Mapping of unknown industrial plant using ROS-based navigation mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priyandoko, G.; Ming, T. Y.; Achmad, M. S. H.

2017-10-01

This research examines how humans work with teleoperated unmanned mobile robot inspection in industrial plant area resulting 2D/3D map for further critical evaluation. This experiment focuses on two parts, the way human-robot doing remote interactions using robust method and the way robot perceives the environment surround as a 2D/3D perspective map. ROS (robot operating system) as a tool was utilized in the development and implementation during the research which comes up with robust data communication method in the form of messages and topics. RGBD SLAM performs the visual mapping function to construct 2D/3D map using Kinect sensor. The results showed that the mobile robot-based teleoperated system are successful to extend human perspective in term of remote surveillance in large area of industrial plant. It was concluded that the proposed work is robust solution for large mapping within an unknown construction building.

Accuracy of vertical radial plume mapping technique in measuring lagoon gas emission

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) posted a ground-based optical remote sensing method on its website called 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 c...

a Framework for Capacity Building in Mapping Coastal Resources Using Remote Sensing in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamondong, A.; Cruz, C.; Ticman, T.; Peralta, R.; Go, G. A.; Vergara, M.; Estabillo, M. S.; Cadalzo, I. E.; Jalbuena, R.; Blanco, A.

2016-06-01

Remote sensing has been an effective technology in mapping natural resources by reducing the costs and field data gathering time and bringing in timely information. With the launch of several earth observation satellites, an increase in the availability of satellite imageries provides an immense selection of data for the users. The Philippines has recently embarked in a program which will enable the gathering of LiDAR data in the whole country. The capacity of the Philippines to take advantage of these advancements and opportunities is lacking. There is a need to transfer the knowledge of remote sensing technology to other institutions to better utilize the available data. Being an archipelagic country with approximately 36,000 kilometers of coastline, and most of its people depending on its coastal resources, remote sensing is an optimal choice in mapping such resources. A project involving fifteen (15) state universities and colleges and higher education institutions all over the country headed by the University of the Philippines Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry and funded by the Department of Science and Technology was formed to carry out the task of capacity building in mapping the country's coastal resources using LiDAR and other remotely sensed datasets. This paper discusses the accomplishments and the future activities of the project.

The practical utility of hyperspectral remote sensing for early detection of emerald ash borer

Treesearch

Richard Hallett; Jennifer Pontius; Mary Martin; Lucie Plourde

2008-01-01

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology has been used in forest ecology research for the last decade to examine landscape scale patterns of foliar chemistry (nitrogen, cellulose, and lignin) (Martin and Aber 1997), stand productivity (Smith et al. 2002), and soil nitrogen dynamics (Ollinger et al. 2002). More recently, techniques have been developed to map the location...

Utility of remotely sensed imagery for assessing the impact of salvage logging after forest fires

Treesearch

Sarah A. Lewis; Peter R. Robichaud; Andrew T. Hudak; Brian Austin; Robert J. Liebermann

2012-01-01

Remotely sensed imagery provides a useful tool for land managers to assess the extent and severity of post-wildfire salvage logging disturbance. This investigation uses high resolution QuickBird and National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery to map soil exposure after ground-based salvage operations. Three wildfires with varying post-fire salvage activities...

Application of remote sensor data to geologic analysis of the Bonanza test site, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The Hayden Pass (Orient mine area) includes 60 sq miles of the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains and San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado. Based on interpretation of the remote sensor data, a geologic map was prepared and compared with a second geologic map, prepared from interpretation of both remote sensor data and field data. Comparison of the two maps gives an indication of the usefulness and reliability of the remote sensor data. The relative utility of color and color infrared photography was tested. The photography was used successfully to locate 75% of all faults in a portion of the geologically complex Bonanza volcanic center and to map and correctly identify 93% of all quaternary deposits and 62% of all areas of tertiary volcanic outcrop. Using a filter wheel photometer, more than 8,600 measurements of band reflectance of several sedimentary rocks were performed. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the typical spectral reflectance curve shows a gradual increase with increasing wavelength; (2) the average band reflectance is about 0.20; and (3) within a formation, the minimum natural variation is about 0.04, or about 20% of the mean band reflectance.

An empirical study on the utility of BRDF model parameters and topographic parameters for mapping vegetation in a semi-arid region with MISR imagery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Multi-angle remote sensing has been proved useful for mapping vegetation community types in desert regions. Based on Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) multi-angular images, this study compares roles played by Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) model parameters with th...

Mapping and monitoring carbon stocks with satellite observations: a comparison of methods.

PubMed

Goetz, Scott J; Baccini, Alessandro; Laporte, Nadine T; Johns, Tracy; Walker, Wayne; Kellndorfer, Josef; Houghton, Richard A; Sun, Mindy

2009-03-25

Mapping and monitoring carbon stocks in forested regions of the world, particularly the tropics, has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years as deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 30% of anthropogenic carbon emissions, and are now included in climate change negotiations. We review the potential for satellites to measure carbon stocks, specifically aboveground biomass (AGB), and provide an overview of a range of approaches that have been developed and used to map AGB across a diverse set of conditions and geographic areas. We provide a summary of types of remote sensing measurements relevant to mapping AGB, and assess the relative merits and limitations of each. We then provide an overview of traditional techniques of mapping AGB based on ascribing field measurements to vegetation or land cover type classes, and describe the merits and limitations of those relative to recent data mining algorithms used in the context of an approach based on direct utilization of remote sensing measurements, whether optical or lidar reflectance, or radar backscatter. We conclude that while satellite remote sensing has often been discounted as inadequate for the task, attempts to map AGB without satellite imagery are insufficient. Moreover, the direct remote sensing approach provided more coherent maps of AGB relative to traditional approaches. We demonstrate this with a case study focused on continental Africa and discuss the work in the context of reducing uncertainty for carbon monitoring and markets.

Viking Lander Atlas of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebes, S., Jr.

1982-01-01

Half size reproductions are presented of the extensive set of systematic map products generated for the two Mars Viking landing sites from stereo pairs of images radioed back to Earth. The maps span from the immediate foreground to the remote limits of ranging capability, several hundred meters from the spacecraft. The maps are of two kinds - elevation contour and vertical profile. Background and explanatory material important for understanding and utilizing the map collection included covers the Viking Mission, lander locations, lander cameras, the stereo mapping system and input images to this system.

Remote Sensing of Vegetation Species Diversity: The Utility of Integrated Airborne Hyperspectral and Lidar Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Keith Stuart

The change, reduction, or extinction of species is a major issue currently facing the Earth. Efforts are underway to measure, monitor, and protect habitats that contain high species diversity. Remote sensing technology shows extreme value for monitoring species diversity by mapping ecosystems and using those land cover maps or other derived data as proxies to species number and distribution. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) consists of remote sensing instruments such as an imaging spectrometer, a full-waveform lidar, and a high-resolution color camera. AOP collected data over the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS) in May 2014. A majority of the OSBS site is covered by the Sandhill ecosystem, which contains a very high diversity of vegetation species and is a native habitat for several threatened fauna species. The research presented here investigates ways to analyze the AOP data to map ecosystems at the OSBS site. The research attempts to leverage the high spatial resolution data and study the variability of the data within a ground plot scale along with integrating data from the different sensors. Mathematical features are derived from the data and brought into a decision tree classification algorithm (rpart), in order to create an ecosystem map for the site. The hyperspectral and lidar features serve as proxies for chemical, functional, and structural differences in the vegetation types for each of the ecosystems. K-folds cross validation shows a training accuracy of 91%, a validation accuracy of 78%, and a 66% accuracy using independent ground validation. The results presented here represent an important contribution to utilizing integrated hyperspectral and lidar remote sensing data for ecosystem mapping, by relating the spatial variability of the data within a ground plot scale to a collection of vegetation types that make up a given ecosystem.

Respirable particulate monitoring with remote sensors. (Public health ecology: Air pollution)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Severs, R. K.

1974-01-01

The feasibility of monitoring atmospheric aerosols in the respirable range from air or space platforms was studied. Secondary reflectance targets were located in the industrial area and near Galveston Bay. Multichannel remote sensor data were utilized to calculate the aerosol extinction coefficient and thus determine the aerosol size distribution. Houston Texas air sampling network high volume data were utilized to generate computer isopleth maps of suspended particulates and to establish the mass loading of the atmosphere. In addition, a five channel nephelometer and a multistage particulate air sampler were used to collect data. The extinction coefficient determined from remote sensor data proved more representative of wide areal phenomena than that calculated from on site measurements. It was also demonstrated that a significant reduction in the standard deviation of the extinction coefficient could be achieved by reducing the bandwidths used in remote sensor.

Problems of urban development and growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerlach, A. C.; Wray, J. R.

1972-01-01

The increase in the density of human population in urban areas and the effects on various aspects of the environment are discussed. The application of remote sensors to measure, analyze, and predict urban changes and their environmental impact is described. Examples of urban area mapping by aerial photography are included. The methods which have been developed to acquire, analyze, utilize, and preserve remotely sensed data on urban development are presented.

Performing and updating an inventory of Oregon's expanding irrigated agricultural lands utilizing remote sensing technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, M. J.

1981-01-01

An inventory technique based upon using remote sensing technology, interpreting both high altitude aerial photography and LANDSAT multispectral scanner imagery, is discussed. It is noted that once the final land use inventory maps of irrigated agricultural lands are available and approximately scaled they may be overlaid directly onto either multispectral scanner or return beam vidicon prints, thereby providing an inexpensive updating procedure.

Remote sensing of Qatar nearshore habitats with perspectives for coastal management.

PubMed

Warren, Christopher; Dupont, Jennifer; Abdel-Moati, Mohamed; Hobeichi, Sanaa; Palandro, David; Purkis, Sam

2016-04-30

A framework is proposed for utilizing remote sensing and ground-truthing field data to map benthic habitats in the State of Qatar, with potential application across the Arabian Gulf. Ideally the methodology can be applied to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of mapping the nearshore environment to identify sensitive habitats, monitor for change, and assist in management decisions. The framework is applied to a case study for northeastern Qatar with a key focus on identifying high sensitivity coral habitat. The study helps confirm the presence of known coral and provides detail on a region in the area of interest where corals have not been previously mapped. Challenges for the remote sensing methodology associated with natural heterogeneity of the physical and biological environment are addressed. Recommendations on the application of this approach to coastal environmental risk assessment and management planning are discussed as well as future opportunities for improvement of the framework. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave remote sensing from space for earth resource surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The concepts of radar remote sensing and microwave radiometry are discussed and their utility in earth resource sensing is examined. The direct relationship between the character of the remotely sensed data and the level of decision making for which the data are appropriate is considered. Applications of active and a passive microwave sensing covered include hydrology, land use, mapping, vegetation classification, environmental monitoring, coastal features and processes, geology, and ice and snow. Approved and proposed microwave sensors are described and the use of space shuttle as a development platform is evaluated.

Optical and Physical Methods for Mapping Flooding with Satellite Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fayne, Jessica Fayne; Bolten, John; Lakshmi, Venkat; Ahamed, Aakash

2016-01-01

Flood and surface water mapping is becoming increasingly necessary, as extreme flooding events worldwide can damage crop yields and contribute to billions of dollars economic damages as well as social effects including fatalities and destroyed communities (Xaio et al. 2004; Kwak et al. 2015; Mueller et al. 2016).Utilizing earth observing satellite data to map standing water from space is indispensable to flood mapping for disaster response, mitigation, prevention, and warning (McFeeters 1996; Brakenridge and Anderson 2006). Since the early 1970s(Landsat, USGS 2013), researchers have been able to remotely sense surface processes such as extreme flood events to help offset some of these problems. Researchers have demonstrated countless methods and modifications of those methods to help increase knowledge of areas at risk and areas that are flooded using remote sensing data from optical and radar systems, as well as free publically available and costly commercial datasets.

Remote mineral mapping using AVIRIS data at Summitville, Colorado and the adjacent San Juan Mountains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, Trude V. V.; Clark, Roger N.; Ager, Cathy; Swayze, Gregg A.

1995-01-01

We have demonstrated the unique utility of imaging spectroscopy in mapping mineral distribution. In the Summitville mining region we have shown that the mine site does not contribute clay minerals to the Alamosa River, but does contribute Fe-bearing minerals. Such minerals have the potential to carry heavy metals. This application illustrates only one specific environmental application of imaging spectroscopy data. For instance, the types of minerals we can map with confidence are those frequently associated with environmental problems related to active and abandoned mine lands. Thus, the potential utility of this technology to the field of environmental science has yet to be fully explored.

Extracting Forest Canopy Characteristics from Remote Sensing Imagery: Implications for Sentinel-2 Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholizadeh, Asa; Kopaekova, Veronika; Rogass, Christian; Mielke, Christian; Misurec, Jan

2016-08-01

Systematic quantification and monitoring of forest biophysical and biochemical variables is required to assess the response of ecosystems to climate change. Remote sensing has been introduced as a time and cost- efficient way to carry out large scale monitoring of vegetation parameters. Red-Edge Position (REP) is a hyperspectrally detectable parameter which is sensitive to vegetation Chl. In the current study, REP was modelled for the Norway spruce forest canopy resampled to HyMap and Sentinel-2 spectral resolution as well as calculated from the real HyMap and Sentinel-2 simulated data. Different REP extraction methods (4PLI, PF, LE, 4PLIH and 4PLIS) were assessed. The study showed the way for effective utilization of the forthcoming hyper and superspectral remote sensing sensors from orbit to monitor vegetation attributes.

Techniques, problems and uses of mega-geomorphological mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Embleton, C.

1985-01-01

A plea for a program of global geomorphological mapping based on remote sensing data is presented. It is argued that the program is a necessary step in bringing together the rapidly evolving concepts of plate tectonics with the science of geomorphology. Geomorphologists are urged to bring temporal scales into their subject and to abandon their recent isolation from tectonics and geological history. It is suggested that a start be made with a new geomorphological map of Europe, utilizing the latest space technology.

ASTER VNIR 15 years growth to the standard imaging radiometer in remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiramatsu, Masaru; Inada, Hitomi; Kikuchi, Masakuni; Sakuma, Fumihiro

2015-10-01

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer (VNIR) is the remote sensing equipment which has 3 spectral bands and one along-track stereoscopic band radiometer. ASTER VNIR's planned long life design (more than 5 years) is successfully achieved. ASTER VNIR has been imaging the World-wide Earth surface multiband images and the Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM). VNIR data create detailed world-wide maps and change-detection of the earth surface as utilization transitions and topographical changes. ASTER VNIR's geometric resolution is 15 meters; it is the highest spatial resolution instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft. Then, ASTER VNIR was planned for the geometrical basis map makers in Terra instruments. After 15-years VNIR growth to the standard map-maker for space remote-sensing. This paper presents VNIR's feature items during 15-year operation as change-detection images , DEM and calibration result. VNIR observed the World-wide Earth images for biological, climatological, geological, and hydrological study, those successful work shows a way on space remote sensing instruments. Still more, VNIR 15 years observation data trend and onboard calibration trend data show several guide or support to follow-on instruments.

Remote sensing in Arizona. [for land use and urban development planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winikka, C. C.; Adams, R. E.

1975-01-01

Orthophotoquads prepared from high altitude photography and LANDSAT imagery were utilized for land use mapping and urban development planning. LANDSAT imagery of rough terrains were evaluated by photographic projection on a viewer screen for enlargement of details.

Application of remote sensing technology to land evaluation, planning utilization of land resources, and assessment of westland habitat in eastern South Dakota, parts 1 and 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, V. I. (Principal Investigator); Cox, T. L.; Best, R. G.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. LANDSAT fulfilled the requirements for general soils and land use information. RB-57 imagery was required to provide the information and detail needed for mapping soils for land evaluation. Soils maps for land evaluation were provided on clear mylar at the scale of the county highway map to aid users in locating mapping units. Resulting mapped data were computer processed to provided a series of interpretive maps (land value, limitations to development, etc.) and area summaries for the users.

Earth Observation Services (Oil Spill Mapping)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

An EOCAP project led Research Planning, Inc. to the development of advanced techniques for "environmental sensitivity" oil spill mapping. The new method incorporates satellite remote sensing and GIS technologies and was utilized to assess the damage potential of the Gulf war oil spill. EOCAP provides government co-funding to encourage private investment in, and to broaden the, use of, NASA-developed technology for analyzing information about Earth and ocean resources.

Remote sensing of vegetation pattern and condition to monitor changes in Everglades biogeochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, John W.

2011-01-01

Ground-based studies of biogeochemistry and vegetation patterning yield process understanding, but the amount of information gained by ground-based studies can be greatly enhanced by efficient, synoptic, and temporally resolute monitoring afforded by remote sensing. The variety of presently available Everglades vegetation maps reflects both the wide range of application requirements and the need to balance cost and capability. More effort needs to be applied to documenting and understanding vegetation distribution and condition as indicators of biogeochemistry and contamination. Ground-based and remote sensing studies should be modified to maximize their synergy and utility for adaptive management.

Remote sensing strategies for global resource exploration and environmental management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, Frederick B.

Since 1972, satellite remote sensing, when integrated with other exploration techniques, has demonstrated operational exploration and engineering cost savings and reduced exploration risks through improved geological mapping. Land and ocean remote sensing satellite systems under development for the 1990's by the United States, France, Japan, Canada, ESA, Russia, China, and others, will significantly increase our ability to explore for, develop, and manage energy and mineral resources worldwide. A major difference between these systems is the "Open Skies" and "Non-Discriminatory Access to Data" policies as have been practiced by the U.S. and France and the restrictive nationalistic data policies as have been practiced by Russia and India. Global exploration will use satellite remote sensing to better map regional structural and basin-like features that control the distribution of energy and mineral resources. Improved sensors will better map lithologic and stratigraphic units and identify alteration effects in rocks, soils, and vegetation cover indicative of undiscovered subsurface resources. These same sensors will also map and monitor resource development. The use of satellite remote sensing data will grow substantially through increasing integration with other geophysical, geochemical, and geologic data using improved geographic information systems (GIS). International exploration will focus on underdeveloped countries rather than on mature exploration areas such as the United States, Europe, and Japan. Energy and mineral companies and government agencies in these countries and others will utilize available remote sensing data to acquire economic intelligence on global resources. If the "Non-Discriminatory Access to Data" principle is observed by satellite producing countries, exploration will remain competitive "on the ground". In this manner, remote sensing technology will continue to be developed to better explore for and manage the world's needed resources. If, however, satellite producing countries follow the Russian and Indian lead and restrict civil satellite data as tools of their national security and economic policies, remote sensing technology may become internationally competitive in space, redundant, prohibitively expensive, and generally unavailable to the world community.

Application of remote sensing to estimating soil erosion potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris-Jones, D. R.; Kiefer, R. W.

1980-01-01

A variety of remote sensing data sources and interpretation techniques has been tested in a 6136 hectare watershed with agricultural, forest and urban land cover to determine the relative utility of alternative aerial photographic data sources for gathering the desired land use/land cover data. The principal photographic data sources are high altitude 9 x 9 inch color infrared photos at 1:120,000 and 1:60,000 and multi-date medium altitude color and color infrared photos at 1:60,000. Principal data for estimating soil erosion potential include precipitation, soil, slope, crop, crop practice, and land use/land cover data derived from topographic maps, soil maps, and remote sensing. A computer-based geographic information system organized on a one-hectare grid cell basis is used to store and quantify the information collected using different data sources and interpretation techniques. Research results are compared with traditional Universal Soil Loss Equation field survey methods.

Mapping project on land use changes in the carboniferous region of Santa Catarina

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valeriano, D. D.; Pereira, M. D. B.

1983-01-01

The utilization of remote sensing data for monitoring land use changes by means of digital image analysis is described. The following data were utilized: LANDSAT data from September 4, 1975, April 24, 1978, and September 8, 1981; LANDSAT paper photography data; area IV color photographs; IBGE topography maps, and auxiliary data about the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Three kinds of analyses of digital images were carried out. The project identified and mapped major classes of land use areas including urban areas, coal deposits, agricultural areas, forests, lakes, and flood plains. Five areas directly affected by coal exploration southeast of Santa Catarina are identified and described. In addition, the classification system used for organizing data about land cover in a hierarchical arrangement is presented. The project made use of two remote sensing data sources: data of MSS spectral (Mulitspectral Scanner System)/LANDSAT on a scale of 1:100,000 with approximately 80 m resolution, and infrared color aerial photographs on a scale of 1:45,000 with approximately 5 m resolution. Therefore, the classification system included three levels, two selected to be compatible with aerial photography data and the third to conform to the resolution of MSS/LANDSAT.

Flood Vulnerability Analysis of the part of Karad Region, Satara District, Maharashtra using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warghat, Sumedh R.; Das, Sandipan; Doad, Atul; Mali, Sagar; Moon, Vishal S.

2012-07-01

Karad City is situated on the bank of confluence of river Krishna & Koyana, which is severely flood prone area. The floodwaters enter the city through the roads and disrupt the infrastructure in the whole city. Furthermore, due to negligence of the authorities and unplanned growth of the city, the people living in the city have harnessed the natural flow of water by constructing unnecessary embankments in the river Koyna. Due to this reason now river koyna is flowing in the form of a narrow channel, which very easily over-flows during very minor flooding.Flood Vulnerabilty Analysis has been done for the karad region of satara district, maharashtra using remote sensing and geographic information system technique. The aim of this study is to identify flood vulnerability zone by using GIS and RS technique and an attempt has been to demonstrat the application of remote sensing and GIS in order to map flood vulnerabilty area by utilizing ArcMap, and Erdas software. Flood vulnerabilty analysis of part the Karad Regian of Satara District, Maharashtra has been carried out with the objectives - Identify the Flood Prone area in the Koyana and Krishna river basin, Calculate surface runoff and Delineate flood sensitive areas. Delineate classified hazard Map, Evaluate the Flood affected area, Prepare the Flood Vulnerability Map by utilizing Remote Sensing and GIS technique. (C.J. Kumanan;S.M. Ramasamy)The study is based on GIS and spatial technique is used for analysis and understanding of flood problem in Karad Tahsil. The flood affected areas of the different magnitude has been identified and mapped using Arc GIS software. The analysis is useful for local planning authority for identification of risk areas and taking proper decision in right moment. In the analysis causative factors for flooding in watershed are taken into account as annual rainfall, size of watershed, basin slope, drainage density of natural channels and land use. (Dinand Alkema; Farah Aziz.)This study of flood vulnerable area determination in a part of Karad Tahsil is employed to illustrate the different approaches.

Application research on land use remote sensing dynamic monitoring: A case study of Anning district, Lanzhou

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yunqiang; Zhu, Huazhong; Lu, Heli; Ni, Jianguang; Zhu, Shaoxia

2005-10-01

Remote sensing dynamic monitoring of land use can detect the change information of land use and update the current land use map, which is important for rational utilization and scientific management of land resources. This paper discusses the technological procedure of remote sensing dynamic monitoring of land use including the process of remote sensing images, the extraction of annual change information of land use, field survey, indoor post processing and accuracy assessment. Especially, we emphasize on comparative research on the choice of remote sensing rectifying models, image fusion algorithms and accuracy assessment methods. Taking Anning district in Lanzhou as an example, we extract the land use change information of the district during 2002-2003, access monitoring accuracy and analyze the reason of land use change.

A hyper-temporal remote sensing protocol for high-resolution mapping of ecological sites

PubMed Central

Karl, Jason W.

2017-01-01

Ecological site classification has emerged as a highly effective land management framework, but its utility at a regional scale has been limited due to the spatial ambiguity of ecological site locations in the U.S. or the absence of ecological site maps in other regions of the world. In response to these shortcomings, this study evaluated the use of hyper-temporal remote sensing (i.e., hundreds of images) for high spatial resolution mapping of ecological sites. We posit that hyper-temporal remote sensing can provide novel insights into the spatial variability of ecological sites by quantifying the temporal response of land surface spectral properties. This temporal response provides a spectral ‘fingerprint’ of the soil-vegetation-climate relationship which is central to the concept of ecological sites. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to predict the spatial distribution of ecological sites in a semi-arid rangeland using a 28-year time series of normalized difference vegetation index from Landsat TM 5 data and modeled using support vector machine classification. Results from this study show that support vector machine classification using hyper-temporal remote sensing imagery was effective in modeling ecological site classes, with a 62% correct classification. These results were compared to Gridded Soil Survey Geographic database and expert delineated maps of ecological sites which had a 51 and 89% correct classification, respectively. An analysis of the effects of ecological state on ecological site misclassifications revealed that sites in degraded states (e.g., shrub-dominated/shrubland and bare/annuals) had a higher rate of misclassification due to their close spectral similarity with other ecological sites. This study identified three important factors that need to be addressed to improve future model predictions: 1) sampling designs need to fully represent the range of both within class (i.e., states) and between class (i.e., ecological sites) spectral variability through time, 2) field sampling protocols that accurately characterize key soil properties (e.g., texture, depth) need to be adopted, and 3) additional environmental covariates (e.g. terrain attributes) need to be evaluated that may help further differentiate sites with similar spectral signals. Finally, the proposed hyper-temporal remote sensing framework may provide a standardized approach to evaluate and test our ecological site concepts through examining differences in vegetation dynamics in response to climatic variability and other drivers of land-use change. Results from this study demonstrate the efficacy of the hyper-temporal remote sensing approach for high resolution mapping of ecological sites, and highlights its utility in terms of reduced cost and time investment relative to traditional manual mapping approaches. PMID:28414731

A hyper-temporal remote sensing protocol for high-resolution mapping of ecological sites.

PubMed

Maynard, Jonathan J; Karl, Jason W

2017-01-01

Ecological site classification has emerged as a highly effective land management framework, but its utility at a regional scale has been limited due to the spatial ambiguity of ecological site locations in the U.S. or the absence of ecological site maps in other regions of the world. In response to these shortcomings, this study evaluated the use of hyper-temporal remote sensing (i.e., hundreds of images) for high spatial resolution mapping of ecological sites. We posit that hyper-temporal remote sensing can provide novel insights into the spatial variability of ecological sites by quantifying the temporal response of land surface spectral properties. This temporal response provides a spectral 'fingerprint' of the soil-vegetation-climate relationship which is central to the concept of ecological sites. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to predict the spatial distribution of ecological sites in a semi-arid rangeland using a 28-year time series of normalized difference vegetation index from Landsat TM 5 data and modeled using support vector machine classification. Results from this study show that support vector machine classification using hyper-temporal remote sensing imagery was effective in modeling ecological site classes, with a 62% correct classification. These results were compared to Gridded Soil Survey Geographic database and expert delineated maps of ecological sites which had a 51 and 89% correct classification, respectively. An analysis of the effects of ecological state on ecological site misclassifications revealed that sites in degraded states (e.g., shrub-dominated/shrubland and bare/annuals) had a higher rate of misclassification due to their close spectral similarity with other ecological sites. This study identified three important factors that need to be addressed to improve future model predictions: 1) sampling designs need to fully represent the range of both within class (i.e., states) and between class (i.e., ecological sites) spectral variability through time, 2) field sampling protocols that accurately characterize key soil properties (e.g., texture, depth) need to be adopted, and 3) additional environmental covariates (e.g. terrain attributes) need to be evaluated that may help further differentiate sites with similar spectral signals. Finally, the proposed hyper-temporal remote sensing framework may provide a standardized approach to evaluate and test our ecological site concepts through examining differences in vegetation dynamics in response to climatic variability and other drivers of land-use change. Results from this study demonstrate the efficacy of the hyper-temporal remote sensing approach for high resolution mapping of ecological sites, and highlights its utility in terms of reduced cost and time investment relative to traditional manual mapping approaches.

Application of Remote Sensing in Geological Mapping, Case Study al Maghrabah Area - Hajjah Region, Yemen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Nahmi, F.; Saddiqi, O.; Hilali, A.; Rhinane, H.; Baidder, L.; El arabi, H.; Khanbari, K.

2017-11-01

Remote sensing technology plays an important role today in the geological survey, mapping, analysis and interpretation, which provides a unique opportunity to investigate the geological characteristics of the remote areas of the earth's surface without the need to gain access to an area on the ground. The aim of this study is achievement a geological map of the study area. The data utilizes is Sentinel-2 imagery, the processes used in this study, the OIF Optimum Index Factor is a statistic value that can be used to select the optimum combination of three bands in a satellite image. It's based on the total variance within bands and correlation coefficient between bands, ICA Independent component analysis (3, 4, 6) is a statistical and computational technique for revealing hidden factors that underlie sets of random variables, measurements, or signals, MNF Minimum Noise Fraction (1, 2, 3) is used to determine the inherent dimensionality of image data to segregate noise in the data and to reduce the computational requirements for subsequent processing, Optimum Index Factor is a good method for choosing the best band for lithological mapping. ICA, MNF, also a practical way to extract the structural geology maps. The results in this paper indicate that, the studied area can be divided into four main geological units: Basement rocks (Meta volcanic, Meta sediments), Sedimentary rocks, Intrusive rocks, volcanic rocks. The method used in this study offers great potential for lithological mapping, by using Sentinel-2 imagery, the results were compared with existing geologic maps and were superior and could be used to update the existing maps.

Utilization of Geographic Information System in Lunar Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mardon, A. A.

1992-01-01

Substantial digital remote sensing, lunar orbital photography, Earth-based remote sensing, and mapping of a variety of surficial lunar phenomena have occurred since the advent of the Space Age. This has led to a bewildering and quite disparate collection of archival sources insofar as this digital data and its cartographic representation can be found within many countries of the world. The importance of this mapping program in support of human expansion onto our nearest planetary neighbor has been recognized. A series of small scale maps of the Moon at 1 km to 1 cm, done with the support of Geographic Information System (GIS), would serve decision makers well in the process of accessing the development of manned occupance of the Moon. Maps and the data that they are derived from are the primary way in which people explore new environments and use previously discovered data to increase the bounties of any exploration. The inherent advantage of GIS is that it would allow immediate online access on the Moon of topographically represented data with analysis either on site or from Earth.

A survey for the use of remote sensing in the Chesapeake Bay region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulanowicz, R. E.

1974-01-01

Environmental problem areas concerning the Chesapeake Bay region are reviewed along with ongoing remote sensing programs pertaining to these problems, and recommendations are presented to help fill lacunae in present research and to utilize the remote sensing capabilities of NASA to their fullest. A list of interested organizations and individuals is presented for each category. The development of technologies to monitor dissolved nutrients in bay waters, the initiation of a census of the disappearing rooted acquatic plants in the littoral zones, and the mapping of natural building constraints in the growth regions of the states of Maryland and Virginia are among the recommendations presented.

Remote sensing of vegetation pattern and condition to monitor changes in everglades biogeochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, J.W.

2011-01-01

Ground-based studies of biogeochemistry and vegetation patterning yield process understanding, but the amount of information gained by ground-based studies can be greatly enhanced by efficient, synoptic, and temporally resolute monitoring afforded by remote sensing. The variety of presently available Everglades vegetation maps reflects both the wide range of application requirements and the need to balance cost and capability. More effort needs to be applied to documenting and understanding vegetation distribution and condition as indicators of biogeochemistry and contamination. Ground-based and remote sensing studies should be modified to maximize their synergy and utility for adaptive management. Copyright ?? 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Irrigated lands: Monitoring by remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Epiphanio, J. C. N.; Vitorelli, I.

1983-01-01

The use of remote sensing for irrigated areas, especially in the region of Guaira, Brazil (state of Sao Paulo), is examined. Major principles of utilizing LANDSAT data for the detection and mapping of irrigated lands are discussed. In addition, initial results obtained by computer processing of digital data, use of MSS (Multispectral Scanner System)/LANDSAT products, and the availability of new remote sensing products are highlighted. Future activities include the launching of the TM (Thematic Mapper)/LANDSAT 4 with 30 meters of resolution and SPOT (Systeme Probatorie d'Observation de la Terre) with 10 to 20 meters of resolution, to be operational in 1984 and 1986 respectively.

[Application of small remote sensing satellite constellations for environmental hazards in wetland landscape mapping: taking Liaohe Delta, Liaoning Province of Northeast China as a case].

PubMed

Yang, Yuan-Zheng; Chang, Yu; Hu, Yuan-Man; Liu, Miao; Li, Yue-Hui

2011-06-01

To timely and accurately acquire the spatial distribution pattern of wetlands is of significance for the dynamic monitoring, conservation, and sustainable utilization of wetlands. The small remote sensing satellite constellations A/B stars (HJ-1A/1B stars) for environmental hazards were launched by China for monitoring terrestrial resources, which could provide a new data source of remote sensing image acquisition for retrieving wetland types. Taking Liaohe Delta as a case, this paper compared the accuracy of wetland classification map and the area of each wetland type retrieved from CCD data (HJ CCD data) and TM5 data, and validated and explored the applicability and the applied potential of HJ CCD data in wetland resources dynamic monitoring. The results showed that HJ CCD data could completely replace Landsat TM5 data in feature extraction and remote sensing classification. In real-time monitoring, due to its 2 days of data acquisition cycle, HJ CCD data had the priority to Landsat TM5 data (16 days of data acquisition cycle).

Report of the Workshop on Geologic Applications of Remote Sensing to the Study of Sedimentary Basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, H. R. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The Workshop on Geologic Applications of Remote Sensing to the Study of Sedimentary Basins, held January 10 to 11, 1985 in Lakewood, Colorado, involved 43 geologists from industry, government, and academia. Disciplines represented ranged from vertebrate paleontology to geophysical modeling of continents. Deliberations focused on geologic problems related to the formation, stratigraphy, structure, and evolution of foreland basins in general, and to the Wind River/Bighorn Basin area of Wyoming in particular. Geological problems in the Wind River/Bighorn basin area that should be studied using state-of-the-art remote sensing methods were identified. These include: (1) establishing the stratigraphic sequence and mapping, correlating, and analyzing lithofacies of basin-filling strata in order to refine the chronology of basin sedimentation, and (2) mapping volcanic units, fracture patterns in basement rocks, and Tertiary-Holocene landforms in searches for surface manifestations of concealed structures in order to refine models of basin tectonics. Conventional geologic, topographic, geophysical, and borehole data should be utilized in these studies. Remote sensing methods developed in the Wind River/Bighorn Basin area should be applied in other basins.

Utilising social media contents for flood inundation mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröter, Kai; Dransch, Doris; Fohringer, Joachim; Kreibich, Heidi

2016-04-01

Data about the hazard and its consequences are scarce and not readily available during and shortly after a disaster. An information source which should be explored in a more efficient way is eyewitness accounts via social media. This research presents a methodology that leverages social media content to support rapid inundation mapping, including inundation extent and water depth in the case of floods. It uses quantitative data that are estimated from photos extracted from social media posts and their integration with established data. Due to the rapid availability of these posts compared to traditional data sources such as remote sensing data, areas affected by a flood, for example, can be determined quickly. Key challenges are to filter the large number of posts to a manageable amount of potentially useful inundation-related information, and to interpret and integrate the posts into mapping procedures in a timely manner. We present a methodology and a tool ("PostDistiller") to filter geo-located posts from social media services which include links to photos and to further explore this spatial distributed contextualized in situ information for inundation mapping. The June 2013 flood in Dresden is used as an application case study in which we evaluate the utilization of this approach and compare the resulting spatial flood patterns and inundation depths to 'traditional' data sources and mapping approaches like water level observations and remote sensing flood masks. The outcomes of the application case are encouraging. Strengths of the proposed procedure are that information for the estimation of inundation depth is rapidly available, particularly in urban areas where it is of high interest and of great value because alternative information sources like remote sensing data analysis do not perform very well. The uncertainty of derived inundation depth data and the uncontrollable availability of the information sources are major threats to the utility of the approach.

High Resolution Stratigraphic Mapping in Complex Terrain: A Comparison of Traditional Remote Sensing Techniques with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - Structure from Motion Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesbit, P. R.; Hugenholtz, C.; Durkin, P.; Hubbard, S. M.; Kucharczyk, M.; Barchyn, T.

2016-12-01

Remote sensing and digital mapping have started to revolutionize geologic mapping in recent years as a result of their realized potential to provide high resolution 3D models of outcrops to assist with interpretation, visualization, and obtaining accurate measurements of inaccessible areas. However, in stratigraphic mapping applications in complex terrain, it is difficult to acquire information with sufficient detail at a wide spatial coverage with conventional techniques. We demonstrate the potential of a UAV and Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetric approach for improving 3D stratigraphic mapping applications within a complex badland topography. Our case study is performed in Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta, Canada), mapping late Cretaceous fluvial meander belt deposits of the Dinosaur Park formation amidst a succession of steeply sloping hills and abundant drainages - creating a challenge for stratigraphic mapping. The UAV-SfM dataset (2 cm spatial resolution) is compared directly with a combined satellite and aerial LiDAR dataset (30 cm spatial resolution) to reveal advantages and limitations of each dataset before presenting a unique workflow that utilizes the dense point cloud from the UAV-SfM dataset for analysis. The UAV-SfM dense point cloud minimizes distortion, preserves 3D structure, and records an RGB attribute - adding potential value in future studies. The proposed UAV-SfM workflow allows for high spatial resolution remote sensing of stratigraphy in complex topographic environments. This extended capability can add value to field observations and has the potential to be integrated with subsurface petroleum models.

Mapping river bathymetry with a small footprint green LiDAR: Applications and challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinzel, Paul J.; Legleiter, Carl; Nelson, Jonathan M.

2013-01-01

that environmental conditions and postprocessing algorithms can influence the accuracy and utility of these surveys and must be given consideration. These factors can lead to mapping errors that can have a direct bearing on derivative analyses such as hydraulic modeling and habitat assessment. We discuss the water and substrate characteristics of the sites, compare the conventional and remotely sensed river-bed topographies, and investigate the laser waveforms reflected from submerged targets to provide an evaluation as to the suitability and accuracy of the EAARL system and associated processing algorithms for riverine mapping applications.

Integrating remote sensing with species distribution models; Mapping tamarisk invasions using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM)

USGS Publications Warehouse

West, Amanda M.; Evangelista, Paul H.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Young, Nicholas E.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Talbert, Colin; Talbert, Marian; Morisette, Jeffrey; Anderson, Ryan

2016-01-01

Early detection of invasive plant species is vital for the management of natural resources and protection of ecosystem processes. The use of satellite remote sensing for mapping the distribution of invasive plants is becoming more common, however conventional imaging software and classification methods have been shown to be unreliable. In this study, we test and evaluate the use of five species distribution model techniques fit with satellite remote sensing data to map invasive tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) along the Arkansas River in Southeastern Colorado. The models tested included boosted regression trees (BRT), Random Forest (RF), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), generalized linear model (GLM), and Maxent. These analyses were conducted using a newly developed software package called the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM). All models were trained with 499 presence points, 10,000 pseudo-absence points, and predictor variables acquired from the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor over an eight-month period to distinguish tamarisk from native riparian vegetation using detection of phenological differences. From the Landsat scenes, we used individual bands and calculated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and tasseled capped transformations. All five models identified current tamarisk distribution on the landscape successfully based on threshold independent and threshold dependent evaluation metrics with independent location data. To account for model specific differences, we produced an ensemble of all five models with map output highlighting areas of agreement and areas of uncertainty. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of species distribution models in analyzing remotely sensed data and the utility of ensemble mapping, and showcase the capability of SAHM in pre-processing and executing multiple complex models.

Integrating Remote Sensing with Species Distribution Models; Mapping Tamarisk Invasions Using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM).

PubMed

West, Amanda M; Evangelista, Paul H; Jarnevich, Catherine S; Young, Nicholas E; Stohlgren, Thomas J; Talbert, Colin; Talbert, Marian; Morisette, Jeffrey; Anderson, Ryan

2016-10-11

Early detection of invasive plant species is vital for the management of natural resources and protection of ecosystem processes. The use of satellite remote sensing for mapping the distribution of invasive plants is becoming more common, however conventional imaging software and classification methods have been shown to be unreliable. In this study, we test and evaluate the use of five species distribution model techniques fit with satellite remote sensing data to map invasive tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) along the Arkansas River in Southeastern Colorado. The models tested included boosted regression trees (BRT), Random Forest (RF), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), generalized linear model (GLM), and Maxent. These analyses were conducted using a newly developed software package called the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM). All models were trained with 499 presence points, 10,000 pseudo-absence points, and predictor variables acquired from the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor over an eight-month period to distinguish tamarisk from native riparian vegetation using detection of phenological differences. From the Landsat scenes, we used individual bands and calculated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and tasseled capped transformations. All five models identified current tamarisk distribution on the landscape successfully based on threshold independent and threshold dependent evaluation metrics with independent location data. To account for model specific differences, we produced an ensemble of all five models with map output highlighting areas of agreement and areas of uncertainty. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of species distribution models in analyzing remotely sensed data and the utility of ensemble mapping, and showcase the capability of SAHM in pre-processing and executing multiple complex models.

Geospatial approach towards enumerative analysis of suspended sediment concentration for Ganges-Brahmaputra Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Palak; Kunte, Pravin D.

2016-10-01

This study presents an easy, modular, user-friendly, and flexible software package for processing of Landsat 7 ETM and Landsat 8 OLI-TIRS data for estimating suspended particulate matter concentrations in the coastal waters. This package includes 1) algorithm developed using freely downloadable SCILAB package, 2) ERDAS Models for iterative processing of Landsat images and 3) ArcMAP tool for plotting and map making. Utilizing SCILAB package, a module is written for geometric corrections, radiometric corrections and obtaining normalized water-leaving reflectance by incorporating Landsat 8 OLI-TIRS and Landsat 7 ETM+ data. Using ERDAS models, a sequence of modules are developed for iterative processing of Landsat images and estimating suspended particulate matter concentrations. Processed images are used for preparing suspended sediment concentration maps. The applicability of this software package is demonstrated by estimating and plotting seasonal suspended sediment concentration maps off the Bengal delta. The software is flexible enough to accommodate other remotely sensed data like Ocean Color monitor (OCM) data, Indian Remote Sensing data (IRS), MODIS data etc. by replacing a few parameters in the algorithm, for estimating suspended sediment concentration in coastal waters.

Coproducing Aboriginal patient journey mapping tools for improved quality and coordination of care.

PubMed

Kelly, Janet; Dwyer, Judith; Mackean, Tamara; O'Donnell, Kim; Willis, Eileen

2016-12-08

This paper describes the rationale and process for developing a set of Aboriginal patient journey mapping tools with Aboriginal patients, health professionals, support workers, educators and researchers in the Managing Two Worlds Together project between 2008 and 2015. Aboriginal patients and their families from rural and remote areas, and healthcare providers in urban, rural and remote settings, shared their perceptions of the barriers and enablers to quality care in interviews and focus groups, and individual patient journey case studies were documented. Data were thematically analysed. In the absence of suitable existing tools, a new analytical framework and mapping approach was developed. The utility of the tools in other settings was then tested with health professionals, and the tools were further modified for use in quality improvement in health and education settings in South Australia and the Northern Territory. A central set of patient journey mapping tools with flexible adaptations, a workbook, and five sets of case studies describing how staff adapted and used the tools at different sites are available for wider use.

Monturaqui meteorite impact crater, Chile: A field test of the utility of satellite-based mapping of ejecta at small craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathbun, K.; Ukstins, I.; Drop, S.

2017-12-01

Monturaqui Crater is a small ( 350 m diameter), simple meteorite impact crater located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile that was emplaced in Ordovician granite overlain by discontinuous Pliocene ignimbrite. Ejecta deposits are granite and ignimbrite, with lesser amounts of dark impact melt and rare tektites and iron shale. The impact restructured existing drainage systems in the area that have subsequently eroded through the ejecta. Satellite-based mapping and modeling, including a synthesis of photographic satellite imagery and ASTER thermal infrared imagery in ArcGIS, were used to construct a basic geological interpretation of the site with special emphasis on understanding ejecta distribution patterns. This was combined with field-based mapping to construct a high-resolution geologic map of the crater and its ejecta blanket and field check the satellite-based geologic interpretation. The satellite- and modeling-based interpretation suggests a well-preserved crater with an intact, heterogeneous ejecta blanket that has been subjected to moderate erosion. In contrast, field mapping shows that the crater has a heavily-eroded rim and ejecta blanket, and the ejecta is more heterogeneous than previously thought. In addition, the erosion rate at Monturaqui is much higher than erosion rates reported elsewhere in the Atacama Desert. The bulk compositions of the target rocks at Monturaqui are similar and the ejecta deposits are highly heterogeneous, so distinguishing between them with remote sensing is less effective than with direct field observations. In particular, the resolution of available imagery for the site is too low to resolve critical details that are readily apparent in the field on the scale of 10s of cm, and which significantly alter the geologic interpretation. The limiting factors for effective remote interpretation at Monturaqui are its target composition and crater size relative to the resolution of the remote sensing methods employed. This suggests that satellite-based mapping of ejecta may have limited utility at small craters due to limitations in source resolution compared to the geology of the site in question.

Multicriteria analysis for sources of renewable energy using data from remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matejicek, L.

2015-04-01

Renewable energy sources are major components of the strategy to reduce harmful emissions and to replace depleting fossil energy resources. Data from remote sensing can provide information for multicriteria analysis for sources of renewable energy. Advanced land cover quantification makes it possible to search for suitable sites. Multicriteria analysis, together with other data, is used to determine the energy potential and socially acceptability of suggested locations. The described case study is focused on an area of surface coal mines in the northwestern region of the Czech Republic, where the impacts of surface mining and reclamation constitute a dominant force in land cover changes. High resolution satellite images represent the main input datasets for identification of suitable sites. Solar mapping, wind predictions, the location of weirs in watersheds, road maps and demographic information complement the data from remote sensing for multicriteria analysis, which is implemented in a geographic information system (GIS). The input spatial datasets for multicriteria analysis in GIS are reclassified to a common scale and processed with raster algebra tools to identify suitable sites for sources of renewable energy. The selection of suitable sites is limited by the CORINE land cover database to mining and agricultural areas. The case study is focused on long term land cover changes in the 1985-2015 period. Multicriteria analysis based on CORINE data shows moderate changes in mapping of suitable sites for utilization of selected sources of renewable energy in 1990, 2000, 2006 and 2012. The results represent map layers showing the energy potential on a scale of a few preference classes (1-7), where the first class is linked to minimum preference and the last class to maximum preference. The attached histograms show the moderate variability of preference classes due to land cover changes caused by mining activities. The results also show a slight increase in the more preferred classes for utilization of sources of renewable energy due to an increase area of reclaimed sites. Using data from remote sensing, such as the multispectral images and the CORINE land cover datasets, can reduce the financial resources currently required for finding and assessing suitable areas.

The University of Kansas Applied Sensing Program: An operational perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinko, E. A.

1981-01-01

The Kansas applied remote sensing (KARS) program conducts demonstration projects and applied research on remote sensing techniques which enable local, regional, state and federal agency personnel to better utilize available satellite and airborne remote sensing systems. As liason with Kansas agencies for the Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL), Kansas demonstration project, KARS coordinated interagency communication, field data collection, hands-on training, and follow-on technical assistance and worked with Kansas agency personnel in evaluating land cover maps provided by ERL. Short courses are being conducted to provide training in state-of-the-art remote sensing technology for university faculty, state personnel, and persons from private industry and federal government. Topics are listed which were considered in intensive five-day courses covering the acquisition, interpretation, and application of information derived through remote sensing with specific training and hands-on experience in image interpretation and the analysis of LANDSAT data are listed.

Satellite Snow-Cover Mapping: A Brief Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.

1995-01-01

Satellite snow mapping has been accomplished since 1966, initially using data from the reflective part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and now also employing data from the microwave part of the spectrum. Visible and near-infrared sensors can provide excellent spatial resolution from space enabling detailed snow mapping. When digital elevation models are also used, snow mapping can provide realistic measurements of snow extent even in mountainous areas. Passive-microwave satellite data permit global snow cover to be mapped on a near-daily basis and estimates of snow depth to be made, but with relatively poor spatial resolution (approximately 25 km). Dense forest cover limits both techniques and optical remote sensing is limited further by cloudcover conditions. Satellite remote sensing of snow cover with imaging radars is still in the early stages of research, but shows promise at least for mapping wet or melting snow using C-band (5.3 GHz) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. Observing System (EOS) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data beginning with the launch of the first EOS platform in 1998. Digital maps will be produced that will provide daily, and maximum weekly global snow, sea ice and lake ice cover at 1-km spatial resolution. Statistics will be generated on the extent and persistence of snow or ice cover in each pixel for each weekly map, cloudcover permitting. It will also be possible to generate snow- and ice-cover maps using MODIS data at 250- and 500-m resolution, and to study and map snow and ice characteristics such as albedo. been under development. Passive-microwave data offer the potential for determining not only snow cover, but snow water equivalent, depth and wetness under all sky conditions. A number of algorithms have been developed to utilize passive-microwave brightness temperatures to provide information on snow cover and water equivalent. The variability of vegetative Algorithms are being developed to map global snow and ice cover using Earth Algorithms to map global snow cover using passive-microwave data have also cover and of snow grain size, globally, limits the utility of a single algorithm to map global snow cover.

Spectroscopic remote sensing for material identification, vegetation characterization, and mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kokaly, Raymond F.; Lewis, Paul E.; Shen, Sylvia S.

2012-01-01

Identifying materials by measuring and analyzing their reflectance spectra has been an important procedure in analytical chemistry for decades. Airborne and space-based imaging spectrometers allow materials to be mapped across the landscape. With many existing airborne sensors and new satellite-borne sensors planned for the future, robust methods are needed to fully exploit the information content of hyperspectral remote sensing data. A method of identifying and mapping materials using spectral feature analyses of reflectance data in an expert-system framework called MICA (Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm) is described. MICA is a module of the PRISM (Processing Routines in IDL for Spectroscopic Measurements) software, available to the public from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1155/. The core concepts of MICA include continuum removal and linear regression to compare key diagnostic absorption features in reference laboratory/field spectra and the spectra being analyzed. The reference spectra, diagnostic features, and threshold constraints are defined within a user-developed MICA command file (MCF). Building on several decades of experience in mineral mapping, a broadly-applicable MCF was developed to detect a set of minerals frequently occurring on the Earth's surface and applied to map minerals in the country-wide coverage of the 2007 Afghanistan HyMap data set. MICA has also been applied to detect sub-pixel oil contamination in marshes impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident by discriminating the C-H absorption features in oil residues from background vegetation. These two recent examples demonstrate the utility of a spectroscopic approach to remote sensing for identifying and mapping the distributions of materials in imaging spectrometer data.

Land utilization and ecological aspects in the Sylhet-Mymensingh Haor Region of Bangladesh: An analysis of LANDSAT data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chowdhury, M. I.; Elahi, K. M.

1977-01-01

The use of remote sensing data from LANDSAT (ERTS) imageries in identifying, evaluating and mapping land use patterns of the Haor area in Bangladesh was investigated. Selected cloud free imageries of the area for the period 1972-75 were studied. Imageries in bands 4, 5 and 7 were mostly used. The method of analysis involved utilization of both human and computer services of information from ground, aerial photographs taken during this period and space imageries.

An automated approach to mapping ecological sites using hyper-temporal remote sensing and SVM classification

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The development of ecological sites as management units has emerged as a highly effective land management framework, but its utility has been limited by spatial ambiguity of ecological site locations in the U.S., lack of ecological site concepts in many other parts of the world, and the inability to...

Preliminary investigation of Large Format Camera photography utility in soil mapping and related agricultural applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelletier, R. E.; Hudnall, W. H.

1987-01-01

The use of Space Shuttle Large Format Camera (LFC) color, IR/color, and B&W images in large-scale soil mapping is discussed and illustrated with sample photographs from STS 41-6 (October 1984). Consideration is given to the characteristics of the film types used; the photographic scales available; geometric and stereoscopic factors; and image interpretation and classification for soil-type mapping (detecting both sharp and gradual boundaries), soil parent material topographic and hydrologic assessment, natural-resources inventory, crop-type identification, and stress analysis. It is suggested that LFC photography can play an important role, filling the gap between aerial and satellite remote sensing.

Electromagnetic wave method for mapping subterranean earth formations

DOEpatents

Shuck, Lowell Z.; Fasching, George E.; Balanis, Constantine A.

1977-01-01

The present invention is directed to a method for remotely mapping subterranean coal beds prior to and during in situ gasification operations. This method is achieved by emplacing highly directional electromagnetic wave transmitters and receivers in bore holes penetrating the coal beds and then mapping the anomalies surrounding each bore hole by selectively rotating and vertically displacing the directional transmitter in a transmitting mode within the bore hole, and thereafter, initiating the gasification of the coal at bore holes separate from those containing the transmitters and receivers and then utilizing the latter for monitoring the burn front as it progresses toward the transmitters and receivers.

Development of data processing interpretation and analysis system for the remote sensing of trace atmospheric gas species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casas, J. C.; Koziana, J. V.; Saylor, M. S.; Kindle, E. C.

1982-01-01

Problems associated with the development of the measurement of air pollution from satellites (MAPS) experiment program are addressed. The primary thrust of this research was the utilization of the MAPS experiment data in three application areas: low altitude aircraft flights (one to six km); mid altitude aircraft flights (eight to 12 km); and orbiting space platforms. Extensive research work in four major areas of data management was the framework for implementation of the MAPS experiment technique. These areas are: (1) data acquisition; (2) data processing, analysis and interpretation algorithms; (3) data display techniques; and (4) information production.

Remote Sensing Assessment of Lunar Resources: We Know Where to Go to Find What We Need

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillis, J. J.; Taylor, G. J.; Lucey, P. G.

2004-01-01

The utilization of space resources is necessary to not only foster the growth of human activities in space, but is essential to the President s vision of a "sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond." The distribution of resources will shape planning permanent settlements by affecting decisions about where to locate a settlement. Mapping the location of such resources, however, is not the limiting factor in selecting a site for a lunar base. It is indecision about which resources to use that leaves the location uncertain. A wealth of remotely sensed data exists that can be used to identify targets for future detailed exploration. Thus, the future of space resource utilization pre-dominantly rests upon developing a strategy for resource exploration and efficient methods of extraction.

Application of OpenStreetMap (OSM) to Support the Mapping Village in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swasti Kanthi, Nurin; Hery Purwanto, Taufik

2016-11-01

Geospatial Information is a important thing in this era, because the need for location information is needed to know the condition of a region. In 2015 the Indonesian government release detailed mapping in village level and their Parent maps Indonesian state regulatory standards set forth in Rule form Norm Standards, Procedures and Criteria for Mapping Village (NSPK). Over time Web and Mobile GIS was developed with a wide range of applications. The merger between detailed mapping and Web GIS is still rarely performed and not used optimally. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a WebGIS which can be utilized as Mobile GIS providing sufficient information to the representative levels of the building and can be used for mapping the village.Mapping Village using OSM was conducted using remote sensing approach and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which's to interpret remote sensing imagery from OSM. The study was conducted to analyzed how far the role of OSM to support the mapping of the village, it's done by entering the house number data, administrative boundaries, public facilities and land use into OSM with reference data and data image Village Plan. The results of the mapping portion villages in OSM as a reference map-making village and analyzed in accordance with NSPK for detailed mapping Rukun Warga (RW) is part of the village mapping. The use of OSM greatly assists the process of mapping the details of the region with data sources in the form of images and can be accessed for Open Source. But still need their care and updating the data source to maintain the validity of the data.

Enhancement of Tropical Land Cover Mapping with Wavelet-Based Fusion and Unsupervised Clustering of SAR and Landsat Image Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LeMoigne, Jacqueline; Laporte, Nadine; Netanyahuy, Nathan S.; Zukor, Dorothy (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The characterization and the mapping of land cover/land use of forest areas, such as the Central African rainforest, is a very complex task. This complexity is mainly due to the extent of such areas and, as a consequence, to the lack of full and continuous cloud-free coverage of those large regions by one single remote sensing instrument, In order to provide improved vegetation maps of Central Africa and to develop forest monitoring techniques for applications at the local and regional scales, we propose to utilize multi-sensor remote sensing observations coupled with in-situ data. Fusion and clustering of multi-sensor data are the first steps towards the development of such a forest monitoring system. In this paper, we will describe some preliminary experiments involving the fusion of SAR and Landsat image data of the Lope Reserve in Gabon. Similarly to previous fusion studies, our fusion method is wavelet-based. The fusion provides a new image data set which contains more detailed texture features and preserves the large homogeneous regions that are observed by the Thematic Mapper sensor. The fusion step is followed by unsupervised clustering and provides a vegetation map of the area.

Enhanced smartcard-based password-authenticated key agreement using extended chaotic maps.

PubMed

Lee, Tian-Fu; Hsiao, Chia-Hung; Hwang, Shi-Han; Lin, Tsung-Hung

2017-01-01

A smartcard based password-authenticated key agreement scheme enables a legal user to log in to a remote authentication server and access remote services through public networks using a weak password and a smart card. Lin recently presented an improved chaotic maps-based password-authenticated key agreement scheme that used smartcards to eliminate the weaknesses of the scheme of Guo and Chang, which does not provide strong user anonymity and violates session key security. However, the improved scheme of Lin does not exhibit the freshness property and the validity of messages so it still fails to withstand denial-of-service and privileged-insider attacks. Additionally, a single malicious participant can predetermine the session key such that the improved scheme does not exhibit the contributory property of key agreements. This investigation discusses these weaknesses and proposes an enhanced smartcard-based password-authenticated key agreement scheme that utilizes extended chaotic maps. The session security of this enhanced scheme is based on the extended chaotic map-based Diffie-Hellman problem, and is proven in the real-or-random and the sequence of games models. Moreover, the enhanced scheme ensures the freshness of communicating messages by appending timestamps, and thereby avoids the weaknesses in previous schemes.

Enhanced smartcard-based password-authenticated key agreement using extended chaotic maps

PubMed Central

Lee, Tian-Fu; Hsiao, Chia-Hung; Hwang, Shi-Han

2017-01-01

A smartcard based password-authenticated key agreement scheme enables a legal user to log in to a remote authentication server and access remote services through public networks using a weak password and a smart card. Lin recently presented an improved chaotic maps-based password-authenticated key agreement scheme that used smartcards to eliminate the weaknesses of the scheme of Guo and Chang, which does not provide strong user anonymity and violates session key security. However, the improved scheme of Lin does not exhibit the freshness property and the validity of messages so it still fails to withstand denial-of-service and privileged-insider attacks. Additionally, a single malicious participant can predetermine the session key such that the improved scheme does not exhibit the contributory property of key agreements. This investigation discusses these weaknesses and proposes an enhanced smartcard-based password-authenticated key agreement scheme that utilizes extended chaotic maps. The session security of this enhanced scheme is based on the extended chaotic map-based Diffie-Hellman problem, and is proven in the real-or-random and the sequence of games models. Moreover, the enhanced scheme ensures the freshness of communicating messages by appending timestamps, and thereby avoids the weaknesses in previous schemes. PMID:28759615

Reconstruction of time-varying tidal flat topography using optical remote sensing imageries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Kuo-Hsin; Kuo, Chung-Yen; Lin, Tang-Huang; Huang, Zhi-Cheng; Lin, Yu-Ching; Liao, Wen-Hung; Chen, Chi-Farn

2017-09-01

Tidal flats (TFs) occupy approximately 7% of the total coastal shelf areas worldwide. However, TFs are unavailable in most global digital elevation models (DEMs) due to water-impermeable nature of existing remote sensing approaches (e.g., radar used for WorldDEM™ and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DEM and optical stereo-pairs used for ASTER Global Digital Elevation Map Version 2). However, this problem can be circumvented using remote sensing imageries to observe land exposure at different tidal heights during each revisit. This work exploits Landsat-4/-5/-7/-8 Thematic Mapper (TM)/Enhanced TM Plus/Operational Land Imager imageries to reconstruct topography of a TF, namely, Hsiang-Shan Wetland in Taiwan, to unveil its formation and temporal changes since the 1980s. We first classify water areas by applying modified normalized difference water index to each Landsat image and normalize chances of water exposure to create an inundation probability map. This map is then scaled by tidal amplitudes extracted from DTU10 tide model to convert the probabilities into actual elevations. After building DEM at intertidal zone, a water level-area curve is established, and accuracy of DEM is validated by sea level (SL) at the timing of each Landsat snapshot. A 22-year (1992-2013) dataset composed of 227 Landsat scenes are analyzed and compared with tide gauge data. Root-mean-square differences of SL reaches 48 cm with a correlation coefficient of 0.93, indicating that the present technique is useful for constructing accurate coastal DEMs, and that products can be utilized for estimating instant SL. This study shows the possibility of exploring evolution of intertidal zones using an archive of optical remote sensing imageries. The technique developed in the present study potentially helps in quantifying SL from the start of optical remote sensing era.

Identifying Populace Susceptible to Flooding Using ArcGIS and Remote Sensing Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Sim Joseph; Milano, Alan

2016-07-01

Remote sensing technologies are growing vastly as with its various applications. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Republic of the Philippines, has made projects exploiting LiDAR datasets from remote sensing technologies. The Phil-LiDAR 1 project of DOST is a flood hazard mapping project. Among the project's objectives is the identification of building features which can be associated to the flood-exposed population. The extraction of building features from the LiDAR dataset is arduous as it requires manual identification of building features on an elevation map. The mapping of building footprints is made meticulous in order to compensate the accuracy between building floor area and building height both of which are crucial in flood decision making. A building identification method was developed to generate a LiDAR derivative which will serve as a guide in mapping building footprints. The method utilizes several tools of a Geographic Information System (GIS) software called ArcGIS which can operate on physical attributes of buildings such as roofing curvature, slope and blueprint area in order to obtain the LiDAR derivative from LiDAR dataset. The method also uses an intermediary process called building removal process wherein buildings and other features lying below the defined minimum building height - 2 meters in the case of Phil-LiDAR 1 project - are removed. The building identification method was developed in the hope to hasten the identification of building features especially when orthophotographs and/or satellite imageries are not made available.

Reconstructing time series water volumes of drying lakes in Central Asia with ZY-3 stereo remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Warner, T.; Bao, A.

2017-12-01

Central Asia is one of the world most vulnerable areas responding to global change. Lakes in arid regions of Central Asia remain sensitive to climatic change and fluctuate with temperature and precipitation variations. Study showed that some central asian inland lakes in showed a trend of area shrinkage or extinct in the last decades. Quantitative analysis of lake volume changes in spatio-temporal processes will improve our understanding water resource utilization in arid regions and their responses to regional climate change. However, due to the lack of lake bathmetry or observation data, the volumes of these lakes remain unknown. In this paper, three lakes, such as Chaiwopu lake, Alik Lake and Selectyteniz Lake in Central Asia are used to reconstruct lake volume changes. Firstly, stereo mapping technologies derived from ZY-3 high resolution data are used to map the high-precision 3-D lake bathmetry, so as to create "Area-Level-Volume" based on contours of lake bathmetry. Secondly, time series lake areas in the last 50 years are mapped with multi-source and multi-temporal remote sensing images. Based on lake storage curves and time series lake areas, lake volumes in the last 5 decades can be reconstructed, and the spatio-temporal characteristics of lake volume changes and their mechanisms are also analyzed. The results showed that the high-precision lake hydrological elements are reconstructed on arid drying lakes through the application of stereo mapping technology in remote sensing.

Precambrian Field Camp at the University of Minnesota Duluth - Teaching Skills Applicable to Mapping Glaciated Terranes of the Canadian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, J. D.; Hudak, G. J.; Peterson, D.

2011-12-01

Since 2007, the central program of the Precambrian Research Center (PRC) at the University of Minnesota Duluth has been a six-week geology field camp focused on the Precambrian geology of the Canadian Shield. This field camp has two main purposes. First and foremost is to teach students specialized field skills and field mapping techniques that can be utilized to map and interpret Precambrian shield terranes characterized by sparse outcrop and abundant glacial cover. In addition to teaching basic outcrop mapping technique , students are introduced to geophysical surveying (gravity, magnetics), glacial drift prospecting, and drill core logging techniques in several of our geological mapping exercises. These mapping methodologies are particularly applicable to minerals exploration in shield terranes. The second and equally important goal of the PRC field camp is to teach students modern map-making and map production skills. During the fifth and sixth weeks of field camp, students conduct "capstone" mapping projects. These projects encompass one week of detailed bedrock mapping in remote regions of northern Minnesota that have not been mapped in detail (e.g. scales greater than 1:24,000) and a second week of map-making and map generation utilizing geographic information systems (currently ArcGIS10), graphics software packages (Adobe Illustrator CS4), and various imaging software for geophysical and topographic data. Over the past five years, PRC students and faculty have collaboratively published 21 geologic maps through the Precambrian Research Center Map Series. These maps are currently being utilized in a variety of ways by industry, academia, and government for mineral exploration programs, development of undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research projects, and for planning, archeological studies, and public education programs in Minnesota's state parks. Acquisition of specialized Precambrian geological mapping skills and geologic map-making proficiencies has enabled our students to be highly sought after for employment and/or subsequent graduate studies.

Mapping Precipitation in the Lower Mekong River Basin and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi, V.; Sutton, J. R. P.; Bolten, J. D.

2017-12-01

Mapping and quantifying precipitation across varying temporal and spatial scales is of utmost importance in understanding, monitoring, and predicting flooding and drought. While there exists many in-situ precipitation gages that can accurately estimate precipitation in a given location, there are still many areas that lack in-situ gages. Many of these locations do not have precipitation gages because they are rural and/or topographically complex. The purpose of our research was to compare different remotely sensed satellite precipitation estimates with in-situ estimates across topographically complex and rural terrain within the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) and the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMRB). We utilize the publicly available Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) Climate Data Record (CDR) from NOAA and two remotely sensed precipitation products from NASA; the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM). These precipitation estimates were compared with each other and to the available in-situ precipitation estimates from station gages. We also utilize NASA Landsat data to determine the land cover types of these study areas. Using the precipitation estimates, topography, and the land cover of the study areas, we were able to show areas experiencing differing amounts of rainfall and their agreement with in-situ estimates. Additionally, we study the seasonal and spatial trends in precipitation. These analyses can be used to help understand areas that are experience frequent flood or drought.

BOREAS RSS-8 Snow Maps Derived from Landsat TM Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy; Chang, Alfred T. C.; Foster, James L.; Chien, Janeet Y. L.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Remote Sensing Science (RSS)-8 team utilized Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images to perform mapping of snow extent over the Southern Study Area (SSA). This data set consists of two Landsat TM images that were used to determine the snow-covered pixels over the BOREAS SSA on 18 Jan 1993 and on 06 Feb 1994. The data are stored in binary image format files. The RSS-08 snow map data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

COSMO-SkyMed and GIS applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milillo, Pietro; Sole, Aurelia; Serio, Carmine

2013-04-01

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing have become key technology tools for the collection, storage and analysis of spatially referenced data. Industries that utilise these spatial technologies include agriculture, forestry, mining, market research as well as the environmental analysis . Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a coherent active sensor operating in the microwave band which exploits relative motion between antenna and target in order to obtain a finer spatial resolution in the flight direction exploiting the Doppler effect. SAR have wide applications in Remote Sensing such as cartography, surface deformation detection, forest cover mapping, urban planning, disasters monitoring , surveillance etc… The utilization of satellite remote sensing and GIS technology for this applications has proven to be a powerful and effective tool for environmental monitoring. Remote sensing techniques are often less costly and time-consuming for large geographic areas compared to conventional methods, moreover GIS technology provides a flexible environment for, analyzing and displaying digital data from various sources necessary for classification, change detection and database development. The aim of this work si to illustrate the potential of COSMO-SkyMed data and SAR applications in a GIS environment, in particular a demostration of the operational use of COSMO-SkyMed SAR data and GIS in real cases will be provided for what concern DEM validation, river basin estimation, flood mapping and landslide monitoring.

Remote magnetic navigation to map and ablate left coronary cusp ventricular tachycardia.

PubMed

Burkhardt, J David; Saliba, Walid I; Schweikert, Robert A; Cummings, Jennifer; Natale, Andrea

2006-10-01

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and ventricular tachycardia may arise from the coronary cusps. Navigation, mapping, and ablation in the coronary cusps can be challenging. Remote magnetic navigation may offer an alternative to conventional manually operated catheters. We report a case of left coronary cusp ventricular tachycardia ablation using remote magnetic navigation. Right ventricular outflow tract and coronary cusp mapping, and ablation of the left coronary cusp using a remote magnetic navigation and three-dimensional (3-D) mapping system was performed in a 28-year-old male with frequent, symptomatic PVCs and ventricular tachycardia. Successful ablation of left coronary cusp ventricular tachycardia was performed using remote magnetic navigation. Remote magnetic navigation may be used to map and ablate PVCs and ventricular tachycardia originating from the coronary cusps.

Remote science support during MARS2013: testing a map-based system of data processing and utilization for future long-duration planetary missions.

PubMed

Losiak, Anna; Gołębiowska, Izabela; Orgel, Csilla; Moser, Linda; MacArthur, Jane; Boyd, Andrea; Hettrich, Sebastian; Jones, Natalie; Groemer, Gernot

2014-05-01

MARS2013 was an integrated Mars analog field simulation in eastern Morocco performed by the Austrian Space Forum between February 1 and 28, 2013. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the system of data processing and utilization adopted by the Remote Science Support (RSS) team during this mission. The RSS team procedures were designed to optimize operational efficiency of the Flightplan, field crew, and RSS teams during a long-term analog mission with an introduced 10 min time delay in communication between "Mars" and Earth. The RSS workflow was centered on a single-file, easy-to-use, spatially referenced database that included all the basic information about the conditions at the site of study, as well as all previous and planned activities. This database was prepared in Google Earth software. The lessons learned from MARS2013 RSS team operations are as follows: (1) using a spatially referenced database is an efficient way of data processing and data utilization in a long-term analog mission with a large amount of data to be handled, (2) mission planning based on iterations can be efficiently supported by preparing suitability maps, (3) the process of designing cartographical products should start early in the planning stages of a mission and involve representatives of all teams, (4) all team members should be trained in usage of cartographical products, (5) technical problems (e.g., usage of a geological map while wearing a space suit) should be taken into account when planning a work flow for geological exploration, (6) a system that helps the astronauts to efficiently orient themselves in the field should be designed as part of future analog studies.

Airborne lidar experiments at the Savannah River Plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krabill, William B.; Swift, Robert N.

1985-01-01

The results of remote sensing experiments at the Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Nuclear Facility utilizing the NASA Airborne Oceanographic Lidar (AOL) are presented. The flights were conducted in support of the numerous environmental monitoring requirements associated with the operation of the facility and for the purpose of furthering research and development of airborne lidar technology. Areas of application include airborne laser topographic mapping, hydrologic studies using fluorescent tracer dye, timber volume estimation, baseline characterization of wetlands, and aquatic chlorophyll and photopigment measurements. Conclusions relative to the usability of airborne lidar technology for the DOE for each of these remote sensing applications are discussed.

Heat Capacity Mapping Mission investigation no. 25 (Tellus project)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deparatesi, S. G. (Principal Investigator); Reiniger, P. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The TELLUS pilot project, utilizing 0.5 to 1.1 micron and 10.5 to 12.5 micron day and/or night imagery from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, is described. The application of remotely sensed data to synoptic evaluation of evapotranspiration and moisture in agricultural soils was considered. The influence of topography, soils, land use, and meteorology on surface temperature distribution was evaluated. Anthropogenic heat release was investigated. Test areas extended from semi-arid land in southern Italy to polders in the Netherlands, and from vine-growing hills in the Rhineland to grasslands in Buckinghamshire.

Remote magnetic navigation for mapping and ablating right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia.

PubMed

Thornton, Andrew S; Jordaens, Luc J

2006-06-01

Navigation, mapping, and ablation in the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) can be difficult. Catheter navigation using external magnetic fields may allow more accurate mapping and ablation. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of RVOT tachycardia ablation using remote magnetic navigation. Mapping and ablation were performed in eight patients with outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias. Tachycardia mapping was undertaken with a 64-polar basket catheter, followed by remote activation and pace-mapping using a magnetically enabled catheter. The area of interest was localized on the basket catheter in seven patients in whom an RVOT arrhythmia was identified. Remote navigation of the magnetic catheter to this area was followed by pace-mapping. Ablation was performed at the site of perfect pace-mapping, with earliest activation if possible. Acute success was achieved in all patients (median four applications). Median procedural time was 144 minutes, with 13.4 minutes of patient fluoroscopy time and 3.8 minutes of physician fluoroscopy time. No complications occurred. One recurrence occurred during follow-up (mean 366 days). RVOT tachycardias can be mapped and ablated using remote magnetic navigation, initially guided by a basket catheter. Precise activation and pace-mapping are possible. Remote magnetic navigation permitted low fluoroscopy exposure for the physician. Long-term results are promising.

Monitoring Geothermal Features in Yellowstone National Park with ATLAS Multispectral Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spruce, Joseph; Berglund, Judith

2000-01-01

The National Park Service (NPS) must produce an Environmental Impact Statement for each proposed development in the vicinity of known geothermal resource areas (KGRAs) in Yellowstone National Park. In addition, the NPS monitors indicator KGRAs for environmental quality and is still in the process of mapping many geothermal areas. The NPS currently maps geothermal features with field survey techniques. High resolution aerial multispectral remote sensing in the visible, NIR, SWIR, and thermal spectral regions could enable YNP geothermal features to be mapped more quickly and in greater detail In response, Yellowstone Ecosystems Studies, in partnership with NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program, is conducting a study on the use of Airborne Terrestrial Applications Sensor (ATLAS) multispectral data for monitoring geothermal features in the Upper Geyser Basin. ATLAS data were acquired at 2.5 meter resolution on August 17, 2000. These data were processed into land cover classifications and relative temperature maps. For sufficiently large features, the ATLAS data can map geothermal areas in terms of geyser pools and hot springs, plus multiple categories of geothermal runoff that are apparently indicative of temperature gradients and microbial matting communities. In addition, the ATLAS maps clearly identify geyserite areas. The thermal bands contributed to classification success and to the computation of relative temperature. With masking techniques, one can assess the influence of geothermal features on the Firehole River. Preliminary results appear to confirm ATLAS data utility for mapping and monitoring geothermal features. Future work will include classification refinement and additional validation.

Mapping a Better Vintage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Vineyards such as those located in California's Napa Valley tend to be subdivided into relatively large fields or blocks that often encompass heterogeneous physical conditions. Since growers typically treat the entire block as a single minimum management unit for cultivation and harvest, mapping and monitoring the variability within a block is a concern. Over the last decade, an increasing number of vineyard managers have utilized digital remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) to visualize the variability within their blocks. With computer software designed to overlay remotely sensed imagery with environmental and agronomic geographic data on a map, GIS helps growers recognize and explain patterns that might not have been obvious otherwise. GIS can also serve as a valuable archiving mechanism for future reference. To further develop the use of image technology and GIS for vineyard management support, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise partnered with the U.S. wine and commercial remote sensing industries for a project known as the Viticultural Integration of NASA Technologies for Assessment of the Grapevine Environment (VINTAGE). With project investigators from NASA's Ames Research Center, the California State University at Monterey Bay, and the University of Montana, several prototype products have been developed to support agricultural decisions concerning canopy management and irrigation practice. One key VINTAGE aspect involved the evaluation of satellite and airborne multispectral imagery for delineation of sub-block management zones within a vineyard.

The remote sensing image segmentation mean shift algorithm parallel processing based on MapReduce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xi; Zhou, Liqing

2015-12-01

With the development of satellite remote sensing technology and the remote sensing image data, traditional remote sensing image segmentation technology cannot meet the massive remote sensing image processing and storage requirements. This article put cloud computing and parallel computing technology in remote sensing image segmentation process, and build a cheap and efficient computer cluster system that uses parallel processing to achieve MeanShift algorithm of remote sensing image segmentation based on the MapReduce model, not only to ensure the quality of remote sensing image segmentation, improved split speed, and better meet the real-time requirements. The remote sensing image segmentation MeanShift algorithm parallel processing algorithm based on MapReduce shows certain significance and a realization of value.

Lunar Prospector: a Preliminary Surface Remote Sensing Resource Assessment for the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mardon, A. A.

1992-01-01

The potential existence of lunar volatiles is a scientific discovery that could distinctly change the direction of pathways of inner solar system human expansion. With a dedicated germanium gamma ray spectrometer launched in the early 1990's, surface water concentrations of 0.7 percent could be detected immediately upon full lunar polar orbit operations. The expense of lunar base construction and operation would be dramatically reduced over a scenario with no lunar volatile resources. Global surface mineral distribution could be mapped out and integrated into a GIS database for lunar base site selection. Extensive surface lunar mapping would also result in the utilization of archived Apollo images. A variety of remote sensing systems and their parameters have been proposed for use in the detection of these lunar ice masses. The detection or nondetection of subsurface and surface ice masses in lunar polar crater floors could dramatically direct the development pathways that the human race might follow in its radiation from the Earth to habitable locales in the inner terran solar system. Potential sources of lunar volatiles are described. The use of remote sensing to detect lunar volatiles is addressed.

A scene-analysis approach to remote sensing. [San Francisco, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tenenbaum, J. M. (Principal Investigator); Fischler, M. A.; Wolf, H. C.

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Geometric correspondance between a sensed image and a symbolic map is established in an initial stage of processing by adjusting parameters of a sensed model so that the image features predicted from the map optimally match corresponding features extracted from the sensed image. Information in the map is then used to constrain where to look in an image, what to look for, and how to interpret what is seen. For simple monitoring tasks involving multispectral classification, these constraints significantly reduce computation, simplify interpretation, and improve the utility of the resulting information. Previously intractable tasks requiring spatial and textural analysis may become straightforward in the context established by the map knowledge. The use of map-guided image analysis in monitoring the volume of water in a reservoir, the number of boxcars in a railyard, and the number of ships in a harbor is demonstrated.

Mapping wetlands and surface water in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America: Chapter 16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rover, Jennifer R.; Mushet, David M.

2015-01-01

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is one of the most highly productive wetland regions in the world. Prairie Pothole wetlands serve as a primary feeding and breeding habitat for more than one-half of North America’s waterfowl population, as well as a variety of songbirds, waterbirds, shorebirds, and other wildlife. During the last century, extensive land conversions from grassland with wetlands to cultivated cropland and grazed pastureland segmented and reduced wetland habitat. Inventorying and characterizing remaining wetland habitat is critical for the management of wetland ecosystem services. Remote sensing technologies are often utilized for mapping and monitoring wetlands. This chapter presents background specific to the PPR and discusses approaches employed in mapping its wetlands before presenting a case study.

An integrated remote sensing approach for identifying ecological range sites. [parker mountain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaynes, R. A.

1983-01-01

A model approach for identifying ecological range sites was applied to high elevation sagebrush-dominated rangelands on Parker Mountain, in south-central Utah. The approach utilizes map information derived from both high altitude color infrared photography and LANDSAT digital data, integrated with soils, geological, and precipitation maps. Identification of the ecological range site for a given area requires an evaluation of all relevant environmental factors which combine to give that site the potential to produce characteristic types and amounts of vegetation. A table is presented which allows the user to determine ecological range site based upon an integrated use of the maps which were prepared. The advantages of identifying ecological range sites through an integrated photo interpretation/LANDSAT analysis are discussed.

Geology team

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Evaluating of the combined utility of narrowband and multispectral imaging in both the infrared and visible for the lithologic identification of geologic materials, and of the combined utility of multispectral imaging in the visible and infrared for lithologic mapping on a global bases are near term recommendations for future imaging capabilities. Long term recommendations include laboratory research into methods of field sampling and theoretical models of microscale mixing. The utility of improved spatial and spectral resolutions and radiometric sensitivity is also suggested for the long term. Geobotanical remote sensing research should be conducted to (1) separate geological and botanical spectral signatures in individual picture elements; (2) study geobotanical correlations that more fully simulate natural conditions; and use test sites designed to test specific geobotanical hypotheses.

Mapping Foliar Traits Across Biomes Using Imaging Spectroscopy: A Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Townsend, P. A.; Singh, A.; Wang, Z.

2016-12-01

One of the great promises of imaging spectroscopy - also known as hyperspectral remote sensing - is the ability to map the spatial variation in foliar functional traits, such as nitrogen concentration, pigments, leaf structure, photosynthetic capacity and secondary biochemistry, that drive terrestrial ecosystem processes. A remote-sensing approach enables characterization of within- and between-biome variations that may be crucial to understanding ecosystem responses to pests, pathogens and environmental change. We provide a synthesis of the foliar traits that can be mapped from imaging spectroscopy, as well as an overview of both the major applications of trait maps derived from hyperspectral imagery and current gaps in our knowledge and capacity. Specifically, we make the case that a global imaging spectroscopy mission will provide unique and urgent measurements necessary to understand the response of agricultural and natural systems to rapid global changes. Finally, we present a quantitative framework to utilize imaging spectroscopy to characterize spatial and temporal variation in foliar traits within and between biomes. From this we can infer the dynamics of vegetation function across ecosystems, especially in transition zones and environmentally sensitive systems. Eventual launch of a global imaging spectroscopy mission will enable collection of narrowband VSWIR measurements that will help close major gaps in our understanding of biogeochemical cycles and improve representation of vegetated biomes in Earth system process models.

Natural Resource Information System. Volume 1: Overall description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A prototype computer-based Natural Resource Information System was designed which could store, process, and display data of maximum usefulness to land management decision making. The system includes graphic input and display, the use of remote sensing as a data source, and it is useful at multiple management levels. A survey established current decision making processes and functions, information requirements, and data collection and processing procedures. The applications of remote sensing data and processing requirements were established. Processing software was constructed and a data base established using high-altitude imagery and map coverage of selected areas of SE Arizona. Finally a demonstration of system processing functions was conducted utilizing material from the data base.

Compensating for environmental variability in the thermal inertia approach to remote sensing of soil moisture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Idso, S. B.; Jackson, R. D.; Reginato, R. J.

1976-01-01

A procedure is developed for removing data scatter in the thermal-inertia approach to remote sensing of soil moisture which arises from environmental variability in time and space. It entails the utilization of nearby National Weather Service air temperature measurements to normalize measured diurnal surface temperature variations to what they would have been for a day of standard diurnal air temperature variation, arbitrarily assigned to be 18 C. Tests of the procedure's basic premise on a bare loam soil and a crop of alfalfa indicate it to be conceptually sound. It is possible that the technique could also be useful in other thermal-inertia applications, such as lithographic mapping.

Mapping the Risks of Malaria, Dengue and Influenza Using Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiang, R. K.; Soebiyanto, R. P.

2012-07-01

It has long been recognized that environment and climate may affect the transmission of infectious diseases. The effects are most obvious for vector-borne infectious diseases, such as malaria and dengue, but less so for airborne and contact diseases, such as seasonal influenza. In this paper, we examined the meteorological and environmental parameters that influence the transmission of malaria, dengue and seasonal influenza. Remotely sensed parameters that provide such parameters were discussed. Both statistical and biologically inspired, processed based models can be used to model the transmission of these diseases utilizing the remotely sensed parameters as input. Examples were given for modelling malaria in Thailand, dengue in Indonesia, and seasonal influenza in Hong Kong.

Design and Verification of Remote Sensing Image Data Center Storage Architecture Based on Hadoop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, D.; Zhou, X.; Jing, Y.; Cong, W.; Li, C.

2018-04-01

The data center is a new concept of data processing and application proposed in recent years. It is a new method of processing technologies based on data, parallel computing, and compatibility with different hardware clusters. While optimizing the data storage management structure, it fully utilizes cluster resource computing nodes and improves the efficiency of data parallel application. This paper used mature Hadoop technology to build a large-scale distributed image management architecture for remote sensing imagery. Using MapReduce parallel processing technology, it called many computing nodes to process image storage blocks and pyramids in the background to improve the efficiency of image reading and application and sovled the need for concurrent multi-user high-speed access to remotely sensed data. It verified the rationality, reliability and superiority of the system design by testing the storage efficiency of different image data and multi-users and analyzing the distributed storage architecture to improve the application efficiency of remote sensing images through building an actual Hadoop service system.

Cloud removing method for daily snow mapping over Central Asia and Xinjiang, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xiaoqi; Qiu, Yubao; Guo, Huadong; Chen, Lijuan

2017-02-01

Central Asia and Xinjiang, China are conjunct areas, located in the hinterland of the Eurasian continent, where the snowfall is an important water resource supplement form. The induced seasonal snow cover is vita factors to the regional energy and water balance, remote sensing plays a key role in the snow mapping filed, while the daily remote sensing products are normally contaminated by the occurrence of cloud, that obviously obstacles the utility of snow cover parameters. In this paper, based on the daily snow product from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS A1), a cloud removing method was developed by considering the regional snow distribution characteristics with latitude and altitude dependence respectively. In the end, the daily cloud free products was compared with the same period of eight days MODIS standard product, revealing that the cloud free snow products are reasonable, while could provide higher temporal resolution, and more details over Center Asia and Xinjiang Province.

Novel robotic catheter manipulation system integrated with remote magnetic navigation for fully remote ablation of atrial tachyarrhythmias: a two-centre evaluation.

PubMed

Nölker, Georg; Gutleben, Klaus-Jürgen; Muntean, Bogdan; Vogt, Jürgen; Horstkotte, Dieter; Dabiri Abkenari, Lara; Akca, Ferdi; Szili-Torok, Tamas

2012-12-01

Studies have shown that remote magnetic navigation is safe and effective for ablation of atrial arrhythmias, although optimal outcomes often require frequent manual manipulation of a circular mapping catheter. The Vdrive robotic system ('Vdrive') was designed for remote navigation of circular mapping catheters to enable a fully remote procedure. This study details the first human clinical experience with remote circular catheter manipulation in the left atrium. This was a prospective, multi-centre, non-randomized consecutive case series that included patients presenting for catheter ablation of left atrial arrhythmias. Remote systems were used exclusively to manipulate both the circular mapping catheter and the ablation catheter. Patients were followed through hospital discharge. Ninety-four patients were included in the study, including 23 with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), 48 with persistent AF, and 15 suffering from atrial tachycardias. The population was predominately male (77%) with a mean age of 60.5 ± 11.7 years. The Vdrive was used for remote navigation between veins, creation of chamber maps, and gap identification with segmental isolation. The intended acute clinical endpoints were achieved in 100% of patients. Mean case time was 225.9 ± 70.5 min. Three patients (3.2%) crossed over to manual circular mapping catheter navigation. There were no adverse events related to the use of the remote manipulation system. The results of this study demonstrate that remote manipulation of a circular mapping catheter in the ablation of atrial arrhythmias is feasible and safe. Prospective randomized studies are needed to prove efficiency improvements over manual techniques.

Utilization of selected laser-ablation-based diagnostic methods for study of elemental distribution in various solid samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, J.; Novotný, K.; Hrdlička, A.; Malina, R.; Novotný, J.; Prochazka, D.; Petrilak, M.; Krajcarová, L.; Vítková, G.; Kučerová, P.

2010-12-01

Here we report on the recent developments and upgrades of our Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy setups and their different modification for high-resolution mapping. Mapping capabilities of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry are compared. The applied improvements as an autofocus algorithm, together with the realization of double-pulse LIBS or combination of LIBS by Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (LIFS) with technique are detailed. The signal enhancement obtained by double-pulse approach is demonstrated. The state of the art on development of portable remote LIBS apparatus is also presented.

Australian Multiexperimental Assessment of SIR-B (AMAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, J. A.; Forster, B. C.; Milne, A. K.; Taylor, G. R.; Trinder, J. C.

1984-01-01

The utility of SIR-B data for analysis of surface properties and subsurface morphology in three arid regions of Australia is investigated. This study area is located in western New South Wales. It contains extensive aeolian and alluvially derived depositional plains and is the site of the University's Arid Zone Research Station; it is well-mapped and surveyed. Radar backscatter is mapped and evaluated against known terrain conditions. Relative components of surface and subsurface return are determined with a view to identifying structural properties of surface and subsurface morphology. The capability of microwave remote sensing in locating likely groundwater sources in the Bancannia Basin, near Fowler's Gap is assessed.

Coastal wetlands: The present and future role of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, V.

1977-01-01

During the past decade, there has been a rapid expansion of remote sensing research and technology development related to coastal wetlands. As a result of this research, all of the 23 coastal states have ongoing or completed wetland inventories, most utilizing aerial photographs as the data source for producing a variety of map products with varying scales, formats, classification systems and intended uses. The U.S. Geological Survey is increasing emphasis on map production and revision for the coastal zone. The new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory is intended to provide a standardized method for comparison of wetlands on a national basis - it too will use available aerial photographs as a basic data source. At present, satellite data is not used for operational mapping of coastal wetlands because of resolution and geometric constraints. In the future, however, satellite data may provide an accurate reliable and economical source to update wetland inventories and to monitor or evaluate coastal wetlands. The technological improvements accompanying the development and launch of Landsat C and D and the space shuttle promise to make satellite digital data a more powerful tool to supply information for future management decisions for coastal wetlands.

Unveiling topographical changes using LiDAR mapping capability: case study of Belaga in Sarawak, East-Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganendra, T. R.; Khan, N. M.; Razak, W. J.; Kouame, Y.; Mobarakeh, E. T.

2016-06-01

The use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing technology to scan and map landscapes has proven to be one of the most popular techniques to accurately map topography. Thus, LiDAR technology is the ultimate method of unveiling the surface feature under dense vegetation, and, this paper intends to emphasize the diverse techniques that can be utilized to elucidate topographical changes over the study area, using multi-temporal airborne full waveform LiDAR datasets collected in 2012 and 2014. Full waveform LiDAR data offers access to an almost unlimited number of returns per shot, which enables the user to explore in detail topographical changes, such as vegetation growth measurement. The study also found out topography changes at the study area due to earthwork activities contributing to soil consolidation, soil erosion and runoff, requiring cautious monitoring. The implications of this study not only concurs with numerous investigations undertaken by prominent researchers to improve decision making, but also corroborates once again that investigations employing multi-temporal LiDAR data to unveil topography changes in vegetated terrains, produce more detailed and accurate results than most other remote sensing data.

Hiawatha National Forest Riparian Inventory: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abood, S. A.

2014-12-01

Riparian areas are dynamic, transitional ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with well-defined vegetation and soil characteristics. Riparian areas offers wildlife habitat and stream water quality, offers bank stability and protects against erosions, provides aesthetics and recreational value, and other numerous valuable ecosystem functions. Quantifying and delineating riparian areas is an essential step in riparian monitoring, riparian management/planning and policy decisions, and in preserving its valuable ecological functions. Previous approaches to riparian areas mapping have primarily utilized fixed width buffers. However, these methodologies only take the watercourse into consideration and ignore critical geomorphology, associated vegetation and soil characteristics. Other approaches utilize remote sensing technologies such as aerial photos interpretation or satellite imagery riparian vegetation classification. Such techniques requires expert knowledge, high spatial resolution data, and expensive when mapping riparian areas on a landscape scale. The goal of this study is to develop a cost effective robust workflow to consistently map the geographic extent and composition of riparian areas within the Hiawatha National Forest boundary utilizing the Riparian Buffer Delineation Model (RBDM) v3.0 and open source geospatial data. This approach recognizes the dynamic and transitional natures of riparian areas by accounting for hydrologic, geomorphic and vegetation data as inputs into the delineation process and the results would suggests incorporating functional variable width riparian mapping within watershed management planning to improve protection and restoration of valuable riparian functionality and biodiversity.

Evaluating the effect of remote sensing image spatial resolution on soil exchangeable potassium prediction models in smallholder farm settings.

PubMed

Xu, Yiming; Smith, Scot E; Grunwald, Sabine; Abd-Elrahman, Amr; Wani, Suhas P

2017-09-15

Major end users of Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) such as policy makers and agricultural extension workers are faced with choosing the appropriate remote sensing data. The objective of this research is to analyze the spatial resolution effects of different remote sensing images on soil prediction models in two smallholder farms in Southern India called Kothapally (Telangana State), and Masuti (Karnataka State), and provide empirical guidelines to choose the appropriate remote sensing images in DSM. Bayesian kriging (BK) was utilized to characterize the spatial pattern of exchangeable potassium (K ex ) in the topsoil (0-15 cm) at different spatial resolutions by incorporating spectral indices from Landsat 8 (30 m), RapidEye (5 m), and WorldView-2/GeoEye-1/Pleiades-1A images (2 m). Some spectral indices such as band reflectances, band ratios, Crust Index and Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index from multiple images showed relatively strong correlations with soil K ex in two study areas. The research also suggested that fine spatial resolution WorldView-2/GeoEye-1/Pleiades-1A-based and RapidEye-based soil prediction models would not necessarily have higher prediction performance than coarse spatial resolution Landsat 8-based soil prediction models. The end users of DSM in smallholder farm settings need select the appropriate spectral indices and consider different factors such as the spatial resolution, band width, spectral resolution, temporal frequency, cost, and processing time of different remote sensing images. Overall, remote sensing-based Digital Soil Mapping has potential to be promoted to smallholder farm settings all over the world and help smallholder farmers implement sustainable and field-specific soil nutrient management scheme. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of remote sensing technology for inventorying and planning utilization of land resources in South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A project was undertaken in Meade County, South Dakota to provide (1) a general county-wide resource survey of land use and soils and (2) a detailed survey of land use for the environmentally sensitive area adjacent to the Black Hills. Imagery from LANDSAT-1 was visually interpreted to provide land use information and a general soils map. A detailed land use map for the Black Hills area was interpreted from RB-57 photographs and interpretations of soil characteristics were input into a computer data base and mapped. The detailed land use data were then used in conjunction with soil maps to provide information for the development of zoning ordinance maps and other land use planning in the Black Hills area. The use of photographs as base maps was also demonstrated. In addition, the use of airborne thermography to locate spoilage areas in sugar beet piles and to determine the apparent temperature of rooftops was evaluated.

Mapping Plant Diversity and Composition Across North Carolina Piedmont Forest Landscapes Using Lidar-Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakkenberg, Christopher R.

Forest modification, from local stress to global change, has given rise to efforts to model, map, and monitor critical properties of forest communities like structure, composition, and diversity. Predictive models based on data from spatially-nested field plots and LiDAR-hyperspectral remote sensing systems are one particularly effective means towards the otherwise prohibitively resource-intensive task of consistently characterizing forest community dynamics at landscape scales. However, to date, most predictive models fail to account for actual (rather than idealized) species and community distributions, are unsuccessful in predicting understory components in structurally and taxonomically heterogeneous forests, and may suffer from diminished predictive accuracy due to incongruity in scale and precision between field plot samples, remotely-sensed data, and target biota of varying size and density. This three-part study addresses these and other concerns in the modeling and mapping of emergent properties of forest communities by shifting the scope of prediction from the individual or taxon to the whole stand or community. It is, after all, at the stand scale where emergent properties like functional processes, biodiversity, and habitat aggregate and manifest. In the first study, I explore the relationship between forest structure (a proxy for successional demographics and resource competition) and tree species diversity in the North Carolina Piedmont, highlighting the empirical basis and potential for utilizing forest structure from LiDAR in predictive models of tree species diversity. I then extend these conclusions to map landscape pattern in multi-scale vascular plant diversity as well as turnover in community-continua at varying compositional resolutions in a North Carolina Piedmont landscape using remotely-sensed LiDAR-hyperspectral estimates of topography, canopy structure, and foliar biochemistry. Recognizing that the distinction between correlation and causation mirrors that between knowledge and understanding, all three studies distinguish between prediction of pattern and inference of process. Thus, in addition to advancing mapping methodologies relevant to a range of forest ecosystem management and monitoring applications, all three studies are noteworthy for assessing the ecological relationship between environmental predictors and emergent landscape patterns in plant composition and diversity in North Carolina Piedmont forests.

Using Remote Sensing Mapping and Growth Response to Environmental Variability to Aide Aquatic Invasive Plant Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Schlick, Greg; Genovese, Vanessa; Wilson, Kenneth D.

2018-01-01

Management of aquatic weeds in complex watersheds and river systems present many challenges to assessment, planning and implementation of management practices for floating and submerged aquatic invasive plants. The Delta Region Areawide Aquatic Weed Project (DRAAWP), a USDA sponsored area-wide project, is working to enhance planning, decision-making and operational efficiency in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Satellite and airborne remote sensing are used map (area coverage and biomass density), direct operations, and assess management impacts on plant communities. Archived satellite records enable review of results following previous climate and management events and aide in developing long-term strategies. Examples of remote sensing aiding effectiveness of aquatic weed management will be discussed as well as areas for potential technological improvement. Modeling at local and watershed scales using the SWAT modeling tool provides insight into land-use effects on water quality (described by Zhang in same Symposium). Controlled environment growth studies have been conducted to quantify the growth response of invasive aquatic plants to water quality and other environmental factors. Environmental variability occurs across a range of time scales from long-term climate and seasonal trends to short-term water flow mediated variations. Response time for invasive species response are examined at time scales of weeks, day, and hours using a combination of study duration and growth assessment techniques to assess water quality, temperature (air and water), nitrogen, phosphorus, and light effects. These provide response parameters for plant growth models in response to the variation and interact with management and economic models associated with aquatic weed management. Plant growth models are to be informed by remote sensing and applied spatially across the Delta to balance location and type of aquatic plant, growth response to altered environments and phenology. Initial utilization of remote sensing tools developed for mapping of aquatic invasive plants improved operational efficiency in management practices. These assessment methods provide a comprehensive and quantitative view of aquatic invasive plants communities in the California Delta.

A manual for inexpensive methods of analyzing and utilizing remote sensor data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elifrits, C. D.; Barr, D. J.

1978-01-01

Instructions are provided for inexpensive methods of using remote sensor data to assist in the completion of the need to observe the earth's surface. When possible, relative costs were included. Equipment need for analysis of remote sensor data is described, and methods of use of these equipment items are included, as well as advantages and disadvantages of the use of individual items. Interpretation and analysis of stereo photos and the interpretation of typical patterns such as tone and texture, landcover, drainage, and erosional form are described. Similar treatment is given to monoscopic image interpretation, including LANDSAT MSS data. Enhancement techniques are detailed with respect to their application and simple techniques of creating an enhanced data item. Techniques described include additive and subtractive (Diazo processes) color techniques and enlargement of photos or images. Applications of these processes, including mappings of land resources, engineering soils, geology, water resources, environmental conditions, and crops and/or vegetation, are outlined.

Concealed Accessory Pathways with a Single Ventricular and Two Discrete Atrial Insertion Sites.

PubMed

Kipp, Ryan T; Abu Sham'a, Raed; Hiroyuki, Ito; Han, Frederick T; Refaat, Marwan; Hsu, Jonathan C; Field, Michael E; Kopp, Douglas E; Marcus, Gregory M; Scheinman, Melvin M; Hoffmayer, Kurt S

2017-03-01

Atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT) utilizing a concealed accessory pathway is common. It is well appreciated that some patients may have multiple accessory pathways with separate atrial and ventricular insertion sites. We present three cases of AVRT utilizing concealed pathways with evidence that each utilizing a single ventricular insertion and two discrete atrial insertion sites. In case one, two discrete atrial insertion sites were mapped in two separate procedures, and only during the second ablation was the Kent potential identified. Ablation of the Kent potential at this site remote from the two atrial insertion sites resulted in the termination of the retrograde conduction in both pathways. Case two presented with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with alternating eccentric atrial activation patterns without alteration in the tachycardia cycle length. The two distinct atrial insertion sites during orthodromic AVRT and ventricular pacing were targeted and each of the two atrial insertion sites were successfully mapped and ablated. In case three, retrograde decremental conduction utilizing both atrial insertion sites was identified prior to ablation. After mapping and ablation of the first discrete atrial insertion site, tachycardia persisted utilizing the second atrial insertion site. Only after ablation of the second atrial insertion site was SVT noninducible, and VA conduction was no longer present. Concealed retrograde accessory pathways with discrete atrial insertion sites may have a common ventricular insertion site. Identification and ablation of the ventricular insertion site or the separate discrete atrial insertion sites result in successful treatment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Remote sensing sensors and applications in environmental resources mapping and modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melesse, Assefa M.; Weng, Qihao; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Senay, Gabriel B.

2007-01-01

The history of remote sensing and development of different sensors for environmental and natural resources mapping and data acquisition is reviewed and reported. Application examples in urban studies, hydrological modeling such as land-cover and floodplain mapping, fractional vegetation cover and impervious surface area mapping, surface energy flux and micro-topography correlation studies is discussed. The review also discusses the use of remotely sensed-based rainfall and potential evapotranspiration for estimating crop water requirement satisfaction index and hence provides early warning information for growers. The review is not an exhaustive application of the remote sensing techniques rather a summary of some important applications in environmental studies and modeling.

Mapping wood density globally using remote sensing and climatological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, A.; Camps-Valls, G.; Carvalhais, N.; Kattge, J.; Robinson, N.; Reichstein, M.; Allred, B. W.; Running, S. W.

2017-12-01

Wood density (WD) is defined as the oven-dry mass divided by fresh volume, varies between individuals, and describes the carbon investment per unit volume of stem. WD has been proven to be a key functional trait in carbon cycle research and correlates with numerous morphological, mechanical, physiological, and ecological properties. In spite of the utility and importance of this trait, there is a lack of an operational framework to spatialize plant WD measurements at a global scale. In this work, we present a consistent modular processing chain to derive global maps (500 m) of WD using modern machine learning techniques along with optical remote sensing data (MODIS/Landsat) and climate data using the Google Earth Engine platform. The developed approach uses a hierarchical Bayesian approach to fill in gaps in the plant measured WD data set to maximize its global representativeness. WD plant species are then aggregated to Plant Functional Types (PFT). The spatial abundance of PFT at 500 m spatial resolution (MODIS) is calculated using a high resolution (30 m) PFT map developed using Landsat data. Based on these PFT abundances, representative WD values are estimated for each MODIS pixel with nearby measured data. Finally, random forests are used to globally estimate WD from these MODIS pixels using remote sensing and climate. The validation and assessment of the applied methods indicate that the model explains more than 72% of the spatial variance of the calculated community aggregated WD estimates with virtually unbiased estimates and low RMSE (<15%). The maps thus offer new opportunities to study and analyze the global patterns of variation of WD at an unprecedented spatial coverage and spatial resolution.

City of Flagstaff Project: Ground Water Resource Evaluation, Remote Sensing Component

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chavez, Pat S.; Velasco, Miguel G.; Bowell, Jo-Ann; Sides, Stuart C.; Gonzalez, Rosendo R.; Soltesz, Deborah L.

1996-01-01

Many regions, cities, and towns in the Western United States need new or expanded water resources because of both population growth and increased development. Any tools or data that can help in the evaluation of an area's potential water resources must be considered for this increasingly critical need. Remotely sensed satellite images and subsequent digital image processing have been under-utilized in ground water resource evaluation and exploration. Satellite images can be helpful in detecting and mapping an area's regional structural patterns, including major fracture and fault systems, two important geologic settings for an area's surface to ground water relations. Within the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Flagstaff Field Center, expertise and capabilities in remote sensing and digital image processing have been developed over the past 25 years through various programs. For the City of Flagstaff project, this expertise and these capabilities were combined with traditional geologic field mapping to help evaluate ground water resources in the Flagstaff area. Various enhancement and manipulation procedures were applied to the digital satellite images; the results, in both digital and hardcopy format, were used for field mapping and analyzing the regional structure. Relative to surface sampling, remotely sensed satellite and airborne images have improved spatial coverage that can help study, map, and monitor the earth surface at local and/or regional scales. Advantages offered by remotely sensed satellite image data include: 1. a synoptic/regional view compared to both aerial photographs and ground sampling, 2. cost effectiveness, 3. high spatial resolution and coverage compared to ground sampling, and 4. relatively high temporal coverage on a long term basis. Remotely sensed images contain both spectral and spatial information. The spectral information provides various properties and characteristics about the surface cover at a given location or pixel (that is, vegetation and/or soil type). The spatial information gives the distribution, variation, and topographic relief of the cover types from pixel to pixel. Therefore, the main characteristics that determine a pixel's brightness/reflectance and, consequently, the digital number (DN) assigned to the pixel, are the physical properties of the surface and near surface, the cover type, and the topographic slope. In this application, the ability to detect and map lineaments, especially those related to fractures and faults, is critical. Therefore, the extraction of spatial information from the digital images was of prime interest in this project. The spatial information varies among the different spectral bands available; in particular, a near infrared spectral band is better than a visible band when extracting spatial information in highly vegetated areas. In this study, both visible and near infrared bands were analyzed and used to extract the desired spatial information from the images. The wide swath coverage of remotely sensed satellite digital images makes them ideal for regional analysis and mapping. Since locating and mapping highly fractured and faulted areas is a major requirement for ground water resource evaluation and exploration this aspect of satellite images was considered critical; it allowed us to stand back (actually up about 440 miles), look at, and map the regional structural setting of the area. The main focus of the remote sensing and digital image processing component of this project was to use both remotely sensed digital satellite images and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to extract spatial information related to the structural and topographic patterns in the area. The data types used were digital satellite images collected by the United States' Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and French Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de laTerre (SPOT) imaging systems, along with a DEM of the Flagstaff region. The USGS Mini Image Processing Sy

Application of Multilayer Perceptron with Automatic Relevance Determination on Weed Mapping Using UAV Multispectral Imagery

PubMed Central

Tamouridou, Afroditi A.; Lagopodi, Anastasia L.; Kashefi, Javid; Kasampalis, Dimitris; Kontouris, Georgios; Moshou, Dimitrios

2017-01-01

Remote sensing techniques are routinely used in plant species discrimination and of weed mapping. In the presented work, successful Silybum marianum detection and mapping using multilayer neural networks is demonstrated. A multispectral camera (green-red-near infrared) attached on a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was utilized for the acquisition of high-resolution images (0.1 m resolution). The Multilayer Perceptron with Automatic Relevance Determination (MLP-ARD) was used to identify the S. marianum among other vegetation, mostly Avena sterilis L. The three spectral bands of Red, Green, Near Infrared (NIR) and the texture layer resulting from local variance were used as input. The S. marianum identification rates using MLP-ARD reached an accuracy of 99.54%. Τhe study had an one year duration, meaning that the results are specific, although the accuracy shows the interesting potential of S. marianum mapping with MLP-ARD on multispectral UAV imagery. PMID:29019957

Application of Multilayer Perceptron with Automatic Relevance Determination on Weed Mapping Using UAV Multispectral Imagery.

PubMed

Tamouridou, Afroditi A; Alexandridis, Thomas K; Pantazi, Xanthoula E; Lagopodi, Anastasia L; Kashefi, Javid; Kasampalis, Dimitris; Kontouris, Georgios; Moshou, Dimitrios

2017-10-11

Remote sensing techniques are routinely used in plant species discrimination and of weed mapping. In the presented work, successful Silybum marianum detection and mapping using multilayer neural networks is demonstrated. A multispectral camera (green-red-near infrared) attached on a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was utilized for the acquisition of high-resolution images (0.1 m resolution). The Multilayer Perceptron with Automatic Relevance Determination (MLP-ARD) was used to identify the S. marianum among other vegetation, mostly Avena sterilis L. The three spectral bands of Red, Green, Near Infrared (NIR) and the texture layer resulting from local variance were used as input. The S. marianum identification rates using MLP-ARD reached an accuracy of 99.54%. Τhe study had an one year duration, meaning that the results are specific, although the accuracy shows the interesting potential of S. marianum mapping with MLP-ARD on multispectral UAV imagery.

Criteria for the optimal selection of remote sensing optical images to map event landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorucci, Federica; Giordan, Daniele; Santangelo, Michele; Dutto, Furio; Rossi, Mauro; Guzzetti, Fausto

2018-01-01

Landslides leave discernible signs on the land surface, most of which can be captured in remote sensing images. Trained geomorphologists analyse remote sensing images and map landslides through heuristic interpretation of photographic and morphological characteristics. Despite a wide use of remote sensing images for landslide mapping, no attempt to evaluate how the image characteristics influence landslide identification and mapping exists. This paper presents an experiment to determine the effects of optical image characteristics, such as spatial resolution, spectral content and image type (monoscopic or stereoscopic), on landslide mapping. We considered eight maps of the same landslide in central Italy: (i) six maps obtained through expert heuristic visual interpretation of remote sensing images, (ii) one map through a reconnaissance field survey, and (iii) one map obtained through a real-time kinematic (RTK) differential global positioning system (dGPS) survey, which served as a benchmark. The eight maps were compared pairwise and to a benchmark. The mismatch between each map pair was quantified by the error index, E. Results show that the map closest to the benchmark delineation of the landslide was obtained using the higher resolution image, where the landslide signature was primarily photographical (in the landslide source and transport area). Conversely, where the landslide signature was mainly morphological (in the landslide deposit) the best mapping result was obtained using the stereoscopic images. Albeit conducted on a single landslide, the experiment results are general, and provide useful information to decide on the optimal imagery for the production of event, seasonal and multi-temporal landslide inventory maps.

Direct T2 Quantification of Myocardial Edema in Acute Ischemic Injury

PubMed Central

Verhaert, David; Thavendiranathan, Paaladinesh; Giri, Shivraman; Mihai, Georgeta; Rajagopalan, Sanjay; Simonetti, Orlando P.; Raman, Subha V.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the utility of rapid, quantitative T2 mapping compared with conventional T2-weighted imaging in patients presenting with various forms of acute myocardial infarction. BACKGROUND T2-weighted cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) identifies myocardial edema before the onset of irreversible ischemic injury and has shown value in risk-stratifying patients with chest pain. Clinical acceptance of T2-weighted CMR has, however, been limited by well-known technical problems associated with existing techniques. T2 quantification has recently been shown to overcome these problems; we hypothesized that T2 measurement in infarcted myocardium versus remote regions versus zones of microvascular obstruction in acute myocardial infarction patients could help reduce uncertainty in interpretation of T2-weighted images. METHODS T2 values using a novel mapping technique were prospectively recorded in 16 myocardial segments in 27 patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction. Regional T2 values were averaged in the infarct zone and remote myocardium, both defined by a reviewer blinded to the results of T2 mapping. Myocardial T2 was also measured in a group of 21 healthy volunteers. RESULTS T2 of the infarct zone was 69 ± 6 ms compared with 56 ± 3.4 ms for remote myocardium (p < 0.0001). No difference in T2 was observed between remote myocardium and myocardium of healthy volunteers (56 ± 3.4 ms and 55.5 ± 2.3 ms, respectively, p = NS). T2 mapping allowed for the detection of edematous myocardium in 26 of 27 patients; by comparison, segmented breath-hold T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery images were negative in 7 and uninterpretable in another 2 due to breathing artifacts. Within the infarct zone, areas of microvascular obstruction were characterized by a lower T2 value (59 ± 6 ms) compared with areas with no microvascular obstruction (71.6 ± 10 ms, p < 0.0001). T2 mapping provided consistent high-quality results in patients unable to breath-hold and in those with irregular heart rhythms, in whom short tau inversion recovery often yielded inadequate imaging. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative T2 mapping reliably identifies myocardial edema without the limitations encountered by T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery imaging, and may therefore be clinically more robust in showing acute ischemic injury. PMID:21414575

Utilization of remotely-sensed data in the management of inland wetlands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, V.; Smith, D. G.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 data and aerial photography are proving to be a useful tool for the inventory and management of inland wetlands. Two examples of the application of remotely-sensed data to specific wetland management needs or requirements are discussed. Studies of the Great Dismal Swamp are utilizing ERTS-1 imagery and color IR photography in: (1) study area selection; (2) field inspection; (3) vegetation mapping; (4) identification of drainage characteristics and moisture regime; (5) location of intensive study areas; and (6) detection of change. Thematic extractions of ERTS-1 data made using the United States Geological Survey's Autographic Theme Extraction System are aiding analyses of swamp hydrologic regime and providing information pertinent to quick recognition and inventory of wetlands from ERTS-1. DCP'S in south Florida wetlands provide near-real time data for water resources managers. Data relayed by satellite can be entered into models to provide predictive data and water storage information for long-term and short-term decision making.

Using remotely sensed data to construct and assess forest attribute maps and related spatial products

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Warren B. Cohen; Erik Naesset; Stephen V. Stehman; Erkki O. Tomppo

2010-01-01

Tremendous advances in the construction and assessment of forest attribute maps and related spatial products have been realized in recent years, partly as a result of the use of remotely sensed data as an information source. This review focuses on the current state of techniques for the construction and assessment of remote sensing-based maps and addresses five topic...

The evolution of mapping habitat for northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina): A comparison of photo-interpreted, Landsat-based, and lidar-based habitat maps

Treesearch

Steven H. Ackers; Raymond J. Davis; Keith A. Olsen; Katie M. Dugger

2015-01-01

Wildlife habitat mapping has evolved at a rapid pace over the last fewdecades. Beginning with simple, often subjective, hand-drawn maps, habitat mapping now involves complex species distribution models (SDMs) using mapped predictor variables derived from remotely sensed data. For species that inhabit large geographic areas, remote sensing technology is often...

Validation of Land Cover Maps Utilizing Astronaut Acquired Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, John E.; Gebelein, Jennifer

1999-01-01

This report is produced in accordance with the requirements outlined in the NASA Research Grant NAG9-1032 titled "Validation of Land Cover Maps Utilizing Astronaut Acquired Imagery". This grant funds the Remote Sensing Research Unit of the University of California, Santa Barbara. This document summarizes the research progress and accomplishments to date and describes current on-going research activities. Even though this grant has technically expired, in a contractual sense, work continues on this project. Therefore, this summary will include all work done through and 5 May 1999. The principal goal of this effort is to test the accuracy of a sub-regional portion of an AVHRR-based land cover product. Land cover mapped to three different classification systems, in the southwestern United States, have been subjected to two specific accuracy assessments. One assessment utilizing astronaut acquired photography, and a second assessment employing Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, augmented in some cases, high aerial photography. Validation of these three land cover products has proceeded using a stratified sampling methodology. We believe this research will provide an important initial test of the potential use of imagery acquired from Shuttle and ultimately the International Space Station (ISS) for the operational validation of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) land cover products.

Remote Sensing Sensors and Applications in Environmental Resources Mapping and Modelling

PubMed Central

Melesse, Assefa M.; Weng, Qihao; S.Thenkabail, Prasad; Senay, Gabriel B.

2007-01-01

The history of remote sensing and development of different sensors for environmental and natural resources mapping and data acquisition is reviewed and reported. Application examples in urban studies, hydrological modeling such as land-cover and floodplain mapping, fractional vegetation cover and impervious surface area mapping, surface energy flux and micro-topography correlation studies is discussed. The review also discusses the use of remotely sensed-based rainfall and potential evapotranspiration for estimating crop water requirement satisfaction index and hence provides early warning information for growers. The review is not an exhaustive application of the remote sensing techniques rather a summary of some important applications in environmental studies and modeling. PMID:28903290

Remote sensing inputs to National Model Implementation Program for water resources quality improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eidenshink, J. C.; Schmer, F. A.

1979-01-01

The Lake Herman watershed in southeastern South Dakota has been selected as one of seven water resources systems in the United States for involvement in the National Model Implementation Program (MIP). MIP is a pilot program initiated to illustrate the effectiveness of existing water resources quality improvement programs. The Remote Sensing Institute (RSI) at South Dakota State University has produced a computerized geographic information system for the Lake Herman watershed. All components necessary for the monitoring and evaluation process were included in the data base. The computerized data were used to produce thematic maps and tabular data for the land cover and soil classes within the watershed. These data are being utilized operationally by SCS resource personnel for planning and management purposes.

Integration of land-use data and soil survey data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, T. L.

1977-01-01

Approaches are discussed for increasing the utility of remotely sensed interpretations through the use of a computer-assisted process which provides capabilities for merging several types of data of varying formats. The resulting maps and summary data are used for planning and zoning in a rapidly developing area (34,000 ha) adjacent to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Attention is given to the data source, data digitization, and aspects of data handling and analysis.

A Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Approach to Freshwater Turtle Conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mui, Amy B.

Freshwater turtles are a globally declining taxa, and estimates of population status are not available for many species. Primary causes of decline stem from widespread habitat loss and degradation, and obtaining spatially-explicit information on remaining habitat across a relevant spatial scale has proven challenging. The discipline of remote sensing science has been employed widely in studies of biodiversity conservation, but it has not been utilized as frequently for cryptic, and less vagile species such as turtles, despite their vulnerable status. The work presented in this thesis investigates how multi-temporal remote sensing imagery can contribute key information for building spatially-explicit and temporally dynamic models of habitat and connectivity for the threatened, Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) in southern Ontario, Canada. I began with outlining a methodological approach for delineating freshwater wetlands from high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery, using a geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) approach. This method was applied to three different landscapes in southern Ontario, and across two biologically relevant seasons during the active (non-hibernating) period of Blanding's turtles. Next, relevant environmental variables associated with turtle presence were extracted from remote sensing imagery, and a boosted regression tree model was developed to predict the probability of occurrence of this species. Finally, I analysed the movement potential for Blanding's turtles in a disturbed landscape using a combination of approaches. Results indicate that (1) a parsimonious GEOBIA approach to land cover mapping, incorporating texture, spectral indices, and topographic information can map heterogeneous land cover with high accuracy, (2) remote-sensing derived environmental variables can be used to build habitat models with strong predictive power, and (3) connectivity potential is best estimated using a variety of approaches, though accurate estimates across human-altered landscapes is challenging. Overall, this body of work supports the use of remote sensing imagery in species distribution models to strengthen the precision, and power of predictive models, and also draws attention to the need to consider a multi-temporal examination of species habitat requirements.

Construction of an unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing system for crop monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Seungtaek; Ko, Jonghan; Kim, Mijeong; Kim, Jongkwon

2016-04-01

We constructed a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing system and determined the ideal method for equipment setup, image acquisition, and image processing. Fields of rice paddy (Oryza sativa cv. Unkwang) grown under three different nitrogen (N) treatments of 0, 50, or 115 kg/ha were monitored at Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, in 2013. A multispectral camera was used to acquire UAV images from the study site. Atmospheric correction of these images was completed using the empirical line method, and three-point (black, gray, and white) calibration boards were used as pseudo references. Evaluation of our corrected UAV-based remote sensing data revealed that correction efficiency and root mean square errors ranged from 0.77 to 0.95 and 0.01 to 0.05, respectively. The time series maps of simulated normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) produced using the UAV images reproduced field variations of NDVI reasonably well, both within and between the different N treatments. We concluded that the UAV-based remote sensing technology utilized in this study is potentially an easy and simple way to quantitatively obtain reliable two-dimensional remote sensing information on crop growth.

Mapping wildland fuels for fire management across multiple scales: integrating remote sensing, GIS, and biophysical modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keane, Robert E.; Burgan, Robert E.; Van Wagtendonk, Jan W.

2001-01-01

Fuel maps are essential for computing spatial fire hazard and risk and simulating fire growth and intensity across a landscape. However, fuel mapping is an extremely difficult and complex process requiring expertise in remotely sensed image classification, fire behavior, fuels modeling, ecology, and geographical information systems (GIS). This paper first presents the challenges of mapping fuels: canopy concealment, fuelbed complexity, fuel type diversity, fuel variability, and fuel model generalization. Then, four approaches to mapping fuels are discussed with examples provided from the literature: (1) field reconnaissance; (2) direct mapping methods; (3) indirect mapping methods; and (4) gradient modeling. A fuel mapping method is proposed that uses current remote sensing and image processing technology. Future fuel mapping needs are also discussed which include better field data and fuel models, accurate GIS reference layers, improved satellite imagery, and comprehensive ecosystem models.

Fluid Lensing based Machine Learning for Augmenting Earth Science Coral Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, A.; Instrella, R.; Chirayath, V.

2016-12-01

Recently, there has been increased interest in monitoring the effects of climate change upon the world's marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. These delicate ecosystems are especially threatened due to their sensitivity to ocean warming and acidification, leading to unprecedented levels of coral bleaching and die-off in recent years. However, current global aquatic remote sensing datasets are unable to quantify changes in marine ecosystems at spatial and temporal scales relevant to their growth. In this project, we employ various supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms to augment existing datasets from NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS), using high resolution airborne imagery. This method utilizes NASA's ongoing airborne campaigns as well as its spaceborne assets to collect remote sensing data over these afflicted regions, and employs Fluid Lensing algorithms to resolve optical distortions caused by the fluid surface, producing cm-scale resolution imagery of these diverse ecosystems from airborne platforms. Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and K-mean clustering methods were applied to satellite imagery at 0.5m resolution, producing segmented maps classifying coral based on percent cover and morphology. Compared to a previous study using multidimensional maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation to separate these features in high resolution airborne datasets, SVMs are able to achieve above 75% accuracy when augmented with existing MAP estimates, while unsupervised methods such as K-means achieve roughly 68% accuracy, verified by manually segmented reference data provided by a marine biologist. This effort thus has broad applications for coastal remote sensing, by helping marine biologists quantify behavioral trends spanning large areas and over longer timescales, and to assess the health of coral reefs worldwide.

Completing the Picture: Importance of Considering Participatory Mapping for REDD+ Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV)

PubMed Central

Rafanoharana, Serge; Boissière, Manuel; Wijaya, Arief; Wardhana, Wahyu

2016-01-01

Remote sensing has been widely used for mapping land cover and is considered key to monitoring changes in forest areas in the REDD+ Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. But Remote Sensing as a desk study cannot capture the whole picture; it also requires ground checking. Therefore, complementing remote sensing analysis using participatory mapping can help provide information for an initial forest cover assessment, gain better understanding of how local land use might affect changes, and provide a way to engage local communities in REDD+. Our study looked at the potential of participatory mapping in providing complementary information for remotely sensed maps. The research sites were located in different ecological and socio-economic contexts in the provinces of Papua, West Kalimantan and Central Java, Indonesia. Twenty-one maps of land cover and land use were drawn with local community participation during focus group discussions in seven villages. These maps, covering a total of 270,000ha, were used to add information to maps developed using remote sensing, adding 39 land covers to the eight from our initial desk assessment. They also provided additional information on drivers of land use and land cover change, resource areas, territory claims and land status, which we were able to correlate to understand changes in forest cover. Incorporating participatory mapping in the REDD+ MRV protocol would help with initial remotely sensed land classifications, stratify an area for ground checks and measurement plots, and add other valuable social data not visible at the RS scale. Ultimately, it would provide a forum for local communities to discuss REDD+ activities and develop a better understanding of REDD+. PMID:27977685

Cooperative studies between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China on applications of remote sensing to surveying and mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lauer, Donald T.; Chu, Liangcai

1992-01-01

A Protocol established between the National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, People's Republic of China (PRC) and the U.S. Geological Survey, United States of America (US), resulted in the exchange of scientific personnel, technical training, and exploration of the processing of remotely sensed data. These activities were directed toward the application of remotely sensed data to surveying and mapping. Data were processed and various products were generated for the Black Hills area in the US and the Ningxiang area of the PRC. The results of these investigations defined applicable processes in the creation of satellite image maps, land use maps, and the use of ancillary data for further map enhancements.

Applications of remote sensing in resource management in Nebraska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drew, J. V.

1975-01-01

A computer-generated graphic display of land use data was developed. The level II inventory data for Sarpy County, Nebraska, was placed on magnetic tape. This data could then be displayed in a map format for comparative analysis of amount and distribution of the various categories of land use. The presentation scale can be varied and thus utilized as a direct guide for cartographic purposes during preparation for publication. In addition, the inventory and classification system was further refined.

Investigation of remote sensing techniques as inputs to operational resource management. [Butte County, Black Hills, South Dakota, Blackhawk Quadrangle, and Belle Fouche Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmer, F. A. (Principal Investigator); Isakson, R. E.; Eidenshink, J. C.

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Visual interpretation of 1:125,000 color LANDSAT prints produced timely level 1 maps of accuracies in excess of 80% for agricultural land identification. Accurate classification of agricultural land via digital analysis of LANDSAT CCT's required precise timing of the date of data collection with mid to late June optimum for western South Dakota. The LANDSAT repetitive nine day cycle over the state allowed the surface areas of stockdams and small reservoir systems to be monitored to provide a timely approximation of surface water conditions on the range. Combined use of DIRS, K-class, and LANDSAT CCT's demonstrated the ability to produce aspen maps of greater detail and timeliness than was available using US Forest Service maps. Visual temporal analyses of LANDSAT imagery improved highway map drainage information and were used to prepare a seven county drainage network. An optimum map of flood-prone areas was developed, utilizing high altitude aerial photography and USGS maps.

Cubic map algebra functions for spatio-temporal analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mennis, J.; Viger, R.; Tomlin, C.D.

2005-01-01

We propose an extension of map algebra to three dimensions for spatio-temporal data handling. This approach yields a new class of map algebra functions that we call "cube functions." Whereas conventional map algebra functions operate on data layers representing two-dimensional space, cube functions operate on data cubes representing two-dimensional space over a third-dimensional period of time. We describe the prototype implementation of a spatio-temporal data structure and selected cube function versions of conventional local, focal, and zonal map algebra functions. The utility of cube functions is demonstrated through a case study analyzing the spatio-temporal variability of remotely sensed, southeastern U.S. vegetation character over various land covers and during different El Nin??o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases. Like conventional map algebra, the application of cube functions may demand significant data preprocessing when integrating diverse data sets, and are subject to limitations related to data storage and algorithm performance. Solutions to these issues include extending data compression and computing strategies for calculations on very large data volumes to spatio-temporal data handling.

Fusion of multi-source remote sensing data for agriculture monitoring tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skakun, S.; Franch, B.; Vermote, E.; Roger, J. C.; Becker Reshef, I.; Justice, C. O.; Masek, J. G.; Murphy, E.

2016-12-01

Remote sensing data is essential source of information for enabling monitoring and quantification of crop state at global and regional scales. Crop mapping, state assessment, area estimation and yield forecasting are the main tasks that are being addressed within GEO-GLAM. Efficiency of agriculture monitoring can be improved when heterogeneous multi-source remote sensing datasets are integrated. Here, we present several case studies of utilizing MODIS, Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data along with meteorological data (growing degree days - GDD) for winter wheat yield forecasting, mapping and area estimation. Archived coarse spatial resolution data, such as MODIS, VIIRS and AVHRR, can provide daily global observations that coupled with statistical data on crop yield can enable the development of empirical models for timely yield forecasting at national level. With the availability of high-temporal and high spatial resolution Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A imagery, course resolution empirical yield models can be downscaled to provide yield estimates at regional and field scale. In particular, we present the case study of downscaling the MODIS CMG based generalized winter wheat yield forecasting model to high spatial resolution data sets, namely harmonized Landsat-8 - Sentinel-2A surface reflectance product (HLS). Since the yield model requires corresponding in season crop masks, we propose an automatic approach to extract winter crop maps from MODIS NDVI and MERRA2 derived GDD using Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Validation for the state of Kansas (US) and Ukraine showed that the approach can yield accuracies > 90% without using reference (ground truth) data sets. Another application of yearly derived winter crop maps is their use for stratification purposes within area frame sampling for crop area estimation. In particular, one can simulate the dependence of error (coefficient of variation) on the number of samples and strata size. This approach was used for estimating the area of winter crops in Ukraine for 2013-2016. The GMM-GDD approach is further extended for HLS data to provide automatic winter crop mapping at 30 m resolution for crop yield model and area estimation. In case of persistent cloudiness, addition of Sentinel-1A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is explored for automatic winter crop mapping.

Lithological mapping of Kanjamalai hill using hyperspectral remote sensing tools in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arulbalaji, Palanisamy; Balasubramanian, Gurugnanam

2017-07-01

This study uses advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) hyperspectral remote sensing techniques to discriminate rock types composing Kanjamalai hill located in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India. Kanjamalai hill is of particular interest because it contains economically viable iron ore deposits. ASTER hyperspectral data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), and minimum noise fraction (MNF) to improve identification of lithologies remotely and to compare these digital data results with published geologic maps. Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis indicates that PCA (R∶G∶B=2∶1∶3), MNF (R∶G∶B=3∶2∶1), and ICA (R∶G∶B=1∶3∶2) provide the best band combination for effective discrimination of lithological rock types composing Kanjamalai hill. The remote sensing-derived lithological map compares favorably with a published geological map from Geological Survey of India and has been verified with ground truth field investigations. Therefore, ASTER data-based lithological mapping provides fast, cost-effective, and accurate geologic data useful for lithological discrimination and identification of ore deposits.

Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS(Geographic Information System) in Crime Analysis of Gujranwala City.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munawar, Iqra

2016-07-01

Crime mapping is a dynamic process. It can be used to assist all stages of the problem solving process. Mapping crime can help police protect citizens more effectively. The decision to utilize a certain type of map or design element may change based on the purpose of a map, the audience or the available data. If the purpose of the crime analysis map is to assist in the identification of a particular problem, selected data may be mapped to identify patterns of activity that have been previously undetected. The main objective of this research was to study the spatial distribution patterns of the four common crimes i.e Narcotics, Arms, Burglary and Robbery in Gujranwala City using spatial statistical techniques to identify the hotspots. Hotspots or location of clusters were identified using Getis-Ord Gi* Statistic. Crime analysis mapping can be used to conduct a comprehensive spatial analysis of the problem. Graphic presentations of such findings provide a powerful medium to communicate conditions, patterns and trends thus creating an avenue for analysts to bring about significant policy changes. Moreover Crime mapping also helps in the reduction of crime rate.

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...

Mapping of submerged vegetation using remote sensing technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savastano, K. J.; Faller, K. H.; Mcfadin, L. W.; Holley, H.

1981-01-01

Techniques for mapping submerged sea grasses using aircraft supported remote sensors are described. The 21 channel solid state array spectroradiometer was successfully used as a remote sensor in the experiment in that the system operated without problem and obtained data. The environmental conditions of clear water, bright sandy bottom and monospecific vegetation (Thalassia) were ideal.

Remote detection of forest damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rock, B. N.; Vogelmann, J. E.; Vogelmann, A. F.; Hoshizaki, T.; Williams, D. L.

1986-01-01

The use of remote sensing to discriminate, measure, and map forest damage is evaluated. TM spectal coverage, a helicopter-mounted radiometer, and ground-based surveys were utilized to examine the responses of the spruces and firs of Camels Hump Mountain, Vermont to stresses, such as pollution and trace metals. The basic spectral properties of vegetation are described. Forest damage at the site was estimated as 11.8-76.0 percent for the spruces and 19-43.8 percent for the balsam firs. Shifts in the spectra of the conifers in particular in the near IR region are analyzed, and variations in the mesophyll cell anatomy and pigment content of the spruces and firs are investigated. The relations between canopy moisture and damage is studied. The TM data are compared to aircraft data and found to be well correlated.

Spectral reflectance and emissivity features of broad leaf plants: Prospects for remote sensing in the thermal infrared (8.0-14.0 μm)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ribeiro da Luz, Beatriz; Crowley, James K.

2007-01-01

In contrast to visible and short-wave infrared data, thermal infrared spectra of broad leaf plants show considerable spectral diversity, suggesting that such data eventually could be utilized to map vegetation composition. However, remotely measuring the subtle emissivity features of leaves still presents major challenges. To be successful, sensors operating in the 8–14 μm atmospheric window must have high signal-to-noise and a small enough instantaneous field of view to allow measurements of only a few leaf surfaces. Methods for atmospheric compensation, temperature–emissivity separation, and spectral feature analysis also will need to be refined to allow the recognition, and perhaps, exploitation of leaf thermal infrared spectral properties.

Remote sensing information for fire management and fire effects assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuvieco, Emilio; Kasischke, Eric S.

2007-03-01

Over the past decade, much research has been carried out on the utilization of advanced geospatial technologies (remote sensing and geographic information systems) in the fire science and fire management disciplines. Recent advances in these technologies were the focus of a workshop sponsored by the EARSEL special interest group (SIG) on forest fires (FF-SIG) and the Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) fire implementation team. Here we summarize the framework and the key findings of papers submitted from this meeting and presented in this special section. These papers focus on the latest advances for near real-time monitoring of active fires, prediction of fire hazards and danger, monitoring of fuel moisture, mapping of fuel types, and postfire assessment of the impacts from fires.

Applications of Experimental Suomi-NPP VIIRS Flood Inundation Maps in Operational Flood Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deweese, M. M.

2017-12-01

Flooding is the most costly natural disaster across the globe. In 2016 flooding caused more fatalities than any other natural disaster in the United States. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) is mandated to forecast rivers for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. Since 2014, the NWS North Central River Forecast Center has utilized experimental near real time flood mapping products from the JPSS Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite. These products have been demonstrated to provide reliable and high value information for forecasters in ice jam and snowmelt flooding in data sparse regions of the northern plains. In addition, they have proved valuable in rainfall induced flooding within the upper Mississippi River basin. Aerial photography and ground observations have validated the accuracy of the products. Examples are provided from numerous flooding events to demonstrate the operational application of this satellite derived information as a remotely sensed observational data source and it's utility in real time flood forecasting.

Expading fluvial remote sensing to the riverscape: Mapping depth and grain size on the Merced River, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Ryan T.

This study builds upon recent research in the field of fluvial remote sensing by applying techniques for mapping physical attributes of rivers. Depth, velocity, and grain size are primary controls on the types of habitat present in fluvial ecosystems. This thesis focuses on expanding fluvial remote sensing to larger spatial extents and sub-meter resolutions, which will increase our ability to capture the spatial heterogeneity of habitat at a resolution relevant to individual salmonids and an extent relevant to species. This thesis consists of two chapters, one focusing on expanding the spatial extent over which depth can be mapped using Optimal Band Ratio Analysis (OBRA) and the other developing general relations for mapping grain size from three-dimensional topographic point clouds. The two chapters are independent but connected by the overarching goal of providing scientists and managers more useful tools for quantifying the amount and quality of salmonid habitat via remote sensing. The OBRA chapter highlights the true power of remote sensing to map depths from hyperspectral images as a central component of watershed scale analysis, while also acknowledging the great challenges involved with increasing spatial extent. The grain size mapping chapter establishes the first general relations for mapping grain size from roughness using point clouds. These relations will significantly reduce the time needed in the field by eliminating the need for independent measurements of grain size for calibrating the roughness-grain size relationship and thus making grain size mapping with SFM more cost effective for river restoration and monitoring. More data from future studies are needed to refine these relations and establish their validity and generality. In conclusion, this study adds to the rapidly growing field of fluvial remote sensing and could facilitate river research and restoration.

Initial experience of a novel mapping system combined with remote magnetic navigation in the catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Lin, Changjian; Pehrson, Steen; Jacobsen, Peter Karl; Chen, Xu

2017-12-01

There have been advancements of sophisticated mapping systems used for ablation procedures over the last decade. Utilization of these novel mapping systems in combination with remote magnetic navigation (RMN) needs to be established. We investigated the new EnSite Precision mapping system (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA), which collects magnetic data for checking navigation field stability and is built on an open platform, allowing physicians to choose diagnostic and ablation catheters. We address its compatibility with RMN. To assess the clinical utility of a novel 3D mapping system (EnSite Precision mapping system) combined with RMN (Niobe ES, Stereotaxis, Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. In this prospective nonrandomized study, two groups of patients were treated in our center for drug refractory AF. Patients were consecutively enrolled in each group. Group A (n = 35, 14 persistent AF [PsAF]) was treated using the novel 3D mapping system combined with RMN. Group B (n = 38, 16 PsAF) was treated using Carto ® 3 (Biosense Webster, Inc., Diamond Bar, CA, USA) combined with RMN. In Group A, the left atrium (LA) was mapped with a circular magnetic catheter manually and was then replaced by a RMN ablation catheter. At the end of the procedures in Group A, the circular catheter was used for confirming field stability. In Group B, an ablation catheter was controlled by RMN to perform both LA mapping and ablation. All patients underwent pulmonary vein antrum isolation. Additional complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) ablation was performed for PsAF. Procedural, ablation, and fluoroscopy times were recorded and complications were assessed. Electrophysiological end points were achieved in all patients. Using the novel mapping system, LA mapping time was fast (308 ± 60 seconds) with detailed anatomy points (178,831 ± 70,897) collected and magnetic points throughout LA. At the end of the procedures in Group A, the LA model was confirmed to be stable and its location was within the distance threshold (1 mm). Procedure time (117.9 ± 29.6 minutes vs. 119.2 ± 29.7 minutes, P = 0.89), fluoroscopy time (6.1 ± 2.4 minutes vs. 4.8 ± 2.2 minutes, P = 0.07), and ablation time (28.0 ± 12.9 minutes vs. 27.9 ± 15.8 minutes, P = 0.98) were similar in Group A versus Group B, respectively. No complications occurred in either group. LA mapped by the novel system is stable and reliable. Combined with RMN, it could be effectively used for AF ablation without impacting overall procedural times. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Forestry timber typing. Tanana demonstration project, Alaska ASVT. [Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrissey, L. A.; Ambrosia, V. G.

1982-01-01

The feasibility of using LANDSAT digital data in conjunction with topographic data to delineate commercial forests by stand size and crown closure in the Tanana River basin of Alaska was tested. A modified clustering approach using two LANDSAT dates to generate an initial forest type classification was then refined with topographic data. To further demonstrate the ability of remotely sensed data in a fire protection planning framework, the timber type data were subsequently integrated with terrain information to generate a fire hazard map of the study area. This map provides valuable assistance in initial attack planning, determining equipment accessibility, and fire growth modeling. The resulting data sets were incorporated into the Alaska Department of Natural Resources geographic information system for subsequent utilization.

Improving Aquatic Plant Management in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Potter, Chris

2018-01-01

Management of aquatic weeds in complex watersheds and river systems present many challenges to assessment, planning and implementation of management practices for floating and submerged aquatic invasive plants. The Delta Region Areawide Aquatic Weed Project (DRAAWP), a USDA sponsored area-wide project, is working to enhance planning, decision-making and operational efficiency in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Satellite and airborne remote sensing are used map (area coverage and biomass), direct operations, and assess management impacts on plant communities. Archived satellite records going are used to review results from previous climate and management events and aide in developing long-term strategies. Modeling at local and watershed scales provides insight into land-use effects on water quality. Plant growth models informed by remote sensing are being applied spatially across the Delta to balance location and type of aquatic plant, growth response to altered environments, phenology, environmental regulations, and economics in selection of management practices. Initial utilization of remote sensing tools developed for mapping of aquatic invasive weeds improved operational efficiency by focusing limited chemical use to strategic areas with high plant-control impact and incorporating mechanical harvesting when chemical use is restricted. These assessment methods provide a comprehensive and quantitative view of aquatic invasive plants communities in the California Delta, both spatial and temporal, informed by ecological understanding with the objective of improving management and assessment effectiveness.

Comparative studies of the interaction between the Sun and planetary near space environments with the Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments (SCOPE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, W. M.; Scope Team

2003-04-01

The Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments (SCOPE) is a remote sensing facility designed to probe the nature of the relationship of planetary bodies and the local interstellar medium to the solar wind and UV-EUV radiation field. In particular, the SCOPE program seeks to comparatively monitor the near space environments and thermosphere/ionospheres of planets, planetesimals, and satellites under different magnetospheric configurations and as a function of heliocentric distance and solar activity. In addition, SCOPE will include the Earth as a science target, providing new remote observations of auroral and upper atmospheric phenomena and utilizing it as baseline for direct comparison with other planetary bodies. The observatory will be scheduled into discrete campaigns interleaving Target-Terrestrial observations to provide a comparative annual activity map over the course of a solar half cycle. The SCOPE science instrument consists of binocular UV (115-310 nm) and EUV (500-120 nm) telescopes and a side channel sky-mapping interferometer on a spacecraft stationed in a remote orbit. The telescope instruments provide a mix of capabilities including high spatial resolution narrow band imaging, moderate resolution broadband spectro-imaging, and high-resolution line spectroscopy. The side channel instrument will be optimized for line profile measurements of diagnostic terrestrial upper atmospheric, comet, interplanetary, and interstellar extended emissions.

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 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.

Applications of Remote Sensing to Emergency Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-02-15

Contents: Foundations of Remote Sensing : Data Acquisition and Interpretation; Availability of Remote Sensing Technology for Disaster Response...Imaging Systems, Current and Near Future Satellite and Aircraft Remote Sensing Systems; Utilization of Remote Sensing in Disaster Response: Categories of...Disasters, Phases of Monitoring Activities; Recommendations for Utilization of Remote Sensing Technology in Disaster Response; Selected Reading List.

Remote sensing as a mineral prospecting technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meneses, P. R. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

Remote sensing and its application as an alternative technique to mineral resource exploration are reviewed. Emphasis is given here to the analysis of the three basic attributes of remote sensing, i.e., spatial attributes related to regional structural mapping, spectral attributes related to rock discrimination and seasonal attributes related to geobotanic anomalies mapping, all of which are employed in mineral exploration. Special emphasis is given to new developments of the Thematic Mapper of the LANDSAT-5, principally with reference to the application of the bands 1.6 and 2.2 microns to map hydrothermally altered rocks and the band of red and blue shift to geobotanical anomalies mapping.

Mapping of risk prone areas of kala-azar (Visceral leishmaniasis) in parts of Bihar State, India: an RS and GIS approach.

PubMed

Sudhakar, S; Srinivas, T; Palit, A; Kar, S K; Battacharya, S K

2006-09-01

The kala-azar fever (Visceral leishmaniasis) is continuing unabated in India for over a century, now being largely confined to the eastern part of India mainly in Bihar state and to some extent in its bordering states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Two study sites namely Patepur block in Vaishali district with high endemicity in northern part and Lohardagga block in Lohardagga district with absolute non-endemicity in southern part of Bihar were selected for the study with the following objectives : (i) to study the macro-ecosystem in relation to distribution of vector -Phlebotomus argentipes; (ii) to identify/map the risk prone areas or villages in a block for quick remedial measures; and (iii) to make use of satellite remote sensing and GIS to demonstrate the utility for rapid assessment of landuse/landcover and their relation with the incidence of kalaazar leading to the mapping of risk prone areas. Indian Remote Sensing (IRS)-1D LISS III satellite data for the periods of March and November 2000 were analysed in Silicon graphic image processing system using ERDAS software. False color composites (FCC) were generated and landuse/landcover was assessed using Maximum likelihood supervised classification techniques based on ground truth training sets. During the study the GIS functions are used to quantify the remotely sensed landscape proportions of 5 km2 buffer surrounding each known group of villages of high occurrence of sandflies in endemic and nonendemic study sites. Instead of traditional ground based survey methods to vector surveillance, the present study used a combination of remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) approach to develop landscape predictors of sandfly abundance-an indicator of human vector contact and as a measure of risk prone areas. Statistical analysis using the remotely sensed landscape variables showed that rural villages surrounded by higher proportion of transitional swamps with soft stemmed edible plants and banana, sugarcane plantations had higher sandfly abundance and would, therefore, be at higher risk prone areas for man-vector contact. The present study clearly brought out the usefulness of satellite remote sensing technology in generating the crucial information on spatial distribution of landuse/landcover classes with special emphasis on indicator landcover classes thereby helping in prioritising the area to identify risk prone areas of kala-azar through GIS application tools.

Estimating missing hourly climatic data using artificial neural network for energy balance based ET mapping applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote sensing based evapotranspiration (ET) mapping has become an important tool for water resources management at a regional scale. Accurate hourly climatic data and reference ET are crucial input for successfully implementing remote sensing based ET models such as Mapping ET with internal calibra...

Integrating Statistical and Expert Knowledge to Develop Phenoregions for the Continental United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, F. M.; Kumar, J.; Hargrove, W. W.

2013-12-01

Vegetated ecosystems typically exhibit unique phenological behavior over the course of a year, suggesting that remotely sensed land surface phenology may be useful for characterizing land cover and ecoregions. However, phenology is also strongly influenced by temperature and water stress; insect, fire, and storm disturbances; and climate change over seasonal, interannual, decadal and longer time scales. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a remotely sensed measure of greenness, provides a useful proxy for land surface phenology. We used NDVI for the conterminous United States (CONUS) derived from the Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 250 m resolution to develop phenological signatures of emergent ecological regimes called phenoregions. By applying a unsupervised, quantitative data mining technique to NDVI measurements for every eight days over the entire MODIS record, annual maps of phenoregions were developed. This technique produces a prescribed number of prototypical phenological states to which every location belongs in any year. To reduce the impact of short-term disturbances, we derived a single map of the mode of annual phenological states for the CONUS, assigning each map cell to the state with the largest integrated NDVI in cases where multiple states tie for the highest frequency. Since the data mining technique is unsupervised, individual phenoregions are not associated with an ecologically understandable label. To add automated supervision to the process, we applied the method of Mapcurves, developed by Hargrove and Hoffman, to associate individual phenoregions with labeled polygons in expert-derived maps of biomes, land cover, and ecoregions. Utilizing spatial overlays with multiple expert-derived maps, this "label-stealing"' technique exploits the knowledge contained in a collection of maps to identify biome characteristics of our statistically derived phenoregions. Generalized land cover maps were produced by combining phenoregions according to their degree of spatial coincidence with expert-developed land cover or biome regions. Goodness-of-fit maps, which show the strength the spatial correspondence, were also generated.

Utilization of Historical Maps in the Land Use Change Impact Studies: A Case Study from Myjava River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valent, P.; Rončák, P.; Maliariková, M.; Behan, Š.

2016-12-01

The way land is used has a significant impact on many hydrological processes that determine the generation of flood runoff or soil erosion. Advancements in remote sensing which took place in the second half of the 20th century have led to the rise of a new research area focused on analyses of land use changes and their impact on hydrological processes. This study deals with an analysis of the changes in land use over a period of almost three centuries in the Myjava River catchment, which has an outlet at Šaštín-Stráže. In order to obtain information about the way the land was used in the past, three historical mappings representing various periods were used: the first (1st) military mapping (1764-1787), second (2nd) military mapping (1807-1869), and a military topographic mapping (1953-1957). The historical mappings have been manually vectorised in an ArcGIS environment to identify various land use categories. The historical evolution of land use was further compared with a concurrent land use mapping, which was undertaken in 2010 and exploited remote sensing techniques. The study also quantifies the impact of these changes on the long-term catchment runoff as well as their impact on flows induced by extreme precipitation events. This analysis was performed using the WetSpa distributed hydrological model, which enables the simulation of catchment runoff in a daily time step. The analysis showed that the selected catchment has undergone significant changes in land use, mainly characterized by massive deforestation at the end of the 18th century and land consolidation in the middle of the 20th century induced by communist collectivisation. The hydrological simulations demonstrated that the highest and lowest mean annual runoffs were simulated in the first (1st military mapping) and the last (concurrent land use monitoring) time intervals respectively with the smallest and largest percentages of forested areas.

The application of remote sensing techniques to the study of ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Shuhab D.; Mahmood, Khalid

2008-08-01

Satellite remote sensing methods are a powerful tool for detailed geologic analysis, especially in inaccessible regions of the earth's surface. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands are shown to provide spectral information bearing on the lithologic, structural, and geochemical character of rock bodies such as ophiolites, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of the lithologies present, their stratigraphic relationships, and geochemical character. Most remote sensing data are widely available for little or no cost, along with user-friendly software for non-specialists. In this paper we review common remote sensing systems and methods that allow for the discrimination of solid rock (lithologic) components of ophiolite complexes and their structural relationships. Ophiolites are enigmatic rock bodies which associated with most, if not all, plate collision sutures. Ophiolites are ideal for remote sensing given their widely recognized diversity of lithologic types and structural relationships. Accordingly, as a basis for demonstrating the utility of remote sensing techniques, we briefly review typical ophiolites in the Tethyan tectonic belt. As a case study, we apply integrated remote sensing studies of a well-studied example, the Muslim Bagh ophiolite, located in Balochistan, western Pakistan. On this basis, we attempt to demonstrate how remote sensing data can validate and reconcile existing information obtained from field studies. The lithologic and geochemical diversity of Muslim Bagh are representative of Tethyan ophiolites. Despite it's remote location it has been extensively mapped and characterized by structural and geochemical studies, and is virtually free of vegetative cover. Moreover, integrating the remote sensing data with 'ground truth' information thus offers the potential of an improved template for interpreting remote sensing data sets of other ophiolites for which little or no field information is available.

Spatial and spectral resolution necessary for remotely sensed vegetation studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rock, B. N.

1982-01-01

An outline is presented of the required spatial and spectral resolution needed for accurate vegetation discrimination and mapping studies as well as for determination of state of health (i.e., detection of stress symptoms) of actively growing vegetation. Good success was achieved in vegetation discrimination and mapping of a heterogeneous forest cover in the ridge and valley portion of the Appalachians using multispectral data acquired with a spatial resolution of 15 m (IFOV). A sensor system delivering 10 to 15 m spatial resolution is needed for both vegetation mapping and detection of stress symptoms. Based on the vegetation discrimination and mapping exercises conducted at the Lost River site, accurate products (vegetation maps) are produced using broad-band spectral data ranging from the .500 to 2.500 micron portion of the spectrum. In order of decreasing utility for vegetation discrimination, the four most valuable TM simulator VNIR bands are: 6 (1.55 to 1.75 microns), 3 (0.63 to 0.69 microns), 5 (1.00 to 1.30 microns) and 4 (0.76 to 0.90 microns).

Sen2-Agri country level demonstration for Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kussul, N.; Kolotii, A.; Shelestov, A.; Lavreniuk, M. S.

2016-12-01

Due to launch of Sentinel-2 mission European Space Agency (ESA) started Sentinel-2 for Agriculture (Sen2-Agri) project coordinated by Universite catholique de Louvain (UCL). Ukraine is selected as one of 3 country level demonstration sites for benchmarking Sentinel-2 data due to wide range of main crops (both winter and summer), big fields and high enough climate variability over the territory [1-2]. Within this county level demonstration main objectives are following: i) Sentinel's products quality assessment and their suitability estimation for the territory of Ukraine [2]; ii) demonstration in order to convince decision makers and state authorities; iii) assessment of the personnel and facilities required to run the Sen2-Agri system and creation of Sen-2 Agri products (crop type maps and such essential climatic variable as Leaf Area Index - LAI [3]). During this project ground data were collected for crop land mapping and crop type classification along the roads within main agro-climatic zones of Ukraine. For LAI estimation we used indirect non-destructive method which is based on DHP-images and VALERI protocol. Products created with use of Sen2-Agri system deployed during project execution and results of neural-network approach utilization will be compared. References Kussul, N., Lemoine, G., Gallego, F. J., Skakun, S. V., Lavreniuk, M., & Shelestov, A. Y. Parcel-Based Crop Classification in Ukraine Using Landsat-8 Data and Sentinel-1A Data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing , 9 (6), 2500-2508. Kussul, N., Skakun, S., Shelestov, A., Lavreniuk, M., Yailymov, B., & Kussul, O. (2015). Regional scale crop mapping using multi-temporal satellite imagery. The International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 40(7), 45-52. Shelestov, A., Kolotii, A., Camacho, F., Skakun, S., Kussul, O., Lavreniuk, M., & Kostetsky, O. (2015, July). Mapping of biophysical parameters based on high resolution EO imagery for JECAM test site in Ukraine. In 2015 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 1733-1736

Collaborative damage mapping for emergency response: the role of Cognitive Systems Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerle, N.; Hoffman, R. R.

2013-01-01

Remote sensing is increasingly used to assess disaster damage, traditionally by professional image analysts. A recent alternative is crowdsourcing by volunteers experienced in remote sensing, using internet-based mapping portals. We identify a range of problems in current approaches, including how volunteers can best be instructed for the task, ensuring that instructions are accurately understood and translate into valid results, or how the mapping scheme must be adapted for different map user needs. The volunteers, the mapping organizers, and the map users all perform complex cognitive tasks, yet little is known about the actual information needs of the users. We also identify problematic assumptions about the capabilities of the volunteers, principally related to the ability to perform the mapping, and to understand mapping instructions unambiguously. We propose that any robust scheme for collaborative damage mapping must rely on Cognitive Systems Engineering and its principal method, Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), to understand the information and decision requirements of the map and image users, and how the volunteers can be optimally instructed and their mapping contributions merged into suitable map products. We recommend an iterative approach involving map users, remote sensing specialists, cognitive systems engineers and instructional designers, as well as experimental psychologists.

Multi- and hyperspectral geologic remote sensing: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Meer, Freek D.; van der Werff, Harald M. A.; van Ruitenbeek, Frank J. A.; Hecker, Chris A.; Bakker, Wim H.; Noomen, Marleen F.; van der Meijde, Mark; Carranza, E. John M.; Smeth, J. Boudewijn de; Woldai, Tsehaie

2012-02-01

Geologists have used remote sensing data since the advent of the technology for regional mapping, structural interpretation and to aid in prospecting for ores and hydrocarbons. This paper provides a review of multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data, products and applications in geology. During the early days of Landsat Multispectral scanner and Thematic Mapper, geologists developed band ratio techniques and selective principal component analysis to produce iron oxide and hydroxyl images that could be related to hydrothermal alteration. The advent of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) with six channels in the shortwave infrared and five channels in the thermal region allowed to produce qualitative surface mineral maps of clay minerals (kaolinite, illite), sulfate minerals (alunite), carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite), iron oxides (hematite, goethite), and silica (quartz) which allowed to map alteration facies (propylitic, argillic etc.). The step toward quantitative and validated (subpixel) surface mineralogic mapping was made with the advent of high spectral resolution hyperspectral remote sensing. This led to a wealth of techniques to match image pixel spectra to library and field spectra and to unravel mixed pixel spectra to pure endmember spectra to derive subpixel surface compositional information. These products have found their way to the mining industry and are to a lesser extent taken up by the oil and gas sector. The main threat for geologic remote sensing lies in the lack of (satellite) data continuity. There is however a unique opportunity to develop standardized protocols leading to validated and reproducible products from satellite remote sensing for the geology community. By focusing on geologic mapping products such as mineral and lithologic maps, geochemistry, P-T paths, fluid pathways etc. the geologic remote sensing community can bridge the gap with the geosciences community. Increasingly workflows should be multidisciplinary and remote sensing data should be integrated with field observations and subsurface geophysical data to monitor and understand geologic processes.

Role of remote sensing in Bay measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mugler, J. P., Jr.; Godfrey, J. P.; Hickman, G. D.; Hovis, W. G.; Pearson, A. O.; Weaver, K. N.

1978-01-01

Remote measurements of a number of surface or near surface parameters for baseline definition and specialized studies, remote measurements of episodic events, and remote measurements of the Bay lithosphere are considered in terms of characterizing and understanding the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay. Geologic processes and features best suited for information enhancement by remote sensing methods are identified. These include: (1) rates of sedimentation in the Bay; (2) rates of erosion of Bay shorelines; (3) spatial distribution and geometry of aquifers; (4) mapping of Karst terrain (sinkholes); and (5) mapping of fracture patterns. Recommendations for studying problem areas identified are given.

Social media as an information source for rapid flood inundation mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fohringer, J.; Dransch, D.; Kreibich, H.; Schröter, K.

2015-12-01

During and shortly after a disaster, data about the hazard and its consequences are scarce and not readily available. Information provided by eyewitnesses via social media is a valuable information source, which should be explored in a~more effective way. This research proposes a methodology that leverages social media content to support rapid inundation mapping, including inundation extent and water depth in the case of floods. The novelty of this approach is the utilization of quantitative data that are derived from photos from eyewitnesses extracted from social media posts and their integration with established data. Due to the rapid availability of these posts compared to traditional data sources such as remote sensing data, areas affected by a flood, for example, can be determined quickly. The challenge is to filter the large number of posts to a manageable amount of potentially useful inundation-related information, as well as to interpret and integrate the posts into mapping procedures in a timely manner. To support rapid inundation mapping we propose a methodology and develop "PostDistiller", a tool to filter geolocated posts from social media services which include links to photos. This spatial distributed contextualized in situ information is further explored manually. In an application case study during the June 2013 flood in central Europe we evaluate the utilization of this approach to infer spatial flood patterns and inundation depths in the city of Dresden.

Social media as an information source for rapid flood inundation mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fohringer, J.; Dransch, D.; Kreibich, H.; Schröter, K.

2015-07-01

During and shortly after a disaster data about the hazard and its consequences are scarce and not readily available. Information provided by eye-witnesses via social media are a valuable information source, which should be explored in a more effective way. This research proposes a methodology that leverages social media content to support rapid inundation mapping, including inundation extent and water depth in case of floods. The novelty of this approach is the utilization of quantitative data that are derived from photos from eye-witnesses extracted from social media posts and its integration with established data. Due to the rapid availability of these posts compared to traditional data sources such as remote sensing data, for example areas affected by a flood can be determined quickly. The challenge is to filter the large number of posts to a manageable amount of potentially useful inundation-related information as well as their timely interpretation and integration in mapping procedures. To support rapid inundation mapping we propose a methodology and develop a tool to filter geo-located posts from social media services which include links to photos. This spatial distributed contextualized in-situ information is further explored manually. In an application case study during the June 2013 flood in central Europe we evaluate the utilization of this approach to infer spatial flood patterns and inundation depths in the city of Dresden.

Remote sensing as a tool for estimating soil erosion potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris-Jones, D. R.; Morgan, K. M.; Kiefer, R. W.

1979-01-01

The Universal Soil Loss Equation is a frequently used methodology for estimating soil erosion potential. The Universal Soil Loss Equation requires a variety of types of geographic information (e.g. topographic slope, soil erodibility, land use, crop type, and soil conservation practice) in order to function. This information is traditionally gathered from topographic maps, soil surveys, field surveys, and interviews with farmers. Remote sensing data sources and interpretation techniques provide an alternative method for collecting information regarding land use, crop type, and soil conservation practice. Airphoto interpretation techniques and medium altitude, multi-date color and color infrared positive transparencies (70mm) were utilized in this study to determine their effectiveness for gathering the desired land use/land cover data. Successful results were obtained within the test site, a 6136 hectare watershed in Dane County, Wisconsin.

An evaluation of thematic mapper simulator data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types in Southwest Oregon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinstock, K. J.; Morrissey, L. A.

1984-01-01

Rock type identification may be assisted by the use of remote sensing of associated vegetation, particularly in areas of dense vegetative cover where surface materials are not imaged directly by the sensor. The geobotanical discrimination of ultramafic parent materials was investigated and analytical techniques for lithologic mapping and mineral exploration were developed. The utility of remotely sensed data to discriminate vegetation types associated with ultramafic parent materials in a study area in southwest Oregon were evaluated. A number of specific objectives were identified, which include: (1) establishment of the association between vegetation and rock types; (2) examination of the spectral separability of vegetation types associated with rock types; (3) determination of the contribution of each TMS band for discriminating vegetation associated with rock types and (4) comparison of analytical techniques for spectrally classifying vegetation.

Geologic remote sensing study of the Hayden pass-Orient Mine Area, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wychgram, D. C.

1972-01-01

Remote sensor data from a NASA Convair 990 radar flight and Mission 101 and 105 have been interpreted and evaluated. Based on interpretation of the remote sensor data, a geologic map has been prepared and compared with a second geologic map, prepared from interpretation of both remote sensor data and field data. Comparison of the two maps gives one indication of the usefulness and reliability of the remote sensor data. Color and color infrared photography provided the largest amount of valuable information. Multiband photography was of lesser value and side-looking radar imagery provided no new information that was not available on small scale photography. Thermal scanner imagery proved to be a very specialized remote sensing tool that should be applied to areas of low relief and sparse vegetation where geologic features produce known or suspected thermal contrast. Low sun angle photography may be a good alternative to side-looking radar imagery but must be flown with critical timing.

a Hadoop-Based Distributed Framework for Efficient Managing and Processing Big Remote Sensing Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.; Hu, F.; Hu, X.; Zhao, S.; Wen, W.; Yang, C.

2015-07-01

Various sensors from airborne and satellite platforms are producing large volumes of remote sensing images for mapping, environmental monitoring, disaster management, military intelligence, and others. However, it is challenging to efficiently storage, query and process such big data due to the data- and computing- intensive issues. In this paper, a Hadoop-based framework is proposed to manage and process the big remote sensing data in a distributed and parallel manner. Especially, remote sensing data can be directly fetched from other data platforms into the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). The Orfeo toolbox, a ready-to-use tool for large image processing, is integrated into MapReduce to provide affluent image processing operations. With the integration of HDFS, Orfeo toolbox and MapReduce, these remote sensing images can be directly processed in parallel in a scalable computing environment. The experiment results show that the proposed framework can efficiently manage and process such big remote sensing data.

Web GIS in practice IV: publishing your health maps and connecting to remote WMS sources using the Open Source UMN MapServer and DM Solutions MapLab

PubMed Central

Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Honda, Kiyoshi

2006-01-01

Open Source Web GIS software systems have reached a stage of maturity, sophistication, robustness and stability, and usability and user friendliness rivalling that of commercial, proprietary GIS and Web GIS server products. The Open Source Web GIS community is also actively embracing OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards, including WMS (Web Map Service). WMS enables the creation of Web maps that have layers coming from multiple different remote servers/sources. In this article we present one easy to implement Web GIS server solution that is based on the Open Source University of Minnesota (UMN) MapServer. By following the accompanying step-by-step tutorial instructions, interested readers running mainstream Microsoft® Windows machines and with no prior technical experience in Web GIS or Internet map servers will be able to publish their own health maps on the Web and add to those maps additional layers retrieved from remote WMS servers. The 'digital Asia' and 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami experiences in using free Open Source Web GIS software are also briefly described. PMID:16420699

Retrieval and Mapping of Heavy Metal Concentration in Soil Using Time Series Landsat 8 Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Y.; Xu, L.; Peng, J.; Wang, H.; Wong, A.; Clausi, D. A.

2018-04-01

Heavy metal pollution is a critical global environmental problem which has always been a concern. Traditional approach to obtain heavy metal concentration relying on field sampling and lab testing is expensive and time consuming. Although many related studies use spectrometers data to build relational model between heavy metal concentration and spectra information, and then use the model to perform prediction using the hyperspectral imagery, this manner can hardly quickly and accurately map soil metal concentration of an area due to the discrepancies between spectrometers data and remote sensing imagery. Taking the advantage of easy accessibility of Landsat 8 data, this study utilizes Landsat 8 imagery to retrieve soil Cu concentration and mapping its distribution in the study area. To enlarge the spectral information for more accurate retrieval and mapping, 11 single date Landsat 8 imagery from 2013-2017 are selected to form a time series imagery. Three regression methods, partial least square regression (PLSR), artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector regression (SVR) are used to model construction. By comparing these models unbiasedly, the best model are selected to mapping Cu concentration distribution. The produced distribution map shows a good spatial autocorrelation and consistency with the mining area locations.

Automated Plantation Mapping in Indonesia Using Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpatne, A.; Jia, X.; Khandelwal, A.; Kumar, V.

2017-12-01

Plantation mapping is critical for understanding and addressing deforestation, a key driver of climate change and ecosystem degradation. Unfortunately, most plantation maps are limited to small areas for specific years because they rely on visual inspection of imagery. In this work, we propose a data-driven approach which automatically generates yearly plantation maps for large regions using MODIS multi-spectral data. While traditional machine learning algorithms face manifold challenges in this task, e.g. imperfect training labels, spatio-temporal data heterogeneity, noisy and high-dimensional data, lack of evaluation data, etc., we introduce a novel deep learning-based framework that combines existing imperfect plantation products as training labels and models the spatio-temporal relationships of land covers. We also explores the post-processing steps based on Hidden Markov Model that further improve the detection accuracy. Then we conduct extensive evaluation of the generated plantation maps. Specifically, by randomly sampling and comparing with high-resolution Digital Globe imagery, we demonstrate that the generated plantation maps achieve both high precision and high recall. When compared with existing plantation mapping products, our detection can avoid both false positives and false negatives. Finally, we utilize the generated plantation maps in analyzing the relationship between forest fires and growth of plantations, which assists in better understanding the cause of deforestation in Indonesia.

Neural networks for satellite remote sensing and robotic sensor interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, Siegfried

Remote sensing of forests and robotic sensor fusion can be viewed, in part, as supervised learning problems, mapping from sensory input to perceptual output. This dissertation develops ARTMAP neural networks for real-time category learning, pattern recognition, and prediction tailored to remote sensing and robotics applications. Three studies are presented. The first two use ARTMAP to create maps from remotely sensed data, while the third uses an ARTMAP system for sensor fusion on a mobile robot. The first study uses ARTMAP to predict vegetation mixtures in the Plumas National Forest based on spectral data from the Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite. While most previous ARTMAP systems have predicted discrete output classes, this project develops new capabilities for multi-valued prediction. On the mixture prediction task, the new network is shown to perform better than maximum likelihood and linear mixture models. The second remote sensing study uses an ARTMAP classification system to evaluate the relative importance of spectral and terrain data for map-making. This project has produced a large-scale map of remotely sensed vegetation in the Sierra National Forest. Network predictions are validated with ground truth data, and maps produced using the ARTMAP system are compared to a map produced by human experts. The ARTMAP Sierra map was generated in an afternoon, while the labor intensive expert method required nearly a year to perform the same task. The robotics research uses an ARTMAP system to integrate visual information and ultrasonic sensory information on a B14 mobile robot. The goal is to produce a more accurate measure of distance than is provided by the raw sensors. ARTMAP effectively combines sensory sources both within and between modalities. The improved distance percept is used to produce occupancy grid visualizations of the robot's environment. The maps produced point to specific problems of raw sensory information processing and demonstrate the benefits of using a neural network system for sensor fusion.

GIS applications for military operations in coastal zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleming, S.; Jordan, T.; Madden, M.; Usery, E.L.; Welch, R.

2009-01-01

In order to successfully support current and future US military operations in coastal zones, geospatial information must be rapidly integrated and analyzed to meet ongoing force structure evolution and new mission directives. Coastal zones in a military-operational environment are complex regions that include sea, land and air features that demand high-volume databases of extreme detail within relatively narrow geographic corridors. Static products in the form of analog maps at varying scales traditionally have been used by military commanders and their operational planners. The rapidly changing battlefield of 21st Century warfare, however, demands dynamic mapping solutions. Commercial geographic information system (GIS) software for military-specific applications is now being developed and employed with digital databases to provide customized digital maps of variable scale, content and symbolization tailored to unique demands of military units. Research conducted by the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science at the University of Georgia demonstrated the utility of GIS-based analysis and digital map creation when developing large-scale (1:10,000) products from littoral warfare databases. The methodology employed-selection of data sources (including high resolution commercial images and Lidar), establishment of analysis/modeling parameters, conduct of vehicle mobility analysis, development of models and generation of products (such as a continuous sea-land DEM and geo-visualization of changing shorelines with tidal levels)-is discussed. Based on observations and identified needs from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and the Department of Defense, prototype GIS models for military operations in sea, land and air environments were created from multiple data sets of a study area at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Results of these models, along with methodologies for developing large-scale littoral warfare databases, aid the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in meeting littoral warfare analysis, modeling and map generation requirements for US military organizations. ?? 2008 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Inc. (ISPRS).

42 CFR 488.64 - Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. 488.64 Section 488.64 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF... PROCEDURES Special Requirements § 488.64 Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. (a...

42 CFR 488.64 - Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. 488.64 Section 488.64 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF... PROCEDURES Special Requirements § 488.64 Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. (a...

42 CFR 488.64 - Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. 488.64 Section 488.64 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF... PROCEDURES Special Requirements § 488.64 Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. (a...

42 CFR 488.64 - Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. 488.64 Section 488.64 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF... PROCEDURES Special Requirements § 488.64 Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. (a...

Spatial aspects of building and population exposure data and their implications for global earthquake exposure modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dell’Acqua, F.; Gamba, P.; Jaiswal, K.

2012-01-01

This paper discusses spatial aspects of the global exposure dataset and mapping needs for earthquake risk assessment. We discuss this in the context of development of a Global Exposure Database for the Global Earthquake Model (GED4GEM), which requires compilation of a multi-scale inventory of assets at risk, for example, buildings, populations, and economic exposure. After defining the relevant spatial and geographic scales of interest, different procedures are proposed to disaggregate coarse-resolution data, to map them, and if necessary to infer missing data by using proxies. We discuss the advantages and limitations of these methodologies and detail the potentials of utilizing remote-sensing data. The latter is used especially to homogenize an existing coarser dataset and, where possible, replace it with detailed information extracted from remote sensing using the built-up indicators for different environments. Present research shows that the spatial aspects of earthquake risk computation are tightly connected with the availability of datasets of the resolution necessary for producing sufficiently detailed exposure. The global exposure database designed by the GED4GEM project is able to manage datasets and queries of multiple spatial scales.

GIS Methodology for Planning Planetary-Rover Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, Mark; Norris, Jeffrey; Fox, Jason; Rabe, Kenneth; Shu, I-Hsiang

2007-01-01

A document describes a methodology for utilizing image data downlinked from cameras aboard a robotic ground vehicle (rover) on a remote planet for analyzing and planning operations of the vehicle and of any associated spacecraft. Traditionally, the cataloging and presentation of large numbers of downlinked planetary-exploration images have been done by use of two organizational methods: temporal organization and correlation between activity plans and images. In contrast, the present methodology involves spatial indexing of image data by use of the computational discipline of geographic information systems (GIS), which has been maturing in terrestrial applications for decades, but, until now, has not been widely used in support of exploration of remote planets. The use of GIS to catalog data products for analysis is intended to increase efficiency and effectiveness in planning rover operations, just as GIS has proven to be a source of powerful computational tools in such terrestrial endeavors as law enforcement, military strategic planning, surveying, political science, and epidemiology. The use of GIS also satisfies the need for a map-based user interface that is intuitive to rover-activity planners, many of whom are deeply familiar with maps and know how to use them effectively in field geology.

Combining Observations in the Reflective Solar and Thermal Domains for Improved Mapping of Carbon, Water and Energy FLuxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houborg, Rasmus; Anderson, Martha; Kustas, Bill; Rodell, Matthew

2011-01-01

This study investigates the utility of integrating remotely sensed estimates of leaf chlorophyll (C(sub ab)) into a thermal-based Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model that estimates land-surface CO2 and energy fluxes using an analytical, light-use-efficiency (LUE) based model of canopy resistance. Day to day variations in nominal LUE (LUE(sub n)) were assessed for a corn crop field in Maryland U.S.A. through model calibration with CO2 flux tower observations. The optimized daily LUE(sub n) values were then compared to estimates of C(sub ab) integrated from gridded maps of chlorophyll content weighted over the tower flux source area. Changes in Cab exhibited a curvilinear relationship with corresponding changes in daily calibrated LUE(sub n) values derived from the tower flux data, and hourly water, energy and carbon flux estimation accuracies from TSEB were significantly improved when using C(sub ab) for delineating spatio-temporal variations in LUE(sub n). The results demonstrate the synergy between thermal infrared and shortwave reflective wavebands in producing valuable remote sensing data for monitoring of carbon and water fluxes.

Modeling of vegetation canopy reflectance: Status, issues and recommended future strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goel, N. S. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Various technical issues related to mapping of vegetative type, condition and stage of maturity, utilizing remotely sensed spectral data are reviewed. The existing knowledge base of models, especially of radiative properties of the vegetation canopy and atmosphere, is reviewed to establish the state of the art for addressing the problem of vegetation mapping. Activities to advance the state of the art are recommended. They include working on canopy reflectance and atmospheric scattering models, and field measurements of canopy reflectance as well as of canopy components. Leaf area index (LAI) and solar radiation interception (SRI) are identified as the two most important vegetation variables requiring further investigation. It is recommended that activities related to sensing them or understanding their relationships with measurable variables, should be encouraged and supported.

Multispectral Remote Sensing of the Earth and Environment Using KHawk Unmanned Aircraft Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gowravaram, Saket

This thesis focuses on the development and testing of the KHawk multispectral remote sensing system for environmental and agricultural applications. KHawk Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), a small and low-cost remote sensing platform, is used as the test bed for aerial video acquisition. An efficient image geotagging and photogrammetric procedure for aerial map generation is described, followed by a comprehensive error analysis on the generated maps. The developed procedure is also used for generation of multispectral aerial maps including red, near infrared (NIR) and colored infrared (CIR) maps. A robust Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI) calibration procedure is proposed and validated by ground tests and KHawk flight test. Finally, the generated aerial maps and their corresponding Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are used for typical application scenarios including prescribed fire monitoring, initial fire line estimation, and tree health monitoring.

Exploring and Describing the Spatial & Temporal Dynamics of Medushead in the Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington Using Remote Sensing Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bateman, Timothy M.

Medusahead is a harmful weed that is invading public lands in the West. The invasion is a serious concern to the public because it can reduce forage for livestock and wildlife, increase fire frequency, alter important ecosystem cycles (like water), reduce recreational activities, and produce landscapes that are aesthetically unpleasing. Invasions can drive up costs that generally require taxpayer's dollars. Medusahead seedlings typically spread to new areas by attaching itself to passing objects (e.g. vehicles, animals, clothing) where it can quickly begin to affect plants communities. To be effective, management plans need to be sustainable, informed, and considerate to invasion levels across large landscapes. Ecological remote sensing analysis is a method that uses airborne imagery, taken from drones, aircrafts, or satellites, to gather information about ecological systems. This Thesis strived to use remote sensing techniques to identify medusahead in the landscape and its changes through time. This was done for an extensive area of rangelands in the Channel Scabland region of eastern ashington. This Thesis provided results that would benefit land managers that include: 1) a dispersal map of medusahead, 2) a time line of medusahead cover through time, 3) 'high risk' dispersal areas, 4) climatic factors showing an influence on the time line of medusahead, 5) a strategy map that can be utilized by land managers to direct management needs. This Thesis shows how remote sensing applications can be used to detect medusahead in the landscape and understand its invasiveness through time. This information can help create sustainable and effective management plans so land managers can continue to protect and improve western public lands threatened by the invasion of medusahead.

Mapping Weathering and Alteration Minerals in the Comstock and Geiger Grade Areas using Visible to Thermal Infrared Airborne Remote Sensing Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, Greg R.; Calvin, Wendy M.

2005-01-01

To support research into both precious metal exploration and environmental site characterization a combination of high spatial/spectral resolution airborne visible, near infrared, short wave infrared (VNIR/SWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) image data were acquired to remotely map hydrothermal alteration minerals around the Geiger Grade and Comstock alteration regions, and map the mineral by-products of weathered mine dumps in Virginia City. Remote sensing data from the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), SpecTIR Corporation's airborne hyperspectral imager (HyperSpecTIR), the MODIS-ASTER airborne simulator (MASTER), and the Spatially Enhanced Broadband Array Spectrograph System (SEBASS) were acquired and processed into mineral maps based on the unique spectral signatures of image pixels. VNIR/SWIR and TIR field spectrometer data were collected for both calibration and validation of the remote data sets, and field sampling, laboratory spectral analyses and XRD analyses were made to corroborate the surface mineralogy identified by spectroscopy. The resulting mineral maps show the spatial distribution of several important alteration minerals around each study area including alunite, quartz, pyrophyllite, kaolinite, montmorillonite/muscovite, and chlorite. In the Comstock region the mineral maps show acid-sulfate alteration, widespread propylitic alteration and extensive faulting that offsets the acid-sulfate areas, in contrast to the larger, dominantly acid-sulfate alteration exposed along Geiger Grade. Also, different mineral zones within the intense acid-sulfate areas were mapped. In the Virginia City historic mining district the important weathering minerals mapped include hematite, goethite, jarosite and hydrous sulfate minerals (hexahydrite, alunogen and gypsum) located on mine dumps. Sulfate minerals indicate acidic water forming in the mine dump environment. While there is not an immediate threat to the community, there are clearly sources of acidic drainage that were identified remotely.

A GIS and statistical approach to identify variables that control water quality in hydrothermally altered and mineralized watersheds, Silverton, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, Douglas B.; Johnson, Raymond H.; Rockwell, Barnaby W.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Smith, Kathleen S.

2013-01-01

Hydrothermally altered bedrock in the Silverton mining area, southwest Colorado, USA, contains sulfide minerals that weather to produce acidic and metal-rich leachate that is toxic to aquatic life. This study utilized a geographic information system (GIS) and statistical approach to identify watershed-scale geologic variables in the Silverton area that influence water quality. GIS analysis of mineral maps produced using remote sensing datasets including Landsat Thematic Mapper, advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer, and a hybrid airborne visible infrared imaging spectrometer and field-based product enabled areas of alteration to be quantified. Correlations between water quality signatures determined at watershed outlets, and alteration types intersecting both total watershed areas and GIS-buffered areas along streams were tested using linear regression analysis. Despite remote sensing datasets having varying watershed area coverage due to vegetation cover and differing mineral mapping capabilities, each dataset was useful for delineating acid-generating bedrock. Areas of quartz–sericite–pyrite mapped by AVIRIS have the highest correlations with acidic surface water and elevated iron and aluminum concentrations. Alkalinity was only correlated with area of acid neutralizing, propylitically altered bedrock containing calcite and chlorite mapped by AVIRIS. Total watershed area of acid-generating bedrock is more significantly correlated with acidic and metal-rich surface water when compared with acid-generating bedrock intersected by GIS-buffered areas along streams. This methodology could be useful in assessing the possible effects that alteration type area has in either generating or neutralizing acidity in unmined watersheds and in areas where new mining is planned.

Mapping Migratory Bird Prevalence Using Remote Sensing Data Fusion

PubMed Central

Swatantran, Anu; Dubayah, Ralph; Goetz, Scott; Hofton, Michelle; Betts, Matthew G.; Sun, Mindy; Simard, Marc; Holmes, Richard

2012-01-01

Background Improved maps of species distributions are important for effective management of wildlife under increasing anthropogenic pressures. Recent advances in lidar and radar remote sensing have shown considerable potential for mapping forest structure and habitat characteristics across landscapes. However, their relative efficacies and integrated use in habitat mapping remain largely unexplored. We evaluated the use of lidar, radar and multispectral remote sensing data in predicting multi-year bird detections or prevalence for 8 migratory songbird species in the unfragmented temperate deciduous forests of New Hampshire, USA. Methodology and Principal Findings A set of 104 predictor variables describing vegetation vertical structure and variability from lidar, phenology from multispectral data and backscatter properties from radar data were derived. We tested the accuracies of these variables in predicting prevalence using Random Forests regression models. All data sets showed more than 30% predictive power with radar models having the lowest and multi-sensor synergy (“fusion”) models having highest accuracies. Fusion explained between 54% and 75% variance in prevalence for all the birds considered. Stem density from discrete return lidar and phenology from multispectral data were among the best predictors. Further analysis revealed different relationships between the remote sensing metrics and bird prevalence. Spatial maps of prevalence were consistent with known habitat preferences for the bird species. Conclusion and Significance Our results highlight the potential of integrating multiple remote sensing data sets using machine-learning methods to improve habitat mapping. Multi-dimensional habitat structure maps such as those generated from this study can significantly advance forest management and ecological research by facilitating fine-scale studies at both stand and landscape level. PMID:22235254

Mapping migratory bird prevalence using remote sensing data fusion.

PubMed

Swatantran, Anu; Dubayah, Ralph; Goetz, Scott; Hofton, Michelle; Betts, Matthew G; Sun, Mindy; Simard, Marc; Holmes, Richard

2012-01-01

Improved maps of species distributions are important for effective management of wildlife under increasing anthropogenic pressures. Recent advances in lidar and radar remote sensing have shown considerable potential for mapping forest structure and habitat characteristics across landscapes. However, their relative efficacies and integrated use in habitat mapping remain largely unexplored. We evaluated the use of lidar, radar and multispectral remote sensing data in predicting multi-year bird detections or prevalence for 8 migratory songbird species in the unfragmented temperate deciduous forests of New Hampshire, USA. A set of 104 predictor variables describing vegetation vertical structure and variability from lidar, phenology from multispectral data and backscatter properties from radar data were derived. We tested the accuracies of these variables in predicting prevalence using Random Forests regression models. All data sets showed more than 30% predictive power with radar models having the lowest and multi-sensor synergy ("fusion") models having highest accuracies. Fusion explained between 54% and 75% variance in prevalence for all the birds considered. Stem density from discrete return lidar and phenology from multispectral data were among the best predictors. Further analysis revealed different relationships between the remote sensing metrics and bird prevalence. Spatial maps of prevalence were consistent with known habitat preferences for the bird species. Our results highlight the potential of integrating multiple remote sensing data sets using machine-learning methods to improve habitat mapping. Multi-dimensional habitat structure maps such as those generated from this study can significantly advance forest management and ecological research by facilitating fine-scale studies at both stand and landscape level.

Pilot utilization plan for satellite data-based service for agriculture in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatkowska, Martyna; Paradowski, Karol; Wróbel, Karolina

2017-10-01

The paper aims at demonstrating the assumptions and achievements of the Pilot Utilization Plan Activities performed within the Project ASAP "Advanced Sustainable Agricultural Production", co-financed by European Space Agency under the ARTES IAP Programme. Within the course of the project, the Pilot Utilization Plan (PilUP) activities are performed in order to develop the remote sensing based models, and further calibrate and validate them in order to achieve the accuracy, which meets the requirements of paying customers. The completion of the first PilUP resulted in development of the following models based of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 satellite data: model of homogenous polygons demarcation on the basis of comparison of electromagnetic scanning results and bare soil spectral reflectance, model of problematic areas indication and model for yield potential, delivered on the basis of NDVI map developed 1 month before harvest and the map of yield/collected yield derived from Users participating in PilUP. The second edition of the PilUP is being conducted between March 2017 until the end of 2017. This edition includes farmers and insurance companies. The following activities are planned: development of model for delimitation of loses due to unfavorable wintering of winter crops and validation of the model with in-situ data collected by the insurance companies in-field investigators, further enhancement of the model for homogenous polygons delimitation and primary indication of soil productivity and testing of the applicability and viability of map of problematic areas with the farmers.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION MAPPING USING HYPERSPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING

EPA Science Inventory

The use of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery for automated mapping of submersed aquatic vegetation in the tidal Potomac River was investigated for near to real-time resource assessment and monitoring. Airborne hyperspectral imagery, together with in-situ spectral refl...

42 CFR 488.64 - Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Remote facility variances for utilization review... PROCEDURES Special Requirements § 488.64 Remote facility variances for utilization review requirements. (a... such facility or direct responsibility for the care of the patients being reviewed or, in the case of a...

Remote sensing techniques for conservation and management of natural vegetation ecosystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Verdesio, J. J.; Dossantos, J. R.

1981-01-01

The importance of using remote sensing techniques, in the visible and near-infrared ranges, for mapping, inventory, conservation and management of natural ecosystems is discussed. Some examples realized in Brazil or other countries are given to evaluate the products from orbital platform (MSS and RBV imagery of LANDSAT) and aerial level (photography) for ecosystems study. The maximum quantitative and qualitative information which can be obtained from each sensor, at different level, are discussed. Based on the developed experiments it is concluded that the remote sensing technique is a useful tool in mapping vegetation units, estimating biomass, forecasting and evaluation of fire damage, disease detection, deforestation mapping and change detection in land-use. In addition, remote sensing techniques can be used in controling implantation and planning natural/artificial regeneration.

Thematic Conference on Geologic Remote Sensing, 8th, Denver, CO, Apr. 29-May 2, 1991, Proceedings. Vols. 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The proceedings contain papers discussing the state-of-the-art exploration, engineering, and environmental applications of geologic remote sensing, along with the research and development activities aimed at increasing the future capabilities of this technology. The following topics are addressed: spectral geology, U.S. and international hydrocarbon exporation, radar and thermal infrared remote sensing, engineering geology and hydrogeology, mineral exploration, remote sensing for marine and environmental applications, image processing and analysis, geobotanical remote sensing, and data integration and geographic information systems. Particular attention is given to spectral alteration mapping with imaging spectrometers, mapping the coastal plain of the Congo with airborne digital radar, applications of remote sensing techniques to the assessment of dam safety, remote sensing of ferric iron minerals as guides for gold exploration, principal component analysis for alteration mappping, and the application of remote sensing techniques for gold prospecting in the north Fujian province.

Real-time visual mosaicking and navigation on the seafloor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmond, Kristof

Remote robotic exploration holds vast potential for gaining knowledge about extreme environments accessible to humans only with great difficulty. Robotic explorers have been sent to other solar system bodies, and on this planet into inaccessible areas such as caves and volcanoes. In fact, the largest unexplored land area on earth lies hidden in the airless cold and intense pressure of the ocean depths. Exploration in the oceans is further hindered by water's high absorption of electromagnetic radiation, which both inhibits remote sensing from the surface, and limits communications with the bottom. The Earth's oceans thus provide an attractive target for developing remote exploration capabilities. As a result, numerous robotic vehicles now routinely survey this environment, from remotely operated vehicles piloted over tethers from the surface to torpedo-shaped autonomous underwater vehicles surveying the mid-waters. However, these vehicles are limited in their ability to navigate relative to their environment. This limits their ability to return to sites with precision without the use of external navigation aids, and to maneuver near and interact with objects autonomously in the water and on the sea floor. The enabling of environment-relative positioning on fully autonomous underwater vehicles will greatly extend their power and utility for remote exploration in the furthest reaches of the Earth's waters---even under ice and under ground---and eventually in extraterrestrial liquid environments such as Europa's oceans. This thesis presents an operational, fielded system for visual navigation of underwater robotic vehicles in unexplored areas of the seafloor. The system does not depend on external sensing systems, using only instruments on board the vehicle. As an area is explored, a camera is used to capture images and a composite view, or visual mosaic, of the ocean bottom is created in real time. Side-to-side visual registration of images is combined with dead-reckoned navigation information in a framework allowing the creation and updating of large, locally consistent mosaics. These mosaics are used as maps in which the vehicle can navigate and localize itself with respect to points in the environment. The system achieves real-time performance in several ways. First, wherever possible, direct sensing of motion parameters is used in place of extracting them from visual data. Second, trajectories are chosen to enable a hierarchical search for side-to-side links which limits the amount of searching performed without sacrificing robustness. Finally, the map estimation is formulated as a sparse, linear information filter allowing rapid updating of large maps. The visual navigation enabled by the work in this thesis represents a new capability for remotely operated vehicles, and an enabling capability for a new generation of autonomous vehicles which explore and interact with remote, unknown and unstructured underwater environments. The real-time mosaic can be used on current tethered vehicles to create pilot aids and provide a vehicle user with situational awareness of the local environment and the position of the vehicle within it. For autonomous vehicles, the visual navigation system enables precise environment-relative positioning and mapping, without requiring external navigation systems, opening the way for ever-expanding autonomous exploration capabilities. The utility of this system was demonstrated in the field at sites of scientific interest using the ROVs Ventana and Tiburon operated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. A number of sites in and around Monterey Bay, California were mosaicked using the system, culminating in a complete imaging of the wreck site of the USS Macon , where real-time visual mosaics containing thousands of images were generated while navigating using only sensor systems on board the vehicle.

Global land cover mapping: a review and uncertainty analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Congalton, Russell G.; Gu, Jianyu; Yadav, Kamini; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Ozdogan, Mutlu

2014-01-01

Given the advances in remotely sensed imagery and associated technologies, several global land cover maps have been produced in recent times including IGBP DISCover, UMD Land Cover, Global Land Cover 2000 and GlobCover 2009. However, the utility of these maps for specific applications has often been hampered due to considerable amounts of uncertainties and inconsistencies. A thorough review of these global land cover projects including evaluating the sources of error and uncertainty is prudent and enlightening. Therefore, this paper describes our work in which we compared, summarized and conducted an uncertainty analysis of the four global land cover mapping projects using an error budget approach. The results showed that the classification scheme and the validation methodology had the highest error contribution and implementation priority. A comparison of the classification schemes showed that there are many inconsistencies between the definitions of the map classes. This is especially true for the mixed type classes for which thresholds vary for the attributes/discriminators used in the classification process. Examination of these four global mapping projects provided quite a few important lessons for the future global mapping projects including the need for clear and uniform definitions of the classification scheme and an efficient, practical, and valid design of the accuracy assessment.

Magnetic navigation and catheter ablation of right atrial ectopic tachycardia in the presence of a hemi-azygos continuation: a magnetic navigation case using 3D electroanatomical mapping.

PubMed

Ernst, Sabine; Chun, Julian K R; Koektuerk, Buelent; Kuck, Karl-Heinz

2009-01-01

We report on a 63-year-old female patient in whom an electrophysiologic study discovered a hemi-azygos continuation. Using the magnetic navigation system, remote-controlled ablation was performed in conjunction with the 3D electroanatomical mapping system. Failing the attempt to advance a diagnostic catheter from the femoral vein, a diagnostic catheter was advanced via the left subclavian vein into the coronary sinus. The soft magnetic catheter was positioned in the right atrium via the hemi-azygos vein, and 3D mapping demonstrated an ectopic atrial tachycardia. Successful ablation was performed entirely remote controlled. Fluoroscopy time was only 7.1 minutes, of which 45 seconds were required during remote navigation. Remote-controlled catheter ablation using magnetic navigation in conjunction with the electroanatomical mapping system proved to be a valuable tool to perform successful ablation in the presence of a hemi-azygos continuation.

Applications of remote-sensing data in Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, J. M. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

Public and private agencies were introduced to the use of remotely sensed data obtained by both satellite and aircraft, and benefitted from facilities for data processing enhancement and interpretation as well as from the institute's data library. Cooperative ventures involving the performance of operational activities included assistance to the Bureau of Land Management in the suppression of wildfires; the selection of sites for power line right-of-way; the mapping of leads in sea ice; determination of portions of public lands to be allocated for small scale farming; the identification of areas for large scale farming of barley; the observation of coastal processes and sediment transport near Prudhoe Bay; the establishment of a colar infrared file of the entire state; and photomapping for geological surveys. Monitoring of the outer continental shelf environment and reindeer herds was also conducted. Institutional constraints to full utilization of satellite remote sensing in the state are explored and plans for future activites include the generation of awareness by government agencies, the training of state personnel, and improving coordination and communication with users.

Application of remotely sensed land-use information to improve estimates of streamflow characteristics, volume 8. [Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pluhowski, E. J. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Land use data derived from high altitude photography and satellite imagery were studied for 49 basins in Delaware, and eastern Maryland and Virginia. Applying multiple regression techniques to a network of gaging stations monitoring runoff from 39 of the basins, demonstrated that land use data from high altitude photography provided an effective means of significantly improving estimates of stream flow. Forty stream flow characteristic equations for incorporating remotely sensed land use information, were compared with a control set of equations using map derived land cover. Significant improvement was detected in six equations where level 1 data was added and in five equations where level 2 information was utilized. Only four equations were improved significantly using land use data derived from LANDSAT imagery. Significant losses in accuracy due to the use of remotely sensed land use information were detected only in estimates of flood peaks. Losses in accuracy for flood peaks were probably due to land cover changes associated with temporal differences among the primary land use data sources.

Overview of US AID-World Bank-NASA Collaboration to Address Water Management Issues in the MENA Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habib, Shahid

2012-01-01

The World Bank, USAID and NASA have recently established a joint project to study multiple issues pertaining to water related applications in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. The main concentration of the project is on utilization of remote sensing data and hydrological models to address crop irrigation and mapping, flood mapping and forecasting, evapotranspiration and drought problems prevalent in this large geographic area. Additional emphases are placed on understanding the climate impact on these areas as well. Per IPCC 2007 report, by the end of this century MENA region is projected to experience an increase of 3 C to 5 C rise in mean temperatures and a 20% decline in precipitation. This poses a serious problem for this geographic zone especially when majority of the hydrological consumption is for the agriculture sector and the remaining amount is for domestic consumption. The remote sensing data from space is one of the best ways to study such complex issues and further feed into the decision support systems. NASA's fleet of Earth Observing satellites offer a great vantage point from space to look at the globe and provide vital signs necessary to maintain healthy and sustainable ecosystem. These observations generate multiple products such as soil moisture, global precipitation, aerosols, cloud cover, normalized difference vegetation index, land cover/use, ocean altimetry, ocean salinity, sea surface winds, sea surface temperature, ozone and atmospheric gases, ice and snow measurements, and many more. All of the data products, models and research results are distributed-via the Internet freely through out the world. This project will utilize several NASA models such as global Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) to generate hydrological states and fluxes in near real time. These LDAS products will then be further compared with other NASA satellite observations (MODIS, VIIRS, TRMM, etc.) and other discrete models to compare and optimize evapotranspiration, soil moisture and crop irrigation, droUght assessment and water balance. The floods being a critical disaster in many of the MENA countries, NASA's global flood mapping and modeling framework (CREST) will be customized for country specific needs and delivered to the remote sensing organizations for their future use. Finally, capacity building is a critical part of this project and NASA will assist in this effort as well.

E-DECIDER Decision Support Gateway For Earthquake Disaster Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasscoe, M. T.; Stough, T. M.; Parker, J. W.; Burl, M. C.; Donnellan, A.; Blom, R. G.; Pierce, M. E.; Wang, J.; Ma, Y.; Rundle, J. B.; Yoder, M. R.

2013-12-01

Earthquake Data Enhanced Cyber-Infrastructure for Disaster Evaluation and Response (E-DECIDER) is a NASA-funded project developing capabilities for decision-making utilizing remote sensing data and modeling software in order to provide decision support for earthquake disaster management and response. E-DECIDER incorporates earthquake forecasting methodology and geophysical modeling tools developed through NASA's QuakeSim project in order to produce standards-compliant map data products to aid in decision-making following an earthquake. Remote sensing and geodetic data, in conjunction with modeling and forecasting tools, help provide both long-term planning information for disaster management decision makers as well as short-term information following earthquake events (i.e. identifying areas where the greatest deformation and damage has occurred and emergency services may need to be focused). E-DECIDER utilizes a service-based GIS model for its cyber-infrastructure in order to produce standards-compliant products for different user types with multiple service protocols (such as KML, WMS, WFS, and WCS). The goal is to make complex GIS processing and domain-specific analysis tools more accessible to general users through software services as well as provide system sustainability through infrastructure services. The system comprises several components, which include: a GeoServer for thematic mapping and data distribution, a geospatial database for storage and spatial analysis, web service APIs, including simple-to-use REST APIs for complex GIS functionalities, and geoprocessing tools including python scripts to produce standards-compliant data products. These are then served to the E-DECIDER decision support gateway (http://e-decider.org), the E-DECIDER mobile interface, and to the Department of Homeland Security decision support middleware UICDS (Unified Incident Command and Decision Support). The E-DECIDER decision support gateway features a web interface that delivers map data products including deformation modeling results (slope change and strain magnitude) and aftershock forecasts, with remote sensing change detection results under development. These products are event triggered (from the USGS earthquake feed) and will be posted to event feeds on the E-DECIDER webpage and accessible via the mobile interface and UICDS. E-DECIDER also features a KML service that provides infrastructure information from the FEMA HAZUS database through UICDS and the mobile interface. The back-end GIS service architecture and front-end gateway components form a decision support system that is designed for ease-of-use and extensibility for end-users.

Mapping of Coral Reef Environment in the Arabian Gulf Using Multispectral Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Romdhane, H.; Marpu, P. R.; Ghedira, H.; Ouarda, T. B. M. J.

2016-06-01

Coral reefs of the Arabian Gulf are subject to several pressures, thus requiring conservation actions. Well-designed conservation plans involve efficient mapping and monitoring systems. Satellite remote sensing is a cost-effective tool for seafloor mapping at large scales. Multispectral remote sensing of coastal habitats, like those of the Arabian Gulf, presents a special challenge due to their complexity and heterogeneity. The present study evaluates the potential of multispectral sensor DubaiSat-2 in mapping benthic communities of United Arab Emirates. We propose to use a spectral-spatial method that includes multilevel segmentation, nonlinear feature analysis and ensemble learning methods. Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used for comparison of classification performances. Comparative data were derived from the habitat maps published by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi. The spectral-spatial method produced 96.41% mapping accuracy. SVM classification is assessed to be 94.17% accurate. The adaptation of these methods can help achieving well-designed coastal management plans in the region.

Testing a small UAS for mapping artisanal diamond mining sites in Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Malpeli, Katherine C.; Chirico, Peter G.

2015-01-01

Remote sensing technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. At the forefront of the new technological developments are unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The advent of small, lightweight, low-cost, and user-friendly UAS is greatly expanding the potential applications of remote sensing technology and improving the set of tools available to researchers seeking to map and monitor terrain from above. In this article, we explore the applications of a small UAS for mapping informal diamond mining sites in Africa. We found that this technology provides aerial imagery of unparalleled resolution in a data-sparse, difficult to access, and remote terrain.

Lidar and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing for the Analysis of Coniferous Biomass Stocks and Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halligan, K. Q.; Roberts, D. A.

2006-12-01

Airborne lidar and hyperspectral data can improve estimates of aboveground carbon stocks and fluxes through their complimentary responses to vegetation structure and biochemistry. While strong relationships have been demonstrated between lidar-estimated vegetation structural parameters and field data, research is needed to explore the portability of these methods across a range of topographic conditions, disturbance histories, vegetation type and climate. Additionally, research is needed to evaluate contributions of hyperspectral data in refining biomass estimates and determination of fluxes. To address these questions we are a conducting study of lidar and hyperspectral remote sensing data across sites including coniferous forests, broadleaf deciduous forests and a tropical rainforest. Here we focus on a single study site, Yellowstone National Park, where tree heights, stem locations, above ground biomass and basal area were mapped using first-return small-footprint lidar data. A new method using lidar intensity data was developed for separating the terrain and vegetation components in lidar data using a two-scale iterative local minima filter. Resulting Digital Terrain Models (DTM) and Digital Canopy Models (DCM) were then processed to retrieve a diversity of vertical and horizontal structure metrics. Univariate linear models were used to estimate individual tree heights while stepwise linear regression was used to estimate aboveground biomass and basal area. Three small-area field datasets were compared for their utility in model building and validation of vegetation structure parameters. All structural parameters were linearly correlated with lidar-derived metrics, with higher accuracies obtained where field and imagery data were precisely collocated . Initial analysis of hyperspectral data suggests that vegetation health metrics including measures of live and dead vegetation and stress indices may provide good indicators of carbon flux by mapping vegetation vigor or senescence. Additionally, the strength of hyperspectral data for vegetation classification suggests these data have additional utility for modeling carbon flux dynamics by allowing more accurate plant functional type mapping.

Remote magnetic navigation for circumferential pulmonary vein ablation: single-catheter technique or additional use of a circular mapping catheter?

PubMed

Vollmann, Dirk; Lüthje, Lars; Seegers, Joachim; Sohns, Christian; Sossalla, Samuel; Sohns, Jan; Röver, Christian; Hasenfuß, Gerd; Zabel, Markus

2014-10-01

Remote magnetic navigation (RMN) is utilized for catheter guidance during pulmonary vein ablation (PVA). We aimed to determine whether the additional use of a circular mapping catheter (CMC) influences efficacy and outcome of RMN-guided PVA. A total of 80 consecutive subjects (65 % male, age 62 ± 9 years) underwent circumferential PVA with a 3D mapping system and an RMN-guided irrigated catheter. Procedural endpoint was complete PV isolation (PVI), total radiofrequency (RF) time >60 min, or procedure duration >5 h. PVI was defined as an entrance and/or exit block, diagnosed with a CMC within the PV ostium or by pacing via the roving RMN-guided catheter (single-catheter technique). Prolonged Holter monitoring after 3 and 6 months was used to detect atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT/AF) recurrences. Complete PVI was achieved in 56 % (45/80) of all subjects (isolated PVs per patient, 3.1 ± 1.2; RF time, 56.3 ± 17.2 min; procedure duration, 3.8 ± 0.8 h). Prospective validation of the single-catheter technique for diagnosing PVI demonstrated high concordance (94 %) with blinded CMC results. CMC use in first-time PVA was associated with similar total RF and procedure times but higher PV isolation rate. Upon multivariate analysis, CMC use, female gender, left PV, smaller PV ostium and repeat PVA predicted PVI during RMN-guided ablation. Persistent AF and mitral regurgitation at baseline and the number of non-isolated PVs predicted AT/AF recurrence during follow-up. Concomitant CMC use for first-time, RMN-guided PVA is associated with similar procedure duration but higher PV isolation rates as compared to a single-catheter approach. Since the number of isolated PVs predicts freedom from AT/AF, CMC utilization appears advisable for first-time, RMN-guided PVA.

Hyperspectral remote sensing study of harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Yixiang

Recent development of hyperspectral remote sensing provides capability to identify and classify harmful algal blooms beyond the estimation of chlorophyll concentrations. This study uses hyperspectral data to extract spectral signatures, classify algal blooms, and map the spatial distribution of the algal blooms in the upper Chesapeake Bay. Furthermore, water quality parameters from ground stations have been used together with remote sensing data to provide better understanding of the formation and transformation of the life cycle of harmful algal blooms, and the cause of their outbreaks in the upper Chesapeake Bay. The present results show a strong and significant positive correlation between chlorophyll concentrations and total organic nitrogen concentrations. This relation suggests that total organic nitrogen played an important role in triggering the harmful algal blooms in the upper Chesapeake Bay in this study. This study establishes an integrated approach which combines hyperspectral imaging with multispectral ocean color remote sensing data and traditional water quality monitoring system in the study of harmful algal blooms in small water bodies such as the Chesapeake Bay. Presently, remote sensing is well integrated into the research community, but is less commonly used by resource managers. This dissertation couples remote sensing technologies with specific monitoring programs. The present results will help natural resource managers, local authorities, and the public to utilize an integrated approach in order to better understand, evaluate, preserve, and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay waters and habitats.

A data fusion framework for floodplain analysis using GIS and remotely sensed data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Necsoiu, Dorel Marius

Throughout history floods have been part of the human experience. They are recurring phenomena that form a necessary and enduring feature of all river basin and lowland coastal systems. In an average year, they benefit millions of people who depend on them. In the more developed countries, major floods can be the largest cause of economic losses from natural disasters, and are also a major cause of disaster-related deaths in the less developed countries. Flood disaster mitigation research was conducted to determine how remotely sensed data can effectively be used to produce accurate flood plain maps (FPMs), and to identify/quantify the sources of error associated with such data. Differences were analyzed between flood maps produced by an automated remote sensing analysis tailored to the available satellite remote sensing datasets (rFPM), the 100-year flooded areas "predicted" by the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, and FPMs based on DEM and hydrological data (aFPM). Landuse/landcover was also examined to determine its influence on rFPM errors. These errors were identified and the results were integrated in a GIS to minimize landuse/landcover effects. Two substantial flood events were analyzed. These events were selected because of their similar characteristics (i.e., the existence of FIRM or Q3 data; flood data which included flood peaks, rating curves, and flood profiles; and DEM and remote sensing imagery). Automatic feature extraction was determined to be an important component for successful flood analysis. A process network, in conjunction with domain specific information, was used to map raw remotely sensed data onto a representation that is more compatible with a GIS data model. From a practical point of view, rFPM provides a way to automatically match existing data models to the type of remote sensing data available for each event under investigation. Overall, results showed how remote sensing could contribute to the complex problem of flood management by providing an efficient way to revise the National Flood Insurance Program maps.

Passive microwave remote sensing for sea ice research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Techniques for gathering data by remote sensors on satellites utilized for sea ice research are summarized. Measurement of brightness temperatures by a passive microwave imager converted to maps of total sea ice concentration and to the areal fractions covered by first year and multiyear ice are described. Several ancillary observations, especially by means of automatic data buoys and submarines equipped with upward looking sonars, are needed to improve the validation and interpretation of satellite data. The design and performance characteristics of the Navy's Special Sensor Microwave Imager, expected to be in orbit in late 1985, are described. It is recommended that data from that instrument be processed to a form suitable for research applications and archived in a readily accessible form. The sea ice data products required for research purposes are described and recommendations for their archival and distribution to the scientific community are presented.

Remote Sensing Contributions to Prediction and Risk Assessment of Natural Disasters Caused by Large Scale Rift Valley Fever Outbreaks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anyamba, Assaf; Linthicum, Kenneth J.; Small, Jennifer; Britch, S. C.; Tucker, C. J.

2012-01-01

Remotely sensed vegetation measurements for the last 30 years combined with other climate data sets such as rainfall and sea surface temperatures have come to play an important role in the study of the ecology of arthropod-borne diseases. We show that epidemics and epizootics of previously unpredictable Rift Valley fever are directly influenced by large scale flooding associated with the El Ni o/Southern Oscillation. This flooding affects the ecology of disease transmitting arthropod vectors through vegetation development and other bioclimatic factors. This information is now utilized to monitor, model, and map areas of potential Rift Valley fever outbreaks and is used as an early warning system for risk reduction of outbreaks to human and animal health, trade, and associated economic impacts. The continuation of such satellite measurements is critical to anticipating, preventing, and managing disease epidemics and epizootics and other climate-related disasters.

High altitude aircraft remote sensing during the 1988 Yellowstone National Park wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrosia, Vincent G.

1990-01-01

An overview is presented of the effects of the wildfires that occurred in the Yellowstone National Park during 1988 and the techniques employed to combat these fires with the use of remote sensing. The fire management team utilized King-Air and Merlin aircraft flying night missions with a thermal IR line-scanning system. NASA-Ames Research Center assisted with an ER-2 high altitude aircraft with the ability to down-link active data from the aircraft via a teledetection system. The ER-2 was equipped with a multispectral Thematic Mapper Simulator scanner and the resultant map data and video imagery was provided to the fire command personnel for field evaluation and fire suppression activities. This type of information proved very valuable to the fire control management personnel and to the continuing ecological research goals of NASA-Ames scientists analyzing the effects of burn type and severity on ecosystem recovery and development.

Spectral reflectance characteristics and automated data reduction techniques which identify wetland and water quality conditions in the Chesapeake Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, R. R.

1970-01-01

Progress on research designed to test the usability of multispectral, high altitude, remotely sensed data to analyze ecological and hydrological conditions in estuarine environments is presented. Emphasis was placed on data acquired by NASA aircraft over the Patuxent River Chesapeake Bay Test Site, No. 168. Missions were conducted over the Chesapeake Bay at a high altitude flight of 18,460 m and a low altitude flight of 3070. The principle objectives of the missions were: (1) to determine feasibility of identifying source and extent of water pollution problems in Baltimore Harbor, Chesapeake Bay and major tributaries utilizing high altitude, ERTS analogous remote sensing data; (2) to determine the feasibility of mapping species composition and general ecological condition of Chesapeake Bay wetlands, utilizing high altitude, ERTS analogous data; (3) to correlate ground spectral reflectance characteristics of wetland plant species with tonal characteristics on multispectral photography; (4) to determine usefulness of high altitude thermal imagery in delinating isotherms and current patterns in the Chesapeake Bay; and (5) to investigate automated data interpretive techniques which may be usable on high altitude, ERTS analogous data.

Remote sensing and human health: new sensors and new opportunities.

PubMed

Beck, L R; Lobitz, B M; Wood, B L

2000-01-01

Since the launch of Landsat-1 28 years ago, remotely sensed data have been used to map features on the earth's surface. An increasing number of health studies have used remotely sensed data for monitoring, surveillance, or risk mapping, particularly of vector-borne diseases. Nearly all studies used data from Landsat, the French Système Pour l'Observation de la Terre, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. New sensor systems are in orbit, or soon to be launched, whose data may prove useful for characterizing and monitoring the spatial and temporal patterns of infectious diseases. Increased computing power and spatial modeling capabilities of geographic information systems could extend the use of remote sensing beyond the research community into operational disease surveillance and control. This article illustrates how remotely sensed data have been used in health applications and assesses earth-observing satellites that could detect and map environmental variables related to the distribution of vector-borne and other diseases.

Remote sensing and human health: new sensors and new opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, L. R.; Lobitz, B. M.; Wood, B. L.

2000-01-01

Since the launch of Landsat-1 28 years ago, remotely sensed data have been used to map features on the earth's surface. An increasing number of health studies have used remotely sensed data for monitoring, surveillance, or risk mapping, particularly of vector-borne diseases. Nearly all studies used data from Landsat, the French Systeme Pour l'Observation de la Terre, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. New sensor systems are in orbit, or soon to be launched, whose data may prove useful for characterizing and monitoring the spatial and temporal patterns of infectious diseases. Increased computing power and spatial modeling capabilities of geographic information systems could extend the use of remote sensing beyond the research community into operational disease surveillance and control. This article illustrates how remotely sensed data have been used in health applications and assesses earth-observing satellites that could detect and map environmental variables related to the distribution of vector-borne and other diseases.

The LANDSAT system operated in Brazil by CNPq/INPE - results obtained in the area of mapping and future perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Barbosa, M. N.

1981-01-01

The LANDSAT system, operated in the country by CNPg/INPE since 1973, systematically acquires, produces, and distributes both multispectral and panchromatic images obtained through remote sensing satellites to thousands of researchers and technicians involved in the natural resources survey. To cooperate in the solution of national problems, CNPq/INPE is developing efforts in the area of manipulation of those images with the objective of making them useful as planimetric bases for the simple revision of already published maps or for its utilization as basic material in regions not yet reliability mapped. The results obtained from performed tests are presented and the existing limitations are discussed. The new system purchased to handle data from the next series of LANDSAT as well as from MAPSAT and SPOT which will be in operation within the 80's decade, and are designed not only for natural resources survey but also for the solution of cartographic problems.

Radar Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosen, Paul A.

2012-01-01

This lecture was just a taste of radar remote sensing techniques and applications. Other important areas include Stereo radar grammetry. PolInSAR for volumetric structure mapping. Agricultural monitoring, soil moisture, ice-mapping, etc. The broad range of sensor types, frequencies of observation and availability of sensors have enabled radar sensors to make significant contributions in a wide area of earth and planetary remote sensing sciences. The range of applications, both qualitative and quantitative, continue to expand with each new generation of sensors.

Multiplatform sampling (ship, aircraft, and satellite) of a Gulf Stream warm core ring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Raymond C.; Brown, Otis B.; Hoge, Frank E.; Baker, Karen S.; Evans, Robert H.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ability to meet the need to measure distributions of physical and biological properties of the ocean over large areas synoptically and over long time periods by means of remote sensing utilizing contemporaneous buoy, ship, aircraft, and satellite (i.e., multiplatform) sampling strategies. A mapping of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll fields in a Gulf Stream warm core ring using the multiplatform approach is described. Sampling capabilities of each sensing system are discussed as background for the data collected by means of these three dissimilar methods. Commensurate space/time sample sets from each sensing system are compared, and their relative accuracies in space and time are determined. The three-dimensional composite maps derived from the data set provide a synoptic perspective unobtainable from single platforms alone.

Application of remote sensor data to geologic analysis of the Bonanza Test Site Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. (Compiler)

1973-01-01

A geologic map of the Bonanza Test Site is nearing completion. Using published large scale geologic maps from various sources, the geology of the area is being compiled on a base scaled at 1:250,000. Sources of previously published geologic mapping include: (1) USGS Bulletins; (2) professional papers and geologic quadrangle maps; (3) Bureau of Mines reports; (4) Colorado School of Mines quarterlies; and (5) Rocky Mountain Association of Geologist Guidebooks. This compilation will be used to evaluate ERTS, Skylab, and remote sensing underflight data.

Compositional Mapping of the Transantarctic Mountains Using Orbital Reflectance Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvatore, M. R.; Niebuhr, S.; Morin, P. J.; Cox, S.

2014-12-01

We report on our progress of remotely mapping compositional variations throughout the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) using orbital spectroscopic data. These techniques were originally proven effective in Antarctica using moderate spatial resolution (30 m/pixel) Advanced Land Imager (ALI) data, and showed great successes in identifying even minor variations in composition throughout the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) [Salvatore et al., 2013]. However, due to the orbital inclination of the Earth Observing-1 spacecraft, ALI is unable to image the central and southern TAM, making comparable studies at comparable resolutions impossible on a continental scale. Fortunately, the WorldView-2 satellite (DigitalGlobe, Inc.) boasts high-resolution (2 m/pixel) multispectral capabilities, with 8 spectral bands located between 427 nm and 908 nm, and is able to image the entirety of the TAM through off-nadir pointing capabilities. This provides the ability to continue our remote spectral mapping campaign throughout the TAM to identify compositional variations in support of past and future field operations. We present an updated map of relative spectral variability (RSV) in the vicinity of Shackleton Glacier. This mapping product consists of 91 individual WorldView-2 images, each corrected to top-of-atmosphere radiance and parameterized to highlight known compositional properties. The mapped area covers approximately 17,850 square kilometers of ice-covered and exposed terrain. Compositional variations are easily mapped, and small-scale variations in iron-bearing mineralogy are particularly well resolved. We also describe our updated atmospheric correction algorithm for the WorldView-2 dataset, which utilizes in-scene techniques to derive surface reflectance and does not necessitate the use of radiative transfer modeling. Our technique is validated using laboratory reflectance measurements. In conjunction with the Polar Rock Repository at the Ohio State University, we have measured hundreds of individual samples in an effort to verify and "ground-truth" this atmospheric removal algorithm. Using these methodologies and revised techniques, our objective is to make a fully calibrated and atmospherically corrected spectral map of the central TAM available to the scientific community.

Study of application of remote sensing data to land use planning on the Mississippi gulf coast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingels, F. M. (Principal Investigator); Boyd, R. W.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. This project is currently involved in making visits to state and county agencies to obtain their reactions and opinions to the Mississippi Gulf Coast ERTS-1 data. The data products being used in these interviews are produced by NASA/MTF-ERL and consist of computer plotted maps with eight classifications and a statistical summary in booklet form. Reaction by potential users has been very favorable, but cost will be the largely determining factor in their ability to utilize ERTS-1 data in a recurring manner.

Experiment to evaluate feasibility of utilizing Skylab-EREP remote sensing data for tectonic analysis of the Bighorn Mountains region, Wyoming-Montana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoppin, R. A. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of SL-3, S-190A, and S-190B color frames indicates two sets of linears obliquely cutting across the east-west trending Owl Creek-Bridger uplifts. A northwest set of faults and folds has been mapped previously but the imagery indicates some changes and addition of detail can be made. A less pronounced east-northeast set of linear alignments (drainage segments, lithologic contacts, possible faults) extends into the southeast part of the Big Horn Basin.

HPC enabled real-time remote processing of laparoscopic surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronaghi, Zahra; Sapra, Karan; Izard, Ryan; Duffy, Edward; Smith, Melissa C.; Wang, Kuang-Ching; Kwartowitz, David M.

2016-03-01

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique. The benefit of small incisions has a disadvantage of limited visualization of subsurface tissues. Image-guided surgery (IGS) uses pre-operative and intra-operative images to map subsurface structures. One particular laparoscopic system is the daVinci-si robotic surgical system. The video streams generate approximately 360 megabytes of data per second. Real-time processing this large stream of data on a bedside PC, single or dual node setup, has become challenging and a high-performance computing (HPC) environment may not always be available at the point of care. To process this data on remote HPC clusters at the typical 30 frames per second rate, it is required that each 11.9 MB video frame be processed by a server and returned within 1/30th of a second. We have implement and compared performance of compression, segmentation and registration algorithms on Clemson's Palmetto supercomputer using dual NVIDIA K40 GPUs per node. Our computing framework will also enable reliability using replication of computation. We will securely transfer the files to remote HPC clusters utilizing an OpenFlow-based network service, Steroid OpenFlow Service (SOS) that can increase performance of large data transfers over long-distance and high bandwidth networks. As a result, utilizing high-speed OpenFlow- based network to access computing clusters with GPUs will improve surgical procedures by providing real-time medical image processing and laparoscopic data.

Advancing Partnerships Towards an Integrated Approach to Oil Spill Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, D. S.; Stough, T.; Gallegos, S. C.; Leifer, I.; Murray, J. J.; Streett, D.

2015-12-01

Oil spills can cause enormous ecological and economic devastation, necessitating application of the best science and technology available, and remote sensing is playing a growing critical role in the detection and monitoring of oil spills, as well as facilitating validation of remote sensing oil spill products. The FOSTERRS (Federal Oil Science Team for Emergency Response Remote Sensing) interagency working group seeks to ensure that during an oil spill, remote sensing assets (satellite/aircraft/instruments) and analysis techniques are quickly, effectively, appropriately, and seamlessly available to oil spills responders. Yet significant challenges remain for addressing oils spanning a vast range of chemical properties that may be spilled from the Tropics to the Arctic, with algorithms and scientific understanding needing advances to keep up with technology. Thus, FOSTERRS promotes enabling scientific discovery to ensure robust utilization of available technology as well as identifying technologies moving up the TRL (Technology Readiness Level). A recent FOSTERRS facilitated support activity involved deployment of the AVIRIS NG (Airborne Visual Infrared Imaging Spectrometer- Next Generation) during the Santa Barbara Oil Spill to validate the potential of airborne hyperspectral imaging to real-time map beach tar coverage including surface validation data. Many developing airborne technologies have potential to transition to space-based platforms providing global readiness.

Development of MODIS data-based algorithm for retrieving sea surface temperature in coastal waters.

PubMed

Wang, Jiao; Deng, Zhiqiang

2017-06-01

A new algorithm was developed for retrieving sea surface temperature (SST) in coastal waters using satellite remote sensing data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Aqua platform. The new SST algorithm was trained using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) method and tested using 8 years of remote sensing data from MODIS Aqua sensor and in situ sensing data from the US coastal waters in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, California, and New Jersey. The ANN algorithm could be utilized to map SST in both deep offshore and particularly shallow nearshore waters at the high spatial resolution of 1 km, greatly expanding the coverage of remote sensing-based SST data from offshore waters to nearshore waters. Applications of the ANN algorithm require only the remotely sensed reflectance values from the two MODIS Aqua thermal bands 31 and 32 as input data. Application results indicated that the ANN algorithm was able to explaining 82-90% variations in observed SST in US coastal waters. While the algorithm is generally applicable to the retrieval of SST, it works best for nearshore waters where important coastal resources are located and existing algorithms are either not applicable or do not work well, making the new ANN-based SST algorithm unique and particularly useful to coastal resource management.

Comparing Geologic Data Sets Collected by Planetary Analog Traverses and by Standard Geologic Field Mapping: Desert Rats Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, Wanda; Evans, Cynthia; Gruener, John; Eppler, Dean

2014-01-01

Geologic mapping involves interpreting relationships between identifiable units and landforms to understand the formative history of a region. Traditional field techniques are used to accomplish this on Earth. Mapping proves more challenging for other planets, which are studied primarily by orbital remote sensing and, less frequently, by robotic and human surface exploration. Systematic comparative assessments of geologic maps created by traditional mapping versus photogeology together with data from planned traverses are limited. The objective of this project is to produce a geologic map from data collected on the Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) 2010 analog mission using Apollo-style traverses in conjunction with remote sensing data. This map is compared with a geologic map produced using standard field techniques.

ROLES OF REMOTE SENSING AND CARTOGRAPHY IN THE USGS NATIONAL MAPPING DIVISION.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southard, Rupert B.; Salisbury, John W.

1983-01-01

The inseparable roles of remote sensing and photogrammetry have been recognized to be consistent with the aims and interests of the American Society of Photogrammetry. In particular, spatial data storage, data merging and manipulation methods and other techniques originally developed for remote sensing applications also have applications for digital cartography. Also, with the introduction of much improved digital processing techniques, even relatively low resolution (80 m) traditional Landsat images can now be digitally mosaicked into excellent quality 1:250,000-scale image maps.

1994 ASPRS/ACSM annual convention exposition. Volume 2

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

Not Available

1994-01-01

This report is Volume II of presented papers at the joint 1994 convention of the American Society for Photgrammetry and Remote Sensing and American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. Topic areas covered include the following: Data Base/GPS Issues; Survey Management Issues; Surveying computations; Surveying education; Digital mapping; global change, EOS and NALC issues; GPS issues; Battelle Research in Remote Sensing and in GIS; Advanced Image Processing;GIS Issues; Surveying and Geodesy Issues; water resource issues; Advanced applications of remote sensing; Landsat Pathfinder I.

Seep Detection using E/V Nautilus Integrated Seafloor Mapping and Remotely Operated Vehicles on the United States West Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gee, L. J.; Raineault, N.; Kane, R.; Saunders, M.; Heffron, E.; Embley, R. W.; Merle, S. G.

2017-12-01

Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus has been mapping the seafloor off the west coast of the United States, from Washington to California, for the past three years with a Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar. This system simultaneously collects bathymetry, seafloor and water column backscatter data, allowing an integrated approach to mapping to more completely characterize a region, and has identified over 1,000 seafloor seeps. Hydrographic multibeam sonars like the EM302 were designed for mapping the bathymetry. It is only in the last decade that major mapping projects included an integrated approach that utilizes the seabed and water column backscatter information in addition to the bathymetry. Nautilus mapping in the Eastern Pacific over the past three years has included a number of seep-specific expeditions, and utilized and adapted the preliminary mapping guidelines that have emerged from research. The likelihood of seep detection is affected by many factors: the environment: seabed geomorphology, surficial sediment, seep location/depth, regional oceanography and biology, the nature of the seeps themselves: size variation, varying flux, depth, and transience, the detection system: design of hydrographic multibeam sonars limits use for water column detection, the platform: variations in the vessel and operations such as noise, speed, and swath overlap. Nautilus integrated seafloor mapping provided multiple indicators of seep locations, but it remains difficult to assess the probability of seep detection. Even when seeps were detected, they have not always been located during ROV dives. However, the presence of associated features (methane hydrate and bacterial mats) serve as evidence of potential seep activity and reinforce the transient nature of the seeps. Not detecting a seep in the water column data does not necessarily indicate that there is not a seep at a given location, but with multiple passes over an area and by the use of other contextual data, an area may be classified as likely or unlikely to host seeps.

Remote sensing of forest insect disturbances: Current state and future directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senf, Cornelius; Seidl, Rupert; Hostert, Patrick

2017-08-01

Insect disturbance are important agents of change in forest ecosystems around the globe, yet their spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics are not well understood. Remote sensing has gained much attention in mapping and understanding insect outbreak dynamics. Consequently, we here review the current literature on the remote sensing of insect disturbances. We suggest to group studies into three insect types: bark beetles, broadleaved defoliators, and coniferous defoliators. By so doing, we systematically compare the sensors and methods used for mapping insect disturbances within and across insect types. Results suggest that there are substantial differences between methods used for mapping bark beetles and defoliators, and between methods used for mapping broadleaved and coniferous defoliators. Following from this, we highlight approaches that are particularly suited for each insect type. Finally, we conclude by highlighting future research directions for remote sensing of insect disturbances. In particular, we suggest to: 1) Separate insect disturbances from other agents; 2) Extend the spatial and temporal domain of analysis; 3) Make use of dense time series; 4) Operationalize near-real time monitoring of insect disturbances; 5) Identify insect disturbances in the context of coupled human-natural systems; and 6) Improve reference data for assessing insect disturbances. Since the remote sensing of insect disturbances has gained much interest beyond the remote sensing community recently, the future developments identified here will help integrating remote sensing products into operational forest management. Furthermore, an improved spatiotemporal quantification of insect disturbances will support an inclusion of these processes into regional to global ecosystem models.

Remote sensing of forest insect disturbances: Current state and future directions.

PubMed

Senf, Cornelius; Seidl, Rupert; Hostert, Patrick

2017-08-01

Insect disturbance are important agents of change in forest ecosystems around the globe, yet their spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics are not well understood. Remote sensing has gained much attention in mapping and understanding insect outbreak dynamics. Consequently, we here review the current literature on the remote sensing of insect disturbances. We suggest to group studies into three insect types: bark beetles, broadleaved defoliators, and coniferous defoliators. By so doing, we systematically compare the sensors and methods used for mapping insect disturbances within and across insect types. Results suggest that there are substantial differences between methods used for mapping bark beetles and defoliators, and between methods used for mapping broadleaved and coniferous defoliators. Following from this, we highlight approaches that are particularly suited for each insect type. Finally, we conclude by highlighting future research directions for remote sensing of insect disturbances. In particular, we suggest to: 1) Separate insect disturbances from other agents; 2) Extend the spatial and temporal domain of analysis; 3) Make use of dense time series; 4) Operationalize near-real time monitoring of insect disturbances; 5) Identify insect disturbances in the context of coupled human-natural systems; and 6) Improve reference data for assessing insect disturbances. Since the remote sensing of insect disturbances has gained much interest beyond the remote sensing community recently, the future developments identified here will help integrating remote sensing products into operational forest management. Furthermore, an improved spatiotemporal quantification of insect disturbances will support an inclusion of these processes into regional to global ecosystem models.

Remote sensing for detecting and mapping whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) infestations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote sensing technology has long been used for detecting insect infestations on agricultural crops. With recent advances in remote sensing sensors and other spatial information technologies such as Global Position Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing is finding mo...

Commerical Remote Sensing Data Contract

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

The U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Commercial Remote Sensing Data Contracts (CRSDCs) provide government agencies with access to a broad range of commercially available remotely sensed airborne and satellite data. These contracts were established to support The National Map partners, other Federal Civilian agency programs, and Department of Defense programs that require data for the United States and its territories. Experience shows that centralized procurement of remotely sensed data leads to considerable cost savings to the Federal government through volume discounts, reduction of redundant contract administrative costs, and avoidance of duplicate purchases. These contracts directly support the President's Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy, signed in 2003, by providing a centralized mechanism for civil agencies to acquire commercial remote sensing products to support their mission needs in an efficient and coordinated way. CRSDC administration is provided by the USGS Mid-Continent Mapping Center in Rolla, Missouri.

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and ACSM, Fall Convention, Reno, NV, Oct. 4-9, 1987, ASPRS Technical Papers

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

Not Available

1987-01-01

Recent advances in remote-sensing technology and applications are examined in reviews and reports. Topics addressed include the use of Landsat TM data to assess suspended-sediment dispersion in a coastal lagoon, the use of sun incidence angle and IR reflectance levels in mapping old-growth coniferous forests, information-management systems, Large-Format-Camera soil mapping, and the economic potential of Landsat TM winter-wheat crop-condition assessment. Consideration is given to measurement of ephemeral gully erosion by airborne laser ranging, the creation of a multipurpose cadaster, high-resolution remote sensing and the news media, the role of vegetation in the global carbon cycle, PC applications in analytical photogrammetry,more » multispectral geological remote sensing of a suspected impact crater, fractional calculus in digital terrain modeling, and automated mapping using GP-based survey data.« less

Application of remote sensing to monitoring and studying dispersion in ocean dumping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.; Ohlhorst, C. W.

1981-01-01

Remotely sensed wide area synoptic data provides information on ocean dumping that is not readily available by other means. A qualitative approach has been used to map features, such as river plumes. Results of quantitative analyses have been used to develop maps showing quantitative distributions of one or more water quality parameters, such as suspended solids or chlorophyll a. Joint NASA/NOAA experiments have been conducted at designated dump areas in the U.S. coastal zones to determine the applicability of aircraft remote sensing systems to map plumes resulting from ocean dumping of sewage sludge and industrial wastes. A second objective is related to the evaluation of previously developed quantitative analysis techniques for studying dispersion of materials in these plumes. It was found that plumes resulting from dumping of four waste materials have distinctive spectral characteristics. The development of a technology for use in a routine monitoring system, based on remote sensing techniques, is discussed.

Mapping variations in weight percent silica measured from multispectral thermal infrared imagery - Examples from the Hiller Mountains, Nevada, USA and Tres Virgenes-La Reforma, Baja California Sur, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hook, S.J.; Dmochowski, J.E.; Howard, K.A.; Rowan, L.C.; Karlstrom, K.E.; Stock, J.M.

2005-01-01

Remotely sensed multispectral thermal infrared (8-13 ??m) images are increasingly being used to map variations in surface silicate mineralogy. These studies utilize the shift to longer wavelengths in the main spectral feature in minerals in this wavelength region (reststrahlen band) as the mineralogy changes from felsic to mafic. An approach is described for determining the amount of this shift and then using the shift with a reference curve, derived from laboratory data, to remotely determine the weight percent SiO2 of the surface. The approach has broad applicability to many study areas and can also be fine-tuned to give greater accuracy in a particular study area if field samples are available. The approach was assessed using airborne multispectral thermal infrared images from the Hiller Mountains, Nevada, USA and the Tres Virgenes-La Reforma, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Results indicate the general approach slightly overestimates the weight percent SiO2 of low silica rocks (e.g. basalt) and underestimates the weight percent SiO2 of high silica rocks (e.g. granite). Fine tuning the general approach with measurements from field samples provided good results for both areas with errors in the recovered weight percent SiO2 of a few percent. The map units identified by these techniques and traditional mapping at the Hiller Mountains demonstrate the continuity of the crystalline rocks from the Hiller Mountains southward to the White Hills supporting the idea that these ranges represent an essentially continuous footwall block below a regional detachment. Results from the Baja California data verify the most recent volcanism to be basaltic-andesite. ?? 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping daily evapotranspiration at field scales over rainfed and irrigated agricultural areas using remote sensing data fusion

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A continuous monitoring of daily evapotranspiration (ET) at field scale can be achieved by combining thermal infrared remote sensing data information from multiple satellite platforms. Here, an integrated approach to field scale ET mapping is described, combining multi-scale surface energy balance e...

Hyper-temporal remote sensing for digital soil mapping: Characterizing soil-vegetation response to climatic variability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Indices derived from remotely-sensed imagery are commonly used to predict soil properties with digital soil mapping (DSM) techniques. The use of images from single dates or a small number of dates is most common for DSM; however, selection of the appropriate images is complicated by temporal variabi...

Estimating missing hourly climatic data using artificial neural network for energy balance based ET mapping applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote sensing based evapotranspiration (ET) mapping is an important improvement for water resources management. Hourly climatic data and reference ET are crucial for implementing remote sensing based ET models such as METRIC and SEBAL. In Turkey, data on all climatic variables may not be available ...

Hyperspectral remote sensing of canopy biodiversity in Hawaiian lowland rainforests

Treesearch

Kimberly M. Carlson; Gregory P. Asner; R. Flint Hughes; Rebecca Ostertag; Roberta E. Martin

2007-01-01

Mapping biological diversity is a high priority for conservation research, management and policy development, but few studies have provided diversity data at high spatial resolution from remote sensing. We used airborne imaging spectroscopy to map woody vascular plant species richness in lowland tropical forest ecosystems in Hawaii. Hyperspectral signatures spanning...

Mekong Land Cover Dasboard: Regional Land Cover Mointoring Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saah, D. S.; Towashiraporn, P.; Aekakkararungroj, A.; Phongsapan, K.; Triepke, J.; Maus, P.; Tenneson, K.; Cutter, P. G.; Ganz, D.; Anderson, E.

2016-12-01

SERVIR-Mekong, a USAID-NASA partnership, helps decision makers in the Lower Mekong Region utilize GIS and Remote Sensing information to inform climate related activities. In 2015, SERVIR-Mekong conducted a geospatial needs assessment for the Lower Mekong countries which included individual country consultations. The team found that many countries were dependent on land cover and land use maps for land resource planning, quantifying ecosystem services, including resilience to climate change, biodiversity conservation, and other critical social issues. Many of the Lower Mekong countries have developed national scale land cover maps derived in part from remote sensing products and geospatial technologies. However, updates are infrequent and classification systems do not always meet the needs of key user groups. In addition, data products stop at political boundaries and are often not accessible making the data unusable across country boundaries and with resource management partners. Many of these countries rely on global land cover products to fill the gaps of their national efforts, compromising consistency between data and policies. These gaps in national efforts can be filled by a flexible regional land cover monitoring system that is co-developed by regional partners with the specific intention of meeting national transboundary needs, for example including consistent forest definitions in transboundary watersheds. Based on these facts, key regional stakeholders identified a need for a land cover monitoring system that will produce frequent, high quality land cover maps using a consistent regional classification scheme that is compatible with national country needs. SERVIR-Mekong is currently developing a solution that leverages recent developments in remote sensing science and technology, such as Google Earth Engine (GEE), and working together with production partners to develop a system that will use a common set of input data sources to generate high-quality regional land cover maps on a regular basis that are consistent and continuous across the landscape. The system is being designed to facilitate improved policy, planning, and decision making by a wide range of users (such as government agencies, local community groups, non-profit organizations, and the private sector).

Geologic Interpretation of Data Sets Collected by Planetary Analog Geology Traverses and by Standard Geologic Field Mapping. Part 1; A Comparison Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean B.; Bleacher, Jacob F.; Evans, Cynthia A.; Feng, Wanda; Gruener, John; Hurwitz, Debra M.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Whitson, Peggy; Janoiko, Barbara

2013-01-01

Geologic maps integrate the distributions, contacts, and compositions of rock and sediment bodies as a means to interpret local to regional formative histories. Applying terrestrial mapping techniques to other planets is challenging because data is collected primarily by orbiting instruments, with infrequent, spatiallylimited in situ human and robotic exploration. Although geologic maps developed using remote data sets and limited "Apollo-style" field access likely contain inaccuracies, the magnitude, type, and occurrence of these are only marginally understood. This project evaluates the interpretative and cartographic accuracy of both field- and remote-based mapping approaches by comparing two 1:24,000 scale geologic maps of the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF), north-central Arizona. The first map is based on traditional field mapping techniques, while the second is based on remote data sets, augmented with limited field observations collected during NASA Desert Research & Technology Studies (RATS) 2010 exercises. The RATS mission used Apollo-style methods not only for pre-mission traverse planning but also to conduct geologic sampling as part of science operation tests. Cross-comparison demonstrates that the Apollo-style map identifies many of the same rock units and determines a similar broad history as the field-based map. However, field mapping techniques allow markedly improved discrimination of map units, particularly unconsolidated surficial deposits, and recognize a more complex eruptive history than was possible using Apollo-style data. Further, the distribution of unconsolidated surface units was more obvious in the remote sensing data to the field team after conducting the fieldwork. The study raises questions about the most effective approach to balancing mission costs with the rate of knowledge capture, suggesting that there is an inflection point in the "knowledge capture curve" beyond which additional resource investment yields progressively smaller gains in geologic knowledge.

Modeling plant composition as community continua in a forest landscape with LiDAR and hyperspectral remote sensing.

PubMed

Hakkenberg, C R; Peet, R K; Urban, D L; Song, C

2018-01-01

In light of the need to operationalize the mapping of forest composition at landscape scales, this study uses multi-scale nested vegetation sampling in conjunction with LiDAR-hyperspectral remotely sensed data from the G-LiHT airborne sensor to map vascular plant compositional turnover in a compositionally and structurally complex North Carolina Piedmont forest. Reflecting a shift in emphasis from remotely sensing individual crowns to detecting aggregate optical-structural properties of forest stands, predictive maps reflect the composition of entire vascular plant communities, inclusive of those species smaller than the resolution of the remotely sensed imagery, intertwined with proximate taxa, or otherwise obscured from optical sensors by dense upper canopies. Stand-scale vascular plant composition is modeled as community continua: where discrete community-unit classes at different compositional resolutions provide interpretable context for continuous gradient maps that depict n-dimensional compositional complexity as a single, consistent RGB color combination. In total, derived remotely sensed predictors explain 71%, 54%, and 48% of the variation in the first three components of vascular plant composition, respectively. Among all remotely sensed environmental gradients, topography derived from LiDAR ground returns, forest structure estimated from LiDAR all returns, and morphological-biochemical traits determined from hyperspectral imagery each significantly correspond to the three primary axes of floristic composition in the study site. Results confirm the complementarity of LiDAR and hyperspectral sensors for modeling the environmental gradients constraining landscape turnover in vascular plant composition and hold promise for predictive mapping applications spanning local land management to global ecosystem modeling. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Using remote sensing in support of environmental management: A framework for selecting products, algorithms and methods.

PubMed

de Klerk, Helen M; Gilbertson, Jason; Lück-Vogel, Melanie; Kemp, Jaco; Munch, Zahn

2016-11-01

Traditionally, to map environmental features using remote sensing, practitioners will use training data to develop models on various satellite data sets using a number of classification approaches and use test data to select a single 'best performer' from which the final map is made. We use a combination of an omission/commission plot to evaluate various results and compile a probability map based on consistently strong performing models across a range of standard accuracy measures. We suggest that this easy-to-use approach can be applied in any study using remote sensing to map natural features for management action. We demonstrate this approach using optical remote sensing products of different spatial and spectral resolution to map the endemic and threatened flora of quartz patches in the Knersvlakte, South Africa. Quartz patches can be mapped using either SPOT 5 (used due to its relatively fine spatial resolution) or Landsat8 imagery (used because it is freely accessible and has higher spectral resolution). Of the variety of classification algorithms available, we tested maximum likelihood and support vector machine, and applied these to raw spectral data, the first three PCA summaries of the data, and the standard normalised difference vegetation index. We found that there is no 'one size fits all' solution to the choice of a 'best fit' model (i.e. combination of classification algorithm or data sets), which is in agreement with the literature that classifier performance will vary with data properties. We feel this lends support to our suggestion that rather than the identification of a 'single best' model and a map based on this result alone, a probability map based on the range of consistently top performing models provides a rigorous solution to environmental mapping. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Method of Spatial Mapping and Reclassification for High-Spatial-Resolution Remote Sensing Image Classification

PubMed Central

Wang, Guizhou; Liu, Jianbo; He, Guojin

2013-01-01

This paper presents a new classification method for high-spatial-resolution remote sensing images based on a strategic mechanism of spatial mapping and reclassification. The proposed method includes four steps. First, the multispectral image is classified by a traditional pixel-based classification method (support vector machine). Second, the panchromatic image is subdivided by watershed segmentation. Third, the pixel-based multispectral image classification result is mapped to the panchromatic segmentation result based on a spatial mapping mechanism and the area dominant principle. During the mapping process, an area proportion threshold is set, and the regional property is defined as unclassified if the maximum area proportion does not surpass the threshold. Finally, unclassified regions are reclassified based on spectral information using the minimum distance to mean algorithm. Experimental results show that the classification method for high-spatial-resolution remote sensing images based on the spatial mapping mechanism and reclassification strategy can make use of both panchromatic and multispectral information, integrate the pixel- and object-based classification methods, and improve classification accuracy. PMID:24453808

Preliminary investigation of submerged aquatic vegetation mapping using hyperspectral remote sensing.

PubMed

William, David J; Rybicki, Nancy B; Lombana, Alfonso V; O'Brien, Tim M; Gomez, Richard B

2003-01-01

The use of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery for automated mapping of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the tidal Potomac River was investigated for near to real-time resource assessment and monitoring. Airborne hyperspectral imagery and field spectrometer measurements were obtained in October of 2000. A spectral library database containing selected ground-based and airborne sensor spectra was developed for use in image processing. The spectral library is used to automate the processing of hyperspectral imagery for potential real-time material identification and mapping. Field based spectra were compared to the airborne imagery using the database to identify and map two species of SAV (Myriophyllum spicatum and Vallisneria americana). Overall accuracy of the vegetation maps derived from hyperspectral imagery was determined by comparison to a product that combined aerial photography and field based sampling at the end of the SAV growing season. The algorithms and databases developed in this study will be useful with the current and forthcoming space-based hyperspectral remote sensing systems.

Integration of remote sensing and geographic information systems for Great Lakes water quality monitoring

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

Lathrop, R.G. Jr.

1988-01-01

The utility of three operational satellite remote sensing systems, namely, the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), the SPOT High Resolution Visible (HRV) sensors and the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), were evaluated as a means of estimating water quality and surface temperature. Empirical calibration through linear regression techniques was used to relate near-simultaneously acquired satellite radiance/reflectance data and water quality observations obtained in Green Bay and the nearshore waters of Lake Michigan. Four dates of TM and one date each of SPOT and AVHRR imagery/surface reference data were acquired and analyzed. Highly significant relationships were identified between the TMmore » and SPOT data and secchi disk depth, nephelometric turbidity, chlorophyll a, total suspended solids (TSS), absorbance, and surface temperature (TM only). The AVHRR data were not analyzed independently but were used for comparison with the TM data. Calibrated water quality image maps were input to a PC-based raster GIS package, EPPL7. Pattern interpretation and spatial analysis techniques were used to document the circulation dynamics and model mixing processes in Green Bay. A GIS facilitates the retrieval, query and spatial analysis of mapped information and provides the framework for an integrated operational monitoring system for the Great Lakes.« less

Remote monitoring of implantable cardiac devices: current state and future directions.

PubMed

Ganeshan, Raj; Enriquez, Alan D; Freeman, James V

2018-01-01

Recent evidence has demonstrated substantial benefits associated with remote monitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), and treatment guidelines have endorsed the use of remote monitoring. Familiarity with the features of remote monitoring systems and the data supporting its use are vital for physicians' care for patients with CEIDs. Remote monitoring remains underutilized, but its use is expanding including in new practice settings including emergency departments. Patient experience and outcomes are positive, with earlier detection of clinical events such as atrial fibrillation, reductions in inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks and potentially a decrease in mortality with frequent remote monitoring utilizaiton. Rates of hospitalization are reduced among remote monitoring users, and the replacement of outpatient follow-up visits with remote monitoring transmissions has been shown to be well tolerated. In addition, health resource utilization is lower and remote monitoring has been associated with considerable cost savings. A dose relationship exists between use of remote monitoring and patient outcomes, and those with early and high transmission rates have superior outcomes. Remote monitoring provides clinicians with the ability to provide comprehensive follow-up care for patients with CIEDs. Patient outcomes are improved, and resource utilization is decreased with appropriate use of remote monitoring. Future efforts must focus on improving the utilization and efficiency of remote monitoring.

Regional Geological Mapping in the Graham Land of Antarctic Peninsula Using LANDSAT-8 Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pour, A. B.; Hashim, M.; Park, Y.

2017-10-01

Geological investigations in Antarctica confront many difficulties due to its remoteness and extreme environmental conditions. In this study, the applications of Landsat-8 data were investigated to extract geological information for lithological and alteration mineral mapping in poorly exposed lithologies in inaccessible domains such in Antarctica. The north-eastern Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula (AP) was selected in this study to conduct a satellite-based remote sensing mapping technique. Continuum Removal (CR) spectral mapping tool and Independent Components Analysis (ICA) were applied to Landsat-8 spectral bands to map poorly exposed lithologies at regional scale. Pixels composed of distinctive absorption features of alteration mineral assemblages associated with poorly exposed lithological units were detected by applying CR mapping tool to VNIR and SWIR bands of Landsat-8.Pixels related to Si-O bond emission minima features were identified using CR mapping tool to TIR bands in poorly mapped andunmapped zones in north-eastern Graham Land at regional scale. Anomaly pixels in the ICA image maps related to spectral featuresof Al-O-H, Fe, Mg-O-H and CO3 groups and well-constrained lithological attributions from felsic to mafic rocks were detectedusing VNIR, SWIR and TIR datasets of Landsat-8. The approach used in this study performed very well for lithological andalteration mineral mapping with little available geological data or without prior information of the study region.

Remote sensing and GIS for mapping groundwater recharge and discharge areas in salinity prone catchments, southeastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tweed, Sarah O.; Leblanc, Marc; Webb, John A.; Lubczynski, Maciek W.

2007-02-01

Identifying groundwater recharge and discharge areas across catchments is critical for implementing effective strategies for salinity mitigation, surface-water and groundwater resource management, and ecosystem protection. In this study, a synergistic approach has been developed, which applies a combination of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques to map groundwater recharge and discharge areas. This approach is applied to an unconfined basalt aquifer, in a salinity and drought prone region of southeastern Australia. The basalt aquifer covers ~11,500 km2 in an agriculturally intensive region. A review of local hydrogeological processes allowed a series of surface and subsurface indicators of groundwater recharge and discharge areas to be established. Various remote sensing and GIS techniques were then used to map these surface indicators including: terrain analysis, monitoring of vegetation activity, and mapping of infiltration capacity. All regions where groundwater is not discharging to the surface were considered potential recharge areas. This approach, applied systematically across a catchment, provides a framework for mapping recharge and discharge areas. A key component in assigning surface and subsurface indicators is the relevance to the dominant recharge and discharge processes occurring and the use of appropriate remote sensing and GIS techniques with the capacity to identify these processes.

A feed-forward Hopfield neural network algorithm (FHNNA) with a colour satellite image for water quality mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asal Kzar, Ahmed; Mat Jafri, M. Z.; Hwee San, Lim; Al-Zuky, Ali A.; Mutter, Kussay N.; Hassan Al-Saleh, Anwar

2016-06-01

There are many techniques that have been given for water quality problem, but the remote sensing techniques have proven their success, especially when the artificial neural networks are used as mathematical models with these techniques. Hopfield neural network is one type of artificial neural networks which is common, fast, simple, and efficient, but it when it deals with images that have more than two colours such as remote sensing images. This work has attempted to solve this problem via modifying the network that deals with colour remote sensing images for water quality mapping. A Feed-forward Hopfield Neural Network Algorithm (FHNNA) was modified and used with a satellite colour image from type of Thailand earth observation system (THEOS) for TSS mapping in the Penang strait, Malaysia, through the classification of TSS concentrations. The new algorithm is based essentially on three modifications: using HNN as feed-forward network, considering the weights of bitplanes, and non-self-architecture or zero diagonal of weight matrix, in addition, it depends on a validation data. The achieved map was colour-coded for visual interpretation. The efficiency of the new algorithm has found out by the higher correlation coefficient (R=0.979) and the lower root mean square error (RMSE=4.301) between the validation data that were divided into two groups. One used for the algorithm and the other used for validating the results. The comparison was with the minimum distance classifier. Therefore, TSS mapping of polluted water in Penang strait, Malaysia, can be performed using FHNNA with remote sensing technique (THEOS). It is a new and useful application of HNN, so it is a new model with remote sensing techniques for water quality mapping which is considered important environmental problem.

Remote Sensing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Richard S., Jr.; Southworth, C. Scott

1983-01-01

The Landsat Program became the major event of 1982 in geological remote sensing with the successful launch of Landsat 4. Other 1982 remote sensing accomplishments, research, publications, (including a set of Landsat worldwide reference system index maps), and conferences are highlighted. (JN)

Remote infrared audible signage (RIAS) pilot program report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-07-01

The Remote Infrared Audible Sign Model Accessibility Program (RIAS MAP) is a program funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to evaluate the effectiveness of remote infrared audible sign systems in enabling persons with visual and cognitiv...

Use of Openly Available Satellite Images for Remote Sensing Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.-K.

2011-09-01

With the advent of Google Earth, Google Maps, and Microsoft Bing Maps, high resolution satellite imagery are becoming more easily accessible than ever. It have been the case that the college students may already have wealth experiences with the high resolution satellite imagery by using these software and web services prior to any formal remote sensing education. It is obvious that the remote sensing education should be adjusted to the fact that the audience are already the customers of remote sensing products (through the use of the above mentioned services). This paper reports the use of openly available satellite imagery in an introductory-level remote sensing course in the Department of Geomatics of National Cheng Kung University as a term project. From the experience learned from the fall of 2009 and 2010, it shows that this term project has effectively aroused the students' enthusiastic toward Remote Sensing.

An Approach of Registration between Remote Sensing Image and Electronic Chart Based on Coastal Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying; Yu, Shuiming; Li, Chuanlong

Remote sensing plays an important role marine oil spill emergency. In order to implement a timely and effective countermeasure, it is important to provide exact position of oil spills. Therefore it is necessary to match remote sensing image and electronic chart properly. Variance ordinarily exists between oil spill image and electronic chart, although geometric correction is applied to remote sensing image. It is difficult to find the steady control points on sea to make exact rectification of remote sensing image. An improved relaxation algorithm was developed for finding the control points along the coastline since oil spills occurs generally near the coast. A conversion function is created with the least square, and remote sensing image can be registered with the vector map based on this function. SAR image was used as the remote sensing data and shape format map as the electronic chart data. The results show that this approach can guarantee the precision of the registration, which is essential for oil spill monitoring.

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LAND REMOTE SENSING ACTIVITIES.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frederick, Doyle G.

1983-01-01

USGS uses all types of remotely sensed data, in combination with other sources of data, to support geologic analyses, hydrologic assessments, land cover mapping, image mapping, and applications research. Survey scientists use all types of remotely sensed data with ground verifications and digital topographic and cartographic data. A considerable amount of research is being done by Survey scientists on developing automated geographic information systems that can handle a wide variety of digital data. The Survey is also investigating the use of microprocessor computer systems for accessing, displaying, and analyzing digital data.

Daily Kilometer-Scale MODIS Satellite Maps of PM2.5 Describe Wintertime Episodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatfield, Robert B.; Sorek Hamer, Meytar; Lyapustin, Alexei; Wang, Yujie

2017-01-01

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) suffers from severe health-endangering episodes of PM2.5 aerosol loadings in wintertime; episodes last approximately 5 days and differ in geographical distribution and composition. PM2.5 stations are scattered; consequently the use of remote sensing to map variable regional patterns of these varying respirable aerosol concentrations is desirable. High-precision AOT retrievals can capture column particulate loading. However,PM2.5 mapping is challenging due to several reasons: particularly thin mixed layers (ML) and thus relatively low aerosol optical thickness (AOT) close to current measurement limits, variable and a typical composition of the aerosols, and complex surface bidirectional reflectance. However, the West does present some advantages in analysis. Air basins are isolated from long-distance transport, and experience predominant strong meteorological subsidence. Thus these Western basin regions have fewer problematic cases of overriding aerosol layers detached from the surface. To counter such local overriding, Chu et al. have described an approach for the Eastern US, and He et al have described a synoptic classification approach useful in Shanghai. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) expands our experience with the use of AOT, with lower PM2.5 and several isolated sub-basins. We have prepared daily maps of episodes in each region. We present also a sequence of increasingly detailed statistical models, AOT initially appears to contribute little information; however, inclusion of weather information reveals its utility. Lyapustin and Wang's MultiAngle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) retrieval for AOT provided the most useful operational remote sensing information for these regions. It provides high (1-km) spatial resolution maps and a high percentage of availability. Empirical regression methods have found that random effects regression models (aka mixed effects models, ME) employing AOT provide good estimates of ground PM2.5 concentrations.Here, we attempt to extend these methods and evaluate the usefulness of AOT with greater physical analysis, based on DISCOVER-AQ4 experience.

Interpretation of multispectral and infrared thermal surveys of the Suez Canal Zone, Egypt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elshazly, E. M.; Hady, M. A. A. H.; Hafez, M. A. A.; Salman, A. B.; Morsy, M. A.; Elrakaiby, M. M.; Alaassy, I. E. E.; Kamel, A. F.

1977-01-01

Remote sensing airborne surveys were conducted, as part of the plan of rehabilitation, of the Suez Canal Zone using I2S multispectral camera and Bendix LN-3 infrared passive scanner. The multispectral camera gives four separate photographs for the same scene in the blue, green, red, and near infrared bands. The scanner was operated in the microwave bands of 8 to 14 microns and the thermal surveying was carried out both at night and in the day time. The surveys, coupled with intensive ground investigations, were utilized in the construction of new geological, structural lineation and drainage maps for the Suez Canal Zone on a scale of approximately 1:20,000, which are superior to the maps made by normal aerial photography. A considerable number of anomalies belonging to various types were revealed through the interpretation of the executed multispectral and infrared thermal surveys.

ERTS computer compatible tape data processing and analysis. Appendix 1: The utility of imaging radars for the study of lake ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polcyn, F. C.; Thomson, F. J.; Porcello, L. J.; Sattinger, I. J.; Malila, W. A.; Wezernak, C. T.; Horvath, R.; Vincent, R. K. (Principal Investigator); Bryan, M. L.

1972-01-01

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. Remotely sensed multispectral scanner and return beam vidicon imagery from ERTS-1 is being used for: (1) water depth measurements in the Virgin Islands and Upper Lake Michigan areas; (2) mapping of the Yellowstone National Park; (3) assessment of atmospheric effects in Colorado; (4) lake ice surveillance in Canada and Great Lakes areas; (5) recreational land use in Southeast Michigan; (6) International Field Year on the Great Lakes investigations of Lake Ontario; (7) image enhancement of multispectral scanner data using existing techniques; (8) water quality monitoring of the New York Bight, Tampa Bay, Lake Michigan, Santa Barbara Channel, and Lake Erie; (9) oil pollution detection in the Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico southwest of New Orleans, and Santa Barbara Channel; and (10) mapping iron compounds in the Wind River Mountains.

Calibration of remotely sensed, coarse resolution NDVI to CO2 fluxes in a sagebrush–steppe ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wylie, Bruce K.; Johnson, Douglas A.; Laca, Emilio; Saliendra, Nicanor Z.; Gilmanov, Tagir G.; Reed, Bradley C.; Tieszen, Larry L.; Worstell, Bruce B.

2003-01-01

The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon flux can be partitioned into gross primary productivity (GPP) and respiration (R). The contribution of remote sensing and modeling holds the potential to predict these components and map them spatially and temporally. This has obvious utility to quantify carbon sink and source relationships and to identify improved land management strategies for optimizing carbon sequestration. The objective of our study was to evaluate prediction of 14-day average daytime CO2 fluxes (Fday) and nighttime CO2 fluxes (Rn) using remote sensing and other data. Fday and Rnwere measured with a Bowen ratio–energy balance (BREB) technique in a sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)–steppe ecosystem in northeast Idaho, USA, during 1996–1999. Micrometeorological variables aggregated across 14-day periods and time-integrated Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (iNDVI) were determined during four growing seasons (1996–1999) and used to predict Fday and Rn. We found that iNDVI was a strong predictor of Fday(R2=0.79, n=66, P<0.0001). Inclusion of evapotranspiration in the predictive equation led to improved predictions of Fday (R2=0.82, n=66, P<0.0001). Crossvalidation indicated that regression tree predictions of Fday were prone to overfitting and that linear regression models were more robust. Multiple regression and regression tree models predicted Rn quite well (R2=0.75–0.77, n=66) with the regression tree model being slightly more robust in crossvalidation. Temporal mapping of Fday and Rn is possible with these techniques and would allow the assessment of NEE in sagebrush–steppe ecosystems. Simulations of periodic Fday measurements, as might be provided by a mobile flux tower, indicated that such measurements could be used in combination with iNDVI to accurately predict Fday. These periodic measurements could maximize the utility of expensive flux towers for evaluating various carbon management strategies, carbon certification, and validation and calibration of carbon flux models.

Calibration of remotely sensed, coarse resolution NDVI to CO2 fluxes in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wylie, B.K.; Johnson, D.A.; Laca, Emilio; Saliendra, Nicanor Z.; Gilmanov, T.G.; Reed, B.C.; Tieszen, L.L.; Worstell, B.B.

2003-01-01

The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon flux can be partitioned into gross primary productivity (GPP) and respiration (R). The contribution of remote sensing and modeling holds the potential to predict these components and map them spatially and temporally. This has obvious utility to quantify carbon sink and source relationships and to identify improved land management strategies for optimizing carbon sequestration. The objective of our study was to evaluate prediction of 14-day average daytime CO2 fluxes (Fday) and nighttime CO2 fluxes (Rn) using remote sensing and other data. Fday and Rn were measured with a Bowen ratio-energy balance (BREB) technique in a sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-steppe ecosystem in northeast Idaho, USA, during 1996-1999. Micrometeorological variables aggregated across 14-day periods and time-integrated Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (iNDVI) were determined during four growing seasons (1996-1999) and used to predict Fday and Rn. We found that iNDVI was a strong predictor of Fday (R2 = 0.79, n = 66, P < 0.0001). Inclusion of evapotranspiration in the predictive equation led to improved predictions of Fday (R2= 0.82, n = 66, P < 0.0001). Crossvalidation indicated that regression tree predictions of Fday were prone to overfitting and that linear regression models were more robust. Multiple regression and regression tree models predicted Rn quite well (R2 = 0.75-0.77, n = 66) with the regression tree model being slightly more robust in crossvalidation. Temporal mapping of Fday and Rn is possible with these techniques and would allow the assessment of NEE in sagebrush-steppe ecosystems. Simulations of periodic Fday measurements, as might be provided by a mobile flux tower, indicated that such measurements could be used in combination with iNDVI to accurately predict Fday. These periodic measurements could maximize the utility of expensive flux towers for evaluating various carbon management strategies, carbon certification, and validation and calibration of carbon flux models. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Mobile lidar system for monitoring of gaseous pollutants in atmosphere over industrial and urban area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskalenko, Irina V.; Shecheglov, Djolinard A.; Rogachev, Aleksei P.; Avdonin, Aleksandr A.; Molodtsov, Nikolai A.

1999-01-01

The lidar remote sensing techniques are powerful for monitoring of gaseous toxic species in atmosphere over wide areas. The paper presented describes design, development and field testing of Mobile Lidar System (MLS) based on utilization of Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique. The activity is performed by Russian Research Center 'Kurchatov Institute' and Research Institute of Pulse Technique within the project 'Mobile Remote SEnsing System Based on Tunable Laser Transmitter for Environmental Monitoring' under funding of International Scientific and Technology Center Moscow. A brief description of MLS is presented including narrowband transmitter, receiver, system steering, data acquisition subsystem and software. MLS is housed in a mobile truck and is able to provide 3D mapping of gaseous species. Sulfur dioxide and elemental mercury were chosen as basic atmospheric pollutants for field test of MLS. The problem of anthropogenic ozone detection attracts attention due to increase traffic in Moscow. The experimental sites for field testing are located in Moscow Region. Examples of field DIAL measurements will be presented. Application of remote sensing to toxic species near-real time measurements is now under consideration. The objective is comparison of pollution level in working zone with maximum permissible concentration of hazardous pollutant.

Lidar system for air-pollution monitoring over urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskalenko, Irina V.; Shcheglov, Djolinard A.; Molodtsov, Nikolai A.

1997-05-01

The atmospheric environmental situation over the urban area of a large city is determined by a complex combination of anthropogenic pollution and meteorological factors. The efficient way to provide three-dimensional mapping of gaseous pollutants over wide areas is utilization of lidar systems employing tunable narrowband transmitters. The paper presented describes activity of RRC 'Kurchatov Institute' in the field of lidar atmospheric monitoring. The project 'mobile remote sensing system based on tunable laser transmitter for environmental monitoring' is developed under financial support of International Scientific and Technology Center (Moscow). The objective of the project is design, construction and field testing of a DIAL-technique system. The lidar transmitter consists of an excimer laser pumping dye laser, BBO crystal frequency doubler, and scanning flat mirror. Sulfur dioxide and atomic mercury have been selected as pollutants for field tests of the lidar system under development. A recent large increase in Moscow traffic stimulated taking into consideration also the remote sensing of lower troposphere ozone because of the photochemical smog problem. The status of the project is briefly discussed. The current activity includes also collecting of environmental data relevant to lidar remote sensing. Main attention is paid to pollutant concentration levels over Moscow city and Moscow district areas.

Pollutant tracking for 3 Western North Atlantic sea grasses by remote sensing: Preliminary diminishing white light responses of Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Zostera marina.

PubMed

Thorhaug, Anitra; Berlyn, Graeme P; Poulos, Helen M; Goodale, Uromi M

2015-08-15

Sea grasses are foundation species for estuarine ecosystems. The available light for sea grasses diminishes rapidly during pollutant spills, effluent releases, disturbances such as intense riverine input, and tidal changes. We studied how sea grasses' remote-sensing signatures and light-capturing ability respond to short term light alterations. In vivo responses were measured over the entire visible-light spectra to diminishing white-light on whole-living-plants' spectral reflectance, including 6h of full oceanic-light fluences from 10% to 100%. We analyzed differences by various reflectance indices. We compared the sea grasses species responses of tropical vs. temperate and intertidals (Halodule wrightii, and Zostera marina) vs. subtidal (Thalassia testudinum). Reflectance diminished with decreasing light intensity that coincided with greater accessory pigment stimulation (anthocyanin, carotenoids, xanthins). Chlorophyll a and Chlorophyll b differed significantly among species (Thalassia vs. Halodule). Photosynthetic efficiency diminished at high light intensities. The NDVI index was inadequate to perceive these differences. Our results demonstrate the leaf-level utility of data to remote sensing for mapping sea grass and sea grass stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analogs from LEO: Mapping Earth Observations to Planetary Science & Astrobiology. (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, K. P.; Painter, T. H.

2010-12-01

If, as Charles Lyell articulated ‘the present is the key to the past’ for terrestrial geology, then perhaps by extension the Earth, our planet, is the key to understanding other planets. This is the basic premise behind planetary analogs. Many planetary science missions, however, utilize orbiters and are therefore constrained to remote sensing. This is the reverse of how we developed our understanding of Earth’s environments; remote sensing is a relatively new tool for understanding environments and processes on Earth. Here we present several cases and comparisons between Earth’s cryosphere and icy worlds of the outer Solar System (e.g. Europa, Titan, and Enceladus), where much of our knowledge is limited to remote observations (the sole exception being the Huygens probe to Titan). Three regions are considered: glaciers in the Sierra Nevada, the permafrost lakes of Alaska’s North Slope, and spreading centers of the ocean floor. Two key issues are examined: 1) successes and limitations for understanding processes that shape icy worlds, and 2) successes and limitations for assessing the habitability of icy worlds from orbit. Finally, technological considerations for future orbiting mission to icy worlds are presented.

Predicting relative species composition within mixed conifer forest pixels using zero‐inflated models and Landsat imagery

Treesearch

Shannon L. Savage; Rick L. Lawrence; John R. Squires

2015-01-01

Ecological and land management applications would often benefit from maps of relative canopy cover of each species present within a pixel, instead of traditional remote-sensing based maps of either dominant species or percent canopy cover without regard to species composition. Widely used statistical models for remote sensing, such as randomForest (RF),...

Utilization of geoinformation tools for the development of forest fire hazard mapping system: example of Pekan fire, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, Ahmad Rodzi; Setiawan, Iwan; Mansor, Shattri; Shariff, Abdul Rashid Mohamed; Pradhan, Biswajeet; Nuruddin, Ahmed

2009-12-01

A study in modeling fire hazard assessment will be essential in establishing an effective forest fire management system especially in controlling and preventing peat fire. In this paper, we have used geographic information system (GIS), in combination with other geoinformation technologies such as remote sensing and computer modeling, for all aspects of wild land fire management. Identifying areas that have a high probability of burning is an important component of fire management planning. The development of spatially explicit GIS models has greatly facilitated this process by allowing managers to map and analyze variables contributing to fire occurrence across large, unique geographic units. Using the model and its associated software engine, the fire hazard map was produced. Extensive avenue programming scripts were written to provide additional capabilities in the development of these interfaces to meet the full complement of operational software considering various users requirements. The system developed not only possesses user friendly step by step operations to deliver the fire vulnerability mapping but also allows authorized users to edit, add or modify parameters whenever necessary. Results from the model can support fire hazard mapping in the forest and enhance alert system function by simulating and visualizing forest fire and helps for contingency planning.

Approaches to vegetation mapping and ecophysiological hypothesis testing using combined information from TIMS, AVIRIS, and AIRSAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oren, R.; Vane, G.; Zimmermann, R.; Carrere, V.; Realmuto, V.; Zebker, Howard A.; Schoeneberger, P.; Schoeneberger, M.

1991-01-01

The Tropical Rainforest Ecology Experiment (TREE) had two primary objectives: (1) to design a method for mapping vegetation in tropical regions using remote sensing and determine whether the result improves on available vegetation maps; and (2) to test a specific hypothesis on plant/water relations. Both objectives were thought achievable with the combined information from the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), and Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). Implicitly, two additional objectives were: (1) to ascertain that the range within each variable potentially measurable with the three instruments is large enough in the site, relative to the sensitivity of the instruments, so that differences between ecological groups may be detectable; and (2) to determine the ability of the three systems to quantify different variables and sensitivities. We found that the ranges in values of foliar nitrogen concentration, water availability, stand structure and species composition, and plant/water relations were large, even within the upland broadleaf vegetation type. The range was larger when other vegetation types were considered. Unfortunately, cloud cover and navigation errors compromised the utility of the TIMS and AVIRIS data. Nevertheless, the AIRSAR data alone appear to have improved on the available vegetation map for the study area. An example from an area converted to a farm is given to demonstrate how the combined information from AIRSAR, TIMS, and AVIRIS can uniquely identify distinct classes of land use. The example alludes to the potential utility of the three instruments for identifying vegetation at an ecological scale finer than vegetation types.

Comparison of remote sensing indices for monitoring of desert cienegas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Natalie R.; Norman, Laura M.; Villarreal, Miguel; Gass, Leila; Tiller, Ron; Salywon, Andrew

2016-01-01

This research considers the applicability of different vegetation indices at 30 m resolution for mapping and monitoring desert wetland (cienega) health and spatial extent through time at Cienega Creek in southeastern Arizona, USA. Multiple stressors including the risk of decadal-scale drought, the effects of current and predicted global warming, and continued anthropogenic pressures threaten aquatic habitats in the southwest and cienegas are recognized as important sites for conservation and restoration efforts. However, cienegas present a challenge to satellite-imagery based analysis due to their small size and mixed surface cover of open water, exposed soils, and vegetation. We created time series of five well-known vegetation indices using annual Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images retrieved during the April–June dry season, from 1984 to 2011 to map landscape-level distribution of wetlands and monitor the temporal dynamics of individual sites. Indices included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and the Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII). One topographic index, the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), was analyzed to examine the utility of topography in mapping distribution of cienegas. Our results indicate that the NDII, calculated using Landsat TM band 5, outperforms the other indices at differentiating cienegas from riparian and upland sites, and was the best means to analyze change. As such, it offers a critical baseline for future studies that seek to extend the analysis of cienegas to other regions and time scales, and has broader applicability to the remote sensing of wetland features in arid landscapes.

"Land-Cover Conversion in Amazonia, The Role of ENV" Ironment and Substrate composition in Modifying SOI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Dar A.; Chadwick, Oliver A.; Batista, Getulio T.

2003-01-01

LBA research from the first phase of LBA focused on three broad categories: 1) mapping land cover and quantifying rates of change, persistence of pasture, and area of recovering forest; 2) evaluating the role of environmental factors and land-use history on soil biogeochemistry; and 3) quantifying the natural and human controls on stream nutrient concentrations. The focus of the research was regional, concentrating primarily in the state of RondBnia, but also included land-cover mapping in the vicinity of Maraba, Para, and Manaus, Amazonas. Remote sensing analysis utilized Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Multispectral Scanner (MS S) data to map historical patterns of land-cover change. Specific questions addressed by the remote sensing component of the research included: 1) what is the areal extent of dominant land-cover classes? 2) what are the rates of change of dominant land cover through processes of deforestation, disturbance and regeneration? and 3) what are the dynamic properties of each class that characterize temporal variability, duration, and frequency of repeat disturbance? Biogeochemical analysis focused on natural variability and impacts of land-use/land-cover changes on soil and stream biogeochemical properties at the regional scale. An emphasis was given to specific soil properties considered to be primary limiting factors regionally, including phosphorus, nitrogen, base cations and cation-exchange properties. Stream sampling emphasized the relative effects of the rates and timing of land-cover change on stream nutrients, demonstrating that vegetation conversion alone does not impact nutrients as much as subsequent land use and urbanization.

[An object-oriented remote sensing image segmentation approach based on edge detection].

PubMed

Tan, Yu-Min; Huai, Jian-Zhu; Tang, Zhong-Shi

2010-06-01

Satellite sensor technology endorsed better discrimination of various landscape objects. Image segmentation approaches to extracting conceptual objects and patterns hence have been explored and a wide variety of such algorithms abound. To this end, in order to effectively utilize edge and topological information in high resolution remote sensing imagery, an object-oriented algorithm combining edge detection and region merging is proposed. Susan edge filter is firstly applied to the panchromatic band of Quickbird imagery with spatial resolution of 0.61 m to obtain the edge map. Thanks to the resulting edge map, a two-phrase region-based segmentation method operates on the fusion image from panchromatic and multispectral Quickbird images to get the final partition result. In the first phase, a quad tree grid consisting of squares with sides parallel to the image left and top borders agglomerates the square subsets recursively where the uniform measure is satisfied to derive image object primitives. Before the merger of the second phrase, the contextual and spatial information, (e. g., neighbor relationship, boundary coding) of the resulting squares are retrieved efficiently by means of the quad tree structure. Then a region merging operation is performed with those primitives, during which the criterion for region merging integrates edge map and region-based features. This approach has been tested on the QuickBird images of some site in Sanxia area and the result is compared with those of ENVI Zoom Definiens. In addition, quantitative evaluation of the quality of segmentation results is also presented. Experiment results demonstrate stable convergence and efficiency.

Interfacing External Quantum Devices to a Universal Quantum Computer

PubMed Central

Lagana, Antonio A.; Lohe, Max A.; von Smekal, Lorenz

2011-01-01

We present a scheme to use external quantum devices using the universal quantum computer previously constructed. We thereby show how the universal quantum computer can utilize networked quantum information resources to carry out local computations. Such information may come from specialized quantum devices or even from remote universal quantum computers. We show how to accomplish this by devising universal quantum computer programs that implement well known oracle based quantum algorithms, namely the Deutsch, Deutsch-Jozsa, and the Grover algorithms using external black-box quantum oracle devices. In the process, we demonstrate a method to map existing quantum algorithms onto the universal quantum computer. PMID:22216276

Interfacing external quantum devices to a universal quantum computer.

PubMed

Lagana, Antonio A; Lohe, Max A; von Smekal, Lorenz

2011-01-01

We present a scheme to use external quantum devices using the universal quantum computer previously constructed. We thereby show how the universal quantum computer can utilize networked quantum information resources to carry out local computations. Such information may come from specialized quantum devices or even from remote universal quantum computers. We show how to accomplish this by devising universal quantum computer programs that implement well known oracle based quantum algorithms, namely the Deutsch, Deutsch-Jozsa, and the Grover algorithms using external black-box quantum oracle devices. In the process, we demonstrate a method to map existing quantum algorithms onto the universal quantum computer. © 2011 Lagana et al.

Remote sensing applications for urban planning - The LUMIS project. [Land Use Management Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, C. K.; Landini, A. J.; Diegert, C.

1975-01-01

The Santa Monica mountains of Los Angeles consist primarily of complexly folded sedimentary marine strata with igneous and metamorphic rocks at the eastern end of the mountains. With the increased development of the Santa Monicas, a study was conducted to determine the critical land use data items in the mountains. Two information systems developed in parallel are described. One capitalizes on the City's present computer line printer system, and the second utilizes map overlay techniques on an interactive computer terminal. Results concerning population, housing, and land improvement illustrate the successful linking of ordinal and nominal data files in the interactive system.-

Use of remote sensing techniques for geological hazard surveys in vegetated urban regions. [multispectral imagery for lithological mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stow, S. H.; Price, R. C.; Hoehner, F.; Wielchowsky, C.

1976-01-01

The feasibility of using aerial photography for lithologic differentiation in a heavily vegetated region is investigated using multispectral imagery obtained from LANDSAT satellite and aircraft-borne photography. Delineating and mapping of localized vegetal zones can be accomplished by the use of remote sensing because a difference in morphology and physiology results in different natural reflectances or signatures. An investigation was made to show that these local plant zones are affected by altitude, topography, weathering, and gullying; but are controlled by lithology. Therefore, maps outlining local plant zones were used as a basis for lithologic map construction.

Remote sensing of soils, land forms, and land use in the northern great plains in preparation for ERTS applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazee, C. J.; Westin, F. C.; Gropper, J.; Myers, V. I.

1972-01-01

Research to determine the optimum time or season for obtaining imagery to identify and map soil limitations was conducted in the proposed Oahe irrigation project area in South Dakota. The optimum time for securing photographs or imagery is when the soil surface patterns are most apparent. For cultivated areas similar to the study area, May is the optimum time. The fields are cultivated or the planted crop has not yet masked soil surface features. Soil limitations in 59 percent of the field of the flight line could be mapped using the above criteria. The remaining fields cannot be mapped because the vegetation or growing crops do not express features related to soil differences. This suggests that imagery from more than one year is necessary to map completely the soil limitations of Oahe area by remote sensing techniques. Imagery from the other times studied is not suitable for identifying and mapping soil limitations of Oahe area by remote sensing techniques. Imagery from the other times studied is not suitable for identifying and mapping soil limitations because the vegetative cover masked the soil surface and does not reflect soil differences.

Geographic Information System Software to Remodel Population Data Using Dasymetric Mapping Methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sleeter, Rachel; Gould, Michael

2007-01-01

The U.S. Census Bureau provides decadal demographic data collected at the household level and aggregated to larger enumeration units for anonymity purposes. Although this system is appropriate for the dissemination of large amounts of national demographic data, often the boundaries of the enumeration units do not reflect the distribution of the underlying statistical phenomena. Conventional mapping methods such as choropleth mapping, are primarily employed due to their ease of use. However, the analytical drawbacks of choropleth methods are well known ranging from (1) the artificial transition of population at the boundaries of mapping units to (2) the assumption that the phenomena is evenly distributed across the enumeration unit (when in actuality there can be significant variation). Many methods to map population distribution have been practiced in geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing fields. Many cartographers prefer dasymetric mapping to map population because of its ability to more accurately distribute data over geographic space. Similar to ?choropleth maps?, a dasymetric map utilizes standardized data (for example, census data). However, rather than using arbitrary enumeration zones to symbolize population distribution, a dasymetric approach introduces ancillary information to redistribute the standardized data into zones relative to land use and land cover (LULC), taking into consideration actual changing densities within the boundaries of the enumeration unit. Thus, new zones are created that correlate to the function of the map, capturing spatial variations in population density. The transfer of data from census enumeration units to ancillary-driven homogenous zones is performed by a process called areal interpolation.

Experimental philosophy leading to a small scale digital data base of the conterminous United States for designing experiments with remotely sensed data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labovitz, M. L.; Masuoka, E. J.; Broderick, P. W.; Garman, T. R.; Ludwig, R. W.; Beltran, G. N.; Heyman, P. J.; Hooker, L. K.

1983-01-01

Research using satellite remotely sensed data, even within any single scientific discipline, often lacked a unifying principle or strategy with which to plan or integrate studies conducted over an area so large that exhaustive examination is infeasible, e.g., the U.S.A. However, such a series of studies would seem to be at the heart of what makes satellite remote sensing unique, that is the ability to select for study from among remotely sensed data sets distributed widely over the U.S., over time, where the resources do not exist to examine all of them. Using this philosophical underpinning and the concept of a unifying principle, an operational procedure for developing a sampling strategy and formal testable hypotheses was constructed. The procedure is applicable across disciplines, when the investigator restates the research question in symbolic form, i.e., quantifies it. The procedure is set within the statistical framework of general linear models. The dependent variable is any arbitrary function of remotely sensed data and the independent variables are values or levels of factors which represent regional climatic conditions and/or properties of the Earth's surface. These factors are operationally defined as maps from the U.S. National Atlas (U.S.G.S., 1970). Eighty-five maps from the National Atlas, representing climatic and surface attributes, were automated by point counting at an effective resolution of one observation every 17.6 km (11 miles) yielding 22,505 observations per map. The maps were registered to one another in a two step procedure producing a coarse, then fine scale registration. After registration, the maps were iteratively checked for errors using manual and automated procedures. The error free maps were annotated with identification and legend information and then stored as card images, one map to a file. A sampling design will be accomplished through a regionalization analysis of the National Atlas data base (presently being conducted). From this analysis a map of homogeneous regions of the U.S.A. will be created and samples (LANDSAT scenes) assigned by region.

Computerized data reduction techniques for nadir viewing remote sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, S. N.; Gormsen, Barbara B.

1985-01-01

Computer resources have been developed for the analysis and reduction of MAPS experimental data from the OSTA-1 payload. The MAPS Research Project is concerned with the measurement of the global distribution of mid-tropospheric carbon monoxide. The measurement technique for the MAPS instrument is based on non-dispersive gas filter radiometer operating in the nadir viewing mode. The MAPS experiment has two passive remote sensing instruments, the prototype instrument which is used to measure tropospheric air pollution from aircraft platforms and the third generation (OSTA) instrument which is used to measure carbon monoxide in the mid and upper troposphere from space platforms. Extensive effort was also expended in support of the MAPS/OSTA-3 shuttle flight. Specific capabilities and resources developed are discussed.

Remote monitoring of a Fire Protection System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauman, Steven; Vermeulen, Tom; Roberts, Larry; Matsushige, Grant; Gajadhar, Sarah; Taroma, Ralph; Elizares, Casey; Arruda, Tyson; Potter, Sharon; Hoffman, James

2011-03-01

Some years ago CFHT proposed developing a Remote Observing Environment aimed at producing Science Observations at their Observatory Facility on Mauna Kea from their Headquarters facility in Waimea, HI. This Remote Observing Project commonly referred to as OAP (Observatory Automation Project) was completed at the end of January 2011 and has been providing the majority of Science Data since. My poster will discuss the upgrades to the existing fire alarm protection system. With no one at the summit during nightly operations, the observatory facility required automated monitoring of the facility for safety to personnel and equipment in the case of a fire. An addressable analog fire panel was installed which utilizes digital communication protocol (DCP), intelligent communication with other devices, and an RS-232 interface which provides feedback and real-time monitoring of the system. Using the interface capabilities of the panel, it provides notifications when heat detectors, smoke sensors, manual pull stations, or the main observatory computer room fire suppression system has been activated. The notifications are sent out as alerts to staff in the form of test massages and emails and the observing control GUI interface alerts the remote telescope operator with a map showing the location of the fire occurrence and type of device that has been triggered. And all of this was accomplished without the need for an outside vendor to monitor the system and facilitate warnings or notifications regarding the system.

Applications of multi-season hyperspectral remote sensing for acid mine water characterization and mapping of secondary iron minerals associated with acid mine drainage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Gwendolyn E.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) resulting from the oxidation of sulfides in mine waste is a major environmental issue facing the mining industry today. Open pit mines, tailings ponds, ore stockpiles, and waste rock dumps can all be significant sources of pollution, primarily heavy metals. These large mining-induced footprints are often located across vast geographic expanses and are difficult to access. With the continuing advancement of imaging satellites, remote sensing may provide a useful monitoring tool for pit lake water quality and the rapid assessment of abandoned mine sites. This study explored the applications of laboratory spectroscopy and multi-season hyperspectral remote sensing for environmental monitoring of mine waste environments. Laboratory spectral experiments were first performed on acid mine waters and synthetic ferric iron solutions to identify and isolate the unique spectral properties of mine waters. These spectral characterizations were then applied to airborne hyperspectral imagery for identification of poor water quality in AMD ponds at the Leviathan Mine Superfund site, CA. Finally, imagery varying in temporal and spatial resolutions were used to identify changes in mineralogy over weathering overburden piles and on dry AMD pond liner surfaces at the Leviathan Mine. Results show the utility of hyperspectral remote sensing for monitoring a diverse range of surfaces associated with AMD.

An evaluation of the role played by remote sensing technology following the World Trade Center attack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huyck, Charles K.; Adams, Beverley J.; Kehrlein, David I.

2003-06-01

Remote sensing technology has been widely recognized for contributing to emergency response efforts after the World Trade Center attack on September 11th, 2001. The need to coordinate activities in the midst of a dense, yet relatively small area, made the combination of imagery and mapped data strategically useful. This paper reviews the role played by aerial photography, satellite imagery, and LIDAR data at Ground Zero. It examines how emergency managers utilized these datasets, and identifies significant problems that were encountered. It goes on to explore additional ways in which imagery could have been used, while presenting recommendations for more effective use in future disasters and Homeland Security applications. To plan adequately for future events, it was important to capture knowledge from individuals who responded to the World Trade Center attack. In recognition, interviews with key emergency management and geographic information system (GIS) personnel provide the basis of this paper. Successful techniques should not be forgotten, or serious problems dismissed. Although widely used after September 11th, it is important to recognize that with better planning, remote sensing and GIS could have played an even greater role. Together with a data acquisition timeline, an expanded discussion of these issues is available in the MCEER/NSF report “Emergency Response in the Wake of the World Trade Center Attack; The Remote Sensing Perspective” (Huyck and Adams, 2002)

Spatial analysis of vector-borne infectious diseases and ecological indicators using GIS and remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anh, N. K.; Liou, Y. A.

2017-12-01

Ecological and climate indicators play a vital role in defining patterns of human activities and behaviors, such as seasonal features, migration, winter-summer lifestyles, which in turn might be associated with vector-borne disease habitats and transmission risks. Remote sensing has been instrumental in deriving environmental variables and indicators. GIS is shown to be a powerful tool in spatiotemporal visualization and distribution of vector-borne diseases and for analysis of associations between environmental conditions and characteristics of vector-borne habitats. Vietnam is in the sub-tropical climate zone with high humidity and abundant precipitation, while the distribution of precipitation is uneven leading to frequently annual occurrence of drought and flood disasters. Moreover, urban heat island effect is significantly enhanced in urbanized areas in recent years. The increase in the frequency and magnitude of severity of weather extremes that are potentially linked to climate change and anthropogenic processes have highlighted the demand of research into health risk assessment and adaptive capacity. This research focuses on the analysis of physical features of environmental indicators and its association with vector-borne diseases as well as adaptive capacity. The study illustrates how remotely sensed data has been utilized in geohealth applications, surveillance, and health risk mapping. In addition, promising possibilities of allowing disease early-warning systems with citizen participation platform will be proposed. Keywords: Vector-borne diseases; environmental indicators; remote sensing; GIS; Vietnam.

Mapping the Upper Subsurface of MARS Using Radar Polarimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, L. M.; Rincon, R.; Berkoski, L.

2012-01-01

Future human exploration of Mars will require detailed knowledge of the surface and upper several meters of the subsurface in potential landing sites. Likewise, many of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey science goals, such as understanding the history of Mars climate change, determining how the surface was altered through processes like volcanism and fluvial activity, and locating regions that may have been hospitable to life in the past, would be significantly advanced through mapping of the upper meters of the surface. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is the only remote sensing technique capable of penetrating through meters of material and imaging buried surfaces at high (meters to tens-of-meters) spatial resolution. SAR is capable of mapping the boundaries of buried units and radar polarimetry can provide quantitative information about the roughness of surface and subsurface units, depth of burial of stratigraphic units, and density of materials. Orbital SAR systems can obtain broad coverage at a spatial scale relevant to human and robotic surface operations. A polarimetric SAR system would greatly increase the safety and utility of future landed systems including sample caching.

Data use investigations for applications Explorer Mission A (Heat Capacity Mapping Mission): HCMM's role in studies of the urban heat island, Great Lakes thermal phenomena and radiometric calibration of satellite data. [Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester New York and Lake Ontario

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schott, J. R. (Principal Investigator); Schimminger, E. W.

1981-01-01

The utility of data from NASA'a heat capacity mapping mission satellite for studies of the urban heat island, thermal phenomena in large lakes and radiometric calibration of satellite sensors was assessed. The data were found to be of significant value in all cases. Using HCMM data, the existence and microstructure of the heat island can be observed and associated with land cover within the urban complex. The formation and development of the thermal bar in the Great Lakes can be observed and quantitatively mapped using HCMM data. In addition, the thermal patterns observed can be associated with water quality variations observed both from other remote sensing platforms and in situ. The imaging radiometer on-board the HCMM satellite is shown to be calibratible to within about 1.1 C of actual surface temperatures. These findings, as well as the analytical procedures used in studying the HCMM data, are included.

Sub-pixel flood inundation mapping from multispectral remotely sensed images based on discrete particle swarm optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Linyi; Chen, Yun; Yu, Xin; Liu, Rui; Huang, Chang

2015-03-01

The study of flood inundation is significant to human life and social economy. Remote sensing technology has provided an effective way to study the spatial and temporal characteristics of inundation. Remotely sensed images with high temporal resolutions are widely used in mapping inundation. However, mixed pixels do exist due to their relatively low spatial resolutions. One of the most popular approaches to resolve this issue is sub-pixel mapping. In this paper, a novel discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) based sub-pixel flood inundation mapping (DPSO-SFIM) method is proposed to achieve an improved accuracy in mapping inundation at a sub-pixel scale. The evaluation criterion for sub-pixel inundation mapping is formulated. The DPSO-SFIM algorithm is developed, including particle discrete encoding, fitness function designing and swarm search strategy. The accuracy of DPSO-SFIM in mapping inundation at a sub-pixel scale was evaluated using Landsat ETM + images from study areas in Australia and China. The results show that DPSO-SFIM consistently outperformed the four traditional SFIM methods in these study areas. A sensitivity analysis of DPSO-SFIM was also carried out to evaluate its performances. It is hoped that the results of this study will enhance the application of medium-low spatial resolution images in inundation detection and mapping, and thereby support the ecological and environmental studies of river basins.

An Open Source Software and Web-GIS Based Platform for Airborne SAR Remote Sensing Data Management, Distribution and Sharing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Changyong, Dou; Huadong, Guo; Chunming, Han; Ming, Liu

2014-03-01

With more and more Earth observation data available to the community, how to manage and sharing these valuable remote sensing datasets is becoming an urgent issue to be solved. The web based Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology provides a convenient way for the users in different locations to share and make use of the same dataset. In order to efficiently use the airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing data acquired in the Airborne Remote Sensing Center of the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a Web-GIS based platform for airborne SAR data management, distribution and sharing was designed and developed. The major features of the system include map based navigation search interface, full resolution imagery shown overlaid the map, and all the software adopted in the platform are Open Source Software (OSS). The functions of the platform include browsing the imagery on the map navigation based interface, ordering and downloading data online, image dataset and user management, etc. At present, the system is under testing in RADI and will come to regular operation soon.

Infrared-temperature variability in a large agricultural field. [Dunnigan, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millard, J. P.; Goettelman, R. C.; Leroy, M. L. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The combined effect of water carved gullies, varying soil color, moisture state of the soil and crop, nonuniform phenology, and bare spots was measured for commercially grown barley planted on varying terrain. For all but the most rugged terrain, over 80% of the area within 4, 16, 65, and 259 ha cells was at temperatures within 3 C of the mean cell temperature. The result of using relatively small, 4 ha instantaneous field of views for remote sensing applications is that either the worst or the best of conditions is often observed. There appears to be no great advantage in utilizing a small instantaneous field of view instead of a large one for remote sensing of crop canopy temperatures. The two alternatives for design purposes are then either a very high spatial resolution, of the order of a meter or so, where the field is very accurately temperature mapped, or a low resolution, where the actual size seems to make little difference.

Assessments of urban growth in the Tampa Bay watershed using remote sensing data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xian, G.; Crane, M.

2005-01-01

Urban development has expanded rapidly in the Tampa Bay area of west-central Florida over the past century. A major effect associated with this population trend is transformation of the landscape from natural cover types to increasingly impervious urban land. This research utilizes an innovative approach for mapping urban extent and its changes through determining impervious surfaces from Landsat satellite remote sensing data. By 2002, areas with subpixel impervious surface greater than 10% accounted for approximately 1800 km2, or 27 percent of the total watershed area. The impervious surface area increases approximately three-fold from 1991 to 2002. The resulting imperviousness data are used with a defined suite of geospatial data sets to simulate historical urban development and predict future urban and suburban extent, density, and growth patterns using SLEUTH model. Also examined is the increasingly important influence that urbanization and its associated imperviousness extent have on the individual drainage basins of the Tampa Bay watershed.

Assessing Structure and Condition of Temperate And Tropical Forests: Fusion of Terrestrial Lidar and Airborne Multi-Angle and Lidar Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saenz, Edward J.

Forests provide vital ecosystem functions and services that maintain the integrity of our natural and human environment. Understanding the structural components of forests (extent, tree density, heights of multi-story canopies, biomass, etc.) provides necessary information to preserve ecosystem services. Increasingly, remote sensing resources have been used to map and monitor forests globally. However, traditional satellite and airborne multi-angle imagery only provide information about the top of the canopy and little about the forest structure and understory. In this research, we investigative the use of rapidly evolving lidar technology, and how the fusion of aerial and terrestrial lidar data can be utilized to better characterize forest stand information. We further apply a novel terrestrial lidar methodology to characterize a Hemlock Woolly Adelgid infestation in Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, and adapt a dynamic terrestrial lidar sampling scheme to identify key structural vegetation profiles of tropical rainforests in La Selva, Costa Rica.

Efficient crop type mapping based on remote sensing in the Central Valley, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Liheng

Most agricultural systems in California's Central Valley are purposely flexible and intentionally designed to meet the demands of dynamic markets. Agricultural land use is also impacted by climate change and urban development. As a result, crops change annually and semiannually, which makes estimating agricultural water use difficult, especially given the existing method by which agricultural land use is identified and mapped. A minor portion of agricultural land is surveyed annually for land-use type, and every 5 to 8 years the entire valley is completely evaluated. So far no effort has been made to effectively and efficiently identify specific crop types on an annual basis in this area. The potential of satellite imagery to map agricultural land cover and estimate water usage in the Central Valley is explored. Efforts are made to minimize the cost and reduce the time of production during the mapping process. The land use change analysis shows that a remote sensing based mapping method is the only means to map the frequent change of major crop types. The traditional maximum likelihood classification approach is first utilized to map crop types to test the classification capacity of existing algorithms. High accuracy is achieved with sufficient ground truth data for training, and crop maps of moderate quality can be timely produced to facilitate a near-real-time water use estimate. However, the large set of ground truth data required by this method results in high costs in data collection. It is difficult to reduce the cost because a trained classification algorithm is not transferable between different years or different regions. A phenology based classification (PBC) approach is developed which extracts phenological metrics from annual vegetation index profiles and identifies crop types based on these metrics using decision trees. According to the comparison with traditional maximum likelihood classification, this phenology-based approach shows great advantages when the size of the training set is limited by ground truth availability. Once developed, the classifier is able to be applied to different years and a vast area with only a few adjustments according to local agricultural and annual weather conditions. 250 m MODIS imagery is utilized as the main input to the PBC algorithm and displays promising capacity in crop identification in several counties in the Central Valley. A time series of Landsat TM/ETM+ images at a 30 m resolution is necessary in the crop mapping of counties with smaller land parcels, although the processing time is longer. Spectral characteristics are also employed to identify crops in PBC. Spectral signatures are associated with phenological stages instead of imaging dates, which highly increases the stability of the classifier performance and overcomes the problem of over-fitting. Moderate accuracies are achieved by PBC, with confusions mostly within the same crop categories. Based on a quantitative analysis, misclassification in PBC has very trivial impacts on the accuracy of agricultural water use estimate. The cost of the entire PBC procedure is controlled to a very low level, which will enable its usage in routine annual crop mapping in the Central Valley.

Potential of remotely-sensed data for mapping sediment connectivity pathways and their seasonal changes in dryland environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foerster, Saskia; Wilczok, Charlotte; Brosinsky, Arlena; Kroll, Anja; Segl, Karl; Francke, Till

2014-05-01

Many drylands are characterized by strong erosion in headwater catchments, where connectivity processes play an important role in the redistribution of water and sediments. Sediment connectivity relates to the physical transfer of sediment through a drainage basin (Bracken and Croke 2007). The identification of sediment source areas and the way they connect to the channel network are essential to environmental management (Reid et al. 2007), especially where high erosion and sediment delivery rates occur. Vegetation cover and its spatial and temporal pattern is one of the main factors affecting sediment connectivity. This is particularly true for patchy vegetation covers typical for dryland environments. While many connectivity studies are based on field-derived data, the potential of remotely-sensed data for sediment connectivity analyses has not yet been fully exploited. Recent advances in remote sensing allow for quantitative, spatially explicit, catchment-wide derivation of surface information to be used in connectivity analyses. These advances include a continuous increase in spatial image resolution to comprise processes at the plot to hillslope to catchment scale, an increase in the temporal resolution to cover seasonal and long-term changes and an increase in the spectral resolution enabling the discrimination of dry and green vegetation fractions from soil surfaces in heterogeneous dryland landscapes. The utilization of remotely-sensed data for connectivity studies raises questions on what type of information is required, how scale of sediment flux and image resolution match, how the connectivity information can be incorporated into water and sediment transport models and how this improves model predictions. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the potential of remotely-sensed data for mapping sediment connectivity pathways and their seasonal change at the example of a mesoscale dryland catchment in the Spanish Pyrenees. Here, sediment connectivity pathways have been mapped for two adjacent sub-catchments (approx. 70 km²) of the Isábena River in different seasons using a quantitative connectivity index based on fractional vegetation cover and topography data. Fractional cover of green and dry vegetation, bare soil and rock were derived by applying a Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis approach applied to a hyperspectral image dataset. Sediment connectivity was mapped using the Index of Connectivity (Borselli et al. 2008), in which the effect of land cover on runoff and sediment fluxes is expressed by a spatially distributed weighing factor (in this study, the cover and management factor of the RUSLE). The resulting connectivity maps show that areas behave very differently with regard to connectivity, depending on the land cover but also on the spatial distribution of vegetation abundances and topographic barriers. Most parts of the catchment show higher connectivity values in summer than in spring. The studied sub-catchments show a slightly different connectivity behaviour reflecting the different land cover proportions and their spatial configuration. Future work includes the incorporation of sediment connectivity information into a hydrological model (WASA-SED, Mueller et al. 2010) to better reflect connectivity processes and testing the sensitivity of the model to different input data.

Learning Methods of Remote Sensing In the 2013 Curriculum of Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lili Somantri, Nandi

2016-11-01

The new remote sensing material included in the subjects of geography in the curriculum of 1994. For geography teachers generation of 90s and over who in college do not get the material remote sensing, for teaching is a tough matter. Most teachers only give a theoretical matter, and do not carry out practical reasons in the lack of facilities and infrastructure of computer laboratories. Therefore, in this paper studies the importance about the method or manner of teaching remote sensing material in schools. The purpose of this paper is 1) to explain the position of remote sensing material in the study of geography, 2) analyze the Geography Curriculum 2013 Subjects related to remote sensing material, 3) describes a method of teaching remote sensing material in schools. The method used in this paper is a descriptive analytical study supported by the literature. The conclusion of this paper that the position of remote sensing in the study of geography is a method or a way to obtain spatial data earth's surface. In the 2013 curriculum remote sensing material has been applied to the study of land use and transportation. Remote sensing methods of teaching must go through a practicum, which starts from the introduction of the theory of remote sensing, data extraction phase of remote sensing imagery to produce maps, both visually and digitally, field surveys, interpretation of test accuracy, and improved maps.

On the value of satellite-based river discharge and river flood data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettner, A. J.; Brakenridge, R.; van Praag, E.; Borrero, S.; Slayback, D. A.; Young, C.; Cohen, S.; Prades, L.; de Groeve, T.

2015-12-01

Flooding is the most common natural hazard worldwide. According to the World Resources Institute, floods impact 21 million people every year and affect the global GDP by $96 billion. Providing accurate flood maps in near-real time (NRT) is critical to their utility to first responders. Also, in times of flooding, river gauging stations on location, if any, are of less use to monitor stage height as an approximation for water surface area, as often the stations themselves get washed out or peak water levels reach much beyond their design measuring capacity. In a joint effort with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the European Commission Joint Research Centre and the University of Alabama, the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) measures NRT: 1) river discharges, and 2) water inundation extents, both with a global coverage on a daily basis. Satellite-based passive microwave sensors and hydrological modeling are utilized to establish 'remote-sensing based discharge stations'. Once calibrated, daily discharge time series span from 1998 to the present. Also, the two MODIS instruments aboard the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites provide daily floodplain inundation extent with global coverage at a spatial resolution of 250m. DFO's mission is to provide easy access to NRT river and flood data products. Apart from the DFO web portal, several water extent products can be ingested by utilizing a Web Map Service (WMS), such as is established with for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region through the GeoSUR program portal. This effort includes implementing over 100 satellite discharge stations showing in NRT if a river is flooding, normal, or in low flow. New collaborative efforts have resulted in flood hazard maps which display flood extent as well as exceedance probabilities. The record length of our sensors allows mapping the 1.5 year, 5 year and 25 year flood extent. These can provide key information to water management and disaster response entities.

Program evaluation of remote heart failure monitoring: healthcare utilization analysis in a rural regional medical center.

PubMed

Riley, William T; Keberlein, Pamela; Sorenson, Gigi; Mohler, Sailor; Tye, Blake; Ramirez, A Susana; Carroll, Mark

2015-03-01

Remote monitoring for heart failure (HF) has had mixed and heterogeneous effects across studies, necessitating further evaluation of remote monitoring systems within specific healthcare systems and their patient populations. "Care Beyond Walls and Wires," a wireless remote monitoring program to facilitate patient and care team co-management of HF patients, served by a rural regional medical center, provided the opportunity to evaluate the effects of this program on healthcare utilization. Fifty HF patients admitted to Flagstaff Medical Center (Flagstaff, AZ) participated in the project. Many of these patients lived in underserved and rural communities, including Native American reservations. Enrolled patients received mobile, broadband-enabled remote monitoring devices. A matched cohort was identified for comparison. HF patients enrolled in this program showed substantial and statistically significant reductions in healthcare utilization during the 6 months following enrollment, and these reductions were significantly greater compared with those who declined to participate but not when compared with a matched cohort. The findings from this project indicate that a remote HF monitoring program can be successfully implemented in a rural, underserved area. Reductions in healthcare utilization were observed among program participants, but reductions were also observed among a matched cohort, illustrating the need for rigorous assessment of the effects of HF remote monitoring programs in healthcare systems.

Environmental mapping and monitoring of Iceland by remote sensing (EMMIRS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedersen, Gro B. M.; Vilmundardóttir, Olga K.; Falco, Nicola; Sigurmundsson, Friðþór S.; Rustowicz, Rose; Belart, Joaquin M.-C.; Gísladóttir, Gudrun; Benediktsson, Jón A.

2016-04-01

Iceland is exposed to rapid and dynamic landscape changes caused by natural processes and man-made activities, which impact and challenge the country. Fast and reliable mapping and monitoring techniques are needed on a big spatial scale. However, currently there is lack of operational advanced information processing techniques, which are needed for end-users to incorporate remote sensing (RS) data from multiple data sources. Hence, the full potential of the recent RS data explosion is not being fully exploited. The project Environmental Mapping and Monitoring of Iceland by Remote Sensing (EMMIRS) bridges the gap between advanced information processing capabilities and end-user mapping of the Icelandic environment. This is done by a multidisciplinary assessment of two selected remote sensing super sites, Hekla and Öræfajökull, which encompass many of the rapid natural and man-made landscape changes that Iceland is exposed to. An open-access benchmark repository of the two remote sensing supersites is under construction, providing high-resolution LIDAR topography and hyperspectral data for land-cover and landform classification. Furthermore, a multi-temporal and multi-source archive stretching back to 1945 allows a decadal evaluation of landscape and ecological changes for the two remote sensing super sites by the development of automated change detection techniques. The development of innovative pattern recognition and machine learning-based approaches to image classification and change detection is one of the main tasks of the EMMIRS project, aiming to extract and compute earth observation variables as automatically as possible. Ground reference data collected through a field campaign will be used to validate the implemented methods, which outputs are then inferred with geological and vegetation models. Here, preliminary results of an automatic land-cover classification based on hyperspectral image analysis are reported. Furthermore, the EMMIRS project investigates the complex landscape dynamics between geological and ecological processes. This is done through cross-correlation of mapping results and implementation of modelling techniques that simulate geological and ecological processes in order to extrapolate the landscape evolution

Remote Sensing Application to Land Use Classification in a Rapidly Changing Agricultural/Urban Area: City of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Odenyo, V. A. O.

1975-01-01

Remote sensing data on computer-compatible tapes of LANDSAT 1 multispectral scanner imager were analyzed to generate a land use map of the City of Virginia Beach. All four bands were used in both the supervised and unsupervised approaches with the LAYSYS software system. Color IR imagery of a U-2 flight of the same area was also digitized and two sample areas were analyzed via the unsupervised approach. The relationships between the mapped land use and the soils of the area were investigated. A land use land cover map at a scale of 1:24,000 was obtained from the supervised analysis of LANDSAT 1 data. It was concluded that machine analysis of remote sensing data to produce land use maps was feasible; that the LAYSYS software system was usable for this purpose; and that the machine analysis was capable of extracting detailed information from the relatively small scale LANDSAT data in a much shorter time without compromising accuracy.

Use of land surface remotely sensed satellite and airborne data for environmental exposure assessment in cancer research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maxwell, S.K.; Meliker, J.R.; Goovaerts, P.

2010-01-01

In recent years, geographic information systems (GIS) have increasingly been used for reconstructing individual-level exposures to environmental contaminants in epidemiological research. Remotely sensed data can be useful in creating space-time models of environmental measures. The primary advantage of using remotely sensed data is that it allows for study at the local scale (e.g., residential level) without requiring expensive, time-consuming monitoring campaigns. The purpose of our study was to identify how land surface remotely sensed data are currently being used to study the relationship between cancer and environmental contaminants, focusing primarily on agricultural chemical exposure assessment applications. We present the results of a comprehensive literature review of epidemiological research where remotely sensed imagery or land cover maps derived from remotely sensed imagery were applied. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of the most commonly used imagery data (aerial photographs and Landsat satellite imagery) and land cover maps.

LANDSAT information for state planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faust, N. L.; Spann, G. W.

1977-01-01

The transfer of remote sensing technology for the digital processing of LANDSAT data to state and local agencies in Georgia and other southeastern states is discussed. The project consists of a series of workshops, seminars, and demonstration efforts, and transfer of NASA-developed hardware concepts and computer software to state agencies. Throughout the multi-year effort, digital processing techniques have been emphasized classification algorithms. Software for LANDSAT data rectification and processing have been developed and/or transferred. A hardware system is available at EES (engineering experiment station) to allow user interactive processing of LANDSAT data. Seminars and workshops emphasize the digital approach to LANDSAT data utilization and the system improvements scheduled for LANDSATs C and D. Results of the project indicate a substantially increased awareness of the utility of digital LANDSAT processing techniques among the agencies contracted throughout the southeast. In Georgia, several agencies have jointly funded a program to map the entire state using digitally processed LANDSAT data.

The application of remote sensing techniques to selected inter and intra urban data acquisition problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, F. E.

1970-01-01

The utility of remote sensing techniques to urban data acquisition problems in several distinct areas was identified. This endeavor included a comparison of remote sensing systems for urban data collection, the extraction of housing quality data from aerial photography, utilization of photographic sensors in urban transportation studies, urban change detection, space photography utilization, and an application of remote sensing techniques to the acquisition of data concerning intra-urban commercial centers. The systematic evaluation of variable extraction for urban modeling and planning at several different scales, and the model derivation for identifying and predicting economic growth and change within a regional system of cities are also studied.

Monitoring Ephemeral Streams Using Airborne Very High Resolution Multispectral Remote Sensing in Arid Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamada, Y.; O'Connor, B. L.

2012-12-01

Development in arid environments often results in the loss and degradation of the ephemeral streams that provide habitat and critical ecosystem functions such as water delivery, sediment transport, and groundwater recharge. Quantification of these ecosystem functions is challenging because of the episodic nature of runoff events in desert landscapes and the large spatial scale of watersheds that potentially can be impacted by large-scale development. Low-impact development guidelines and regulatory protection of ephemeral streams are often lacking due to the difficulty of accurately mapping and quantifying the critical functions of ephemeral streams at scales larger than individual reaches. Renewable energy development in arid regions has the potential to disturb ephemeral streams at the watershed scale, and it is necessary to develop environmental monitoring applications for ephemeral streams to help inform land management and regulatory actions aimed at protecting and mitigating for impacts related to large-scale land disturbances. This study focuses on developing remote sensing methodologies to identify and monitor impacts on ephemeral streams resulting from the land disturbance associated with utility-scale solar energy development in the desert southwest of the United States. Airborne very high resolution (VHR) multispectral imagery is used to produce stereoscopic, three-dimensional landscape models that can be used to (1) identify and map ephemeral stream channel networks, and (2) support analyses and models of hydrologic and sediment transport processes that pertain to the critical functionality of ephemeral streams. Spectral and statistical analyses are being developed to extract information about ephemeral channel location and extent, micro-topography, riparian vegetation, and soil moisture characteristics. This presentation will demonstrate initial results and provide a framework for future work associated with this project, for developing the necessary field measurements necessary to verify remote sensing landscape models, and for generating hydrologic models and analyses.

Saving Salmon Through Advances in Fluvial Remote Sensing: Applying the Optimal Band Ratio Analysis (OBRA) for Bathymetric Mapping of Over 250 km of River Channel and Habitat Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, R.; Legleiter, C. J.; Harrison, L.

2015-12-01

Salmonids are threatened with extinction across the world from the fragmentation of riverine ecosystems from dams and diversions. In California, efforts to expand the range of spawnable habitat for native salmon by transporting fish around reservoirs is a potentially species saving idea. But, strong scientific evidence of the amount of high quality habitat is required to make these difficult management decisions. Remote sensing has long been used in fluvial settings to identify physical parameters that drive the quality of aquatic habitat; however, the true strength of remote sensing to cover large spatial extents has not been applied with the resolution that is relevant to salmonids. This project utilizes hyperspectral data of over 250 km of the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers to extract depth and bed slope from the wetted channel and NIR LiDAR for the surrounding topography. The Optimal Band Ratio Analysis (OBRA) has proven as an effective tool to create bathymetric maps of river channels in ideal settings with clear water, high amounts of bottom reflectance, and less than 3 meters deep over short distances. Results from this study show that OBRA can be applied over larger riverscapes at high resolutions (0.5 m). The depth and bed slope estimations are used to classify habitat units that are crucial to quantifying the quality and amount of habitat in these river that once produced large populations of native salmonids. As more managers look to expand habitat for these threatened species the tools developed here will be cost effective over the large extents that salmon migrate to spawn.

Techniques for automatic large scale change analysis of temporal multispectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercovich, Ryan A.

Change detection in remotely sensed imagery is a multi-faceted problem with a wide variety of desired solutions. Automatic change detection and analysis to assist in the coverage of large areas at high resolution is a popular area of research in the remote sensing community. Beyond basic change detection, the analysis of change is essential to provide results that positively impact an image analyst's job when examining potentially changed areas. Present change detection algorithms are geared toward low resolution imagery, and require analyst input to provide anything more than a simple pixel level map of the magnitude of change that has occurred. One major problem with this approach is that change occurs in such large volume at small spatial scales that a simple change map is no longer useful. This research strives to create an algorithm based on a set of metrics that performs a large area search for change in high resolution multispectral image sequences and utilizes a variety of methods to identify different types of change. Rather than simply mapping the magnitude of any change in the scene, the goal of this research is to create a useful display of the different types of change in the image. The techniques presented in this dissertation are used to interpret large area images and provide useful information to an analyst about small regions that have undergone specific types of change while retaining image context to make further manual interpretation easier. This analyst cueing to reduce information overload in a large area search environment will have an impact in the areas of disaster recovery, search and rescue situations, and land use surveys among others. By utilizing a feature based approach founded on applying existing statistical methods and new and existing topological methods to high resolution temporal multispectral imagery, a novel change detection methodology is produced that can automatically provide useful information about the change occurring in large area and high resolution image sequences. The change detection and analysis algorithm developed could be adapted to many potential image change scenarios to perform automatic large scale analysis of change.

Forest cover type analysis of New England forests using innovative WorldView-2 imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovacs, Jenna M.

For many years, remote sensing has been used to generate land cover type maps to create a visual representation of what is occurring on the ground. One significant use of remote sensing is the identification of forest cover types. New England forests are notorious for their especially complex forest structure and as a result have been, and continue to be, a challenge when classifying forest cover types. To most accurately depict forest cover types occurring on the ground, it is essential to utilize image data that have a suitable combination of both spectral and spatial resolution. The WorldView-2 (WV2) commercial satellite, launched in 2009, is the first of its kind, having both high spectral and spatial resolutions. WV2 records eight bands of multispectral imagery, four more than the usual high spatial resolution sensors, and has a pixel size of 1.85 meters at the nadir. These additional bands have the potential to improve classification detail and classification accuracy of forest cover type maps. For this reason, WV2 imagery was utilized on its own, and in combination with Landsat 5 TM (LS5) multispectral imagery, to evaluate whether these image data could more accurately classify forest cover types. In keeping with recent developments in image analysis, an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach was used to segment images of Pawtuckaway State Park and nearby private lands, an area representative of the typical complex forest structure found in the New England region. A Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was then used to classify image segments at two levels of classification detail. Accuracies for each forest cover type map produced were generated using traditional and area-based error matrices, and additional standard accuracy measures (i.e., KAPPA) were generated. The results from this study show that there is value in analyzing imagery with both high spectral and spatial resolutions, and that WV2's new and innovative bands can be useful for the classification of complex forest structures.

Regional geology mapping using satellite-based remote sensing approach in Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pour, Amin Beiranvand; Park, Yongcheol; Park, Tae-Yoon S.; Hong, Jong Kuk; Hashim, Mazlan; Woo, Jusun; Ayoobi, Iman

2018-06-01

Satellite remote sensing imagery is especially useful for geological investigations in Antarctica because of its remoteness and extreme environmental conditions that constrain direct geological survey. The highest percentage of exposed rocks and soils in Antarctica occurs in Northern Victoria Land (NVL). Exposed Rocks in NVL were part of the paleo-Pacific margin of East Gondwana during the Paleozoic time. This investigation provides a satellite-based remote sensing approach for regional geological mapping in the NVL, Antarctica. Landsat-8 and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) datasets were used to extract lithological-structural and mineralogical information. Several spectral-band ratio indices were developed using Landsat-8 and ASTER bands and proposed for Antarctic environments to map spectral signatures of snow/ice, iron oxide/hydroxide minerals, Al-OH-bearing and Fe, Mg-OH and CO3 mineral zones, and quartz-rich felsic and mafic-to-ultramafic lithological units. The spectral-band ratio indices were tested and implemented to Level 1 terrain-corrected (L1T) products of Landsat-8 and ASTER datasets covering the NVL. The surface distribution of the mineral assemblages was mapped using the spectral-band ratio indices and verified by geological expeditions and laboratory analysis. Resultant image maps derived from spectral-band ratio indices that developed in this study are fairly accurate and correspond well with existing geological maps of the NVL. The spectral-band ratio indices developed in this study are especially useful for geological investigations in inaccessible locations and poorly exposed lithological units in Antarctica environments.

Upgraded airborne scanner for commercial remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Sheng-Huei; Rubin, Tod D.

1994-06-01

Traditional commercial remote sensing has focused on the geologic market, with primary focus on mineral identification and mapping in the visible through short-wave infrared spectral regions (0.4 to 2.4 microns). Commercial remote sensing users now demand airborne scanning capabilities spanning the entire wavelength range from ultraviolet through thermal infrared (0.3 to 12 microns). This spectral range enables detection, identification, and mapping of objects and liquids on the earth's surface and gases in the air. Applications requiring this range of wavelengths include detection and mapping of oil spills, soil and water contamination, stressed vegetation, and renewable and non-renewable natural resources, and also change detection, natural hazard mitigation, emergency response, agricultural management, and urban planning. GER has designed and built a configurable scanner that acquires high resolution images in 63 selected wave bands in this broad wavelength range.

The Development of a Manhole Access Pipe-Crawler System

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

Collins, M.

2000-09-19

The Savannah River Site's (SRS) Environmental Restoration Division (ERD) is in the process of reconditioning and decommissioning potentially contaminated facilities. Many of these facilities require inspection prior to remediation tasks. Remote inspections are necessary to reduce hazards and ensure the health and safety of workers and the public. To aid in ERD's efforts, the Remote and Specialty Equipment Systems (RSES) section developed a remote inspection vehicle referred to as the Manhole Access Pipecrawler System (MAPS). The MAPS is comprised of a battery-powered mobile vehicle, a portable control console, a cable reel enclosing 300 feet of tethered cable, and a deployment/retrievalmore » system. The components used in MAPS are predominantly standard off-the-shelf items to reduce fabrication costs. Parts were chosen based on size and durability to satisfy SRS operating conditions.« less

A review of geographic information system and remote sensing with applications to the epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis in China.

PubMed

Yang, Guo-Jing; Vounatsou, Penelope; Zhou, Xiao-Nong; Utzinger, Jürg; Tanner, Marcel

2005-01-01

Geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technologies offer new opportunities for rapid assessment of endemic areas, provision of reliable estimates of populations at risk, prediction of disease distributions in areas that lack baseline data and are difficult to access, and guidance of intervention strategies, so that scarce resources can be allocated in a cost-effective manner. Here, we focus on the epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis in China and review GIS and RS applications to date. These include mapping prevalence and intensity data of Schistosoma japonicum at a large scale, and identifying and predicting suitable habitats for Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host snail of S. japonicum, at a small scale. Other prominent applications have been the prediction of infection risk due to ecological transformations, particularly those induced by floods and water resource developments, and the potential impact of climate change. We also discuss the limitations of the previous work, and outline potential new applications of GIS and RS techniques, namely quantitative GIS, WebGIS, and utilization of emerging satellite information, as they hold promise to further enhance infection risk mapping and disease prediction. Finally, we stress current research needs to overcome some of the remaining challenges of GIS and RS applications for schistosomiasis, so that further and sustained progress can be made to control this disease in China and elsewhere.

Quantifying biological integrity of California sage scrub communities using plant life-form cover.

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

Hamada, Y.; Stow, D. A.; Franklin, J.

2010-01-01

The California sage scrub (CSS) community type in California's Mediterranean-type ecosystems supports a large number of rare, threatened, and endangered species, and is critically degraded and endangered. Monitoring ecological variables that provide information about community integrity is vital to conserving these biologically diverse communities. Fractional cover of true shrub, subshrub, herbaceous vegetation, and bare ground should fill information gaps between generalized vegetation type maps and detailed field-based plot measurements of species composition and provide an effective means for quantifying CSS community integrity. Remote sensing is the only tool available for estimating spatially comprehensive fractional cover over large extent, and fractionalmore » cover of plant life-form types is one of the measures of vegetation state that is most amenable to remote sensing. The use of remote sensing does not eliminate the need for either field surveying or vegetation type mapping; rather it will likely require a combination of approaches to reliably estimate life-form cover and to provide comprehensive information for communities. According to our review and synthesis, life-form fractional cover has strong potential for providing ecologically meaningful intermediate-scale information, which is unattainable from vegetation type maps and species-level field measurements. Thus, we strongly recommend incorporating fractional cover of true shrub, subshrub, herb, and bare ground in CSS community monitoring methods. Estimating life-form cover at a 25 m x 25 m spatial scale using remote sensing would be an appropriate approach for initial implementation. Investigation of remote sensing techniques and an appropriate spatial scale; collaboration of resource managers, biologists, and remote sensing specialists, and refinement of protocols are essential for integrating life-form fractional cover mapping into strategies for sustainable long-term CSS community management.« less

Application of remote sensor data to geologic analysis of the Bonanza test site Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. (Compiler); Butler, R. W.; Fisher, J. C.; Huntley, D.; Hulstrom, R. L.; Knepper, D. H., Jr.; Muhm, J. R.; Sawatzky, D. L.; Worman, K. E.; Wychgram, D.

1973-01-01

Research activities on geologic remote sensing applications for Colorado are summarized. Projects include: regional and detailed geologic mapping, surficial and engineering geology, fracture studies, uranium exploration, hydrology, and data reduction and enhancement. The acquisition of remote sensor data is also discussed.

Remote programming of cochlear implants: a telecommunications model.

PubMed

McElveen, John T; Blackburn, Erin L; Green, J Douglas; McLear, Patrick W; Thimsen, Donald J; Wilson, Blake S

2010-09-01

Evaluate the effectiveness of remote programming for cochlear implants. Retrospective review of the cochlear implant performance for patients who had undergone mapping and programming of their cochlear implant via remote connection through the Internet. Postoperative Hearing in Noise Test and Consonant/Nucleus/Consonant word scores for 7 patients who had undergone remote mapping and programming of their cochlear implant were compared with the mean scores of 7 patients who had been programmed by the same audiologist over a 12-month period. Times required for remote and direct programming were also compared. The quality of the Internet connection was assessed using standardized measures. Remote programming was performed via a virtual private network with a separate software program used for video and audio linkage. All 7 patients were programmed successfully via remote connectivity. No untoward patient experiences were encountered. No statistically significant differences could be found in comparing postoperative Hearing in Noise Test and Consonant/Nucleus/Consonant word scores for patients who had undergone remote programming versus a similar group of patients who had their cochlear implant programmed directly. Remote programming did not require a significantly longer programming time for the audiologist with these 7 patients. Remote programming of a cochlear implant can be performed safely without any deterioration in the quality of the programming. This ability to remotely program cochlear implant patients gives the potential to extend cochlear implantation to underserved areas in the United States and elsewhere.

Northern Everglades, Florida, satellite image map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Jean-Claude; Jones, John W.

2002-01-01

These satellite image maps are one product of the USGS Land Characteristics from Remote Sensing project, funded through the USGS Place-Based Studies Program with support from the Everglades National Park. The objective of this project is to develop and apply innovative remote sensing and geographic information system techniques to map the distribution of vegetation, vegetation characteristics, and related hydrologic variables through space and over time. The mapping and description of vegetation characteristics and their variations are necessary to accurately simulate surface hydrology and other surface processes in South Florida and to monitor land surface changes. As part of this research, data from many airborne and satellite imaging systems have been georeferenced and processed to facilitate data fusion and analysis. These image maps were created using image fusion techniques developed as part of this project.

Applying satellite technology to energy and mineral exploration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, William D.; Rowan, Lawrence C.

1978-01-01

IGCP Project 143 ("Remote Sensing and Mineral Exploration"), is a worldwide research project designed to make satellite data an operational geological tool along with the geologic pick, hand lens, topographic map, aerial photo and geophysical instruments and data that comprise the exploration package. While remote sensing data will not replace field exploration and mapping, careful study of such data prior to field work should make the effort more efficient.

Tracking Avian Reservoirs of Arboviruses using Remote Sensing and Radiotelemetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, L.; Wright, S.; Schmidt, C.; Lobitz, B.; Bell, D.; Brown, D.; Brass, James A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Encephalitis is caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes between mammalian hosts. The virus is closely related to the West Nile virus (WNV), which started in New York in 1999, and has since spread to 25 states. Like encephalitis, WNV is vectored by mosquitoes, and the primary hosts are birds; humans are accidental, or'dead-end' hosts. Very little is understood about the behavior of these bird populations, and how they intersect - both in time and in space - with mosquito populations. Exploring these relationships is the first step in developing models for encephalitis and WNV transmission risk. This project combines remotely sensed data with radiotelemetry to create a spatiotemporal map of encephalitis viral activity in bird and mosquito populations in the Sacramento Valley of California. Specifically, remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies were used to characterize habitats utilized by both avian viral reservoirs and the mosquitoes that vector encephalitis. Radiotelemetry and serosurveys (blood) were then used to spatially and temporally track the patterns of infection. The project uses Landsat ETM+ multitemporal satellite data to characterize habitats utilized by both birds and the mosquito vectors. Mist nets were used to sample members of individual flocks of blackbirds and cowbirds over a period of several months; these birds were then bled to assess their viral status, banded, and fitted with transmitters. Radiotelemetry was used to spatially and temporally track the distribution of banded birds and their associated flocks. The movement of these indicator flocks were compared with the location of remotely sensed (adult and larval) mosquito habitats to determine the intersection of bird's and vectors; this is key in understanding where and when transmission occurs from bird to bird, as well as from bird to mammal, via mosquito. The relationships found during the project are being used to generate a model of encephalitis transmission risk in California.

A GIS/Remote Sensing-based methodology for groundwater potentiality assessment in Tirnavos area, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oikonomidis, D.; Dimogianni, S.; Kazakis, N.; Voudouris, K.

2015-06-01

The aim of this paper is to assess the groundwater potentiality combining Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing with data obtained from the field, as an additional tool to the hydrogeological research. The present study was elaborated in the broader area of Tirnavos, covering 419.4 km2. The study area is located in Thessaly (central Greece) and is crossed by two rivers, Pinios and Titarisios. Agriculture is one of the main elements of Thessaly's economy resulting in intense agricultural activity and consequently increased exploitation of groundwater resources. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) were used in order to create a map that depicts the likelihood of existence of groundwater, consisting of five classes, showing the groundwater potentiality and ranging from very high to very low. The extraction of this map is based on the study of input data such as: rainfall, potential recharge, lithology, lineament density, slope, drainage density and depth to groundwater. Weights were assigned to all these factors according to their relevance to groundwater potential and eventually a map based on weighted spatial modeling system was created. Furthermore, a groundwater quality suitability map was illustrated by overlaying the groundwater potentiality map with the map showing the potential zones for drinking groundwater in the study area. The results provide significant information and the maps could be used from local authorities for groundwater exploitation and management.

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.

Application of Remote Sensors in Mapping Rice Area and Forecasting Its Production: A Review

PubMed Central

Mosleh, Mostafa K.; Hassan, Quazi K.; Chowdhury, Ehsan H.

2015-01-01

Rice is one of the staple foods for more than three billion people worldwide. Rice paddies accounted for approximately 11.5% of the World's arable land area during 2012. Rice provided ∼19% of the global dietary energy in recent times and its annual average consumption per capita was ∼65 kg during 2010–2011. Therefore, rice area mapping and forecasting its production is important for food security, where demands often exceed production due to an ever increasing population. Timely and accurate estimation of rice areas and forecasting its production can provide invaluable information for governments, planners, and decision makers in formulating policies in regard to import/export in the event of shortfall and/or surplus. The aim of this paper was to review the applicability of the remote sensing-based imagery for rice area mapping and forecasting its production. Recent advances on the resolutions (i.e., spectral, spatial, radiometric, and temporal) and availability of remote sensing imagery have allowed us timely collection of information on the growth and development stages of the rice crop. For elaborative understanding of the application of remote sensing sensors, following issues were described: the rice area mapping and forecasting its production using optical and microwave imagery, synergy between remote sensing-based methods and other developments, and their implications as an operational one. The overview of the studies to date indicated that remote sensing-based methods using optical and microwave imagery found to be encouraging. However, there were having some limitations, such as: (i) optical remote sensing imagery had relatively low spatial resolution led to inaccurate estimation of rice areas; and (ii) radar imagery would suffer from speckles, which potentially would degrade the quality of the images; and also the brightness of the backscatters were sensitive to the interacting surface. In addition, most of the methods used in forecasting rice yield were empirical in nature, so thus it would require further calibration and validation prior to implement over other geographical locations. PMID:25569753

Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing from Airplanes and Satellites for Cultural Resources Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giardino, Marco J.; Haley, Bryan S.

2005-01-01

Cultural resource management consists of research to identify, evaluate, document and assess cultural resources, planning to assist in decision-making, and stewardship to implement the preservation, protection and interpretation of these decisions and plans. One technique that may be useful in cultural resource management archaeology is remote sensing. It is the acquisition of data and derivative information about objects or materials (targets) located on the Earth's surface or in its atmosphere by using sensor mounted on platforms located at a distance from the targets to make measurements on interactions between the targets and electromagnetic radiation. Included in this definition are systems that acquire imagery by photographic methods and digital multispectral sensors. Data collected by digital multispectral sensors on aircraft and satellite platforms play a prominent role in many earth science applications, including land cover mapping, geology, soil science, agriculture, forestry, water resource management, urban and regional planning, and environmental assessments. Inherent in the analysis of remotely sensed data is the use of computer-based image processing techniques. Geographical information systems (GIS), designed for collecting, managing, and analyzing spatial information, are also useful in the analysis of remotely sensed data. A GIS can be used to integrate diverse types of spatially referenced digital data, including remotely sensed and map data. In archaeology, these tools have been used in various ways to aid in cultural resource projects. For example, they have been used to predict the presence of archaeological resources using modern environmental indicators. Remote sensing techniques have also been used to directly detect the presence of unknown sites based on the impact of past occupation on the Earth's surface. Additionally, remote sensing has been used as a mapping tool aimed at delineating the boundaries of a site or mapping previously unknown features. All of these applications are pertinent to the goals of site discovery and assessment in cultural resource management.

Application of remote sensors in mapping rice area and forecasting its production: a review.

PubMed

Mosleh, Mostafa K; Hassan, Quazi K; Chowdhury, Ehsan H

2015-01-05

Rice is one of the staple foods for more than three billion people worldwide. Rice paddies accounted for approximately 11.5% of the World's arable land area during 2012. Rice provided ~19% of the global dietary energy in recent times and its annual average consumption per capita was ~65 kg during 2010-2011. Therefore, rice area mapping and forecasting its production is important for food security, where demands often exceed production due to an ever increasing population. Timely and accurate estimation of rice areas and forecasting its production can provide invaluable information for governments, planners, and decision makers in formulating policies in regard to import/export in the event of shortfall and/or surplus. The aim of this paper was to review the applicability of the remote sensing-based imagery for rice area mapping and forecasting its production. Recent advances on the resolutions (i.e., spectral, spatial, radiometric, and temporal) and availability of remote sensing imagery have allowed us timely collection of information on the growth and development stages of the rice crop. For elaborative understanding of the application of remote sensing sensors, following issues were described: the rice area mapping and forecasting its production using optical and microwave imagery, synergy between remote sensing-based methods and other developments, and their implications as an operational one. The overview of the studies to date indicated that remote sensing-based methods using optical and microwave imagery found to be encouraging. However, there were having some limitations, such as: (i) optical remote sensing imagery had relatively low spatial resolution led to inaccurate estimation of rice areas; and (ii) radar imagery would suffer from speckles, which potentially would degrade the quality of the images; and also the brightness of the backscatters were sensitive to the interacting surface. In addition, most of the methods used in forecasting rice yield were empirical in nature, so thus it would require further calibration and validation prior to implement over other geographical locations.

A comparison of airborne evapotranspiration maps and sapflow measurements in oak and beech forest stands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlerf, M.; Mallick, K.; Hassler, S. K.; Blume, T.; Ronellenfitsch, F.; Gerhards, M.; Udelhoven, T.; Weiler, M.

2017-12-01

Accurate estimations of spatially explicit daily Evapotranspiration (ET) may help water managers quantifying the water requirements of agricultural crops or trees. Airborne remote sensing may provide suitable ET maps, but uncertainties need to be better understood. In this study we compared high spatial resolution remotely sensed ET maps for 7 July 2016 with sap flow measurements over 32 forest stands located in the Attert catchment, Luxembourg. Forest stands differed in terms of species (Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica), geology (schist, marl, sandstone), and geomorphology (slope position, plain, valley). Within each plot, at 1-3 trees the sap flow velocity (cm per hour) was measured between 8 am and 8 pm in 10 min intervals and averaged into a single value per plot and converted into values of volume flux (litres per day). Remotely sensed ET maps were derived by integrating airborne thermal infrared (TIR) images with an analytical surface energy balance model, Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC1.2, Mallick et al. 2016). Airborne TIR images were acquired under clear sky conditions at 9:12, 10:08, 13:56, 14:50, 15:54, and 18:41 local time using a hyperspectral-thermal instrument. Images were geometrically corrected, calibrated, mosaicked, and converted to surface radiometric temperature. Surface temperature maps in conjunction with meteorological measurements recorded in the forest plots (air temperature, global radiation, relative humidity) were used as input to STIC1.2, for simultaneously estimating ET, sensible heat flux as well as surface and aerodynamic conductances. Instantaneous maps of ET were converted into daily ET maps and compared with the sap flow measurements. Results reveal a significant correspondence between remote sensing and field measured ET. The differences in the magnitude of predicted versus observed ET was found to be associated the biophysical conductances, radiometric surface temperature, and ecohydrological characteristics of the underlying landscape. Forest plots reveal differences in ET depending on the underlying geology and the slope position. Airborne remote sensing offers new ways of estimating the diurnal course of plant transpiration over entire landscapes and is an important bridging technology before high resolution TIR sensors will come into space.

Remote Sensing of Rock Type in the Visible and Near-Infrared,

DTIC Science & Technology

Visible and near-infrared spectra of minerals and rocks have been measured and evaluated in terms of remote sensing applications. The authors...difficult or impossible to use in a generalized remote sensing effort in which the composition of all rocks is to be mapped. Instead, this spectral

Remote sensing program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, R. A., Jr. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

A syllabus and training materials prepared and used in a series of one-day workshops to introduce modern remote sensing technology to selected groups of professional personnel in Vermont are described. Success in using computer compatible tapes, LANDSAT imagery and aerial photographs is reported for the following applications: (1) mapping defoliation of hardwood forests by tent caterpillar and gypsy moth; (2) differentiating conifer species; (3) mapping ground cover of major lake and pond watersheds; (4) inventorying and locating artificially regenerated conifer forest stands; (5) mapping water quality; (6) ascertaining the boat population to quantify recreational activity on lakes and waterways; and (7) identifying potential aquaculture sites.

Field-based Digital Mapping of the November 3, 2002 Susitna Glacier Fault Rupture - Integrating remotely sensed data, GIS, and photo-linking technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staft, L. A.; Craw, P. A.

2003-12-01

In July 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) conducted field studies on the Susitna Glacier Fault (SGF), which ruptured on November 2002 during the M 7.9 Denali fault earthquake. The DGGS assumed responsibility for Geographic Information System (GIS) and data management, integrating remotely sensed imagery, GPS data, GIS, and photo-linking software to aid in planning and documentation of fieldwork. Pre-field preparation included acquisition of over 150, 1:6,000-scale true-color aerial photographs taken shortly after the SGF rupture, 1:63,360-scale color-infrared (CIR) 1980 aerial photographs, and digital geographic information including a 15-minute Digital Elevation Model (DEM), 1:63,360-scale Digital Raster Graphics (DRG), and LandSat 7 satellite imagery. Using Orthomapper software, we orthorectified and mosaiced seven CIRs, creating a georeferenced, digital photo base of the study area. We used this base to reference the 1:6,000-scale aerial photography, to view locations of field sites downloaded from GPS, and to locate linked digital photographs that were taken in the field. Photos were linked using GPS-Photo Link software which "links" digital photographs to GPS data by correlating time stamps from the GPS track log or waypoint file to those of the digital photos, using the correlated point data to create a photo location ESRI shape file. When this file is opened in ArcMap or ArcView with the GPS-Photo Link utility enabled, a thumbnail image of the linked photo appears when the cursor is over the photo location. Viewing photographed features and scarp-profile locations in GIS allowed us to evaluate data coverage of the rupture daily. Using remotely sensed imagery in the field with GIS gave us the versatility to display data on a variety of bases, including topographic maps, air photos, and satellite imagery, during fieldwork. In the field, we downloaded, processed, and reviewed data as it was collected, taking major steps toward final digital map production. Using the described techniques greatly enhanced our ability to analyze and interpret field data; the resulting digital data structure allows us to efficiently gather, disseminate, and archive critical field data.

Health Care Utilization and Expenditures Associated With Remote Monitoring in Patients With Implantable Cardiac Devices.

PubMed

Ladapo, Joseph A; Turakhia, Mintu P; Ryan, Michael P; Mollenkopf, Sarah A; Reynolds, Matthew R

2016-05-01

Several randomized trials and decision analysis models have found that remote monitoring may reduce health care utilization and expenditures in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), compared with in-office monitoring. However, little is known about the generalizability of these findings to unselected populations in clinical practice. To compare health care utilization and expenditures associated with remote monitoring and in-office monitoring in patients with CIEDs, we used Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental Databases. We selected patients newly implanted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D), or permanent pacemaker (PPM), in 2009, who had continuous health plan enrollment 2 years after implantation. Generalized linear models and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounders and estimate differences in health care utilization and expenditures in patients with remote or in-office monitoring. We identified 1,127; 427; and 1,295 pairs of patients with a similar propensity for receiving an ICD, CRT-D, or PPM, respectively. Remotely monitored patients with ICDs experienced fewer emergency department visits resulting in discharge (p = 0.050). Remote monitoring was associated with lower health care expenditures in office visits among patients with PPMs (p = 0.025) and CRT-Ds (p = 0.006) and lower total inpatient and outpatient expenditures in patients with ICDs (p <0.0001). In conclusion, remote monitoring of patients with CIEDs may be associated with reductions in health care utilization and expenditures compared with exclusive in-office care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction and Testing of a Monitoring and Colony-Mapping Method for Waterbird Populations That Uses High-Speed and Ultra-Detailed Aerial Remote Sensing

PubMed Central

Bakó, Gábor; Tolnai, Márton; Takács, Ádám

2014-01-01

Remote sensing is a method that collects data of the Earth's surface without causing disturbances. Thus, it is worthwhile to use remote sensing methods to survey endangered ecosystems, as the studied species will behave naturally while undisturbed. The latest passive optical remote sensing solutions permit surveys from long distances. State-of-the-art highly sensitive sensor systems allow high spatial resolution image acquisition at high altitudes and at high flying speeds, even in low-visibility conditions. As the aerial imagery captured by an airplane covers the entire study area, all the animals present in that area can be recorded. A population assessment is conducted by visual interpretations of an ortho image map. The basic objective of this study is to determine whether small- and medium-sized bird species are recognizable in the ortho images by using high spatial resolution aerial cameras. The spatial resolution needed for identifying the bird species in the ortho image map was studied. The survey was adjusted to determine the number of birds in a colony at a given time. PMID:25046012

Prevalence of pure versus mixed snow cover pixels across spatial resolutions in alpine environments: implications for binary and fractional remote sensing approaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Selkowitz, David J.; Forster, Richard; Caldwell, Megan K.

2014-01-01

Remote sensing of snow-covered area (SCA) can be binary (indicating the presence/absence of snow cover at each pixel) or fractional (indicating the fraction of each pixel covered by snow). Fractional SCA mapping provides more information than binary SCA, but is more difficult to implement and may not be feasible with all types of remote sensing data. The utility of fractional SCA mapping relative to binary SCA mapping varies with the intended application as well as by spatial resolution, temporal resolution and period of interest, and climate. We quantified the frequency of occurrence of partially snow-covered (mixed) pixels at spatial resolutions between 1 m and 500 m over five dates at two study areas in the western U.S., using 0.5 m binary SCA maps derived from high spatial resolution imagery aggregated to fractional SCA at coarser spatial resolutions. In addition, we used in situ monitoring to estimate the frequency of partially snow-covered conditions for the period September 2013–August 2014 at 10 60-m grid cell footprints at two study areas with continental snow climates. Results from the image analysis indicate that at 40 m, slightly above the nominal spatial resolution of Landsat, mixed pixels accounted for 25%–93% of total pixels, while at 500 m, the nominal spatial resolution of MODIS bands used for snow cover mapping, mixed pixels accounted for 67%–100% of total pixels. Mixed pixels occurred more commonly at the continental snow climate site than at the maritime snow climate site. The in situ data indicate that some snow cover was present between 186 and 303 days, and partial snow cover conditions occurred on 10%–98% of days with snow cover. Four sites remained partially snow-free throughout most of the winter and spring, while six sites were entirely snow covered throughout most or all of the winter and spring. Within 60 m grid cells, the late spring/summer transition from snow-covered to snow-free conditions lasted 17–56 days and averaged 37 days. Our results suggest that mixed snow-covered snow-free pixels are common at the spatial resolutions imaged by both the Landsat and MODIS sensors. This highlights the additional information available from fractional SCA products and suggests fractional SCA can provide a major advantage for hydrological and climatological monitoring and modeling, particularly when accurate representation of the spatial distribution of snow cover is critical.

Using Remote Sensing to Estimate Crop Water Use to Improve Irrigation Water Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes-Gonzalez, Arturo

Irrigation water is scarce. Hence, accurate estimation of crop water use is necessary for proper irrigation managements and water conservation. Satellite-based remote sensing is a tool that can estimate crop water use efficiently. Several models have been developed to estimate crop water requirement or actual evapotranspiration (ETa) using remote sensing. One of them is the Mapping EvapoTranspiration at High Resolution using Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model. This model has been compared with other methods for ET estimations including weighing lysimeters, pan evaporation, Bowen Ratio Energy Balance System (BREBS), Eddy Covariance (EC), and sap flow. However, comparison of METRIC model outputs to an atmometer for ETa estimation has not yet been attempted in eastern South Dakota. The results showed a good relationship between ETa estimated by the METRIC model and estimated with atmometer (r2 = 0.87 and RMSE = 0.65 mm day-1). However, ETa values from atmometer were consistently lower than ET a values from METRIC. The verification of remotely sensed estimates of surface variables is essential for any remote-sensing study. The relationships between LAI, Ts, and ETa estimated using the remote sensing-based METRIC model and in-situ measurements were established. The results showed good agreement between the variables measured in situ and estimated by the METRIC model. LAI showed r2 = 0.76, and RMSE = 0.59 m2 m -2, Ts had r2 = 0.87 and RMSE 1.24 °C and ETa presented r2= 0.89 and RMSE = 0.71 mm day -1. Estimation of ETa using energy balance method can be challenging and time consuming. Thus, there is a need to develop a simple and fast method to estimate ETa using minimum input parameters. Two methods were used, namely 1) an energy balance method (EB method) that used input parameters of the Landsat image, weather data, a digital elevation map, and a land cover map and 2) a Kc-NDVI method that use two input parameters: the Landsat image and weather data. A strong relationship was found between the two methods with r2 of 0.97 and RMSE of 0.37 mm day -1. Hence, the Kc-NDVI method performed well for ET a estimations, indicating that Kc-NDVI method can be a robust and reliable method to estimate ETa in a short period of time. Estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) using satellite remote sensing-based vegetation index such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The NDVI was calculated using near-infrared and red wavebands. The relationship between NDVI and tabulated Kc's was used to generate Kc maps. ETc maps were developed as an output of Kc maps multiplied by reference evapotranspiration (ETr). Daily ETc maps helped to explain the variability of crop water use during the growing season. Based on the results we can conclude that ETc maps developed from remotely sensed multispectral vegetation indices are a useful tool for quantifying crop water use at regional and field scales.

Remote Sensing in Agriculture: An Introductory Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, Paul J.

1987-01-01

Discusses the use of remote sensing techniques to obtain locational, estimated, and mapped information at the scales varying from individual fields and farms, to entire continents and the world. (AEM)

Operational programs in forest management and priority in the utilization of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglass, R. W.

1978-01-01

A speech is given on operational remote sensing programs in forest management and the importance of remote sensing in forestry is emphasized. Forest service priorities in using remote sensing are outlined.

Remote information service access system based on a client-server-service model

DOEpatents

Konrad, Allan M.

1996-01-01

A local host computing system, a remote host computing system as connected by a network, and service functionalities: a human interface service functionality, a starter service functionality, and a desired utility service functionality, and a Client-Server-Service (CSS) model is imposed on each service functionality. In one embodiment, this results in nine logical components and three physical components (a local host, a remote host, and an intervening network), where two of the logical components are integrated into one Remote Object Client component, and that Remote Object Client component and the other seven logical components are deployed among the local host and remote host in a manner which eases compatibility and upgrade problems, and provides an illusion to a user that a desired utility service supported on a remote host resides locally on the user's local host, thereby providing ease of use and minimal software maintenance for users of that remote service.

Remote information service access system based on a client-server-service model

DOEpatents

Konrad, A.M.

1997-12-09

A local host computing system, a remote host computing system as connected by a network, and service functionalities: a human interface service functionality, a starter service functionality, and a desired utility service functionality, and a Client-Server-Service (CSS) model is imposed on each service functionality. In one embodiment, this results in nine logical components and three physical components (a local host, a remote host, and an intervening network), where two of the logical components are integrated into one Remote Object Client component, and that Remote Object Client component and the other seven logical components are deployed among the local host and remote host in a manner which eases compatibility and upgrade problems, and provides an illusion to a user that a desired utility service supported on a remote host resides locally on the user`s local host, thereby providing ease of use and minimal software maintenance for users of that remote service. 16 figs.

Remote information service access system based on a client-server-service model

DOEpatents

Konrad, Allan M.

1999-01-01

A local host computing system, a remote host computing system as connected by a network, and service functionalities: a human interface service functionality, a starter service functionality, and a desired utility service functionality, and a Client-Server-Service (CSS) model is imposed on each service functionality. In one embodiment, this results in nine logical components and three physical components (a local host, a remote host, and an intervening network), where two of the logical components are integrated into one Remote Object Client component, and that Remote Object Client component and the other seven logical components are deployed among the local host and remote host in a manner which eases compatibility and upgrade problems, and provides an illusion to a user that a desired utility service supported on a remote host resides locally on the user's local host, thereby providing ease of use and minimal software maintenance for users of that remote service.

Remote information service access system based on a client-server-service model

DOEpatents

Konrad, A.M.

1996-08-06

A local host computing system, a remote host computing system as connected by a network, and service functionalities: a human interface service functionality, a starter service functionality, and a desired utility service functionality, and a Client-Server-Service (CSS) model is imposed on each service functionality. In one embodiment, this results in nine logical components and three physical components (a local host, a remote host, and an intervening network), where two of the logical components are integrated into one Remote Object Client component, and that Remote Object Client component and the other seven logical components are deployed among the local host and remote host in a manner which eases compatibility and upgrade problems, and provides an illusion to a user that a desired utility service supported on a remote host resides locally on the user`s local host, thereby providing ease of use and minimal software maintenance for users of that remote service. 16 figs.

Remote information service access system based on a client-server-service model

DOEpatents

Konrad, Allan M.

1997-01-01

A local host computing system, a remote host computing system as connected by a network, and service functionalities: a human interface service functionality, a starter service functionality, and a desired utility service functionality, and a Client-Server-Service (CSS) model is imposed on each service functionality. In one embodiment, this results in nine logical components and three physical components (a local host, a remote host, and an intervening network), where two of the logical components are integrated into one Remote Object Client component, and that Remote Object Client component and the other seven logical components are deployed among the local host and remote host in a manner which eases compatibility and upgrade problems, and provides an illusion to a user that a desired utility service supported on a remote host resides locally on the user's local host, thereby providing ease of use and minimal software maintenance for users of that remote service.

Variations in the Characteristics of Craters of the Moon Lava Flows from Vent to Termination: Remotely Sensed Spectra and Field Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobson, V. R.; Shervais, J. W.

2004-12-01

Developing a method to characterize the physical, chemical and temporal aspects of terrestrial volcanics is a necessary step toward studying volcanics on other planetary bodies. Volcanoes and flows close to populated centers have been studied to varying degree, but remote volcanics remain largely unstudied. Remotely sensed data and derived information can be used to select field sites on Earth and on other planets. Scientists studying volcanics in dangerous areas would benefit from as much advance knowledge of the area as possible before beginning fieldwork. By using satellites and other remote sensing methods, information about the eruptive history can be derived and potentially, the hazard these remote volcanic areas may pose to current and future generations can be estimated. Using Landsat TM, ASTER and other remotely sensed data, the extent and characteristics of lava flows can be examined, but verification and refinement of these methods requires collection of data on the ground. Young lava flows at Craters of the Moon National Park were selected to test methods for remote mapping of recent volcanics. These late Pleistocene to Holocene basalt flows have been mapped to 1:100,000 scale (Kuntz et al, 1988) and have only minor vegetative cover. A range of remotely sensed spectral images were combined to optimize recovery of the mapped flows. Major flow units can be distinguished from each other using unsupervised classification of Landsat TM Bands 1-7, but differentiation of flows within these units presents greater difficulty. Principal component analyses revealed that during the daytime, thermal infrared variations outweigh variations in all other bands. Larger-scale features were observed like edge effects attributable to changes in surface roughness or texture that might occur at flow fronts or at boundaries between flows. Using a digitized version of the geologic map, TM and ASTER data for individual flows were isolated and examined for changes with distance from the source vent or fissure. Several flows were selected for further examination in the field, based on accessibility and scientific interest.

Crosscutting Airborne Remote Sensing Technologies for Oil and Gas and Earth Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aubrey, A. D.; Frankenberg, C.; Green, R. O.; Eastwood, M. L.; Thompson, D. R.; Thorpe, A. K.

2015-01-01

Airborne imaging spectroscopy has evolved dramatically since the 1980s as a robust remote sensing technique used to generate 2-dimensional maps of surface properties over large spatial areas. Traditional applications for passive airborne imaging spectroscopy include interrogation of surface composition, such as mapping of vegetation diversity and surface geological composition. Two recent applications are particularly relevant to the needs of both the oil and gas as well as government sectors: quantification of surficial hydrocarbon thickness in aquatic environments and mapping atmospheric greenhouse gas components. These techniques provide valuable capabilities for petroleum seepage in addition to detection and quantification of fugitive emissions. New empirical data that provides insight into the source strength of anthropogenic methane will be reviewed, with particular emphasis on the evolving constraints enabled by new methane remote sensing techniques. Contemporary studies attribute high-strength point sources as significantly contributing to the national methane inventory and underscore the need for high performance remote sensing technologies that provide quantitative leak detection. Imaging sensors that map spatial distributions of methane anomalies provide effective techniques to detect, localize, and quantify fugitive leaks. Airborne remote sensing instruments provide the unique combination of high spatial resolution (<1 m) and large coverage required to directly attribute methane emissions to individual emission sources. This capability cannot currently be achieved using spaceborne sensors. In this study, results from recent NASA remote sensing field experiments focused on point-source leak detection, will be highlighted. This includes existing quantitative capabilities for oil and methane using state-of-the-art airborne remote sensing instruments. While these capabilities are of interest to NASA for assessment of environmental impact and global climate change, industry similarly seeks to detect and localize leaks of both oil and methane across operating fields. In some cases, higher sensitivities desired for upstream and downstream applications can only be provided by new airborne remote sensing instruments tailored specifically for a given application. There exists a unique opportunity for alignment of efforts between commercial and government sectors to advance the next generation of instruments to provide more sensitive leak detection capabilities, including those for quantitative source strength determination.

Tactile Robotic Topographical Mapping Without Force or Contact Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Kevin; Melko, Joseph; Krajewski, Joel; Cady, Ian

2008-01-01

A method of topographical mapping of a local solid surface within the range of motion of a robot arm is based on detection of contact between the surface and the end effector (the fixture or tool at the tip of the robot arm). The method was conceived to enable mapping of local terrain by an exploratory robot on a remote planet, without need to incorporate delicate contact switches, force sensors, a vision system, or other additional, costly hardware. The method could also be used on Earth for determining the size and shape of an unknown surface in the vicinity of a robot, perhaps in an unanticipated situation in which other means of mapping (e.g., stereoscopic imaging or laser scanning with triangulation) are not available. The method uses control software modified to utilize the inherent capability of the robotic control system to measure the joint positions, the rates of change of the joint positions, and the electrical current demanded by the robotic arm joint actuators. The system utilizes these coordinate data and the known robot-arm kinematics to compute the position and velocity of the end effector, move the end effector along a specified trajectory, place the end effector at a specified location, and measure the electrical currents in the joint actuators. Since the joint actuator current is approximately proportional to the actuator forces and torques, a sudden rise in joint current, combined with a slowing of the joint, is a possible indication of actuator stall and surface contact. Hence, even though the robotic arm is not equipped with contact sensors, it is possible to sense contact (albeit with reduced sensitivity) as the end effector becomes stalled against a surface that one seeks to measure.

Big data; sensor networks and remotely-sensed data for mapping; feature extraction from lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tlhabano, Lorato

2018-05-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used for mapping in the close range domain, combining aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry and now the emergence of affordable platforms to carry these technologies has opened up new opportunities for mapping and modeling cadastral boundaries. At the current state mainly low cost UAVs fitted with sensors are used in mapping projects with low budgets, the amount of data produced by the UAVs can be enormous hence the need for big data techniques' and concepts. The past couple of years have witnessed the dramatic rise of low-cost UAVs fitted with high tech Lidar sensors and as such the UAVS have now reached a level of practical reliability and professionalism which allow the use of these systems as mapping platforms. UAV based mapping provides not only the required accuracy with respect to cadastral laws and policies as well as requirements for feature extraction from the data sets and maps produced, UAVs are also competitive to other measurement technologies in terms of economic aspects. In the following an overview on how the various technologies of UAVs, big data concepts and lidar sensor technologies can work together to revolutionize cadastral mapping particularly in Africa and as a test case Botswana in particular will be used to investigate these technologies. These technologies can be combined to efficiently provide cadastral mapping in difficult to reach areas and over large areas of land similar to the Land Administration Procedures, Capacity and Systems (LAPCAS) exercise which was recently undertaken by the Botswana government, we will show how the uses of UAVS fitted with lidar sensor and utilizing big data concepts could have reduced not only costs and time for our government but also how UAVS could have provided more detailed cadastral maps.

Cooperative Autonomous Observation of Coherent Atmospheric Structures using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravela, S.

2014-12-01

Mapping the structure of localized atmospheric phenomena, from sea breeze and shallow cumuli to thunderstorms and hurricanes, is of scientific interest. Low-cost small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) open the possibility for autonomous "instruments" to map important small-scale phenomena (kilometers, hours) and serve as a testbed for for much larger scales. Localized phenomena viewed as coherent structures interacting with their large-scale environment are difficult to map. As simple simulations show, naive Eulerian or Lagrangian strategies can fail in mapping localized phenomena. Model-based techniques are needed. Meteorological targeting, where supplementary UAS measurements additionally constrain numerical models is promising, but may require many primary measurements to be successful. We propose a new, data-driven, field-operable, cooperative autonomous observing system (CAOS) framework. A remote observer (on a UAS) tracks tracers to identify an apparent motion model over short timescales. Motion-based predictions seed MCMC flight plans for other UAS to gather in-situ data, which is fused with the remote measurements to produce maps. The tracking and mapping cycles repeat, and maps can be assimilated into numerical models for longer term forecasting. CAOS has been applied to study small scale emissions. At Popocatepetl, in collaboration with CENAPRED and IPN, it is being applied map the plume using remote IR/UV UAS and in-situ SO2 sensing, with additional plans for water vapor, the electric field and ash. The combination of sUAS with autonomy appears to be highly promising methodology for environmental mapping. For more information, please visit http://caos.mit.edu

American Society of Photogrammetry and American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, Fall Technical Meeting, ASP Technical Papers

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

Not Available

1981-01-01

Various topics in the field of photogrammetry are addressed. Among the subjects discussed are: remote sensing of Gulf Stream dynamics using VHRR satellite imagery an interactive rectification system for remote sensing imagery use of a single photo and digital terrain matrix for point positioning crop type analysis using Landsat digital data use of a fisheye lens in solar energy assessment remote sensing inventory of Rocky Mountain elk habitat Washington state's large scale ortho program educational image processing. Also discussed are: operational advantages of on-line photogrammetric triangulation analysis of fracturation field photogrammetry as a tool for measuring glacier movement double modelmore » orthophotos used for forest inventory mapping map revisioning module for the Kern PG2 stereoplotter assessing accuracy of digital land-use and terrain data accuracy of earthwork calculations from digital elevation data.« less

The acquisition, storage, and dissemination of LANDSAT and other LACIE support data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbotts, L. F.; Nelson, R. M. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

Activities performed at the LACIE physical data library are described. These include the researching, acquisition, indexing, maintenance, distribution, tracking, and control of LACIE operational data and documents. Much of the data available can be incorporated into an Earth resources data base. Elements of the data collection that can support future remote sensing programs include: (1) the LANDSAT full-frame image files; (2) the microfilm file of aerial and space photographic and multispectral maps and charts that encompasses a large portion of the Earth's surface; (3) the map/chart collection that includes various scale maps and charts for a good portion of the U.S. and the LACIE area in foreign countries; (4) computer-compatible tapes of good quality LANDSAT scenes; (5) basic remote sensing data, project data, reference material, and associated publications; (6) visual aids to support presentation on remote sensing projects; and (7) research acquisition and handling procedures for managing data.

Monitoring Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS). Volume 1: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Performance tests on an electro-optical model of an infrared sensor for remote measurements of trace atmospheric gases are detailed; the instrument utilized a sample of the gas to be measured as spectral filter. Also reported is the development of radiometric calibration equipment that determines responses to simulated pollution effects. Results show excellent agreement with theoretical performance predictions with the exception of nonuniform radiance responses. Balance stability to an accuracy better than the rms noise level was demonstrated for the EOM in both the NH3 and CO modes for a period of two days under laboratory conditions. Flight test results show that the temperature range of the absorption cell is restricted to 255 K or higher.

Metallic-mineral assessment of the Aban Al Ahmar quadrangle, sheet 25F, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kamilli, Robert J.; Arnold, Mark A.; Cole, James C.; Kleinkopf, M. Dean; Lee, Keenan; Miller, William R.; Raines, Gary L.; ,; ,

1990-01-01

Comprehensive detailed interdisciplinary study assesses the metallic-mineral-resource potential in the Aban Al Ahmar Quadrangle of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located in the eastern margin of the northeastern Arabian Shield, utilizing techniques of geophysics, geologic mapping, remote sensing and geochemistry. The landscape of the study area is characterized by isolated mountain groups, inselbergs, and local tracts of dissected hills separated by broad, low-relief peneplain. Topics covered include mining and exploration history; geological setting; interpretation of geophysical anomalies; limonitic hydrothermally altered and mineralized rocks; geochemical interpretation; mineral resource potential; skarn deposiits associated with intermediate igneous rocks; gold deposits; tin/tungsten skarn deposits; etc. 

The Application of Chinese High-Spatial Remote Sensing Satellite Image in Land Law Enforcement Information Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, N.; Yang, R.

2018-04-01

Chinese high -resolution (HR) remote sensing satellites have made huge leap in the past decade. Commercial satellite datasets, such as GF-1, GF-2 and ZY-3 images, the panchromatic images (PAN) resolution of them are 2 m, 1 m and 2.1 m and the multispectral images (MS) resolution are 8 m, 4 m, 5.8 m respectively have been emerged in recent years. Chinese HR satellite imagery has been free downloaded for public welfare purposes using. Local government began to employ more professional technician to improve traditional land management technology. This paper focused on analysing the actual requirements of the applications in government land law enforcement in Guangxi Autonomous Region. 66 counties in Guangxi Autonomous Region were selected for illegal land utilization spot extraction with fusion Chinese HR images. The procedure contains: A. Defines illegal land utilization spot type. B. Data collection, GF-1, GF-2, and ZY-3 datasets were acquired in the first half year of 2016 and other auxiliary data were collected in 2015. C. Batch process, HR images were collected for batch preprocessing through ENVI/IDL tool. D. Illegal land utilization spot extraction by visual interpretation. E. Obtaining attribute data with ArcGIS Geoprocessor (GP) model. F. Thematic mapping and surveying. Through analysing 42 counties results, law enforcement officials found 1092 illegal land using spots and 16 suspicious illegal mining spots. The results show that Chinese HR satellite images have great potential for feature information extraction and the processing procedure appears robust.

Mapping ephemeral stream networks in desert environments using very-high-spatial-resolution multispectral remote sensing

DOE PAGES

Hamada, Yuki; O'Connor, Ben L.; Orr, Andrew B.; ...

2016-03-26

In this paper, understanding the spatial patterns of ephemeral streams is crucial for understanding how hydrologic processes influence the abundance and distribution of wildlife habitats in desert regions. Available methods for mapping ephemeral streams at the watershed scale typically underestimate the size of channel networks. Although remote sensing is an effective means of collecting data and obtaining information on large, inaccessible areas, conventional techniques for extracting channel features are not sufficient in regions that have small topographic gradients and subtle target-background spectral contrast. By using very high resolution multispectral imagery, we developed a new algorithm that applies landscape information tomore » map ephemeral channels in desert regions of the Southwestern United States where utility-scale solar energy development is occurring. Knowledge about landscape features and structures was integrated into the algorithm using a series of spectral transformation and spatial statistical operations to integrate information about landscape features and structures. The algorithm extracted ephemeral stream channels at a local scale, with the result that approximately 900% more ephemeral streams was identified than what were identified by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The accuracy of the algorithm in detecting channel areas was as high as 92%, and its accuracy in delineating channel center lines was 91% when compared to a subset of channel networks that were digitized by using the very high resolution imagery. Although the algorithm captured stream channels in desert landscapes across various channel sizes and forms, it often underestimated stream headwaters and channels obscured by bright soils and sparse vegetation. While further improvement is warranted, the algorithm provides an effective means of obtaining detailed information about ephemeral streams, and it could make a significant contribution toward improving the hydrological modelling of desert environments.« less

Mapping ephemeral stream networks in desert environments using very-high-spatial-resolution multispectral remote sensing

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

Hamada, Yuki; O'Connor, Ben L.; Orr, Andrew B.

In this paper, understanding the spatial patterns of ephemeral streams is crucial for understanding how hydrologic processes influence the abundance and distribution of wildlife habitats in desert regions. Available methods for mapping ephemeral streams at the watershed scale typically underestimate the size of channel networks. Although remote sensing is an effective means of collecting data and obtaining information on large, inaccessible areas, conventional techniques for extracting channel features are not sufficient in regions that have small topographic gradients and subtle target-background spectral contrast. By using very high resolution multispectral imagery, we developed a new algorithm that applies landscape information tomore » map ephemeral channels in desert regions of the Southwestern United States where utility-scale solar energy development is occurring. Knowledge about landscape features and structures was integrated into the algorithm using a series of spectral transformation and spatial statistical operations to integrate information about landscape features and structures. The algorithm extracted ephemeral stream channels at a local scale, with the result that approximately 900% more ephemeral streams was identified than what were identified by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The accuracy of the algorithm in detecting channel areas was as high as 92%, and its accuracy in delineating channel center lines was 91% when compared to a subset of channel networks that were digitized by using the very high resolution imagery. Although the algorithm captured stream channels in desert landscapes across various channel sizes and forms, it often underestimated stream headwaters and channels obscured by bright soils and sparse vegetation. While further improvement is warranted, the algorithm provides an effective means of obtaining detailed information about ephemeral streams, and it could make a significant contribution toward improving the hydrological modelling of desert environments.« less

Harnessing Satellite Imageries in Feature Extraction Using Google Earth Pro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Sim Joseph; Milano, Alan

2016-07-01

Climate change has been a long-time concern worldwide. Impending flooding, for one, is among its unwanted consequences. The Phil-LiDAR 1 project of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Republic of the Philippines, has developed an early warning system in regards to flood hazards. The project utilizes the use of remote sensing technologies in determining the lives in probable dire danger by mapping and attributing building features using LiDAR dataset and satellite imageries. A free mapping software named Google Earth Pro (GEP) is used to load these satellite imageries as base maps. Geotagging of building features has been done so far with the use of handheld Global Positioning System (GPS). Alternatively, mapping and attribution of building features using GEP saves a substantial amount of resources such as manpower, time and budget. Accuracy-wise, geotagging by GEP is dependent on either the satellite imageries or orthophotograph images of half-meter resolution obtained during LiDAR acquisition and not on the GPS of three-meter accuracy. The attributed building features are overlain to the flood hazard map of Phil-LiDAR 1 in order to determine the exposed population. The building features as obtained from satellite imageries may not only be used in flood exposure assessment but may also be used in assessing other hazards and a number of other uses. Several other features may also be extracted from the satellite imageries.

Fusing MODIS with Landsat 8 data to downscale weekly normalized difference vegetation index estimates for central Great Basin rangelands, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boyte, Stephen; Wylie, Bruce K.; Rigge, Matthew B.; Dahal, Devendra

2018-01-01

Data fused from distinct but complementary satellite sensors mitigate tradeoffs that researchers make when selecting between spatial and temporal resolutions of remotely sensed data. We integrated data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra satellite and the Operational Land Imager sensor aboard the Landsat 8 satellite into four regression-tree models and applied those data to a mapping application. This application produced downscaled maps that utilize the 30-m spatial resolution of Landsat in conjunction with daily acquisitions of MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) that are composited and temporally smoothed. We produced four weekly, atmospherically corrected, and nearly cloud-free, downscaled 30-m synthetic MODIS NDVI predictions (maps) built from these models. Model results were strong with R2 values ranging from 0.74 to 0.85. The correlation coefficients (r ≥ 0.89) were strong for all predictions when compared to corresponding original MODIS NDVI data. Downscaled products incorporated into independently developed sagebrush ecosystem models yielded mixed results. The visual quality of the downscaled 30-m synthetic MODIS NDVI predictions were remarkable when compared to the original 250-m MODIS NDVI. These 30-m maps improve knowledge of dynamic rangeland seasonal processes in the central Great Basin, United States, and provide land managers improved resource maps.

Oil Exploration Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

After concluding an oil exploration agreement with the Republic of Yemen, Chevron International needed detailed geologic and topographic maps of the area. Chevron's remote sensing team used imagery from Landsat and SPOT, combining images into composite views. The project was successfully concluded and resulted in greatly improved base maps and unique topographic maps.

Operational Tree Species Mapping in a Diverse Tropical Forest with Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Baldeck, Claire A; Asner, Gregory P; Martin, Robin E; Anderson, Christopher B; Knapp, David E; Kellner, James R; Wright, S Joseph

2015-01-01

Remote identification and mapping of canopy tree species can contribute valuable information towards our understanding of ecosystem biodiversity and function over large spatial scales. However, the extreme challenges posed by highly diverse, closed-canopy tropical forests have prevented automated remote species mapping of non-flowering tree crowns in these ecosystems. We set out to identify individuals of three focal canopy tree species amongst a diverse background of tree and liana species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, using airborne imaging spectroscopy data. First, we compared two leading single-class classification methods--binary support vector machine (SVM) and biased SVM--for their performance in identifying pixels of a single focal species. From this comparison we determined that biased SVM was more precise and created a multi-species classification model by combining the three biased SVM models. This model was applied to the imagery to identify pixels belonging to the three focal species and the prediction results were then processed to create a map of focal species crown objects. Crown-level cross-validation of the training data indicated that the multi-species classification model had pixel-level producer's accuracies of 94-97% for the three focal species, and field validation of the predicted crown objects indicated that these had user's accuracies of 94-100%. Our results demonstrate the ability of high spatial and spectral resolution remote sensing to accurately detect non-flowering crowns of focal species within a diverse tropical forest. We attribute the success of our model to recent classification and mapping techniques adapted to species detection in diverse closed-canopy forests, which can pave the way for remote species mapping in a wider variety of ecosystems.

Operational Tree Species Mapping in a Diverse Tropical Forest with Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Baldeck, Claire A.; Asner, Gregory P.; Martin, Robin E.; Anderson, Christopher B.; Knapp, David E.; Kellner, James R.; Wright, S. Joseph

2015-01-01

Remote identification and mapping of canopy tree species can contribute valuable information towards our understanding of ecosystem biodiversity and function over large spatial scales. However, the extreme challenges posed by highly diverse, closed-canopy tropical forests have prevented automated remote species mapping of non-flowering tree crowns in these ecosystems. We set out to identify individuals of three focal canopy tree species amongst a diverse background of tree and liana species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, using airborne imaging spectroscopy data. First, we compared two leading single-class classification methods—binary support vector machine (SVM) and biased SVM—for their performance in identifying pixels of a single focal species. From this comparison we determined that biased SVM was more precise and created a multi-species classification model by combining the three biased SVM models. This model was applied to the imagery to identify pixels belonging to the three focal species and the prediction results were then processed to create a map of focal species crown objects. Crown-level cross-validation of the training data indicated that the multi-species classification model had pixel-level producer’s accuracies of 94–97% for the three focal species, and field validation of the predicted crown objects indicated that these had user’s accuracies of 94–100%. Our results demonstrate the ability of high spatial and spectral resolution remote sensing to accurately detect non-flowering crowns of focal species within a diverse tropical forest. We attribute the success of our model to recent classification and mapping techniques adapted to species detection in diverse closed-canopy forests, which can pave the way for remote species mapping in a wider variety of ecosystems. PMID:26153693

Using Landsat time series for characterizing forest disturbance dynamics in the coupled human and natural systems of Central Europe.

PubMed

Senf, Cornelius; Pflugmacher, Dirk; Hostert, Patrick; Seidl, Rupert

2017-08-01

Remote sensing is a key information source for improving the spatiotemporal understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics. Yet, the mapping and attribution of forest change remains challenging, particularly in areas where a number of interacting disturbance agents simultaneously affect forest development. The forest ecosystems of Central Europe are coupled human and natural systems, with natural and human disturbances affecting forests both individually and in combination. To better understand the complex forest disturbance dynamics in such systems, we utilize 32-year Landsat time series to map forest disturbances in five sites across Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. All sites consisted of a National Park and the surrounding forests, reflecting three management zones of different levels of human influence (managed, protected, strictly protected). This allowed for a comparison of spectral, temporal, and spatial disturbance patterns across a gradient from natural to coupled human and natural disturbances. Disturbance maps achieved overall accuracies ranging from 81% to 93%. Disturbance patches were generally small, with 95% of the disturbances being smaller than 10 ha. Disturbance rates ranged from 0.29% yr -1 to 0.95% yr -1 , and differed substantially among management zones and study sites. Natural disturbances in strictly protected areas were longer in duration (median of 8 years) and slightly less variable in magnitude compared to human-dominated disturbances in managed forests (median duration of 1 year). However, temporal dynamics between natural and human-dominated disturbances showed strong synchrony, suggesting that disturbance peaks are driven by natural events affecting managed and unmanaged areas simultaneously. Our study demonstrates the potential of remote sensing for mapping forest disturbances in coupled human and natural systems, such as the forests of Central Europe. Yet, we also highlight the complexity of such systems in terms of agent attribution, as many natural disturbances are modified by management responding to them outside protected areas.

Paleogeodesy of the Southern Santa Cruz Mountains Frontal Thrusts, Silicon Valley, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aron, F.; Johnstone, S. A.; Mavrommatis, A. P.; Sare, R.; Hilley, G. E.

2015-12-01

We present a method to infer long-term fault slip rate distributions using topography by coupling a three-dimensional elastic boundary element model with a geomorphic incision rule. In particular, we used a 10-m-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) to calculate channel steepness (ksn) throughout the actively deforming southern Santa Cruz Mountains in Central California. We then used these values with a power-law incision rule and the Poly3D code to estimate slip rates over seismogenic, kilometer-scale thrust faults accommodating differential uplift of the relief throughout geologic time. Implicit in such an analysis is the assumption that the topographic surface remains unchanged over time as rock is uplifted by slip on the underlying structures. The fault geometries within the area are defined based on surface mapping, as well as active and passive geophysical imaging. Fault elements are assumed to be traction-free in shear (i.e., frictionless), while opening along them is prohibited. The free parameters in the inversion include the components of the remote strain-rate tensor (ɛij) and the bedrock resistance to channel incision (K), which is allowed to vary according to the mapped distribution of geologic units exposed at the surface. The nonlinear components of the geomorphic model required the use of a Markov chain Monte Carlo method, which simulated the posterior density of the components of the remote strain-rate tensor and values of K for the different mapped geologic units. Interestingly, posterior probability distributions of ɛij and K fall well within the broad range of reported values, suggesting that the joint use of elastic boundary element and geomorphic models may have utility in estimating long-term fault slip-rate distributions. Given an adequate DEM, geologic mapping, and fault models, the proposed paleogeodetic method could be applied to other crustal faults with geological and morphological expressions of long-term uplift.

Using Landsat time series for characterizing forest disturbance dynamics in the coupled human and natural systems of Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senf, Cornelius; Pflugmacher, Dirk; Hostert, Patrick; Seidl, Rupert

2017-08-01

Remote sensing is a key information source for improving the spatiotemporal understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics. Yet, the mapping and attribution of forest change remains challenging, particularly in areas where a number of interacting disturbance agents simultaneously affect forest development. The forest ecosystems of Central Europe are coupled human and natural systems, with natural and human disturbances affecting forests both individually and in combination. To better understand the complex forest disturbance dynamics in such systems, we utilize 32-year Landsat time series to map forest disturbances in five sites across Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. All sites consisted of a National Park and the surrounding forests, reflecting three management zones of different levels of human influence (managed, protected, strictly protected). This allowed for a comparison of spectral, temporal, and spatial disturbance patterns across a gradient from natural to coupled human and natural disturbances. Disturbance maps achieved overall accuracies ranging from 81% to 93%. Disturbance patches were generally small, with 95% of the disturbances being smaller than 10 ha. Disturbance rates ranged from 0.29% yr-1 to 0.95% yr-1, and differed substantially among management zones and study sites. Natural disturbances in strictly protected areas were longer in duration (median of 8 years) and slightly less variable in magnitude compared to human-dominated disturbances in managed forests (median duration of 1 year). However, temporal dynamics between natural and human-dominated disturbances showed strong synchrony, suggesting that disturbance peaks are driven by natural events affecting managed and unmanaged areas simultaneously. Our study demonstrates the potential of remote sensing for mapping forest disturbances in coupled human and natural systems, such as the forests of Central Europe. Yet, we also highlight the complexity of such systems in terms of agent attribution, as many natural disturbances are modified by management responding to them outside protected areas.

Initial progress in the recording of crime scene simulations using 3D laser structured light imagery techniques for law enforcement and forensic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altschuler, Bruce R.; Monson, Keith L.

1998-03-01

Representation of crime scenes as virtual reality 3D computer displays promises to become a useful and important tool for law enforcement evaluation and analysis, forensic identification and pathological study and archival presentation during court proceedings. Use of these methods for assessment of evidentiary materials demands complete accuracy of reproduction of the original scene, both in data collection and in its eventual virtual reality representation. The recording of spatially accurate information as soon as possible after first arrival of law enforcement personnel is advantageous for unstable or hazardous crime scenes and reduces the possibility that either inadvertent measurement error or deliberate falsification may occur or be alleged concerning processing of a scene. Detailed measurements and multimedia archiving of critical surface topographical details in a calibrated, uniform, consistent and standardized quantitative 3D coordinate method are needed. These methods would afford professional personnel in initial contact with a crime scene the means for remote, non-contacting, immediate, thorough and unequivocal documentation of the contents of the scene. Measurements of the relative and absolute global positions of object sand victims, and their dispositions within the scene before their relocation and detailed examination, could be made. Resolution must be sufficient to map both small and large objects. Equipment must be able to map regions at varied resolution as collected from different perspectives. Progress is presented in devising methods for collecting and archiving 3D spatial numerical data from crime scenes, sufficient for law enforcement needs, by remote laser structured light and video imagery. Two types of simulation studies were done. One study evaluated the potential of 3D topographic mapping and 3D telepresence using a robotic platform for explosive ordnance disassembly. The second study involved using the laser mapping system on a fixed optical bench with simulated crime scene models of the people and furniture to assess feasibility, requirements and utility of such a system for crime scene documentation and analysis.

Lossless Compression of Classification-Map Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hua, Xie; Klimesh, Matthew

2009-01-01

A lossless image-data-compression algorithm intended specifically for application to classification-map data is based on prediction, context modeling, and entropy coding. The algorithm was formulated, in consideration of the differences between classification maps and ordinary images of natural scenes, so as to be capable of compressing classification- map data more effectively than do general-purpose image-data-compression algorithms. Classification maps are typically generated from remote-sensing images acquired by instruments aboard aircraft (see figure) and spacecraft. A classification map is a synthetic image that summarizes information derived from one or more original remote-sensing image(s) of a scene. The value assigned to each pixel in such a map is the index of a class that represents some type of content deduced from the original image data for example, a type of vegetation, a mineral, or a body of water at the corresponding location in the scene. When classification maps are generated onboard the aircraft or spacecraft, it is desirable to compress the classification-map data in order to reduce the volume of data that must be transmitted to a ground station.

Mapping wildfire burn severity in the Arctic Tundra from downsampled MODIS data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolden, Crystal A.; Rogan, John

2013-01-01

Wildfires are historically infrequent in the arctic tundra, but are projected to increase with climate warming. Fire effects on tundra ecosystems are poorly understood and difficult to quantify in a remote region where a short growing season severely limits ground data collection. Remote sensing has been widely utilized to characterize wildfire regimes, but primarily from the Landsat sensor, which has limited data acquisition in the Arctic. Here, coarse-resolution remotely sensed data are assessed as a means to quantify wildfire burn severity of the 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire in Alaska, the largest tundra wildfire ever recorded on Alaska's North Slope. Data from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and downsampled Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were processed to spectral indices and correlated to observed metrics of surface, subsurface, and comprehensive burn severity. Spectral indices were strongly correlated to surface severity (maximum R2 = 0.88) and slightly less strongly correlated to substrate severity. Downsampled MODIS data showed a decrease in severity one year post-fire, corroborating rapid vegetation regeneration observed on the burned site. These results indicate that widely-used spectral indices and downsampled coarse-resolution data provide a reasonable supplement to often-limited ground data collection for analysis and long-term monitoring of wildfire effects in arctic ecosystems.

South Florida Everglades: satellite image map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, John W.; Thomas, Jean-Claude; Desmond, G.B.

2001-01-01

These satellite image maps are one product of the USGS Land Characteristics from Remote Sensing project, funded through the USGS Place-Based Studies Program (http://access.usgs.gov/) with support from the Everglades National Park (http://www.nps.gov/ever/). The objective of this project is to develop and apply innovative remote sensing and geographic information system techniques to map the distribution of vegetation, vegetation characteristics, and related hydrologic variables through space and over time. The mapping and description of vegetation characteristics and their variations are necessary to accurately simulate surface hydrology and other surface processes in South Florida and to monitor land surface changes. As part of this research, data from many airborne and satellite imaging systems have been georeferenced and processed to facilitate data fusion and analysis. These image maps were created using image fusion techniques developed as part of this project.

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.

Selecting the optimum plot size for a California design-based stream and wetland mapping program.

PubMed

Lackey, Leila G; Stein, Eric D

2014-04-01

Accurate estimates of the extent and distribution of wetlands and streams are the foundation of wetland monitoring, management, restoration, and regulatory programs. Traditionally, these estimates have relied on comprehensive mapping. However, this approach is prohibitively resource-intensive over large areas, making it both impractical and statistically unreliable. Probabilistic (design-based) approaches to evaluating status and trends provide a more cost-effective alternative because, compared with comprehensive mapping, overall extent is inferred from mapping a statistically representative, randomly selected subset of the target area. In this type of design, the size of sample plots has a significant impact on program costs and on statistical precision and accuracy; however, no consensus exists on the appropriate plot size for remote monitoring of stream and wetland extent. This study utilized simulated sampling to assess the performance of four plot sizes (1, 4, 9, and 16 km(2)) for three geographic regions of California. Simulation results showed smaller plot sizes (1 and 4 km(2)) were most efficient for achieving desired levels of statistical accuracy and precision. However, larger plot sizes were more likely to contain rare and spatially limited wetland subtypes. Balancing these considerations led to selection of 4 km(2) for the California status and trends program.

Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Monitor Sinkhole Development and Identify Risk Areas in Dougherty County, Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahalan, M. D.; Berry, K.; Amin, M.; Xu, W.; Hu, T.; Milewski, A.

2015-12-01

Located in southwest Georgia, Dougherty County has a growing populace in an agricultural region that relies heavily on groundwater resources. Partly due to escalated groundwater extraction, this area has experienced an increase in sinkhole development over the last decade. Sinkholes pose a threat to infrastructure development, groundwater pollution, and land use operations. The NASA DEVELOP Georgia Disasters and Water Resources team partnered with the City of Albany and Dougherty County Planning and Development Services (PDS) and the Southwest Georgia Water Resources Task Force (SGWRTF) to assess past sinkhole development and identify areas susceptible to future sinkhole formation. Sinkhole mapping was completed utilizing a time-series of elevation data (1999 - 2011) from NASA's SRTM and ASTER missions, as well as European Remote-Sensing (ERS-1 and 2) satellite-derived elevation data. The sinkhole inventory maps and spatial statistical techniques (i.e., geographically-weighted regression) were employed to quantify the factors most influential in sinkhole development. With those results, the susceptibility of every area within Dougherty County to future sinkhole formation was identified. The results of this applied science project will enable the PDS and SGWRTF to make informed decisions on current and future land use, safe infrastructure development, and sustainable water resource management.

Developing a GIS for CO2 analysis using lightweight, open source components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, R.; Goodale, C. E.; Hart, A. F.; Kulawik, S. S.; Law, E.; Osterman, G. B.; Braverman, A.; Nguyen, H. M.; Mattmann, C. A.; Crichton, D. J.; Eldering, A.; Castano, R.; Gunson, M. R.

2012-12-01

There are advantages to approaching the realm of geographic information systems (GIS) using lightweight, open source components in place of a more traditional web map service (WMS) solution. Rapid prototyping, schema-less data storage, the flexible interchange of components, and open source community support are just some of the benefits. In our effort to develop an application supporting the geospatial and temporal rendering of remote sensing carbon-dioxide (CO2) data for the CO2 Virtual Science Data Environment project, we have connected heterogeneous open source components together to form a GIS. Utilizing widely popular open source components including the schema-less database MongoDB, Leaflet interactive maps, the HighCharts JavaScript graphing library, and Python Bottle web-services, we have constructed a system for rapidly visualizing CO2 data with reduced up-front development costs. These components can be aggregated together, resulting in a configurable stack capable of replicating features provided by more standard GIS technologies. The approach we have taken is not meant to replace the more established GIS solutions, but to instead offer a rapid way to provide GIS features early in the development of an application and to offer a path towards utilizing more capable GIS technology in the future.

Remote distinction of a noxious weed (musk thistle: Carduus nutans) using airborne hyperspectral imagery and the support vector machine classifier

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote detection of invasive plant species using geospatial imagery may significantly improve monitoring, planning, and management practices by eliminating shortfalls such as observer bias and accessibility involved in ground-based surveys. The use of remote sensing for accurate mapping invasion ex...

Assessing map accuracy in a remotely sensed, ecoregion-scale cover map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edwards, T.C.; Moisen, Gretchen G.; Cutler, D.R.

1998-01-01

Landscape- and ecoregion-based conservation efforts increasingly use a spatial component to organize data for analysis and interpretation. A challenge particular to remotely sensed cover maps generated from these efforts is how best to assess the accuracy of the cover maps, especially when they can exceed 1000 s/km2 in size. Here we develop and describe a methodological approach for assessing the accuracy of large-area cover maps, using as a test case the 21.9 million ha cover map developed for Utah Gap Analysis. As part of our design process, we first reviewed the effect of intracluster correlation and a simple cost function on the relative efficiency of cluster sample designs to simple random designs. Our design ultimately combined clustered and subsampled field data stratified by ecological modeling unit and accessibility (hereafter a mixed design). We next outline estimation formulas for simple map accuracy measures under our mixed design and report results for eight major cover types and the three ecoregions mapped as part of the Utah Gap Analysis. Overall accuracy of the map was 83.2% (SE=1.4). Within ecoregions, accuracy ranged from 78.9% to 85.0%. Accuracy by cover type varied, ranging from a low of 50.4% for barren to a high of 90.6% for man modified. In addition, we examined gains in efficiency of our mixed design compared with a simple random sample approach. In regard to precision, our mixed design was more precise than a simple random design, given fixed sample costs. We close with a discussion of the logistical constraints facing attempts to assess the accuracy of large-area, remotely sensed cover maps.

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.

DAFNE: A Matlab toolbox for Bayesian multi-source remote sensing and ancillary data fusion, with application to flood mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Addabbo, Annarita; Refice, Alberto; Lovergine, Francesco P.; Pasquariello, Guido

2018-03-01

High-resolution, remotely sensed images of the Earth surface have been proven to be of help in producing detailed flood maps, thanks to their synoptic overview of the flooded area and frequent revisits. However, flood scenarios can be complex situations, requiring the integration of different data in order to provide accurate and robust flood information. Several processing approaches have been recently proposed to efficiently combine and integrate heterogeneous information sources. In this paper, we introduce DAFNE, a Matlab®-based, open source toolbox, conceived to produce flood maps from remotely sensed and other ancillary information, through a data fusion approach. DAFNE is based on Bayesian Networks, and is composed of several independent modules, each one performing a different task. Multi-temporal and multi-sensor data can be easily handled, with the possibility of following the evolution of an event through multi-temporal output flood maps. Each DAFNE module can be easily modified or upgraded to meet different user needs. The DAFNE suite is presented together with an example of its application.

Land cover mapping and change detection in urban watersheds using QuickBird high spatial resolution satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hester, David Barry

The objective of this research was to develop methods for urban land cover analysis using QuickBird high spatial resolution satellite imagery. Such imagery has emerged as a rich commercially available remote sensing data source and has enjoyed high-profile broadcast news media and Internet applications, but methods of quantitative analysis have not been thoroughly explored. The research described here consists of three studies focused on the use of pan-sharpened 61-cm spatial resolution QuickBird imagery, the spatial resolution of which is the highest of any commercial satellite. In the first study, a per-pixel land cover classification method is developed for use with this imagery. This method utilizes a per-pixel classification approach to generate an accurate six-category high spatial resolution land cover map of a developing suburban area. The primary objective of the second study was to develop an accurate land cover change detection method for use with QuickBird land cover products. This work presents an efficient fuzzy framework for transforming map uncertainty into accurate and meaningful high spatial resolution land cover change analysis. The third study described here is an urban planning application of the high spatial resolution QuickBird-based land cover product developed in the first study. This work both meaningfully connects this exciting new data source to urban watershed management and makes an important empirical contribution to the study of suburban watersheds. Its analysis of residential roads and driveways as well as retail parking lots sheds valuable light on the impact of transportation-related land use on the suburban landscape. Broadly, these studies provide new methods for using state-of-the-art remote sensing data to inform land cover analysis and urban planning. These methods are widely adaptable and produce land cover products that are both meaningful and accurate. As additional high spatial resolution satellites are launched and the cost of high resolution imagery continues to decline, this research makes an important contribution to this exciting era in the science of remote sensing.

Naval EarthMap Observer (NEMO) Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

The NEMO hyperspectral remote sensing program will provide unclassified, space-based hyperspectral passive imagery at moderate resolution that offers substantial potential for direct use by Naval forces and the Civil Sector.

3-dimensional telepresence system for a robotic environment

DOEpatents

Anderson, Matthew O.; McKay, Mark D.

2000-01-01

A telepresence system includes a camera pair remotely controlled by a control module affixed to an operator. The camera pair provides for three dimensional viewing and the control module, affixed to the operator, affords hands-free operation of the camera pair. In one embodiment, the control module is affixed to the head of the operator and an initial position is established. A triangulating device is provided to track the head movement of the operator relative to the initial position. A processor module receives input from the triangulating device to determine where the operator has moved relative to the initial position and moves the camera pair in response thereto. The movement of the camera pair is predetermined by a software map having a plurality of operation zones. Each zone therein corresponds to unique camera movement parameters such as speed of movement. Speed parameters include constant speed, or increasing or decreasing. Other parameters include pan, tilt, slide, raise or lowering of the cameras. Other user interface devices are provided to improve the three dimensional control capabilities of an operator in a local operating environment. Such other devices include a pair of visual display glasses, a microphone and a remote actuator. The pair of visual display glasses are provided to facilitate three dimensional viewing, hence depth perception. The microphone affords hands-free camera movement by utilizing voice commands. The actuator allows the operator to remotely control various robotic mechanisms in the remote operating environment.

Modeling and Validation of Environmental Suitability for Schistosomiasis Transmission Using Remote Sensing

PubMed Central

Walz, Yvonne; Wegmann, Martin; Dech, Stefan; Vounatsou, Penelope; Poda, Jean-Noël; N'Goran, Eliézer K.; Utzinger, Jürg; Raso, Giovanna

2015-01-01

Background Schistosomiasis is the most widespread water-based disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Transmission is governed by the spatial distribution of specific freshwater snails that act as intermediate hosts and human water contact patterns. Remote sensing data have been utilized for spatially explicit risk profiling of schistosomiasis. We investigated the potential of remote sensing to characterize habitat conditions of parasite and intermediate host snails and discuss the relevance for public health. Methodology We employed high-resolution remote sensing data, environmental field measurements, and ecological data to model environmental suitability for schistosomiasis-related parasite and snail species. The model was developed for Burkina Faso using a habitat suitability index (HSI). The plausibility of remote sensing habitat variables was validated using field measurements. The established model was transferred to different ecological settings in Côte d’Ivoire and validated against readily available survey data from school-aged children. Principal Findings Environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission was spatially delineated and quantified by seven habitat variables derived from remote sensing data. The strengths and weaknesses highlighted by the plausibility analysis showed that temporal dynamic water and vegetation measures were particularly useful to model parasite and snail habitat suitability, whereas the measurement of water surface temperature and topographic variables did not perform appropriately. The transferability of the model showed significant relations between the HSI and infection prevalence in study sites of Côte d’Ivoire. Conclusions/Significance A predictive map of environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission can support measures to gain and sustain control. This is particularly relevant as emphasis is shifting from morbidity control to interrupting transmission. Further validation of our mechanistic model needs to be complemented by field data of parasite- and snail-related fitness. Our model provides a useful tool to monitor the development of new hotspots of potential schistosomiasis transmission based on regularly updated remote sensing data. PMID:26587839

Modeling and Validation of Environmental Suitability for Schistosomiasis Transmission Using Remote Sensing.

PubMed

Walz, Yvonne; Wegmann, Martin; Dech, Stefan; Vounatsou, Penelope; Poda, Jean-Noël; N'Goran, Eliézer K; Utzinger, Jürg; Raso, Giovanna

2015-11-01

Schistosomiasis is the most widespread water-based disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Transmission is governed by the spatial distribution of specific freshwater snails that act as intermediate hosts and human water contact patterns. Remote sensing data have been utilized for spatially explicit risk profiling of schistosomiasis. We investigated the potential of remote sensing to characterize habitat conditions of parasite and intermediate host snails and discuss the relevance for public health. We employed high-resolution remote sensing data, environmental field measurements, and ecological data to model environmental suitability for schistosomiasis-related parasite and snail species. The model was developed for Burkina Faso using a habitat suitability index (HSI). The plausibility of remote sensing habitat variables was validated using field measurements. The established model was transferred to different ecological settings in Côte d'Ivoire and validated against readily available survey data from school-aged children. Environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission was spatially delineated and quantified by seven habitat variables derived from remote sensing data. The strengths and weaknesses highlighted by the plausibility analysis showed that temporal dynamic water and vegetation measures were particularly useful to model parasite and snail habitat suitability, whereas the measurement of water surface temperature and topographic variables did not perform appropriately. The transferability of the model showed significant relations between the HSI and infection prevalence in study sites of Côte d'Ivoire. A predictive map of environmental suitability for schistosomiasis transmission can support measures to gain and sustain control. This is particularly relevant as emphasis is shifting from morbidity control to interrupting transmission. Further validation of our mechanistic model needs to be complemented by field data of parasite- and snail-related fitness. Our model provides a useful tool to monitor the development of new hotspots of potential schistosomiasis transmission based on regularly updated remote sensing data.

42 CFR 456.520 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time Requirements § 456.520 Definitions... granted by the Administrator to the Medicaid agency for a specific remote facility to use time periods...

Toward Linking Aboveground Vegetation Properties and Soil Microbial Communities Using Remote Sensing

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

Hamada, Yuki; Gilbert, Jack A.; Larsen, Peter E.

2014-04-01

Despite their vital role in terrestrial ecosystem function, the distributions and dynamics of soil microbial communities (SMCs) are poorly understood. Vegetation and soil properties are the primary factors that influence SMCs. This paper discusses the potential effectiveness of remote sensing science and technologies for mapping SMC biogeography by characterizing surface biophysical properties (e.g., plant traits and community composition) strongly correlated with SMCs. Using remotely sensed biophysical properties to predict SMC distributions is extremely challenging because of the intricate interactions between biotic and abiotic factors and between above- and belowground ecosystems. However, the integration of biophysical and soil remote sensing withmore » geospatial information about the e nvironment holds great promise for mapping SMC biogeography. Additional research needs invol ve microbial taxonomic definition, soil environmental complexity, and scaling strategies. The collaborative effort of experts from diverse disciplines is essential to linking terrestrial surface biosphere observations with subsurface microbial community distributions using remote sensing.« less

Toward Linking Aboveground Vegetation Properties and Soil Microbial Communities Using Remote Sensing

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

Hamada, Yuki; Gilbert, Jack A.; Larsen, Peter E.

2014-04-01

Despite their vital role in terrestrial ecosystem function, the distributions and dynamics of soil microbial communities (SMCs) are poorly understood. Vegetation and soil properties are the primary factors that influence SMCs. This paper discusses the potential effectiveness of remote sensing science and technologies for mapping SMC biogeography by characterizing surface biophysical properties (e.g., plant traits and community composition) strongly correlated with SMCs. Using remotely sensed biophysical properties to predict SMC distributions is extremely challenging because of the intricate interactions between biotic and abiotic factors and between above- and below-ground ecosystems. However, the integration of biophysical and soil remote sensing withmore » geospatial information about the environment holds great promise for mapping SMC biogeography. Additional research needs involve microbial taxonomic definition, soil environmental complexity, and scaling strategies. The collaborative effort of experts from diverse disciplines is essential to linking terrestrial surface biosphere observations with subsurface microbial community distributions using remote sensing.« less

Remote sensing of the marginal ice zone during Marginal Ice Zone Experiment (MIZEX) 83

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuchman, R. A.; Campbell, W. J.; Burns, B. A.; Ellingsen, E.; Farrelly, B. A.; Gloersen, P.; Grenfell, T. C.; Hollinger, J.; Horn, D.; Johannessen, J. A.

1984-01-01

The remote sensing techniques utilized in the Marginal Ice Zone Experiment (MIZEX) to study the physical characteristics and geophysical processes of the Fram Strait Region of the Greenland Sea are described. The studies, which utilized satellites, aircraft, helicopters, and ship and ground-based remote sensors, focused on the use of microwave remote sensors. Results indicate that remote sensors can provide marginal ice zone characteristics which include ice edge and ice boundary locations, ice types and concentration, ice deformation, ice kinematics, gravity waves and swell (in the water and the ice), location of internal wave fields, location of eddies and current boundaries, surface currents and sea surface winds.

SOT: A rapid prototype using TAE windows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, Mark; Eike, David; Harris, Elfrieda; Miller, Dana

1986-01-01

The development of the window interface extension feature of the Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) is discussed. This feature is being used to prototype a space station payload interface in order to demonstrate and assess the benefits of using windows on a bit mapped display and also to convey the concept of telescience, the control and operation of space station payloads from remote sites. The prototype version of the TAE with windows operates on a DEC VAXstation 100. This workstation has a high resolution 19 inch bit mapped display, a keyboard and a three-button mouse. The VAXstation 100 is not a stand-alone workstation, but is controlled by software executing on a VAX/8600. A short scenario was developed utilizing the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) as an example payload. In the scenario the end-user station includes the VAXstation 100 plus an image analysis terminal used to display the CCD images. The layout and use of the prototype elements, i.e., the root menu, payload status window, and target acquisition menu is described.

Over-the-horizon radar research consortium formed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

One casualty of shrinking military budgets and the disappearance of Cold War threats has been the U.S. Air Force's over-the-horizon or ionospheric radar system known as OTH-B. For the scientific community this is not all bad news: The vast potential of the six powerful 5-28-MHz radars for geophysical monitoring may soon be available to anyone who can afford to run and maintain them.To reap civilian benefits from the billiondollar investment in these radars, the 1994 defense appropriation directed the Air Force to “fully cooperate with efforts of other governmental agencies to utilize the dual-use capabilities of this system for remote environmental and weather monitoring and other purposes.” So far, only the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has tapped the radars' environmental monitoring potential. Since 1991, it has conducted tests to map surface wind direction over basin-scale ocean areas and track ocean storms, including Hurricane Andrew. Recent tests show the radar can be used to map ocean surface currents as well.

Combining Radar and Optical Data for Forest Disturbance Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. Jon; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Disturbance is an important factor in determining the carbon balance and succession of forests. Until the early 1990's researchers have focused on using optical or thermal sensors to detect and map forest disturbances from wild fires, logging or insect outbreaks. As part of a NASA Siberian mapping project, a study evaluated the capability of three different radar sensors (ERS, JERS and Radarsat) and an optical sensor (Landsat 7) to detect fire scars, logging and insect damage in the boreal forest. This paper describes the data sets and techniques used to evaluate the use of remote sensing to detect disturbance in central Siberian forests. Using images from each sensor individually and combined an assessment of the utility of using these sensors was developed. Transformed Divergence analysis and maximum likelihood classification revealed that Landsat data was the single best data type for this purpose. However, the combined use of the three radar and optical sensors did improve the results of discriminating these disturbances.

Updating Landsat-derived land-cover maps using change detection and masking techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Likens, W.; Maw, K.

1982-01-01

The California Integrated Remote Sensing System's San Bernardino County Project was devised to study the utilization of a data base at a number of jurisdictional levels. The present paper discusses the implementation of change-detection and masking techniques in the updating of Landsat-derived land-cover maps. A baseline landcover classification was first created from a 1976 image, then the adjusted 1976 image was compared with a 1979 scene by the techniques of (1) multidate image classification, (2) difference image-distribution tails thresholding, (3) difference image classification, and (4) multi-dimensional chi-square analysis of a difference image. The union of the results of methods 1, 3 and 4 was used to create a mask of possible change areas between 1976 and 1979, which served to limit analysis of the update image and reduce comparison errors in unchanged areas. The techniques of spatial smoothing of change-detection products, and of combining results of difference change-detection algorithms are also shown to improve Landsat change-detection accuracies.

Utilization of GIS/GPS-Based Information Technology in Commercial Crop Decision Making in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Arizona

PubMed Central

Thomas, C. S.; Skinner, P. W.; Fox, A. D.; Greer, C. A.; Gubler, W. D.

2002-01-01

Ground-based weather, plant-stage measurements, and remote imagery were geo-referenced in geographic information system (GIS) software using an integrated approach to determine insect and disease risk and crop cultural requirements. Weather forecasts and disease weather forecasts for agricultural areas were constructed with elevation, weather, and satellite data. Models for 6 insect pests and 12 diseases of various crops were calculated and presented daily in georeferenced maps for agricultural areas in northern California and Washington. Grape harvest dates and yields also were predicted with high accuracy. The data generated from the GIS global positioning system (GPS) analyses were used to make management decisions over a large number of acres in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Arizona. Information was distributed daily over the Internet as regional weather, insect, and disease risk maps as industry-sponsored or subscription-based products. Use of GIS/GPS technology for semi-automated data analysis is discussed. PMID:19265934

Geographic information system as country-level development and monitoring tool, Senegal example

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Donald G.; Howard, Stephen M.; ,

1990-01-01

Geographic information systems (GIS) allow an investigator the capability to merge and analyze numerous types of country-level resource data. Hypothetical resource analysis applications in Senegal were conducted to illustrate the utility of a GIS for development planning and resource monitoring. Map and attribute data for soils, vegetation, population, infrastructure, and administrative units were merged to form a database within a GIS. Several models were implemented using a GIS to: analyze development potential for sustainable dryland agriculture; prioritize where agricultural development should occur based upon a regional food budget; and monitor dynamic events with remote sensing. The steps for implementing a GIS analysis are described and illustrated, and the use of a GIS for conducting an economic analysis is outlined. Using a GIS for analysis and display of results opens new methods of communication between resource scientists and decision makers. Analyses yielding country-wide map output and detailed statistical data for each level of administration provide the advantage of a single system that can serve a variety of users.

Performance of One-Class Classifiers for Invasive Species Mapping using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skowronek, S.; Asner, G. P.; Feilhauer, H.

2016-12-01

Reliable distribution maps are crucial for the monitoring and management of invasive plant species. Remote sensing can provide such maps for larger areas. However, most remote sensing approaches focus on species in a prominent phenological stage, and a systematic assessment of the performance of different one-class classifiers for mapping species in a more inconspicuous phenological stage is missing so far. In this study, we used hyperspectral remote sensing data to detect the invasive grass Phalaris aquatica and the invasive herb Centaurea solstitialisin a pre-flowering stage in the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve in California. We collected presence-only data, 66 plots for C. solstitialis and 30 plots for P. aquatica, to calibrate a distribution model and additional presence-absence data (166 / 173 plots) to validate model performance. All plots have a size of 3 m x 3 m. The hyperspectral remote sensing imagery was acquired using the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) visible to shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometer (400-2500 nm range) in May 2015 with a ground sampling distance (pixel size) of 1 m x 1 m. To find the best approach for mapping these species, we compared the performance of three different state-of-the-art classifiers working with presence-only data: Maxent, biased support vector machines and boosted regression trees. The resulting overall accuracies were 72 - 74% for C. solstitialis, and 83 - 88% for P. aquatica. For both species the overall performance was slightly better for Maxent and BRT than for biased SVM. The detection rates for low cover plots were considerably higher for C. solstitialis than for P. aquatica. For C. solstitalis, they ranged between 71 and 75% for plots with less than 15% cover, highlighting the potential of remote sensing to contribute to an early detection. The models relied on different areas of the spectrum, but still produced the same general pattern, which implies that more than one property of a species or a mixed plot can be used to create a viable model. We conclude that the different one-class classifiers we tested do allow detecting the target species in a more inconspicuous phenological stage, with similar success rates.

Image Mining in Remote Sensing for Coastal Wetlands Mapping: from Pixel Based to Object Based Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farda, N. M.; Danoedoro, P.; Hartono; Harjoko, A.

2016-11-01

The availably of remote sensing image data is numerous now, and with a large amount of data it makes “knowledge gap” in extraction of selected information, especially coastal wetlands. Coastal wetlands provide ecosystem services essential to people and the environment. The aim of this research is to extract coastal wetlands information from satellite data using pixel based and object based image mining approach. Landsat MSS, Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8 OLI images located in Segara Anakan lagoon are selected to represent data at various multi temporal images. The input for image mining are visible and near infrared bands, PCA band, invers PCA bands, mean shift segmentation bands, bare soil index, vegetation index, wetness index, elevation from SRTM and ASTER GDEM, and GLCM (Harralick) or variability texture. There is three methods were applied to extract coastal wetlands using image mining: pixel based - Decision Tree C4.5, pixel based - Back Propagation Neural Network, and object based - Mean Shift segmentation and Decision Tree C4.5. The results show that remote sensing image mining can be used to map coastal wetlands ecosystem. Decision Tree C4.5 can be mapped with highest accuracy (0.75 overall kappa). The availability of remote sensing image mining for mapping coastal wetlands is very important to provide better understanding about their spatiotemporal coastal wetlands dynamics distribution.

LACO-Wiki: A land cover validation tool and a new, innovative teaching resource for remote sensing and the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

See, Linda; Perger, Christoph; Dresel, Christopher; Hofer, Martin; Weichselbaum, Juergen; Mondel, Thomas; Steffen, Fritz

2016-04-01

The validation of land cover products is an important step in the workflow of generating a land cover map from remotely-sensed imagery. Many students of remote sensing will be given exercises on classifying a land cover map followed by the validation process. Many algorithms exist for classification, embedded within proprietary image processing software or increasingly as open source tools. However, there is little standardization for land cover validation, nor a set of open tools available for implementing this process. The LACO-Wiki tool was developed as a way of filling this gap, bringing together standardized land cover validation methods and workflows into a single portal. This includes the storage and management of land cover maps and validation data; step-by-step instructions to guide users through the validation process; sound sampling designs; an easy-to-use environment for validation sample interpretation; and the generation of accuracy reports based on the validation process. The tool was developed for a range of users including producers of land cover maps, researchers, teachers and students. The use of such a tool could be embedded within the curriculum of remote sensing courses at a university level but is simple enough for use by students aged 13-18. A beta version of the tool is available for testing at: http://www.laco-wiki.net.

A technique for the determination of Louisiana marsh salinity zone from vegetation mapped by multispectral scanner data: A comparison of satellite and aircraft data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butera, M. K.

1977-01-01

Vegetation in selected study areas on the Louisiana coast was mapped using low altitude aircraft and satellite (LANDSAT) multispectral scanner data. Fresh, brackish, and saline marshes were then determined from the remotely sensed presence of dominant indicator plant associations. Such vegetational classifications were achieved from data processed through a standard pattern recognition computer program. The marsh salinity zone maps from the aircraft and satellite data compared favorably within the broad salinity regimes. The salinity zone boundaries determined by remote sensing compared favorably with those interpolated from line-transect field observations from an earlier year.

Oil pollution signatures by remote sensing.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Catoe, C. E.; Mclean, J. T.

1972-01-01

Study of the possibility of developing an effective remote sensing system for oil pollution monitoring which would be capable of detecting oil films on water, mapping the areal extent of oil slicks, measuring slick thickness, and identifying the oil types. In the spectral regions considered (ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, and radar), the signatures were sufficiently unique when compared to the background so that it was possible to detect and map oil slicks. Both microwave and radar techniques are capable of operating in adverse weather. Fluorescence techniques show promise in identifying oil types. A multispectral system will be required to detect oil, map its distribution, estimate film thickness, and characterize the oil pollutant.

High-resolution mapping of forest carbon stocks in the Colombian Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asner, G. P.; Clark, J. K.; Mascaro, J.; Galindo García, G. A.; Chadwick, K. D.; Navarrete Encinales, D. A.; Paez-Acosta, G.; Cabrera Montenegro, E.; Kennedy-Bowdoin, T.; Duque, Á.; Balaji, A.; von Hildebrand, P.; Maatoug, L.; Bernal, J. F. Phillips; Yepes Quintero, A. P.; Knapp, D. E.; García Dávila, M. C.; Jacobson, J.; Ordóñez, M. F.

2012-07-01

High-resolution mapping of tropical forest carbon stocks can assist forest management and improve implementation of large-scale carbon retention and enhancement programs. Previous high-resolution approaches have relied on field plot and/or light detection and ranging (LiDAR) samples of aboveground carbon density, which are typically upscaled to larger geographic areas using stratification maps. Such efforts often rely on detailed vegetation maps to stratify the region for sampling, but existing tropical forest maps are often too coarse and field plots too sparse for high-resolution carbon assessments. We developed a top-down approach for high-resolution carbon mapping in a 16.5 million ha region (> 40%) of the Colombian Amazon - a remote landscape seldom documented. We report on three advances for large-scale carbon mapping: (i) employing a universal approach to airborne LiDAR-calibration with limited field data; (ii) quantifying environmental controls over carbon densities; and (iii) developing stratification- and regression-based approaches for scaling up to regions outside of LiDAR coverage. We found that carbon stocks are predicted by a combination of satellite-derived elevation, fractional canopy cover and terrain ruggedness, allowing upscaling of the LiDAR samples to the full 16.5 million ha region. LiDAR-derived carbon maps have 14% uncertainty at 1 ha resolution, and the regional map based on stratification has 28% uncertainty in any given hectare. High-resolution approaches with quantifiable pixel-scale uncertainties will provide the most confidence for monitoring changes in tropical forest carbon stocks. Improved confidence will allow resource managers and decision makers to more rapidly and effectively implement actions that better conserve and utilize forests in tropical regions.

High-resolution Mapping of Forest Carbon Stocks in the Colombian Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asner, G. P.; Clark, J. K.; Mascaro, J.; Galindo García, G. A.; Chadwick, K. D.; Navarrete Encinales, D. A.; Paez-Acosta, G.; Cabrera Montenegro, E.; Kennedy-Bowdoin, T.; Duque, Á.; Balaji, A.; von Hildebrand, P.; Maatoug, L.; Bernal, J. F. Phillips; Knapp, D. E.; García Dávila, M. C.; Jacobson, J.; Ordóñez, M. F.

2012-03-01

High-resolution mapping of tropical forest carbon stocks can assist forest management and improve implementation of large-scale carbon retention and enhancement programs. Previous high-resolution approaches have relied on field plot and/or Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) samples of aboveground carbon density, which are typically upscaled to larger geographic areas using stratification maps. Such efforts often rely on detailed vegetation maps to stratify the region for sampling, but existing tropical forest maps are often too coarse and field plots too sparse for high resolution carbon assessments. We developed a top-down approach for high-resolution carbon mapping in a 16.5 million ha region (>40 %) of the Colombian Amazon - a remote landscape seldom documented. We report on three advances for large-scale carbon mapping: (i) employing a universal approach to airborne LiDAR-calibration with limited field data; (ii) quantifying environmental controls over carbon densities; and (iii) developing stratification- and regression-based approaches for scaling up to regions outside of LiDAR coverage. We found that carbon stocks are predicted by a combination of satellite-derived elevation, fractional canopy cover and terrain ruggedness, allowing upscaling of the LiDAR samples to the full 16.5 million ha region. LiDAR-derived carbon mapping samples had 14.6 % uncertainty at 1 ha resolution, and regional maps based on stratification and regression approaches had 25.6 % and 29.6 % uncertainty, respectively, in any given hectare. High-resolution approaches with reported local-scale uncertainties will provide the most confidence for monitoring changes in tropical forest carbon stocks. Improved confidence will allow resource managers and decision-makers to more rapidly and effectively implement actions that better conserve and utilize forests in tropical regions.

The emerging role of lidar remote sensing in coastal research and resource management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, J.C.; Purkis, S.J.

2009-01-01

Knowledge of coastal elevation is an essential requirement for resource management and scientific research. Recognizing the vast potential of lidar remote sensing in coastal studies, this Special Issue includes a collection of articles intended to represent the state-of-the-art for lidar investigations of nearshore submerged and emergent ecosystems, coastal morphodynamics, and hazards due to sea-level rise and severe storms. Some current applications for lidar remote sensing described in this Special Issue include bluegreen wavelength lidar used for submarine coastal benthic environments such as coral reef ecosystems, airborne lidar used for shoreline mapping and coastal change detection, and temporal waveform-resolving lidar used for vegetation mapping. ?? 2009 Coastal Education and Research Foundation.

The emerging role of lidar remote sensing in coastal research and resource management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Purkis, Samuel J.

2009-01-01

Knowledge of coastal elevation is an essential requirement for resource management and scientific research. Recognizing the vast potential of lidar remote sensing in coastal studies, this Special Issue includes a collection of articles intended to represent the state-of-the-art for lidar investigations of nearshore submerged and emergent ecosystems, coastal morphodynamics, and hazards due to sea-level rise and severe storms. Some current applications for lidar remote sensing described in this Special Issue include bluegreen wavelength lidar used for submarine coastal benthic environments such as coral reef ecosystems, airborne lidar used for shoreline mapping and coastal change detection, and temporal waveform-resolving lidar used for vegetation mapping.

Appendix E: Research papers. Use of remote sensing in landscape stratification for environmental impact assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanturf, J. A.; Heimbuch, D. G.

1980-01-01

A refinement to the matrix approach to environmental impact assessment is to use landscape units in place of separate environmental elements in the analysis. Landscape units can be delineated by integrating remotely sensed data and available single-factor data. A remote sensing approach to landscape stratification is described and the conditions under which it is superior to other approaches that require single-factor maps are indicated. Flowcharts show the steps necessary to develop classification criteria, delineate units and a map legend, and use the landscape units in impact assessment. Application of the approach to assessing impacts of a transmission line in Montana is presented to illustrate the method.

Application of Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing for Quantitative Evaluation of Crop Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaw, J.; Luvall, J.; Rickman, D.; Mask, P.; Wersinger, J.; Sullivan, D.; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Evidence suggests that thermal infrared emittance (TIR) at the field-scale is largely a function of the integrated crop/soil moisture continuum. Because soil moisture dynamics largely determine crop yields in non-irrigated farming (85 % of Alabama farms are non-irrigated), TIR may be an effective method of mapping within field crop yield variability, and possibly, absolute yields. The ability to map yield variability at juvenile growth stages can lead to improved soil fertility and pest management, as well as facilitating the development of economic forecasting. Researchers at GHCC/MSFC/NASA and Auburn University are currently investigating the role of TIR in site-specific agriculture. Site-specific agriculture (SSA), or precision farming, is a method of crop production in which zones and soils within a field are delineated and managed according to their unique properties. The goal of SSA is to improve farm profits and reduce environmental impacts through targeted agrochemical applications. The foundation of SSA depends upon the spatial and temporal characterization of soil and crop properties through the creation of management zones. Management zones can be delineated using: 1) remote sensing (RS) data, 2) conventional soil testing and soil mapping, and 3) yield mapping. Portions of this research have concentrated on using remote sensing data to map yield variability in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) crops. Remote sensing data have been collected for several fields in the Tennessee Valley region at various crop growth stages during the last four growing seasons. Preliminary results of this study will be presented.

Global hierarchical classification of deepwater and wetland environments from remote sensing products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fluet-Chouinard, E.; Lehner, B.; Aires, F.; Prigent, C.; McIntyre, P. B.

2017-12-01

Global surface water maps have improved in spatial and temporal resolutions through various remote sensing methods: open water extents with compiled Landsat archives and inundation with topographically downscaled multi-sensor retrievals. These time-series capture variations through time of open water and inundation without discriminating between hydrographic features (e.g. lakes, reservoirs, river channels and wetland types) as other databases have done as static representation. Available data sources present the opportunity to generate a comprehensive map and typology of aquatic environments (deepwater and wetlands) that improves on earlier digitized inventories and maps. The challenge of classifying surface waters globally is to distinguishing wetland types with meaningful characteristics or proxies (hydrology, water chemistry, soils, vegetation) while accommodating limitations of remote sensing data. We present a new wetland classification scheme designed for global application and produce a map of aquatic ecosystem types globally using state-of-the-art remote sensing products. Our classification scheme combines open water extent and expands it with downscaled multi-sensor inundation data to capture the maximal vegetated wetland extent. The hierarchical structure of the classification is modified from the Cowardin Systems (1979) developed for the USA. The first level classification is based on a combination of landscape positions and water source (e.g. lacustrine, riverine, palustrine, coastal and artificial) while the second level represents the hydrologic regime (e.g. perennial, seasonal, intermittent and waterlogged). Class-specific descriptors can further detail the wetland types with soils and vegetation cover. Our globally consistent nomenclature and top-down mapping allows for direct comparison across biogeographic regions, to upscale biogeochemical fluxes as well as other landscape level functions.

Remote sensing and geographic information system for appraisal of salt-affected soils in India.

PubMed

Singh, Gurbachan; Bundela, D S; Sethi, Madhurama; Lal, Khajanchi; Kamra, S K

2010-01-01

Quantification of the nature, extent, and spatial distribution of salt-affected soils (SAS) for India and the world is essential for planning and implementing reclamation programs in a timely and cost-effective manner for sustained crop production. The national extent of SAS for India over the last four decades was assessed by conventional and remote sensing approaches using diverse methodologies and class definitions and ranged from 6.0 to 26.1 million hectares (Mha) and 1.2 to 10.1 Mha, respectively. In 1966, an area of 6 Mha under SAS was first reported using the former approach. Three national estimates, obtained using remote sensing, were reconciled using a geographic information system, resulting in an acceptable extent of 6.73 Mha. Moderately and severely salt-encrusted lands having large contiguous area have been correctly mapped, but slightly salt-encrusted land having smaller affected areas within croplands has not been accurately mapped. Recent satellite sensors (e.g., Resourcesat-1, Cartosat-2, IKONOS-II, and RISAT-2), along with improved image processing techniques integrated with terrain and other spatial data using a geographic information system, are enabling mapping at large scale. Significant variations in salt encrustation at the surface caused by soil moisture, waterlogging conditions, salt-tolerant crops, and dynamics of subsurface salts present constraints in appraisal, delineation, and mapping efforts. The article provides an overview of development, identification, characterization, and delineation of SAS, past and current national scenarios of SAS using conventional and remote sensing approaches, reconciliation of national estimates, issues of SAS mapping, and future scope.

42 CFR 456.522 - Content of request for variance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Review Plans: FFP, Waivers, and Variances for Hospitals and Mental Hospitals Ur Plan: Remote Facility Variances from Time... travel time between the remote facility and each facility listed in paragraph (e) of this section; (f...

Prioritizing Seafloor Mapping for Washington’s Pacific Coast

PubMed Central

Battista, Timothy; Buja, Ken; Christensen, John; Hennessey, Jennifer; Lassiter, Katrina

2017-01-01

Remote sensing systems are critical tools used for characterizing the geological and ecological composition of the seafloor. However, creating comprehensive and detailed maps of ocean and coastal environments has been hindered by the high cost of operating ship- and aircraft-based sensors. While a number of groups (e.g., academic research, government resource management, and private sector) are engaged in or would benefit from the collection of additional seafloor mapping data, disparate priorities, dauntingly large data gaps, and insufficient funding have confounded strategic planning efforts. In this study, we addressed these challenges by implementing a quantitative, spatial process to facilitate prioritizing seafloor mapping needs in Washington State. The Washington State Prioritization Tool (WASP), a custom web-based mapping tool, was developed to solicit and analyze mapping priorities from each participating group. The process resulted in the identification of several discrete, high priority mapping hotspots. As a result, several of the areas have been or will be subsequently mapped. Furthermore, information captured during the process about the intended application of the mapping data was paramount for identifying the optimum remote sensing sensors and acquisition parameters to use during subsequent mapping surveys. PMID:28350338

[Study on application of low altitude remote sensing to Chinese herb medicinal sustainable utilization].

PubMed

Zhou, Ying-Qun; Chen, Shi-Lin; Zhao, Run-Huai; Xie, Cai-Xiang; Li, Ying

2008-04-01

Sustainable utilization and bio-diversity protection of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been a hotspot of the TCM study at present, in which the choice of appropriate method is one of the primary problems confronted. This paper described the technical system, equipment and image processing of low altitude remote sensing, and analyzed its future application in Chinese herb medicinal sustainable utilization.

Utility of remote sensing-based surface energy balance models to track water stress in rain-fed switchgrass under dry and wet conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattarai, Nishan; Wagle, Pradeep; Gowda, Prasanna H.; Kakani, Vijaya G.

2017-11-01

The ability of remote sensing-based surface energy balance (SEB) models to track water stress in rain-fed switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has not been explored yet. In this paper, the theoretical framework of crop water stress index (CWSI; 0 = extremely wet or no water stress condition and 1 = extremely dry or no transpiration) was utilized to estimate CWSI in rain-fed switchgrass using Landsat-derived evapotranspiration (ET) from five remote sensing based single-source SEB models, namely Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), Mapping ET with Internalized Calibration (METRIC), Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS), Simplified Surface Energy Balance Index (S-SEBI), and Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop). CWSI estimates from the five SEB models and a simple regression model that used normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), near-surface temperature difference, and measured soil moisture (SM) as covariates were compared with those derived from eddy covariance measured ET (CWSIEC) for the 32 Landsat image acquisition dates during the 2011 (dry) and 2013 (wet) growing seasons. Results indicate that most SEB models can predict CWSI reasonably well. For example, the root mean square error (RMSE) ranged from 0.14 (SEBAL) to 0.29 (SSEBop) and the coefficient of determination (R2) ranged from 0.25 (SSEBop) to 0.72 (SEBAL), justifying the added complexity in CWSI modeling as compared to results from the simple regression model (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 0.16). All SEB models underestimated CWSI in the dry year but the estimates from SEBAL and S-SEBI were within 7% of the mean CWSIEC and explained over 60% of variations in CWSIEC. In the wet year, S-SEBI mostly overestimated CWSI (around 28%), while estimates from METRIC, SEBAL, SEBS, and SSEBop were within 8% of the mean CWSIEC. Overall, SEBAL was the most robust model under all conditions followed by METRIC, whose performance was slightly worse and better than SEBAL in dry and wet years, respectively. Underestimation of CWSI under extremely dry soil conditions and the substantial role of SM in the regression model suggest that integration of SM in SEB models could improve their performances under dry conditions. These insights will provide useful guidance on the broader applicability of SEB models for mapping water stresses in switchgrass under varying geographical and meteorological conditions.

Remote sensing of wetlands, marshes, and shorelines in Michigan including St. John's Marsh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowe, D. S.

1976-01-01

Remote sensing data are used to show the strategic relationship of the endangered marsh to population centers of SE Michigan. The potential ecological consequences and the impact of past development and changing lake levels are discussed. Applications of remote sensing are presented showing its usefulness for preparing statewide infrared wetland and forest mapping.

A systematic framework for Monte Carlo simulation of remote sensing errors map in carbon assessments

Treesearch

S. Healey; P. Patterson; S. Urbanski

2014-01-01

Remotely sensed observations can provide unique perspective on how management and natural disturbance affect carbon stocks in forests. However, integration of these observations into formal decision support will rely upon improved uncertainty accounting. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations offer a practical, empirical method of accounting for potential remote sensing errors...

Multistage remote sensing: toward an annual national inventory

Treesearch

Raymond L. Czaplewski

1999-01-01

Remote sensing can improve efficiency of statistical information. Landsat data can identify and map a few broad categories of forest cover and land use. However, more-detailed information requires a sample of higher-resolution imagery, which costs less than field data but considerably more than Landsat data. A national remote sensing program would be a major...

Using a remote sensing-based, percent tree cover map to enhance forest inventory estimation

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Greg C. Liknes; Grant M. Domke

2014-01-01

For most national forest inventories, the variables of primary interest to users are forest area and growing stock volume. The precision of estimates of parameters related to these variables can be increased using remotely sensed auxiliary variables, often in combination with stratified estimators. However, acquisition and processing of large amounts of remotely sensed...

Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelazeem, Maha; El-Sawy, El-Sawy K.; Gobashy, Mohamed M.

2013-06-01

Ar Rika fault zone constitutes one of the two major parts of the NW-SE Najd fault system (NFS), which is one of the most prominent structural features located in the east of the center of the Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia. By using Enhancement Thematic Mapper data (ETM+) and Principle Component Analysis (PCA), surface geological characteristics, distribution of rock types, and the different trends of linear features and faults are determined in the study area. First and second order magnetic gradients of the geomagnetic field at the North East of Wadi Ar Rika have been calculated in the frequency domain to map both surface and subsurface lineaments and faults. Lineaments as deduced from previous studies, suggest an extension of the NFS beneath the cover rocks in the study area. In the present study, integration of magnetic gradients and remote sensing analysis that resulted in different valuable derivative maps confirm the subsurface extension of some of the surface features. The 3D Euler deconvolution, the total gradient, and the tilt angle maps have been utilized to determine accurately the distribution of shear zones, the tectonic implications, and the internal structures of the terranes in the Ar Rika quadrangle in three dimensions.

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

Vatsavai, Raju; Cheriyadat, Anil M; Bhaduri, Budhendra L

The high rate of urbanization, political conflicts and ensuing internal displacement of population, and increased poverty in the 20th century has resulted in rapid increase of informal settlements. These unplanned, unauthorized, and/or unstructured homes, known as informal settlements, shantytowns, barrios, or slums, pose several challenges to the nations, as these settlements are often located in most hazardous regions and lack basic services. Though several World Bank and United Nations sponsored studies stress the importance of poverty maps in designing better policies and interventions, mapping slums of the world is a daunting and challenging task. In this paper, we summarize ourmore » ongoing research on settlement mapping through the utilization of Very high resolution (VHR) remote sensing imagery. Most existing approaches used to classify VHR images are single instance (or pixel-based) learning algorithms, which are inadequate for analyzing VHR imagery, as single pixels do not contain sufficient contextual information (see Figure 1). However, much needed spatial contextual information can be captured via feature extraction and/or through newer machine learning algorithms in order to extract complex spatial patterns that distinguish informal settlements from formal ones. In recent years, we made significant progress in advancing the state of art in both directions. This paper summarizes these results.« less

Beyond Population Distribution: Enhancing Sociocultural Resolution from Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaduri, B. L.; Rose, A.

2017-12-01

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, since late 1990s, we have focused on developing high resolution population distribution and dynamics data from local to global scales. Increasing resolutions of geographic data has been mirrored by population data sets developed across the community. However, attempts to increase temporal and sociocultural resolutions have been limited given the lack of high resolution data on human settlements and activities. While recent advancements in moderate to high resolution earth observation have led to better physiographic data, the approach of exploiting very high resolution (sub-meter resolution) imagery has also proven useful for generating accurate human settlement maps. It allows potential (social and vulnerability) characterization of population from settlement structures by exploiting image texture and spectral features. Our recent research utilizing machine learning and geocomputation has not only validated "poverty mapping from imagery" hypothesis, but has delineated a new paradigm of rapid analysis of high resolution imagery to enhance such "neighborhood" mapping techniques. Such progress in GIScience is allowing us to move towards the goal of creating a global foundation level database for impervious surfaces and "neighborhoods," and holds tremendous promise for key applications focusing on sustainable development including many social science applications.

Procedures for woody vegetation surveys in the Kazgail rural council area, Kordofan, Sudan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falconer, Allan; Cross, Matthew D.; Orr, Donald G.

1990-01-01

Efforts to reforest parts of the Kordofan Province of Sudan are receiving support from international development agencies. These efforts include planning and implementing reforestation activities that require the collection of natural resources and socioeconomic data, and the preparation of base maps. A combination of remote sensing, geographic information system and global positioning systems procedures are used in this study to meet these requirements.Remote sensing techniques were used to provide base maps and to guide the compilation of vegetation resources maps. These techniques provided a rapid and efficient method for documenting available resources. Pocket‐sized global positioning system units were used to establish the location of field data collected for mapping and resource analysis. A microcomputer data management system tabulated and displayed the field data. The resulting system for data analysis, management, and planning has been adopted for the mapping and inventory of the Gum Belt of Sudan.

Mapping Daily and Maximum Flood Extents at 90-m Resolution During Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Using Passive Microwave Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galantowicz, J. F.; Picton, J.; Root, B.

2017-12-01

Passive microwave remote sensing can provided a distinct perspective on flood events by virtue of wide sensor fields of view, frequent observations from multiple satellites, and sensitivity through clouds and vegetation. During Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, we used AMSR2 (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2, JAXA) data to map flood extents starting from the first post-storm rain-free sensor passes. Our standard flood mapping algorithm (FloodScan) derives flooded fraction from 22-km microwave data (AMSR2 or NASA's GMI) in near real time and downscales it to 90-m resolution using a database built from topography, hydrology, and Global Surface Water Explorer data and normalized to microwave data footprint shapes. During Harvey and Irma we tested experimental versions of the algorithm designed to map the maximum post-storm flood extent rapidly and made a variety of map products available immediately for use in storm monitoring and response. The maps have several unique features including spanning the entire storm-affected area and providing multiple post-storm updates as flood water shifted and receded. From the daily maps we derived secondary products such as flood duration, maximum flood extent (Figure 1), and flood depth. In this presentation, we describe flood extent evolution, maximum extent, and local details as detected by the FloodScan algorithm in the wake of Harvey and Irma. We compare FloodScan results to other available flood mapping resources, note observed shortcomings, and describe improvements made in response. We also discuss how best-estimate maps could be updated in near real time by merging FloodScan products and data from other remote sensing systems and hydrological models.

Northern Forest Ecosystem Dynamics Using Coupled Models and Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. J.; Sun, G.; Knox, R. G.; Levine, E. R.; Weishampel, J. F.; Fifer, S. T.

1999-01-01

Forest ecosystem dynamics modeling, remote sensing data analysis, and a geographical information system (GIS) were used together to determine the possible growth and development of a northern forest in Maine, USA. Field measurements and airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were used to produce maps of forest cover type and above ground biomass. These forest attribute maps, along with a conventional soils map, were used to identify the initial conditions for forest ecosystem model simulations. Using this information along with ecosystem model results enabled the development of predictive maps of forest development. The results obtained were consistent with observed forest conditions and expected successional trajectories. The study demonstrated that ecosystem models might be used in a spatial context when parameterized and used with georeferenced data sets.

Geomorphic Processes and Remote Sensing Signatures of Alluvial Fans in the Kun Lun Mountains, China

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, Tom G.; Chadwick, Oliver A.

1996-01-01

The timing of alluvial deposition in arid and semiarid areas is tied to land-surface instability caused by regional climate changes. The distribution pattern of dated deposits provides maps of regional land-surface response to past climate change. Sensitivity to differences in surface roughness and composition makes remote sensing techniques useful for regional mapping of alluvial deposits. Radar images from the Spaceborne Radar Laboratory and visible wavelength images from the French SPOT satellite were used to determine remote sensing signatures of alluvial fan units for an area in the Kun Lun Mountains of northwestern China. These data were combined with field observations to compare surface processes and their effects on remote sensing signatures in northwestern China and the southwestern United States. Geomorphic processes affecting alluvial fans in the two areas include aeolian deposition, desert varnish, and fluvial dissection. However, salt weathering is a much more important process in the Kun Lun than in the southwestern United States. This slows the formation of desert varnish and prevents desert pavement from forming. Thus the Kun Lun signatures are characteristic of the dominance of salt weathering, while signatures from the southwestern United States are characteristic of the dominance of desert varnish and pavement processes. Remote sensing signatures are consistent enough in these two regions to be used for mapping fan units over large areas.

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

Remote sensing for urban planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Bruce A.; Schmidt, Nicholas; Jensen, John R.; Cowen, Dave J.; Halls, Joanne; Narumalani, Sunil; Burgess, Bryan

1994-01-01

Utility companies are challenged to provide services to a highly dynamic customer base. With factory closures and shifts in employment becoming a routine occurrence, the utility industry must develop new techniques to maintain records and plan for expected growth. BellSouth Telecommunications, the largest of the Bell telephone companies, currently serves over 13 million residences and 2 million commercial customers. Tracking the movement of customers and scheduling the delivery of service are major tasks for BellSouth that require intensive manpower and sophisticated information management techniques. Through NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office, BellSouth is investigating the utility of remote sensing and geographic information system techniques to forecast residential development. This paper highlights the initial results of this project, which indicate a high correlation between the U.S. Bureau of Census block group statistics and statistics derived from remote sensing data.

Geological Mapping Uses Landsat 4-5TM Satellite Data in Manlai Soum of Omnogovi Aimag

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norovsuren, B.

2014-12-01

Author: Bayanmonkh N1, Undram.G1, Tsolmon.R2, Ariunzul.Ya1, Bayartungalag B31 Environmental Research Information and Study Center 2NUM-ITC-UNESCO Space Science and Remote Sensing International Laboratory, National University of Mongolia 3Geology and Hydrology School, Korea University KEY WORDS: geology, mineral resources, fracture, structure, lithologyABSTRACTGeologic map is the most important map for mining when it does exploration job. In Mongolia geological map completed by Russian geologists which is done by earlier technology. Those maps doesn't satisfy for present requirements. Thus we want to study improve geological map which includes fracture, structural map and lithology use Landsat TM4-5 satellite data. If we can produce a geological map from satellite data with more specification then geologist can explain or read mineralogy very easily. We searched all methodology and researches of every single element of geological mapping. Then we used 3 different remote sensing methodologies to produce structural and lithology and fracture map based on geographic information system's softwares. There can be found a visible lithology border improvement and understandable structural map and we found fracture of the Russian geological map has a lot of distortion. The result of research geologist can read mineralogy elements very easy and discovered 3 unfound important elements from satellite image.

The Application of Remote Sensing Data to GIS Studies of Land Use, Land Cover, and Vegetation Mapping in the State of Hawaii

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, Christine A.

1996-01-01

A land cover-vegetation map with a base classification system for remote sensing use in a tropical island environment was produced of the island of Hawaii for the State of Hawaii to evaluate whether or not useful land cover information can be derived from Landsat TM data. In addition, an island-wide change detection mosaic combining a previously created 1977 MSS land classification with the TM-based classification was produced. In order to reach the goal of transferring remote sensing technology to State of Hawaii personnel, a pilot project was conducted while training State of Hawaii personnel in remote sensing technology and classification systems. Spectral characteristics of young island land cover types were compared to determine if there are differences in vegetation types on lava, vegetation types on soils, and barren lava from soils, and if they can be detected remotely, based on differences in pigments detecting plant physiognomic type, health, stress at senescence, heat, moisture level, and biomass. Geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) were used to assist in image rectification and classification. GIS was also used to produce large-format color output maps. An interactive GIS program was written to provide on-line access to scanned photos taken at field sites. The pilot project found Landsat TM to be a credible source of land cover information for geologically young islands, and TM data bands are effective in detecting spectral characteristics of different land cover types through remote sensing. Large agriculture field patterns were resolved and mapped successfully from wildland vegetation, but small agriculture field patterns were not. Additional processing was required to work with the four TM scenes from two separate orbits which span three years, including El Nino and drought dates. Results of the project emphasized the need for further land cover and land use processing and research. Change in vegetation composition was noted in the change detection image.

Mapping products of Titan's surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stephan, Katrin; Jaumann, Ralf; Karkoschka, Erich; Barnes, Jason W.; Tomasko, Martin G.; Turtle, Elizabeth P.; Le Corre, Lucille; Langhans, Mirjam; Le Mouelic, Stephane; Lorenz, Ralf D.; Perry, Jason; Brown, Robert H.; Lebreton, Jean-Pierre

2009-01-01

Remote sensing instruments aboard the Cassini spacecraft have been observed the surface of Titan globally in the infrared and radar wavelength ranges as well as locally by the Huygens instruments revealing a wealth of new morphological features indicating a geologically active surface. We present a summary of mapping products of Titan's surface derived from data of the remote sensing instruments onboard the Cassini spacecraft (ISS, VIMS, RADAR) as well as the Huygens probe (DISR) that were achieved during the nominal Cassini mission including an overview of Titan's recent nomenclature.

Forest and Range Inventory and Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldrich, R. C.

1971-01-01

The state of the art in remote sensing for forest and range inventories and mapping has been discussed. There remains a long way to go before some of these techniques can be used on an operational basis. By the time that the Earth Resources Technology Satellite and Skylab space missions are flown, it should be possible to tell what kind and what quality of information can be extracted from remote sensors and how it can be used for surveys of forest and range resources.

An Alternative Wearable Tracking System Based on a Low-Power Wide-Area Network.

PubMed

Fernández-Garcia, Raul; Gil, Ignacio

2017-03-14

This work presents an alternative wearable tracking system based on a low-power wide area network. A complete GPS receiver was integrated with a textile substrate, and the latitude and longitude coordinates were sent to the cloud by means of the SIM-less SIGFOX network. To send the coordinates over SIGFOX protocol, a specific codification algorithm was used and a customized UHF antenna on jeans fabric was designed, simulated and tested. Moreover, to guarantee the compliance to international regulations for human body exposure to electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic specific absorption rate of this antenna was analyzed. A specific remote server was developed to decode the latitude and longitude coordinates. Once the coordinates have been decoded, the remote server sends this information to the open source data viewer SENTILO to show the location of the sensor node in a map. The functionality of this system has been demonstrated experimentally. The results guarantee the utility and wearability of the proposed tracking system for the development of sensor nodes and point out that it can be a low cost alternative to other commercial products based on GSM networks.

Building damage assessment using airborne lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Axel, Colin; van Aardt, Jan

2017-10-01

The assessment of building damage following a natural disaster is a crucial step in determining the impact of the event itself and gauging reconstruction needs. Automatic methods for deriving damage maps from remotely sensed data are preferred, since they are regarded as being rapid and objective. We propose an algorithm for performing unsupervised building segmentation and damage assessment using airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) data. Local surface properties, including normal vectors and curvature, were used along with region growing to segment individual buildings in lidar point clouds. Damaged building candidates were identified based on rooftop inclination angle, and then damage was assessed using planarity and point height metrics. Validation of the building segmentation and damage assessment techniques were performed using airborne lidar data collected after the Haiti earthquake of 2010. Building segmentation and damage assessment accuracies of 93.8% and 78.9%, respectively, were obtained using lidar point clouds and expert damage assessments of 1953 buildings in heavily damaged regions. We believe this research presents an indication of the utility of airborne lidar remote sensing for increasing the efficiency and speed at which emergency response operations are performed.

Multi-Data Approach for remote sensing-based regional crop rotation mapping: A case study for the Rur catchment, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldhoff, Guido; Lussem, Ulrike; Bareth, Georg

2017-09-01

Spatial land use information is one of the key input parameters for regional agro-ecosystem modeling. Furthermore, to assess the crop-specific management in a spatio-temporal context accurately, parcel-related crop rotation information is additionally needed. Such data is scarcely available for a regional scale, so that only modeled crop rotations can be incorporated instead. However, the spectrum of the occurring multiannual land use patterns on arable land remains unknown. Thus, this contribution focuses on the mapping of the actually practiced crop rotations in the Rur catchment, located in the western part of Germany. We addressed this by combining multitemporal multispectral remote sensing data, ancillary information and expert-knowledge on crop phenology in a GIS-based Multi-Data Approach (MDA). At first, a methodology for the enhanced differentiation of the major crop types on an annual basis was developed. Key aspects are (i) the usage of physical block data to separate arable land from other land use types, (ii) the classification of remote sensing scenes of specific time periods, which are most favorable for the differentiation of certain crop types, and (iii) the combination of the multitemporal classification results in a sequential analysis strategy. Annual crop maps of eight consecutive years (2008-2015) were combined to a crop sequence dataset to have a profound data basis for the mapping of crop rotations. In most years, the remote sensing data basis was highly fragmented. Nevertheless, our method enabled satisfying crop mapping results. As an example for the annual crop mapping workflow, the procedure and the result of 2015 are illustrated. For the generation of the crop sequence dataset, the eight annual crop maps were geometrically smoothened and integrated into a single vector data layer. The resulting dataset informs about the occurring crop sequence for individual areas on arable land, so that crop rotation schemes can be derived. The resulting dataset reveals that the spectrum of the practiced crop rotations is extremely heterogeneous and contains a large amount of crop sequences, which strongly diverge from model crop rotations. Consequently, the integration of remote sensing-based crop rotation data can considerably reduce uncertainties regarding the management in regional agro-ecosystem modeling. Finally, the developed methods and the results are discussed in detail.

Ocean Wave Energy Estimation Using Active Satellite Imagery as a Solution of Energy Scarce in Indonesia Case Study: Poteran Island's Water, Madura

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadzir, Z. A.; Karondia, L. A.; Jaelani, L. M.; Sulaiman, A.; Pamungkas, A.; Koenhardono, E. S.; Sulisetyono, A.

2015-10-01

Ocean wave energy is one of the ORE (Ocean Renewable Energies) sources, which potential, in which this energy has several advantages over fossil energy and being one of the most researched energy in developed countries nowadays. One of the efforts for mapping ORE potential is by computing energy potential generated from ocean wave, symbolized by Watt per area unit using various methods of observation. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is one of the hyped and most developed Remote Sensing method used to monitor and map the ocean wave energy potential effectively and fast. SAR imagery processing can be accomplished not only in remote sensing data applications, but using Matrices processing application as well such as MATLAB that utilizing Fast Fourier Transform and Band-Pass Filtering methods undergoing Pre-Processing stage. In this research, the processing and energy estimation from ALOSPALSAR satellite imagery acquired on the 5/12/2009 was accomplished using 2 methods (i.e Magnitude and Wavelength). This resulted in 9 potential locations of ocean wave energy between 0-228 W/m2, and 7 potential locations with ranged value between 182-1317 W/m2. After getting through buffering process with value of 2 km (to facilitate the construction of power plant installation), 9 sites of location were estimated to be the most potential location of ocean wave energy generation in the ocean with average depth of 8.058 m and annual wind speed of 6.553 knot.

Remote sensing and GIS based information system for sustainable resources planning at Panchayat level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velmurugan, A.; Bhatt, S.; Dadhwal, V. K.

2006-12-01

Spatial databases of natural resources are very much essential to ensure enhanced productivity by conserving soil and water and to maintain ecological integrity of any region. Integration of various thematic layers prepared from high resolution data and detailed field survey would be preferred for grass root level planning (Panchayat) aimed to realize the potential of production system on a sustained basis. In this study, a detailed spatial data base was created for part of Kasaragod dist., Kerala, India. Detailed soil survey was carried out using cadastral map and registered over high resolution satellite data (IRS LISS-IV) which helped to identify problems and potentials of the area. Nearly 600 ha of land were found to be at higher erosion risk category out of ten soil series identified in the study area. Remote sensing data was used to prepare land use/land cover map and coconut (53%) followed by mixed vegetation type (16%) were found to be dominant. Soil site suitability assessment for major crops of the area was carried out and crossed with present land use to get the mismatch in land use/land utilization type. Alternate land use plan was prepared considering the potentials and problems of various available resources. Decision Support System (DSS) along with user interface is developed to support decision and extract relevant information. As organic carbon is one of the most important indicators of soil fertility C stock in the present and proposed land use was also estimated to understand the environmental significance.

Integrated Ground-based Hyperspectral Imaging and Geochemical Study of the Eagle Ford Group in West Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, L.; Khan, S.; Godet, A.

2017-12-01

This study used ground-based hyperspectral imaging to map an outcrop of the Eagle Ford Group in west Texas. The Eagle Ford Group consists of alternating layers of mudstone - wackestone, grainstone - packstone facies and volcanic ash deposits with high total organic carbon content deposited during the Late Cenomanian - Turonian time period. It is one of the few unconventional source rock and reservoirs that have surface representations. Ground-based hyperspectral imaging scanned an outcrop and hand samples at close ranges with very fine spatial resolution (centimeter to sub-millimeter). Spectral absorption modeling of clay minerals and calcite with the modified Gaussian model (MGM) allowed quantification of variations of mineral abundances. Petrographic analysis confirmed mineral identifications and shed light on sedimentary textures. Major element geochemistry confirmed the mineral quantification. Enrichment of molybdenum (Mo) and uranium (U) indicated "unrestricted marine" paleo-hydrogeology and anoxic to euxinic paleo-redox bottom water conditions. Mineral quantification resulted in mapping of mudstone - wackestone, grainstone - packstone facies and claystones (volcanic ash beds). The lack of spatial associations between the grainstones and claystones on the outcrop calls into question the hypothesis that the primary productivity is controlled by iron availability from volcanic ash beds. Hyperspectral remote sensing data also helped in creating a virtual outcrop model with detailed mineralogical compositions, and provided reservoir analog to extract compositional and geo-mechanical characteristics and variations. The utilization of these new techniques in geo-statistical analysis provides a workflow for employing remote sensing in resource exploration and exploitation.

Integrated ground-based hyperspectral imaging and geochemical study of the Eagle Ford Group in West Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Lei; Khan, Shuhab; Godet, Alexis

2018-01-01

This study used ground-based hyperspectral imaging to map an outcrop of the Eagle Ford Group in west Texas. The Eagle Ford Group consists of alternating layers of mudstone - wackestone, grainstone - packstone facies and volcanic ash deposits with high total organic content deposited during the Cenomanian - Turonian time period. It is one of the few unconventional source rock and reservoirs that have surface representations. Ground-based hyperspectral imaging scanned an outcrop and hand samples at close ranges with very fine spatial resolution (centimeter to sub-millimeter). Spectral absorption modeling of clay minerals and calcite with the modified Gaussian model (MGM) allowed quantification of variations of mineral abundances. Petrographic analysis confirmed mineral identifications and shed light on sedimentary textures, and major element geochemistry supported the mineral quantification. Mineral quantification resulted in mapping of mudstone - wackestone, grainstone - packstone facies and bentonites (volcanic ash beds). The lack of spatial associations between the grainstones and bentonites on the outcrop calls into question the hypothesis that the primary productivity is controlled by iron availability from volcanic ash beds. Enrichment of molybdenum (Mo) and uranium (U) indicated "unrestricted marine" paleo-hydrogeology and anoxic to euxinic paleo-redox bottom water conditions. Hyperspectral remote sensing data also helped in creating a virtual outcrop model with detailed mineralogical compositions, and provided reservoir analog to extract compositional and geo-mechanical characteristics and variations. The utilization of these new techniques in geo-statistical analysis provides a workflow for employing remote sensing in resource exploration and exploitation.

Optimalisation of remote sensing algorithm in mapping of chlorophyl-a concentration at Pasuruan coastal based on surface reflectance images of Aqua Modis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibisana, H.; Zainab, S.; Dara K., A.

2018-01-01

Chlorophyll-a is one of the parameters used to detect the presence of fish populations, as well as one of the parameters to state the quality of a water. Research on chlorophyll concentrations has been extensively investigated as well as with chlorophyll-a mapping using remote sensing satellites. Mapping of chlorophyll concentration is used to obtain an optimal picture of the condition of waters that is often used as a fishing area by the fishermen. The role of remote sensing is a technological breakthrough in broadly monitoring the condition of waters. And in the process to get a complete picture of the aquatic conditions it would be used an algorithm that can provide an image of the concentration of chlorophyll at certain points scattered in the research area of capture fisheries. Remote sensing algorithms have been widely used by researchers to detect the presence of chlorophyll content, where the channels corresponding to the mapping of chlorophyll -concentrations from Landsat 8 images are canals 4, 3 and 2. With multiple channels from Landsat-8 satellite imagery used for chlorophyll detection, optimum algorithmic search can be formulated to obtain maximum results of chlorophyll-a concentration in the research area. From the calculation of remote sensing algorithm hence can be known the suitable algorithm for condition at coast of Pasuruan, where green channel give good enough correlation equal to R2 = 0,853 with algorithm for Chlorophyll-a (mg / m3) = 0,093 (R (-0) Red - 3,7049, from this result it can be concluded that there is a good correlation of the green channel that can illustrate the concentration of chlorophyll scattered along the coast of Pasuruan

Development of a Remote-Sensing Based Framework for Mapping Drought over North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hain, C.; Anderson, M. C.; Zhan, X.; Gao, F.; Svoboda, M.; Wardlow, B.; Mladenova, I. E.

2012-12-01

This presentation will address the development of a multi-scale drought monitoring tool for North America based on remotely sensed estimates of evapotranspiration. The North American continent represents a broad range in vegetation and climate conditions, from the boreal forests in Canada to the arid deserts in Mexico. This domain also encompasses a range in constraints limiting vegetation growth, with a gradient from radiation/energy limitation in the north to moisture limits in the south. This feasibility study over NA will provide a valuable test bed for future implementation world-wide in support of proposed global drought monitoring and early warning efforts. The Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) represents anomalies in the ratio of actual-to-potential ET (fPET), generated with the thermal remote sensing based Atmosphere-Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) surface energy balance model and associated disaggregation algorithm, DisALEXI demonstrated that ESI maps over the continental US (CONUS) show good correspondence with standard drought metrics and with patterns of antecedent precipitation, but can be generated at significantly higher spatial resolution due to a limited reliance on ground observations. Unique behavior is observed in the ESI in regions where the evaporative flux is enhanced by moisture sources decoupled from local rainfall, for example in areas where drought impacts are being mitigated by intense irrigation or shallow water tables. As such, the ESI is a measure of actual stress rather than potential for stress, and has physical relevance to projected crop development. Because precipitation is not used in construction of the ESI, this index provides an independent assessment of drought conditions and will have particular utility for real-time monitoring in regions with sparse rainfall data or significant delays in meteorological reporting. The North American ESI product will be quantitatively compared with spatiotemporal patterns in the NADM, and with standard meteorological, remote sensing and modeled drought indices that are routinely produced over NA. Importantly, the robustness of these various indicators will be assessed in their ability to anticipate and correctly diagnose known drought events (as recorded in the NADM archive).

Development of an integrated and sustainable rural service for people with diabetes in the Scottish Highlands.

PubMed

Cramp, Geoffrey J

2006-01-01

The number of people with diabetes is increasing leading to a greater burden on health care services. The impact of the growing prevalence is accentuated by remote and rural demographic and geographic characteristics. Highland is a sparsely populated remote and rural area in the north of Scotland, characterised by poor access to health-care services and pockets of marked deprivation. Centralised policy developments demanding local implementation compounded the pressures on a system that already had waiting times of over 90 weeks for some people with diabetes. A regional review of services, engaging stakeholders from all disciplines and geographical locations was required to develop acceptable and sustainable solutions. This article describes the extensive mapping process involved, how solutions were derived, and suggests a new service structure to encompass remote health-care issues. Health-care professionals with an interest in diabetes were identified and workshops were organised to include the remote areas of Highland. Patient and carers views were ascertained through workshops and supplemented by written submissions. Using the redesign methodology the patient pathway was mapped, noting service deficiencies and good practice. The information gathered was constructed into a service-level map representing the patient journey. A conference was organised to develop solutions to the issues raised during the mapping process. From these solutions a new service configuration was constructed. Over 300 health-care professionals patients and carers contributed. Fourteen workshops were held across the region including the remote areas, providing 15 local maps of the patient pathways subsequently amalgamated into a service-level map. The current patient pathway in Highland follows a traditional and dichotomous cycle of care in the primary and secondary care setting, partly reflecting the rural nature of healthcare in the Highlands. Four main areas for service improvement were identified: a reduction in waiting times for secondary care out patients; an improvement in communication between health-care professionals; further education for both health-care professionals and patients; and the use and role of allied health professionals. Seventeen solutions were recommended, including the introduction of a managed clinical network, use of an integrated IT system, use of a remote access consultation clinic, and web-based peer education and group sessions for allied health professionals. A new service configuration was proposed with the patient at the centre of a non-hierarchical system using standardised referral letters with a seamless flow of information. Local processes for the implementation of government directives are imposing pressures on relatively smaller organisations. These pressures develop as a result of attempts to ensure local ownership and in overcoming the difficulties unique to the remote and rural setting. Further evaluation of the implementation of initiatives to solve the issues of service planning in remote areas is needed to clarify their level of effectiveness.

Postprocessing classification images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kan, E. P.

1979-01-01

Program cleans up remote-sensing maps. It can be used with existing image-processing software. Remapped images closely resemble familiar resource information maps and can replace or supplement classification images not postprocessed by this program.

Verification of the WFAS Lightning Efficiency Map

Treesearch

Paul Sopko; Don Latham; Isaac Grenfell

2007-01-01

A Lightning Ignition Efficiency map was added to the suite of daily maps offered by the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) in 1999. This map computes a lightning probability of ignition (POI) based on the estimated fuel type, fuel depth, and 100-hour fuel moisture interpolated from the Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) network. An attempt to verify the...

Mapping fuels at multiple scales: landscape application of the fuel characteristic classification system.

Treesearch

D. McKenzie; C.L. Raymond; L.-K.B. Kellogg; R.A. Norheim; A.G. Andreu; A.C. Bayard; K.E. Kopper; E. Elman

2007-01-01

Fuel mapping is a complex and often multidisciplinary process, involving remote sensing, ground-based validation, statistical modeling, and knowledge-based systems. The scale and resolution of fuel mapping depend both on objectives and availability of spatial data layers. We demonstrate use of the Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) for fuel mapping at two...

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

DEM Digital Elevation Model DFIRM Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map DOQ Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle DOQQ Digital Ortho Quarter Quadrangle DTM...Agriculture Imag- ery Program (NAIP) color Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQs)). Remote sensing, base map information, GIS data (for example, contour data...found on USGS topographic maps. More recently developed data were derived from digital orthophotos providing improved base map accuracy. NH GRANIT is

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Technical Partner DEM Digital Elevation Model DFIRM Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map DOQ Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle DOQQ Digital Ortho Quarter Quadrangle...color Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQs)). Remote sensing, base map information, GIS data (for example, contour data, E911 data, Digital Elevation...the feature types found on USGS topographic maps. More recently developed data were derived from digital orthophotos providing improved base map

Mapping multi-scale vascular plant richness in a forest landscape with integrated LiDAR and hyperspectral remote-sensing.

PubMed

Hakkenberg, C R; Zhu, K; Peet, R K; Song, C

2018-02-01

The central role of floristic diversity in maintaining habitat integrity and ecosystem function has propelled efforts to map and monitor its distribution across forest landscapes. While biodiversity studies have traditionally relied largely on ground-based observations, the immensity of the task of generating accurate, repeatable, and spatially-continuous data on biodiversity patterns at large scales has stimulated the development of remote-sensing methods for scaling up from field plot measurements. One such approach is through integrated LiDAR and hyperspectral remote-sensing. However, despite their efficiencies in cost and effort, LiDAR-hyperspectral sensors are still highly constrained in structurally- and taxonomically-heterogeneous forests - especially when species' cover is smaller than the image resolution, intertwined with neighboring taxa, or otherwise obscured by overlapping canopy strata. In light of these challenges, this study goes beyond the remote characterization of upper canopy diversity to instead model total vascular plant species richness in a continuous-cover North Carolina Piedmont forest landscape. We focus on two related, but parallel, tasks. First, we demonstrate an application of predictive biodiversity mapping, using nonparametric models trained with spatially-nested field plots and aerial LiDAR-hyperspectral data, to predict spatially-explicit landscape patterns in floristic diversity across seven spatial scales between 0.01-900 m 2 . Second, we employ bivariate parametric models to test the significance of individual, remotely-sensed predictors of plant richness to determine how parameter estimates vary with scale. Cross-validated results indicate that predictive models were able to account for 15-70% of variance in plant richness, with LiDAR-derived estimates of topography and forest structural complexity, as well as spectral variance in hyperspectral imagery explaining the largest portion of variance in diversity levels. Importantly, bivariate tests provide evidence of scale-dependence among predictors, such that remotely-sensed variables significantly predict plant richness only at spatial scales that sufficiently subsume geolocational imprecision between remotely-sensed and field data, and best align with stand components including plant size and density, as well as canopy gaps and understory growth patterns. Beyond their insights into the scale-dependent patterns and drivers of plant diversity in Piedmont forests, these results highlight the potential of remotely-sensible essential biodiversity variables for mapping and monitoring landscape floristic diversity from air- and space-borne platforms. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Scaling up functional traits for ecosystem services with remote sensing: concepts and methods.

PubMed

Abelleira Martínez, Oscar J; Fremier, Alexander K; Günter, Sven; Ramos Bendaña, Zayra; Vierling, Lee; Galbraith, Sara M; Bosque-Pérez, Nilsa A; Ordoñez, Jenny C

2016-07-01

Ecosystem service-based management requires an accurate understanding of how human modification influences ecosystem processes and these relationships are most accurate when based on functional traits. Although trait variation is typically sampled at local scales, remote sensing methods can facilitate scaling up trait variation to regional scales needed for ecosystem service management. We review concepts and methods for scaling up plant and animal functional traits from local to regional spatial scales with the goal of assessing impacts of human modification on ecosystem processes and services. We focus our objectives on considerations and approaches for (1) conducting local plot-level sampling of trait variation and (2) scaling up trait variation to regional spatial scales using remotely sensed data. We show that sampling methods for scaling up traits need to account for the modification of trait variation due to land cover change and species introductions. Sampling intraspecific variation, stratification by land cover type or landscape context, or inference of traits from published sources may be necessary depending on the traits of interest. Passive and active remote sensing are useful for mapping plant phenological, chemical, and structural traits. Combining these methods can significantly improve their capacity for mapping plant trait variation. These methods can also be used to map landscape and vegetation structure in order to infer animal trait variation. Due to high context dependency, relationships between trait variation and remotely sensed data are not directly transferable across regions. We end our review with a brief synthesis of issues to consider and outlook for the development of these approaches. Research that relates typical functional trait metrics, such as the community-weighted mean, with remote sensing data and that relates variation in traits that cannot be remotely sensed to other proxies is needed. Our review narrows the gap between functional trait and remote sensing methods for ecosystem service management.

Real-Time Mapping Spectroscopy on the Ground, in the Air, and in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, D. R.; Allwood, A.; Chien, S.; Green, R. O.; Wettergreen, D. S.

2016-12-01

Real-time data interpretation can benefit both remote in situ exploration and remote sensing. Basic analyses at the sensor can monitor instrument performance and reveal invisible science phenomena in real time. This promotes situational awareness for remote robotic explorers or campaign decision makers, enabling adaptive data collection, reduced downlink requirements, and coordinated multi-instrument observations. Fast analysis is ideal for mapping spectrometers providing unambiguous, quantitative geophysical measurements. This presentation surveys recent computational advances in real-time spectroscopic analysis for Earth science and planetary exploration. Spectral analysis at the sensor enables new operations concepts that significantly improve science yield. Applications include real-time detection of fugitive greenhouse emissions by airborne monitoring, real-time cloud screening and mineralogical mapping by orbital spectrometers, and adaptive measurement by the PIXL instrument on the Mars 2020 rover. Copyright 2016 California Institute of Technology. All Rights Reserved. We acknowledge support of the US Government, NASA, the Earth Science Division and Terrestrial Ecology program.

The use of remote sensing imagery for environmental land use and flood hazard mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mouat, D. A.; Miller, D. A.; Foster, K. E.

1976-01-01

Flood hazard maps have been constructed for Graham, Yuma, and Yavapai Counties in Arizona using remote sensing techniques. Watershed maps of priority areas were selected on the basis of their interest to the county planning staff and represented areas of imminent or ongoing development and those known to be subject to inundation by storm runoff. Landsat color infrared imagery at scales of 1:1,000,000, 1:500,000, and 1:250,000 was used together with high-altitude aerial photography at scales of 1:120,000 and 1:60,000 to determine drainage patterns and erosional features, soil type, and the extent and type of ground cover. The satellite imagery was used in the form of 70 mm chips for enhancement in a color additive viewer and in all available enlargement modes. Field checking served as the main backup to the interpretations. Areas with high susceptibility to flooding were determined with a high level of confidence from the remotely sensed imagery.

Flood hazards studies in the Mississippi River basin using remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.; Anderson, A. T.

1974-01-01

The Spring 1973 Mississippi River flood was investigated using remotely sensed data from ERTS-1. Both manual and automatic analyses of the data indicated that ERTS-1 is extremely useful as a regional tool for flood mamagement. Quantitative estimates of area flooded were made in St. Charles County, Missouri and Arkansas. Flood hazard mapping was conducted in three study areas along the Mississippi River using pre-flood ERTS-1 imagery enlarged to 1:250,000 and 1:100,000 scale. Initial results indicate that ERTS-1 digital mapping of flood prone areas can be performed at 1:62,500 which is comparable to some conventional flood hazard map scales.

Application of remote sensing to the photogeologic mapping of the region of the Itatiaia alkaline complex. M.S. Thesis; [Minas Gerais, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Itatiaia, Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Rodrigues, J. E.

1981-01-01

Remote sensing methods applied to geologically complex areas, through interaction of ground truth and information obtained from multispectral LANDSAT images and radar mosaics were evaluated. The test area covers parts of Minos Gerais, Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo states and contains the alkaline complex of Itatiaia and surrounding Precambrian terrains. Geological and structural mapping was satisfactory; however, lithological varieties which form the massif's could not be identified. Photogeological lineaments were mapped, some of which represent the boundaries of stratigraphic units. Automatic processing was used to classify sedimentary areas, which includes the talus deposits of the alkaline massifs.

A computer software system for integration and analysis of grid-based remote sensing data with other natural resource data. Remote Sensing Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tilmann, S. E.; Enslin, W. R.; Hill-Rowley, R.

1977-01-01

A computer-based information system is described designed to assist in the integration of commonly available spatial data for regional planning and resource analysis. The Resource Analysis Program (RAP) provides a variety of analytical and mapping phases for single factor or multi-factor analyses. The unique analytical and graphic capabilities of RAP are demonstrated with a study conducted in Windsor Township, Eaton County, Michigan. Soil, land cover/use, topographic and geological maps were used as a data base to develope an eleven map portfolio. The major themes of the portfolio are land cover/use, non-point water pollution, waste disposal, and ground water recharge.

A procedure for automated land use mapping using remotely sensed multispectral scanner data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitley, S. L.

1975-01-01

A system of processing remotely sensed multispectral scanner data by computer programs to produce color-coded land use maps for large areas is described. The procedure is explained, the software and the hardware are described, and an analogous example of the procedure is presented. Detailed descriptions of the multispectral scanners currently in use are provided together with a summary of the background of current land use mapping techniques. The data analysis system used in the procedure and the pattern recognition software used are functionally described. Current efforts by the NASA Earth Resources Laboratory to evaluate operationally a less complex and less costly system are discussed in a separate section.

Optimizing remote sensing and GIS tools for mapping and managing the distribution of an invasive mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) on South Molokai, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

D'Iorio, M.; Jupiter, S.D.; Cochran, S.A.; Potts, D.C.

2007-01-01

In 1902, the Florida red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle L., was introduced to the island of Molokai, Hawaii, and has since colonized nearly 25% of the south coast shoreline. By classifying three kinds of remote sensing imagery, we compared abilities to detect invasive mangrove distributions and to discriminate mangroves from surrounding terrestrial vegetation. Using three analytical techniques, we compared mangrove mapping accuracy for various sensor-technique combinations. ANOVA of accuracy assessments demonstrated significant differences among techniques, but no significant differences among the three sensors. We summarize advantages and disadvantages of each sensor and technique for mapping mangrove distributions in tropical coastal environments.

Assisting Groundwater Exploration for Refugee/IDP Camps by Remote Sensing and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendt, Lorenz; Robl, Jörg; Hilberg, Sylke; Braun, Andreas; Rogenhofer, Edith; Dirnberger, Daniel; Strasser, Thomas; Füreder, Petra; Lang, Stefan

2015-04-01

Refugee camps and camps of internally displaced people (IDP) often form spontaneously or have to be established rapidly in remote, rural areas, where little is known about the hydrogeological situation. This requires a rapid assessment of the availability of groundwater to enable humanitarian organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to supply the camp population with sufficient potable water. Within the project EO4HumEn, hydrogeological reconnaissance maps are produced for MSF by integrating remote sensing data like SRTM, Landsat, ASTER, optical very-high resolution (VHR) imagery, and SAR data. Depending on the specific situation of the camps, these maps contain topography, permanent and temporary water bodies, hard rock outcrops and their geological variability, locations of existing boreholes and wells (if available), potential contamination sources, roads and obstacles (e.g. swampland). In areas characterized by unconsolidated sediments, specific landforms like alluvial fans, meanders, levees, deltas or beach ridges are identified. Here, the reconnaissance map can be sufficient to plan drill sites for groundwater abstraction. In hard rock areas, the lithology is determined, if the vegetation cover allows it. Fractures, faults and karst features are mapped to resolve the structural setting. Anomalous vegetation patterns are interpreted in terms of near-surface groundwater. The maps provide an overview of the camp surroundings, and allow the field hydrogeologists to focus their investigations on the most promising locations. The maps are complemented by a literature review on geological maps, articles and reports available for the area of interest. Assisting groundwater exploration by remote sensing data analysis is not a new development, but it has not been widely adopted by the humanitarian community as interfaces between humanitarian organisations and GI-scientists were missing. EO4HumEn fills this gap by a strong interdisciplinary cooperation between MSF, GI-scientists and geologists. This allows exploiting the potential of remote sensing and in particular of the freely available datasets (SRTM, Landsat, Sentinel 1+2) for the water supply of refugee/IDP camps, and to receive feedback on the validity of the delivered map products. EO4HumEn is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (EO-based services to support humanitarian operations: monitoring population and natural resources in refugee/IDP camps; FFG, ASAP 9, Nr 840081). Besides hydrogeological assessments, further products and services developed in EO4HumEn comprise the estimation and monitoring of camp population numbers by semi-automatically extracting dwellings from VHR imagery using object-based image analysis (OBIA), and the monitoring of changes of the environment in the vicinity of camps.

Cost-utility analysis of the EVOLVO study on remote monitoring for heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Zanaboni, Paolo; Landolina, Maurizio; Marzegalli, Maurizio; Lunati, Maurizio; Perego, Giovanni B; Guenzati, Giuseppe; Curnis, Antonio; Valsecchi, Sergio; Borghetti, Francesca; Borghi, Gabriella; Masella, Cristina

2013-05-30

Heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators place a significant burden on health care systems. Remote monitoring allows assessment of device function and heart failure parameters, and may represent a safe, effective, and cost-saving method compared to conventional in-office follow-up. We hypothesized that remote device monitoring represents a cost-effective approach. This paper summarizes the economic evaluation of the Evolution of Management Strategies of Heart Failure Patients With Implantable Defibrillators (EVOLVO) study, a multicenter clinical trial aimed at measuring the benefits of remote monitoring for heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators. Two hundred patients implanted with a wireless transmission-enabled implantable defibrillator were randomized to receive either remote monitoring or the conventional method of in-person evaluations. Patients were followed for 16 months with a protocol of scheduled in-office and remote follow-ups. The economic evaluation of the intervention was conducted from the perspectives of the health care system and the patient. A cost-utility analysis was performed to measure whether the intervention was cost-effective in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Overall, remote monitoring did not show significant annual cost savings for the health care system (€1962.78 versus €2130.01; P=.80). There was a significant reduction of the annual cost for the patients in the remote arm in comparison to the standard arm (€291.36 versus €381.34; P=.01). Cost-utility analysis was performed for 180 patients for whom QALYs were available. The patients in the remote arm gained 0.065 QALYs more than those in the standard arm over 16 months, with a cost savings of €888.10 per patient. Results from the cost-utility analysis of the EVOLVO study show that remote monitoring is a cost-effective and dominant solution. Remote management of heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators appears to be cost-effective compared to the conventional method of in-person evaluations. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00873899; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00873899 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6H0BOA29f).

Development of data processing, interpretation and analysis system for the remote sensing of trace atmospheric gas species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casas, Joseph C.; Saylor, Mary S.; Kindle, Earl C.

1987-01-01

The major emphasis is on the advancement of remote sensing technology. In particular, the gas filter correlation radiometer (GFCR) technique was applied to the measurement of trace gas species, such as carbon monoxide (CO), from airborne and Earth orbiting platforms. Through a series of low altitude aircraft flights, high altitude aircraft flights, and orbiting space platform flights, data were collected and analyzed, culminating in the first global map of carbon monoxide concentration in the middle troposphere and stratosphere. The four major areas of this remote sensing program, known as the Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) experiment, are: (1) data acquisition, (2) data processing, analysis, and interpretation algorithms, (3) data display techniques, and (4) information processing.

An evaluation of the utilization of remote sensing in resource and environmental management of the Chesapeake Bay region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, D. B.; Harmon, D. M.; Fuller, K. B.

1976-01-01

A nine-month study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the NASA Wallops Chesapeake Bay Ecological Program in remote sensing. The study consisted of a follow-up investigation and information analysis of actual cases in which remote sensing was utilized by management and research personnel in the Chesapeake Bay region. The study concludes that the NASA Wallops Chesapeake Bay Ecological Program is effective, both in terms of costs and performance.

ER-2: Flying Laboratory for Earth Science Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navarro, Robert

2007-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), (Edwards, California, USA) has two Lockheed Martin Corporation (Bethesda, Maryland) Earth Research-2 (ER-2) aircraft that serve as high-altitude and long-range flying laboratories. The ER-2 has been utilized to conduct scientific studies of stratospheric and tropospheric chemistry, land-use mapping, disaster assessment, preliminary testing and calibration and validation of satellite sensors. The ER-2 aircraft provides experimenters with a wide array of payload accommodation areas with suitable environment control with required electrical and mechanical interfaces. Missions may be flown out of DFRC or from remote bases worldwide. The NASA ER-2 is utilized by a variety of customers, including U.S. Government agencies, civilian organizations, universities, and state governments. The combination of the ER-2 s range, endurance, altitude, payload power, payload volume and payload weight capabilities complemented by a trained maintenance and operations team provides an excellent and unique platform system to the science community.

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

Calvin, Wendy

The Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy (GBCGE or the Center) was established at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) in May 2000 to promote research and utilization of geothermal resources. The Center received funding through this grant to promote increased geothermal development in the Great Basin, with most of the funding used for peerreviewed research. Funding to the Center and work under the contract were initiated in March 2002, with supplemental funding in subsequent years. The Center monitored the research projects that were competitively awarded in a series of proposal calls between 2002 and 2007. Peer-reviewed research promoted identificationmore » and utilization of geothermal resources in Nevada. Projects used geology, geochemistry, geophysics, remote sensing, and the synthesis of multi-disciplinary information to produce new models of geothermal systems in the Western U.S. and worldwide. Funds were also used to support graduate student research and training. Part of the grant was used to support public outreach activities, including webpages, online maps and data resources, and informational workshops for stakeholders.« less

Entropy Masking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B.; Stone, Leland (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

This paper details two projects that use the World Wide Web (WWW) for dissemination of curricula that focus on remote sensing. 1) Presenting grade-school students with the concepts used in remote sensing involves educating the teacher and then providing the teacher with lesson plans. In a NASA-sponsored project designed to introduce students in grades 4 through 12 to some of the ideas and terminology used in remote sensing, teachers from local grade schools and middle schools were recruited to write lessons about remote sensing concepts they could use in their classrooms. Twenty-two lessons were produced and placed in seven modules that include: the electromagnetic spectrum, two- and three-dimensional perception, maps and topography, scale, remote sensing, biotic and abiotic concepts, and landscape chi rise. Each lesson includes a section that evaluates what students have learned by doing the exercise. The lessons, instead of being published in a workbook and distributed to a limited number of teachers, have been placed on a WWW server, enabling much broader access to the package. This arrangement also allows for the lessons to be modified after feedback from teachers accessing the package. 2) Two-year colleges serve to teach trade skills, prepare students for enrollment in senior institutions of learning, and more and more, retrain students who have college degrees in new technologies and skills. A NASA-sponsored curriculum development project is producing a curriculum using remote sensing analysis an Earth science applications. The project has three major goals. First, it will implement the use of remote sensing data in a broad range of community college courses. Second, it will create curriculum modules and classes that are transportable to other community colleges. Third, the project will be an ongoing source of data and curricular materials to other community colleges. The curriculum will have these course pathways to a certificate; a) a Science emphasis, b) an Arts and Letters emphasis, and c) a Computer Science emphasis Each pathway includes course work in remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), computer science, Earth science, software and technology utilization, and communication. Distribution of products from this project to other two-year colleges will be accomplished using the WWW.

Use of a remote computer terminal during field checking of Landsat digital maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinove, Charles J.; Hutchinson, C.F.

1978-01-01

Field checking of small-scale land classification maps made digitally from Landsat data is facilitated by use of a remote portable teletypewriter terminal linked by teleplume to the IDIMS (Interactive Digital Image Manipulation System) at the EDC (EROS Data Center), Sioux Falls, S. Dak. When field checking of maps 20 miles northeast of Baker, Calif., during the day showed that changes in classification were needed, the terminal was used at night to combine image statistical files, remap portions of images, and produce new alphanumeric maps for field checking during the next day. The alphanumeric maps can be used without serious difficulty in location in the field even though the scale is distorted, and statistical files created during the field check can be used for full image classification and map output at the EDC. This process makes field checking faster than normal, provides interaction with the statistical data while in the field, and reduces to a minimum the number of trips needed to work interactively with the IDIMS at the EDC, thus saving significant amounts of time and money. The only significant problem is using telephone lines which at times create spurious characters in the printout or prevent the line feed (paper advance) signal from reaching the terminal, thus overprinting lines which should be sequential. We recommend that maps for field checking be made with more spectral classes than are expected because in the field it is much easier to group classes than to reclassify or separate classes when only the remote terminal is available for display.

Use of Satellite Remote Sensing Data in the Mapping of Global Landslide Susceptibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hong, Yang; Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George J.

2007-01-01

Satellite remote sensing data has significant potential use in analysis of natural hazards such as landslides. Relying on the recent advances in satellite remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques, this paper aims to map landslide susceptibility over most of the globe using a GIs-based weighted linear combination method. First , six relevant landslide-controlling factors are derived from geospatial remote sensing data and coded into a GIS system. Next, continuous susceptibility values from low to high are assigned to each of the six factors. Second, a continuous scale of a global landslide susceptibility index is derived using GIS weighted linear combination based on each factor's relative significance to the process of landslide occurrence (e.g., slope is the most important factor, soil types and soil texture are also primary-level parameters, while elevation, land cover types, and drainage density are secondary in importance). Finally, the continuous index map is further classified into six susceptibility categories. Results show the hot spots of landslide-prone regions include the Pacific Rim, the Himalayas and South Asia, Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Alps, and parts of the Middle East and Africa. India, China, Nepal, Japan, the USA, and Peru are shown to have landslide-prone areas. This first-cut global landslide susceptibility map forms a starting point to provide a global view of landslide risks and may be used in conjunction with satellite-based precipitation information to potentially detect areas with significant landslide potential due to heavy rainfall. 1

Uncertainties in mapping forest carbon in urban ecosystems.

PubMed

Chen, Gang; Ozelkan, Emre; Singh, Kunwar K; Zhou, Jun; Brown, Marilyn R; Meentemeyer, Ross K

2017-02-01

Spatially explicit urban forest carbon estimation provides a baseline map for understanding the variation in forest vertical structure, informing sustainable forest management and urban planning. While high-resolution remote sensing has proven promising for carbon mapping in highly fragmented urban landscapes, data cost and availability are the major obstacle prohibiting accurate, consistent, and repeated measurement of forest carbon pools in cities. This study aims to evaluate the uncertainties of forest carbon estimation in response to the combined impacts of remote sensing data resolution and neighborhood spatial patterns in Charlotte, North Carolina. The remote sensing data for carbon mapping were resampled to a range of resolutions, i.e., LiDAR point cloud density - 5.8, 4.6, 2.3, and 1.2 pt s/m 2 , aerial optical NAIP (National Agricultural Imagery Program) imagery - 1, 5, 10, and 20 m. Urban spatial patterns were extracted to represent area, shape complexity, dispersion/interspersion, diversity, and connectivity of landscape patches across the residential neighborhoods with built-up densities from low, medium-low, medium-high, to high. Through statistical analyses, we found that changing remote sensing data resolution introduced noticeable uncertainties (variation) in forest carbon estimation at the neighborhood level. Higher uncertainties were caused by the change of LiDAR point density (causing 8.7-11.0% of variation) than changing NAIP image resolution (causing 6.2-8.6% of variation). For both LiDAR and NAIP, urban neighborhoods with a higher degree of anthropogenic disturbance unveiled a higher level of uncertainty in carbon mapping. However, LiDAR-based results were more likely to be affected by landscape patch connectivity, and the NAIP-based estimation was found to be significantly influenced by the complexity of patch shape. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remote sensing of frozen lakes on the North Slope of Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, N.; Savage, S.; Shuchman, R.; Edson, R.; Payne, J.; Josberger, E.

2004-01-01

We used synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the ERS-2 remote sensing satellite to map the freeze condition of lakes on Alaska's North Slope, the geographic region to the north of the Brooks Range. An mage from March 1997, to coincide with the period of maximum freeze depth, was used for the frozen lake mapping. Emphasis was placed on distinguishing between lakes frozen to the lakebed and lakes with some portion unfrozen to the bed (a binary classification). The result of the analysis is a map identifying lakes as frozen to the lakebed and lakes not frozen to the lakebed. This analysis of one SAR image has shown the feasibility of a simple technique for mapping frozen lake condition for supporting decision making and understanding impacts of climate change on the North Slope.

Analysis of malaria endemic areas on the Indochina Peninsula using remote sensing.

PubMed

Nihei, Naoko; Hashida, Yoshihiko; Kobayashi, Mutsuo; Ishii, Akira

2002-10-01

We applied remote sensing using satellite images capable of obtaining data over a broad range, transcending national borders, as a method of rapidly, precisely, and safely increasing our understanding of the potential distribution of malaria. Our target region was the so-called Mekong malaria region on the Indochina Peninsula. As a malaria index, we used existing distribution maps of total reported malaria cases, malaria mortality, vivax malaria and falciparum malaria incidences, and so forth for 1997 and 1998. We produced monthly distribution maps of a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with values of 0.2+, 0.3+, 0.35+, and 0.4+ using the geographical information system/remote sensing software based on the East Asia monthly NDVI maps of 1997. These maps were overlaid with various malaria index distribution maps, and cross-tabulations were carried out. The resulting maps with NDVI values of 0.3+ and 0.4+ matched the falciparum malaria distribution well, and we realized, in particular, that falciparum malaria is prevalent in regions in which NDVI values of 0.4+ continue for 6 months or more, while cases are fewer in regions with NDVI values of 0.4+ that continue for 5 months or less. It will be necessary in the future to examine the relationship between NDVI values and the habitats of the various vector mosquitoes using high-resolution satellite images and to implement detailed forecasts for malaria endemic areas by means of NDVI.

Preliminary work of mangrove ecosystem carbon stock mapping in small island using remote sensing: above and below ground carbon stock mapping on medium resolution satellite image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wicaksono, Pramaditya; Danoedoro, Projo; Hartono, Hartono; Nehren, Udo; Ribbe, Lars

2011-11-01

Mangrove forest is an important ecosystem located in coastal area that provides various important ecological and economical services. One of the services provided by mangrove forest is the ability to act as carbon sink by sequestering CO2 from atmosphere through photosynthesis and carbon burial on the sediment. The carbon buried on mangrove sediment may persist for millennia before return to the atmosphere, and thus act as an effective long-term carbon sink. Therefore, it is important to understand the distribution of carbon stored within mangrove forest in a spatial and temporal context. In this paper, an effort to map carbon stocks in mangrove forest is presented using remote sensing technology to overcome the handicap encountered by field survey. In mangrove carbon stock mapping, the use of medium spatial resolution Landsat 7 ETM+ is emphasized. Landsat 7 ETM+ images are relatively cheap, widely available and have large area coverage, and thus provide a cost and time effective way of mapping mangrove carbon stocks. Using field data, two image processing techniques namely Vegetation Index and Linear Spectral Unmixing (LSU) were evaluated to find the best method to explain the variation in mangrove carbon stocks using remote sensing data. In addition, we also tried to estimate mangrove carbon sequestration rate via multitemporal analysis. Finally, the technique which produces significantly better result was used to produce a map of mangrove forest carbon stocks, which is spatially extensive and temporally repetitive.

Identifying Spatiotemporal Changes In Irrigated Area Across Southwestern Michigan, USA, Using Remote Sensing and Climate Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, T.; Deines, J. M.; Kendall, A. D.; Hyndman, D. W.

2017-12-01

Irrigation, which has become more common in humid regions, is the largest consumptive water use across the US and the globe. In southwestern Michigan, there has been a dramatic expansion in irrigation water use for row crops (primarily corn and soybean) in the past decade, mostly from groundwater pumping. The rapid expansion of irrigated row crops has potentially profound implications for terrestrial water balances, food production, and local to regional climate. Detailed maps of spatio-temporal changes in irrigation are essential to better understand irrigation impacts. However, accurate monitoring of irrigation area can be difficult in humid regions using remotely sensed methods due to the similarity in greenness between non-irrigated and irrigated areas in most years. Here, we use remote sensing to create annual, 30m-resolution maps of irrigated cropland by integrating Landsat and MODIS satellite products along with the PRISM climate dataset. From these data we developed spatial time series of vegetation and extreme weather indices, including novel indices we developed specifically to maximize detection of irrigation. Using these input data, machine learning classification was then performed over the region to identify irrigated crop area for each year. The resulting annual irrigation maps suggest that total irrigated area in southwestern Michigan increased by 160% from 2000 to 2017. The accuracy of the maps is assessed relative to maps created for an arid region using the same method. The maps can be integrated into hydrologic models to quantify irrigation impacts and support water resources management.

Mapping Sub-Antarctic Cushion Plants Using Random Forests to Combine Very High Resolution Satellite Imagery and Terrain Modelling

PubMed Central

Bricher, Phillippa K.; Lucieer, Arko; Shaw, Justine; Terauds, Aleks; Bergstrom, Dana M.

2013-01-01

Monitoring changes in the distribution and density of plant species often requires accurate and high-resolution baseline maps of those species. Detecting such change at the landscape scale is often problematic, particularly in remote areas. We examine a new technique to improve accuracy and objectivity in mapping vegetation, combining species distribution modelling and satellite image classification on a remote sub-Antarctic island. In this study, we combine spectral data from very high resolution WorldView-2 satellite imagery and terrain variables from a high resolution digital elevation model to improve mapping accuracy, in both pixel- and object-based classifications. Random forest classification was used to explore the effectiveness of these approaches on mapping the distribution of the critically endangered cushion plant Azorella macquariensis Orchard (Apiaceae) on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Both pixel- and object-based classifications of the distribution of Azorella achieved very high overall validation accuracies (91.6–96.3%, κ = 0.849–0.924). Both two-class and three-class classifications were able to accurately and consistently identify the areas where Azorella was absent, indicating that these maps provide a suitable baseline for monitoring expected change in the distribution of the cushion plants. Detecting such change is critical given the threats this species is currently facing under altering environmental conditions. The method presented here has applications to monitoring a range of species, particularly in remote and isolated environments. PMID:23940805

Pacemaker remote monitoring in the pediatric population: is it a real solution?

PubMed

Leoni, Loira; Padalino, Massimo; Biffanti, Roberta; Ferretto, Sonia; Vettor, Giulia; Corrado, Domenico; Stellin, Giovanni; Milanesi, Ornella; Iliceto, Sabino

2015-05-01

Clinical utility of remote monitoring of implantable cardiac devices has been previously demonstrated in several trials in the adult population. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of remote monitoring in a pediatric population undergoing pacemakers implantation. The study population included 73 consecutive pediatric patients who received an implantable pacemaker. The remote device check was programmed for every 3 months and all patients had a yearly out-patient visit. Data on device-related events, hospitalization, and other clinical information were collected during remote checks and out-patient visits. During a mean follow-up of 18 ± 10 months, 470 remote transmissions were collected and analyzed. Two deaths were reported. Eight transmissions (1.7%) triggered an urgent out-patient visit. Twenty percent of transmissions reported evidence of significant clinical or technical events. All young patients and their families were very satisfied when using remote monitoring to replace out-patient visits. The ease in use, together with satisfaction and acceptance of remote monitoring in pediatric patients, brought very good results. The remote management of our pediatric population was safe and remote monitoring adequately replaced the periodic out-patient device checks without compromising patient safety. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AN EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF MINIMUM MAPPING UNIT SIZE

EPA Science Inventory

Land-cover (LC) maps derived from remotely sensed data are often presented using a minimum mapping unit (MMU). The choice of a MMU that is appropriate for the projected use of a classification is important. The objective of this experiment was to determine the optimal MMU of a L...

A vegetation mapping strategy for conifer forests by combining airborne LiDAR data and aerial imagery

Treesearch

Yanjun Su; Qinghua Guo; Danny L. Fry; Brandon M. Collins; Maggi Kelly; Jacob P. Flanagan; John J. Battles

2016-01-01

Abstract. Accurate vegetation mapping is critical for natural resources management, ecological analysis, and hydrological modeling, among other tasks. Remotely sensed multispectral and hyperspectral imageries have proved to be valuable inputs to the vegetation mapping process, but they can provide only limited vegetation structure...

Remote sensing image segmentation based on Hadoop cloud platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jie; Zhu, Lingling; Cao, Fubin

2018-01-01

To solve the problem that the remote sensing image segmentation speed is slow and the real-time performance is poor, this paper studies the method of remote sensing image segmentation based on Hadoop platform. On the basis of analyzing the structural characteristics of Hadoop cloud platform and its component MapReduce programming, this paper proposes a method of image segmentation based on the combination of OpenCV and Hadoop cloud platform. Firstly, the MapReduce image processing model of Hadoop cloud platform is designed, the input and output of image are customized and the segmentation method of the data file is rewritten. Then the Mean Shift image segmentation algorithm is implemented. Finally, this paper makes a segmentation experiment on remote sensing image, and uses MATLAB to realize the Mean Shift image segmentation algorithm to compare the same image segmentation experiment. The experimental results show that under the premise of ensuring good effect, the segmentation rate of remote sensing image segmentation based on Hadoop cloud Platform has been greatly improved compared with the single MATLAB image segmentation, and there is a great improvement in the effectiveness of image segmentation.

Assumption-versus data-based approaches to summarizing species' ranges.

PubMed

Peterson, A Townsend; Navarro-Sigüenza, Adolfo G; Gordillo, Alejandro

2018-06-01

For conservation decision making, species' geographic distributions are mapped using various approaches. Some such efforts have downscaled versions of coarse-resolution extent-of-occurrence maps to fine resolutions for conservation planning. We examined the quality of the extent-of-occurrence maps as range summaries and the utility of refining those maps into fine-resolution distributional hypotheses. Extent-of-occurrence maps tend to be overly simple, omit many known and well-documented populations, and likely frequently include many areas not holding populations. Refinement steps involve typological assumptions about habitat preferences and elevational ranges of species, which can introduce substantial error in estimates of species' true areas of distribution. However, no model-evaluation steps are taken to assess the predictive ability of these models, so model inaccuracies are not noticed. Whereas range summaries derived by these methods may be useful in coarse-grained, global-extent studies, their continued use in on-the-ground conservation applications at fine spatial resolutions is not advisable in light of reliance on assumptions, lack of real spatial resolution, and lack of testing. In contrast, data-driven techniques that integrate primary data on biodiversity occurrence with remotely sensed data that summarize environmental dimensions (i.e., ecological niche modeling or species distribution modeling) offer data-driven solutions based on a minimum of assumptions that can be evaluated and validated quantitatively to offer a well-founded, widely accepted method for summarizing species' distributional patterns for conservation applications. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Collaborative community hazard exposure mapping: Distant Early Warning radar sites in Alaska's North Slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brady, M.

2015-12-01

A method to produce hazard exposure maps that are developed in collaboration with local coastal communities is the focus of this research. Typically efforts to map community exposure to climate threats over large areas have limited consideration of local perspectives about associated risks, constraining their utility for local management. This problem is especially acute in remote locations such as the Arctic where there are unique vulnerabilities to coastal threats that can be fully understood only through inclusion of community stakeholders. Through collaboration with community members, this study identifies important coastal assets and places and surveys local perspectives of exposure to climate threats along Alaska's vast North Slope coastline spanning multiple municipalities. To model physical exposure, the study adapts the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) coastal vulnerability index (CVI) to the Arctic context by incorporating the effects of open water distance determined by sea ice extent, and assigning CVI values to coastal assets and places according to direction and proximity. The study found that in addition to concerns about exposed municipal and industrial assets, North Slope communities viewed exposure of traditional activity sites as presenting a particular risk for communities. Highly exposed legacy Cold War Distant Early Warning Line sites are of particular concern with impacts ranging from financial risk to contamination of sensitive coastal marine environments. This research demonstrates a method to collaboratively map community exposure to coastal climate threats to better understand local risks and produce locally usable exposure maps.

a Spiral-Based Downscaling Method for Generating 30 M Time Series Image Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, B.; Chen, J.; Xing, H.; Wu, H.; Zhang, J.

2017-09-01

The spatial detail and updating frequency of land cover data are important factors influencing land surface dynamic monitoring applications in high spatial resolution scale. However, the fragmentized patches and seasonal variable of some land cover types (e. g. small crop field, wetland) make it labor-intensive and difficult in the generation of land cover data. Utilizing the high spatial resolution multi-temporal image data is a possible solution. Unfortunately, the spatial and temporal resolution of available remote sensing data like Landsat or MODIS datasets can hardly satisfy the minimum mapping unit and frequency of current land cover mapping / updating at the same time. The generation of high resolution time series may be a compromise to cover the shortage in land cover updating process. One of popular way is to downscale multi-temporal MODIS data with other high spatial resolution auxiliary data like Landsat. But the usual manner of downscaling pixel based on a window may lead to the underdetermined problem in heterogeneous area, result in the uncertainty of some high spatial resolution pixels. Therefore, the downscaled multi-temporal data can hardly reach high spatial resolution as Landsat data. A spiral based method was introduced to downscale low spatial and high temporal resolution image data to high spatial and high temporal resolution image data. By the way of searching the similar pixels around the adjacent region based on the spiral, the pixel set was made up in the adjacent region pixel by pixel. The underdetermined problem is prevented to a large extent from solving the linear system when adopting the pixel set constructed. With the help of ordinary least squares, the method inverted the endmember values of linear system. The high spatial resolution image was reconstructed on the basis of high spatial resolution class map and the endmember values band by band. Then, the high spatial resolution time series was formed with these high spatial resolution images image by image. Simulated experiment and remote sensing image downscaling experiment were conducted. In simulated experiment, the 30 meters class map dataset Globeland30 was adopted to investigate the effect on avoid the underdetermined problem in downscaling procedure and a comparison between spiral and window was conducted. Further, the MODIS NDVI and Landsat image data was adopted to generate the 30m time series NDVI in remote sensing image downscaling experiment. Simulated experiment results showed that the proposed method had a robust performance in downscaling pixel in heterogeneous region and indicated that it was superior to the traditional window-based methods. The high resolution time series generated may be a benefit to the mapping and updating of land cover data.

The feasibility of utilizing remotely sensed data to assess and monitor oceanic gamefish

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savastano, K. J.; Leming, T. D.

1975-01-01

An investigation was conducted to establish the feasibility of utilizing remotely sensed data acquired from aircraft and satellite platforms to provide information concerning the distribution and abundance of oceanic gamefish. The data from the test area was jointly acquired by NASA, the Navy, the Air Force and NOAA/NMFS elements and private and professional fishermen in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The data collected has made it possible to identify fisheries significant environmental parameters for white marlin. Prediction models, based on catch data and surface truth information, were developed and demonstrated a potential for significantly reducing search by identifying areas that have a high probability of productivity. Three of the parameters utilized by the models, chlorophyll-a, sea surface temperature, and turbidity were inferred from aircraft sensor data and were tested. Effective use of Skylab data was inhibited by cloud cover and delayed delivery. Initial efforts toward establishing the feasibility of utilizing remotely sensed data to assess and monitor the distribution of oceanic gamefish has successfully identified fisheries significant oceanographic parameters and demonstrated the capability of remotely measuring most of the parameters.

Utilization of robotic "remote presence" technology within North American intensive care units.

PubMed

Reynolds, Eliza M; Grujovski, Andre; Wright, Tim; Foster, Michael; Reynolds, H Neal

2012-09-01

To describe remote presence robotic utilization and examine perceived physician impact upon care in the intensive care unit (ICU). Data were obtained from academic, university, community, and rural medical facilities in North America with remote presence robots used in ICUs. Objective utilization data were extracted from a continuous monitoring system. Physician data were obtained via an Internet-based survey. As of 2010, 56 remote presence robots were deployed in 25 North American ICUs. Of 10,872 robot activations recorded, 10,065 were evaluated. Three distinct utilization patterns were discovered. Combining all programs revealed a pattern that closely reflects diurnal ICU activity. The physician survey revealed staff are senior (75% >40 years old, 60% with >16 years of clinical practice), trained in and dedicated to critical care. Programs are mature (70% >3 years old) and operate in a decentralized system, originating from cities with >50,000 population and provided to cities >50,000 (80%). Of the robots, 46.6% are in academic facilities. Most physicians (80%) provide on-site and remote ICU care, with 60% and 73% providing routine or scheduled rounds, respectively. All respondents (100%) believed patient care and patient/family satisfaction were improved. Sixty-six percent perceived the technology was a "blessing," while 100% intend to continue using the technology. Remote presence robotic technology is deployed in ICUs with various patterns of utilization that, in toto, simulate normal ICU work flow. There is a high rate of deployment in academic ICUs, suggesting the intensivists shortage also affects large facilities. Physicians using the technology are generally senior, experienced, and dedicated to critical care and highly support the technology.

Utilization of combined remote sensing techniques to detect environmental variables influencing malaria vector densities in rural West Africa

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction The use of remote sensing has found its way into the field of epidemiology within the last decades. With the increased sensor resolution of recent and future satellites new possibilities emerge for high resolution risk modeling and risk mapping. Methods A SPOT 5 satellite image, taken during the rainy season 2009 was used for calculating indices by combining the image's spectral bands. Besides the widely used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) other indices were tested for significant correlation against field observations. Multiple steps, including the detection of surface water, its breeding appropriateness for Anopheles and modeling of vector imagines abundance, were performed. Data collection on larvae, adult vectors and geographic parameters in the field, was amended by using remote sensing techniques to gather data on altitude (Digital Elevation Model = DEM), precipitation (Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission = TRMM), land surface temperatures (LST). Results The DEM derived altitude as well as indices calculations combining the satellite's spectral bands (NDTI = Normalized Difference Turbidity Index, NDWI Mac Feeters = Normalized Difference Water Index) turned out to be reliable indicators for surface water in the local geographic setting. While Anopheles larvae abundance in habitats is driven by multiple, interconnected factors - amongst which the NDVI - and precipitation events, the presence of vector imagines was found to be correlated negatively to remotely sensed LST and positively to the cumulated amount of rainfall in the preceding 15 days and to the Normalized Difference Pond Index (NDPI) within the 500 m buffer zone around capture points. Conclusions Remotely sensed geographical and meteorological factors, including precipitations, temperature, as well as vegetation, humidity and land cover indicators could be used as explanatory variables for surface water presence, larval development and imagines densities. This modeling approach based on remotely sensed information is potentially useful for counter measures that are putting on at the environmental side, namely vector larvae control via larviciding and water body reforming. PMID:22443452

Utilization of combined remote sensing techniques to detect environmental variables influencing malaria vector densities in rural West Africa.

PubMed

Dambach, Peter; Machault, Vanessa; Lacaux, Jean-Pierre; Vignolles, Cécile; Sié, Ali; Sauerborn, Rainer

2012-03-23

The use of remote sensing has found its way into the field of epidemiology within the last decades. With the increased sensor resolution of recent and future satellites new possibilities emerge for high resolution risk modeling and risk mapping. A SPOT 5 satellite image, taken during the rainy season 2009 was used for calculating indices by combining the image's spectral bands. Besides the widely used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) other indices were tested for significant correlation against field observations. Multiple steps, including the detection of surface water, its breeding appropriateness for Anopheles and modeling of vector imagines abundance, were performed. Data collection on larvae, adult vectors and geographic parameters in the field, was amended by using remote sensing techniques to gather data on altitude (Digital Elevation Model = DEM), precipitation (Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission = TRMM), land surface temperatures (LST). The DEM derived altitude as well as indices calculations combining the satellite's spectral bands (NDTI = Normalized Difference Turbidity Index, NDWI Mac Feeters = Normalized Difference Water Index) turned out to be reliable indicators for surface water in the local geographic setting. While Anopheles larvae abundance in habitats is driven by multiple, interconnected factors - amongst which the NDVI - and precipitation events, the presence of vector imagines was found to be correlated negatively to remotely sensed LST and positively to the cumulated amount of rainfall in the preceding 15 days and to the Normalized Difference Pond Index (NDPI) within the 500 m buffer zone around capture points. Remotely sensed geographical and meteorological factors, including precipitations, temperature, as well as vegetation, humidity and land cover indicators could be used as explanatory variables for surface water presence, larval development and imagines densities. This modeling approach based on remotely sensed information is potentially useful for counter measures that are putting on at the environmental side, namely vector larvae control via larviciding and water body reforming. © 2012 Dambach et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Analysis of multispectral and hyperspectral longwave infrared (LWIR) data for geologic mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, Fred A.; McDowell, Meryl

2015-05-01

Multispectral MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) data and Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) data covering the 8 - 12 μm spectral range (longwave infrared or LWIR) were analyzed for an area near Mountain Pass, California. Decorrelation stretched images were initially used to highlight spectral differences between geologic materials. Both datasets were atmospherically corrected using the ISAC method, and the Normalized Emissivity approach was used to separate temperature and emissivity. The MASTER data had 10 LWIR spectral bands and approximately 35-meter spatial resolution and covered a larger area than the HyTES data, which were collected with 256 narrow (approximately 17nm-wide) spectral bands at approximately 2.3-meter spatial resolution. Spectra for key spatially-coherent, spectrally-determined geologic units for overlap areas were overlain and visually compared to determine similarities and differences. Endmember spectra were extracted from both datasets using n-dimensional scatterplotting and compared to emissivity spectral libraries for identification. Endmember distributions and abundances were then mapped using Mixture-Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF), a partial unmixing approach. Multispectral results demonstrate separation of silica-rich vs non-silicate materials, with distinct mapping of carbonate areas and general correspondence to the regional geology. Hyperspectral results illustrate refined mapping of silicates with distinction between similar units based on the position, character, and shape of high resolution emission minima near 9 μm. Calcite and dolomite were separated, identified, and mapped using HyTES based on a shift of the main carbonate emissivity minimum from approximately 11.3 to 11.2 μm respectively. Both datasets demonstrate the utility of LWIR spectral remote sensing for geologic mapping.

Anticipating Central Asian Water Stress: Variation in River Flow Dependency on Melt Waters from Alpine to Plains in the Remote Tien Shan Range, Kyrgyzstan Using a Rapid Hydro Assessment Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, A. F.; Wilson, A. M.; Williams, M. W.

2016-12-01

The future of mountain water resources in High Asia is of high interest to water managers, development organizations and policy makers given large populations downstream reliant on snow and ice sourced river flow. Together with historical and cultural divides among ex-Soviet republics, a lack of central water management following the Soviet break-up has led to water stress as trans-boundary waters weave through and along borders. New upstream hydropower development, a thirsty downstream agricultural sector and a shrinking Aral Sea has led to increasing tension in the region. Despite these pressures and in contrast to eastern High Asia's Himalayan basins (Ganges, Brahmaputra), little attention has been given to western High Asia draining the Pamir and Tien Shan ranges (Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins) to better understand the hydrology of this vast and remote area. Difficult access and challenging terrain exacerbate challenges to working in this remote mountain region. As part of the Contributions to High Asia Runoff from Ice and Snow (CHARIS) project, we asked how does river flow source water composition change over an alpine-to-plains domain of Kyrgyzstan's Naryn River in the Syr Darya basin? In addition, what may the future hold for river flow in Central Asia given the differing responses of snow and ice to climate changes? Utilizing a Rapid Hydrologic Assessment methodology including a suite of pre-field mapping techniques we collected in situ water chemistry data at targeted, remote mountain sites over 450km of the Naryn River over an elevation gradient from glacial headwaters to the lower lying areas - places where people, hydropower and agriculture utilize water. Chemical and isotope tracers were used to separate stream flow to understand relative dependency on melt waters as the river moves downstream from glaciers and snow covered areas. This case study demonstrates a technique to acquire field data over large scales in remote regions that facilitates regional basin wide hydrologic characterization. The arid hydro-climatology of the Naryn basin also serves as an important comparison to the monsoon-dominated eastern Himalaya studies, thereby providing bookends to anticipating possible hydrologic futures across the High Asian mountain arc.

Up Close from Afar: Using Remote Sensing To Teach the American Landscape. Pathways in Geography Series, Title No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumann, Paul R., Ed.

This teaching guide offers educators glimpses into the value of remote sensing, the process of observing and analyzing the earth from a distance. Remote sensing provides information in forms to see spatial patterns over large areas in a more realistic way than thematic maps and allows a macro-scale look at global problems. The six instructional…

For multidisciplinary research on the application of remote sensing to water resources problems. [including crop yield, watershed soils, and vegetation mapping in Wisconsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiefer, R. W. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

Research on the application of remote sensing to problems of water resources was concentrated on sediments and associated nonpoint source pollutants in lakes. Further transfer of the technology of remote sensing and the refinement of equipment and programs for thermal scanning and the digital analysis of images were also addressed.

Collection and analysis of remotely sensed data from the Rhode River Estuary Watershed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, D. W.; Williamson, F. S. L.

1973-01-01

The remote sensing study to survey the Rhode River watershed for spray irrigation with secondarily treated sewage is reported. The standardization of Autumn coloration changes with Munsell color chips is described along with the mapping of old field vegetation for the spray irrigation project. The interpretation and verification of salt marsh vegetation by remote sensing of the water shed is discussed.

Identification of understory invasive exotic plants with remote sensing in urban forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shouse, Michael; Liang, Liang; Fei, Songlin

2013-04-01

Invasive exotic plants (IEP) pose a significant threat to many ecosystems. To effectively manage IEP, it is important to efficiently detect their presences and determine their distribution patterns. Remote sensing has been a useful tool to map IEP but its application is limited in urban forests, which are often the sources and sinks for IEP. In this study, we examined the feasibility and tradeoffs of species level IEP mapping using multiple remote sensing techniques in a highly complex urban forest setting. Bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), a pervasive IEP in eastern North America, was used as our modeling species. Both medium spatial resolution (MSR) and high spatial resolution (HSR) imagery were employed in bush honeysuckle mapping. The importance of spatial scale was also examined using an up-scaling simulation from the HSR object based classification. Analysis using both MSR and HSR imagery provided viable results for IEP distribution mapping in urban forests. Overall mapping accuracy ranged from 89.8% to 94.9% for HSR techniques and from 74.6% to 79.7% for MSR techniques. As anticipated, classification accuracy reduces as pixel size increases. HSR based techniques produced the most desirable results, therefore is preferred for precise management of IEP in heterogeneous environment. However, the use of MSR techniques should not be ruled out given their wide availability and moderate accuracy.

Adapting a Natura 2000 field guideline for a remote sensing-based assessment of heathland conservation status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Johannes; Fassnacht, Fabian Ewald; Neff, Christophe; Lausch, Angela; Kleinschmit, Birgit; Förster, Michael; Schmidtlein, Sebastian

2017-08-01

Remote sensing can be a valuable tool for supporting nature conservation monitoring systems. However, for many areas of conservation interest, there is still a considerable gap between field-based operational monitoring guidelines and the current remote sensing-based approaches. This hampers application in practice of the latter. Here, we propose a remote sensing approach for mapping the conservation status of Calluna-dominated Natura 2000 dwarf shrub habitats that is closely related to field mapping schemes. We transferred the evaluation criteria of the field guidelines to three related variables that can be captured by remote sensing: (1) coverage of the key species, (2) stand structural diversity, and (3) co-occurring species. Continuous information on these variables was obtained by regressing ground reference data from field surveys and UAV flights against airborne hyperspectral imagery. Merging the three resulting quality layers in an RGB representation allowed for illustrating the habitat quality in a continuous way. User-defined thresholds can be applied to this stack of quality layers to derive an overall assessment of habitat quality in terms of nature conservation, i.e. the conservation status. In our study, we found good accordance of the remotely sensed data with field-based information for the three variables key species, stand structural diversity and co-occurring vegetation (R2 of 0.79, 0.69, and 0.71, respectively) and it was possible to derive meaningful habitat quality maps. The conservation status could be derived with an accuracy of 65%. In interpreting these results it should be considered that the remote sensing based layers are independent estimates of habitat quality in their own right and not a mere replacement of the criteria used in the field guidelines. The approach is thought to be transferable to similar regions with minor adaptions. Our results refer to Calluna heathland which we consider a comparably easy target for remote sensing. Hence, the transfer of field guidelines to remote sensing indicators was rather successful in this case but needs further evaluation for other habitats.

Mapping CDOM Concentration in Waters Influenced by the Mississippi River Plume

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Richard L.; DelCastillo, Carlos E.; Powell, Rodney T.; DSa, Eurico; Spiering, Bruce

2002-01-01

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is often an important component of the organic carbon pool in river-dominated coastal margins. CDOM directly influences remote sensing applications through its strong absorption in the UV and blue regions of the spectrum. This effect can complicate the use of chlorophyll a retrieval algorithms and phytoplankton production models that are based on remotely sensed ocean color. As freshwater input is the principle source of CDOM in coastal margins, CDOM distribution can often be described by conservative mixing with open ocean waters and may serve as an optical tracer of riverine water. Hence, there is considerable interest in the ability to accurately measure and map CDOM concentrations as well as understand the processes that govern the optical properties and distribution of CDOM in coastal environments. We are examining CDOM dynamics in the waters influenced by the Mississippi River plume. Our program incorporates discrete samples, flow-through measurements, and remote sensing. CDOM absorption spectra of discrete samples are measured at sea using a portable, multiple pathlength waveguide system. A SAFire multi-spectral fluorescence meter provides spectral characterization of CDOM (fluorescence and absorption) using a ship flow-through system for continuous surface mapping. In situ reflectance spectra are obtained by a hand held spectroradiometer. Remotely sensed images are obtained from the SeaWiFS and CRIS (Coastal Research Imaging Spectrometer) instruments. We describe here the instruments used, sampling protocols employed, and the relationships derived between in situ measurements and remotely sensed data for this optically complex environment.

Application of the remote-sensing communication model to a time-sensitive wildfire remote-sensing system

Treesearch

Christopher D. Lippitt; Douglas A. Stow; Philip J. Riggan

2016-01-01

Remote sensing for hazard response requires a priori identification of sensor, transmission, processing, and distribution methods to permit the extraction of relevant information in timescales sufficient to allow managers to make a given time-sensitive decision. This study applies and demonstrates the utility of the Remote Sensing Communication...

Estimation of urban surface water at subpixel level from neighborhood pixels using multispectral remote sensing image (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Huan; Luo, Xin; Xu, Xiong; Wang, Chen; Pan, Haiyan; Tong, Xiaohua; Liu, Shijie

2016-10-01

Water body is a fundamental element in urban ecosystems and water mapping is critical for urban and landscape planning and management. As remote sensing has increasingly been used for water mapping in rural areas, this spatially explicit approach applied in urban area is also a challenging work due to the water bodies mainly distributed in a small size and the spectral confusion widely exists between water and complex features in the urban environment. Water index is the most common method for water extraction at pixel level, and spectral mixture analysis (SMA) has been widely employed in analyzing urban environment at subpixel level recently. In this paper, we introduce an automatic subpixel water mapping method in urban areas using multispectral remote sensing data. The objectives of this research consist of: (1) developing an automatic land-water mixed pixels extraction technique by water index; (2) deriving the most representative endmembers of water and land by utilizing neighboring water pixels and adaptive iterative optimal neighboring land pixel for respectively; (3) applying a linear unmixing model for subpixel water fraction estimation. Specifically, to automatically extract land-water pixels, the locally weighted scatter plot smoothing is firstly used to the original histogram curve of WI image . And then the Ostu threshold is derived as the start point to select land-water pixels based on histogram of the WI image with the land threshold and water threshold determination through the slopes of histogram curve . Based on the previous process at pixel level, the image is divided into three parts: water pixels, land pixels, and mixed land-water pixels. Then the spectral mixture analysis (SMA) is applied to land-water mixed pixels for water fraction estimation at subpixel level. With the assumption that the endmember signature of a target pixel should be more similar to adjacent pixels due to spatial dependence, the endmember of water and land are determined by neighboring pure land or pure water pixels within a distance. To obtaining the most representative endmembers in SMA, we designed an adaptive iterative endmember selection method based on the spatial similarity of adjacent pixels. According to the spectral similarity in a spatial adjacent region, the spectrum of land endmember is determined by selecting the most representative land pixel in a local window, and the spectrum of water endmember is determined by calculating an average of the water pixels in the local window. The proposed hierarchical processing method based on WI and SMA (WISMA) is applied to urban areas for reliability evaluation using the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images. For comparison, four methods at pixel level and subpixel level were chosen respectively. Results indicate that the water maps generated by the proposed method correspond as closely with the truth water maps with subpixel precision. And the results showed that the WISMA achieved the best performance in water mapping with comprehensive analysis of different accuracy evaluation indexes (RMSE and SE).

EVALUATION OF FUGITIVE EMISSIONS USING GROUND-BASED OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has developed and evaluated a method for characterizing fugitive emissions from large area sources. The method, known as radial plume mapping (RPM) uses multiple-beam, scanning, optical remote sensing (ORS) instrumentation such as open-path Fourier transform infrared spectro...

Workshop on applications of remotely sensed data to transportation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-09-01

The Ohio State University's Center for Mapping was asked by the U.S. Department of Transportation to bring together academic leaders in transportation and remote sensing in a focused workshop. The goal of the workshop was to develop a consensus on pr...

High resolution mapping of riffle-pool dynamics based on ADCP and close-range remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmela, Jouni; Kasvi, Elina; Alho, Petteri

2017-04-01

Present development of mobile laser scanning (MLS) and close-range photogrammetry with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enable us to create seamless digital elevation models (DEMs) of the riverine environment. Remote-controlled flow measurement platforms have also improved spatio-temporal resolution of the flow field data. In this study, acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) attached to remote-controlled mini-boat, UAV-based bathymetry and MLS techniques were utilized to create the high-resolution DEMs of the river channel. These high-resolution measurements can be used in many fluvial applications such as computational fluid dynamics, channel change detection, habitat mapping or hydro-electric power plant planning. In this study we aim: 1) to analyze morphological changes of river channel especially riffle and pool formations based on fine-scale DEMs and ADCP measurements, 2) to analyze flow fields and their effect on morphological changes. The interest was mainly focused on reach-scale riffle-pool dynamics within two-year period of 2013 and 2014. The study was performed in sub-arctic meandering Pulmankijoki River located in Northern Finland. The river itself has shallow and clear water and sandy bed sediment. Discharge remains typically below 10 m3s-1 most of the year but during snow melt period in spring the discharge may exceed 70 m3s-1. We compared DEMs and ADCP measurements to understand both magnitude and spatio-temporal change of the river bed. Models were accurate enough to study bed form changes and locations and persistence of riffles and pools. We analyzed their locations with relation to flow during the peak and low discharge. Our demonstrated method has improved significantly spatio-temporal resolution of riverine DEMs compared to other cross-sectional and photogrammetry based models. Together with flow field measurements we gained better understanding of riverbed-water interaction

Recent Advances in Maya Studies Using Remotely Sensed Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sever, Tom; Irwin, Daniel; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Peten region of northern Guatemala is one of the last places on earth where major archeological sites remain to be discovered. It was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared. Remote sensing technology is helping to locate and map ancient Maya sites that are threatened today by accelerating deforestation and looting. Thematic Mapper and IKONOS satellite and airborne Star3i radar data, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, are successfully detecting ancient Maya features such as cities, roadways, canals, and water reservoirs. Satellite imagery is also being used to map the bajos, which are seasonally flooded swamps that cover over 40% of the land surface. The use of baJos for farming has been a source of debate within the professional community for many years. But the recent detection and verification of cultural features within the baJo system by our research team are providing conclusive evidence that the ancient Maya had adapted well to wetland environments from the earliest times and utilized them until the time of the Maya collapse. The combination of water management and baJo farming is an important resource for the future of the current inhabitants who are experiencing rapid population growth. Remote sensing imagery is also demonstrating that in the Preclassic period (600 BC- AD 250), the Maya had already achieved a high organizational level as evidenced by the construction of massive temples and an elaborate inter-connecting roadway system. Although they experienced several setbacks such as droughts and hurricanes, the Maya nevertheless managed the delicate forest ecosystem successfully for several centuries. However, around AD 800, something happened to the Maya to cause their rapid decline and eventual disappearance from the region. The evidence indicates that at this time there was increased climatic dryness, extensive deforestation, overpopulation, and widespread warfare. This raises a relevant question today-namely, how severe do internal stresses in a civilization have to become before relatively minor climate shifts can cause a widespread cultural collapse?

Recent Advances in Maya Studies Using Remotely Sensed Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sever, Tom; Irwin, Daniel; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Peten region of northern Guatemala is one of the last places on earth where major archeological sites remain to be discovered. It was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared. Remote sensing technology is helping to locate and map ancient Maya sites that are threatened today by accelerating deforestation and looting. Thematic Mapper and IKONOS satellite and airborne Star3i radar data, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, are successfully detecting ancient Maya features such as cities, roadways, canals, and water reservoirs. Satellite imagery is also being used to map the baJos, which are seasonally flooded swamps that cover over 40% of the land surface. The use of bajos for farming has been a source of debate within the professional community for many years. But the recent detection and verification of cultural features within the bajo system by our research team are providing conclusive evidence that the ancient Maya had adapted well to wetland environments from the earliest times and utilized them until the time of the Maya collapse. The combination of water management and bajo farming is an important resource for the future of the current inhabitants who are experiencing rapid population growth. Remote sensing imagery is also demonstrating that in the Preclassic period (600 BC- AD 250), the Maya had already achieved a high organizational level as evidenced by the construction of massive temples and an elaborate inter-connecting roadway system. Although they experienced several setbacks such as droughts and hurricanes, the Maya nevertheless managed the delicate forest ecosystem successfully for several centuries. However, around AD 800, something happened to the Maya to cause their rapid decline and eventual disappearance from the region. The evidence indicates that at this time there was increased climatic dryness, extensive deforestation, overpopulation, and widespread warfare. This raises a relevant question today-namely, how severe do internal stresses in a civilization have to become before relatively minor climate shifts can cause a widespread cultural collapse?

Remote sensing for oceanography, hydrology and agriculture; Proceedings of Symposia A5, A3 and A9 of the COSPAR 29th Plenary Meeting, Washington, Aug. 28-Sept. 5, 1992

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gower, J. F. R. (Editor); Salomonson, V. V. (Editor); Engman, E. T. (Editor); Ormsby, J. P. (Editor); Gupta, R. K. (Editor)

1993-01-01

New results from satellite studies of the ocean and radar mapping of the earth are presented. Atttention is given to data from the ERS-1 satellite. Synthetic aperture radar mapping of land surface features and sea ice, radar backscatter measurements, and orbit altitude measurements are discussed. The use of remote sensing in hydrology, soil moisture determination, precipitation measurement, agricultural meteorology, and crop growth estimation is reviewed.

Mapping products of Titan's surface: Chapter 19

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stephan, Katrin; Jaumann, Ralf; Karkoschka, Erich; Kirk, Randolph L.; Barnes, Jason W.; Tomasko, Martin G.; Turtle, Elizabeth P.; Le Corre, Lucille; Langhans, Mirjam; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Perry, Jason; Brown, Robert; Lebreton, Jean-Pierre; Waite, J. Hunter

2010-01-01

Remote sensing instruments aboard the Cassini spacecraft have been observed the surface of Titan globally in the infrared and radar wavelength ranges as well as locally by the Huygens instruments revealing a wealth of new morphological features indicating a geologically active surface. We present a summary of mapping products of Titan's surface derived from data of the remote sensing instruments onboard the Cassini spacecraft (ISS, VIMS, RADAR) as well as the Huygens probe (DISR) that were achieved during the nominal Cassini mission including an overview of Titan's recent nomenclature.

A remote sensing research agenda for mapping and monitoring biodiversity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoms, D. M.; Estes, J. E.

1993-01-01

A remote sensing research agenda designed to expand the knowledge of the spatial distribution of species richness and its ecological determinants and to predict its response to global change is proposed. Emphasis is placed on current methods of mapping species richness of both plants and animals, hypotheses concerning the biophysical factors believed to determine patterns of species richness, and anthropogenic processes causing the accelerating rate of extinctions. It is concluded that biodiversity should be incorporated more prominently into the global change and earth system science paradigms.

Comparison of Measured Galactic Background Radiation at L-Band with Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LeVine, David M.; Abraham, Saji; Kerr, Yann H.; Wilson, William J.; Skou, Niels; Sobjaerg, Sten

2004-01-01

Radiation from the celestial sky in the spectral window at 1.413 GHz is strong and an accurate accounting of this background radiation is needed for calibration and retrieval algorithms. Modern radio astronomy measurements in this window have been converted into a brightness temperature map of the celestial sky at L-band suitable for such applications. This paper presents a comparison of the background predicted by this map with the measurements of several modern L-band remote sensing radiometer Keywords-Galactic background, microwave radiometry; remote sensing;

A methodology for mapping forest latent heat flux densities using remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierce, Lars L.; Congalton, Russell G.

1988-01-01

Surface temperatures and reflectances of an upper elevation Sierran mixed conifer forest were monitored using the Thematic Mapper Simulator sensor during the summer of 1985 in order to explore the possibility of using remote sensing to determine the distribution of solar energy on forested watersheds. The results show that the method is capable of quantifying the relative energy allocation relationships between the two cover types defined in the study. It is noted that the method also has the potential to map forest latent heat flux densities.

Applications of remote sensing to watershed management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.

1975-01-01

Aircraft and satellite remote sensing systems which are capable of contributing to watershed management are described and include: the multispectral scanner subsystem on LANDSAT and the basic multispectral camera array flown on high altitude aircraft such as the U-2. Various aspects of watershed management investigated by remote sensing systems are discussed. Major areas included are: snow mapping, surface water inventories, flood management, hydrologic land use monitoring, and watershed modeling. It is indicated that technological advances in remote sensing of hydrological data must be coupled with an expansion of awareness and training in remote sensing techniques of the watershed management community.

Use of MODIS Sensor Images Combined with Reanalysis Products to Retrieve Net Radiation in Amazonia

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Gabriel; Brunsell, Nathaniel A.; Moraes, Elisabete C.; Bertani, Gabriel; dos Santos, Thiago V.; Shimabukuro, Yosio E.; Aragão, Luiz E. O. C.

2016-01-01

In the Amazon region, the estimation of radiation fluxes through remote sensing techniques is hindered by the lack of ground measurements required as input in the models, as well as the difficulty to obtain cloud-free images. Here, we assess an approach to estimate net radiation (Rn) and its components under all-sky conditions for the Amazon region through the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model utilizing only remote sensing and reanalysis data. The study period comprised six years, between January 2001–December 2006, and images from MODIS sensor aboard the Terra satellite and GLDAS reanalysis products were utilized. The estimates were evaluated with flux tower measurements within the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) project. Comparison between estimates obtained by the proposed method and observations from LBA towers showed errors between 12.5% and 16.4% and 11.3% and 15.9% for instantaneous and daily Rn, respectively. Our approach was adequate to minimize the problem related to strong cloudiness over the region and allowed to map consistently the spatial distribution of net radiation components in Amazonia. We conclude that the integration of reanalysis products and satellite data, eliminating the need for surface measurements as input model, was a useful proposition for the spatialization of the radiation fluxes in the Amazon region, which may serve as input information needed by algorithms that aim to determine evapotranspiration, the most important component of the Amazon hydrological balance. PMID:27347957

Use of MODIS Sensor Images Combined with Reanalysis Products to Retrieve Net Radiation in Amazonia.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Gabriel; Brunsell, Nathaniel A; Moraes, Elisabete C; Bertani, Gabriel; Dos Santos, Thiago V; Shimabukuro, Yosio E; Aragão, Luiz E O C

2016-06-24

In the Amazon region, the estimation of radiation fluxes through remote sensing techniques is hindered by the lack of ground measurements required as input in the models, as well as the difficulty to obtain cloud-free images. Here, we assess an approach to estimate net radiation (Rn) and its components under all-sky conditions for the Amazon region through the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model utilizing only remote sensing and reanalysis data. The study period comprised six years, between January 2001-December 2006, and images from MODIS sensor aboard the Terra satellite and GLDAS reanalysis products were utilized. The estimates were evaluated with flux tower measurements within the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) project. Comparison between estimates obtained by the proposed method and observations from LBA towers showed errors between 12.5% and 16.4% and 11.3% and 15.9% for instantaneous and daily Rn, respectively. Our approach was adequate to minimize the problem related to strong cloudiness over the region and allowed to map consistently the spatial distribution of net radiation components in Amazonia. We conclude that the integration of reanalysis products and satellite data, eliminating the need for surface measurements as input model, was a useful proposition for the spatialization of the radiation fluxes in the Amazon region, which may serve as input information needed by algorithms that aim to determine evapotranspiration, the most important component of the Amazon hydrological balance.

A conceptual method for monitoring locust habitat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, Stephen M.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Ohlen, Donald O.; Moore, Donald G.; Gallo, Kevin P.; Olsson, Jonathon

1987-01-01

A procedure to map and monitor vegetation conditions in near-real time was developed at the United States Geological Survey;s Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center for use in locust control efforts. Meteorological satellite dat were acquired daily for 3 weeks in October and November 1986 over a 1.4-million-square-kilometer study area centered on Botswana in southern Africa. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer data were screened to remove cloud-contaminated data and registered to a 1-kilometer geographic base. Each day the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated to determine the presence and relative amounts of green vegetation in the area. Over a 10-day cycle, subsequent dates of NDVI data were composited to fill in data removed by the cloud-screening process. At any pixel location, the maximum NDVI value was retained. At the end of the 10-day cycle, a composite vegetation-greenness map was produced and another cycle started. Greenness-change maps were produced by comparing two 10-day composite greenness images. Automated map production procedures were used to merge the NDVI image data with cartographic data (boundaries, roads, tick marks) digitized from 1:1,000,000-scale operational navigation charts. The vegetation-greenness map shoes the current distribution of vegetation in the region and can be used to locate potential locust breeding area. The change map shows areas where increases and decreases in greenness have occurred between processing cycles. Significant areas of locust damage in remote regions are characterized by an unexpected decrease in greenness. These maps can be used by locust control teams to efficiently target areas for reconnaissance. In general, the procedures and products have utility for resource managers who are required to monitor vegetation resources over large geographic regions.

Using remote sensing and GIS techniques to estimate discharge and recharge. fluxes for the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

D'Agnese, F. A.; Faunt, C.C.; Keith, Turner A.

1996-01-01

The recharge and discharge components of the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system were defined by remote sensing and GIS techniques that integrated disparate data types to develop a spatially complex representation of near-surface hydrological processes. Image classification methods were applied to multispectral satellite data to produce a vegetation map. This map provided a basis for subsequent evapotranspiration and infiltration estimations. The vegetation map was combined with ancillary data in a GIS to delineate different types of wetlands, phreatophytes and wet playa areas. Existing evapotranspiration-rate estimates were then used to calculate discharge volumes for these areas. A previously used empirical method of groundwater recharge estimation was modified by GIS methods to incorporate data describing soil-moisture conditions, and a recharge potential map was produced. These discharge and recharge maps were readily converted to data arrays for numerical modelling codes. Inverse parameter estimation techniques also used these data to evaluate the reliability and sensitivity of estimated values.

Challenges in rendering Coral Triangle habitat richness in remotely sensed habitat maps: The case of Bunaken Island (Indonesia).

PubMed

Ampou, Eghbert Elvan; Ouillon, Sylvain; Andréfouët, Serge

2018-06-01

The Coral Triangle is the epicenter of marine biodiversity, yet the numbers of habitats that can be found on coral reefs remain poorly described. First surveys for habitat mapping in Indonesia revealed a high number of habitats (>150) even for structurally simple reefs. To be able to represent all these habitats, typical habitat mapping procedures and performances are poorly effective even using very high resolution satellite images. Using Bunaken Island (North Sulawesi, Indonesia) as a case study, we devised a way to maintain all the in situ habitat information in remote sensing habitat map products without loss and with mapping procedures based on photo-interpretation. The result is a product which is consistent with a per-polygon fuzzy classification. As such, it is a complex product that meets our habitat representation goal, but its complexity can also limit its immediate use by managers and conservation planners when analyses per habitat are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping Live Fuel Moisture and the relation to drought and post fire events for Southern California region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatzopoulos, N.; Kim, S. H.; Kafatos, M.; Nghiem, S. V.; Myoung, B.

2016-12-01

Live Fuel Moisture is a dryness measure used by the fire departments to determine how dry is the current situation of the fuels from the forest areas. In order to map Live Fuel Moisture we conducted an analysis with a standardized regressional approach from various vegetation indices derived from remote sensing data of MODIS. After analyzing the results we concluded mapping Live Fuel Moisture using a standardized NDVI product. From the mapped remote sensed product we observed the appearance of extremely high dry fuels to be highly correlated with very dry years based on the overall yearly precipitation. The appearances of the extremely dry mapped fuels tend to have a direct association with fire events and observed to be a post fire indicator. In addition we studied the appearance of extreme dry fuels during critical months when season changes from spring to summer as well as the relation to fire events.

Symbiotic Navigation in Multi-Robot Systems with Remote Obstacle Knowledge Sharing

PubMed Central

Ravankar, Abhijeet; Ravankar, Ankit A.; Kobayashi, Yukinori; Emaru, Takanori

2017-01-01

Large scale operational areas often require multiple service robots for coverage and task parallelism. In such scenarios, each robot keeps its individual map of the environment and serves specific areas of the map at different times. We propose a knowledge sharing mechanism for multiple robots in which one robot can inform other robots about the changes in map, like path blockage, or new static obstacles, encountered at specific areas of the map. This symbiotic information sharing allows the robots to update remote areas of the map without having to explicitly navigate those areas, and plan efficient paths. A node representation of paths is presented for seamless sharing of blocked path information. The transience of obstacles is modeled to track obstacles which might have been removed. A lazy information update scheme is presented in which only relevant information affecting the current task is updated for efficiency. The advantages of the proposed method for path planning are discussed against traditional method with experimental results in both simulation and real environments. PMID:28678193

Evaluation of aircraft microwave data for locating zones for well stimulation and enhanced gas recovery. [Arkansas Arkoma Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macdonald, H.; Waite, W.; Elachi, C.; Babcock, R.; Konig, R.; Gattis, J.; Borengasser, M.; Tolman, D.

1980-01-01

Imaging radar was evaluated as an adjunct to conventional petroleum exploration techniques, especially linear mapping. Linear features were mapped from several remote sensor data sources including stereo photography, enhanced LANDSAT imagery, SLAR radar imagery, enhanced SAR radar imagery, and SAR radar/LANDSAT combinations. Linear feature maps were compared with surface joint data, subsurface and geophysical data, and gas production in the Arkansas part of the Arkoma basin. The best LANDSAT enhanced product for linear detection was found to be a winter scene, band 7, uniform distribution stretch. Of the individual SAR data products, the VH (cross polarized) SAR radar mosaic provides for detection of most linears; however, none of the SAR enhancements is significantly better than the others. Radar/LANDSAT merges may provide better linear detection than a single sensor mapping mode, but because of operator variability, the results are inconclusive. Radar/LANDSAT combinations appear promising as an optimum linear mapping technique, if the advantages and disadvantages of each remote sensor are considered.

Multi-crop area estimation and mapping on a microprocessor/mainframe network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheffner, E.

1985-01-01

The data processing system is outlined for a 1985 test aimed at determining the performance characteristics of area estimation and mapping procedures connected with the California Cooperative Remote Sensing Project. The project is a joint effort of the USDA Statistical Reporting Service-Remote Sensing Branch, the California Department of Water Resources, NASA-Ames Research Center, and the University of California Remote Sensing Research Program. One objective of the program was to study performance when data processing is done on a microprocessor/mainframe network under operational conditions. The 1985 test covered the hardware, software, and network specifications and the integration of these three components. Plans for the year - including planned completion of PEDITOR software, testing of software on MIDAS, and accomplishment of data processing on the MIDAS-VAX-CRAY network - are discussed briefly.

Remote Sensing in Archeology: Classifying Bajos of the Paten, Guatemala

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowry, James D., Jr.

1998-01-01

This project focuses on the adaptation of human populations to their environments from prehistoric times to the present. It emphasizes interdisciplinary research to develop ecological baselines through the use of remotely sensed imagery, in situ field work, and the modeling of human population dynamics. It utilizes cultural and biological data from dated archaeological sites to assess the subsistence and settlement patterns of human societies in response to changing climatic and environmental conditions. The utilization of remote sensing techniques in archaeology is relatively new, exciting, and opens many doors.

Benefits from remote sensing data utilization in urban planning processes and system recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mallon, H. J.; Howard, J. Y.

1972-01-01

The benefits of utilizing remote sensor data in the urban planning process of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments are investigated. An evaluation of sensor requirements, a description/ comparison of costs, benefits, levels of accuracy, ease of attainment, and frequency of update possible using sensor versus traditional data acquisition techniques are discussed.