracy requirements of a global forest biomass mapping mission. This data fusion approach also provides a means to extend 3D information from discrete spaceborne LiDAR measurements of forest structure across scales much larger than that of the LiDAR footprint. For estimating biomass, these measurements mix a number of errors including those associated with LiDAR footprint sampling over regional - global extents. A general framework for mapping above ground live forest biomass (AGB) with a data fusion approach is presented and verified using data from NASA field campaigns near Howland, ME, USA, to assess AGB and LiDAR sampling errors across a regionally representative landscape. We combined SAR and Landsat-derived optical (passive optical) image data to identify forest patches, and used image and simulated spaceborne LiDAR data to compute AGB and estimate LiDAR sampling error for forest patches and 100m, 250m, 500m, and 1km grid cells. Forest patches were delineated with Landsat-derived data and airborne SAR imagery, and simulated spaceborne LiDAR (SSL) data were derived from orbit and cloud cover simulations and airborne data from NASA's Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (L VIS). At both the patch and grid scales, we evaluated differences in AGB estimation and sampling error from the combined use of LiDAR with both SAR and passive optical and with either SAR or passive optical alone. This data fusion approach demonstrates that incorporating forest patches into the AGB mapping framework can provide sub-grid forest information for coarser grid-level AGB reporting, and that combining simulated spaceborne LiDAR with SAR and passive optical data are most useful for estimating AGB when measurements from LiDAR are limited because they minimized

Mapping Crop Patterns in Central US Agricultural Systems from 2000 to 2014 Based on Landsat Data: To What Degree Does Fusing MODIS Data Improve Classification Accuracies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, L.; Radeloff, V.; Ives, A. R.; Barton, B.

2015-12-01

Deriving crop pattern with high accuracy is of great importance for characterizing landscape diversity, which affects the resilience of food webs in agricultural systems in the face of climatic and land cover changes. Landsat sensors were originally designed to monitor agricultural areas, and both radiometric and spatial resolution are optimized for monitoring large agricultural fields. Unfortunately, few clear Landsat images per year are available, which has limited the use of Landsat for making crop classification, and this situation is worse in cloudy areas of the Earth. Meanwhile, the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data has better temporal resolution but cannot capture fine spatial heterogeneity of agricultural systems. Our question was to what extent fusing imagery from both sensors could improve crop classifications. We utilized the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) algorithm to simulate Landsat-like images at MODIS temporal resolution. Based on Random Forests (RF) classifier, we tested whether and by what degree crop maps from 2000 to 2014 of the Arlington Agricultural Research Station (Wisconsin, USA) were improved by integrating available clear Landsat images each year with synthetic images. We predicted that the degree to which classification accuracy can be improved by incorporating synthetic imagery depends on the number and acquisition time of clear Landsat images. Moreover, multi-season data are essential for mapping crop types by capturing their phenological dynamics, and STARFM-simulated images can be used to compensate for missing Landsat observations. Our study is helpful for eliminating the limits of the use of Landsat data in mapping crop patterns, and can provide a benchmark of accuracy when choosing STARFM-simulated images to make crop classification at broader scales.

Mapping Coastal Flood Zones for the National Flood Insurance Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlton, D.; Cook, C. L.; Weber, J.

2004-12-01

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by Congress in 1968, and significantly amended in 1973 to reduce loss of life and property caused by flooding, reduce disaster relief costs caused by flooding and make Federally backed flood insurance available to property owners. These goals were to be achieved by requiring building to be built to resist flood damages, guide construction away from flood hazards, and transferring the cost of flood losses from taxpayers to policyholders. Areas subject to flood hazards were defined as those areas that have a probability greater than 1 percent of being inundated in any given year. Currently over 19,000 communities participate in the NFIP, many of them coastal communities subject to flooding from tides, storm surge, waves, or tsunamis. The mapping of coastal hazard areas began in the early 1970's and has been evolving ever since. At first only high tides and storm surge were considered in determining the hazardous areas. Then, after significant wave caused storm damage to structures outside of the mapped hazard areas wave hazards were also considered. For many years FEMA has had Guidelines and Specifications for mapping coastal hazards for the East Coast and the Gulf Coast. In September of 2003 a study was begun to develop similar Guidelines and Specifications for the Pacific Coast. Draft Guidelines and Specifications will be delivered to FEMA by September 30, 2004. During the study tsunamis were identified as a potential source of a 1 percent flood event on the West Coast. To better understand the analytical results, and develop adequate techniques to estimate the magnitude of a tsunami with a 1 percent probability of being equaled or exceeded in any year, a pilot study has begun at Seaside Oregon. Both the onshore velocity and the resulting wave runup are critical functions for FEMA to understand and potentially map. The pilot study is a cooperative venture between NOAA and USGS that is partially funded by both

Generalized geologic map of bedrock lithologies and surficial deposits in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park region, Tennessee and North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, Scott; Schultz, Art; Denenny, Danielle

2005-01-01

The geology of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) region of Tennessee and North Carolina was studied from 1993 to 2003 as part of a cooperative investigation with the National Park Service (NPS). This work has been compiled as a 1:100,000-scale map derived from mapping done at 1:24,000 and 1:62,500 scale. The geologic data are intended to support cooperative investigations with NPS, the development of a new soil map by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (http://www.discoverlifeinamerica.org/). At the request of NPS, we mapped areas previously not visited, revised the geology where stratigraphic and structural problems existed, and developed a map database for use in interdisciplinary research, land management, and interpretive programs for park visitors.

United States National Seismic Hazard Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, M.D.; ,

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey?s maps of earthquake shaking hazards provide information essential to creating and updating the seismic design provisions of building codes and insurance rates used in the United States. Periodic revisions of these maps incorporate the results of new research. Buildings, bridges, highways, and utilities built to meet modern seismic design provisions are better able to withstand earthquakes, not only saving lives but also enabling critical activities to continue with less disruption. These maps can also help people assess the hazard to their homes or places of work and can also inform insurance rates.

GIS based optimal impervious surface map generation using various spatial data for urban nonpoint source management.

PubMed

Lee, Cholyoung; Kim, Kyehyun; Lee, Hyuk

2018-01-15

Impervious surfaces are mainly artificial structures such as rooftops, roads, and parking lots that are covered by impenetrable materials. These surfaces are becoming the major causes of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in urban areas. The rapid progress of urban development is increasing the total amount of impervious surfaces and NPS pollution. Therefore, many cities worldwide have adopted a stormwater utility fee (SUF) that generates funds needed to manage NPS pollution. The amount of SUF is estimated based on the impervious ratio, which is calculated by dividing the total impervious surface area by the net area of an individual land parcel. Hence, in order to identify the exact impervious ratio, large-scale impervious surface maps (ISMs) are necessary. This study proposes and assesses various methods for generating large-scale ISMs for urban areas by using existing GIS data. Bupyeong-gu, a district in the city of Incheon, South Korea, was selected as the study area. Spatial data that were freely offered by national/local governments in S. Korea were collected. First, three types of ISMs were generated by using the land-cover map, digital topographic map, and orthophotographs, to validate three methods that had been proposed conceptually by Korea Environment Corporation. Then, to generate an ISM of higher accuracy, an integration method using all data was proposed. Error matrices were made and Kappa statistics were calculated to evaluate the accuracy. Overlay analyses were performed to examine the distribution of misclassified areas. From the results, the integration method delivered the highest accuracy (Kappa statistic of 0.99) compared to the three methods that use a single type of spatial data. However, a longer production time and higher cost were limiting factors. Among the three methods using a single type of data, the land-cover map showed the highest accuracy with a Kappa statistic of 0.91. Thus, it was judged that the mapping method using the land

Spectral performance of a whole-body research photon counting detector CT: quantitative accuracy in derived image sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leng, Shuai; Zhou, Wei; Yu, Zhicong; Halaweish, Ahmed; Krauss, Bernhard; Schmidt, Bernhard; Yu, Lifeng; Kappler, Steffen; McCollough, Cynthia

2017-09-01

Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) uses a photon counting detector to count individual photons and allocate them to specific energy bins by comparing photon energy to preset thresholds. This enables simultaneous multi-energy CT with a single source and detector. Phantom studies were performed to assess the spectral performance of a research PCCT scanner by assessing the accuracy of derived images sets. Specifically, we assessed the accuracy of iodine quantification in iodine map images and of CT number accuracy in virtual monoenergetic images (VMI). Vials containing iodine with five known concentrations were scanned on the PCCT scanner after being placed in phantoms representing the attenuation of different size patients. For comparison, the same vials and phantoms were also scanned on 2nd and 3rd generation dual-source, dual-energy scanners. After material decomposition, iodine maps were generated, from which iodine concentration was measured for each vial and phantom size and compared with the known concentration. Additionally, VMIs were generated and CT number accuracy was compared to the reference standard, which was calculated based on known iodine concentration and attenuation coefficients at each keV obtained from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Results showed accurate iodine quantification (root mean square error of 0.5 mgI/cc) and accurate CT number of VMIs (percentage error of 8.9%) using the PCCT scanner. The overall performance of the PCCT scanner, in terms of iodine quantification and VMI CT number accuracy, was comparable to that of EID-based dual-source, dual-energy scanners.

Development of a 2001 National Land Cover Database for the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Homer, Collin G.; Huang, Chengquan; Yang, Limin; Wylie, Bruce K.; Coan, Michael

2004-01-01

Multi-Resolution Land Characterization 2001 (MRLC 2001) is a second-generation Federal consortium designed to create an updated pool of nation-wide Landsat 5 and 7 imagery and derive a second-generation National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2001). The objectives of this multi-layer, multi-source database are two fold: first, to provide consistent land cover for all 50 States, and second, to provide a data framework which allows flexibility in developing and applying each independent data component to a wide variety of other applications. Components in the database include the following: (1) normalized imagery for three time periods per path/row, (2) ancillary data, including a 30 m Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived into slope, aspect and slope position, (3) perpixel estimates of percent imperviousness and percent tree canopy, (4) 29 classes of land cover data derived from the imagery, ancillary data, and derivatives, (5) classification rules, confidence estimates, and metadata from the land cover classification. This database is now being developed using a Mapping Zone approach, with 66 Zones in the continental United States and 23 Zones in Alaska. Results from three initial mapping Zones show single-pixel land cover accuracies ranging from 73 to 77 percent, imperviousness accuracies ranging from 83 to 91 percent, tree canopy accuracies ranging from 78 to 93 percent, and an estimated 50 percent increase in mapping efficiency over previous methods. The database has now entered the production phase and is being created using extensive partnering in the Federal government with planned completion by 2006.

Toward digital geologic map standards: a progress report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ulrech, George E.; Reynolds, Mitchell W.; Taylor, Richard B.

1992-01-01

Establishing modern scientific and technical standards for geologic maps and their derivative map products is vital to both producers and users of such maps as we move into an age of digital cartography. Application of earth-science data in complex geographic information systems, acceleration of geologic map production, and reduction of population costs require that national standards be developed for digital geologic cartography and computer analysis. Since December 1988, under commission of the Chief Geologic of the U.S. Geological Survey and the mandate of the National Geologic Mapping Program (with added representation from the Association of American State Geologists), a committee has been designing a comprehensive set of scientific map standards. Three primary issues were: (1) selecting scientific symbology and its digital representation; (2) creating an appropriate digital coding system that characterizes geologic features with respect to their physical properties, stratigraphic and structural relations, spatial orientation, and interpreted mode of origin; and (3) developing mechanisms for reporting levels of certainty for descriptive as well as measured properties. Approximately 650 symbols for geoscience maps, including present usage of the U.S Geological Survey, state geological surveys, industry, and academia have been identified and tentatively adopted. A proposed coding system comprises four-character groupings of major and minor codes that can identify all attributes of a geologic feature. Such a coding system allows unique identification of as many as 105 geologic names and values on a given map. The new standard will track closely the latest developments of the Proposed Standard for Digital Cartographic Data soon to be submitted to the National Institute of Standards and Technology by the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on Digital Cartography. This standard will adhere generally to the accepted definitions and specifications for spatial

Mapping Resource Selection Functions in Wildlife Studies: Concerns and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Morris, Lillian R.; Proffitt, Kelly M.; Blackburn, Jason K.

2018-01-01

Predicting the spatial distribution of animals is an important and widely used tool with applications in wildlife management, conservation, and population health. Wildlife telemetry technology coupled with the availability of spatial data and GIS software have facilitated advancements in species distribution modeling. There are also challenges related to these advancements including the accurate and appropriate implementation of species distribution modeling methodology. Resource Selection Function (RSF) modeling is a commonly used approach for understanding species distributions and habitat usage, and mapping the RSF results can enhance study findings and make them more accessible to researchers and wildlife managers. Currently, there is no consensus in the literature on the most appropriate method for mapping RSF results, methods are frequently not described, and mapping approaches are not always related to accuracy metrics. We conducted a systematic review of the RSF literature to summarize the methods used to map RSF outputs, discuss the relationship between mapping approaches and accuracy metrics, performed a case study on the implications of employing different mapping methods, and provide recommendations as to appropriate mapping techniques for RSF studies. We found extensive variability in methodology for mapping RSF results. Our case study revealed that the most commonly used approaches for mapping RSF results led to notable differences in the visual interpretation of RSF results, and there is a concerning disconnect between accuracy metrics and mapping methods. We make 5 recommendations for researchers mapping the results of RSF studies, which are focused on carefully selecting and describing the method used to map RSF studies, and relating mapping approaches to accuracy metrics. PMID:29887652

U.S.A. National Surface Rock Density Map - Part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winester, D.

2016-12-01

A map of surface rock densities over the USA has been developed by the NOAA-National Geodetic Survey (NGS) as part of its Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) Program. GRAV-D is part of an international effort to generate a North American gravimetric geoid for use as the vertical datum reference surface. As a part of modeling process, it is necessary to eliminate from the observed gravity data the topographic and density effects of all masses above the geoid. However, the long-standing tradition in geoid modeling, which is to use an average rock density (e.g. 2.67 g/cm3), does not adequately represent the variety of lithologies in the USA. The U.S. Geological Survey has assembled a downloadable set of surface geologic formation maps (typically 1:100,000 to 1:500, 000 scale in NAD27) in GIS format. The lithologies were assigned densities typical of their rock type (Part 1) and these variety of densities were then rasterized and averaged over one arc-minute areas. All were then transformed into WGS84 datum. Thin layers of alluvium and some water bodies (interpreted to be less than 40 m thick) have been ignored in deference to underlying rocks. Deep alluvial basins have not been removed, since they represent significant fraction of local mass. The initial assumption for modeling densities will be that the surface rock densities extend down to the geoid. If this results in poor modeling, variable lithologies with depth can be attempted. Initial modeling will use elevations from the SRTM DEM. A map of CONUS densities is presented (denser lithologies are shown brighter). While a visual map at this scale does show detailed features, digital versions are available upon request. Also presented are some pitfalls of using source GIS maps digitized from variable reference sources, including the infamous `state line faults.'

A National Approach for Mapping and Quantifying Habitat-based Biodiversity Metrics Across Multiple Spatial Scales

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conservation planning, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have become strategic national inte...

Aerial radiometric and magnetic survey: Lander National Topographic Map, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-01-01

The results of analyses of the airborne gamma radiation and total magnetic field survey flown for the region identified as the Lander National Topographic Map NK12-6 are presented. The airborne data gathered are reduced by ground computer facilities to yield profile plots of the basic uranium, thorium and potassium equivalent gamma radiation intensities, ratios of these intensities, aircraft altitude above the earth's surface, total gamma ray and earth's magnetic field intensity, correlated as a function of geologic units. The distribution of data within each geologic unit, for all surveyed map lines and tie lines, has been calculated and is included.more » Two sets of profiled data for each line are included, with one set displaying the above-cited data. The second set includes only flight line magnetic field, temperature, pressure, altitude data plus magnetic field data as measured at a base station. A general description of the area, including descriptions of the various geologic units and the corresponding airborne data, is included also.« less

Improving national-scale invasion maps: Tamarisk in the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jarnevich, C.S.; Evangelista, P.; Stohlgren, T.J.; Morisette, J.

2011-01-01

New invasions, better field data, and novel spatial-modeling techniques often drive the need to revisit previous maps and models of invasive species. Such is the case with the at least 10 species of Tamarix, which are invading riparian systems in the western United States and expanding their range throughout North America. In 2006, we developed a National Tamarisk Map by using a compilation of presence and absence locations with remotely sensed data and statistical modeling techniques. Since the publication of that work, our database of Tamarix distributions has grown significantly. Using the updated database of species occurrence, new predictor variables, and the maximum entropy (Maxent) model, we have revised our potential Tamarix distribution map for the western United States. Distance-to-water was the strongest predictor in the model (58.1%), while mean temperature of the warmest quarter was the second best predictor (18.4%). Model validation, averaged from 25 model iterations, indicated that our analysis had strong predictive performance (AUC = 0.93) and that the extent of Tamarix distributions is much greater than previously thought. The southwestern United States had the greatest suitable habitat, and this result differed from the 2006 model. Our work highlights the utility of iterative modeling for invasive species habitat modeling as new information becomes available. ?? 2011.

Introduction of digital soil mapping techniques for the nationwide regionalization of soil condition in Hungary; the first results of the DOSoReMI.hu (Digital, Optimized, Soil Related Maps and Information in Hungary) project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pásztor, László; Laborczi, Annamária; Szatmári, Gábor; Takács, Katalin; Bakacsi, Zsófia; Szabó, József; Dobos, Endre

2014-05-01

Due to the former soil surveys and mapping activities significant amount of soil information has accumulated in Hungary. Present soil data requirements are mainly fulfilled with these available datasets either by their direct usage or after certain specific and generally fortuitous, thematic and/or spatial inference. Due to the more and more frequently emerging discrepancies between the available and the expected data, there might be notable imperfection as for the accuracy and reliability of the delivered products. With a recently started project (DOSoReMI.hu; Digital, Optimized, Soil Related Maps and Information in Hungary) we would like to significantly extend the potential, how countrywide soil information requirements could be satisfied in Hungary. We started to compile digital soil related maps which fulfil optimally the national and international demands from points of view of thematic, spatial and temporal accuracy. The spatial resolution of the targeted countrywide, digital, thematic maps is at least 1:50.000 (approx. 50-100 meter raster resolution). DOSoReMI.hu results are also planned to contribute to the European part of GSM.net products. In addition to the auxiliary, spatial data themes related to soil forming factors and/or to indicative environmental elements we heavily lean on the various national soil databases. The set of the applied digital soil mapping techniques is gradually broadened incorporating and eventually integrating geostatistical, data mining and GIS tools. In our paper we will present the first results. - Regression kriging (RK) has been used for the spatial inference of certain quantitative data, like particle size distribution components, rootable depth and organic matter content. In the course of RK-based mapping spatially segmented categorical information provided by the SMUs of Digital Kreybig Soil Information System (DKSIS) has been also used in the form of indicator variables. - Classification and regression trees (CART) were

Global forest cover mapping for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization forest resources assessment 2000 program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Z.; Waller, E.

2003-01-01

Many countries periodically produce national reports on the status and changes of forest resources, using statistical surveys and spatial mapping of remotely sensed data. At the global level, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has conducted a Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) program every 10 yr since 1980, producing statistics and analysis that give a global synopsis of forest resources in the world. For the year 2000 of the FRA program (FRA2000), a global forest cover map was produced to provide spatial context to the extensive survey. The forest cover map, produced at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC), has five classes: closed forest, open or fragmented forest, other wooded land, other land cover, and water. The first two forested classes at the global scale were delineated using combinations of temporal compositing, modified mixture analysis, geographic stratification, and other classification techniques. The remaining three FAO classes were derived primarily from the USGS global land cover characteristics database (Loveland et al. 1999). Validated on the basis of existing reference data sets, the map is estimated to be 77% accurate for the first four classes (no reference data were available for water), and 86% accurate for the forest and nonforest classification. The final map will be published as an insert to the FAO FRA2000 report.

Improving diagnostic accuracy of prostate carcinoma by systematic random map-biopsy.

PubMed

Szabó, J; Hegedûs, G; Bartók, K; Kerényi, T; Végh, A; Romics, I; Szende, B

2000-01-01

Systematic random rectal ultrasound directed map-biopsy of the prostate was performed in 77 RDE (rectal digital examination) positive and 25 RDE negative cases, if applicable. Hypoechoic areas were found in 30% of RDE positive and in 16% of RDE negative cases. The score for carcinoma in the hypoechoic areas was 6.5% in RDE positive and 0% in RDE negative cases, whereas systematic map biopsy detected 62% carcinomas in RDE positive, and 16% carcinomas in RDE negative patients. The probability of positive diagnosis of prostate carcinoma increased in parallel with the number of biopsy samples/case. The importance of systematic map biopsy is emphasized.

Preliminary Aeromagnetic Map of Joshua Tree National Park and Vicinity, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Hill, P.L.

2010-01-01

This aeromagnetic map of Joshua Tree National Park and vicinity is intended to promote further understanding of the geology and structure in the region by serving as a basis for geophysical interpretations and by supporting geological mapping, water-resource investigations, and various topical studies. Local spatial variations in the Earth's magnetic field (evident as anomalies on aeromagnetic maps) reflect the distribution of magnetic minerals, primarily magnetite, in the underlying rocks. In many cases the volume content of magnetic minerals can be related to rock type, and abrupt spatial changes in the amount of magnetic minerals commonly mark lithologic or structural boundaries. Bodies of mafic and ultramafic rocks tend to produce the most intense magnetic anomalies, but such generalizations must be applied with caution because rocks with more felsic compositions, or even some sedimentary units, also can cause measurable magnetic anomalies. The database includes two ASCII files containing new aeromagnetic data and two ASCII files with point locations of the local maximum horizontal gradient derived from the aeromagnetic data. This metadata file describes the horizontal gradient locations derived from new and existing aeromagnetic data. This aeromagnetic map identifies magnetic features as a basis for geophysical interpretations; the gradients help define the edges of magnetic sources. This database updates geophysical information originally presented in smaller-scale formats and includes detailed aeromagnetic data collected by EON Geosciences, Inc.

Evaluation of freely available ancillary data used for detailed soil mapping in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel-Rosa, Alessandro; Anjos, Lúcia; Vasques, Gustavo; Heuvelink, Gerard

2014-05-01

Brazil is one of the world's largest food producers, and is home of both largest rainforest and largest supply of renewable fresh water on Earth. However, it lacks detailed soil information in extensive areas of the country. The best soil map covering the entire country was published at a scale of 1:5,000,000. Termination of governmental support for systematic soil mapping in the 1980's made detailed soil mapping of the whole country a very difficult task to accomplish. Nowadays, due to new user-driven demands (e.g. precision agriculture), most detailed soil maps are produced for small size areas. Many of them rely on as is freely available ancillary data, although their accuracy is usually not reported or unknown. Results from a validation exercise that we performed using ground control points from a small hilly catchment (20 km²) in Southern Brazil (-53.7995ºE, -29.6355ºN) indicate that most freely available ancillary data needs some type of correction before use. Georeferenced and orthorectified RapidEye imagery (recently acquired by the Brazilian government) has a horizontal accuracy (root-mean-square error, RMSE) of 37 m, which is worse than the value published in the metadata (32 m). Like any remote sensing imagery, RapidEye imagery needs to be correctly registered before its use for soil mapping. Topographic maps produced by the Brazilian Army and derived geological maps (scale of 1:25,000) have a horizontal accuracy of 65 m, which is more than four times the maximum value allowed by Brazilian legislation (15 m). Worse results were found for geological maps derived from 1:50,000 topographic maps (RMSE = 147 m), for which the maximum allowed value is 30 m. In most cases positional errors are of systematic origin and can be easily corrected (e.g., affine transformation). ASTER GDEM has many holes and is very noisy, making it of little use in the studied area. TOPODATA, which is SRTM kriged from originally 3 to 1 arc-second by the Brazilian National

Ground mapping resolution accuracy of a scanning radiometer from a geostationary satellite.

PubMed

Stremler, F G; Khalil, M A; Parent, R J

1977-06-01

Measures of the spatial and spatial rate (frequency) mapping of scanned visual imagery from an earth reference system to a spin-scan geostationary satellite are examined. Mapping distortions and coordinate inversions to correct for these distortions are formulated in terms of geometric transformations between earth and satellite frames of reference. Probabilistic methods are used to develop relations for obtainable mapping resolution when coordinate inversions are employed.

Shallow Water Habitat Mapping in Cape Cod National Seashore: A Post-Hurricane Sandy Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrelli, M.; Smith, T.; Legare, B.; Mittermayr, A.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Sandy had a dramatic impact along coastal areas in proximity to landfall in late October 2012, and those impacts have been well-documented in terrestrial coastal settings. However, due to the lack of data on submerged marine habitats, similar subtidal impact studies have been limited. This study, one of four contemporaneous studies commissioned by the US National Park Service, developed maps of submerged shallow water marine habitats in and around Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. All four studies used similar methods of data collection, processing and analysis for the production of habitat maps. One of the motivations for the larger study conducted in the four coastal parks was to provide park managers with a baseline inventory of submerged marine habitats, against which to measure change after future storm events and other natural and anthropogenic phenomena. In this study data from a phase-measuring sidescan sonar, bottom grab samples, seismic reflection profiling, and sediment coring were all used to develop submerged marine habitat maps using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). Vessel-based acoustic surveys (n = 76) were conducted in extreme shallow water across four embayments from 2014-2016. Sidescan sonar imagery covering 83.37 km2 was collected, and within that area, 49.53 km2 of co-located bathymetric data were collected with a mean depth of 4.00 m. Bottom grab samples (n = 476) to sample macroinvertebrates and sediments (along with other water column and habitat data) were collected, and these data were used along with the geophysical and coring data to develop final habitat maps using the CMECS framework.

The evolving Alaska mapping program.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, P.D.; O'Brien, T. J.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the development of mapping in Alaska, the current status of the National Mapping Program, and future plans for expanding and improving the mapping coverage. Research projects with Landsat Multispectral Scanner and Return Vidicon imagery and real- and synthetic-aperture radar; image mapping programs; digital mapping; remote sensing projects; the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act; and the Alaska High-Altitude Aerial Photography Program are also discussed.-from Authors

USGS Mineral Resources Program; national maps and datasets for research and land planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nicholson, S.W.; Stoeser, D.B.; Ludington, S.D.; Wilson, Frederic H.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, the Nation’s leader in producing and maintaining earth science data, serves as an advisor to Congress, the Department of the Interior, and many other Federal and State agencies. Nationwide datasets that are easily available and of high quality are critical for addressing a wide range of land-planning, resource, and environmental issues. Four types of digital databases (geological, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence) are being compiled and upgraded by the Mineral Resources Program on regional and national scales to meet these needs. Where existing data are incomplete, new data are being collected to ensure national coverage. Maps and analyses produced from these databases provide basic information essential for mineral resource assessments and environmental studies, as well as fundamental information for regional and national land-use studies. Maps and analyses produced from the databases are instrumental to ongoing basic research, such as the identification of mineral deposit origins, determination of regional background values of chemical elements with known environmental impact, and study of the relationships between toxic elements or mining practices to human health. As datasets are completed or revised, the information is made available through a variety of media, including the Internet. Much of the available information is the result of cooperative activities with State and other Federal agencies. The upgraded Mineral Resources Program datasets make geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence information at the state, regional, and national scales available to members of Congress, State and Federal government agencies, researchers in academia, and the general public. The status of the Mineral Resources Program datasets is outlined below.

Accuracy Assessment of Satellite Derived Forest Cover Products in South and Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilani, H.; Xu, X.; Jain, A. K.

2017-12-01

South and Southeast Asia (SSEA) region occupies 16 % of worlds land area. It is home to over 50% of the world's population. The SSEA's countries are experiencing significant land-use and land-cover changes (LULCCs), primarily in agriculture, forest, and urban land. For this study, we compiled four existing global forest cover maps for year 2010 by Gong et al.(2015), Hansen et al. (2013), Sexton et al.(2013) and Shimada et al. (2014), which were all medium resolution (≤30 m) products based on Landsat and/or PALSAR satellite images. To evaluate the accuracy of these forest products, we used three types of information: (1) ground measurements, (2) high resolution satellite images and (3) forest cover maps produced at the national scale. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select a set of validation data points from the ground and high-resolution satellite images. Then the confusion matrix method was used to assess and rank the accuracy of the forest cover products for the entire SSEA region. We analyzed the spatial consistency of different forest cover maps, and further evaluated the consistency with terrain characteristics. Our study suggests that global forest cover mapping algorithms are trained and tested using limited ground measurement data. We found significant uncertainties in mountainous areas due to the topographical shadow effect and the dense tree canopies effects. The findings of this study will facilitate to improve our understanding of the forest cover dynamics and their impacts on the quantities and pathways of terrestrial carbon and nitrogen fluxes. Gong, P., et al. (2012). "Finer resolution observation and monitoring of global land cover: first mapping results with Landsat TM and ETM+ data." International Journal of Remote Sensing 34(7): 2607-2654. Hansen, M. C., et al. (2013). "High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change." Science 342(6160): 850-853. Sexton, J. O., et al. (2013). "Global, 30-m resolution

Mapping rice areas of South Asia using MODIS multitemporal data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gumma, M.K.; Nelson, A.; Thenkabail, P.S.; Singh, A.N.

2011-01-01

Our goal is to map the rice areas of six South Asian countries using moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) time-series data for the time period 2000 to 2001. South Asia accounts for almost 40% of the world's harvested rice area and is also home to 74% of the population that lives on less than $2.00 a day. The population of the region is growing faster than its ability to produce rice. Thus, accurate and timely assessment of where and how rice is cultivated is important to craft food security and poverty alleviation strategies. We used a time series of eight-day, 500-m spatial resolution composite images from the MODIS sensor to produce rice maps and rice characteristics (e.g., intensity of cropping, cropping calendar) taking data for the years 2000 to 2001 and by adopting a suite of methods that include spectral matching techniques, decision trees, and ideal temporal profile data banks to rapidly identify and classify rice areas over large spatial extents. These methods are used in conjunction with ancillary spatial data sets (e.g., elevation, precipitation), national statistics, and maps, and a large volume of field-plot data. The resulting rice maps and statistics are compared against a subset of independent field-plot points and the best available subnational statistics on rice areas for the main crop growing season (kharif season). A fuzzy classification accuracy assessment for the 2000 to 2001 rice-map product, based on field-plot data, demonstrated accuracies from 67% to 100% for individual rice classes, with an overall accuracy of 80% for all classes. Most of the mixing was within rice classes. The derived physical rice area was highly correlated with the subnational statistics with R2 values of 97% at the district level and 99% at the state level for 2000 to 2001. These results suggest that the methods, approaches, algorithms, and data sets we used are ideal for rapid, accurate, and large-scale mapping of paddy rice as well as for generating

Improve EPA's AIRNow Air Quality Index Maps with NASA/NOAA Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasch, A.; Zahn, P. H.; DeWinter, J. L.; Haderman, M. D.; White, J. E.; Dickerson, P.; Dye, T. S.; Martin, R. V.

2011-12-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AIRNow program provides maps of real-time hourly Air Quality Index (AQI) conditions and daily AQI forecasts nationwide (http://www.airnow.gov). The public uses these maps to make decisions concerning their respiratory health. The usefulness of the AIRNow air quality maps depends on the accuracy and spatial coverage of air quality measurements. Currently, the maps use only ground-based measurements, which have significant gaps in coverage in some parts of the United States. As a result, contoured AQI levels have high uncertainty in regions far from monitors. To improve the usefulness of air quality maps, scientists at EPA and Sonoma Technology, Inc. are working in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and university researchers on a project to incorporate additional measurements into the maps via the AIRNow Satellite Data Processor (ASDP). These measurements include estimated surface PMmaps with improved spatial coverage. The goal of ASDP is to provide better AQI information in monitor-sparse locations and augment monitor-dense locations with more information. The methodology and evaluation of the data fusion will be presented, along with several case studies from fall 2009 through summer 2010.

Analysis of 3d Building Models Accuracy Based on the Airborne Laser Scanning Point Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostrowski, W.; Pilarska, M.; Charyton, J.; Bakuła, K.

2018-05-01

Creating 3D building models in large scale is becoming more popular and finds many applications. Nowadays, a wide term "3D building models" can be applied to several types of products: well-known CityGML solid models (available on few Levels of Detail), which are mainly generated from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data, as well as 3D mesh models that can be created from both nadir and oblique aerial images. City authorities and national mapping agencies are interested in obtaining the 3D building models. Apart from the completeness of the models, the accuracy aspect is also important. Final accuracy of a building model depends on various factors (accuracy of the source data, complexity of the roof shapes, etc.). In this paper the methodology of inspection of dataset containing 3D models is presented. The proposed approach check all building in dataset with comparison to ALS point clouds testing both: accuracy and level of details. Using analysis of statistical parameters for normal heights for reference point cloud and tested planes and segmentation of point cloud provides the tool that can indicate which building and which roof plane in do not fulfill requirement of model accuracy and detail correctness. Proposed method was tested on two datasets: solid and mesh model.

Groundwater productivity potential mapping using evidential belief function.

PubMed

Park, Inhye; Kim, Yongsung; Lee, Saro

2014-09-01

The evidential belief function (EBF) model was applied and validated for analysis of groundwater-productivity potential (GPP) in Boryeong and Pohang cities, agriculture region in Korea using geographic information systems (GIS). Data about related factors, including topography, lineament, geology, forest, soil, and groundwater data were collected and input into a spatial database. Additionally, in the Boryeong area, specific capacity (SPC) data not lower than 4.55 m3 /d/m were collected, corresponding to 300 m3 /d yield from 72 well locations. In the Pohang area, SPC data of ≥ 6.25 m3 /d/m were collected, corresponding to a yield of 500 m3 /d from 44 well locations. By using the constructed spatial database, 19 factors related to groundwater productivity were extracted. The relationships between the well locations and the factors were identified and quantified by using the EBF model. Four relationships were calculated: belief (Bel), disbelief (Dis), uncertainty (Unc), and plausibility (Pls). The relationships were used as factor ratings in the overlay analysis to create GPP indices and maps. The resulting GPP maps showed 83.41% and 77.53% accuracy in Boryeong and Pohang areas, respectively. The EBF model was found to be more effective in terms of prediction accuracy. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Mapping Urban Ecosystem Services Using High Resolution Aerial Photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilant, A. N.; Neale, A.; Wilhelm, D.

2010-12-01

Ecosystem services (ES) are the many life-sustaining benefits we receive from nature: e.g., clean air and water, food and fiber, cultural-aesthetic-recreational benefits, pollination and flood control. The ES concept is emerging as a means of integrating complex environmental and economic information to support informed environmental decision making. The US EPA is developing a web-based National Atlas of Ecosystem Services, with a component for urban ecosystems. Currently, the only wall-to-wall, national scale land cover data suitable for this analysis is the National Land Cover Data (NLCD) at 30 m spatial resolution with 5 and 10 year updates. However, aerial photography is acquired at higher spatial resolution (0.5-3 m) and more frequently (1-5 years, typically) for most urban areas. Land cover was mapped in Raleigh, NC using freely available USDA National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) with 1 m ground sample distance to test the suitability of aerial photography for urban ES analysis. Automated feature extraction techniques were used to extract five land cover classes, and an accuracy assessment was performed using standard techniques. Results will be presented that demonstrate applications to mapping ES in urban environments: greenways, corridors, fragmentation, habitat, impervious surfaces, dark and light pavement (urban heat island). Automated feature extraction results mapped over NAIP color aerial photograph. At this scale, we can look at land cover and related ecosystem services at the 2-10 m scale. Small features such as individual trees and sidewalks are visible and mappable. Classified aerial photo of Downtown Raleigh NC Red: impervious surface Dark Green: trees Light Green: grass Tan: soil

Evaluation of Techniques Used to Estimate Cortical Feature Maps

PubMed Central

Katta, Nalin; Chen, Thomas L.; Watkins, Paul V.; Barbour, Dennis L.

2011-01-01

Functional properties of neurons are often distributed nonrandomly within a cortical area and form topographic maps that reveal insights into neuronal organization and interconnection. Some functional maps, such as in visual cortex, are fairly straightforward to discern with a variety of techniques, while other maps, such as in auditory cortex, have resisted easy characterization. In order to determine appropriate protocols for establishing accurate functional maps in auditory cortex, artificial topographic maps were probed under various conditions, and the accuracy of estimates formed from the actual maps was quantified. Under these conditions, low-complexity maps such as sound frequency can be estimated accurately with as few as 25 total samples (e.g., electrode penetrations or imaging pixels) if neural responses are averaged together. More samples are required to achieve the highest estimation accuracy for higher complexity maps, and averaging improves map estimate accuracy even more than increasing sampling density. Undersampling without averaging can result in misleading map estimates, while undersampling with averaging can lead to the false conclusion of no map when one actually exists. Uniform sample spacing only slightly improves map estimation over nonuniform sample spacing typical of serial electrode penetrations. Tessellation plots commonly used to visualize maps estimated using nonuniform sampling are always inferior to linearly interpolated estimates, although differences are slight at higher sampling densities. Within primary auditory cortex, then, multiunit sampling with at least 100 samples would likely result in reasonable feature map estimates for all but the highest complexity maps and the highest variability that might be expected. PMID:21889537

Ionospheric Mapping Software Ensures Accuracy of Pilots GPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2015-01-01

IonoSTAGE and SuperTruth software are part of a suite created at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to enable the Federal Aviation Administration's Wide Area Augmentation System, which provides pinpoint accuracy in aircraft GPS units. The system, used by more than 73,000 planes, facilitates landings under adverse conditions at small airports. In 2013, IonoSTAGE and SuperTruth found their first commercial license when NEC, based in Japan, with US headquarters in Irving, Texas, licensed the entire suite.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Cetacean and Sound Mapping Effort: Continuing Forward with an Integrated Ocean Noise Strategy.

PubMed

Harrison, Jolie; Ferguson, Megan; Gedamke, Jason; Hatch, Leila; Southall, Brandon; Van Parijs, Sofie

2016-01-01

To help manage chronic and cumulative impacts of human activities on marine mammals, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) convened two working groups, the Underwater Sound Field Mapping Working Group (SoundMap) and the Cetacean Density and Distribution Mapping Working Group (CetMap), with overarching effort of both groups referred to as CetSound, which (1) mapped the predicted contribution of human sound sources to ocean noise and (2) provided region/time/species-specific cetacean density and distribution maps. Mapping products were presented at a symposium where future priorities were identified, including institutionalization/integration of the CetSound effort within NOAA-wide goals and programs, creation of forums and mechanisms for external input and funding, and expanded outreach/education. NOAA is subsequently developing an ocean noise strategy to articulate noise conservation goals and further identify science and management actions needed to support them.

Mapping national scale land cover disturbance for the continental United States, 2006 to 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, M. C.; Potapov, P. V.; Egorov, A.; Roy, D. P.; Loveland, T. R.

2011-12-01

Data from the Web-Enabled Landsat Data (WELD) project were used to quantify forest cover loss and bare ground gain dynamics for the continental United States at a 30 meter spatial resolution from 2006 to 2010. Results illustrate the land cover dynamics associated with forestry, urbanization and other medium to long-term cover conversion processes. Ephemeral changes, such as crop rotations and fallows or inundation, were not quantified. Forest disturbance is pervasive at the national-scale, while increasing bare ground is found in growing urban areas as well as in mining regions. The methods applied are an outgrowth of the Vegetation Continuous Field (VCF) method, initially employed with MODIS data and then WELD data to map percent cover variables. As in our previous work with MODIS in mapping forest change, we applied the VCF method to characterize forest cover loss and bare ground gain probability per pixel. Additional themes will be added to provide a more comprehensive picture of national-scale land dynamics based on these initial results using WELD.

THEMATIC ACCURACY OF MRLC LAND COVER FOR THE EASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

One objective of the MultiResolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) consortium is to map general land-cover categories for the conterminous United States using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data. Land-cover mapping and classification accuracy assessment are complete for the e...

National Geospatial Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2011-01-01

increases the efficiency of the Nation's geospatial community by improving communications about geospatial data, products, services, projects, needs, standards, and best practices. The NGP comprises seven major components (described below), that are managed as a unified set. For example, The National Map establishes data standards and identifies geographic areas where specific types of geospatial data need to be incorporated into The National Map. Partnership Network Liaisons work with Federal, State, local, and tribal partners to help acquire the data. Geospatial technical operations ensure the quality control, integration, and availability to the public of the data acquired. The Emergency Operations Office provides the requirements to The National Map and, during emergencies and natural disasters, provides rapid dissemination of information and data targeted to the needs of emergency responders. The National Atlas uses data from The National Map and other sources to make small-scale maps and multimedia articles about the maps.

Potential of EnMAP spaceborne imaging spectroscopy for the prediction of common surface soil properties and expected accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabrillat, Sabine; Foerster, Saskia; Steinberg, Andreas; Stevens, Antoine; Segl, Karl

2016-04-01

There is a renewed awareness of the finite nature of the world's soil resources, growing concern about soil security, and significant uncertainties about the carrying capacity of the planet. As a consequence, soil scientists are being challenged to provide regular assessments of soil conditions from local through to global scales. However, only a few countries have the necessary survey and monitoring programs to meet these new needs and existing global data sets are out-of-date. A particular issue is the clear demand for a new area-wide regional to global coverage with accurate, up-to-date, and spatially referenced soil information as expressed by the modeling scientific community, farmers and land users, and policy and decision makers. Soil spectroscopy from remote sensing observations based on studies from the laboratory scale to the airborne scale has been shown to be a proven method for the quantitative prediction of key soil surface properties in local areas for exposed soils in appropriate surface conditions such as low vegetation cover and low water content. With the upcoming launch of the next generation of hyperspectral satellite sensors in the next 3 to 5 years (EnMAP, HISUI, PRISMA, SHALOM), a great potential for the global mapping and monitoring of soil properties is appearing. Nevertheless, the capabilities to extend the soil properties current spectral modeling from local to regional scales are still to be demonstrated using robust methods. In particular, three central questions are at the forefront of research nowadays: a) methodological developments toward improved algorithms and operational tools for the extraction of soil properties, b) up scaling from the laboratory into space domain, and c) demonstration of the potential of upcoming satellite systems and expected accuracy of soil maps. In this study, airborne imaging spectroscopy data from several test sites are used to simulate EnMAP satellite images at 30 m scale. Then, different soil

Exploring the Impact of Visual Complexity Levels in 3d City Models on the Accuracy of Individuals' Orientation and Cognitive Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rautenbach, V.; Çöltekin, A.; Coetzee, S.

2015-08-01

In this paper we report results from a qualitative user experiment (n=107) designed to contribute to understanding the impact of various levels of complexity (mainly based on levels of detail, i.e., LoD) in 3D city models, specifically on the participants' orientation and cognitive (mental) maps. The experiment consisted of a number of tasks motivated by spatial cognition theory where participants (among other things) were given orientation tasks, and in one case also produced sketches of a path they `travelled' in a virtual environment. The experiments were conducted in groups, where individuals provided responses on an answer sheet. The preliminary results based on descriptive statistics and qualitative sketch analyses suggest that very little information (i.e., a low LoD model of a smaller area) might have a negative impact on the accuracy of cognitive maps constructed based on a virtual experience. Building an accurate cognitive map is an inherently desired effect of the visualizations in planning tasks, thus the findings are important for understanding how to develop better-suited 3D visualizations such as 3D city models. In this study, we specifically discuss the suitability of different levels of visual complexity for development planning (urban planning), one of the domains where 3D city models are most relevant.

Accuracy Assessment of the GLOBELAND30 Dataset in Jiangxi Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, H.; Cai, G.; Zhao, G.; Li, Z.

2018-04-01

The Globeland30 dataset is the most highly spatial resolution global land cover mapping product, which developed by the National Geomatics Center of China (NGCC) in 2015. It plays a significant role in environmental monitoring, climate change, and ecosystem assessment, etc. In this study, Jiangxi province was selected as our study area, the 1 : 100000 land use data in 2010 was employed as the reference data. We aim to examine the accuracy of the Globeland30 from three methods, including area error analysis, shape consistency analysis and confusion matrix. The results show as follows: The land cover types in the study area are primarily occupied by the cultivated land and forest, and secondarily by grassland, water bodies and artificial surfaces. The area error of cultivated land, forest and water bodies are all less than 13 %; The general conformance of the shape consistency reaches to 67 %, but the shape consistency of every land type differs to a large degree, the best shape consistency of forests is up to 75 %; The confusion matrix is obtained in two cases of different class boundary with buffer and no buffer area. It is found that the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of GlobeLand30 are improved with buffer area. The value of overall accuracy is higher than 78 %, the value of kappa coefficient is higher than 0.52.

AlignerBoost: A Generalized Software Toolkit for Boosting Next-Gen Sequencing Mapping Accuracy Using a Bayesian-Based Mapping Quality Framework.

PubMed

Zheng, Qi; Grice, Elizabeth A

2016-10-01

Accurate mapping of next-generation sequencing (NGS) reads to reference genomes is crucial for almost all NGS applications and downstream analyses. Various repetitive elements in human and other higher eukaryotic genomes contribute in large part to ambiguously (non-uniquely) mapped reads. Most available NGS aligners attempt to address this by either removing all non-uniquely mapping reads, or reporting one random or "best" hit based on simple heuristics. Accurate estimation of the mapping quality of NGS reads is therefore critical albeit completely lacking at present. Here we developed a generalized software toolkit "AlignerBoost", which utilizes a Bayesian-based framework to accurately estimate mapping quality of ambiguously mapped NGS reads. We tested AlignerBoost with both simulated and real DNA-seq and RNA-seq datasets at various thresholds. In most cases, but especially for reads falling within repetitive regions, AlignerBoost dramatically increases the mapping precision of modern NGS aligners without significantly compromising the sensitivity even without mapping quality filters. When using higher mapping quality cutoffs, AlignerBoost achieves a much lower false mapping rate while exhibiting comparable or higher sensitivity compared to the aligner default modes, therefore significantly boosting the detection power of NGS aligners even using extreme thresholds. AlignerBoost is also SNP-aware, and higher quality alignments can be achieved if provided with known SNPs. AlignerBoost's algorithm is computationally efficient, and can process one million alignments within 30 seconds on a typical desktop computer. AlignerBoost is implemented as a uniform Java application and is freely available at https://github.com/Grice-Lab/AlignerBoost.

AlignerBoost: A Generalized Software Toolkit for Boosting Next-Gen Sequencing Mapping Accuracy Using a Bayesian-Based Mapping Quality Framework

PubMed Central

Zheng, Qi; Grice, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Accurate mapping of next-generation sequencing (NGS) reads to reference genomes is crucial for almost all NGS applications and downstream analyses. Various repetitive elements in human and other higher eukaryotic genomes contribute in large part to ambiguously (non-uniquely) mapped reads. Most available NGS aligners attempt to address this by either removing all non-uniquely mapping reads, or reporting one random or "best" hit based on simple heuristics. Accurate estimation of the mapping quality of NGS reads is therefore critical albeit completely lacking at present. Here we developed a generalized software toolkit "AlignerBoost", which utilizes a Bayesian-based framework to accurately estimate mapping quality of ambiguously mapped NGS reads. We tested AlignerBoost with both simulated and real DNA-seq and RNA-seq datasets at various thresholds. In most cases, but especially for reads falling within repetitive regions, AlignerBoost dramatically increases the mapping precision of modern NGS aligners without significantly compromising the sensitivity even without mapping quality filters. When using higher mapping quality cutoffs, AlignerBoost achieves a much lower false mapping rate while exhibiting comparable or higher sensitivity compared to the aligner default modes, therefore significantly boosting the detection power of NGS aligners even using extreme thresholds. AlignerBoost is also SNP-aware, and higher quality alignments can be achieved if provided with known SNPs. AlignerBoost’s algorithm is computationally efficient, and can process one million alignments within 30 seconds on a typical desktop computer. AlignerBoost is implemented as a uniform Java application and is freely available at https://github.com/Grice-Lab/AlignerBoost. PMID:27706155

Preliminary Map of Landslide Deposits in the Mesa Verde National Park Area, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carrara, Paul E.

2009-01-01

This report presents a preliminary map of landslide deposits in the Mesa Verde National Park area (see map sheet) at a compilation scale of 1:50,000. Landslide is a general term for landforms produced by a wide variety of gravity-driven mass movements, including various types of flows, slides, topples and falls, and combinations thereof produced by the slow to rapid downslope transport of surficial materials or bedrock. The map depicts more than 200 landslides ranging in size from small (0.01 square miles) earthflows and rock slumps to large (greater than 0.50 square miles) translational slides and complex landslides (Varnes, 1978). This map has been prepared to provide a regional overview of the distribution of landslide deposits in the Mesa Verde area, and as such constitutes an inventory of landslides in the area. The map is suitable for regional planning to identify broad areas where landslide deposits and processes are concentrated. It should not be used as a substitute for detailed site investigations. Specific areas thought to be subject to landslide hazards should be carefully studied before development. Many of the landslides depicted on this map are probably stable as they date to the Pleistocene (approximately 1.8-0.011 Ma) and hence formed under a different climate regime. However, the recognition of these landslides is important because natural and human-induced factors can alter stability. Reduction of lateral support (by excavations or roadcuts), removal of vegetation (by fire or development), or an increase in pore pressure (by heavy rains) may result in the reactivation of landslides or parts of landslides.

Machine learning-based dual-energy CT parametric mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Kuan-Hao; Kuo, Jung-Wen; Jordan, David W.; Van Hedent, Steven; Klahr, Paul; Wei, Zhouping; Helo, Rose Al; Liang, Fan; Qian, Pengjiang; Pereira, Gisele C.; Rassouli, Negin; Gilkeson, Robert C.; Traughber, Bryan J.; Cheng, Chee-Wai; Muzic, Raymond F., Jr.

2018-06-01

The aim is to develop and evaluate machine learning methods for generating quantitative parametric maps of effective atomic number (Zeff), relative electron density (ρ e), mean excitation energy (I x ), and relative stopping power (RSP) from clinical dual-energy CT data. The maps could be used for material identification and radiation dose calculation. Machine learning methods of historical centroid (HC), random forest (RF), and artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to learn the relationship between dual-energy CT input data and ideal output parametric maps calculated for phantoms from the known compositions of 13 tissue substitutes. After training and model selection steps, the machine learning predictors were used to generate parametric maps from independent phantom and patient input data. Precision and accuracy were evaluated using the ideal maps. This process was repeated for a range of exposure doses, and performance was compared to that of the clinically-used dual-energy, physics-based method which served as the reference. The machine learning methods generated more accurate and precise parametric maps than those obtained using the reference method. Their performance advantage was particularly evident when using data from the lowest exposure, one-fifth of a typical clinical abdomen CT acquisition. The RF method achieved the greatest accuracy. In comparison, the ANN method was only 1% less accurate but had much better computational efficiency than RF, being able to produce parametric maps in 15 s. Machine learning methods outperformed the reference method in terms of accuracy and noise tolerance when generating parametric maps, encouraging further exploration of the techniques. Among the methods we evaluated, ANN is the most suitable for clinical use due to its combination of accuracy, excellent low-noise performance, and computational efficiency.

Machine learning-based dual-energy CT parametric mapping.

PubMed

Su, Kuan-Hao; Kuo, Jung-Wen; Jordan, David W; Van Hedent, Steven; Klahr, Paul; Wei, Zhouping; Al Helo, Rose; Liang, Fan; Qian, Pengjiang; Pereira, Gisele C; Rassouli, Negin; Gilkeson, Robert C; Traughber, Bryan J; Cheng, Chee-Wai; Muzic, Raymond F

2018-06-08

The aim is to develop and evaluate machine learning methods for generating quantitative parametric maps of effective atomic number (Z eff ), relative electron density (ρ e ), mean excitation energy (I x ), and relative stopping power (RSP) from clinical dual-energy CT data. The maps could be used for material identification and radiation dose calculation. Machine learning methods of historical centroid (HC), random forest (RF), and artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to learn the relationship between dual-energy CT input data and ideal output parametric maps calculated for phantoms from the known compositions of 13 tissue substitutes. After training and model selection steps, the machine learning predictors were used to generate parametric maps from independent phantom and patient input data. Precision and accuracy were evaluated using the ideal maps. This process was repeated for a range of exposure doses, and performance was compared to that of the clinically-used dual-energy, physics-based method which served as the reference. The machine learning methods generated more accurate and precise parametric maps than those obtained using the reference method. Their performance advantage was particularly evident when using data from the lowest exposure, one-fifth of a typical clinical abdomen CT acquisition. The RF method achieved the greatest accuracy. In comparison, the ANN method was only 1% less accurate but had much better computational efficiency than RF, being able to produce parametric maps in 15 s. Machine learning methods outperformed the reference method in terms of accuracy and noise tolerance when generating parametric maps, encouraging further exploration of the techniques. Among the methods we evaluated, ANN is the most suitable for clinical use due to its combination of accuracy, excellent low-noise performance, and computational efficiency.

Accuracy of Presurgical Functional MR Imaging for Language Mapping of Brain Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Weng, Hsu-Huei; Noll, Kyle R; Johnson, Jason M; Prabhu, Sujit S; Tsai, Yuan-Hsiung; Chang, Sheng-Wei; Huang, Yen-Chu; Lee, Jiann-Der; Yang, Jen-Tsung; Yang, Cheng-Ta; Tsai, Ying-Huang; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Hazle, John D; Schomer, Donald F; Liu, Ho-Ling

2018-02-01

Purpose To compare functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for language mapping (hereafter, language functional MR imaging) with direct cortical stimulation (DCS) in patients with brain tumors and to assess factors associated with its accuracy. Materials and Methods PubMed/MEDLINE and related databases were searched for research articles published between January 2000 and September 2016. Findings were pooled by using bivariate random-effects and hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic curve models. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate whether publication year, functional MR imaging paradigm, magnetic field strength, statistical threshold, and analysis software affected classification accuracy. Results Ten articles with a total of 214 patients were included in the analysis. On a per-patient basis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of functional MR imaging was 44% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14%, 78%) and 80% (95% CI: 54%, 93%), respectively. On a per-tag basis (ie, each DCS stimulation site or "tag" was considered a separate data point across all patients), the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 67% (95% CI: 51%, 80%) and 55% (95% CI: 25%, 82%), respectively. The per-tag analysis showed significantly higher sensitivity for studies with shorter functional MR imaging session times (P = .03) and relaxed statistical threshold (P = .05). Significantly higher specificity was found when expressive language task (P = .02), longer functional MR imaging session times (P < .01), visual presentation of stimuli (P = .04), and stringent statistical threshold (P = .01) were used. Conclusion Results of this study showed moderate accuracy of language functional MR imaging when compared with intraoperative DCS, and the included studies displayed significant methodologic heterogeneity. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Assessment and application of national environmental databases and mapping tools at the local level to two community case studies.

PubMed

Hammond, Davyda; Conlon, Kathryn; Barzyk, Timothy; Chahine, Teresa; Zartarian, Valerie; Schultz, Brad

2011-03-01

Communities are concerned over pollution levels and seek methods to systematically identify and prioritize the environmental stressors in their communities. Geographic information system (GIS) maps of environmental information can be useful tools for communities in their assessment of environmental-pollution-related risks. Databases and mapping tools that supply community-level estimates of ambient concentrations of hazardous pollutants, risk, and potential health impacts can provide relevant information for communities to understand, identify, and prioritize potential exposures and risk from multiple sources. An assessment of existing databases and mapping tools was conducted as part of this study to explore the utility of publicly available databases, and three of these databases were selected for use in a community-level GIS mapping application. Queried data from the U.S. EPA's National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, Air Quality System, and National Emissions Inventory were mapped at the appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions for identifying risks of exposure to air pollutants in two communities. The maps combine monitored and model-simulated pollutant and health risk estimates, along with local survey results, to assist communities with the identification of potential exposure sources and pollution hot spots. Findings from this case study analysis will provide information to advance the development of new tools to assist communities with environmental risk assessments and hazard prioritization. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

Mapping Soil Erosion Factors and Potential Erosion Risk for the National Park "Central Balkan"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilieva, Diliana; Malinov, Ilia

2014-05-01

Soil erosion is widely recognised environmental problem. The report aims at presenting the main results from assessment and mapping of the factors of sheet water erosion and the potential erosion risk on the territory of National Park "Central Balkan". For this purpose, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was used for predicting soil loss from erosion. The influence of topography (LS-factor) and soil erodibility (K-factor) was assessed using small-scale topographic and soil maps. Rainfall erosivity (R-factor) was calculated from data of rainfalls with amounts exceeding 9.5 mm from 14 hydro-meteorological stations. The values of the erosion factors (R, K and LS) were presented for the areas of forest, sub-alpine and alpine zones. Using the methods of GIS, maps were plotted presenting the area distribution among the classes of the soil erosion factors and the potential risk in the respective zones. The results can be used for making accurate decisions for soil conservation and sustainable land management in the park.

Aerial radiometric and magnetic survey: Aztec National Topographic Map, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-01-01

The results of analyses of the airborne gamma radiation and total magnetic field survey flown for the region identified as the Aztec National Topographic Map NJ13-10 are presented. The airborne data gathered are reduced by ground computer facilities to yield profile plots of the basic uranium, thorium and potassium equivalent gamma radiation intensities, ratios of these intensities, aircraft altitude above the earth's surface, total gamma ray and earth's magnetic field intensity, correlated as a function of geologic units. The distribution of data within each geologic unit, for all surveyed map lines and tie lines, has been calculated and is included.more » Two sets of profiled data for each line are included, with one set displaying the above-cited data. The second set includes only flight line magnetic field, temperature, pressure, altitude data plus magnetic field data as measured at a base station. A general description of the area, including descriptions of the various geologic units and the corresponding airborne data, is included also.« less

Mapping broom snakeweed through image analysis of color-infrared photography and digital imagery.

PubMed

Everitt, J H; Yang, C

2007-11-01

A study was conducted on a south Texas rangeland area to evaluate aerial color-infrared (CIR) photography and CIR digital imagery combined with unsupervised image analysis techniques to map broom snakeweed [Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh.) Britt. and Rusby]. Accuracy assessments performed on computer-classified maps of photographic images from two sites had mean producer's and user's accuracies for broom snakeweed of 98.3 and 88.3%, respectively; whereas, accuracy assessments performed on classified maps from digital images of the same two sites had mean producer's and user's accuracies for broom snakeweed of 98.3 and 92.8%, respectively. These results indicate that CIR photography and CIR digital imagery combined with image analysis techniques can be used successfully to map broom snakeweed infestations on south Texas rangelands.

Middle-School Students' Map Construction: Understanding Complex Spatial Displays.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bausmith, Jennifer Merriman; Leinhardt, Gaea

1998-01-01

Examines the map-making process of middle-school students to determine which actions influence their accuracy, how prior knowledge helps their map construction, and what lessons can be learned from map making. Indicates that instruction that focuses on recognition of interconnections between map elements can promote map reasoning skills. (DSK)

Setting strategy for system change: using concept mapping to prioritise national action for chronic disease prevention.

PubMed

Wutzke, Sonia; Roberts, Nick; Willis, Cameron; Best, Allan; Wilson, Andrew; Trochim, William

2017-08-08

Chronic diseases are a serious and urgent problem, requiring at-scale, multi-component, multi-stakeholder action and cooperation. Despite numerous national frameworks and agenda-setting documents to coordinate prevention efforts, Australia, like many countries internationally, is yet to substantively impact the burden from chronic disease. Improved evidence on effective strategies for the prevention of chronic disease is required. This research sought to articulate a priority set of important and feasible action domains to inform future discussion and debate regarding priority areas for chronic disease prevention policy and strategy. Using concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach to making use of the best available tacit knowledge of recognised, diverse and well-experienced actors, and national actions to improve the prevention of chronic disease in Australia were identified and then mapped. Participants (ranging from 58 to 78 in the various stages of the research) included a national sample of academics, policymakers and practitioners. Data collection involved the generation and sorting of statements by participants. A series of visual representations of the data were then developed. A total of 95 statements were distilled into 12 clusters for action, namely Inter-Sectoral Partnerships; Systems Perspective/Action; Governance; Roles and Responsibilities; Evidence, Feedback and Learning; Funding and Incentive; Creating Demand; Primary Prevention; Social Determinants and Equity; Healthy Environments; Food and Nutrition; and Regulation and Policy. Specific areas for more immediate national action included refocusing the health system to prevention over cure, raising the profile of public health with health decision-makers, funding policy- and practice-relevant research, improving communication about prevention, learning from both global best-practice and domestic successes and failures, increasing the focus on primary prevention, and developing a long-term prevention

AUV Mapping and ROV Exploration of Los Frailes Submarine Canyon, Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, Baja California Sur, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troni, G.; Caress, D. W.; Graves, D.; Thomas, H. J.; Thompson, D.; Barry, J. P.; Aburto-Oropeza, O.; Johnson, A. F.; Lundsten, L.

2015-12-01

Los Frailes submarine canyon is located at the south boundary of the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park on the southeast tip of the Baja California Peninsula. During the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) 2015 Gulf of California expedition we used an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to map this canyon from 50 m to 450 m depths, and then explored the canyon with a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV). This three day R/V Rachel Carson cruise was a collaboration with the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in La Paz. The MBARI AUV D. Allan B. collected high resolution bathymetry, sidescan, and subbottom profiles of Los Frailes submarine canyon and part of the north Cabo Pulmo deep reef. In order to safely generate a 1-m lateral resolution multibeam bathymetry map in the nearshore high relief terrain, the mapping operations consisted of an initial short survey following the 100-m isobath followed by a series of short, incremental AUV missions located on the deep edge of the new AUV bathymetry. The MBARI Mini-ROV was used to explore the submarine canyon within the detailed map created by the MBARI AUV. The Mini-ROV is a 1.2-m-long, 350 kg, 1,500-m-depth-rated ROV designed and constructed by MBARI. It is controlled by six 600-watt thrusters and is equipped with a high-definition video camera and navigation sensors. This small ROV carries less accurate, lower cost navigation sensors than larger vehicles. We implemented new algorithms to localize combining Doppler velocity log sensor data and low-cost MEMS-based inertial sensor data with sporadic ultra-short baseline position measurements to provide a high accuracy position estimation. The navigation performance allowed us to colocate the ROV video imagery with the 1-m resolution bathymetric map of the submarine canyon. Upper Los Frailes Canyon is rugged and, aside from small sand pockets along

Ground motion models used in the 2014 U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rezaeian, Sanaz; Petersen, Mark D.; Moschetti, Morgan P.

2015-01-01

The National Seismic Hazard Maps (NSHMs) are an important component of seismic design regulations in the United States. This paper compares hazard using the new suite of ground motion models (GMMs) relative to hazard using the suite of GMMs applied in the previous version of the maps. The new source characterization models are used for both cases. A previous paper (Rezaeian et al. 2014) discussed the five NGA-West2 GMMs used for shallow crustal earthquakes in the Western United States (WUS), which are also summarized here. Our focus in this paper is on GMMs for earthquakes in stable continental regions in the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS), as well as subduction interface and deep intraslab earthquakes. We consider building code hazard levels for peak ground acceleration (PGA), 0.2-s, and 1.0-s spectral accelerations (SAs) on uniform firm-rock site conditions. The GMM modifications in the updated version of the maps created changes in hazard within 5% to 20% in WUS; decreases within 5% to 20% in CEUS; changes within 5% to 15% for subduction interface earthquakes; and changes involving decreases of up to 50% and increases of up to 30% for deep intraslab earthquakes for most U.S. sites. These modifications were combined with changes resulting from modifications in the source characterization models to obtain the new hazard maps.

Development of Ground Reference GIS for Assessing Land Cover Maps of Northeast Yellowstone National Park

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spruce, Joe; Warner, Amanda; Terrie, Greg; Davis, Bruce

2001-01-01

GIS technology and ground reference data often play vital roles in assessing land cover maps derived from remotely sensed data. This poster illustrates these roles, using results from a study done in Northeast Yellowstone National Park. This area holds many forest, range, and wetland cover types of interest to park managers. Several recent studies have focused on this locale, including the NASA Earth Observations Commercial Applications Program (EOCAP) hyperspectral project performed by Yellowstone Ecosystems Studies (YES) on riparian and in-stream habitat mapping. This poster regards a spin-off to the EOCAP project in which YES and NASA's Earth Science Applications Directorate explored the potential for synergistic use of hyperspecral, synthetic aperture radar, and multiband thermal imagery in mapping land cover types. The project included development of a ground reference GIS for site-specific data needed to evaluate maps from remotely sensed imagery. Field survey data included reflectance of plant communities, native and exotic plant species, and forest health conditions. Researchers also collected GPS points, annotated aerial photographs, and took hand held photographs of reference sites. The use of ESRI, ERDAS, and ENVI software enabled reference data entry into a GIS for comparision to georeferenced imagery and thematic maps. The GIS-based ground reference data layers supported development and assessment of multiple maps from remotely sensed data sets acquired over the study area.

Mapping paddy rice planting areas through time series analysis of MODIS land surface temperature and vegetation index data.

PubMed

Zhang, Geli; Xiao, Xiangming; Dong, Jinwei; Kou, Weili; Jin, Cui; Qin, Yuanwei; Zhou, Yuting; Wang, Jie; Menarguez, Michael Angelo; Biradar, Chandrashekhar

2015-08-01

Knowledge of the area and spatial distribution of paddy rice is important for assessment of food security, management of water resources, and estimation of greenhouse gas (methane) emissions. Paddy rice agriculture has expanded rapidly in northeastern China in the last decade, but there are no updated maps of paddy rice fields in the region. Existing algorithms for identifying paddy rice fields are based on the unique physical features of paddy rice during the flooding and transplanting phases and use vegetation indices that are sensitive to the dynamics of the canopy and surface water content. However, the flooding phenomena in high latitude area could also be from spring snowmelt flooding. We used land surface temperature (LST) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor to determine the temporal window of flooding and rice transplantation over a year to improve the existing phenology-based approach. Other land cover types (e.g., evergreen vegetation, permanent water bodies, and sparse vegetation) with potential influences on paddy rice identification were removed (masked out) due to their different temporal profiles. The accuracy assessment using high-resolution images showed that the resultant MODIS-derived paddy rice map of northeastern China in 2010 had a high accuracy (producer and user accuracies of 92% and 96%, respectively). The MODIS-based map also had a comparable accuracy to the 2010 Landsat-based National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) of China in terms of both area and spatial pattern. This study demonstrated that our improved algorithm by using both thermal and optical MODIS data, provides a robust, simple and automated approach to identify and map paddy rice fields in temperate and cold temperate zones, the northern frontier of rice planting.

ReactionMap: an efficient atom-mapping algorithm for chemical reactions.

PubMed

Fooshee, David; Andronico, Alessio; Baldi, Pierre

2013-11-25

Large databases of chemical reactions provide new data-mining opportunities and challenges. Key challenges result from the imperfect quality of the data and the fact that many of these reactions are not properly balanced or atom-mapped. Here, we describe ReactionMap, an efficient atom-mapping algorithm. Our approach uses a combination of maximum common chemical subgraph search and minimization of an assignment cost function derived empirically from training data. We use a set of over 259,000 balanced atom-mapped reactions from the SPRESI commercial database to train the system, and we validate it on random sets of 1000 and 17,996 reactions sampled from this pool. These large test sets represent a broad range of chemical reaction types, and ReactionMap correctly maps about 99% of the atoms and about 96% of the reactions, with a mean time per mapping of 2 s. Most correctly mapped reactions are mapped with high confidence. Mapping accuracy compares favorably with ChemAxon's AutoMapper, versions 5 and 6.1, and the DREAM Web tool. These approaches correctly map 60.7%, 86.5%, and 90.3% of the reactions, respectively, on the same data set. A ReactionMap server is available on the ChemDB Web portal at http://cdb.ics.uci.edu .

A review of accuracy assessment for object-based image analysis: From per-pixel to per-polygon approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Su; Pontius, Robert Gilmore; Rakshit, Rahul

2018-07-01

Object-based image analysis (OBIA) has gained widespread popularity for creating maps from remotely sensed data. Researchers routinely claim that OBIA procedures outperform pixel-based procedures; however, it is not immediately obvious how to evaluate the degree to which an OBIA map compares to reference information in a manner that accounts for the fact that the OBIA map consists of objects that vary in size and shape. Our study reviews 209 journal articles concerning OBIA published between 2003 and 2017. We focus on the three stages of accuracy assessment: (1) sampling design, (2) response design and (3) accuracy analysis. First, we report the literature's overall characteristics concerning OBIA accuracy assessment. Simple random sampling was the most used method among probability sampling strategies, slightly more than stratified sampling. Office interpreted remotely sensed data was the dominant reference source. The literature reported accuracies ranging from 42% to 96%, with an average of 85%. A third of the articles failed to give sufficient information concerning accuracy methodology such as sampling scheme and sample size. We found few studies that focused specifically on the accuracy of the segmentation. Second, we identify a recent increase of OBIA articles in using per-polygon approaches compared to per-pixel approaches for accuracy assessment. We clarify the impacts of the per-pixel versus the per-polygon approaches respectively on sampling, response design and accuracy analysis. Our review defines the technical and methodological needs in the current per-polygon approaches, such as polygon-based sampling, analysis of mixed polygons, matching of mapped with reference polygons and assessment of segmentation accuracy. Our review summarizes and discusses the current issues in object-based accuracy assessment to provide guidance for improved accuracy assessments for OBIA.

Explicit area-based accuracy assessment for mangrove tree crown delineation using Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamal, Muhammad; Johansen, Kasper

2017-10-01

Effective mangrove management requires spatially explicit information of mangrove tree crown map as a basis for ecosystem diversity study and health assessment. Accuracy assessment is an integral part of any mapping activities to measure the effectiveness of the classification approach. In geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) the assessment of the geometric accuracy (shape, symmetry and location) of the created image objects from image segmentation is required. In this study we used an explicit area-based accuracy assessment to measure the degree of similarity between the results of the classification and reference data from different aspects, including overall quality (OQ), user's accuracy (UA), producer's accuracy (PA) and overall accuracy (OA). We developed a rule set to delineate the mangrove tree crown using WorldView-2 pan-sharpened image. The reference map was obtained by visual delineation of the mangrove tree crowns boundaries form a very high-spatial resolution aerial photograph (7.5cm pixel size). Ten random points with a 10 m radius circular buffer were created to calculate the area-based accuracy assessment. The resulting circular polygons were used to clip both the classified image objects and reference map for area comparisons. In this case, the area-based accuracy assessment resulted 64% and 68% for the OQ and OA, respectively. The overall quality of the calculation results shows the class-related area accuracy; which is the area of correctly classified as tree crowns was 64% out of the total area of tree crowns. On the other hand, the overall accuracy of 68% was calculated as the percentage of all correctly classified classes (tree crowns and canopy gaps) in comparison to the total class area (an entire image). Overall, the area-based accuracy assessment was simple to implement and easy to interpret. It also shows explicitly the omission and commission error variations of object boundary delineation with colour coded polygons.

Optics to rectify CORONA panoramic photographs for map making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilbert, Robert S.

2006-08-01

In the 1960's, accurate maps of the United States were available to all, from the U.S. Government, but maps of the Soviet Union were not, and in fact were classified. Maps of the Soviet Union were needed by the U.S. Government, including for U.S. targeting of Soviet ICBM sites, and for negotiating the SALT ICBM disarmament treaty. Although mapping cameras were historically frame cameras with low distortion, the CORONA panoramic film coverage was used to identify any ICBM sites. If distortion-free photographs could be produced from this inherently distorted panoramic material, accurate maps could be produced that would be valuable. Use of the stereo photographs from CORONA, for developing accurate topographical maps, was the mission of Itek's Gamma Rectifier. Bob Shannon's department at Itek was responsible for designing the optics for the Gamma Rectifier. He assigned the design to the author. The optical requirements of this system are described along with the optical design solution, which allowed the inherent panoramic distortion of the original photographs to be "rectified" to a very high level of accuracy, in enlarged photographs. These rectifiers were used three shifts a day, for over a decade, and produced the most accurate maps of the earth's surface, that existed at that time. The results facilitated the success of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Treaty signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1972, which were verified by "national means of verification" (i.e. space reconnaissance).

Validation of New Wind Resource Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, D.; Schwartz, M.

2002-05-01

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently led a project to validate updated state wind resource maps for the northwestern United States produced by a private U.S. company, TrueWind Solutions (TWS). The independent validation project was a cooperative activity among NREL, TWS, and meteorological consultants. The independent validation concept originated at a May 2001 technical workshop held at NREL to discuss updating the Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States. Part of the workshop, which included more than 20 attendees from the wind resource mapping and consulting community, was dedicated to reviewing the latest techniques for wind resource assessment. It became clear that using a numerical modeling approach for wind resource mapping was rapidly gaining ground as a preferred technique and if the trend continues, it will soon become the most widely-used technique around the world. The numerical modeling approach is a relatively fast application compared to older mapping methods and, in theory, should be quite accurate because it directly estimates the magnitude of boundary-layer processes that affect the wind resource of a particular location. Numerical modeling output combined with high resolution terrain data can produce useful wind resource information at a resolution of 1 km or lower. However, because the use of the numerical modeling approach is new (last 35 years) and relatively unproven, meteorological consultants question the accuracy of the approach. It was clear that new state or regional wind maps produced by this method would have to undergo independent validation before the results would be accepted by the wind energy community and developers.

Symplectic Propagation of the Map, Tangent Map and Tangent Map Derivative through Quadrupole and Combined-Function Dipole Magnets without Truncation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruhwiler, D. L.; Cary, J. R.; Shasharina, S.

1998-04-01

The MAPA accelerator modeling code symplectically advances the full nonlinear map, tangent map and tangent map derivative through all accelerator elements. The tangent map and its derivative are nonlinear generalizations of Browns first- and second-order matrices(K. Brown, SLAC-75, Rev. 4 (1982), pp. 107-118.), and they are valid even near the edges of the dynamic aperture, which may be beyond the radius of convergence for a truncated Taylor series. In order to avoid truncation of the map and its derivatives, the Hamiltonian is split into pieces for which the map can be obtained analytically. Yoshidas method(H. Yoshida, Phys. Lett. A 150 (1990), pp. 262-268.) is then used to obtain a symplectic approximation to the map, while the tangent map and its derivative are appropriately composed at each step to obtain them with equal accuracy. We discuss our splitting of the quadrupole and combined-function dipole Hamiltonians and show that typically few steps are required for a high-energy accelerator.

Geomorphological mapping with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS): Feature detection and accuracy assessment of a photogrammetrically-derived digital terrain model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugenholtz, Chris H.; Whitehead, Ken; Brown, Owen W.; Barchyn, Thomas E.; Moorman, Brian J.; LeClair, Adam; Riddell, Kevin; Hamilton, Tayler

2013-07-01

Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are a relatively new type of aerial platform for acquiring high-resolution remote sensing measurements of Earth surface processes and landforms. However, despite growing application there has been little quantitative assessment of sUAS performance. Here we present results from a field experiment designed to evaluate the accuracy of a photogrammetrically-derived digital terrain model (DTM) developed from imagery acquired with a low-cost digital camera onboard an sUAS. We also show the utility of the high-resolution (0.1 m) sUAS imagery for resolving small-scale biogeomorphic features. The experiment was conducted in an area with active and stabilized aeolian landforms in the southern Canadian Prairies. Images were acquired with a Hawkeye RQ-84Z Areohawk fixed-wing sUAS. A total of 280 images were acquired along 14 flight lines, covering an area of 1.95 km2. The survey was completed in 4.5 h, including GPS surveying, sUAS setup and flight time. Standard image processing and photogrammetric techniques were used to produce a 1 m resolution DTM and a 0.1 m resolution orthorectified image mosaic. The latter revealed previously un-mapped bioturbation features. The vertical accuracy of the DTM was evaluated with 99 Real-Time Kinematic GPS points, while 20 of these points were used to quantify horizontal accuracy. The horizontal root mean squared error (RMSE) of the orthoimage was 0.18 m, while the vertical RMSE of the DTM was 0.29 m, which is equivalent to the RMSE of a bare earth LiDAR DTM for the same site. The combined error from both datasets was used to define a threshold of the minimum elevation difference that could be reliably attributed to erosion or deposition in the seven years separating the sUAS and LiDAR datasets. Overall, our results suggest that sUAS-acquired imagery may provide a low-cost, rapid, and flexible alternative to airborne LiDAR for geomorphological mapping.

USGS maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

Discover a small sample of the millions of maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in its mission to map the Nation and survey its resources. This booklet gives a brief overview of the types of maps sold and distributed by the USGS through its Earth Science Information Centers (ESIC) and also available from business partners located in most States. The USGS provides a wide variety of maps, from topographic maps showing the geographic relief and thematic maps displaying the geology and water resources of the United States, to special studies of the moon and planets.

Geodesy- and geology-based slip-rate models for the Western United States (excluding California) national seismic hazard maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, Mark D.; Zeng, Yuehua; Haller, Kathleen M.; McCaffrey, Robert; Hammond, William C.; Bird, Peter; Moschetti, Morgan; Shen, Zhengkang; Bormann, Jayne; Thatcher, Wayne

2014-01-01

The 2014 National Seismic Hazard Maps for the conterminous United States incorporate additional uncertainty in fault slip-rate parameter that controls the earthquake-activity rates than was applied in previous versions of the hazard maps. This additional uncertainty is accounted for by new geodesy- and geology-based slip-rate models for the Western United States. Models that were considered include an updated geologic model based on expert opinion and four combined inversion models informed by both geologic and geodetic input. The two block models considered indicate significantly higher slip rates than the expert opinion and the two fault-based combined inversion models. For the hazard maps, we apply 20 percent weight with equal weighting for the two fault-based models. Off-fault geodetic-based models were not considered in this version of the maps. Resulting changes to the hazard maps are generally less than 0.05 g (acceleration of gravity). Future research will improve the maps and interpret differences between the new models.

Construction of Ultradense Linkage Maps with Lep-MAP2: Stickleback F2 Recombinant Crosses as an Example

PubMed Central

Rastas, Pasi; Calboli, Federico C. F.; Guo, Baocheng; Shikano, Takahito; Merilä, Juha

2016-01-01

High-density linkage maps are important tools for genome biology and evolutionary genetics by quantifying the extent of recombination, linkage disequilibrium, and chromosomal rearrangements across chromosomes, sexes, and populations. They provide one of the best ways to validate and refine de novo genome assemblies, with the power to identify errors in assemblies increasing with marker density. However, assembly of high-density linkage maps is still challenging due to software limitations. We describe Lep-MAP2, a software for ultradense genome-wide linkage map construction. Lep-MAP2 can handle various family structures and can account for achiasmatic meiosis to gain linkage map accuracy. Simulations show that Lep-MAP2 outperforms other available mapping software both in computational efficiency and accuracy. When applied to two large F2-generation recombinant crosses between two nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) populations, it produced two high-density (∼6 markers/cM) linkage maps containing 18,691 and 20,054 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The two maps showed a high degree of synteny, but female maps were 1.5–2 times longer than male maps in all linkage groups, suggesting genome-wide recombination suppression in males. Comparison with the genome sequence of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) revealed a high degree of interspecific synteny with a low frequency (<5%) of interchromosomal rearrangements. However, a fairly large (ca. 10 Mb) translocation from autosome to sex chromosome was detected in both maps. These results illustrate the utility and novel features of Lep-MAP2 in assembling high-density linkage maps, and their usefulness in revealing evolutionarily interesting properties of genomes, such as strong genome-wide sex bias in recombination rates. PMID:26668116

Mapping process and age of Quaternary deposits on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, K. M.; Minor, S. A.; Bedford, D.

2016-12-01

Employing a geomorphic process-age classification scheme, we mapped the Quaternary surficial geology of Santa Rosa (SRI) within the Channel Islands National Park. This detailed (1:12,000 scale) map represents upland erosional transport processes and alluvial, fluvial, eolian, beach, marine terrace, mass wasting, and mixed depositional processes. Mapping was motivated through an agreement with the National Park Service and is intended to aid natural resource assessments, including post-grazing disturbance recovery and identification of mass wasting and tectonic hazards. We obtained numerous detailed geologic field observations, fossils for faunal identification as age control, and materials for numeric dating. This GPS-located field information provides ground truth for delineating map units and faults using GIS-based datasets- high-resolution (sub-meter) aerial imagery, LiDAR-based DEMs and derivative raster products. Mapped geologic units denote surface processes and Quaternary faults constrain deformation kinematics and rates, which inform models of landscape change. Significant findings include: 1) Flights of older Pleistocene (>120 ka) and possibly Pliocene marine terraces were identified beneath younger alluvial and eolian deposits at elevations as much as 275 m above modern sea level. Such elevated terraces suggest that SRI was a smaller, more submerged island in the late Neogene and (or) early Pleistocene prior to tectonic uplift. 2) Structural and geomorphic observations made along the potentially seismogenic SRI fault indicate a protracted slip history during the late Neogene and Quaternary involving early normal slip, later strike slip, and recent reverse slip. These changes in slip mode explain a marked contrast in island physiography across the fault. 3) Many of the steeper slopes are dramatically stripped of regolith, with exposed bedrock and deeply incised gullies, presumably due effects related to past grazing practices. 4) Surface water presence is

A program for the conversion of The National Map data from proprietary format to resource description framework (RDF)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bulen, Andrew; Carter, Jonathan J.; Varanka, Dalia E.

2011-01-01

To expand data functionality and capabilities for users of The National Map of the U.S. Geological Survey, data sets for six watersheds and three urban areas were converted from the Best Practices vector data model formats to Semantic Web data formats. This report describes and documents the conver-sion process. The report begins with an introduction to basic Semantic Web standards and the background of The National Map. Data were converted from a proprietary format to Geog-raphy Markup Language to capture the geometric footprint of topographic data features. Configuration files were designed to eliminate redundancy and make the conversion more efficient. A SPARQL endpoint was established for data validation and queries. The report concludes by describing the results of the conversion.

Positional Accuracy Assessment of Googleearth in Riyadh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farah, Ashraf; Algarni, Dafer

2014-06-01

Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that is controlled by Google corporation. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. With millions of users all around the globe, GoogleEarth® has become the ultimate source of spatial data and information for private and public decision-support systems besides many types and forms of social interactions. Many users mostly in developing countries are also using it for surveying applications, the matter that raises questions about the positional accuracy of the Google Earth program. This research presents a small-scale assessment study of the positional accuracy of GoogleEarth® Imagery in Riyadh; capital of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results show that the RMSE of the GoogleEarth imagery is 2.18 m and 1.51 m for the horizontal and height coordinates respectively.

High resolution regional soil carbon mapping in Madagascar : towards easy to update maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinand, Clovis; Dessay, Nadine; Razafimbelo, Tantely; Razakamanarivo, Herintsitoaina; Albrecht, Alain; Vaudry, Romuald; Tiberghien, Matthieu; Rasamoelina, Maminiaina; Bernoux, Martial

2013-04-01

The soil organic carbon plays an important role in climate change regulation through carbon emissions and sequestration due to land use changes, notably tropical deforestation. Monitoring soil carbon emissions from shifting-cultivation requires to evaluate the amount of carbon stored at plot scale with a sufficient level of accuracy to be able to detect changes. The objective of this work was to map soil carbon stocks (30 cm and 100 cm depths) for different land use at regional scale using high resolution satellite dataset. The Andohahela National Parc and its surroundings (South-Est Madagascar) - a region with the largest deforestation rate in the country - was selected as a pilot area for the development of the methodology. A three steps approach was set up: (i) carbon inventory using mid infra-red spectroscopy and stock calculation, (ii) spatial data processing and (iii) modeling and mapping. Soil spectroscopy was successfully used for measuring organic carbon in this region. The results show that Random Forest was the inference model that produced the best estimates on calibration and validation datasets. By using a simple and robust method, we estimated uncertainty levels of of 35% and 43% for 30-cm and 100-cm carbon maps respectively. The approach developed in this study was based on open data and open source software that can be easily replicated to other regions and for other time periods using updated satellite images.

Mapping the Global Distribution of Livestock

PubMed Central

Robinson, Timothy P.; Wint, G. R. William; Conchedda, Giulia; Van Boeckel, Thomas P.; Ercoli, Valentina; Palamara, Elisa; Cinardi, Giuseppina; D'Aietti, Laura; Hay, Simon I.; Gilbert, Marius

2014-01-01

Livestock contributes directly to the livelihoods and food security of almost a billion people and affects the diet and health of many more. With estimated standing populations of 1.43 billion cattle, 1.87 billion sheep and goats, 0.98 billion pigs, and 19.60 billion chickens, reliable and accessible information on the distribution and abundance of livestock is needed for a many reasons. These include analyses of the social and economic aspects of the livestock sector; the environmental impacts of livestock such as the production and management of waste, greenhouse gas emissions and livestock-related land-use change; and large-scale public health and epidemiological investigations. The Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW) database, produced in 2007, provided modelled livestock densities of the world, adjusted to match official (FAOSTAT) national estimates for the reference year 2005, at a spatial resolution of 3 minutes of arc (about 5×5 km at the equator). Recent methodological improvements have significantly enhanced these distributions: more up-to date and detailed sub-national livestock statistics have been collected; a new, higher resolution set of predictor variables is used; and the analytical procedure has been revised and extended to include a more systematic assessment of model accuracy and the representation of uncertainties associated with the predictions. This paper describes the current approach in detail and presents new global distribution maps at 1 km resolution for cattle, pigs and chickens, and a partial distribution map for ducks. These digital layers are made publically available via the Livestock Geo-Wiki (http://www.livestock.geo-wiki.org), as will be the maps of other livestock types as they are produced. PMID:24875496

Mapping the global distribution of livestock.

PubMed

Robinson, Timothy P; Wint, G R William; Conchedda, Giulia; Van Boeckel, Thomas P; Ercoli, Valentina; Palamara, Elisa; Cinardi, Giuseppina; D'Aietti, Laura; Hay, Simon I; Gilbert, Marius

2014-01-01

Livestock contributes directly to the livelihoods and food security of almost a billion people and affects the diet and health of many more. With estimated standing populations of 1.43 billion cattle, 1.87 billion sheep and goats, 0.98 billion pigs, and 19.60 billion chickens, reliable and accessible information on the distribution and abundance of livestock is needed for a many reasons. These include analyses of the social and economic aspects of the livestock sector; the environmental impacts of livestock such as the production and management of waste, greenhouse gas emissions and livestock-related land-use change; and large-scale public health and epidemiological investigations. The Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW) database, produced in 2007, provided modelled livestock densities of the world, adjusted to match official (FAOSTAT) national estimates for the reference year 2005, at a spatial resolution of 3 minutes of arc (about 5×5 km at the equator). Recent methodological improvements have significantly enhanced these distributions: more up-to date and detailed sub-national livestock statistics have been collected; a new, higher resolution set of predictor variables is used; and the analytical procedure has been revised and extended to include a more systematic assessment of model accuracy and the representation of uncertainties associated with the predictions. This paper describes the current approach in detail and presents new global distribution maps at 1 km resolution for cattle, pigs and chickens, and a partial distribution map for ducks. These digital layers are made publically available via the Livestock Geo-Wiki (http://www.livestock.geo-wiki.org), as will be the maps of other livestock types as they are produced.

Improving accuracy of simultaneously reconstructed activity and attenuation maps using deep learning.

PubMed

Hwang, Donghwi; Kim, Kyeong Yun; Kang, Seung Kwan; Seo, Seongho; Paeng, Jin Chul; Lee, Dong Soo; Lee, Jae Sung

2018-02-15

Simultaneous reconstruction of activity and attenuation using the maximum likelihood reconstruction of activity and attenuation (MLAA) augmented by time-of-flight (TOF) information is a promising method for positron emission tomography (PET) attenuation correction. However, it still suffers from several problems, including crosstalk artifacts, slow convergence speed, and noisy attenuation maps (μ-maps). In this work, we developed deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to overcome these MLAA limitations, and we verified their feasibility using a clinical brain PET data set. Methods: We applied the proposed method to one of the most challenging PET cases for simultaneous image reconstruction ( 18 F-FP-CIT PET scans with highly specific binding to striatum of the brain). Three different CNN architectures (convolutional autoencoder (CAE), U-net, hybrid of CAE and U-net) were designed and trained to learn x-ray computed tomography (CT) derived μ-map (μ-CT) from the MLAA-generated activity distribution and μ-map (μ-MLAA). PET/CT data of 40 patients with suspected Parkinson's disease were employed for five-fold cross-validation. For the training of CNNs, 800,000 transverse PET slices and CTs augmented from 32 patient data sets were used. The similarity to μ-CT of the CNN-generated μ-maps (μ-CAE, μ-Unet, and μ-Hybrid) and μ-MLAA was compared using Dice similarity coefficients. In addition, we compared the activity concentration of specific (striatum) and non-specific binding regions (cerebellum and occipital cortex) and the binding ratios in the striatum in the PET activity images reconstructed using those μ-maps. Results: The CNNs generated less noisy and more uniform μ-maps than original μ-MLAA. Moreover, the air cavities and bones were better resolved in the proposed CNN outputs. In addition, the proposed deep learning approach was useful for mitigating the crosstalk problem in the MLAA reconstruction. The hybrid network of CAE and U-net yielded the

Physiographic map of the Sicilian region (1:250,000 scale)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priori, Simone; Fantappiè, Maria; Costantini, Edoardo A. C.

2015-04-01

Physiographic maps summarize and group the landforms of a territory into homogeneous areas in terms of kind and intensity of main geomorphological process. Most of the physiographic maps have large scale, which is national or continental scale. Other maps have been produced at the semi-detailed scales, while examples at the regional scale are much less common. However, being the Region the main administrative level in Europe, they can be very useful for land planning in many fields, such as ecological studies, risk maps, and soil mapping. This work presents a methodological example of regional physiographic map, compiled at 1:250,000 scale, representing the whole Sicilian region, the largest and most characteristic of Mediterranean island. The physiographic units were classed matching thematich layers (NDVI, geology, DEM, land cover) with the main geomorphological processes that were identified by stereo-interpretation of aerial photographs (1:70,000 scale). In addition, information from other published maps, representing geomorphological forms, aeolian deposits, anthropic terraced slopes, and landslide were used to improve the accuracy and reliability of the map. The classification of the physiographic units, and then the map legend, was built up on the basis of literature and taking into account Italian geomorphological legend. The legend proposed in this map, which can be applied also in other Mediterranean countries, is suitable for different scales. The landform units were grouped on the base of a geomorphological classification of the forms into: anthropogenic, eolian, coastal, valley floor, intermountain fluvial, slope erosional, structural, karstic, and volcanic.

Simulation of seagrass bed mapping by satellite images based on the radiative transfer model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagawa, Tatsuyuki; Komatsu, Teruhisa

2015-06-01

Seagrass and seaweed beds play important roles in coastal marine ecosystems. They are food sources and habitats for many marine organisms, and influence the physical, chemical, and biological environment. They are sensitive to human impacts such as reclamation and pollution. Therefore, their management and preservation are necessary for a healthy coastal environment. Satellite remote sensing is a useful tool for mapping and monitoring seagrass beds. The efficiency of seagrass mapping, seagrass bed classification in particular, has been evaluated by mapping accuracy using an error matrix. However, mapping accuracies are influenced by coastal environments such as seawater transparency, bathymetry, and substrate type. Coastal management requires sufficient accuracy and an understanding of mapping limitations for monitoring coastal habitats including seagrass beds. Previous studies are mainly based on case studies in specific regions and seasons. Extensive data are required to generalise assessments of classification accuracy from case studies, which has proven difficult. This study aims to build a simulator based on a radiative transfer model to produce modelled satellite images and assess the visual detectability of seagrass beds under different transparencies and seagrass coverages, as well as to examine mapping limitations and classification accuracy. Our simulations led to the development of a model of water transparency and the mapping of depth limits and indicated the possibility for seagrass density mapping under certain ideal conditions. The results show that modelling satellite images is useful in evaluating the accuracy of classification and that establishing seagrass bed monitoring by remote sensing is a reliable tool.

Accuracy of three-dimensional multislice view Doppler in diagnosis of morbid adherent placenta

PubMed Central

Abdel Moniem, Alaa M.; Ibrahim, Ahmed; Akl, Sherif A.; Aboul-Enen, Loay; Abdelazim, Ibrahim A.

2015-01-01

Objective To detect the accuracy of the three-dimensional multislice view (3D MSV) Doppler in the diagnosis of morbid adherent placenta (MAP). Material and Methods Fifty pregnant women at ≥28 weeks gestation with suspected MAP were included in this prospective study. Two dimensional (2D) trans-abdominal gray-scale ultrasound scan was performed for the subjects to confirm the gestational age, placental location, and findings suggestive of MAP, followed by the 3D power Doppler and then the 3D MSV Doppler to confirm the diagnosis of MAP. Intraoperative findings and histopathology results of removed uteri in cases managed by emergency hysterectomy were compared with preoperative sonographic findings to detect the accuracy of the 3D MSV Doppler in the diagnosis of MAP. Results The 3D MSV Doppler increased the accuracy and predictive values of the diagnostic criteria of MAP compared with the 3D power Doppler. The sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) (79.6% and 82.2%, respectively) of crowded vessels over the peripheral sub-placental zone to detect difficult placental separation and considerable intraoperative blood loss in cases of MAP using the 3D power Doppler was increased to 82.6% and 84%, respectively, using the 3D MSV Doppler. In addition, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) (90.9%, 68.8%, and 47%, respectively) of the disruption of the uterine serosa-bladder interface for the detection of emergency hysterectomy in cases of MAP using the 3D power Doppler was increased to 100%, 71.8%, and 50%, respectively, using the 3D MSV Doppler. Conclusion The 3D MSV Doppler is a useful adjunctive tool to the 3D power Doppler or color Doppler to refine the diagnosis of MAP. PMID:26401104

Geologic map of Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madole, Richard F.; VanSistine, D. Paco; Romig, Joseph H.

2016-10-20

Geologic mapping was begun after a range fire swept the area of what is now the Great Sand Dunes National Park in April 2000. The park spans an area of 437 square kilometers (or about 169 square miles), of which 98 percent is blanketed by sediment of Quaternary age, the Holocene and Pleistocene Epochs; hence, this geologic map of the Great Sand Dunes National Park is essentially a surficial geologic map. These surficial deposits are diverse and include sediment of eolian (windblown), alluvial (stream and sheetwash), palustrine (wetlands and marshes), lacustrine (lake), and mass-wasting (landslides) origin. Sediment of middle and late Holocene age, from about 8,000 years ago to the present, covers about 80 percent of the park.Fluctuations in groundwater level during Holocene time caused wetlands on the nearby lowland that bounds the park on the west to alternately expand and contract. These fluctuations controlled the stability or instability of eolian sand deposits on the downwind (eastern) side of the lowland. When groundwater level rose, playas became lakes, and wet or marshy areas formed in many places. When the water table rose, spring-fed streams filled their channels and valley floors with sediment. Conversely, when groundwater level fell, spring-fed streams incised their valley floors, and lakes, ponds, and marshes dried up and became sources of windblown sand.Discharge in streams draining the west flank of the Sangre de Cristo Range is controlled primarily by snowmelt and flow is perennial until it reaches the mountain front, beyond which streams begin losing water at a high rate as the water soaks into the creek beds. Even streams originating in the larger drainage basins, such as Sand and Medano Creeks, generally do not extend much more than 4 km (about 2.5 miles) beyond where they exit the mountains.The Great Sand Dunes contain the tallest dunes (maximum height about 750 feet, or 230 m) in North America. These dunes cover an area of 72 square kilometers

New maps, new information: Coral reefs of the Florida keys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lidz, B.H.; Reich, C.D.; Peterson, R.L.; Shinn, E.A.

2006-01-01

A highly detailed digitized map depicts 22 benthic habitats in 3140.5 km2 of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Dominant are a seagrass/lime-mud zone (map area 27.5%) throughout Hawk Channel and seagrass/carbonate-sand (18.7%) and bare carbonate-sand (17.3%) zones on the outer shelf and in The Quicksands. A lime-mud/seagrass-covered muddy carbonate-sand zone (9.6%) abuts the keys. Hardbottom communities (13.2%) consist of bare Pleistocene coralline and oolitic limestone, coral rubble, and senile coral reefs. Smaller terrestrial (4.0%) and marine habitats, including those of live coral (patch reefs, 0.7%), account for the rest (13.7%) of the area. Derived from aerial photomosaics, the seabed dataset fits precisely when transposed onto a newly developed National Geophysical Data Center hydrographic-bathymetry map. Combined, the maps point to new information on unstudied seabed morphologies, among them an erosional nearshore rock ledge bordering the seaward side of the Florida Keys and thousands of patch-reef clusters aligned in mid-Hawk Channel. Preliminary indications are that the ledge may represent the seaward extent of the 125-ka Key Largo and Miami Limestone that form the keys, and the patch reefs colonized landward edges of two noncoralline, non-dune-ridge topographic troughs. The troughs, their substrate, and inner-shelf location along the seaward side of the Hawk Channel bedrock depression are the first of that type of nuclei to be recognized in the Florida reef record. Together, the map datasets establish the efficacy and accuracy of using aerial photographs to define in extraordinary detail the seabed features and habitats in a shallow-reef setting.

Channel mapping river miles 29–62 of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, May 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaplinski, Matt; Hazel, Joseph E.; Grams, Paul E.; Kohl, Keith; Buscombe, Daniel D.; Tusso, Robert B.

2017-03-23

Bathymetric, topographic, and grain-size data were collected in May 2009 along a 33-mi reach of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The study reach is located from river miles 29 to 62 at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers. Channel bathymetry was mapped using multibeam and singlebeam echosounders, subaerial topography was mapped using ground-based total-stations, and bed-sediment grain-size data were collected using an underwater digital microscope system. These data were combined to produce digital elevation models, spatially variable estimates of digital elevation model uncertainty, georeferenced grain-size data, and bed-sediment distribution maps. This project is a component of a larger effort to monitor the status and trends of sand storage along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. This report documents the survey methods and post-processing procedures, digital elevation model production and uncertainty assessment, and procedures for bed-sediment classification, and presents the datasets resulting from this study.

Tissue Probability Map Constrained 4-D Clustering Algorithm for Increased Accuracy and Robustness in Serial MR Brain Image Segmentation

PubMed Central

Xue, Zhong; Shen, Dinggang; Li, Hai; Wong, Stephen

2010-01-01

The traditional fuzzy clustering algorithm and its extensions have been successfully applied in medical image segmentation. However, because of the variability of tissues and anatomical structures, the clustering results might be biased by the tissue population and intensity differences. For example, clustering-based algorithms tend to over-segment white matter tissues of MR brain images. To solve this problem, we introduce a tissue probability map constrained clustering algorithm and apply it to serial MR brain image segmentation, i.e., a series of 3-D MR brain images of the same subject at different time points. Using the new serial image segmentation algorithm in the framework of the CLASSIC framework, which iteratively segments the images and estimates the longitudinal deformations, we improved both accuracy and robustness for serial image computing, and at the mean time produced longitudinally consistent segmentation and stable measures. In the algorithm, the tissue probability maps consist of both the population-based and subject-specific segmentation priors. Experimental study using both simulated longitudinal MR brain data and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data confirmed that using both priors more accurate and robust segmentation results can be obtained. The proposed algorithm can be applied in longitudinal follow up studies of MR brain imaging with subtle morphological changes for neurological disorders. PMID:26566399

Mapping irrigated lands at 250-m scale by merging MODIS data and National Agricultural Statistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pervez, Md Shahriar; Brown, Jesslyn F.

2010-01-01

Accurate geospatial information on the extent of irrigated land improves our understanding of agricultural water use, local land surface processes, conservation or depletion of water resources, and components of the hydrologic budget. We have developed a method in a geospatial modeling framework that assimilates irrigation statistics with remotely sensed parameters describing vegetation growth conditions in areas with agricultural land cover to spatially identify irrigated lands at 250-m cell size across the conterminous United States for 2002. The geospatial model result, known as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Irrigated Agriculture Dataset (MIrAD-US), identified irrigated lands with reasonable accuracy in California and semiarid Great Plains states with overall accuracies of 92% and 75% and kappa statistics of 0.75 and 0.51, respectively. A quantitative accuracy assessment of MIrAD-US for the eastern region has not yet been conducted, and qualitative assessment shows that model improvements are needed for the humid eastern regions where the distinction in annual peak NDVI between irrigated and non-irrigated crops is minimal and county sizes are relatively small. This modeling approach enables consistent mapping of irrigated lands based upon USDA irrigation statistics and should lead to better understanding of spatial trends in irrigated lands across the conterminous United States. An improved version of the model with revised datasets is planned and will employ 2007 USDA irrigation statistics.

Turkers in Africa: A Crowdsourcing Approach to Improving Agricultural Landcover Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estes, L. D.; Caylor, K. K.; Choi, J.

2012-12-01

In the coming decades a substantial portion of Africa is expected to be transformed to agriculture. The scale of this conversion may match or exceed that which occurred in the Brazilian Cerrado and Argentinian Pampa in recent years. Tracking the rate and extent of this conversion will depend on having an accurate baseline of the current extent of croplands. Continent-wide baseline data do exist, but the accuracy of these relatively coarse resolution, remotely sensed assessments is suspect in many regions. To develop more accurate maps of the distribution and nature of African croplands, we develop a distributed "crowdsourcing" approach that harnesses human eyeballs and image interpretation capabilities. Our initial goal is to assess the accuracy of existing agricultural land cover maps, but ultimately we aim to generate "wall-to-wall" cropland maps that can be revisited and updated to track agricultural transformation. Our approach utilizes the freely avail- able, high-resolution satellite imagery provided by Google Earth, combined with Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk platform, an online service that provides a large, global pool of workers (known as "Turkers") who perform "Human Intelligence Tasks" (HITs) for a fee. Using open-source R and python software, we select a random sample of 1 km2 cells from a grid placed over our study area, stratified by field density classes drawn from one of the coarse-scale land cover maps, and send these in batches to Mechanical Turk for processing. Each Turker is required to conduct an initial training session, on the basis of which they are assigned an accuracy score that determines whether the Turker is allowed to proceed with mapping tasks. Completed mapping tasks are automatically retrieved and processed on our server, and subject to two further quality control measures. The first of these is a measure of the spatial accuracy of Turker mapped areas compared to a "gold standard" maps from selected locations that are randomly

Photogrammetric Accuracy and Modeling of Rolling Shutter Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vautherin, Jonas; Rutishauser, Simon; Schneider-Zapp, Klaus; Choi, Hon Fai; Chovancova, Venera; Glass, Alexis; Strecha, Christoph

2016-06-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming increasingly popular in professional mapping for stockpile analysis, construction site monitoring, and many other applications. Due to their robustness and competitive pricing, consumer UAVs are used more and more for these applications, but they are usually equipped with rolling shutter cameras. This is a significant obstacle when it comes to extracting high accuracy measurements using available photogrammetry software packages. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the rolling shutter cameras of typical consumer UAVs on the accuracy of a 3D reconstruction. Hereto, we use a beta-version of the Pix4Dmapper 2.1 software to compare traditional (non rolling shutter) camera models against a newly implemented rolling shutter model with respect to both the accuracy of geo-referenced validation points and to the quality of the motion estimation. Multiple datasets have been acquired using popular quadrocopters (DJI Phantom 2 Vision+, DJI Inspire 1 and 3DR Solo) following a grid flight plan. For comparison, we acquired a dataset using a professional mapping drone (senseFly eBee) equipped with a global shutter camera. The bundle block adjustment of each dataset shows a significant accuracy improvement on validation ground control points when applying the new rolling shutter camera model for flights at higher speed (8m=s). Competitive accuracies can be obtained by using the rolling shutter model, although global shutter cameras are still superior. Furthermore, we are able to show that the speed of the drone (and its direction) can be solely estimated from the rolling shutter effect of the camera.

Mapping and evaluation of snow avalanche risk using GIS technique in Rodnei National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covǎsnianu, Adrian; Grigoraş, Ioan-Rǎducu; Covǎsnianu, Liliana-Elena; Iordache, Iulian; Balin, Daniela

2010-05-01

The study consisted in a precise mapping project (GPS field campaign, on-screen digitization of the topographic maps at 1:25.000 scale and updated with ASTER mission) of the Rodnei National Park area (Romanian Carpathians) with a focus on snow avalanche risk survey. Parameters taken into account were slope, aspect, altitude, landforms and roughness resulted from a high resolute numerical terrain model obtained by ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) mission. The resulted digital surface model with a spatial resolution of 10 m covered a total area of 187 square kilometers and was improved by the help of Topo to Raster tool. All these parameters were calibrated after a model applied onto Tatra Massive and also Ceahlău Mountain. The results were adapted and interpreted in accordance with European avalanche hazard scale. This work was made in the context of the elaboration of Risk Map and is directly concerning both the security of tourism activities but also the management of the Rodnei Natural Park. The extension of this method to similar mountain areas is ongoing.