Natural Resource Information System. Remote Sensing Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leachtenauer, J.; And Others

A major design objective of the Natural Resource Information System entailed the use of remote sensing data as an input to the system. Potential applications of remote sensing data were therefore reviewed and available imagery interpreted to provide input to a demonstration data base. A literature review was conducted to determine the types and…

Feasibility study ASCS remote sensing/compliance determination system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duggan, I. E.; Minter, T. C., Jr.; Moore, B. H.; Nosworthy, C. T.

1973-01-01

A short-term technical study was performed by the MSC Earth Observations Division to determine the feasibility of the proposed Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Automatic Remote Sensing/Compliance Determination System. For the study, the term automatic was interpreted as applying to an automated remote-sensing system that includes data acquisition, processing, and management.

Study on identifying deciduous forest by the method of feature space transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuexia; Wu, Pengfei

2009-10-01

The thematic remotely sensed information extraction is always one of puzzling nuts which the remote sensing science faces, so many remote sensing scientists devotes diligently to this domain research. The methods of thematic information extraction include two kinds of the visual interpretation and the computer interpretation, the developing direction of which is intellectualization and comprehensive modularization. The paper tries to develop the intelligent extraction method of feature space transformation for the deciduous forest thematic information extraction in Changping district of Beijing city. The whole Chinese-Brazil resources satellite images received in 2005 are used to extract the deciduous forest coverage area by feature space transformation method and linear spectral decomposing method, and the result from remote sensing is similar to woodland resource census data by Chinese forestry bureau in 2004.

Applications of Sentinel-2 data for agriculture and forest monitoring using the absolute difference (ZABUD) index derived from the AgroEye software (ESA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Kok, R.; WeŻyk, P.; PapieŻ, M.; Migo, L.

2017-10-01

To convince new users of the advantages of the Sentinel_2 sensor, a simplification of classic remote sensing tools allows to create a platform of communication among domain specialists of agricultural analysis, visual image interpreters and remote sensing programmers. An index value, known in the remote sensing user domain as "Zabud" was selected to represent, in color, the essentials of a time series analysis. The color index used in a color atlas offers a working platform for an agricultural field control. This creates a database of test and training areas that enables rapid anomaly detection in the agricultural domain. The use cases and simplifications now function as an introduction to Sentinel_2 based remote sensing, in an area that before relies on VHR imagery and aerial data, to serve mainly the visual interpretation. The database extension with detected anomalies allows developers of open source software to design solutions for further agricultural control with remote sensing.

Methods of training the graduate level and professional geologist in remote sensing technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolm, K. E.

1981-01-01

Requirements for a basic course in remote sensing to accommodate the needs of the graduate level and professional geologist are described. The course should stress the general topics of basic remote sensing theory, the theory and data types relating to different remote sensing systems, an introduction to the basic concepts of computer image processing and analysis, the characteristics of different data types, the development of methods for geological interpretations, the integration of all scales and data types of remote sensing in a given study, the integration of other data bases (geophysical and geochemical) into a remote sensing study, and geological remote sensing applications. The laboratories should stress hands on experience to reinforce the concepts and procedures presented in the lecture. The geologist should then be encouraged to pursue a second course in computer image processing and analysis of remotely sensed data.

Research on the Construction of Remote Sensing Automatic Interpretation Symbol Big Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Y.; Liu, R.; Liu, J.; Cheng, T.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing automatic interpretation symbol (RSAIS) is an inexpensive and fast method in providing precise in-situ information for image interpretation and accuracy. This study designed a scientific and precise RSAIS data characterization method, as well as a distributed and cloud architecture massive data storage method. Additionally, it introduced an offline and online data update mode and a dynamic data evaluation mechanism, with the aim to create an efficient approach for RSAIS big data construction. Finally, a national RSAIS database with more than 3 million samples covering 86 land types was constructed during 2013-2015 based on the National Geographic Conditions Monitoring Project of China and then annually updated since the 2016 period. The RSAIS big data has proven to be a good method for large scale image interpretation and field validation. It is also notable that it has the potential to solve image automatic interpretation with the assistance of deep learning technology in the remote sensing big data era.

Remote sensing education for the Earth sciences: The University of Georgia experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welch, R.

1981-01-01

A prospectus is presented of the following courses offered by the Department of Geography: (1) use and interpretation of aerial photographs; (2) advanced photogrammetry; (3) remote sensing of environment; (4) geographic information systems; and (5) directed problems in the remote sensing of the environment. In addition to the course content and objectives, the various equipments available for student training and use are listed.

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.

Integration of geological remote-sensing techniques in subsurface analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taranik, James V.; Trautwein, Charles M.

1976-01-01

Geological remote sensing is defined as the study of the Earth utilizing electromagnetic radiation which is either reflected or emitted from its surface in wavelengths ranging from 0.3 micrometre to 3 metres. The natural surface of the Earth is composed of a diversified combination of surface cover types, and geologists must understand the characteristics of surface cover types to successfully evaluate remotely-sensed data. In some areas landscape surface cover changes throughout the year, and analysis of imagery acquired at different times of year can yield additional geological information. Integration of different scales of analysis allows landscape features to be effectively interpreted. Interpretation of the static elements displayed on imagery is referred to as an image interpretation. Image interpretation is dependent upon: (1) the geologist's understanding of the fundamental aspects of image formation, and (2.) his ability to detect, delineate, and classify image radiometric data; recognize radiometric patterns; and identify landscape surface characteristics as expressed on imagery. A geologic interpretation integrates surface characteristics of the landscape with subsurface geologic relationships. Development of a geologic interpretation from imagery is dependent upon: (1) the geologist's ability to interpret geomorphic processes from their static surface expression as landscape characteristics on imagery, (2) his ability to conceptualize the dynamic processes responsible for the evolution 6f interpreted geologic relationships (his ability to develop geologic models). The integration of geologic remote-sensing techniques in subsurface analysis is illustrated by development of an exploration model for ground water in the Tucson area of Arizona, and by the development of an exploration model for mineralization in southwest Idaho.

Model for the Interpretation of Hyperspectral Remote-Sensing Reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Zhongping; Carder, Kendall L.; Hawes, Steve K.; Steward, Robert G.; Peacock, Thomas G.; Davis, Curtiss O.

1994-01-01

Remote-sensing reflectance is easier to interpret for the open ocean than for coastal regions because the optical signals are highly coupled to the phytoplankton (e.g., chlorophyll) concentrations. For estuarine or coastal waters, variable terrigenous colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), suspended sediments, and bottom reflectance, all factors that do not covary with the pigment concentration, confound data interpretation. In this research, remote-sensing reflectance models are suggested for coastal waters, to which contributions that are due to bottom reflectance, CDOM fluorescence, and water Raman scattering are included. Through the use of two parameters to model the combination of the backscattering coefficient and the Q factor, excellent agreement was achieved between the measured and modeled remote-sensing reflectance for waters from the West Florida Shelf to the Mississippi River plume. These waters cover a range of chlorophyll of 0.2-40 mg/cu m and gelbstoff absorption at 440 nm from 0.02-0.4/m. Data with a spectral resolution of 10 nm or better, which is consistent with that provided by the airborne visible and infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) and spacecraft spectrometers, were used in the model evaluation.

Photography and imagery: a clarification of terms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinove, Charles J.

1963-01-01

The increased use of pictorial displays of data in the fields of photogrammetry and photo interpretation has led to some confusion of terms, not so much b photogrammetrists as bu users and interpreters of pictorial data. The terms "remote sensing" and "remote sensing of environment" are being used as general terms to describe "the measurement of some property of an object without having the measuring device physically in contact with the object" (Parker, 1962).Measurements of size and shape by photogrammetric and optical means are common examples of remote sensing and therefore require no elaboration. Other techniques of remote sensing of electromagnetic radiation in and beyond the limits of the visible spectrum require some explanation and differentiation from the techniques used in the visible spectrum.The following definitions of "photography" and "imagery" are proposed to clarify these two terms in hope that this will lead to more precise understanding and explanation of the processes.

The EROS Data Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1977-01-01

The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Program of the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the Geological Survey, was established in 1966 to apply remote-sensing techniques to the inventory, monitoring, and management of natural resources. To meet its primary objective, the EROS Program includes research and training in the interpretation and application of remotely sensed data and provides remotely sensed data at nominal cost to scientists, resource planners, managers, and the public.

The EROS Data Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1981-01-01

The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Program of the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the Geological Survey, was established in 1966 to apply remote-sensing techniques to the inventory, monitoring, and management of natural resources. To meet its primary objective, the EROS Program includes research and training in the interpretation and application of remotely sensed data and provides remotely sensed data at nominal cost to scientists, resource planners, managers, and the public.

An integrated use of topography with RSI in gully mapping, Shandong Peninsula, China.

PubMed

He, Fuhong; Wang, Tao; Gu, Lijuan; Li, Tao; Jiang, Weiguo; Shao, Hongbo

2014-01-01

Taking the Quickbird optical satellite imagery of the small watershed of Beiyanzigou valley of Qixia city, Shandong province, as the study data, we proposed a new method by using a fused image of topography with remote sensing imagery (RSI) to achieve a high precision interpretation of gully edge lines. The technique first transformed remote sensing imagery into HSV color space from RGB color space. Then the slope threshold values of gully edge line and gully thalweg were gained through field survey and the slope data were segmented using thresholding, respectively. Based on the fused image in combination with gully thalweg thresholding vectors, the gully thalweg thresholding vectors were amended. Lastly, the gully edge line might be interpreted based on the amended gully thalweg vectors, fused image, gully edge line thresholding vectors, and slope data. A testing region was selected in the study area to assess the accuracy. Then accuracy assessment of the gully information interpreted by both interpreting remote sensing imagery only and the fused image was performed using the deviation, kappa coefficient, and overall accuracy of error matrix. Compared with interpreting remote sensing imagery only, the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient are increased by 24.080% and 264.364%, respectively. The average deviations of gully head and gully edge line are reduced by 60.448% and 67.406%, respectively. The test results show the thematic and the positional accuracy of gully interpreted by new method are significantly higher. Finally, the error sources for interpretation accuracy by the two methods were analyzed.

An Integrated Use of Topography with RSI in Gully Mapping, Shandong Peninsula, China

PubMed Central

He, Fuhong; Wang, Tao; Gu, Lijuan; Li, Tao; Jiang, Weiguo; Shao, Hongbo

2014-01-01

Taking the Quickbird optical satellite imagery of the small watershed of Beiyanzigou valley of Qixia city, Shandong province, as the study data, we proposed a new method by using a fused image of topography with remote sensing imagery (RSI) to achieve a high precision interpretation of gully edge lines. The technique first transformed remote sensing imagery into HSV color space from RGB color space. Then the slope threshold values of gully edge line and gully thalweg were gained through field survey and the slope data were segmented using thresholding, respectively. Based on the fused image in combination with gully thalweg thresholding vectors, the gully thalweg thresholding vectors were amended. Lastly, the gully edge line might be interpreted based on the amended gully thalweg vectors, fused image, gully edge line thresholding vectors, and slope data. A testing region was selected in the study area to assess the accuracy. Then accuracy assessment of the gully information interpreted by both interpreting remote sensing imagery only and the fused image was performed using the deviation, kappa coefficient, and overall accuracy of error matrix. Compared with interpreting remote sensing imagery only, the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient are increased by 24.080% and 264.364%, respectively. The average deviations of gully head and gully edge line are reduced by 60.448% and 67.406%, respectively. The test results show the thematic and the positional accuracy of gully interpreted by new method are significantly higher. Finally, the error sources for interpretation accuracy by the two methods were analyzed. PMID:25302333

Review of Remote Sensing Needs and Applications in Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Molly E.

2007-01-01

Remote sensing data has had an important role in identifying and responding to inter-annual variations in the African environment during the past three decades. As a largely agricultural region with diverse but generally limited government capacity to acquire and distribute ground observations of rainfall, temperature and other parameters, remote sensing is sometimes the only reliable measure of crop growing conditions in Africa. Thus, developing and maintaining the technical and scientific capacity to analyze and utilize satellite remote sensing data in Africa is critical to augmenting the continent's local weather/climate observation networks as well as its agricultural and natural resource development and management. The report Review of Remote Sensing Needs and Applications in Africa' has as its central goal to recommend to the US Agency for International Development an appropriate approach to support sustainable remote sensing applications at African regional remote sensing centers. The report focuses on "RS applications" to refer to the acquisition, maintenance and archiving, dissemination, distribution, analysis, and interpretation of remote sensing data, as well as the integration of interpreted data with other spatial data products. The report focuses on three primary remote sensing centers: (1) The AGRHYMET Regional Center in Niamey, Niger, created in 1974, is a specialized institute of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), with particular specialization in science and techniques applied to agricultural development, rural development, and natural resource management. (2) The Regional Centre for Maiming of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 1975 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union), is an intergovernmental organization, with 15 member states from eastern and southern Africa. (3) The Regional Remote Sensing Unit (RRSU) in Gaborone, Botswana, began work in June 1988 and operates under the Agriculture Information Management System (AIMS), as part of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate, based at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat.

Remote Sensing Applications with High Reliability in Changjiang Water Resource Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, L.; Gao, S.; Yang, A.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing technology has been widely used in many fields. But most of the applications cannot get the information with high reliability and high accuracy in large scale, especially for the applications using automatic interpretation methods. We have designed an application-oriented technology system (PIR) composed of a series of accurate interpretation techniques,which can get over 85 % correctness in Water Resource Management from the view of photogrammetry and expert knowledge. The techniques compose of the spatial positioning techniques from the view of photogrammetry, the feature interpretation techniques from the view of expert knowledge, and the rationality analysis techniques from the view of data mining. Each interpreted polygon is accurate enough to be applied to the accuracy sensitive projects, such as the Three Gorge Project and the South - to - North Water Diversion Project. In this paper, we present several remote sensing applications with high reliability in Changjiang Water Resource Management,including water pollution investigation, illegal construction inspection, and water conservation monitoring, etc.

EPIC'S NEW REMOTE SENSING DATA AND INFORMATION TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR EPA CUSTOMERS

EPA Science Inventory

EPIC's New Remote Sensing Data and Information Tools Available for EPA Customers Donald Garofalo Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center (EPIC) Landscape Ecology Branch Environmental Sciences Division National Exposure Research Laboratory

Several new too...

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.

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.

Upper Kalamazoo watershed land cover inventory. [based on remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richason, B., III; Enslin, W.

1973-01-01

Approximately 1000 square miles of the eastern portion of the watershed were inventoried based on remote sensing imagery. The classification scheme, imagery and interpretation procedures, and a cost analysis are discussed. The distributions of land cover within the area are tabulated.

Remote Sensing of Landscapes with Spectral Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, John B.; Gillespie, Alan R.

2006-05-01

Remote Sensing of Landscapes with Spectral Images describes how to process and interpret spectral images using physical models to bridge the gap between the engineering and theoretical sides of remote-sensing and the world that we encounter when we venture outdoors. The emphasis is on the practical use of images rather than on theory and mathematical derivations. Examples are drawn from a variety of landscapes and interpretations are tested against the reality seen on the ground. The reader is led through analysis of real images (using figures and explanations); the examples are chosen to illustrate important aspects of the analytic framework. This textbook will form a valuable reference for graduate students and professionals in a variety of disciplines including ecology, forestry, geology, geography, urban planning, archeology and civil engineering. It is supplemented by a web-site hosting digital color versions of figures in the book as well as ancillary images (www.cambridge.org/9780521662214). Presents a coherent view of practical remote sensing, leading from imaging and field work to the generation of useful thematic maps Explains how to apply physical models to help interpret spectral images Supplemented by a website hosting digital colour versions of figures in the book, as well as additional colour figures

Atmospheric Radiative Transfer for Satellite Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshak, Alexander

2008-01-01

I will discuss the science of satellite remote sensing which involves the interpretation and inversion of radiometric measurements made from space. The goal of remote sensing is to retrieve some physical aspects of the medium which are sensitive to the radiation at specific wavelengths. This requires the use of fundamentals of atmospheric radiative transfer. I will talk about atmospheric radiation or, more specifically, about the interactions of solar radiation with aerosols and cloud particles. The focus will be more on cloudy atmospheres. I will also show how a standard one-dimensional approach, that is traced back at least 100 years, can fail to interpret the complexity of real clouds. I n these cases, three-dimensional radiative transfer should be used. Examples of satellite retrievals will illustrate the cases.

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.

The use of multimedia and programmed teaching machines for remote sensing education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulliman, J. J.

1980-01-01

The advantages, limitations, and uses of various audio visual equipments and techniques used in various universities for individualized and group instruction in the interpretation and classification of remotely sensed data are considered as well as systems for programmed and computer-assisted instruction.

CORSE-81: The 1981 Conference on Remote Sensing Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, S. M. (Compiler)

1981-01-01

Summaries of the presentations and tutorial workshops addressing various strategies in remote sensing education are presented. Course design from different discipline perspectives, equipment requirements for image interpretation and processing, and the role of universities, private industry, and government agencies in the education process are covered.

Ontology-based classification of remote sensing images using spectral rules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrés, Samuel; Arvor, Damien; Mougenot, Isabelle; Libourel, Thérèse; Durieux, Laurent

2017-05-01

Earth Observation data is of great interest for a wide spectrum of scientific domain applications. An enhanced access to remote sensing images for "domain" experts thus represents a great advance since it allows users to interpret remote sensing images based on their domain expert knowledge. However, such an advantage can also turn into a major limitation if this knowledge is not formalized, and thus is difficult for it to be shared with and understood by other users. In this context, knowledge representation techniques such as ontologies should play a major role in the future of remote sensing applications. We implemented an ontology-based prototype to automatically classify Landsat images based on explicit spectral rules. The ontology is designed in a very modular way in order to achieve a generic and versatile representation of concepts we think of utmost importance in remote sensing. The prototype was tested on four subsets of Landsat images and the results confirmed the potential of ontologies to formalize expert knowledge and classify remote sensing images.

Mississippi Sound Remote Sensing Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atwell, B. H.

1973-01-01

The Mississippi Sound Remote Sensing Study was initiated as part of the research program of the NASA Earth Resources Laboratory. The objective of this study is development of remote sensing techniques to study near-shore marine waters. Included within this general objective are the following: (1) evaluate existing techniques and instruments used for remote measurement of parameters of interest within these waters; (2) develop methods for interpretation of state-of-the-art remote sensing data which are most meaningful to an understanding of processes taking place within near-shore waters; (3) define hardware development requirements and/or system specifications; (4) develop a system combining data from remote and surface measurements which will most efficiently assess conditions in near-shore waters; (5) conduct projects in coordination with appropriate operating agencies to demonstrate applicability of this research to environmental and economic problems.

a Kml-Based Approach for Distributed Collaborative Interpretation of Remote Sensing Images in the Geo-Browser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, L.; Zhu, X.; Guo, W.; Xiang, L.; Chen, X.; Mei, Y.

2012-07-01

Existing implementations of collaborative image interpretation have many limitations for very large satellite imageries, such as inefficient browsing, slow transmission, etc. This article presents a KML-based approach to support distributed, real-time, synchronous collaborative interpretation for remote sensing images in the geo-browser. As an OGC standard, KML (Keyhole Markup Language) has the advantage of organizing various types of geospatial data (including image, annotation, geometry, etc.) in the geo-browser. Existing KML elements can be used to describe simple interpretation results indicated by vector symbols. To enlarge its application, this article expands KML elements to describe some complex image processing operations, including band combination, grey transformation, geometric correction, etc. Improved KML is employed to describe and share interpretation operations and results among interpreters. Further, this article develops some collaboration related services that are collaboration launch service, perceiving service and communication service. The launch service creates a collaborative interpretation task and provides a unified interface for all participants. The perceiving service supports interpreters to share collaboration awareness. Communication service provides interpreters with written words communication. Finally, the GeoGlobe geo-browser (an extensible and flexible geospatial platform developed in LIESMARS) is selected to perform experiments of collaborative image interpretation. The geo-browser, which manage and visualize massive geospatial information, can provide distributed users with quick browsing and transmission. Meanwhile in the geo-browser, GIS data (for example DEM, DTM, thematic map and etc.) can be integrated to assist in improving accuracy of interpretation. Results show that the proposed method is available to support distributed collaborative interpretation of remote sensing image

Application of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, W. J. (Compiler)

1973-01-01

Remote sensing and aerial photographic interpretation are discussed along with the specific imagery techniques used for this research. The method used to select sites, the results of data analyses for the Houston metropolitan area, and the location of dredging sites along the Houston Ship Channel are presented. The work proposed for the second year of the project is described.

Radarsat Satellite Images: A New Geography Tool for Upper Elementary Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirman, Joseph M.

1999-01-01

Describes the Canadian Radarsat Satellite and remote sensing in order to demonstrate that teachers can incorporate this technology into the classroom. Maintains that third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students can understand and interpret remote sensing images and Landsat images. Provides a list of teaching resources other than the expensive…

Comparison of standard maximum likelihood classification and polytomous logistic regression used in remote sensing

Treesearch

John Hogland; Nedret Billor; Nathaniel Anderson

2013-01-01

Discriminant analysis, referred to as maximum likelihood classification within popular remote sensing software packages, is a common supervised technique used by analysts. Polytomous logistic regression (PLR), also referred to as multinomial logistic regression, is an alternative classification approach that is less restrictive, more flexible, and easy to interpret. To...

The Sky Is the Limit: Reconstructing Physical Geography from an Aerial Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Richard D.; Tooth, Stephen; Gibson, Morgan

2017-01-01

In an era of rapid geographical data acquisition, interpretations of remote sensing products are an integral part of many undergraduate geography degree schemes but there are fewer opportunities for collection and processing of primary remote sensing data. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provide a relatively inexpensive opportunity to introduce…

A modified approach combining FNEA and watershed algorithms for segmenting remotely-sensed optical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Likun

2018-01-01

In the field of remote sensing image processing, remote sensing image segmentation is a preliminary step for later analysis of remote sensing image processing and semi-auto human interpretation, fully-automatic machine recognition and learning. Since 2000, a technique of object-oriented remote sensing image processing method and its basic thought prevails. The core of the approach is Fractal Net Evolution Approach (FNEA) multi-scale segmentation algorithm. The paper is intent on the research and improvement of the algorithm, which analyzes present segmentation algorithms and selects optimum watershed algorithm as an initialization. Meanwhile, the algorithm is modified by modifying an area parameter, and then combining area parameter with a heterogeneous parameter further. After that, several experiments is carried on to prove the modified FNEA algorithm, compared with traditional pixel-based method (FCM algorithm based on neighborhood information) and combination of FNEA and watershed, has a better segmentation result.

Methodology of remote sensing data interpretation and geological applications. [Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Veneziani, P.; Dosanjos, C. E.

1982-01-01

Elements of photointerpretation discussed include the analysis of photographic texture and structure as well as film tonality. The method used is based on conventional techniques developed for interpreting aerial black and white photographs. By defining the properties which characterize the form and individuality of dual images, homologous zones can be identified. Guy's logic method (1966) was adapted and used on functions of resolution, scale, and spectral characteristics of remotely sensed products. Applications of LANDSAT imagery are discussed for regional geological mapping, mineral exploration, hydrogeology, and geotechnical engineering in Brazil.

Irrigated rice area estimation using remote sensing techniques: Project's proposal and preliminary results. [Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Deassuncao, G. V.; Moreira, M. A.; Novaes, R. A.

1984-01-01

The development of a methodology for annual estimates of irrigated rice crop in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, using remote sensing techniques is proposed. The project involves interpretation, digital analysis, and sampling techniques of LANDSAT imagery. Results are discussed from a preliminary phase for identifying and evaluating irrigated rice crop areas in four counties of the State, for the crop year 1982/1983. This first phase involved just visual interpretation techniques of MSS/LANDSAT images.

Passive microwave remote sensing of an anisotropic random-medium layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. K.; Kong, J. A.

1985-01-01

The principle of reciprocity is invoked to calculate the brightness temperatures for passive microwave remote sensing of a two-layer anisotropic random medium. The bistatic scattering coefficients are first computed with the Born approximation and then integrated over the upper hemisphere to be subtracted from unity, in order to obtain the emissivity for the random-medium layer. The theoretical results are illustrated by plotting the emissivities as functions of viewing angles and polarizations. They are used to interpret remote sgnsing data obtained from vegetation canopy where the anisotropic random-medium model applies. Field measurements with corn stalks arranged in various configurations with preferred azimuthal directions are successfully interpreted with this model.

Principles of thermal remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The remote sensing of temperature is performed by sensing radiation emitted from solids, liquids, and gases in the thermal infrared region of the spectrum, in which thermal emission is dominant over reflected solar energy. For Earth resources applications, thermal sensing of solids and liquids is performed in two ""windows'' of the atmosphere where atmospheric absorption and emission are at a minimum. Temperature measurement, intrinsic thermal properties, factors in interpreting thermal data, the use of thermal inertia, and the measurements obtained by the heat capacity mapping radiometer are discussed.

Recent advances in radar applications to agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morain, S. A.

1970-01-01

A series of remote radar sensing studies are summarized. These efforts comprise geoscience interpretations of such complex phenomena as those manifested in agricultural patterns. Considered are basic remote sensing needs in agriculture and the design and implementation of radar keys in the active microwave region as well as fine resolution radar imagery techniques for agriculture determinations and soil mapping.

Long-Term Monitoring of Desert Land and Natural Resources and Application of Remote Sensing Technologies

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

Hamada, Yuki; Rollins, Katherine E.

2016-11-01

Monitoring environmental impacts over large, remote desert regions for long periods of time can be very costly. Remote sensing technologies present a promising monitoring tool because they entail the collection of spatially contiguous data, automated processing, and streamlined data analysis. This report provides a summary of remote sensing products and refinement of remote sensing data interpretation methodologies that were generated as part of the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Solar Energy Program. In March 2015, a team of researchers from Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) collected field data of vegetation and surface types from more than 5,000more » survey points within the eastern part of the Riverside East Solar Energy Zone (SEZ). Using the field data, remote sensing products that were generated in 2014 using very high spatial resolution (VHSR; 15 cm) multispectral aerial images were validated in order to evaluate potential refinements to the previous methodologies to improve the information extraction accuracy.« less

In with the new, out with the old? Auto-extraction for remote sensing archaeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowley, David C.

2012-09-01

This paper explores aspects of the inter-relationships between traditional archaeological interpretation of remote sensed data (principally visual examination of aerial photographs/satellite) and those drawing on automated feature extraction and processing. Established approaches to archaeological interpretation of aerial photographs are heavily reliant on individual observation (eye/brain) in an experience and knowledge-based process. Increasingly, however, much more complex and extensive datasets are becoming available to archaeology and these require critical reflection on analytical and interpretative processes. Archaeological applications of Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) are becoming increasingly routine, and as the spatial resolution of hyper-spectral data improves, its potentially massive implications for archaeological site detection may prove to be a sea-change. These complex datasets demand new approaches, as traditional methods based on direct observation by an archaeological interpreter will never do more than scratch the surface, and will fail to fully extend the boundaries of knowledge. Inevitably, changing analytical and interpretative processes can create tensions, especially, as has been the case in archaeology, when the innovations in data and analysis come from outside the discipline. These tensions often centre on the character of the information produced, and a lack of clarity on the place of archaeological interpretation in the workflow. This is especially true for ALS data and autoextraction techniques, and carries implications for all forms of remote sensed archaeological datasets, including hyperspectral data and aerial photographs.

Remote Sensing Image Classification Applied to the First National Geographical Information Census of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xin; Wen, Zongyong; Zhu, Zhaorong; Xia, Qiang; Shun, Lan

2016-06-01

Image classification will still be a long way in the future, although it has gone almost half a century. In fact, researchers have gained many fruits in the image classification domain, but there is still a long distance between theory and practice. However, some new methods in the artificial intelligence domain will be absorbed into the image classification domain and draw on the strength of each to offset the weakness of the other, which will open up a new prospect. Usually, networks play the role of a high-level language, as is seen in Artificial Intelligence and statistics, because networks are used to build complex model from simple components. These years, Bayesian Networks, one of probabilistic networks, are a powerful data mining technique for handling uncertainty in complex domains. In this paper, we apply Tree Augmented Naive Bayesian Networks (TAN) to texture classification of High-resolution remote sensing images and put up a new method to construct the network topology structure in terms of training accuracy based on the training samples. Since 2013, China government has started the first national geographical information census project, which mainly interprets geographical information based on high-resolution remote sensing images. Therefore, this paper tries to apply Bayesian network to remote sensing image classification, in order to improve image interpretation in the first national geographical information census project. In the experiment, we choose some remote sensing images in Beijing. Experimental results demonstrate TAN outperform than Naive Bayesian Classifier (NBC) and Maximum Likelihood Classification Method (MLC) in the overall classification accuracy. In addition, the proposed method can reduce the workload of field workers and improve the work efficiency. Although it is time consuming, it will be an attractive and effective method for assisting office operation of image interpretation.

[Object-oriented segmentation and classification of forest gap based on QuickBird remote sensing image.

PubMed

Mao, Xue Gang; Du, Zi Han; Liu, Jia Qian; Chen, Shu Xin; Hou, Ji Yu

2018-01-01

Traditional field investigation and artificial interpretation could not satisfy the need of forest gaps extraction at regional scale. High spatial resolution remote sensing image provides the possibility for regional forest gaps extraction. In this study, we used object-oriented classification method to segment and classify forest gaps based on QuickBird high resolution optical remote sensing image in Jiangle National Forestry Farm of Fujian Province. In the process of object-oriented classification, 10 scales (10-100, with a step length of 10) were adopted to segment QuickBird remote sensing image; and the intersection area of reference object (RA or ) and intersection area of segmented object (RA os ) were adopted to evaluate the segmentation result at each scale. For segmentation result at each scale, 16 spectral characteristics and support vector machine classifier (SVM) were further used to classify forest gaps, non-forest gaps and others. The results showed that the optimal segmentation scale was 40 when RA or was equal to RA os . The accuracy difference between the maximum and minimum at different segmentation scales was 22%. At optimal scale, the overall classification accuracy was 88% (Kappa=0.82) based on SVM classifier. Combining high resolution remote sensing image data with object-oriented classification method could replace the traditional field investigation and artificial interpretation method to identify and classify forest gaps at regional scale.

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.

Measuring Environmental Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, John E.; Dahm, Douglas B.

1975-01-01

Infrared remote sensors, plus photometric interpretation and digital data analysis are being used to record the stresses on air, water, vegetation and soil. Directly recorded photographic information has been the most effective recording media for remote sensing. (BT)

Optical vs. electronic enhancement of remote sensing imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N.; Katibah, E. F.

1976-01-01

Basic aspects of remote sensing are considered and a description is provided of the methods which are employed in connection with the optical or electronic enhancement of remote sensing imagery. The advantages and limitations of various image enhancement methods and techniques are evaluated. It is pointed out that optical enhancement methods and techniques are currently superior to electronic ones with respect to spatial resolution and equipment cost considerations. Advantages of electronic procedures, on the other hand, are related to a greater flexibility regarding the presentation of the information as an aid for the interpretation by the image analyst.

Considerations and techniques for incorporating remotely sensed imagery into the land resource management process.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooner, W. G.; Nichols, D. A.

1972-01-01

Development of a scheme for utilizing remote sensing technology in an operational program for regional land use planning and land resource management program applications. The scheme utilizes remote sensing imagery as one of several potential inputs to derive desired and necessary data, and considers several alternative approaches to the expansion and/or reduction and analysis of data, using automated data handling techniques. Within this scheme is a five-stage program development which includes: (1) preliminary coordination, (2) interpretation and encoding, (3) creation of data base files, (4) data analysis and generation of desired products, and (5) applications.

Applications of remote sensing in public health.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, C. M.; Fuller, C. E.; Schneider, H. J.; Kennedy, E. E.; Jones, H. G.; Morrison, D. R.

1973-01-01

Current research concerning the determination of the habitat of mosquito vectors of disease is discussed. It is shown how advanced interpretative processes have enabled recognition of the breeding areas of salt marsh mosquitoes and the breeding sites of the mosquito responsible for the transmission of St. Louis strain of encephalitis and of human filariasis. In addition, remote sensing data have also been useful in the study of the habitat of endemic strains of Venezuelan encephalitis virus in Florida. The beginning of the application of remote sensing to such public health aspects as air, water, and urban degradation is noted.

Multispectral analysis of ocean dumped materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.

1977-01-01

Experiments conducted in the Atlantic coastal zone indicated that plumes resulting from ocean dumping of acid wastes and sewage sludge have unique spectral characteristics. Remotely sensed wide area synoptic coverage provided information on these pollution features that was not readily available from other sources. Aircraft remotely sensed photographic and multispectral scanner data were interpreted by two methods. First, qualitative analyses in which pollution features were located, mapped, and identified without concurrent sea truth and, second, quantitative analyses in which concurrently collected sea truth was used to calibrate the remotely sensed data and to determine quantitative distributions of one or more parameters in a plume.

Laboratory exercises, remote sensing of the environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mintzer, O.; Ray, J.

1981-01-01

The exercises are designed to convey principles and theory of remote sensing, and methodologies of its application to civil engineering and environmental concerns, including agronomy, geography, geology, wildlife, forestry, hydrology, and other related fields. During the exercises the student is introduced to several types of remote sensing represented by imagery from conventional format: panchromatic, black-and-white infrared, color, and infrared, 35mm aerial photography, thermal infrared, radar, multispectral scanner, and LANDSAT. Upon completion of the exercises the student is expected to know: (1) the electromagnetic spectrum, its various wavelength sub-sections and their uses as sensors, (2) the limitations of each sensor, (3) the interpretation techniques used for extracting data from the various types of imagery, and (4) the cost effectiveness of remote sensing procedures for acquiring and evaluating data of the natural environment.

Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, J. J.

1972-01-01

These Proceedings contain papers presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, held October 2nd through 6th, 1972, on the campus of the University of Michigan. The symposium was conducted by the Center for Remote Sensing Information and Analysis of the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (formerly the University of Michigan's Willow Run Laboratories) as a part of a continuing program investigating current activities in the field of remote sensing. Presentations include those on the use of this technology by regional governmental units and by federal governmental agencies, as well as various applications in monitoring and managing the earth's resources and man's global environment. Ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne sensor systems and manual and machine-assisted data analysis and interpretation are included.

Intelligent Detection of Structure from Remote Sensing Images Based on Deep Learning Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, L.

2018-04-01

Utilizing high-resolution remote sensing images for earth observation has become the common method of land use monitoring. It requires great human participation when dealing with traditional image interpretation, which is inefficient and difficult to guarantee the accuracy. At present, the artificial intelligent method such as deep learning has a large number of advantages in the aspect of image recognition. By means of a large amount of remote sensing image samples and deep neural network models, we can rapidly decipher the objects of interest such as buildings, etc. Whether in terms of efficiency or accuracy, deep learning method is more preponderant. This paper explains the research of deep learning method by a great mount of remote sensing image samples and verifies the feasibility of building extraction via experiments.

Mission planning for large microwave radiometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schartel, W. A.

1984-01-01

Earth orbiting, remote sensing platforms that use microwave radiometers as sensors are susceptible to data interpretation difficulties. The capability of the large microwave radiometer (LMR) was augmented with the inclusion of auxillary sensors that expand and enhance the LMR capability. The final system configuration demonstrates a holistic approach in the design of future orbiting remote sensing platforms that use a LMR as the core instrument.

Remote sensing of Earth terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, Jin AU; Shin, Robert T.; Nghiem, Son V.; Yueh, Herng-Aung; Han, Hsiu C.; Lim, Harold H.; Arnold, David V.

1990-01-01

Remote sensing of earth terrain is examined. The layered random medium model is used to investigate the fully polarimetric scattering of electromagnetic waves from vegetation. The model is used to interpret the measured data for vegetation fields such as rice, wheat, or soybean over water or soil. Accurate calibration of polarimetric radar systems is essential for the polarimetric remote sensing of earth terrain. A polarimetric calibration algorithm using three arbitrary in-scene reflectors is developed. In the interpretation of active and passive microwave remote sensing data from the earth terrain, the random medium model was shown to be quite successful. A multivariate K-distribution is proposed to model the statistics of fully polarimetric radar returns from earth terrain. In the terrain cover classification using the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, the applications of the K-distribution model will provide better performance than the conventional Gaussian classifiers. The layered random medium model is used to study the polarimetric response of sea ice. Supervised and unsupervised classification procedures are also developed and applied to synthetic aperture radar polarimetric images in order to identify their various earth terrain components for more than two classes. These classification procedures were applied to San Francisco Bay and Traverse City SAR images.

Natural Resource Information System, remote sensing studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leachtenauer, J.; Hirsch, R.; Williams, V.; Tucker, R.

1972-01-01

Potential applications of remote sensing data were reviewed, and available imagery was interpreted to provide input to a demonstration data base. A literature review was conducted to determine the types and qualities of imagery required to satisfy identified data needs. Ektachrome imagery available over the demonstration areas was reviewed to establish the feasibility of interpreting cultural features, range condition, and timber type. Using the same imagery, a land use map was prepared for the demonstration area. The feasibility of identifying commercial timber areas using a density slicing technique was tested on multispectral imagery available for a portion of the demonstration area.

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.

International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Third Thematic Conference: Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology, Colorado Springs, CO, April 16-19, 1984, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

A photogeologic and remote sensing model of porphyry type mineral sytems is considered along with a Landsat application to development of a tectonic model for hydrocarbon exploration of Devonian shales in west-central Virginia, remote sensing and the funnel philosophy, Landsat-based tectonic and metallogenic synthesis of the southwest United States, and an evolving paradigm for computer vision. Attention is given to the neotectonics of the Tibetan plateau deduced from Landsat MSS image interpretation, remote sensing in northern Arizona, the use of an airborne laser system for vegetation inventories and geobotanical prospecting, an evaluation of Thematic Mapper data for hydrocarbon exploration in low-relief basins, and an evaluation of the information content of high spectral resolution imagery. Other topics explored are related to a major source of new radar data for exploration research, the accuracy of geologic maps produced from Landsat data, and an approach for the geometric rectification of radar imagery.

Methods and potentials for using satellite image classification in school lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, Kerstin; Goetzke, Roland; Hodam, Henryk

2011-11-01

The FIS project - FIS stands for Fernerkundung in Schulen (Remote Sensing in Schools) - aims at a better integration of the topic "satellite remote sensing" in school lessons. According to this, the overarching objective is to teach pupils basic knowledge and fields of application of remote sensing. Despite the growing significance of digital geomedia, the topic "remote sensing" is not broadly supported in schools. Often, the topic is reduced to a short reflection on satellite images and used only for additional illustration of issues relevant for the curriculum. Without addressing the issue of image data, this can hardly contribute to the improvement of the pupils' methodical competences. Because remote sensing covers more than simple, visual interpretation of satellite images, it is necessary to integrate remote sensing methods like preprocessing, classification and change detection. Dealing with these topics often fails because of confusing background information and the lack of easy-to-use software. Based on these insights, the FIS project created different simple analysis tools for remote sensing in school lessons, which enable teachers as well as pupils to be introduced to the topic in a structured way. This functionality as well as the fields of application of these analysis tools will be presented in detail with the help of three different classification tools for satellite image classification.

AERIAL PHOTO INTERPRETATION FOR SITE CHARACTERIZATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER (EPIC)

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center (EPIC) is a field station of the Landscape Ecology Branch (LEB), Environmental Sciences Division - Las Vegas, Office of Research and Development EPIC provides remote sensing technical support to help the Agency achieve its mult...

THE APPLICATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES IN MODERN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

EPA Science Inventory

Imagery Interpretation is a timed-tested technique for extracting landscape-level information from aerial photographs and other types of remotely sensed data. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center (EPIC) has a 25+ year history...

Eastern Regional Remote Sensing Applications Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Short, N. M. (Editor)

1981-01-01

The roles and activities of NASA and the National Conference of State Legislatures in fostering remote sensing technology utilization by the states and in promoting interstate communication and cooperation are reviewed. The reduction and interpretation of LANDSAT MSS and aerial reconnaissance data for resources management and environment assessment are described as well as resource information systems, and the value of SEASAT synthetic aperture radar and LANDSAT 4 data.

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...

Remote sensing techniques for the detection of soil erosion and the identification of soil conservation practices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelletier, R. E.; Griffin, R. H.

1985-01-01

The following paper is a summary of a number of techniques initiated under the AgRISTARS (Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing) project for the detection of soil degradation caused by water erosion and the identification of soil conservation practices for resource inventories. Discussed are methods to utilize a geographic information system to determine potential soil erosion through a USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) model; application of the Kauth-Thomas Transform to detect present erosional status; and the identification of conservation practices through visual interpretation and a variety of enhancement procedures applied to digital remotely sensed data.

Earth remote sensing - 1970-1995

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thome, P. G.

1984-01-01

The past-achievements, current status, and future prospects of the Landsat terrestrial-remote-sensing satellite program are surveyed. Topics examined include the early history of space flight; the development of analysis techniques to interpret the multispectral images obtained by Landsats 1, 2, and 3; the characteristics of the advanced Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper; microwave scanning by Seasat and the Shuttle Imaging Radar; the usefulness of low-resolution AVHRR data from the NOAA satellites; improvements in Landsats 4 and 5 to permit tailoring of information to user needs; expansion and internationalization of the remote-sensing market in the late 1980s; and technological advances in both instrumentation and data-processing predicted by the 1990s.

ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER (EPIC)

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) in the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) of the Office of Research and Development provides remote sensing technical support including aerial photograph acquisition and interpretation to the EPA Program Offices, ORD Laboratorie...

Relation of the spectroscopic reflectance of olivine to mineral chemistry and some remote sensing implications.

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, T.V.V.; Ridley, W.I.

1987-01-01

Using high-resolution visible and near-infrared diffuse spectral reflectance, systematically investigates apparent wavelength shifts as a function of mineral chemistry in the Fe/Mg olivine series from Fo11 to Fo91. The study also shows that trace amounts of nickel can be spectrally detected in the olivine structure. Significant spectral variation as a function of grain size is also demonstrated, adding a further complication to the interpretation of remotely sensed data from olivine-rich surfaces. Some permutations of Fe-Mg-Ni relations in olivines are discussed as they apply to the interpretation of asteroid surfaces and other extraterrestrial bodies. -from Authors

Quaternary sediment architecture in the Orkhon Valley (central Mongolia) inferred from capacitive coupled resistivity and Georadar measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackens, Sonja; Klitzsch, Norbert; Grützner, Christoph; Klinger, Riccardo

2017-09-01

Detailed information on shallow sediment distribution in basins is required to achieve solutions for problems in Quaternary geology, geomorphology, neotectonics, (geo)archaeology, and climatology. Usually, detailed information is obtained by studying outcrops and shallow drillings. Unfortunately, such data are often sparsely distributed and thus cannot characterise entire basins in detail. Therefore, they are frequently combined with remote sensing methods to overcome this limitation. Remote sensing can cover entire basins but provides information of the land surface only. Geophysical methods can close the gap between detailed sequences of the shallow sediment inventory from drillings at a few spots and continuous surface information from remote sensing. However, their interpretation in terms of sediment types is often challenging, especially if permafrost conditions complicate their interpretation. Here we present an approach for the joint interpretation of the geophysical methods ground penetrating radar (GPR) and capacitive coupled resistivity (CCR), drill core, and remote sensing data. The methods GPR and CCR were chosen because they allow relatively fast surveying and provide complementary information. We apply the approach to the middle Orkhon Valley in central Mongolia where fluvial, alluvial, and aeolian processes led to complex sediment architecture. The GPR and CCR data, measured on profiles with a total length of about 60 km, indicate the presence of two distinct layers over the complete surveying area: (i) a thawed layer at the surface, and (ii) a frozen layer below. In a first interpretation step, we establish a geophysical classification by considering the geophysical signatures of both layers. We use sedimentological information from core logs to relate the geophysical classes to sediment types. This analysis reveals internal structures of Orkhon River sediments, such as channels and floodplain sediments. We also distinguish alluvial fan deposits and aeolian sediments by their distinct geophysical signature. With this procedure we map aeolian sediments, debris flow sediments, floodplains, and channel sediments along the measured profiles in the entire basin. We show that the joint interpretation of drillings and geophysical profile measurements matches the information from remote sensing data, i.e., the sediment architecture of vast areas can be characterised by combining these techniques. The method presented here proves powerful for characterising large areas with minimal effort and can be applied to similar settings.

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.

Accurate estimation of motion blur parameters in noisy remote sensing image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xueyan; Wang, Lin; Shao, Xiaopeng; Wang, Huilin; Tao, Zhong

2015-05-01

The relative motion between remote sensing satellite sensor and objects is one of the most common reasons for remote sensing image degradation. It seriously weakens image data interpretation and information extraction. In practice, point spread function (PSF) should be estimated firstly for image restoration. Identifying motion blur direction and length accurately is very crucial for PSF and restoring image with precision. In general, the regular light-and-dark stripes in the spectrum can be employed to obtain the parameters by using Radon transform. However, serious noise existing in actual remote sensing images often causes the stripes unobvious. The parameters would be difficult to calculate and the error of the result relatively big. In this paper, an improved motion blur parameter identification method to noisy remote sensing image is proposed to solve this problem. The spectrum characteristic of noisy remote sensing image is analyzed firstly. An interactive image segmentation method based on graph theory called GrabCut is adopted to effectively extract the edge of the light center in the spectrum. Motion blur direction is estimated by applying Radon transform on the segmentation result. In order to reduce random error, a method based on whole column statistics is used during calculating blur length. Finally, Lucy-Richardson algorithm is applied to restore the remote sensing images of the moon after estimating blur parameters. The experimental results verify the effectiveness and robustness of our algorithm.

Collection and analysis of remotely sensed data from the Rhode River Estuary Watershed. [ecological parameters of Chesapeake Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, D. W.

1972-01-01

NASA chose the watershed of Rhode River, a small sub-estuary of the Bay, as a representative test area for intensive studies of remote sensing, the results of which could be extrapolated to other estuarine watersheds around the Bay. A broad program of ecological research was already underway within the watershed, conducted by the Smithsonian Institution's Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies (CBCES) and cooperating universities. This research program offered a unique opportunity to explore potential applications for remote sensing techniques. This led to a joint NASA-CBCES project with two basic objectives: to evaluate remote sensing data for the interpretation of ecological parameters, and to provide essential data for ongoing research at the CBCES. A third objective, dependent upon realization of the first two, was to extrapolate photointerpretive expertise gained at the Rhode River watershed to other portions of the Chesapeake Bay.

Selecting reconnaissance strategies for floodplain surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sollers, S. C.; Rango, A.; Henninger, D. L.

1977-01-01

Multispectral aircraft and satellite data over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River were analyzed to evaluate potential contributions of remote sensing to flood-plain surveys. Multispectral digital classifications of land cover features indicative of floodplain areas were used by interpreters to locate various floodprone area boundaries. The digital approach permitted LANDSAT results to be displayed at 1:24,000 scale and aircraft results at even larger scales. Results indicate that remote sensing techniques can delineate floodprone areas more easily in agricultural and limited development areas as opposed to areas covered by a heavy forest canopy. At this time it appears that the remote sensing data would be best used as a form of preliminary planning information or as an internal check on previous or ongoing floodplain studies. In addition, the remote sensing techniques can assist in effectively monitoring floodplain activities after a community enters into the National Flood Insurance Program.

Multi-resource data-based research on remote sensing monitoring over the green tide in the Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhiqiang; Xu, Fuxiang; Song, Debin; Zheng, Xiangyu; Chen, Maosi

2017-09-01

This paper conducted dynamic monitoring over the green tide (large green alga—Ulva prolifera) occurred in the Yellow Sea in 2014 to 2016 by the use of multi-source remote sensing data, including GF-1 WFV, HJ-1A/1B CCD, CBERS-04 WFI, Landsat-7 ETM+ and Landsta-8 OLI, and by the combination of VB-FAH (index of Virtual-Baseline Floating macroAlgae Height) with manual assisted interpretation based on remote sensing and geographic information system technologies. The result shows that unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and shipborne platform could accurately monitor the distribution of Ulva prolifera in small spaces, and therefore provide validation data for the result of remote sensing monitoring over Ulva prolifera. The result of this research can provide effective information support for the prevention and control of Ulva prolifera.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, V. I.; Frazee, C. J.; Rusche, A. E.; Moore, D. G.; Nelson, G. D.; Westin, F. C.

1974-01-01

The basic procedures for interpreting remote sensing imagery to rapidly develop general soils and land use inventories were developed and utilized in Pennington County, South Dakota. These procedures and remote sensing data products were illustrated and explained to many user groups, some of whom are interested in obtaining similar data. The general soils data were integrated with land soils data supplied by the county director of equalization to prepare a land value map. A computer print-out of this map indicating a land value for each quarter section is being used in tax reappraisal of Pennington County. The land use data provided the land use planners with the present use of land in Pennington County. Additional uses of remote sensing applications are also discussed including tornado damage assessment, hail damage evaluation, and presentation of soil and land value information on base maps assembled from ERTS-1 imagery.

Satellite Remote Sensing of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and a Potential Synthesized Framework

PubMed Central

Shen, Li; Xu, Huiping; Guo, Xulin

2012-01-01

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are severe ecological disasters threatening aquatic systems throughout the World, which necessitate scientific efforts in detecting and monitoring them. Compared with traditional in situ point observations, satellite remote sensing is considered as a promising technique for studying HABs due to its advantages of large-scale, real-time, and long-term monitoring. The present review summarizes the suitability of current satellite data sources and different algorithms for detecting HABs. It also discusses the spatial scale issue of HABs. Based on the major problems identified from previous literature, including the unsystematic understanding of HABs, the insufficient incorporation of satellite remote sensing, and a lack of multiple oceanographic explanations of the mechanisms causing HABs, this review also attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complicated mechanism of HABs impacted by multiple oceanographic factors. A potential synthesized framework can be established by combining multiple accessible satellite remote sensing approaches including visual interpretation, spectra analysis, parameters retrieval and spatial-temporal pattern analysis. This framework aims to lead to a systematic and comprehensive monitoring of HABs based on satellite remote sensing from multiple oceanographic perspectives. PMID:22969372

Remote sensing: a tool for park planning and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Draeger, William C.; Pettinger, Lawrence R.

1981-01-01

Remote sensing may be defined as the science of imaging or measuring objects from a distance. More commonly, however, the term is used in reference to the acquisition and use of photographs, photo-like images, and other data acquired from aircraft and satellites. Thus, remote sensing includes the use of such diverse materials as photographs taken by hand from a light aircraft, conventional aerial photographs obtained with a precision mapping camera, satellite images acquired with sophisticated scanning devices, radar images, and magnetic and gravimetric data that may not even be in image form. Remotely sensed images may be color or black and white, can vary in scale from those that cover only a few hectares of the earth's surface to those that cover tens of thousands of square kilometers, and they may be interpreted visually or with the assistance of computer systems. This article attempts to describe several of the commonly available types of remotely sensed data, to discuss approaches to data analysis, and to demonstrate (with image examples) typical applications that might interest managers of parks and natural areas.

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.

Active and Passive 3D Vector Radiative Transfer with Preferentially-Aligned Ice Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Ian S.; Munchak, Stephen J.; Pelissier, Craig S.; Kuo, Kwo-Sen; Heymsfield, Gerald M.

2017-01-01

For the purposes of interpreting active (radar) and passive (radiometer) microwave and millimeter wave remote sensing data, we have constructed a consistent radiative transfer modeling framework to simulate the responses for arbitrary sensors with differing sensing geometries and hardware configurations. As part of this work, we have implemented a recent method for calculating the electromagnetic properties of individual ice crystals and snow flakes. These calculations will allow us to exploit polarized remote sensing observations to discriminate different particles types and elucidate dynamics of cloud and precipitating systems.

PEER REVIEW AS A QA TOOL FOR PHOTO INTERPRETATION (PRESENTED TAMPA, FL)

EPA Science Inventory

Remotely Sensed (RS) images are used in may ways in the EPA. Eventually, the photo may be "interpreted," When images are interpreted, attempts are made by humans to determine what is on the ground (or in the air) by examining the photo or image, and the implementation ...

PEER REVIEW AS A QA TOOL FOR PHOTO INTERPRETATION

EPA Science Inventory

Remotely Sensed (RS) images are used in many ways in the EPA. Eventually, the photo may be interpreted. When images are interpreted, attempts are made by humans to determine what is on the ground (or in the air) by examining the photo or image, and the implementation of Quality ...

Bridging the Scales from Field to Region with Practical Tools to Couple Time- and Space-Synchronized Data from Flux Towers and Networks with Proximal and Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burba, G. G.; Avenson, T.; Burkart, A.; Gamon, J. A.; Guan, K.; Julitta, T.; Pastorello, G.; Sakowska, K.

2017-12-01

Many hundreds of flux towers are presently operational as standalone projects and as parts of regional networks. However, the vast majority of these towers do not allow straightforward coupling with remote sensing (drone, aircraft, satellite, etc.) data, and even fewer have optical sensors for validation of remote sensing products, and upscaling from field to regional levels. In 2016-2017, new tools to collect, process, and share time-synchronized flux data from multiple towers were developed and deployed globally. Originally designed to automate site and data management, and to streamline flux data analysis, these tools allow relatively easy matching of tower data with remote sensing data: GPS-driven PTP time protocol synchronizes instrumentation within the station, different stations with each other, and all of these to remote sensing data to precisely align remote sensing and flux data in time Footprint size and coordinates computed and stored with flux data help correctly align tower flux footprints and drone, aircraft or satellite motion to precisely align optical and flux data in space Full snapshot of the remote sensing pixel can then be constructed, including leaf-level, ground optical sensor, and flux tower measurements from the same footprint area, closely coupled with the remote sensing measurements to help interpret remote sensing data, validate models, and improve upscaling Additionally, current flux towers can be augmented with advanced ground optical sensors and can use standard routines to deliver continuous products (e.g. SIF, PRI, NDVI, etc.) based on automated field spectrometers (e.g., FloX and RoX, etc.) and other optical systems. Several dozens of new towers already operational globally can be readily used for the proposed workflow. Over 500 active traditional flux towers can be updated to synchronize their data with remote sensing measurements. This presentation will show how the new tools are used by major networks, and describe how this approach can be utilized for matching remote sensing and tower data to aid in ground truthing, improve scientific interactions, and promote joint grant writing and other forms of collaboration between the flux and remote sensing communities.

Agricultural and hydrological applications of radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulaby, F. T.

1976-01-01

Program objectives, covering a wide range of disciplines and activities in radar remote sensing, include radar systems development and analysis, data processing and display, and data interpretation in geology, geography and oceanography. Research was focused on the evaluation of radar remote sensing applications in hydrology and agriculture based on data acquired with the Microwave Active Spectrometer (MAS) system. The title, author(s) and abstract of each of the 62 technical reports generated under this contract are appended.

The Earth Resources Observation Systems data center's training technical assistance, and applications research activities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturdevant, J.A.

1981-01-01

The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center (EDO, administered by the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, provides remotely sensed data to the user community and offers a variety of professional services to further the understanding and use of remote sensing technology. EDC reproduces and sells photographic and electronic copies of satellite images of areas throughout the world. Other products include aerial photographs collected by 16 organizations, including the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Primary users of the remotely sensed data are Federal, State, and municipal government agencies, universities, foreign nations, and private industries. The professional services available at EDC are primarily directed at integrating satellite and aircraft remote sensing technology into the programs of the Department of the Interior and its cooperators. This is accomplished through formal training workshops, user assistance, cooperative demonstration projects, and access to equipment and capabilities in an advanced data analysis laboratory. In addition, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, universities, and the general public can get assistance from the EDC Staff. Since 1973, EDC has contributed to the accelerating growth in development and operational use of remotely sensed data for land resource problems through its role as educator and by conducting basic and applied remote sensing applications research. As remote sensing technology continues to evolve, EDC will continue to respond to the increasing demand for timely information on remote sensing applications. Questions most often asked about EDC's research and training programs include: Who may attend an EDC remote sensing training course? Specifically, what is taught? Who may cooperate with EDC on remote sensing projects? Are interpretation services provided on a service basis? This report attempts to define the goals and objectives of and policies on the following EDC services: Training Program.User Assistance.Data Analysis Laboratory.Cooperative Demonstration Projects.Research Projects.

Remote sensing systems – Platforms and sensors: Aerial, satellites, UAVs, optical, radar, and LiDAR: Chapter 1

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panda, Sudhanshu S.; Rao, Mahesh N.; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Fitzerald, James E.

2015-01-01

The American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing defined remote sensing as the measurement or acquisition of information of some property of an object or phenomenon, by a recording device that is not in physical or intimate contact with the object or phenomenon under study (Colwell et al., 1983). Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in its geographic information system (GIS) dictionary defines remote sensing as “collecting and interpreting information about the environment and the surface of the earth from a distance, primarily by sensing radiation that is naturally emitted or reflected by the earth’s surface or from the atmosphere, or by sending signals transmitted from a device and reflected back to it (ESRI, 2014).” The usual source of passive remote sensing data is the measurement of reflected or transmitted electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from the sun across the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS); this can also include acoustic or sound energy, gravity, or the magnetic field from or of the objects under consideration. In this context, the simple act of reading this text is considered remote sensing. In this case, the eye acts as a sensor and senses the light reflected from the object to obtain information about the object. It is the same technology used by a handheld camera to take a photograph of a person or a distant scenic view. Active remote sensing, however, involves sending a pulse of energy and then measuring the returned energy through a sensor (e.g., Radio Detection and Ranging [RADAR], Light Detection and Ranging [LiDAR]). Thermal sensors measure emitted energy by different objects. Thus, in general, passive remote sensing involves the measurement of solar energy reflected from the Earth’s surface, while active remote sensing involves synthetic (man-made) energy pulsed at the environment and the return signals are measured and recorded.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. (Compiler)

1972-01-01

A variety of remote sensor data has aided geologic mapping in central Colorado. This report summarizes the application of sensor data to both regional and local geologic mapping and presents some conclusions on the practical use of remote sensing for solving geologic mapping problems. It is emphasized that this study was not conducted primarily to test or evaluate remote sensing systems or data, but, rather, to apply sensor data as an accessory tool for geologic mapping. The remote sensor data used were acquired by the NASA Earth Observations Aircraft Program. Conclusions reached on the utility of the various sensor data and interpretation techniques for geologic mapping were by-products of attempts to use them.

Remote Sensing: A valuable tool in the Forest Service decision making process. [in Utah

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanton, F. L.

1975-01-01

Forest Service studies for integrating remotely sensed data into existing information systems highlight a need to: (1) re-examine present methods of collecting and organizing data, (2) develop an integrated information system for rapidly processing and interpreting data, (3) apply existing technological tools in new ways, and (4) provide accurate and timely information for making right management decisions. The Forest Service developed an integrated information system using remote sensors, microdensitometers, computer hardware and software, and interactive accessories. Their efforts substantially reduce the time it takes for collecting and processing data.

Interpreting Low Spatial Resolution Thermal Data from Active Volcanoes on Io and the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keszthelyi, L.; Harris, A. J. L.; Flynn, L.; Davies, A. G.; McEwen, A.

2001-01-01

The style of volcanism was successfully determined at a number of active volcanoes on Io and the Earth using the same techniques to interpret thermal remote sensing data. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Satellite remote sensing of landscape freeze/thaw state dynamics for complex Topography and Fire Disturbance Areas Using multi-sensor radar and SRTM digital elevation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podest, Erika; McDonald, Kyle; Kimball, John; Randerson, James

2003-01-01

We characterize differences in radar-derived freeze/thaw state, examining transitions over complex terrain and landscape disturbance regimes. In areas of complex terrain, we explore freezekhaw dynamics related to elevation, slope aspect and varying landcover. In the burned regions, we explore the timing of seasonal freeze/thaw transition as related to the recovering landscape, relative to that of a nearby control site. We apply in situ biophysical measurements, including flux tower measurements to validate and interpret the remotely sensed parameters. A multi-scale analysis is performed relating high-resolution SAR backscatter and moderate resolution scatterometer measurements to assess trade-offs in spatial and temporal resolution in the remotely sensed fields.

Hi-Tech for Archeology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Remote sensing is the process of acquiring physical information from a distance, obtaining data on Earth features from a satellite or an airplane. Advanced remote sensing instruments detect radiations not visible to the ordinary camera or the human eye in several bands of the spectrum. These data are computer processed to produce multispectral images that can provide enormous amounts of information about Earth objects or phenomena. Since every object on Earth emits or reflects radiation in its own unique signature, remote sensing data can be interpreted to tell the difference between one type of vegetation and another, between densely populated urban areas and lightly populated farmland, between clear and polluted water or in the archeological application between rain forest and hidden man made structures.

A data mining based approach to predict spatiotemporal changes in satellite images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulila, W.; Farah, I. R.; Ettabaa, K. Saheb; Solaiman, B.; Ghézala, H. Ben

2011-06-01

The interpretation of remotely sensed images in a spatiotemporal context is becoming a valuable research topic. However, the constant growth of data volume in remote sensing imaging makes reaching conclusions based on collected data a challenging task. Recently, data mining appears to be a promising research field leading to several interesting discoveries in various areas such as marketing, surveillance, fraud detection and scientific discovery. By integrating data mining and image interpretation techniques, accurate and relevant information (i.e. functional relation between observed parcels and a set of informational contents) can be automatically elicited. This study presents a new approach to predict spatiotemporal changes in satellite image databases. The proposed method exploits fuzzy sets and data mining concepts to build predictions and decisions for several remote sensing fields. It takes into account imperfections related to the spatiotemporal mining process in order to provide more accurate and reliable information about land cover changes in satellite images. The proposed approach is validated using SPOT images representing the Saint-Denis region, capital of Reunion Island. Results show good performances of the proposed framework in predicting change for the urban zone.

Application of Earth Sciencés Technology in Mapping the of Brazilian Coast: Localization, Analysis & Monitoring of the Archaeological Sites with Remote Sensing & LiDAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson Alves de Souza, Carlos Eduardo

Application of Earth Sciencés Technology in Mapping the of Brazilian Coast: Localization, Analysis & Monitoring of the Archaeological Sites with Remote Sensing & LiDAR Carlos Eduardo Thompson Alves de Souza cethompsoniii@hotmail.com Archaeologist Member of the European Association of Archaeologists B.A.Archaeology MA.Remote Sensing Abstract The Archaeological Research in Urban Environment with the Air Light Detection and Ranging is problematic for the Overlay Layers mixed with contexts concerning the Interpretation of Archaeological Data. However, in the Underwater Archaeology the results are excellent. This paper considers the application of Remote Sensing and Air Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) as separate things as well as Land Archaeology and the Underwater Archaeology. European Archaeologists know very little about Brazil and the article presents an Overview of Research in Brazil with Remote Sensing in Archaeology and Light Detection and Ranging in Land Archaeology and Underwater Archaeology, because Brazil has Continental Dimensions. Braziliańs Methodology for Location, Analysis and Monitoring of Archaeological Sites is necessarily more Complex and Innovative and therefore can serve as a New Paradigm for other archaeologists involved in the Advanced Management Heritage.

Remote sensing of plant functional types.

PubMed

Ustin, Susan L; Gamon, John A

2010-06-01

Conceptually, plant functional types represent a classification scheme between species and broad vegetation types. Historically, these were based on physiological, structural and/or phenological properties, whereas recently, they have reflected plant responses to resources or environmental conditions. Often, an underlying assumption, based on an economic analogy, is that the functional role of vegetation can be identified by linked sets of morphological and physiological traits constrained by resources, based on the hypothesis of functional convergence. Using these concepts, ecologists have defined a variety of functional traits that are often context dependent, and the diversity of proposed traits demonstrates the lack of agreement on universal categories. Historically, remotely sensed data have been interpreted in ways that parallel these observations, often focused on the categorization of vegetation into discrete types, often dependent on the sampling scale. At the same time, current thinking in both ecology and remote sensing has moved towards viewing vegetation as a continuum rather than as discrete classes. The capabilities of new remote sensing instruments have led us to propose a new concept of optically distinguishable functional types ('optical types') as a unique way to address the scale dependence of this problem. This would ensure more direct relationships between ecological information and remote sensing observations.

High resolution remote sensing information identification for characterizing uranium mineralization setting in Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jie-Lin; Wang, Jun-hu; Zhou, Mi; Huang, Yan-ju; Xuan, Yan-xiu; Wu, Ding

2011-11-01

The modern Earth Observation System (EOS) technology takes important role in the uranium geological exploration, and high resolution remote sensing as one of key parts of EOS is vital to characterize spectral and spatial information of uranium mineralization factors. Utilizing satellite high spatial resolution and hyperspectral remote sensing data (QuickBird, Radarsat2, ASTER), field spectral measurement (ASD data) and geological survey, this paper established the spectral identification characteristics of uranium mineralization factors including six different types of alaskite, lower and upper marble of Rössing formation, dolerite, alkali metasomatism, hematization and chloritization in the central zone of Damara Orogen, Namibia. Moreover, adopted the texture information identification technology, the geographical distribution zones of ore-controlling faults and boundaries between the different strata were delineated. Based on above approaches, the remote sensing geological anomaly information and image interpretation signs of uranium mineralization factors were extracted, the metallogenic conditions were evaluated, and the prospective areas have been predicted.

Hyperspectral remote sensing of plant pigments.

PubMed

Blackburn, George Alan

2007-01-01

The dynamics of pigment concentrations are diagnostic of a range of plant physiological properties and processes. This paper appraises the developing technologies and analytical methods for quantifying pigments non-destructively and repeatedly across a range of spatial scales using hyperspectral remote sensing. Progress in deriving predictive relationships between various characteristics and transforms of hyperspectral reflectance data are evaluated and the roles of leaf and canopy radiative transfer models are reviewed. Requirements are identified for more extensive intercomparisons of different approaches and for further work on the strategies for interpreting canopy scale data. The paper examines the prospects for extending research to the wider range of pigments in addition to chlorophyll, testing emerging methods of hyperspectral analysis and exploring the fusion of hyperspectral and LIDAR remote sensing. In spite of these opportunities for further development and the refinement of techniques, current evidence of an expanding range of applications in the ecophysiological, environmental, agricultural, and forestry sciences highlights the growing value of hyperspectral remote sensing of plant pigments.

Remote Sensing Terminology in a Global and Knowledge-Based World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kancheva, Rumiana

The paper is devoted to terminology issues related to all aspects of remote sensing research and applications. Terminology is the basis for a better understanding among people. It is crucial to keep up with the latest developments and novelties of the terminology in advanced technology fields such as aerospace science and industry. This is especially true in remote sensing and geoinformatics which develop rapidly and have ever extending applications in various domains of science and human activities. Remote sensing terminology issues are directly relevant to the contemporary worldwide policies on information accessibility, dissemination and utilization of research results in support of solutions to global environmental challenges and sustainable development goals. Remote sensing and spatial information technologies are an integral part of the international strategies for cooperation in scientific, research and application areas with a particular accent on environmental monitoring, ecological problems natural resources management, climate modeling, weather forecasts, disaster mitigation and many others to which remote sensing data can be put. Remote sensing researchers, professionals, students and decision makers of different counties and nationalities should fully understand, interpret and translate into their native language any term, definition or acronym found in papers, books, proceedings, specifications, documentation, and etc. The importance of the correct use, precise definition and unification of remote sensing terms refers not only to people working in this field but also to experts in a variety of disciplines who handle remote sensing data and information products. In this paper, we draw the attention on the specifics, peculiarities and recent needs of compiling specialized dictionaries in the area of remote sensing focusing on Earth observations and the integration of remote sensing with other geoinformation technologies such as photogrammetry, geodesy, GIS, etc. Our belief is that the elaboration of bilingual and multilingual dictionaries and glossaries in this spreading, most technically advanced and promising field of human expertise is of great practical importance. The work on an English-Bulgarian Dictionary of Remote Sensing Terms is described including considerations on its scope, structure, information content, sellection of terms, and etc. The vision builds upon previous national and international experience and makes use of ongoing activities on the subject. Any interest in cooperation and initiating suchlike collaborative projects is welcome and highly appreciated.

First Year Projects and Activities of the Environmental Remote Sensing Applications Laboratory (ERSAL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poulton, C. E.; Faulkner, D. P.

1973-01-01

Activities, pilot projects, and research that will effectively close the gap between state-of-the-art remote sensing technology and the potential users and beneficiaries of this technological and scientific progress are discussed in light of the first year of activity. A broad spectrum of resource and man-environment problems are described in terms of the central thrust of the first-year program to support land use planning decisions with information derived from the interpretation of NASA highlight and satellite imagery.

GPS: A New Tool for Ocean Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komjathy, Attila; Garrison, James L.; Zavorotny, Valery

2001-01-01

In this article, we demonstrate wind retrieval (estimate its speed) from reflected signals obtained by a GPS receiver on board an aircraft to illustrate the potential of using GPS for remote-sensing applications. Before showing those results, we provide some background on radar remote sensing and discuss the theoretical model we used to interpret reflection data. This model describes the power and correlation properties of the reflected GPS signals as a function of scattering geometry and environmental parameters related to the reflecting surface.

Urban environmental health applications of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, M.; Goldstein, J.; Hsi, B. P.; Olsen, C. B.

1974-01-01

An urban area was studied through the use of the inventory-by-surrogate method rather than by direct interpretation of photographic imagery. Prior uses of remote sensing in urban and public research are examined. The effects of crowding, poor housing conditions, air pollution, and street conditions on public health are considered. Color infrared photography was used to categorize land use features and the grid method was used in photo interpretation analysis. The incidence of shigella and salmonella, hepatitis, meningitis, tuberculosis, myocardial infarction and veneral disease were studied, together with mortality and morbidity rates. Sample census data were randomly collected and validated. The hypothesis that land use and residential quality are associated with and act as an influence upon health and physical well-being was studied and confirmed.

Recent advances in remote sensing; Proceedings of the First International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Washington, DC, June 8-10, 1981

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcintosh, R.

1982-01-01

The state of the art in remote sensing of the earth and the planets was discussed in terms of sensor performance, signal processing, and data interpretation. Particular attention was given to lidar for characterizing atmospheric particulates, the modulation of short waves by long ocean gravity waves, and runoff modeling for snow-covered areas. The use of NOAA-6 spacecraft AVHRR data to explore hydrologic land surface features, the effects of soil moisture and vegetation canopies on microwave and thermal microwave emissions, and regional scale evapotranspiration rate determination through satellite IR data are examined. A Shuttle experiment to demonstrate high accuracy global time and frequency transfer is described, along with features of the proposed Gravsat, radar image processing for rock-type discrimination, and passive microwave sensing of temperature and salinity in coastal zones.

Environmental Remote Sensing for Natural Resources Management: A Workshop in Collaboration with Faculdade de Agronomia e Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Washington-Allen, R. A.; Fatoyinbo, T. E.; Ribeiro, N. S.; Shugart, H. H.; Therrell, M. D.; Vaz, K. T.; von Schill, L.

2006-12-01

A workshop titled: Environmental Remote Sensing for Natural Resources Management was held from June 12 23, 2006 at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo Mozambique. The workshop was initiated through an invitation and pre-course evaluation form to interested NGOs, universities, and government organizations. The purpose of the workshop was to provide training to interested professionals, graduate students, faculty and researchers at Mozambican institutions on the research and practical uses of remote sensing for natural resource management. The course had 24 participants who were predominantly professionals in remote sensing and GIS from various NGOs, governmental and academic institutions in Mozambique. The course taught remote sensing from an ecological perspective, specifically the course focused on the application of new remote sensing technology [the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) C-band radar data] to carbon accounting research in Miombo woodlands and Mangrove forests. The 2-week course was free to participants and consisted of lectures, laboratories, and a field trip to the mangrove forests of Inhaca Island, Maputo. The field trip consisted of training in the use of forest inventory techniques in support of remote sensing studies. Specifically, the field workshop centered on use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and collection of forest inventory data on tree height, structure [leaf area index (LAI)], and productivity. Productivity studies were enhanced with the teaching of introductory dendrochronology including sample collection of tree rings from four different mangrove species. Students were provided with all course materials including a DVD that contained satellite data (e.g., Landsat and SRTM imagery), ancillary data, lectures, exercises, and remote sensing publications used in the course including a CD from the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center's (EPA-EPIC) program to teach remote sensing and data CDs from NASA's SAFARI 2000 field campaign. Nineteen participants evaluated the effectiveness of the course in regards to the course lectures, instructors, and the field trip. Future workshops should focus more on the individual projects that students are engaged with in their jobs, replace the laboratories computers with workstations geared towards computer intensive image processing software, and the purchase of field remote sensing instrumentation for practical exercises.

Development and implementation of software systems for imaging spectroscopy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boardman, J.W.; Clark, R.N.; Mazer, A.S.; Biehl, L.L.; Kruse, F.A.; Torson, J.; Staenz, K.

2006-01-01

Specialized software systems have played a crucial role throughout the twenty-five year course of the development of the new technology of imaging spectroscopy, or hyperspectral remote sensing. By their very nature, hyperspectral data place unique and demanding requirements on the computer software used to visualize, analyze, process and interpret them. Often described as a marriage of the two technologies of reflectance spectroscopy and airborne/spaceborne remote sensing, imaging spectroscopy, in fact, produces data sets with unique qualities, unlike previous remote sensing or spectrometer data. Because of these unique spatial and spectral properties hyperspectral data are not readily processed or exploited with legacy software systems inherited from either of the two parent fields of study. This paper provides brief reviews of seven important software systems developed specifically for imaging spectroscopy.

Remote sensing in marine environment - acquiring, processing, and interpreting GLORIA sidescan sonor images of deep sea floor

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

O'Leary, D.W.

1989-03-01

The US Geological Survey's remote sensing instrument for regional imaging of the deep sea floor (> 400 m water depth) is the GLORIA (Geologic Long-Range Inclined Asdic) sidescan sonar system, designed and operated by the British Institute of Oceanographic Sciences. A 30-sec sweep rate provides for a swath width of approximately 45 km, depending on water depth. The return signal is digitally recorded as 8 bit data to provide a cross-range pixel dimension of 50 m. Postcruise image processing is carried out by using USGS software. Processing includes precision water-column removal, geometric and radiometric corrections, and contrast enhancement. Mosaicking includesmore » map grid fitting, concatenation, and tone matching. Seismic reflection profiles, acquired along track during the survey, are image correlative and provide a subsurface dimension unique to marine remote sensing. Generally GLORIA image interpretation is based on brightness variations which are largely a function of (1) surface roughness at a scale of approximately 1 m and (2) slope changes of more than about 4/degrees/ over distances of at least 50 m. Broader, low-frequency changes in slope that cannot be detected from the Gloria data can be determined from seismic profiles. Digital files of bathymetry derived from echo-sounder data can be merged with GLORIA image data to create relief models of the sea floor for geomorphic interpretation of regional slope effects.« less

PIXELS: Using field-based learning to investigate students' concepts of pixels and sense of scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, A.; Tinigin, L.; Petcovic, H. L.; Ormand, C. J.; LaDue, N.

2015-12-01

Empirical work over the past decade supports the notion that a high level of spatial thinking skill is critical to success in the geosciences. Spatial thinking incorporates a host of sub-skills such as mentally rotating an object, imagining the inside of a 3D object based on outside patterns, unfolding a landscape, and disembedding critical patterns from background noise. In this study, we focus on sense of scale, which refers to how an individual quantified space, and is thought to develop through kinesthetic experiences. Remote sensing data are increasingly being used for wide-reaching and high impact research. A sense of scale is critical to many areas of the geosciences, including understanding and interpreting remotely sensed imagery. In this exploratory study, students (N=17) attending the Juneau Icefield Research Program participated in a 3-hour exercise designed to study how a field-based activity might impact their sense of scale and their conceptions of pixels in remotely sensed imagery. Prior to the activity, students had an introductory remote sensing lecture and completed the Sense of Scale inventory. Students walked and/or skied the perimeter of several pixel types, including a 1 m square (representing a WorldView sensor's pixel), a 30 m square (a Landsat pixel) and a 500 m square (a MODIS pixel). The group took reflectance measurements using a field radiometer as they physically traced out the pixel. The exercise was repeated in two different areas, one with homogenous reflectance, and another with heterogeneous reflectance. After the exercise, students again completed the Sense of Scale instrument and a demographic survey. This presentation will share the effects and efficacy of the field-based intervention to teach remote sensing concepts and to investigate potential relationships between students' concepts of pixels and sense of scale.

Visualizing Airborne and Satellite Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bierwirth, Victoria A.

2011-01-01

Remote sensing is a process able to provide information about Earth to better understand Earth's processes and assist in monitoring Earth's resources. The Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) is one remote sensing instrument dedicated to the cause of collecting data on anthropogenic influences on Earth as well as assisting scientists in understanding land-surface and atmospheric interactions. Landsat is a satellite program dedicated to collecting repetitive coverage of the continental Earth surfaces in seven regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Combining these two aircraft and satellite remote sensing instruments will provide a detailed and comprehensive data collection able to provide influential information and improve predictions of changes in the future. This project acquired, interpreted, and created composite images from satellite data acquired from Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+). Landsat images were processed for areas covered by CAR during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCT AS), Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign (CLASIC), Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-Phase B (INTEXB), and Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI) 2000 missions. The acquisition of Landsat data will provide supplemental information to assist in visualizing and interpreting airborne and satellite imagery.

Remote Sensing Tropical Coral Reefs: The View from Above

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purkis, Sam J.

2018-01-01

Carbonate precipitation has been a common life strategy for marine organisms for 3.7 billion years, as, therefore, has their construction of reefs. As favored by modern corals, reef-forming organisms have typically adopted a niche in warm, shallow, well-lit, tropical marine waters, where they are capable of building vast carbonate edifices. Because fossil reefs form water aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs, considerable effort has been dedicated to understanding their anatomy and morphology. Remote sensing has a particular role to play here. Interpretation of satellite images has done much to reveal the grand spatial and temporal tapestry of tropical reefs. Comparative sedimentology, whereby modern environments are contrasted with the rock record to improve interpretation, has been particularly transformed by observations made from orbit. Satellite mapping has also become a keystone technology to quantify the coral reef crisis—it can be deployed not only directly to quantify the distribution of coral communities, but also indirectly to establish a climatology for their physical environment. This article reviews the application of remote sensing to tropical coralgal reefs in order to communicate how this fast-growing technology might be central to addressing the coral reef crisis and to look ahead at future developments in the science.

Remote Sensing Tropical Coral Reefs: The View from Above.

PubMed

Purkis, Sam J

2018-01-03

Carbonate precipitation has been a common life strategy for marine organisms for 3.7 billion years, as, therefore, has their construction of reefs. As favored by modern corals, reef-forming organisms have typically adopted a niche in warm, shallow, well-lit, tropical marine waters, where they are capable of building vast carbonate edifices. Because fossil reefs form water aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs, considerable effort has been dedicated to understanding their anatomy and morphology. Remote sensing has a particular role to play here. Interpretation of satellite images has done much to reveal the grand spatial and temporal tapestry of tropical reefs. Comparative sedimentology, whereby modern environments are contrasted with the rock record to improve interpretation, has been particularly transformed by observations made from orbit. Satellite mapping has also become a keystone technology to quantify the coral reef crisis-it can be deployed not only directly to quantify the distribution of coral communities, but also indirectly to establish a climatology for their physical environment. This article reviews the application of remote sensing to tropical coralgal reefs in order to communicate how this fast-growing technology might be central to addressing the coral reef crisis and to look ahead at future developments in the science.

The variability of winds over the ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, W. J.

1981-01-01

The present state of knowledge of the synoptic scale, the mesoscale, and the microscale in describing the winds, especially over the ocean, is summarized both in terms of conventional data and remotely sensed properties and effects of the winds. A description is then given of some of the areas posing problems in modeling each scale and interpreting the various kinds of measurements that are made. It is noted that not much is known about the wind, especially in the mesoscale, that affects the ability to use remotely sensed data in an optimum way.

The ORSER System for the Analysis of Remotely Sensed Digital Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, W. L.; Turner, B. J.

1981-01-01

The main effort of the University of Pennsylvania's Office for Remote Sensing of Earth Resources (ORSER) is the processing, analysis, and interpretation of multispectral data, most often supplied by NASA in the form of imagery and digital data. The facilities used for data reduction and image enhancement are described as well as the development of algorithms for producing a computer map showing various environmental and land use characteristics of data points in the analyzed scenes. The application of an (ORSER) capability for statewide monitoring of gypsy moth defoliation is discussed.

Remote Sensing of Landuse Changes and Implications for Landuse Policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Ken

1996-01-01

This final report describes grant activities under which students were to study landuse changes by comparing planning and zoning documents using remote sensed data data analyzed and interpreted in the laboratory. Students were recruited through mathematics, political science and engineering classes an clubs. Work protocols were then organized for research on the county's growth patterns over the last three decades. Students and investigators made planes to identify specific scenes in Landsat and other data which would satisfy the research parameters. Finally, statistical and imaging software was identified and some was acquired.

Active microwave remote sensing of an anisotropic random medium layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. K.; Kong, J. A.

1985-01-01

A two-layer anisotropic random medium model has been developed to study the active remote sensing of the earth. The dyadic Green's function for a two-layer anisotropic medium is developed and used in conjunction with the first-order Born approximation to calculate the backscattering coefficients. It is shown that strong cross-polarization occurs in the single scattering process and is indispensable in the interpretation of radar measurements of sea ice at different frequencies, polarizations, and viewing angles. The effects of anisotropy on the angular responses of backscattering coefficients are also illustrated.

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

Ocean experiments and remotely sensed images of chemically dispersed oil spills

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croswell, W. F.; Fedors, J. C.; Hoge, F. E.; Swift, R. N.; Johnson, J. C.

1983-01-01

A series of experiments was performed at sea where the effectiveness of dispersants applied from a helicopter was tested on fresh and weathered crude oils released from a surface research vessel. In conjunction with these experiments, remote sensing measurements using an array of airborne optical and microwave sensors were performed in order to aid in the interpretation of the dispersant effectiveness and to obtain quantitative images of oil on the sea under controlled conditions. Surface oil thickness and volume are inferred from airborne measurements using a dual-channel microwave imaging radiometer, aerial color photography, and an airborne oceanographic lidar. The remotely sensed measurements are compared with point sampled data obtained using a research vessel. The mass balance computations of surface versus subsurface oil volume using remotely sensed and point sampled data are consistent with each other and with the volumes of oil released. Data collected by the several techniques concur in indicating that, for the oils used and under the sea conditions encountered, the dispersant and application method are primarily useful when applied to fresh oil.

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.

Possibility of Cloudless Optical Remote Sensing Images Acquisition Study by Using Meteorological Satellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, T.; Lei, B.; Hu, Y.; Liu, K.; Gan, Y.

2018-04-01

Optical remote sensing images have been widely used in feature interpretation and geo-information extraction. All the fundamental applications of optical remote sensing, are greatly influenced by cloud coverage. Generally, the availability of cloudless images depends on the meteorological conditions for a given area. In this study, the cloud total amount (CTA) products of the Fengyun (FY) satellite were introduced to explore the meteorological changes in a year over China. The cloud information of CTA products were tested by using ZY-3 satellite images firstly. CTA products from 2006 to 2017 were used to get relatively reliable results. The window period of cloudless images acquisition for different areas in China was then determined. This research provides a feasible way to get the cloudless images acquisition window by using meteorological observations.

Synoptic thermal and oceanographic parameter distributions in the New York Bight Apex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.; Bahn, G. S.; Thomas, J. P.

1981-01-01

Concurrent surface water measurements made from a moving oceanographic research vessel were used to calibrate and interpret remotely sensed data collected over a plume in the New York Bight Apex on 23 June 1977. Multiple regression techniques were used to develop equations to map synoptic distributions of chlorophyll a and total suspended matter in the remotely sensed scene. Thermal (which did not have surface calibration values) and water quality parameter distributions indicated a cold mass of water in the Bight Apex with an overflowing nutrient-rich warm water plume that originated in the Sandy Hook Bay and flowed south near the New Jersey shoreline. Data analysis indicates that remotely sensed data may be particularly useful for studying physical and biological processes in the top several metres of surface water at plume boundaries.

Applications of remote sensing to estuarine management. [environmental surveys of the Chesapeake Bay (U.S.)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munday, J. C., Jr.; Gordon, H. H.; Welch, C. S.; Williams, G.

1976-01-01

Projects for sewage outfall siting for pollution control in the lower Chesapeake Bay wetlands are reported. A dye-buoy/photogrammetry and remote sensing technique was employed to gather circulation data used in outfall siting. This technique is greatly favored over alternate methods because it is inexpensive, produces results quickly, and reveals Lagrangian current paths which are preferred in making siting decisions. Wetlands data were obtained by interpretation of color and color infrared photographic imagery from several altitudes. Historical sequences of photographs are shown that were used to document wetlands changes. Sequential infrared photography of inlet basins was employed to determine tidal prisms, which were input to mathematical models to be used by state agencies in pollution control. A direct and crucial link between remote sensing and management decisions was demonstrated in the various projects.

Remote sensing for rural development planning in Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunford, C.; Mouat, D. A.; Norton-Griffiths, M.; Slaymaker, D. M.

1983-01-01

Multilevel remote-sensing techniques were combined to provide land resource and land-use information for rural development planning in Arusha Region, Tanzania. Enhanced Landsat imagery, supplemented by low-level aerial survey data, slope angle data from topographic sheets, and existing reports on vegetation and soil conditions, was used jointly by image analysts and district-level land-management officials to divide the region's six districts into land-planning units. District-planning officials selected a number of these land-planning units for priority planning and development activities. For the priority areas, natural color aerial photographs provided detailed information for land-use planning discussions between district officials and villagers. Consideration of the efficiency of this remote sensing approach leads to general recommendations for similar applications. The technology and timing of data collection and interpretation activities should allow maximum participation by intended users of the information.

Geologist's Field Assistant: Developing Image and Spectral Analyses Algorithms for Remote Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, V. C.; Morris, R. L.; Bishop, J.; Gazis, P.; Alena, R.; Sierhuis, M.

2002-01-01

We are developing science analyses algorithms to interface with a Geologist's Field Assistant device to allow robotic or human remote explorers to better sense their surroundings during limited surface excursions. Our algorithms will interpret spectral and imaging data obtained by various sensors. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

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.

Remote sensing of vegetation structure using computer vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandois, Jonathan P.

High-spatial resolution measurements of vegetation structure are needed for improving understanding of ecosystem carbon, water and nutrient dynamics, the response of ecosystems to a changing climate, and for biodiversity mapping and conservation, among many research areas. Our ability to make such measurements has been greatly enhanced by continuing developments in remote sensing technology---allowing researchers the ability to measure numerous forest traits at varying spatial and temporal scales and over large spatial extents with minimal to no field work, which is costly for large spatial areas or logistically difficult in some locations. Despite these advances, there remain several research challenges related to the methods by which three-dimensional (3D) and spectral datasets are joined (remote sensing fusion) and the availability and portability of systems for frequent data collections at small scale sampling locations. Recent advances in the areas of computer vision structure from motion (SFM) and consumer unmanned aerial systems (UAS) offer the potential to address these challenges by enabling repeatable measurements of vegetation structural and spectral traits at the scale of individual trees. However, the potential advances offered by computer vision remote sensing also present unique challenges and questions that need to be addressed before this approach can be used to improve understanding of forest ecosystems. For computer vision remote sensing to be a valuable tool for studying forests, bounding information about the characteristics of the data produced by the system will help researchers understand and interpret results in the context of the forest being studied and of other remote sensing techniques. This research advances understanding of how forest canopy and tree 3D structure and color are accurately measured by a relatively low-cost and portable computer vision personal remote sensing system: 'Ecosynth'. Recommendations are made for optimal conditions under which forest structure measurements should be obtained with UAS-SFM remote sensing. Ultimately remote sensing of vegetation by computer vision offers the potential to provide an 'ecologist's eye view', capturing not only canopy 3D and spectral properties, but also seeing the trees in the forest and the leaves on the trees.

The Role of Remote Sensing Displays in Earth Climate and Planetary Atmospheric Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DelGenio, Anthony D.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The communities of scientists who study the Earth's climate and the atmospheres of the other planets barely overlap, but the types of questions they pose and the resulting implications for the use and interpretation of remote sensing data sets have much in common. Both seek to determine the characteristic behavior of three-dimensional fluids that also evolve in time. Climate researchers want to know how and why the general patterns that define our climate today might be different in the next century. Planetary scientists try to understand why circulation patterns and clouds on Mars, Venus, or Jupiter are different from those on Earth. Both disciplines must aggregate large amounts of data covering long time periods and several altitudes to have a representative picture of the rapidly changing atmosphere they are studying. This emphasis separates climate scientists from weather forecasters, who focus at any one time on a limited number of images. Likewise, it separates planetary atmosphere researchers from planetary geologists, who rely primarily on single images (or mosaics of images covering the globe) to study two-dimensional planetary surfaces that are mostly static over the duration of a spacecraft mission yet reveal dynamic processes acting over thousands to millions of years. Remote sensing displays are usually two-dimensional projections that capture an atmosphere at an instant in time. How scientists manipulate and display such data, how they interpret what they see, and how they thereby understand the physical processes that cause what they see, are the challenges I discuss in this chapter. I begin by discussing differences in how novices and experts in the field relate displays of data to the real world. This leads to a discussion of the use and abuse of image enhancement and color in remote sensing displays. I then show some examples of techniques used by scientists in climate and planetary research to both convey information and design research strategies using remote sensing displays.

Optical sampling of the flux tower footprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamon, J. A.

2015-03-01

The purpose of this review is to address the reasons and methods for conducting optical remote sensing within the flux tower footprint. Fundamental principles and conclusions gleaned from over two decades of proximal remote sensing at flux tower sites are reviewed. An organizing framework is the light-use efficiency (LUE) model, both because it is widely used, and because it provides a useful theoretical construct for integrating optical remote sensing with flux measurements. Multiple ways of driving this model, ranging from meteorological measurements to remote sensing, have emerged in recent years, making it a convenient conceptual framework for comparative experimental studies. New interpretations of established optical sampling methods, including the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) and Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF), are discussed within the context of the LUE model. Multi-scale analysis across temporal and spatial axes is a central theme, because such scaling can provide links between ecophysiological mechanisms detectable at the level of individual organisms and broad patterns emerging at larger scales, enabling evaluation of emergent properties and extrapolation to the flux footprint and beyond. Proper analysis of sampling scale requires an awareness of sampling context that is often essential to the proper interpretation of optical signals. Additionally, the concept of optical types, vegetation exhibiting contrasting optical behavior in time and space, is explored as a way to frame our understanding of the controls on surface-atmosphere fluxes. Complementary NDVI and PRI patterns across ecosystems are offered as an example of this hypothesis, with the LUE model and light-response curve providing an integrating framework. We conclude that experimental approaches allowing systematic exploration of plant optical behavior in the context of the flux tower network provides a unique way to improve our understanding of environmental constraints and ecophysiological function. In addition to an enhanced mechanistic understanding of ecosystem processes, this integration of remote sensing with flux measurements offers many rich opportunities for upscaling, satellite validation, and informing practical management objectives ranging form assessing ecosystem health and productivity to quantifying biospheric carbon sequestration.

The Feasibility Evaluation of Land Use Change Detection Using GAOFEN-3 Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, G.; Sun, Y.; Zhao, Z.

2018-04-01

GaoFen-3 (GF-3) satellite, is the first C band and multi-polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite in China. In order to explore the feasibility of GF-3 satellite in remote sensing interpretation and land-use remote sensing change detection, taking Guangzhou, China as a study area, the full polarimetric image of GF-3 satellite with 8 m resolution of two temporal as the data source. Firstly, the image is pre-processed by orthorectification, image registration and mosaic, and the land-use remote sensing digital orthophoto map (DOM) in 2017 is made according to the each county. Then the classification analysis and judgment of ground objects on the image are carried out by means of ArcGIS combining with the auxiliary data and using artificial visual interpretation, to determine the area of changes and the category of change objects. According to the unified change information extraction principle to extract change areas. Finally, the change detection results are compared with 3 m resolution TerraSAR-X data and 2 m resolution multi-spectral image, and the accuracy is evaluated. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the GF-3 data is over 75 % in detecting the change of ground objects, and the detection capability of new filling soil is better than that of TerraSAR-X data, verify the detection and monitoring capability of GF-3 data to the change information extraction, also, it shows that GF-3 can provide effective data support for the remote sensing detection of land resources.

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.

Subsurface water parameters: optimization approach to their determination from remotely sensed water color data.

PubMed

Jain, S C; Miller, J R

1976-04-01

A method, using an optimization scheme, has been developed for the interpretation of spectral albedo (or spectral reflectance) curves obtained from remotely sensed water color data. This method used a two-flow model of the radiation flow and solves for the albedo. Optimization fitting of predicted to observed reflectance data is performed by a quadratic interpolation method for the variables chlorophyll concentration and scattering coefficient. The technique is applied to airborne water color data obtained from Kawartha Lakes, Sargasso Sea, and Nova Scotia coast. The modeled spectral albedo curves are compared to those obtained experimentally, and the computed optimum water parameters are compared to ground truth values. It is shown that the backscattered spectral signal contains information that can be interpreted to give quantitative estimates of the chlorophyll concentration and turbidity in the waters studied.

Air pollution linked to Remote Sensing tools - Science training using a Master's Level e-Learning Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladstaetter-Weissenmayer, A.; Kanakidou, M.; Richter, A.; Wagner, T.; Borrell, P.; Law, R. J.; Burrows, J. P.

2009-09-01

As we know it today air pollution is a release into the atmosphere of any substances, chemicals or particles, which are harmful both to the human and animal health as well as the health of the wider environment. The use of satellite based instruments is a young and developing research field and excellent for studying air pollution events over large areas at high spatial-temporal resolutions, especially when ground measurements, which are limited in spatial-temporal coverage, are not available. Students on postgraduate level should be trained in using, and analysing remote sensing data from both ground and satellite based or in interpreting the high variety in remote sensing e.g satellite images or maps. As follows an e-learning online module has been devised and constructed to facilitate the teaching of Remote Sensing of Troposphere from Space to research students at a Master's level. The module, which is essentially an interactive on-line text book, is stand alone, although it could be encompassed within a standard course management system. The scientific content is presented as study pages under three headings: remote sensing from space, the basics of radiation transfer, and retrieval procedures for tropospheric satellite data.The student is encouraged to test his or her comprehension of the material through exercises on the scientific topics.

Air pollution linked to Remote Sensing tools - Science training using a Master's Level e-Learning Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladstätter-Weißenmayer, A.; Kanakidou, M.; Richter, A.; Wagner, T.; Borrell, P.; Law, R. J.; Burrows, J. P.

2009-04-01

As we know it today air pollution is a release into the atmosphere of any substances, chemicals or particles, which are harmful both to the human and animal health as well as the health of the wider environment. The use of satellite based instruments is a young and developing research field and excellent for studying air pollution events over large areas at high spatial-temporal resolutions, especially when ground measurements, which are limited in spatial-temporal coverage, are not available. Students on postgraduate level should be trained in using, and analysing remote sensing data from both ground and satellite based or in interpreting the high variety in remote sensing e.g satellite images or maps. As follows an e-learning online module has been devised and constructed to facilitate the teaching of Remote Sensing of Troposphere from Space to research students at a Master's level. The module, which is essentially an interactive on-line text book, is stand alone, although it could be encompassed within a standard course management system. The scientific content is presented as study pages under three headings: remote sensing from space, the basics of radiation transfer, and retrieval procedures for tropospheric satellite data.The student is encouraged to test his or her comprehension of the material through exercises on the scientific topics.

Random Access Memories: A New Paradigm for Target Detection in High Resolution Aerial Remote Sensing Images.

PubMed

Zou, Zhengxia; Shi, Zhenwei

2018-03-01

We propose a new paradigm for target detection in high resolution aerial remote sensing images under small target priors. Previous remote sensing target detection methods frame the detection as learning of detection model + inference of class-label and bounding-box coordinates. Instead, we formulate it from a Bayesian view that at inference stage, the detection model is adaptively updated to maximize its posterior that is determined by both training and observation. We call this paradigm "random access memories (RAM)." In this paradigm, "Memories" can be interpreted as any model distribution learned from training data and "random access" means accessing memories and randomly adjusting the model at detection phase to obtain better adaptivity to any unseen distribution of test data. By leveraging some latest detection techniques e.g., deep Convolutional Neural Networks and multi-scale anchors, experimental results on a public remote sensing target detection data set show our method outperforms several other state of the art methods. We also introduce a new data set "LEarning, VIsion and Remote sensing laboratory (LEVIR)", which is one order of magnitude larger than other data sets of this field. LEVIR consists of a large set of Google Earth images, with over 22 k images and 10 k independently labeled targets. RAM gives noticeable upgrade of accuracy (an mean average precision improvement of 1% ~ 4%) of our baseline detectors with acceptable computational overhead.

Determination of phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations in the Chesapeake Bay with aircraft remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harding, Lawrence W., Jr.; Itsweire, Eric C.; Esaias, Wayne E.

1992-01-01

Remote sensing measurements of the distribution of phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations in Chesapeake Bay during 1989 are described. It is shown that remote sensing from light aircraft can complement and extend measurements made from traditional platforms and provide data of improved temporal and spatial resolution, leading to a better understanding of phytoplankton dynamics in the estuary. The developments of the winter-spring diatom bloom in the polyhaline to mesohaline regions of the estuary and of the late-spring and summer dinoflagellate blooms in oligohaline and mesohaline regions are traced. The study presents the local chlorophyll algorithm developed using the NASA Ocean Data Acquisition System data and in situ chlorophyll data, interpolated maps of chlorophyll concentration generated by applying the algorithm to aircraft radiance data, ancillary in situ data on nutrients, turbidity, streamflow, and light availability, and an interpretation of phytoplankton dynamics in terms of the chlorophyll distribution in Chesapeake Bay during 1989.

ATHENA: Remote Sensing Science Center for Cultural Heritage in Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Agapiou, Athos; Lysandrou, Vasiliki; Themistocleous, Kyriakos; Cuca, Branka; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Krauss, Thomas; Cerra, Daniele; Gessner, Ursula; Schreier, Gunter

2016-04-01

The Cultural Heritage (CH) sector, especially those of monuments and sites has always been facing a number of challenges from environmental pressure, pollution, human intervention from tourism to destruction by terrorism.Within this context, CH professionals are seeking to improve currently used methodologies, in order to better understand, protect and valorise the common European past and common identity. "ATHENA" H2020-TWINN-2015 project will seek to improve and expand the capabilities of the Cyprus University of Technology, involving professionals dealing with remote sensing technologies for supporting CH sector from the National Research Center of Italy (CNR) and German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The ATHENA centre will be devoted to the development, introduction and systematic use of advanced remote sensing science and technologies in the field of archaeology, built cultural heritage, their multi-temporal analysis and interpretation and the distant monitoring of their natural and anthropogenic environment in the area of Eastern Mediterranean.

Seasonality of a boreal forest: a remote sensing perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rautiainen, Miina; Heiskanen, Janne; Lukes, Petr; Majasalmi, Titta; Mottus, Matti; Pisek, Jan

2016-04-01

Understanding the seasonal dynamics of boreal ecosystems through interpretation of satellite reflectance data is needed for efficient large-scale monitoring of northern vegetation dynamics and productivity trends. Satellite remote sensing enables continuous global monitoring of vegetation status and is not limited to single-date phenological metrics. Using remote sensing also enables gaining a wider perspective to the seasonality of vegetation dynamics. The seasonal reflectance cycles of boreal forests observed in optical satellite images are explained by changes in biochemical properties and geometrical structure of vegetation as well as seasonal variation in solar illumination. This poster provides a synthesis of a research project (2010-2015) dedicated to monitoring the seasonal cycle of boreal forests. It is based on satellite and field data collected from the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in Finland. The results highlight the role understory vegetation has in forming the forest reflectance measured by satellite instruments.

Sea-land segmentation for infrared remote sensing images based on superpixels and multi-scale features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Sen; Zou, Zhengxia; Liu, Dunge; Xia, Zhenghuan; Shi, Zhenwei

2018-06-01

Sea-land segmentation is a key step for the information processing of ocean remote sensing images. Traditional sea-land segmentation algorithms ignore the local similarity prior of sea and land, and thus fail in complex scenarios. In this paper, we propose a new sea-land segmentation method for infrared remote sensing images to tackle the problem based on superpixels and multi-scale features. Considering the connectivity and local similarity of sea or land, we interpret the sea-land segmentation task in view of superpixels rather than pixels, where similar pixels are clustered and the local similarity are explored. Moreover, the multi-scale features are elaborately designed, comprising of gray histogram and multi-scale total variation. Experimental results on infrared bands of Landsat-8 satellite images demonstrate that the proposed method can obtain more accurate and more robust sea-land segmentation results than the traditional algorithms.

Earth Survey Applications Division. [a bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, L. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Accomplishments of research and data analysis conducted to study physical parameters and processes inside the Earth and on the Earth's surface, to define techniques and systems for remotely sensing the processes and measuring the parameters of scientific and applications interest, and the transfer of promising operational applications techniques to the user community of Earth resources monitors, managers, and decision makers are described. Research areas covered include: geobotany, magnetic field modeling, crustal studies, crustal dynamics, sea surface topography, land resources, remote sensing of vegetation and soils, and hydrological sciences. Major accomplishments include: production of global maps of magnetic anomalies using Magsat data; computation of the global mean sea surface using GEOS-3 and Seasat altimetry data; delineation of the effects of topography on the interpretation of remotely-sensed data; application of snowmelt runoff models to water resources management; and mapping of snow depth over wheat growing areas using Nimbus microwave data.

Viewing marine bacteria, their activity and response to environmental drivers from orbit: satellite remote sensing of bacteria.

PubMed

Grimes, D Jay; Ford, Tim E; Colwell, Rita R; Baker-Austin, Craig; Martinez-Urtaza, Jaime; Subramaniam, Ajit; Capone, Douglas G

2014-04-01

Satellite-based remote sensing of marine microorganisms has become a useful tool in predicting human health risks associated with these microscopic targets. Early applications were focused on harmful algal blooms, but more recently methods have been developed to interrogate the ocean for bacteria. As satellite-based sensors have become more sophisticated and our ability to interpret information derived from these sensors has advanced, we have progressed from merely making fascinating pictures from space to developing process models with predictive capability. Our understanding of the role of marine microorganisms in primary production and global elemental cycles has been vastly improved as has our ability to use the combination of remote sensing data and models to provide early warning systems for disease outbreaks. This manuscript will discuss current approaches to monitoring cyanobacteria and vibrios, their activity and response to environmental drivers, and will also suggest future directions.

Other remote sensing systems: Retrospect and outlook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The history of remote sensing is reviewed and the scope and versatility of the several remote sensing systems already in orbit are discussed, especially those with sensors operating in other EM spectral modes. The multisensor approach is examined by interrelating LANDSAT observations with data from other satellite systems. The basic principles and practices underlying the use of thermal infrared and radar sensors are explored and the types of observations and interpretations emanating from the Nimbus, Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, and SEASAT programs are examined. Approved or proposed Earth resources oriented missions for the 1980's previewed include LANDSAT D, Stereosat, Gravsat, the French satellite SPOT-1, and multimission modular spacecraft launched from space shuttle. The pushbroom imager, the linear array pushbroom radiometer, the multispectral linear array, and the operational LANDSAT observing system, to be designed the LANDSAT-E series are also envisioned for this decade.

Thicknesses of and Primary Ejecta Fractions in Basin Ejecta Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.; McKinnon, William B.

2003-01-01

We have developed a model for production of ba-sin ejecta deposits to address provenances of materials collected at the Apollo and Luna landing sites and for consideration in interpreting remote sensing data.

Thicknesses of and Primary Ejecta Fractions in Basin Ejecta Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.; McKinnon, William B.

2003-01-01

We have developed a model for production of basin ejecta deposits to address provenances of materials collected at the Apollo and Luna landing sites and for consideration in interpreting remote sensing data.

Tools and Services for Working with Multiple Land Remote Sensing Data Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krehbiel, C.; Friesz, A.; Harriman, L.; Quenzer, R.; Impecoven, K.; Maiersperger, T.

2016-12-01

The availability of increasingly large and diverse satellite remote sensing datasets provides both an opportunity and a challenge across broad Earth science research communities. On one hand, the extensive assortment of available data offer unprecedented opportunities to improve our understanding of Earth science and enable data use across a multitude of science disciplines. On the other hand, increasingly complex formats, data structures, and metadata can be an obstacle to data use for the broad user community that is interested in incorporating remote sensing Earth science data into their research. NASA's Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) provides easy to use Python notebook tutorials for services such as accessing land remote sensing data from the LP DAAC Data Pool and interpreting data quality information from MODIS. We use examples to demonstrate the capabilities of the Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS), such as spatially and spectrally subsetting data, decoding valuable quality information, and exploring initial analysis results within the user interface. We also show data recipes for R and Python scripts that help users process ASTER L1T and ASTER Global Emissivity Datasets.

Growth pattern research on the modern deposition of Ganjiang delta in Poyang lake basin by spatio-temporal remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hongying; Yuan, Xuanjun; Zhang, Youyan; Dong, Wentong; Liu, Song

2016-11-01

It is of great importance for petroleum exploration to study the sedimentary features and the growth pattern of shoal water deltas in lake basins. Taking spatio-temporal remote sensing images as the principal data source, combined with field sedimentation survey, a quantitative research on the modern deposition of Ganjiang delta in the Poyang Lake Basin is described in this paper. Using 76 multi-temporal and multi-type remote sensing images acquired from 1973 to 2015, combined with field sedimentation survey, remote sensing interpretation analysis was conducted on the sedimentary facies of the Ganjiang delta. It is found that that the current Poyang Lake mainly consists of three types of sand body deposits including deltaic deposit, overflow channel deposit, and aeolian deposit, and the distribution of sand bodies was affected by the above three types of depositions jointly. The mid-branch channels of the Ganjiang delta increased on an exponential growth rhythm. The main growth pattern of the Ganjiang delta is dendritic and reticular, and the distributary channel mostly arborizes at lake inlet and was reworked to be reticulatus at late stage.

Combining remote sensing image with DEM to identify ancient Minqin Oasis, northwest of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Yaowen

2008-10-01

The developing and desertification process of Minqin oasis is representative in the whole arid area of northwest China. Combining Remote Sensing image with Digital Elevation Model (DEM) can produce the three-dimensional image of the research area which can give prominence to the spatial background of historical geography phenomenon's distribution, providing the conditions for extracting and analyzing historical geographical information thoroughly. This research rebuilds the ancient artificial Oasis based on the three-dimensional images produced by the TM digital Remote Sensing image and DEM created using 1:100000 topographic maps. The result indicates that the whole area of the ancient artificial oasis in Minqin Basin over the whole historical period reaches 321km2, in the form of discontinuous sheet, separated on the two banks of ancient Shiyang River and its branches, namely, Xishawo area, west to modern Minqin Basin and Zhongshawo area, in the center of the oasis. Except for a little of the ancient oasis unceasingly used by later people, most of it became desert. The combination of digital Remote Sensing image and DEM can integrate the advantages of both in identifying ancient oasis and improve the interpreting accuracy greatly.

Fuzzy ontologies for semantic interpretation of remotely sensed images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djerriri, Khelifa; Malki, Mimoun

2015-10-01

Object-based image classification consists in the assignment of object that share similar attributes to object categories. To perform such a task the remote sensing expert uses its personal knowledge, which is rarely formalized. Ontologies have been proposed as solution to represent domain knowledge agreed by domain experts in a formal and machine readable language. Classical ontology languages are not appropriate to deal with imprecision or vagueness in knowledge. Fortunately, Description Logics for the semantic web has been enhanced by various approaches to handle such knowledge. This paper presents the extension of the traditional ontology-based interpretation with fuzzy ontology of main land-cover classes in Landsat8-OLI scenes (vegetation, built-up areas, water bodies, shadow, clouds, forests) objects. A good classification of image objects was obtained and the results highlight the potential of the method to be replicated over time and space in the perspective of transferability of the procedure.

Development and testing of a rural credit supervision system at the level of counties and rural properties utilizing remote sensing techniqes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batista, G. T. (Principal Investigator); Delima, A. M.; Tardin, A. T.; Rudorff, B. F. T.; Mendonca, F. J.; Dosanjosferreirapinto, S.; Chen, S. C.; Duarte, V.

1984-01-01

Remote sensing techniques for supporting the rural credit supervision system were developed and tested. The test area comprised the counties of Aracatuba and Guararapes, located in the State of Sao Paulo. Aerial photography, LANDSAT images and topographic charts were used. Aerial photographs were extremely useful for the out lining of properties boundaries with financing of sugarcane plantations by the Banco do Brasil S.A.. The percentage of correctly interpreted sugarcane on LANDSAT images, considering the 85 analyzed properties, was of 63.12%. The occurrence of atypical conditions such as excessive raining, sugarcane in bloom, and wind damaged sugarcane and sugarcane not harvested due to planning failures verified during the period the images were obtained, were some of the contributing factors associated with a low interpretation performance. An alternative approach was developed using several LANDSAT overpasses and auxiliary field data, which resulted in 91.77 percent correct.

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.

The Oasis impact structure, Libya: geological characteristics from ALOS PALSAR-2 data interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Gasselt, Stephan; Kim, Jung Rack; Choi, Yun-Soo; Kim, Jaemyeong

2017-02-01

Optical and infrared remote sensing may provide first-order clues for the identification of potential impact structures on the Earth. Despite the free availability of at least optical image data at highest resolution, research has shown that remote sensing analysis always remains inconclusive and extensive groundwork is needed for the confirmation of the impact origin of such structures. Commonly, optical image data and digital terrain models have been employed mainly for such remote sensing studies of impact structures. With the advent of imaging radar data, a few excursions have been made to also employ radar datasets. Despite its long use, capabilities of imaging radar for studying surface and subsurface structures have not been exploited quantitatively when applied for the identification and description of such features due to the inherent complexity of backscatter processes. In this work, we make use of higher-level derived radar datasets in order to gain clearer qualitative insights that help to describe and identify potential impact structures. We make use of high-resolution data products from the ALOS PALSAR-1 and ALOS PALSAR-2 L-band sensors to describe the heavily eroded Oasis impact structure located in the Libyan Desert. While amplitude radar data with single polarization have usually been utilized to accompany the suite of remote sensing datasets when interpreting impact structures in the past, we conclude that the integration of amplitude data with HH/HV/HH-HV polarization modes in standard and, in particular, in Ultra-Fine mode, as well as entropy-alpha decomposition data, significantly helps to identify and discriminate surface units based on their consolidation. Based on the overarching structural pattern, we determined the diameter of the eroded Oasis structure at 15.6 ± 0.5 km.

Digitise This! A Quick and Easy Remote Sensing Method to Monitor the Daily Extent of Dredge Plumes

PubMed Central

Evans, Richard D.; Murray, Kathy L.; Field, Stuart N.; Moore, James A. Y.; Shedrawi, George; Huntley, Barton G.; Fearns, Peter; Broomhall, Mark; McKinna, Lachlan I. W.; Marrable, Daniel

2012-01-01

Technological advancements in remote sensing and GIS have improved natural resource managers’ abilities to monitor large-scale disturbances. In a time where many processes are heading towards automation, this study has regressed to simple techniques to bridge a gap found in the advancement of technology. The near-daily monitoring of dredge plume extent is common practice using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery and associated algorithms to predict the total suspended solids (TSS) concentration in the surface waters originating from floods and dredge plumes. Unfortunately, these methods cannot determine the difference between dredge plume and benthic features in shallow, clear water. This case study at Barrow Island, Western Australia, uses hand digitising to demonstrate the ability of human interpretation to determine this difference with a level of confidence and compares the method to contemporary TSS methods. Hand digitising was quick, cheap and required very little training of staff to complete. Results of ANOSIM R statistics show remote sensing derived TSS provided similar spatial results if they were thresholded to at least 3 mg L−1. However, remote sensing derived TSS consistently provided false-positive readings of shallow benthic features as Plume with a threshold up to TSS of 6 mg L−1, and began providing false-negatives (excluding actual plume) at a threshold as low as 4 mg L−1. Semi-automated processes that estimate plume concentration and distinguish between plumes and shallow benthic features without the arbitrary nature of human interpretation would be preferred as a plume monitoring method. However, at this stage, the hand digitising method is very useful and is more accurate at determining plume boundaries over shallow benthic features and is accessible to all levels of management with basic training. PMID:23240055

Utility of remotely sensed data for identification of soil conservation practices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelletier, R. E.; Griffin, R. H.

1986-01-01

Discussed are a variety of remotely sensed data sources that may have utility in the identification of conservation practices and related linear features. Test sites were evaluated in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma using one or more of a variety of remotely sensed data sources, including color infrared photography (CIR), LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) data, and aircraft-acquired Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data. Both visual examination and computer-implemented enhancement procedures were used to identify conservation practices and other linear features. For the Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma test sites, photo interpretations of CIR identified up to 24 of the 109 conservation practices from a matrix derived from the SCS National Handbook of Conservation Practices. The conservation practice matrix was modified to predict the possibility of identifying the 109 practices at various photographic scales based on the observed results as well as photo interpreter experience. Some practices were successfully identified in TM data through visual identification, but a number of existing practices were of such size and shape that the resolution of the TM could not detect them accurately. A series of computer-automated decorrelation and filtering procedures served to enhance the conservation practices in TM data with only fair success. However, features such as field boundaries, roads, water bodies, and the Urban/Ag interface were easily differentiated. Similar enhancement techniques applied to 5 and 10 meter TIMS data proved much more useful in delineating terraces, grass waterways, and drainage ditches as well as the features mentioned above, due partly to improved resolution and partly to thermally influenced moisture conditions. Spatially oriented data such as those derived from remotely sensed data offer some promise in the inventory and monitoring of conservation practices as well as in supplying parameter data for a variety of computer-implemented agricultural models.

Spatial assessment of Geo-environmental data by the integration of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques for Sitakund Region, Eastern foldbelt, Bangladesh.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazi, M. Y.; Rahman, M.; Islam, M. A.; Kabir, S. M. M.

2016-12-01

Techniques of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) have been applied for the analysis and interpretation of the Geo-environmental assessment to Sitakund area, located within the administrative boundaries of the Chittagong district, Bangladesh. Landsat ETM+ image with a ground resolution of 30-meter and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) has been adopted in this study in order to produce a set of thematic maps. The diversity of the terrain characteristics had a major role in the diversity of recipes and types of soils that are based on the geological structure, also helped to diversity in land cover and use in the region. The geological situation has affected on the general landscape of the study area. The problem of research lies in the possibility of the estimating the techniques of remote sensing and geographic information systems in the evaluation of the natural data for the study area spatially as well as determine the appropriate in grades for the appearance of the ground and in line with the reality of the region. Software for remote sensing and geographic information systems were adopted in the analysis, classification and interpretation of the prepared thematic maps in order to get to the building of the Geo-environmental assessment map of the study area. Low risk geo-environmental land mostly covered area of Quaternary deposits especially with area of slope wash deposits carried by streams. Medium and high risk geo-environmental land distributed with area of other formation with the study area, mostly the high risk shows area of folds and faults. The study has assessed the suitability of lands for agricultural purpose and settlements in less vulnerable areas within this region.

ANALYSIS OF A CLASSIFICATION ERROR MATRIX USING CATEGORICAL DATA TECHNIQUES.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenfield, George H.; Fitzpatrick-Lins, Katherine

1984-01-01

Summary form only given. A classification error matrix typically contains tabulation results of an accuracy evaluation of a thematic classification, such as that of a land use and land cover map. The diagonal elements of the matrix represent the counts corrected, and the usual designation of classification accuracy has been the total percent correct. The nondiagonal elements of the matrix have usually been neglected. The classification error matrix is known in statistical terms as a contingency table of categorical data. As an example, an application of these methodologies to a problem of remotely sensed data concerning two photointerpreters and four categories of classification indicated that there is no significant difference in the interpretation between the two photointerpreters, and that there are significant differences among the interpreted category classifications. However, two categories, oak and cottonwood, are not separable in classification in this experiment at the 0. 51 percent probability. A coefficient of agreement is determined for the interpreted map as a whole, and individually for each of the interpreted categories. A conditional coefficient of agreement for the individual categories is compared to other methods for expressing category accuracy which have already been presented in the remote sensing literature.

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.

Visible-infrared remote-sensing model and applications for ocean waters. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Zhongping

1994-01-01

Remote sensing has become important in the ocean sciences, especially for research involving large spatial scales. To estimate the in-water constituents through remote sensing, whether carried out by satellite or airplane, the signal emitted from beneath the sea surface, the so called water-leaving radiance (L(w)), is of prime importance. The magnitude of L(w) depends on two terms: one is the intensity of the solar input, and the other is the reflectance of the in-water constituents. The ratio of the water-leaving radiance to the downwelling irradiance (E(d)) above the sear surface (remote-sensing reflectance, R(sub rs)) is independent of the intensity of the irradiance input, and is largely a function of the optical properties of the in-water constituents. In this work, a model is developed to interpret r(sub rs) for ocean water in the visible-infrared range. In addition to terms for the radiance scattered from molecules and particles, the model includes terms that describe contributions from bottom reflectance, fluorescence of gelbstoff or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and water Raman scattering. By using this model, the measured R(sub rs) of waters from the West Florida Shelf to the Mississippi River plume, which covered a (concentration of chlorophyll a) range of 0.07 - 50 mg/cu m, were well interpreted. The average percentage difference (a.p.d.) between the measured and modeled R(sub rs) is 3.4%, and, for the shallow waters, the model-required water depth is within 10% of the chart depth. Simple mathematical simulations for the phytoplankton pigment absorption coefficient (a(sub theta)) are suggested for using the R(sub rs) model. The inverse problem of R(sub rs), which is to analytically derive the in-water constituents from R(sub rs) data alone, can be solved using the a(sub theta) functions without prior knowledge of the in-water optical properties. More importantly, this method avoids problems associated with a need for knowledge of the shape and value of the chlorophyll-specific absorption coefficient. The simulation was tested for a wide range of water types, including waters from Monterey Bay, the West Florida Shelf, and the Mississippi River plume. Using the simulation, the R(sub rs)-derived in-water absorption coefficients were consistent with the values from in-water measurements (r(exp 2) greater than 0.94, slope approximately 1.0). In the remote-sensing applications, a new approach is suggested for the estimation of primary production based on remote sensing. Using this approach, the calculated primary production (PP) values based upon remotely sensed data were very close to the measured values for the euphotic zone (r(exp 2) = 0.95, slope 1.26, and 32% average difference), while traditional, pigment-based PP model provided values only one-third the size of the measured data. This indicates a potential to significantly improve the accuracy of the estimation of primary production based upon remote sensing.

GIS Integration for Quantitatively Determining the Capabilities of Five Remote Sensors for Resource Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pascucci, R. F.; Smith, A.

1982-01-01

To assist the U.S. Geological Survey in carrying out a Congressional mandate to investigate the use of side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) for resources exploration, a research program was conducted to define the contribution of SLAR imagery to structural geologic mapping and to compare this with contributions from other remote sensing systems. Imagery from two SLAR systems and from three other remote sensing systems was interpreted, and the resulting information was digitized, quantified and intercompared using a computer-assisted geographic information system (GIS). The study area covers approximately 10,000 square miles within the Naval Petroleum Reserve, Alaska, and is situated between the foothills of the Brooks Range and the North Slope. The principal objectives were: (1) to establish quantitatively, the total information contribution of each of the five remote sensing systems to the mapping of structural geology; (2) to determine the amount of information detected in common when the sensors are used in combination; and (3) to determine the amount of unique, incremental information detected by each sensor when used in combination with others. The remote sensor imagery that was investigated included real-aperture and synthetic-aperture radar imagery, standard and digitally enhanced LANDSAT MSS imagery, and aerial photos.

Sea surface and remotely sensed temperatures off Cape Mendocino, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breaker, L. C.; Arvesen, J. C.; Frydenlund, D.; Myers, J. S.; Short, K.

1985-01-01

During September 3 to 5, 1979, a multisensor oceanographic experiment was conducted off Cape Mendocino, California. The purpose of this experiment was to validate the use of remote sensing techniques over an area along the U.S. west coast where coasted upwelling is known to be intense. Remotely sensed mutlispectral data, including thermal infrared imagery, were collected above an upwelling feature off Cape Mendocino. Data were acquired from the TIRNOS-N and NOAA-6 polar orbiting satellites, the NASA Ames Research Center's high altitude U-2 aircraft, and a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 aircraft. Supporting surface truth data over the same feature were collected aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship, OCEANOGRAPHER. Atmospheric soundings were also taken aboard the ship. The results indicate that shipboard measurements of sea surface temperatures can be reproduction within 1 C or better through remote observation of absolute infrared radiance values (whether measured aboard the NOAA polar orbiting satellite, the U-2 aircraft, or the Coast Guard aircraft) by using appropriate atmospheric corrections. Also, the patterns of sea surface temperature which were derived independently from the various remote platforms provide a consistent interpretation of the surface temperature field.

Remote sensing entropy to assess the sustainability of rainfall in tropical catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, M. R.; Reba, M. N. M.; Wei, J. S.; Razak, N. H. Abdul

2018-02-01

This study demonstrated the utility of entropy computation using the satellite precipitation remote sensing data to assess the sustainability of rainfall in tropical catchments. There were two major issues need to be anticipated in monitoring the tropical catchments; first is the frequent monitoring of the rainfall and second is the appropriate indicator that sensitive to rainfall pattern changes or disorder. For the first issue, the use of satellite remote sensing precipitation data is suggested. Meanwhile for the second issue, the utilization of entropy concept in interpreting the disorder of temporal rainfall can be used to assess the sustain ability had been successfully adopted in some studies. Therefore, we hypothesized that the use of satellite precipitation as main data to compute entropy can be a novel tool in anticipating the above-mentioned conflict earlier. The remote sensing entropy results and in-situ river level showed good agreement indicating its reliability. 72% of the catchment has moderate to good rainfall supply during normal or non-drought condition. However, our result showed that the catchments were highly sensitive to drought especially in the west coast and southern part of the Peninsular Malaysia. High resiliency was identified in the east coast. We summarized that the proposed entropy-quantity scheme was a useful tool for cost-effective, quick, and operational sustainability assessment This study demonstrated the utility of entropy computation using the satellite precipitation remote sensing data to assess the sustainability of rainfall in tropical catchments.

Automated extraction of metadata from remotely sensed satellite imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cromp, Robert F.

1991-01-01

The paper discusses research in the Intelligent Data Management project at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, with emphasis on recent improvements in low-level feature detection algorithms for performing real-time characterization of images. Images, including MSS and TM data, are characterized using neural networks and the interpretation of the neural network output by an expert system for subsequent archiving in an object-oriented data base. The data show the applicability of this approach to different arrangements of low-level remote sensing channels. The technique works well when the neural network is trained on data similar to the data used for testing.

Estimating reforestation by means of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Filho, P. H.; Shimabukuro, Y. E.; Dossantos, J. R.

1981-01-01

LANDSAT imagery at the scale of 1:250.000 and obtained from bands 5 and 7 as well as computer compatible tapes were used to evaluate the effectiveness of remotely sensed orbital data in inventorying forests in a 462,100 area of Brazil emcompassing the cities of Ribeirao, Altinopolis Cravinhos, Serra Azul, Luis Antonio, Sao Simao, Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, and Santa Rosa do Viterbo. Visual interpretation of LANDSAT imagery shows that 37,766 hectares (1977) and 38,003.75 hectares (1979) were reforested areas of pine and eucalyptus species. An increment of 237.5 hectares was found during this two-year time lapse.

Program on Earth Observation Data Management Systems (EODMS), appendixes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eastwood, L. F., Jr.; Gohagan, J. K.; Hill, C. T.; Morgan, R. P.; Bay, S. M.; Foutch, T. K.; Hays, T. R.; Ballard, R. J.; Makin, K. P.; Power, M. A.

1976-01-01

The needs of state, regional, and local agencies involved in natural resources management in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin are investigated to determine the design of satellite remotely sensed derivable information products. It is concluded that an operational Earth Observation Data Management System (EODMS) will be most beneficial if it provides a full range of services - from raw data acquisition to interpretation and dissemination of final information products. Included is a cost and performance analysis of alternative processing centers, and an assessment of the impacts of policy, regulation, and government structure on implementing large scale use of remote sensing technology in this community of users.

Evaluation of reforestation using remote sensing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Filho, P. H.; Shimabukuro, Y. E.; Dossantos, J. R.

1982-01-01

The utilization of remotely sensed orbital data for forestry inventory. The study area (approximately 491,100 ha) encompasses the municipalities of Ribeirao Preto, Altinopolis, Cravinhos, Serra Azul, Luis Antonio, Sao Simao, Sant Rita do Passa Quatro and Santa Rosa do Viterbo (Sao Paulo State). Materials used were LANDSAT data from channels 5 and 7 (scale 1:250,000) and CCT's. Visual interpretation of the imagery showed that for 1977 a total of 37,766.00 ha and for 1979 38,003.75 ha were reforested with Pinus and Eucalyptus within the area under study. The results obtained show that LANDSAT data can be used efficiently in forestry inventory studies.

Airborne remote sensors applied to engineering geology and civil works design investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelnett, R. H.

1975-01-01

The usefulness of various airborne remote sensing systems in the detection and identification of regional and specific geologic structural features that may affect the design and location of engineering structures on major civil works projects is evaluated. The Butler Valley Dam and Blue Lake Project in northern California was selected as a demonstration site. Findings derived from the interpretation of various kinds of imagery used are given.

Airborne remote sensing for geology and the environment; present and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, Ken; Knepper, Daniel H.

1994-01-01

In 1988, a group of leading experts from government, academia, and industry attended a workshop on airborne remote sensing sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and hosted by the Branch of Geophysics. The purpose of the workshop was to examine the scientific rationale for airborne remote sensing in support of government earth science in the next decade. This report has arranged the six resulting working-group reports under two main headings: (1) Geologic Remote Sensing, for the reports on geologic mapping, mineral resources, and fossil fuels and geothermal resources; and (2) Environmental Remote Sensing, for the reports on environmental geology, geologic hazards, and water resources. The intent of the workshop was to provide an evaluation of demonstrated capabilities, their direct extensions, and possible future applications, and this was the organizational format used for the geologic remote sensing reports. The working groups in environmental remote sensing chose to present their reports in a somewhat modified version of this format. A final section examines future advances and limitations in the field. There is a large, complex, and often bewildering array of remote sensing data available. Early remote sensing studies were based on data collected from airborne platforms. Much of that technology was later extended to satellites. The original 80-m-resolution Landsat Multispectral Scanner System (MSS) has now been largely superseded by the 30-m-resolution Thematic Mapper (TM) system that has additional spectral channels. The French satellite SPOT provides higher spatial resolution for channels equivalent to MSS. Low-resolution (1 km) data are available from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's AVHRR system, which acquires reflectance and day and night thermal data daily. Several experimental satellites have acquired limited data, and there are extensive plans for future satellites including those of Japan (JERS), Europe (ESA), Canada (Radarsat), and the United States (EOS). There are currently two national airborne remote sensing programs (photography, radar) with data archived at the USGS' EROS Data Center. Airborne broadband multispectral data (comparable to Landsat MSS and TM but involving several more channels) for limited geographic areas also are available for digital processing and analysis. Narrow-band imaging spectrometer data are available for some NASA experiment sites and can be acquired for other locations commercially. Remote sensing data and derivative images, because of the uniform spatial coverage, availability at different resolutions, and digital format, are becoming important data sets for geographic information system (GIS) analyses. Examples range from overlaying digitized geologic maps on remote sensing images and draping these over topography, to maps of mineral distribution and inferred abundance. A large variety of remote sensing data sets are available, with costs ranging from a few dollars per square mile for satellite digital data to a few hundred dollars per square mile for airborne imaging spectrometry. Computer processing and analysis costs routinely surpass these expenses because of the equipment and expertise necessary for information extraction and interpretation. Effective use requires both an understanding of the current methodology and an appreciation of the most cost-effective solution.

Reviews and Syntheses: optical sampling of the flux tower footprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamon, J. A.

2015-07-01

The purpose of this review is to address the reasons and methods for conducting optical remote sensing within the flux tower footprint. Fundamental principles and conclusions gleaned from over 2 decades of proximal remote sensing at flux tower sites are reviewed. The organizing framework used here is the light-use efficiency (LUE) model, both because it is widely used, and because it provides a useful theoretical construct for integrating optical remote sensing with flux measurements. Multiple ways of driving this model, ranging from meteorological measurements to remote sensing, have emerged in recent years, making it a convenient conceptual framework for comparative experimental studies. New interpretations of established optical sampling methods, including the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), are discussed within the context of the LUE model. Multi-scale analysis across temporal and spatial axes is a central theme because such scaling can provide links between ecophysiological mechanisms detectable at the level of individual organisms and broad patterns emerging at larger scales, enabling evaluation of emergent properties and extrapolation to the flux footprint and beyond. Proper analysis of the sampling scale requires an awareness of sampling context that is often essential to the proper interpretation of optical signals. Additionally, the concept of optical types, vegetation exhibiting contrasting optical behavior in time and space, is explored as a way to frame our understanding of the controls on surface-atmosphere fluxes. Complementary normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and PRI patterns across ecosystems are offered as an example of this hypothesis, with the LUE model and light-response curve providing an integrating framework. I conclude that experimental approaches allowing systematic exploration of plant optical behavior in the context of the flux tower network provides a unique way to improve our understanding of environmental constraints and ecophysiological function. In addition to an enhanced mechanistic understanding of ecosystem processes, this integration of remote sensing with flux measurements offers many rich opportunities for upscaling, satellite validation, and informing practical management objectives ranging from assessing ecosystem health and productivity to quantifying biospheric carbon sequestration.

Mimicking human expert interpretation of remotely sensed raster imagery by using a novel segmentation analysis within ArcGIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Bas, Tim; Scarth, Anthony; Bunting, Peter

2015-04-01

Traditional computer based methods for the interpretation of remotely sensed imagery use each pixel individually or the average of a small window of pixels to calculate a class or thematic value, which provides an interpretation. However when a human expert interprets imagery, the human eye is excellent at finding coherent and homogenous areas and edge features. It may therefore be advantageous for computer analysis to mimic human interpretation. A new toolbox for ArcGIS 10.x will be presented that segments the data layers into a set of polygons. Each polygon is defined by a K-means clustering and region growing algorithm, thus finding areas, their edges and any lineations in the imagery. Attached to each polygon are the characteristics of the imagery such as mean and standard deviation of the pixel values, within the polygon. The segmentation of imagery into a jigsaw of polygons also has the advantage that the human interpreter does not need to spend hours digitising the boundaries. The segmentation process has been taken from the RSGIS library of analysis and classification routines (Bunting et al., 2014). These routines are freeware and have been modified to be available in the ArcToolbox under the Windows (v7) operating system. Input to the segmentation process is a multi-layered raster image, for example; a Landsat image, or a set of raster datasets made up from derivatives of topography. The size and number of polygons are set by the user and are dependent on the imagery used. Examples will be presented of data from the marine environment utilising bathymetric depth, slope, rugosity and backscatter from a multibeam system. Meaningful classification of the polygons using their numerical characteristics is the next goal. Object based image analysis (OBIA) should help this workflow. Fully calibrated imagery systems will allow numerical classification to be translated into more readily understandable terms. Peter Bunting, Daniel Clewley, Richard M. Lucas and Sam Gillingham. 2014. The Remote Sensing and GIS Software Library (RSGISLib), Computers & Geosciences. Volume 62, Pages 216-226 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2013.08.007.

ORAL PRESENTATION:EPA'S ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER (EPIC)

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation provides an overview of the remote sensing technical support and research and development activities of the Environmental Photographic Interprettion Center (EPIC). It is the basis for a presentation given at the EPA's Office of Acquisition Management's Annual C...

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.

Proceedings of the twelfth international symposium on remote sensing of environment

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

Not Available

This is the third of three volumes of the proceedings of the Twelfth International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, held 20 to 26 April 1978 in Manila, Philippines. This symposium is part of a continuing program investigating current activities in the field of remote sensing. The meeting is intended to promote increased international cooperation in research, development and application of this technology, and to stimulate an exchange of information on all aspects of this multidisciplinary field through the presentation of reports on work planned, in progress or completed. Presentations include those concerned with the utilization of this technology inmore » various national and international programs as well as in numerous applications for monitoring and managing the earth's resources and man's global environment. Ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne sensor systems and both manual and machine-assisted data analysis and interpretation are included. All papers included in their entirety were abstracted and indexed for EDB/ERA.« less

The interaction of light with phytoplankton in the marine environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carder, Kendall L.; Collins, Donald J.; Perry, Mary Jane; Clark, H. Lawrence; Mesias, Jorge M.

1986-01-01

In many regions of the ocean, the phytoplankton population dominates both the attenuation and scattering of light. In other regions, non-phytoplankton contributions to the absorption and scattering may change the remote sensing reflectance and thus affect the ability to interpret remotely sensed ocean color. Hence, variations in the composition of both the phytoplankton population and of the non-phytoplankton material in the water can affect the optical properties of the sea. The effects of these contributions to the remote sensing reflectance and the submarine light field are modeled using scattering and absorption measurements of phytoplankton cultures obtained at the Friday Harbor Laboratory of the University of Washington. These measurements are used to develop regional chlorophyll algorithms specific to the summer waters of Puget Sound for the Coastal Zone Color Scanner, Thematic Mapper and future Ocean Color Imager, and their accuracies are compared for high chlorophyll waters with little or no Gelbstoff, but with variable detrital and suspended material.

Program on Earth Observation Data Management Systems (EODMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eastwood, L. F., Jr.; Gohagan, J. K.; Hill, C. T.; Morgan, R. P.; Hays, T. R.; Ballard, R. J.; Crnkovick, G. R.; Schaeffer, M. A.

1976-01-01

An assessment was made of the needs of a group of potential users of satellite remotely sensed data (state, regional, and local agencies) involved in natural resources management in five states, and alternative data management systems to satisfy these needs are outlined. Tasks described include: (1) a comprehensive data needs analysis of state and local users; (2) the design of remote sensing-derivable information products that serve priority state and local data needs; (3) a cost and performance analysis of alternative processing centers for producing these products; (4) an assessment of the impacts of policy, regulation and government structure on implementing large-scale use of remote sensing technology in this community of users; and (5) the elaboration of alternative institutional arrangements for operational Earth Observation Data Management Systems (EODMS). It is concluded that an operational EODMS will be of most use to state, regional, and local agencies if it provides a full range of information services -- from raw data acquisition to interpretation and dissemination of final information products.

An application of aerial remote sensing to monitor salinization at Xinding Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Yu-Liang

In this paper, a method to interpret the high, mid, low salinized ploughland and the salinized wasteland using comprehensive aerophoto interpretation principles will be described for Xinding Basin, Shanxi Province. The dynamic change of salinized soil during 7 years from 1980 to 1987 will be compared with the typical Dingxiang County. The map and data obtained, with an accuracy of more than 90%, are provided to the local government as the scientific grounds to instruct agricultural productivity. Soil salinization is a worldwide problem. With the sharp increase in world population and modern industrialisation development, the natural resource consumption is increasing day and day, and bringing about a lack of land resource worldwide. As a kind of back-up land resource, salinized land has not only attracted the concern and study of the agricultural scientists in all countries, but also by the whole society. Shanxi is such a province in China where more than 1/3 of its total area of irrigation land is salinized. The statistics used to monitor this salinized area lack objectivity and accuracy. In 1987, the government of Shanxi Province began to investigate the salinized area of the whole province, using remote sensing technology. We selected the Xinding Basin in central Shanxi as the test district to perform the aerial remote sensing investigation, and, at the same time, studied the salinization dynamic change on the Dingxiang County used as the typical district.

An investigation of current and future satellite and in-situ data for the remote sensing of the land surface energy balance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diak, George R.

1994-01-01

This final report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) summarizes a research program designed to improve our knowledge of the water and energy balance of the land surface through the application of remote sensing and in-situ data sources. The remote sensing data source investigations to be detailed involve surface radiometric ('skin') temperatures and also high-spectral-resolution infrared radiance data from atmospheric sounding instruments projected to be available at the end of the decade, which have shown promising results for evaluating the land-surface water and energy budget. The in-situ data types to be discussed are measurements of the temporal changes of the height of the planetary boundary layer and measurements of air temperature within the planetary boundary layer. Physical models of the land surface, planetary boundary layer and free atmosphere have been used as important tools to interpret the in-situ and remote sensing signals of the surface energy balance. A prototype 'optimal' system for combining multiple data sources into a three-dimensional estimate of the surface energy balance was developed and first results from this system will be detailed. Potential new sources of data for this system and suggested continuation research will also be discussed.

Microscale photo interpretation of forest and nonforest land classes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldrich, R. C.; Greentree, W. J.

1972-01-01

Remote sensing of forest and nonforest land classes are discussed, using microscale photointerpretation. Results include: (1.) Microscale IR color photography can be interpreted within reasonable limits of error to estimate forest area. (2.) Forest interpretation is best on winter photography with 97 percent or better accuracy. (3.) Broad forest types can be classified on microscale photography. (4.) Active agricultural land is classified most accurately on early summer photography. (5.) Six percent of all nonforest observations were misclassified as forest.

Appendix C. LANDSAT: A worldwide perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Images characteristics of geographic regions other than the northeastern part of the United States are presented for interpretation. Pre- and post-eruption imagery of Mt. St. Helens volcano serves to demonstrate the advantages of thermal infrared sensing, and the potential for developing a timely, decision oriented thematic map to be used in solving drought-related problems in Upper Volta is examined to show the applicability of satellite remote sensing in all geographic areas.

Radiation Induced Chemistry of Icy Surfaces: Laboratory Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gudipati, Murthy S.; Lignell, Antti; Li, Irene; Yang, Rui; Jacovi, Ronen

2011-01-01

We will discuss laboratory experiments designed to enhance our understanding the chemical processes on icy solar system bodies, enable interpretation of in-situ and remote-sensing data, and help future missions to icy solar system bodies, such as comets, Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus etc.

07pd3608

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-11

NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and NASA Research Scientist Dr. William Saturno investigate the San Bartolo Maya archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala, Tuesday Dec. 11, 2007. NASA's remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Maya civilization. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

07pd3607

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-11

NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and NASA Research Scientist Dr. William Saturno investigate the San Bartolo Maya archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala, Tuesday Dec. 11, 2007. NASA's remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Maya civilization. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Integrated use of remotely sensed imagery and other data sets to infer the tectonics, structural style, and hydrocarbon habitats of the basins of the Tien Shan orogenic belt, Western China: A case study

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

Berry, J.L.; Nishidai, T.

1996-08-01

Remotely sensed imagery and various other published regional data sets (gravity, magnetics, earthquake data) were integrated in order to interpret the structural style, both at deep crustal levels and at the relatively shallow levels of interest to explorationists, of the Tien Shan. Cross-sections through the range were systematically prepared, and then palinspastically restored, constrained by the remote sensing interpretation, potential fields data, and published microplate movement vectors. Since large portions of the area are covered by late Tertiary orogenic sediments, the resulting interpretation focused on these areas, and what and how much geology lies concealed beneath them. We were ablemore » to demonstrate the likely consumption in the late Tertiary of over 100 km of Tarim Basin west along a broad front south of the Tien Shan, as well as within the Kuruktag area, where basins are compressional rather than extensional. There are also local areas of extension within the orogenic zone, and these can be explained using the known microplate boundaries, backward extrapolation of present microplate motions, and the type and extent of late Tertiary deformation within the plates as constraints. Relative and absolute microplate motions have to change greatly through Tertiary time in order to comply with these constraints. The results of this work allow one to infer the affinities, and hence something of the hydrocarbon potential, of fragmentary plates by reconstructing their motions. They also allow one to infer the nature of the stratigraphy, the likely depth of burial, and something of the maturation history of pre-Tertiary rocks buried by Tertiary sediments deposited in both compressional and extensional regimes.« less

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

Ellis, J.M.

Remote sensing allows the petroleum industry to make better and quicker interpretations of geological and environmental conditions in areas of present and future operations. Often remote sensing (including aerial photographs) is required because existing maps are out-of-date, too small of scale, or provide only limited information. Implementing remote sensing can lead to lower project costs and reduced risk. The same satellite and airborne data can be used effectively for both geological and environmental applications. For example, earth scientists can interpret new lithologic, structural, and geomorphic information from near-infrared and radar imagery in terrains as diverse as barren desert and tropicalmore » jungle. Environmental applications with these and other imagery include establishing baselines, assessing impact by documenting changes through time, and mapping land-use, habitat, and vegetation. Higher resolution sensors provide an up-to-date overview of onshore and offshore petroleum facilities, whereas sensors capable of oblique viewing can be used to generate topographic maps. Geological application in Yemen involved merging Landsat TM and SPOT imagery to obtain exceptional lithologic discrimination. In the Congo, a topographic map to plan field operations was interpreted from the overlapping radar strips. Landsat MSS and TM, SPOT, and Russian satellite images with new aerial photographs are being used in the Tengiz supergiant oil field of Kazakhstan to help establish an environmental baseline, generate a base map, locate wells, plan facilities, and support a geographical information system (GIS). In the Niger delta, Landsat TM and SPOT are being used to plan pipeline routes and seismic lines, and to monitor rapid shoreline changes and population growth. Accurate coastlines, facility locations, and shoreline types are being extracted from satellite images for use in oil spill models.« less

PolarBRDF: A general purpose Python package for visualization and quantitative analysis of multi-angular remote sensing measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Manoj K.; Gautam, Ritesh; Gatebe, Charles K.; Poudyal, Rajesh

2016-11-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a fundamental concept for characterizing the reflectance property of a surface, and helps in the analysis of remote sensing data from satellite, airborne and surface platforms. Multi-angular remote sensing measurements are required for the development and evaluation of BRDF models for improved characterization of surface properties. However, multi-angular data and the associated BRDF models are typically multidimensional involving multi-angular and multi-wavelength information. Effective visualization of such complex multidimensional measurements for different wavelength combinations is presently somewhat lacking in the literature, and could serve as a potentially useful research and teaching tool in aiding both interpretation and analysis of BRDF measurements. This article describes a newly developed software package in Python (PolarBRDF) to help visualize and analyze multi-angular data in polar and False Color Composite (FCC) forms. PolarBRDF also includes functionalities for computing important multi-angular reflectance/albedo parameters including spectral albedo, principal plane reflectance and spectral reflectance slope. Application of PolarBRDF is demonstrated using various case studies obtained from airborne multi-angular remote sensing measurements using NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). Our visualization program also provides functionalities for untangling complex surface/atmosphere features embedded in pixel-based remote sensing measurements, such as the FCC imagery generation of BRDF measurements of grasslands in the presence of wildfire smoke and clouds. Furthermore, PolarBRDF also provides quantitative information of the angular distribution of scattered surface/atmosphere radiation, in the form of relevant BRDF variables such as sunglint, hotspot and scattering statistics.

PolarBRDF: A general purpose Python package for visualization and quantitative analysis of multi-angular remote sensing measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poudyal, R.; Singh, M.; Gautam, R.; Gatebe, C. K.

2016-12-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a fundamental concept for characterizing the reflectance property of a surface, and helps in the analysis of remote sensing data from satellite, airborne and surface platforms. Multi-angular remote sensing measurements are required for the development and evaluation of BRDF models for improved characterization of surface properties. However, multi-angular data and the associated BRDF models are typically multidimensional involving multi-angular and multi-wavelength information. Effective visualization of such complex multidimensional measurements for different wavelength combinations is presently somewhat lacking in the literature, and could serve as a potentially useful research and teaching tool in aiding both interpretation and analysis of BRDF measurements. This article describes a newly developed software package in Python (PolarBRDF) to help visualize and analyze multi-angular data in polar and False Color Composite (FCC) forms. PolarBRDF also includes functionalities for computing important multi-angular reflectance/albedo parameters including spectral albedo, principal plane reflectance and spectral reflectance slope. Application of PolarBRDF is demonstrated using various case studies obtained from airborne multi-angular remote sensing measurements using NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR)- http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Our visualization program also provides functionalities for untangling complex surface/atmosphere features embedded in pixel-based remote sensing measurements, such as the FCC imagery generation of BRDF measurements of grasslands in the presence of wildfire smoke and clouds. Furthermore, PolarBRDF also provides quantitative information of the angular distribution of scattered surface/atmosphere radiation, in the form of relevant BRDF variables such as sunglint, hotspot and scattering statistics.

Polarbrdf: A General Purpose Python Package for Visualization Quantitative Analysis of Multi-Angular Remote Sensing Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Manoj K.; Gautam, Ritesh; Gatebe, Charles K.; Poudyal, Rajesh

2016-01-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a fundamental concept for characterizing the reflectance property of a surface, and helps in the analysis of remote sensing data from satellite, airborne and surface platforms. Multi-angular remote sensing measurements are required for the development and evaluation of BRDF models for improved characterization of surface properties. However, multi-angular data and the associated BRDF models are typically multidimensional involving multi-angular and multi-wavelength information. Effective visualization of such complex multidimensional measurements for different wavelength combinations is presently somewhat lacking in the literature, and could serve as a potentially useful research and teaching tool in aiding both interpretation and analysis of BRDF measurements. This article describes a newly developed software package in Python (PolarBRDF) to help visualize and analyze multi-angular data in polar and False Color Composite (FCC) forms. PolarBRDF also includes functionalities for computing important multi-angular reflectance/albedo parameters including spectral albedo, principal plane reflectance and spectral reflectance slope. Application of PolarBRDF is demonstrated using various case studies obtained from airborne multi-angular remote sensing measurements using NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). Our visualization program also provides functionalities for untangling complex surface/atmosphere features embedded in pixel-based remote sensing measurements, such as the FCC imagery generation of BRDF measurements of grasslands in the presence of wild fire smoke and clouds. Furthermore, PolarBRDF also provides quantitative information of the angular distribution of scattered surface/atmosphere radiation, in the form of relevant BRDF variables such as sunglint, hotspot and scattering statistics.

Remote Sensing Information Science Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, Keith C.; Scepan, Joseph; Hemphill, Jeffrey; Herold, Martin; Husak, Gregory; Kline, Karen; Knight, Kevin

2002-01-01

This document is the final report summarizing research conducted by the Remote Sensing Research Unit, Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara under National Aeronautics and Space Administration Research Grant NAG5-10457. This document describes work performed during the period of 1 March 2001 thorough 30 September 2002. This report includes a survey of research proposed and performed within RSRU and the UCSB Geography Department during the past 25 years. A broad suite of RSRU research conducted under NAG5-10457 is also described under themes of Applied Research Activities and Information Science Research. This research includes: 1. NASA ESA Research Grant Performance Metrics Reporting. 2. Global Data Set Thematic Accuracy Analysis. 3. ISCGM/Global Map Project Support. 4. Cooperative International Activities. 5. User Model Study of Global Environmental Data Sets. 6. Global Spatial Data Infrastructure. 7. CIESIN Collaboration. 8. On the Value of Coordinating Landsat Operations. 10. The California Marine Protected Areas Database: Compilation and Accuracy Issues. 11. Assessing Landslide Hazard Over a 130-Year Period for La Conchita, California Remote Sensing and Spatial Metrics for Applied Urban Area Analysis, including: (1) IKONOS Data Processing for Urban Analysis. (2) Image Segmentation and Object Oriented Classification. (3) Spectral Properties of Urban Materials. (4) Spatial Scale in Urban Mapping. (5) Variable Scale Spatial and Temporal Urban Growth Signatures. (6) Interpretation and Verification of SLEUTH Modeling Results. (7) Spatial Land Cover Pattern Analysis for Representing Urban Land Use and Socioeconomic Structures. 12. Colorado River Flood Plain Remote Sensing Study Support. 13. African Rainfall Modeling and Assessment. 14. Remote Sensing and GIS Integration.

Stratigraphy and Tectonics of Southeastern Serenitatis. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, T. A.

1976-01-01

Results of investigations of returned Apollo 17 samples, and Apollo 15 and 17 photographs have provided a broad data base on which to interpret the southeastern Serenitatis region of the moon. Although many of the pre-Apollo 17 mission interpretations remain valid, detailed mapping of this region and correlation with earth-based and orbital remote-sensing data have resulted in a revision of the local mare stratigraphy.

Spectral stratigraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, Harold R.

1991-01-01

A new approach to stratigraphic analysis is described which uses photogeologic and spectral interpretation of multispectral remote sensing data combined with topographic information to determine the attitude, thickness, and lithology of strata exposed at the surface. The new stratigraphic procedure is illustrated by examples in the literature. The published results demonstrate the potential of spectral stratigraphy for mapping strata, determining dip and strike, measuring and correlating stratigraphic sequences, defining lithofacies, mapping biofacies, and interpreting geological structures.

Geological-structural interpretation using products of remote sensing in the region of Carrancas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Dossantos, A. R.; Dosanjos, C. E.; Barbosa, M. P.; Veneziani, P.

1982-01-01

The efficiency of some criteria developed for the utilization of small scale and low resolution remote sensing products to map geological and structural features was demonstrated. Those criteria were adapted from the Logical Method of Photointerpretation which consists of textural qualitative analysis of landforms and drainage net patterns. LANDSAT images of channel 5 and 7, 4 LANDSAT-RBV scenes, and 1 radar mosiac were utilized. The region of study is characterized by supracrustal metassediments (quartzites and micaschist) folded according to a "zig-zag" pattern and gnaissic basement. Lithological-structural definition was considered outstanding when compared to data acquired during field work, bibliographic data and geologic maps acquired in larger scales.

Private sector involvement in civil space remote sensing. Volume 1: Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

A survey of private sector developers, users, and interpreters of Earth resources data was conducted in an effort to encourage private investment and participation in remote sensing systems. Results indicate positive interest in participation beyond the current hardware contracting level, however, there is a substantial gap between current market levels and system costs. Issues identified include the selection process for an operating entity, the public/private interface, data collection and access policies, price and profit regulation in a subsidized system, international participation, and the responsibility for research and development. It was agreed that the cost, complexity, and security implications of integrated systems need not be an absolute bar to their private operation.

Hemispheric and Topographic Asymmetry of Magnetospheric Particle Irradiation for Icy Moon Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, John F.; Sturner, S. J.

2007-01-01

All surfaces of icy moons without significant atmospheres, i.e. all except Titan in the giant planet systems, are irradiated by hot plasma and more energetic charged particles from the local magnetospheric environments. This irradiation can significantly impact the chemical composition, albedo, and detectable presence of signs of life on the sensible surfaces, while also limiting lifetimes and science operations of orbital spacecraft for extreme radiation environments as at Europa. Planning of surface remote sensing and lander operations, and interpretation of remote sensing and in-situ measurements, should include consideration of natural shielding afforded by the body of the moon, by any intrinsic or induced magnetic fields as at Ganyrnede, and by topographic structures.

KSC-07pd3607

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-11

PETEN, GUATEMALA -- NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and NASA Research Scientist Dr. William Saturno investigate the San Bartolo Maya archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala, on Dec. 11. NASA's remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Maya civilization. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

KSC-07pd3608

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-11

PETEN, GUATEMALA -- NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and NASA Research Scientist Dr. William Saturno investigate the San Bartolo Maya archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala, on Dec. 11. NASA's remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Maya civilization. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Apis - a Digital Inventory of Archaeological Heritage Based on Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doneus, M.; Forwagner, U.; Liem, J.; Sevara, C.

2017-08-01

Heritage managers are in need of dynamic spatial inventories of archaeological and cultural heritage that provide them with multipurpose tools to interactively understand information about archaeological heritage within its landscape context. Specifically, linking site information with the respective non-invasive prospection data is of increasing importance as it allows for the assessment of inherent uncertainties related to the use and interpretation of remote sensing data by the educated and knowledgeable heritage manager. APIS, the archaeological prospection information system of the Aerial Archive of the University of Vienna, is specifically designed to meet these needs. It provides storage and easy access to all data concerning aerial photographs and archaeological sites through a single GIS-based application. Furthermore, APIS has been developed in an open source environment, which allows it to be freely distributed and modified. This combination in one single open source system facilitates an easy workflow for data management, interpretation, storage, and retrieval. APIS and a sample dataset will be released free of charge under creative commons license in near future.

Relation of the spectroscopic reflectance of olivine to mineral chemistry and some remote sensing implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, Trude V. V.; Ridley, W. Ian

1987-01-01

High-resolution visible and near-IR diffuse spectral reflectance are used to systematically investigate apparent wavelength shifts as a function of mineral chemistry in the Fe/Mg olivine series from Fo(11) to Fo(91). The study also shows that trace amounts of nickel can be spectrally detected in the olivine structure. Significant compositional information can only be extracted at relatively high resolution, because the overall spectral characteristics of the olivines change only subtly as a function of the Fe/Mg ratio. This laboratory study is expected to aid in the interpretation of remotely sensed data from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial bodies. Terrestrial applications may include the recognition of ultramafic, ultrabasic, and basaltic terrains which in themselves may have mineral potential. Among extraterrestrial applications, the asteroids are obvious candidates for further examination. Some permutations of Fe-Mg-Ni relations in olivines are discussed as they apply to the interpretation of asteroid surfaces and other extraterrestrial bodies.

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.

Bit of History and Some Lessons Learned in Using NASA Remote Sensing Data in Public Health Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Estes, Sue

2011-01-01

The NASA Applied Sciences Program's public health initiative began in 2004 to illustratethe potential benefits for using remote sensing in public health applications. Objectives/Purpose: The CDC initiated a st udy with NASA through the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) to establish a pilot effort to use remote sensing data as part of its Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (EPHTN). As a consequence, the NCEH and NASA developed a project called HELIX-Atlanta (Health and Environment Linkage for Information Exchange) to demonstrate a process for developing a local environmental public health tracking and surveillance network that integrates non-infectious health and environment systems for the Atlanta metropolitan area. Methods: As an ongo ing, systematic integration, analysis and interpretation of data, an EPHTN focuses on: 1 -- environmental hazards; 2 -- human exposure to environmental hazards; and 3 -- health effects potentially related to exposure to environmental hazards. To satisfy the definition of a surveillance system the data must be disseminated to plan, implement, and evaluate environmental public health action. Results: A close working r elationship developed with NCEH where information was exchanged to assist in the development of an EPHTN that incorporated NASA remote sensing data into a surveillance network for disseminating public health tracking information to users. This project?s success provided NASA with the opportunity to work with other public health entities such as the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of New Mexico and the University of Arizona. Conclusions: HELIX-Atlanta became a functioning part of the national EPHTN for tracking environmental hazards and exposure, particularly as related to air quality over Atlanta. Learning Objectives: 1 -- remote sensing data can be integral to an EPHTN; 2 -- public tracking objectives can be enhanced through remote sensing data; 3 -- NASA's involvement in public health applications can have wider benefits in the future.

Remote sensing supported surveillance and characterization of tailings behavior at a gold mine site, Finland.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauhala, Anssi; Tuomela, Anne; Rossi, Pekka M.; Davids, Corine

2017-04-01

The management of vast amounts of tailings produced is one of the key issues in mining operations. The effective and economic disposal of the waste requires knowledge concerning both basic physical properties of the tailings as well as more complex aspects such as consolidation behavior. The behavior of tailings in itself is a very complex issue that can be affected by flocculation, sedimentation, consolidation, segregation, deposition, freeze-thaw, and desiccation phenomena. The utilization of remote sensing in an impoundment-scale monitoring of tailings could benefit the management of tailings, and improve our knowledge on tailings behavior. In order to gain better knowledge of tailings behavior in cold climate, we have utilized both modern remote sensing techniques and more traditional in situ and laboratory measurements in characterizing thickened gold tailings behavior at a Finnish gold mine site, where the production has been halted due to low gold prices. The remote sensing measurements consisted of elevation datasets collected from unmanned aerial vehicles during summers 2015 and 2016, and a further campaign is planned for the summer 2017. The ongoing traditional measurements include for example particle-size distribution, frost heave, frost depth, water retention, temperature profile, and rheological measurements. Initial results from the remote sensing indicated larger than expected settlements on parts of the tailings impoundment, and also highlighted some of the complexities related to data processing. The interpretation of the results and characterization of the behavior is in this case complicated by possible freeze-thaw effects and potential settlement of the impoundment bottom structure consisting of natural peat. Experiments with remote sensing and unmanned aerial vehicles indicate that they could offer potential benefits in frequent mine site monitoring, but there is a need towards more robust and streamlined data acquisition and processing. The gathered data and obtained results form the basis for further modelling efforts which aim at better management of tailings storage facilities.

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.

Climate Literacy: STEM and Climate Change Education and Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, S. R.

2015-12-01

NASA Innovations in Climate Education (NICE) is a competitive project to promote climate and Earth system science literacy and seeks to increase the access of underrepresented minority groups to science careers and educational opportunities. A three year funding was received from NASA to partnership with JSU and MSU under cooperative agreement "Strengthening Global Climate Change education through Remote Sensing Application in Coastal Environment using NASA Satellite Data and Models". The goal is to increase the number of highschool and undergraduate students at Jackson State University, a Historically Black University, who are prepared to pursue higher academic degrees and careers in STEM fields. A five Saturday course/workshop was held during March/April 2015 at JSU, focusing on historical and technical concepts of math, enginneering, technology and atmosphere and climate change and remote sensing technology and applications to weather and climate. Nine students from meteorology, biology, industrial technology and computer science/engineering of JSU and 19 high scool students from Jackson Public Schools participated in the course/workshop. The lecture topics include: introduction to remote sensing and GIS, introduction to atmospheric science, math and engineering, climate, introduction to NASA innovations in climate education, introduction to remote sensing technology for bio-geosphere, introduction to earth system science, principles of paleoclimatology and global change, daily weather briefing, satellite image interpretation and so on. In addition to lectures, lab sessions were held for hand-on experiences for remote sensing applications to atmosphere, biosphere, earth system science and climate change using ERDAS/ENVI GIS software and satellite tools. Field trip to Barnett reservoir and National weather Service (NWS) was part of the workshop. Basics of Earth System Science is a non-mathematical introductory course designed for high school seniors, high school teachers and undergraduate students who may or may not have adequate exposure to fundamental concepts of the key components of the modern earth system and their interactions. This is an online course that will be delivered using Blackboard platform available at Jackson State University.

Mapping ecological states in a complex environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, C. M.; Bestelmeyer, B.; Burkett, L. M.; Ayers, E.; Romig, K.; Slaughter, A.

2013-12-01

The vegetation of northern Chihuahuan Desert rangelands is sparse, heterogeneous and for most of the year, consists of a large proportion of non-photosynthetic material. The soils in this area are spectrally bright and variable in their reflectance properties. Both factors provide challenges to the application of remote sensing for estimating canopy variables (e.g., leaf area index, biomass, percentage canopy cover, primary production). Additionally, with reference to current paradigms of rangeland health assessment, remotely-sensed estimates of canopy variables have limited practical use to the rangeland manager if they are not placed in the context of ecological site and ecological state. To address these challenges, we created a multifactor classification system based on the USDA-NRCS ecological site schema and associated state-and-transition models to map ecological states on desert rangelands in southern New Mexico. Applying this system using per-pixel image processing techniques and multispectral, remotely sensed imagery raised other challenges. Per-pixel image classification relies upon the spectral information in each pixel alone, there is no reference to the spatial context of the pixel and its relationship with its neighbors. Ecological state classes may have direct relevance to managers but the non-unique spectral properties of different ecological state classes in our study area means that per-pixel classification of multispectral data performs poorly in discriminating between different ecological states. We found that image interpreters who are familiar with the landscape and its associated ecological site descriptions perform better than per-pixel classification techniques in assigning ecological states. However, two important issues affect manual classification methods: subjectivity of interpretation and reproducibility of results. An alternative to per-pixel classification and manual interpretation is object-based image analysis. Object-based image analysis provides a platform for classification that more closely resembles human recognition of objects within a remotely sensed image. The analysis presented here compares multiple thematic maps created for test locations on the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range ranch. Three study sites in different pastures, each 300 ha in size, were selected for comparison on the basis of their ecological site type (';Clayey', ';Sandy' and a combination of both) and the degree of complexity of vegetation cover. Thematic maps were produced for each study site using (i) manual interpretation of digital aerial photography (by five independent interpreters); (ii) object-oriented, decision-tree classification of fine and moderate spatial resolution imagery (Quickbird; Landsat Thematic Mapper) and (iii) ground survey. To identify areas of uncertainty, we compared agreement in location, areal extent and class assignation between 5 independently produced, manually-digitized ecological state maps and with the map created from ground survey. Location, areal extent and class assignation of the map produced by object-oriented classification was also assessed with reference to the ground survey map.

Modeling light scattering by mineral dust particles using spheroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merikallio, Sini; Nousiainen, Timo

Suspended dust particles have a considerable influence on light scattering in both terrestrial and planetary atmospheres and can therefore have a large effect on the interpretation of remote sensing measurements. Assuming dust particles to be spherical is known to produce inaccurate results when modeling optical properties of real mineral dust particles. Yet this approximation is widely used for its simplicity. Here, we simulate light scattering by mineral dust particles using a distribution of model spheroids. This is done by comparing scattering matrices calculated from a dust optical database of Dubovik et al. [2006] with those measured in the laboratory by Volten et al. [2001]. Wavelengths of 441,6 nm and 632,8 nm and refractive indexes of Re = 1.55 -1.7 and Im = 0.001i -0.01i were adopted in this study. Overall, spheroids are found to fit the measurements significantly better than Mie spheres. Further, we confirm that the shape distribution parametrization developed in Nousiainen et al. (2006) significantly improves the accuracy of simulated single-scattering for small mineral dust particles. The spheroid scheme should therefore yield more reliable interpretations of remote sensing data from dusty planetary atmospheres. While the spheroidal scheme is superior to spheres in remote sensing applications, its performance is far from perfect especially for samples with large particles. Thus, additional advances are clearly possible. Further studies of the Martian atmosphere are currently under way. Dubovik et al. (2006) Application of spheroid models to account for aerosol particle nonspheric-ity in remote sensing of desert dust, JGR, Vol. 111, D11208 Volten et al. (2001) Scattering matrices of mineral aerosol particles at 441.6 nm and 632.8 nm, JGR, Vol. 106, No. D15, pp. 17375-17401 Nousiainen et al. (2006) Light scattering modeling of small feldspar aerosol particles using polyhedral prisms and spheroids, JQSRT 101, pp. 471-487

Perspectives of methods of laser monitoring of the atmosphere and sea surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pashayev, Arif; Tunaboylu, Bahadir; Usta, Metin; Sadixov, Ilham; Allahverdiyev, Kerim

2016-01-01

Laser monitoring (remote sensing) may be considered as the science of collecting and interpreting information about the atmosphere, earth and sea using sensors on earth, on platforms in our atmosphere (airplanes, balloons) or in space (satellites) without being in direct physical contact with them. Remote sensing by LIDARs (Light Identification Detection and Ranging) has wide applications as technique to probe the Earth's atmosphere, ocean and land surfaces. LIDARs are widely used to get knowledge of spatial and temporal variations in meteorological quantities (e.g. temperature, humidity, clouds and aerosol properties) and to monitor the changes in these quantities on different timescales. Subject of the present work is quite wide. It is rather difficult to perform analysis and to provide full knowledge about existing information. In the present work, in addition to the literature data, the information will be provided also about KA-09 aerosol LIDAR developed at the Marmara Research Centre of TÜBITAK (Turkish Scientific and technological Research Council) and also about KA-14 LIDAR developed at the National Aviation Academy of Azerbaijan for remote sensing of contaminations on water surfaces taking place during oil-gas production. The main goal of this paper is to give students insight in different remote sensing instruments and techniques (including their perspectives) that are used for the derivation of meteorological quantities and obtaining the information about water surface.

Land use/cover classification in the Brazilian Amazon using satellite images.

PubMed

Lu, Dengsheng; Batistella, Mateus; Li, Guiying; Moran, Emilio; Hetrick, Scott; Freitas, Corina da Costa; Dutra, Luciano Vieira; Sant'anna, Sidnei João Siqueira

2012-09-01

Land use/cover classification is one of the most important applications in remote sensing. However, mapping accurate land use/cover spatial distribution is a challenge, particularly in moist tropical regions, due to the complex biophysical environment and limitations of remote sensing data per se. This paper reviews experiments related to land use/cover classification in the Brazilian Amazon for a decade. Through comprehensive analysis of the classification results, it is concluded that spatial information inherent in remote sensing data plays an essential role in improving land use/cover classification. Incorporation of suitable textural images into multispectral bands and use of segmentation-based method are valuable ways to improve land use/cover classification, especially for high spatial resolution images. Data fusion of multi-resolution images within optical sensor data is vital for visual interpretation, but may not improve classification performance. In contrast, integration of optical and radar data did improve classification performance when the proper data fusion method was used. Of the classification algorithms available, the maximum likelihood classifier is still an important method for providing reasonably good accuracy, but nonparametric algorithms, such as classification tree analysis, has the potential to provide better results. However, they often require more time to achieve parametric optimization. Proper use of hierarchical-based methods is fundamental for developing accurate land use/cover classification, mainly from historical remotely sensed data.

Land use/cover classification in the Brazilian Amazon using satellite images

PubMed Central

Lu, Dengsheng; Batistella, Mateus; Li, Guiying; Moran, Emilio; Hetrick, Scott; Freitas, Corina da Costa; Dutra, Luciano Vieira; Sant’Anna, Sidnei João Siqueira

2013-01-01

Land use/cover classification is one of the most important applications in remote sensing. However, mapping accurate land use/cover spatial distribution is a challenge, particularly in moist tropical regions, due to the complex biophysical environment and limitations of remote sensing data per se. This paper reviews experiments related to land use/cover classification in the Brazilian Amazon for a decade. Through comprehensive analysis of the classification results, it is concluded that spatial information inherent in remote sensing data plays an essential role in improving land use/cover classification. Incorporation of suitable textural images into multispectral bands and use of segmentation-based method are valuable ways to improve land use/cover classification, especially for high spatial resolution images. Data fusion of multi-resolution images within optical sensor data is vital for visual interpretation, but may not improve classification performance. In contrast, integration of optical and radar data did improve classification performance when the proper data fusion method was used. Of the classification algorithms available, the maximum likelihood classifier is still an important method for providing reasonably good accuracy, but nonparametric algorithms, such as classification tree analysis, has the potential to provide better results. However, they often require more time to achieve parametric optimization. Proper use of hierarchical-based methods is fundamental for developing accurate land use/cover classification, mainly from historical remotely sensed data. PMID:24353353

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.

Overview of the NASA tropospheric environmental quality remote sensing program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allario, F.; Ayers, W. G.; Hoell, J. M.

1979-01-01

This paper will summarize the current NASA Tropospheric Environmental Quality Remote Sensing Program for studying the global and regional troposphere from space, airborne and ground-based platforms. As part of the program to develop remote sensors for utilization from space, NASA has developed a series of passive and active remote sensors which have undergone field test measurements from airborne and ground platforms. Recent measurements with active lidar and passive gas filter correlation and infrared heterodyne techniques will be summarized for measurements of atmospheric aerosols, CO, SO2, O3, and NH3. These measurements provide the data base required to assess the sensitivity of remote sensors for applications to urban and regional field measurement programs. Studies of Earth Observation Satellite Systems are currently being performed by the scientific community to assess the capability of satellite imagery to detect regions of elevated pollution in the troposphere. The status of NASA sponsored research efforts in interpreting satellite imagery for determining aerosol loadings over land and inland bodies of water will be presented, and comments on the potential of these measurements to supplement in situ and airborne remote sensors in detecting regional haze will be made.

Propagation Limitations in Remote Sensing.

DTIC Science & Technology

Contents: Multi-sensors and systems in remote sensing ; Radar sensing systems over land; Remote sensing techniques in oceanography; Influence of...propagation media and background; Infrared techniques in remote sensing ; Photography in remote sensing ; Analytical studies in remote sensing .

When Models and Observations Collide: Journeying towards an Integrated Snow Depth Product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, M.; Petty, A.; Boisvert, L.; Markus, T.; Kurtz, N. T.; Kwok, R.; Perovich, D. K.

2017-12-01

Knowledge of snow depth is essential for assessing changes in sea ice mass balance due to snow's insulating and reflective properties. In remote sensing applications, the accuracy of sea ice thickness retrievals from altimetry crucially depends on snow depth. Despite the need for snow depth data, we currently lack continuous observations that capture the basin-scale snow depth distribution and its seasonal evolution. Recent in situ and remote sensing observations are sparse in space and time, and contain uncertainties, caveats, and/or biases that often require careful interpretation. Likewise, using model output for remote sensing applications is limited due to uncertainties in atmospheric forcing and different treatments of snow processes. Here, we summarize our efforts in bringing observational and model data together to develop an approach for an integrated snow depth product. We start with a snow budget model and incrementally incorporate snow processes to determine the effects on snow depth and to assess model sensitivity. We discuss lessons learned in model-observation integration and ideas for potential improvements to the treatment of snow in models.

Driving terrestrial ecosystem models from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waring, R. H.

1993-01-01

Regional air pollution, land-use conversion, and projected climate change all affect ecosystem processes at large scales. Changes in vegetation cover and growth dynamics can impact the functioning of ecosystems, carbon fluxes, and climate. As a result, there is a need to assess and monitor vegetation structure and function comprehensively at regional to global scales. To provide a test of our present understanding of how ecosystems operate at large scales we can compare model predictions of CO2, O2, and methane exchange with the atmosphere against regional measurements of interannual variation in the atmospheric concentration of these gases. Recent advances in remote sensing of the Earth's surface are beginning to provide methods for estimating important ecosystem variables at large scales. Ecologists attempting to generalize across landscapes have made extensive use of models and remote sensing technology. The success of such ventures is dependent on merging insights and expertise from two distinct fields. Ecologists must provide the understanding of how well models emulate important biological variables and their interactions; experts in remote sensing must provide the biophysical interpretation of complex optical reflectance and radar backscatter data.

Preliminary evidence for the influence of physiography and scale upon the autocorrelation function of remotely sensed data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labovitz, M. L.; Toll, D. L.; Kennard, R. E.

1980-01-01

Previously established results demonstrate that LANDSAT data are autocorrelated and can be described by a univariate linear stochastic process known as auto-regressive-integrated-moving-average model of degree 1, 0, 1 or ARIMA (1, 0, 1). This model has two coefficients of interest for interpretation phi(1) and theta(1). In a comparison of LANDSAT thematic mapper simulator (TMS) data and LANDSAT MSS data several results were established: (1) The form of the relatedness as described by this model is not dependent upon system look angle or pixel size. (2) The phi(1) coefficient increases with decreasing pixel size and increasing topographic complexity. (3) Changes in topography have a greater influence upon phi(1) than changes in land cover class. (4) The theta(1) seems to vary with the amount of atmospheric haze. These patterns of variation in phi(1) and theta(1) are potentially exploitable by the remote sensing community to yield stochastically independent sets of observations, characterize topography, and reduce the number of bytes needed to store remotely sensed data.

Sizing up human health through remote sensing: uses and misuses.

PubMed

Herbreteau, V; Salem, G; Souris, M; Hugot, J P; Gonzalez, J P

2005-03-01

Following the launch of new satellites, remote sensing (RS) has been increasingly implicated in human health research for thirty years, providing a growing availability of images with higher resolution and spectral ranges. However, the scope of applications, beyond theoretical large potentialities, appears limited both by their technical nature and the models developed. An exhaustive review of RS applications in human health highlights the real implication thus far regarding the diversity and range of health issues, remotely sensed data, processes and interpretations. The place of RS is far under its expected potential, revealing fundamental barriers in its implementation for health applications. The selection of images is done by practical considerations as trivial as price and availability, which are often not relevant to addressing health questions requiring suitable resolutions and spatio-temporal range. The relationships of environmental variables from RS, geospatial data from other sources for health investigations are poorly addressed and usually simplified. A discussion covering the potential of RS for human health is developed here to assist health scientists deal with spatial and temporal dynamics of health, by finding the most relevant data and analysis procedures.

Remote sensing and GIS techniques for assessment of the soil water content in order to improve agricultural practice and reduce the negative impact on groundwater: case study, agricultural area Ştefan cel Mare, Călăraşi County.

PubMed

Tevi, Giuliano; Tevi, Anca

2012-01-01

Traditional agricultural practices based on non-customized irrigation and soil fertilization are harmful for the environment, and may pose a risk for human health. By continuing the use of these practices, it is not possible to ensure effective land management, which might be acquired by using advanced satellite technology configured for modern agricultural development. The paper presents a methodology based on the correlation between remote sensing data and field observations, aiming to identify the key features and to establish an interpretation pattern for the inhomogeneity highlighted by the remote sensing data. Instead of using classical methods for the evaluation of land features (field analysis, measurements and mapping), the approach is to use high resolution multispectral and hyperspectral methods, in correlation with data processing and geographic information systems (GIS), in order to improve the agricultural practices and mitigate their environmental impact (soil and shallow aquifer).

a model based on crowsourcing for detecting natural hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, J.; Ma, C.; Zhang, J.; Liu, S.; Liu, J.

2015-12-01

Remote Sensing Technology provides a new method for the detecting,early warning,mitigation and relief of natural hazards. Given the suddenness and the unpredictability of the location of natural hazards as well as the actual demands for hazards work, this article proposes an evaluation model for remote sensing detecting of natural hazards based on crowdsourcing. Firstly, using crowdsourcing model and with the help of the Internet and the power of hundreds of millions of Internet users, this evaluation model provides visual interpretation of high-resolution remote sensing images of hazards area and collects massive valuable disaster data; secondly, this evaluation model adopts the strategy of dynamic voting consistency to evaluate the disaster data provided by the crowdsourcing workers; thirdly, this evaluation model pre-estimates the disaster severity with the disaster pre-evaluation model based on regional buffers; lastly, the evaluation model actuates the corresponding expert system work according to the forecast results. The idea of this model breaks the boundaries between geographic information professionals and the public, makes the public participation and the citizen science eventually be realized, and improves the accuracy and timeliness of hazards assessment results.

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.

Progress in remote sensing (1972-1976)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, W. A.; Hemphill, W.R.; Kover, Allan

1976-01-01

This report concerns the progress in remote sensing during the period 1972–1976. Remote sensing has been variously defined but is basically the art or science of telling something about an object without touching it. During the past four years, the major research thrusts have been in three areas: (1) computer-assisted enhancement and interpretation systems; (2) earth science applications of Landsat data; (3) and investigations of the usefulness of observations of luminescence, thermal infrared, and microwave energies. Based on the data sales at the EROS Data Center, the largest users of the Landsat data are industrial companies, followed by government agencies (both national and foreign), and academic institutions. Thermal surveys from aircraft have become largely operational, however, significant research is being undertaken in the field of thermal modeling and analysis of high altitude images. Microwave research is increasing rapidly and programs are being developed for satellite observations. Microwave research is concentrating on oil spill detection, soil moisture measurement, and observations of ice distributions. Luminescence investigations offer promise for becoming a quantitative method of assessing vegetation stress and pollutant concentrations.

Geological remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bishop, Charlotte; Rivard, Benoit; de Souza Filho, Carlos; van der Meer, Freek

2018-02-01

Geology is defined as the 'study of the planet Earth - the materials of which it is made, the processes that act on these materials, the products formed, and the history of the planet and its life forms since its origin' (Bates and Jackson, 1976). Remote sensing has seen a number of variable definitions such as those by Sabins and Lillesand and Kiefer in their respective textbooks (Sabins, 1996; Lillesand and Kiefer, 2000). Floyd Sabins (Sabins, 1996) defined it as 'the science of acquiring, processing and interpreting images that record the interaction between electromagnetic energy and matter' while Lillesand and Kiefer (Lillesand and Kiefer, 2000) defined it as 'the science and art of obtaining information about an object, area, or phenomenon through the analysis of data acquired by a device that is not in contact with the object, area, or phenomenon under investigation'. Thus Geological Remote Sensing can be considered the study of, not just Earth given the breadth of work undertaken in planetary science, geological features and surfaces and their interaction with the electromagnetic spectrum using technology that is not in direct contact with the features of interest.

LIDAR Remote Sensing of Particulate Matter Emissions from On-Road Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keislar, R. E.; Kuhns, H.; Mazzoleni, C.; Moosmuller, H.; Watson, J.

2002-12-01

DRI has developed a remote sensing method for on-road particulate matter emissions from gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles called the Vehicle Emissions Remote Sensing System (VERSS). Remote sensing of gaseous pollutants in vehicle exhaust is a well-established, economical way to determine on-road emissions for thousands of vehicles per day. The VERSS adds a particulate matter channel to complement gaseous pollutant measurements. The VERSS uses 266-nm ultraviolet laser light to achieve greater sensitivity than visible light to sub-micrometer particles, where the greatest mass fraction has been reported. The VERSS system integrates the lidar channel with a commercial remote sensing device (RSD) for gaseous pollutants, and the RSD CO2 measurement can be used to estimate fuel-based particle mass emissions. We describe the interpretation and processing of lidar returns from field measurements taken by the combined VERSS during the Southern Nevada Air Quality Study (SNAQS), conducted in the Las Vegas area. With suitable assumptions regarding size distribution and particle composition, the lidar backscatter signal and the RSD yield three basic measurements of particulate matter in the exhaust plume. For each passing vehicle, these three channels are: 1) Columnar extinction in the infrared (IR at 3.9 micrometers) 2) Columnar extinction in the ultraviolet (UV at 266 nm) 3) Range-resolved backscatter at 266 nm (horizontal spatial resolution of 20-25 cm) The 3.9-micrometer channel is a good surrogate for absorption by elemental carbon (EC) in tailpipe emissions and has been utilized in previous studies. Opacity measurements at 266 nm provide optical extinction due to scattering from tailpipe organic carbon (OC) and EC emissions.

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.

A Ground Truthing Method for AVIRIS Overflights Using Canopy Absorption Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gamon, John A.; Serrano, Lydia; Roberts, Dar A.; Ustin, Susan L.

1996-01-01

Remote sensing for ecological field studies requires ground truthing for accurate interpretation of remote imagery. However, traditional vegetation sampling methods are time consuming and hard to relate to the scale of an AVIRIS scene. The large errors associated with manual field sampling, the contrasting formats of remote and ground data, and problems with coregistration of field sites with AVIRIS pixels can lead to difficulties in interpreting AVIRIS data. As part of a larger study of fire risk in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California, we explored a ground-based optical method of sampling vegetation using spectrometers mounted both above and below vegetation canopies. The goal was to use optical methods to provide a rapid, consistent, and objective means of "ground truthing" that could be related both to AVIRIS imagery and to conventional ground sampling (e.g., plot harvests and pigment assays).

Tectonics and volcanism on Mars: a compared remote sensing analysis with earthly geostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggio, Paolo; Ancona, M. A.; Callegari, I.; Pinori, S.; Vercellone, S.

1999-12-01

The recent knowledge on Mars' lithosphere evolution does not find yet sufficient analogies with the Earth's tectonic models. The Viking image analysis seems to be even now frequently, rather fragmentary, and do not permits to express any coherent relationships among the different detected phenomena. Therefore, today it is impossible to support any reliable kinematic hypothesis. The Remote-Sensing interpretation is addressed to a Viking image mosaic of the known Tharsis Montes region and particularly focused on the Arsia Mons volcano. Several previously unknown lineaments, not directly linked to volcano-tectonics, were detected. Their mutual relationships recall transcurrent kinematics that could be related to similar geostructural models known in the Earth plate tectonic dynamics. Several concordant relationships between the Arsia Mons volcano and the brittle extensive tectonic features of earthly Etnean district (Sicily, South Italy), interpreted on Landsat TM images, were pointed out. These analogies coupled with the recently confirmed strato- volcano topology of Tharsis Montes (Head and Wilson), the layout distribution of the effusive centers (Arsia, Pavonis and Ascraeus Montes), the new tectonic lineaments and the morphological features, suggest the hypothesis of a plate tectonic volcanic region. The frame could be an example in agreement with the most recent interpretation of Mars (Sleep). A buried circular body, previously incorrectly interpreted as a great landslide event from the western slope of Arsia Mons volcano, seems really to be a more ancient volcanic structure (Arsia Mons Senilis), which location is in evident relation with the interpreted new transcurrent tectonic system.

Geomorphology, tectonics, and exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabins, F. F., Jr.

1985-01-01

Explorationists interpret satellite images for tectonic features and patterns that may be clues to mineral and energy deposits. The tectonic features of interest range in scale from regional (sedimentary basins, fold belts) to local (faults, fractures) and are generally expressed as geomorphic features in remote sensing images. Explorationists typically employ classic concepts of geomorphology and landform analysis for their interpretations, which leads to the question - Are there new and evolving concepts in geomorphology that may be applicable to tectonic analyses of images?

Earth view: A business guide to orbital remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Peter C.

1990-01-01

The following subject areas are covered: Earth view - a guide to orbital remote sensing; current orbital remote sensing systems (LANDSAT, SPOT image, MOS-1, Soviet remote sensing systems); remote sensing satellite; and remote sensing organizations.

Some technical notes on using UAV-based remote sensing for post disaster assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokhmana, Catur Aries; Andaru, Ruli

2017-07-01

Indonesia is located in an area prone to disasters, which are various kinds of natural disasters happen. In disaster management, the geoinformation data are needed to be able to evaluate the impact area. The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-Based remote sensing technology is a good choice to produce a high spatial resolution of less than 15 cm, while the current resolution of the satellite imagery is still greater than 50 cm. This paper shows some technical notes that should be considered when using UAV-Based remote sensing system in post disaster for rapid assessment. Some cases are Aceh Earthquake in years 2013 for seeing infrastructure damages, Banjarnegara landslide in year 2014 for seeing the impact; and Kelud volcano eruption in year 2014 for seeing the impact and volumetric material calculation. The UAV-Based remote sensing system should be able to produce the Orthophoto image that can provide capabilities for visual interpretation the individual damage objects, and the changes situation. Meanwhile the DEM (digital Elevation model) product can derive terrain topography, and volumetric calculation with accuracy 3-5 pixel or sub-meter also. The UAV platform should be able for working remotely and autonomously in dangerous area and limited infrastructures. In mountainous or volcano area, an unconventional flight plan should implemented. Unfortunately, not all impact can be seen from above such as wall crack, some parcel boundaries, and many objects that covered by others higher object. The previous existing geoinformation data are also needed to be able to evaluate the change detection automatically.

Simulating Local and Intercontinental Pollutant Effects of Biomass Burning: Integration of Several Remotely Sensed Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatfield, Robert B.; Vastano, John A.; Guild, Liane; Hlavka, Christine; Brass, James A.; Russell, Philip B. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Burning to clear land for crops and to destroy pests is an integral and largely unavoidable part of tropical agriculture. It is easy to note but difficult to quantify using remote sensing. This report describes our efforts to integrate remotely sensed data into our computer model of tropical chemical trace-gas emissions, weather, and reaction chemistry (using the MM5 mesoscale model and our own Global-Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Simulator). The effects of burning over the continents of Africa and South America have been noticed in observations from several satellites. Smoke plumes hundreds of kilometers long may be seen individually, or may merge into a large smoke pall over thousands of kilometers of these continents. These features are related to intense pollution in the much more confined regions with heavy burning. These emissions also translocate nitrogen thousands of kilometers in the tropical ecosystems, with large fixed-nitrogen losses balanced partially by locally intense fertilization downwind, where nitric acid is rained out. At a much larger scale, various satellite measurements have indicated the escape of carbon monoxide and ozone into large filaments which extend across the Tropical and Southern Atlantic Ocean. Our work relates the source emissions, estimated in part from remote sensing, in part from conventional surface reports, to the concentrations of these gases over these intercontinental regions. We will mention work in progress to use meteorological satellite data (AVHRR, GOES, and Meteosat) to estimate the surface temperature and extent and height of clouds, and explain why these uses are so important in our computer simulations of global biogeochemistry. We will compare our simulations and interpretation of remote observations to the international cooperation involving Brazil, South Africa, and the USA in the TRACE-A (Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator - Atlantic) and SAFARI (Southern Africa Fire Atmosphere Research Initiative) and remote-sensing /aircraft/ecosystem observational campaigns.

A Brief History of Fire, Heat and Their Manifestations in Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alavipanah, S. K.; Attarchi, S.

2015-12-01

The discovery of fire was one of the earliest of human discoveries. At the beginning, man sensed heat on his skin and then perceived the concept of fire and temperature. Fire and its manifestation in form of light and heat have contributed in many literary sources and religious books. It has being interpreted in various manners and construed by different explanations. Some of these definitions have resemblances with today's human findings in the argument about heat, temperature, light and their spectra. In this work, we reviewed a broad range of literary, historical, religious and cultural sources to gain deeper insight into the meaning of fire and heat in human's thought, beliefs and myths from the past to today. We found a close linkage between predecessor's perception and impression about heat and what is known today as thermal energy. It should be mentioned that we strictly deny the claim of their awareness of modern concepts such as energy or thermodynamics. However, we interfere that they perceived these conceptions. We cannot clearly explain how our predecessor shaped their impression about fire and heat without any knowledge of the nature of new science such as energy, temperature and thermal remote sensing. Nevertheless, their though compromise with modern science. According to the recent findings, temperature play important role as an efficient indicator of sustainability in landscape. Magnitude and distribution of temperature and its changes over time - which could be traced by thermal remote sensing- are of great importance. A concise literature review relating to fire and heat will broaden our knowledge about temperature and thermal remote sensing.

Technology study of quantum remote sensing imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Siwen; Lin, Xuling; Yang, Song; Wu, Zhiqiang

2016-02-01

According to remote sensing science and technology development and application requirements, quantum remote sensing is proposed. First on the background of quantum remote sensing, quantum remote sensing theory, information mechanism, imaging experiments and prototype principle prototype research situation, related research at home and abroad are briefly introduced. Then we expounds compress operator of the quantum remote sensing radiation field and the basic principles of single-mode compression operator, quantum quantum light field of remote sensing image compression experiment preparation and optical imaging, the quantum remote sensing imaging principle prototype, Quantum remote sensing spaceborne active imaging technology is brought forward, mainly including quantum remote sensing spaceborne active imaging system composition and working principle, preparation and injection compression light active imaging device and quantum noise amplification device. Finally, the summary of quantum remote sensing research in the past 15 years work and future development are introduced.

A Combined Experimental and Modeling Program to Study the Impact of Solar Wind Ions on the Surface and Exosphere of Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savin, D. W.; Bostick, B. C.; Domingue, D. L.; Ebel, D. S.; Harlow, G. E.; Killen, R. M.

2018-05-01

We aim to improve the interpretation of in-situ and remote-sensing data of Mercury. We will use updated exosphere and spectrophotometric models incorporating new data from lab simulations of solar wind ion irradiation of Mercury’s regolith surface.

Variance estimates and confidence intervals for the Kappa measure of classification accuracy

Treesearch

M. A. Kalkhan; R. M. Reich; R. L. Czaplewski

1997-01-01

The Kappa statistic is frequently used to characterize the results of an accuracy assessment used to evaluate land use and land cover classifications obtained by remotely sensed data. This statistic allows comparisons of alternative sampling designs, classification algorithms, photo-interpreters, and so forth. In order to make these comparisons, it is...

Technique for ranking potential predictor layers for use in remote sensing analysis

Treesearch

Andrew Lister; Mike Hoppus; Rachel Riemann

2004-01-01

Spatial modeling using GIS-based predictor layers often requires that extraneous predictors be culled before conducting analysis. In some cases, using extraneous predictor layers might improve model accuracy but at the expense of increasing complexity and interpretability. In other cases, using extraneous layers can dilute the relationship between predictors and target...

Sensitivity of FIA Volume Estimates to Changes in Stratum Weights and Number of Strata

Treesearch

James A. Westfall; Michael Hoppus

2005-01-01

In the Northeast region, the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program utilizes stratified sampling techniques to improve the precision of population estimates. Recently, interpretation of aerial photographs was replaced with classified remotely sensed imagery to determine stratum weights and plot stratum assignments. However, stratum weights...

Data Mining in Earth System Science (DMESS 2011)

Treesearch

Forrest M. Hoffman; J. Walter Larson; Richard Tran Mills; Bhorn-Gustaf Brooks; Auroop R. Ganguly; William Hargrove; et al

2011-01-01

From field-scale measurements to global climate simulations and remote sensing, the growing body of very large and long time series Earth science data are increasingly difficult to analyze, visualize, and interpret. Data mining, information theoretic, and machine learning techniques—such as cluster analysis, singular value decomposition, block entropy, Fourier and...

Characterizing the size and shape of sea ice floes

PubMed Central

Gherardi, Marco; Lagomarsino, Marco Cosentino

2015-01-01

Monitoring drift ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions directly and by remote sensing is important for the study of climate, but a unified modeling framework is lacking. Hence, interpretation of the data, as well as the decision of what to measure, represent a challenge for different fields of science. To address this point, we analyzed, using statistical physics tools, satellite images of sea ice from four different locations in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and measured the size and the elongation of ice floes (floating pieces of ice). We find that (i) floe size follows a distribution that can be characterized with good approximation by a single length scale , which we discuss in the framework of stochastic fragmentation models, and (ii) the deviation of their shape from circularity is reproduced with remarkable precision by a geometric model of coalescence by freezing, based on random Voronoi tessellations, with a single free parameter expressing the shape disorder. Although the physical interpretations remain open, this advocates the parameters and as two independent indicators of the environment in the polar regions, which are easily accessible by remote sensing. PMID:26014797

A high throughput geocomputing system for remote sensing quantitative retrieval and a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Yong; Chen, Ziqiang; Xu, Hui; Ai, Jianwen; Jiang, Shuzheng; Li, Yingjie; Wang, Ying; Guang, Jie; Mei, Linlu; Jiao, Xijuan; He, Xingwei; Hou, Tingting

2011-12-01

The quality and accuracy of remote sensing instruments have been improved significantly, however, rapid processing of large-scale remote sensing data becomes the bottleneck for remote sensing quantitative retrieval applications. The remote sensing quantitative retrieval is a data-intensive computation application, which is one of the research issues of high throughput computation. The remote sensing quantitative retrieval Grid workflow is a high-level core component of remote sensing Grid, which is used to support the modeling, reconstruction and implementation of large-scale complex applications of remote sensing science. In this paper, we intend to study middleware components of the remote sensing Grid - the dynamic Grid workflow based on the remote sensing quantitative retrieval application on Grid platform. We designed a novel architecture for the remote sensing Grid workflow. According to this architecture, we constructed the Remote Sensing Information Service Grid Node (RSSN) with Condor. We developed a graphic user interface (GUI) tools to compose remote sensing processing Grid workflows, and took the aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval as an example. The case study showed that significant improvement in the system performance could be achieved with this implementation. The results also give a perspective on the potential of applying Grid workflow practices to remote sensing quantitative retrieval problems using commodity class PCs.

Remote sensing as a source of land cover information utilized in the universal soil loss equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1979-01-01

In this study, methods for gathering the land use/land cover information required by the USLE were investigated with medium altitude, multi-date color and color infrared 70-mm positive transparencies using human and computer-based interpretation techniques. Successful results, which compare favorably with traditional field study methods, were obtained within the test site watershed with airphoto data sources and human airphoto interpretation techniques. Computer-based interpretation techniques were not capable of identifying soil conservation practices but were successful to varying degrees in gathering other types of desired land use/land cover information.

Integrating ambient noise with GIS for a new perspective on volcano imaging and monitoring: The case study of Mt. Etna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guardo, R.; De Siena, L.

2017-11-01

The timely estimation of short- and long-term volcanic hazard relies on the availability of detailed 3D geophysical images of volcanic structures. High-resolution seismic models of the absorbing uppermost conduit systems and highly-heterogeneous shallowest volcanic layers, while particularly challenging to obtain, provide important data to locate feasible eruptive centres and forecast flank collapses and lava ascending paths. Here, we model the volcanic structures of Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy) and its outskirts using the Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio method, generally applied to industrial and engineering settings. The integration of this technique with Web-based Geographic Information System improves precision during the acquisition phase. It also integrates geological and geophysical visualization of 3D surface and subsurface structures in a queryable environment representing their exact three-dimensional geographic position, enhancing interpretation. The results show high-resolution 3D images of the shallowest volcanic and feeding systems, which complement (1) deeper seismic tomography imaging and (2) the results of recent remote sensing imaging. The study recovers a vertical structure that divides the pre-existing volcanic complexes of Ellittico and Cuvigghiuni. This could be interpreted as a transitional phase between the two systems. A comparison with recent remote sensing and geological results, however, shows that anomalies are generally related to volcano-tectonic structures active during the last 17 years. We infer that seismic noise measurements from miniaturized instruments, when combined with remote sensing techniques, represent an important resource to monitor volcanoes in unrest, reducing the risk of loss of human lives and instrumentation.

Assessment of Sampling Approaches for Remote Sensing Image Classification in the Iranian Playa Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazem Alavipanah, Seyed

There are some problems in soil salinity studies based upon remotely sensed data: 1-spectral world is full of ambiguity and therefore soil reflectance can not be attributed to a single soil property such as salinity, 2) soil surface conditions as a function of time and space is a complex phenomena, 3) vegetation with a dynamic biological nature may create some problems in the study of soil salinity. Due to these problems the first question which may arise is how to overcome or minimise these problems. In this study we hypothesised that different sources of data, well established sampling plan and optimum approach could be useful. In order to choose representative training sites in the Iranian playa margins, to define the spectral and informational classes and to overcome some problems encountered in the variation within the field, the following attempts were made: 1) Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in order: a) to determine the most important variables, b) to understand the Landsat satellite images and the most informative components, 2) the photomorphic unit (PMU) consideration and interpretation; 3) study of salt accumulation and salt distribution in the soil profile, 4) use of several forms of field data, such as geologic, geomorphologic and soil information; 6) confirmation of field data and land cover types with farmers and the members of the team. The results led us to find at suitable approaches with a high and acceptable image classification accuracy and image interpretation. KEY WORDS; Photo Morphic Unit, Pprincipal Ccomponent Analysis, Soil Salinity, Field Work, Remote Sensing

PI2GIS: processing image to geographical information systems, a learning tool for QGIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, R.; Teodoro, A.; Duarte, L.

2017-10-01

To perform an accurate interpretation of remote sensing images, it is necessary to extract information using different image processing techniques. Nowadays, it became usual to use image processing plugins to add new capabilities/functionalities integrated in Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The aim of this work was to develop an open source application to automatically process and classify remote sensing images from a set of satellite input data. The application was integrated in a GIS software (QGIS), automating several image processing steps. The use of QGIS for this purpose is justified since it is easy and quick to develop new plugins, using Python language. This plugin is inspired in the Semi-Automatic Classification Plugin (SCP) developed by Luca Congedo. SCP allows the supervised classification of remote sensing images, the calculation of vegetation indices such as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) and other image processing operations. When analysing SCP, it was realized that a set of operations, that are very useful in teaching classes of remote sensing and image processing tasks, were lacking, such as the visualization of histograms, the application of filters, different image corrections, unsupervised classification and several environmental indices computation. The new set of operations included in the PI2GIS plugin can be divided into three groups: pre-processing, processing, and classification procedures. The application was tested consider an image from Landsat 8 OLI from a North area of Portugal.

Looking back to inform the future: The role of cognition in forest disturbance characterization from remote sensing imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchetti, Raechel Anne

Remotely sensed images have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. From novice users, aiding in search and rescue missions using tools such as TomNod, to trained analysts, synthesizing disparate data to address complex problems like climate change, imagery has become central to geospatial problem solving. Expert image analysts are continually faced with rapidly developing sensor technologies and software systems. In response to these cognitively demanding environments, expert analysts develop specialized knowledge and analytic skills to address increasingly complex problems. This study identifies the knowledge, skills, and analytic goals of expert image analysts tasked with identification of land cover and land use change. Analysts participating in this research are currently working as part of a national level analysis of land use change, and are well versed with the use of TimeSync, forest science, and image analysis. The results of this study benefit current analysts as it improves their awareness of their mental processes used during the image interpretation process. The study also can be generalized to understand the types of knowledge and visual cues that analysts use when reasoning with imagery for purposes beyond land use change studies. Here a Cognitive Task Analysis framework is used to organize evidence from qualitative knowledge elicitation methods for characterizing the cognitive aspects of the TimeSync image analysis process. Using a combination of content analysis, diagramming, semi-structured interviews, and observation, the study highlights the perceptual and cognitive elements of expert remote sensing interpretation. Results show that image analysts perform several standard cognitive processes, but flexibly employ these processes in response to various contextual cues. Expert image analysts' ability to think flexibly during their analysis process was directly related to their amount of image analysis experience. Additionally, results show that the basic Image Interpretation Elements continue to be important despite technological augmentation of the interpretation process. These results are used to derive a set of design guidelines for developing geovisual analytic tools and training to support image analysis.

Geography From Another Dimension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The GEODESY software program is intended to promote geographical awareness among students with its remote sensing capabilities to observe the Earth's surface from distant vantage points. Students and teachers using GEODESY learn to interpret and analyze geographical data pertaining to the physical attributes of their community. For example, the program provides a digital environment of physical features, such as mountains and bodies of water, as well as man-made features, such as roads and parks, using aerial photography, satellite imagery, and geographic information systems data in accordance with National Geography Standards. The main goal is to have the students and teachers gain a better understanding of the unique forces that drive their coexistence. GEODESY was developed with technical assistance and financial support from Stennis Space Center's Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office, now known as the Earth Science Applications Directorate.

The Role of Remote Sensing in Assessing Forest Biomass in Appalachian South Carolina

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shain, W.; Nix, L.

1982-01-01

Information is presented on the use of color infrared aerial photographs and ground sampling methods to quantify standing forest biomass in Appalachian South Carolina. Local tree biomass equations are given and subsequent evaluation of stand density and size classes using remote sensing methods is presented. Methods of terrain analysis, environmental hazard rating, and subsequent determination of accessibility of forest biomass are discussed. Computer-based statistical analyses are used to expand individual cover-type specific ground sample data to area-wide cover type inventory figures based on aerial photographic interpretation and area measurement. Forest biomass data are presented for the study area in terms of discriminant size classes, merchantability limits, accessibility (as related to terrain and yield/harvest constraints), and potential environmental impact of harvest.

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.

Study of the wide area of a lake with remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazaridou, Maria A.; Karagianni, Aikaterini C.

2016-08-01

Water bodies are particularly important for environment and development issues. Their study requires multiple information. Remote sensing has been proven useful in the above study. This paper concerns the wide area of Lake Orestiada in the region of Western Macedonia in Greece. The area is of particular interest because Lake Orestiada is included in the Natura 2000 network and is surrounded by diverse landcovers as built up areas and agricultural land. Multispectral and thermal Landsat 5 satellite images of two time periods are being used. Their processing is being done by Erdas Imagine software. The general physiognomy of the area and the lake shore are examined after image enhancement techniques and image interpretation. Directions of the study concern geomorphological aspects, land covers, estimation of surface temperature as well as changes through time.

Extraction of Greenhouse Areas with Image Processing Methods in Karabuk Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yildirima, M. Z.; Ozcan, C.

2017-11-01

Greenhouses provide the environmental conditions to be controlled and regulated as desired while allowing agricultural products to be produced without being affected by external environmental conditions. High quality and a wide variety of agricultural products can be produced throughout the year. In addition, mapping and detection of these areas has great importance in terms of factors such as yield analysis, natural resource management and environmental impact. Various remote sensing techniques are currently available for extraction of greenhouse areas. These techniques are based on the automatic detection and interpretation of objects on remotely sensed images. In this study, greenhouse areas were determined from optical images obtained from Landsat. The study was carried out in the greenhouse areas in Karabuk province. The obtained results are presented with figures and tables.

A framework for farmland parcels extraction based on image classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guoying; Ge, Wenying; Song, Xu; Zhao, Hongdan

2018-03-01

It is very important for the government to build an accurate national basic cultivated land database. In this work, farmland parcels extraction is one of the basic steps. However, during the past years, people had to spend much time on determining an area is a farmland parcel or not, since they were bounded to understand remote sensing images only from the mere visual interpretation. In order to overcome this problem, in this study, a method was proposed to extract farmland parcels by means of image classification. In the proposed method, farmland areas and ridge areas of the classification map are semantically processed independently and the results are fused together to form the final results of farmland parcels. Experiments on high spatial remote sensing images have shown the effectiveness of the proposed method.

FEX: A Knowledge-Based System For Planimetric Feature Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zelek, John S.

1988-10-01

Topographical planimetric features include natural surfaces (rivers, lakes) and man-made surfaces (roads, railways, bridges). In conventional planimetric feature extraction, a photointerpreter manually interprets and extracts features from imagery on a stereoplotter. Visual planimetric feature extraction is a very labour intensive operation. The advantages of automating feature extraction include: time and labour savings; accuracy improvements; and planimetric data consistency. FEX (Feature EXtraction) combines techniques from image processing, remote sensing and artificial intelligence for automatic feature extraction. The feature extraction process co-ordinates the information and knowledge in a hierarchical data structure. The system simulates the reasoning of a photointerpreter in determining the planimetric features. Present efforts have concentrated on the extraction of road-like features in SPOT imagery. Keywords: Remote Sensing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), SPOT, image understanding, knowledge base, apars.

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.

REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGIES APPLICATIONS RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

Remote sensing technologies applications research supports the ORD Landscape Sciences Program (LSP) in two separate areas: operational remote sensing, and remote sensing research and development. Operational remote sensing is provided to the LSP through the use of current and t...

Intelligent services for discovery of complex geospatial features from remote sensing imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Peng; Di, Liping; Wei, Yaxing; Han, Weiguo

2013-09-01

Remote sensing imagery has been commonly used by intelligence analysts to discover geospatial features, including complex ones. The overwhelming volume of routine image acquisition requires automated methods or systems for feature discovery instead of manual image interpretation. The methods of extraction of elementary ground features such as buildings and roads from remote sensing imagery have been studied extensively. The discovery of complex geospatial features, however, is still rather understudied. A complex feature, such as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) proliferation facility, is spatially composed of elementary features (e.g., buildings for hosting fuel concentration machines, cooling towers, transportation roads, and fences). Such spatial semantics, together with thematic semantics of feature types, can be used to discover complex geospatial features. This paper proposes a workflow-based approach for discovery of complex geospatial features that uses geospatial semantics and services. The elementary features extracted from imagery are archived in distributed Web Feature Services (WFSs) and discoverable from a catalogue service. Using spatial semantics among elementary features and thematic semantics among feature types, workflow-based service chains can be constructed to locate semantically-related complex features in imagery. The workflows are reusable and can provide on-demand discovery of complex features in a distributed environment.

Oleoresin, Chemistry and Spectral Reflectance in "Stressed" Lodgepole and White Bark Pine, Mammoth Mountain, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickey, James C.; Birnie, Richard W.; Zhao, Mei-Xun

2001-01-01

Development of methods to identify the physical and chemical character of materials on the earth's surface is one of the foci of hyperspectral remote sensing activities. Enhancing the ability to elucidate changes in foliar chemistry that relate to the health of a plant is a benefit to plant physiologists, foresters, and plant ecologists, as well as geologist and environmental scientists. Vegetation covers the landscape throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the earth. The existence of vegetation in these areas presents special problems to remote sensing systems since geologic bedrock and alteration zones are masked. At times, however, alterations in the soil/sediment geochemical environment result in foliar chemical changes that are detectable via remote sensing. Examples include monitoring of chlorophyll reflectance/fluorescence and equivalent water thickness indices as indicators of drought-induced plant stress. Another processing and interpretation approach used with hyperspectral data has been principal components analysis (PCA). Rowan et al. used PCA to identify absorption feature patterns obtained from vegetated areas with discrete bedrock geology or mineralization as the substrate. Many researchers highlight the need to advance our ability for hyperspectral imaging in vegetated areas as a near-term priority.

Optical properties of volcanic ash: improving remote sensing observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelley, Patrick; Colarco, Peter; Aquila, Valentina; Krotkov, Nickolay; Bleacher, Jake; Garry, Brent; Young, Kelsey; Rocha Lima, Adriana; Martins, Vanderlei; Carn, Simon

2016-04-01

Many times each year explosive volcanic eruptions loft ash into the atmosphere. Global travel and trade rely on aircraft vulnerable to encounters with airborne ash. Volcanic ash advisory centers (VAACs) rely on dispersion forecasts and satellite data to issue timely warnings. To improve ash forecasts model developers and satellite data providers need realistic information about volcanic ash microphysical and optical properties. In anticipation of future large eruptions we can study smaller events to improve our remote sensing and modeling skills so when the next Pinatubo 1991 or larger eruption occurs, ash can confidently be tracked in a quantitative way. At distances >100km from their sources, drifting ash plumes, often above meteorological clouds, are not easily detected from conventional remote sensing platforms, save deriving their quantitative characteristics, such as mass density. Quantitative interpretation of these observations depends on a priori knowledge of the spectral optical properties of the ash in UV (>0.3μm) and TIR wavelengths (>10μm). Incorrect assumptions about the optical properties result in large errors in inferred column mass loading and size distribution, which misguide operational ash forecasts. Similarly, simulating ash properties in global climate models also requires some knowledge of optical properties to improve aerosol speciation.

Structural Investigations of Afghanistan Deduced from Remote Sensing and Potential Field Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saibi, Hakim; Azizi, Masood; Mogren, Saad

2016-08-01

This study integrates potential gravity and magnetic field data with remotely sensed images and geological data in an effort to understand the subsurface major geological structures in Afghanistan. Integrated analysis of Landsat SRTM data was applied for extraction of geological lineaments. The potential field data were analyzed using gradient interpretation techniques, such as analytic signal (AS), tilt derivative (TDR), horizontal gradient of the tilt derivative (HG-TDR), Euler Deconvolution (ED) and power spectrum methods, and results were correlated with known geological structures. The analysis of remote sensing data and potential field data reveals the regional geological structural characteristics of Afghanistan. The power spectrum analysis of magnetic and gravity data suggests shallow basement rocks at around 1 to 1.5 km depth. The results of TDR of potential field data are in agreement with the location of the major regional fault structures and also the location of the basins and swells, except in the Helmand region (SW Afghanistan) where many high potential field anomalies are observed and attributed to batholiths and near-surface volcanic rocks intrusions. A high-resolution airborne geophysical survey in the data sparse region of eastern Afghanistan is recommended in order to have a complete image of the potential field anomalies.

Standardizing Quality Assessment of Fused Remotely Sensed Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, C.; Moellmann, J.; Fries, K.

2017-09-01

The multitude of available operational remote sensing satellites led to the development of many image fusion techniques to provide high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution images. The comparison of different techniques is necessary to obtain an optimized image for the different applications of remote sensing. There are two approaches in assessing image quality: 1. Quantitatively by visual interpretation and 2. Quantitatively using image quality indices. However an objective comparison is difficult due to the fact that a visual assessment is always subject and a quantitative assessment is done by different criteria. Depending on the criteria and indices the result varies. Therefore it is necessary to standardize both processes (qualitative and quantitative assessment) in order to allow an objective image fusion quality evaluation. Various studies have been conducted at the University of Osnabrueck (UOS) to establish a standardized process to objectively compare fused image quality. First established image fusion quality assessment protocols, i.e. Quality with No Reference (QNR) and Khan's protocol, were compared on varies fusion experiments. Second the process of visual quality assessment was structured and standardized with the aim to provide an evaluation protocol. This manuscript reports on the results of the comparison and provides recommendations for future research.

Thermal anomaly before earthquake and damage assessment using remote sensing data for 2014 Yutian earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanmei; Huang, Haiying; Jiang, Zaisen; Fang, Ying; Cheng, Xiao

2014-12-01

Thermal anomaly appears to be a significant precursor of some strong earthquakes. In this study, time series of MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) products from 2001 to 2014 are processed and analyzed to locate possible anomalies prior to the Yutian earthquake (12 February 2014, Xinjiang, CHINA). In order to reduce the seasonal or annual effects from the LST variations, also to avoid the rainy and cloudy weather in this area, a background mean of ten-day nighttime LST are derived using averaged MOD11A2 products from 2001 to 2012. Then the ten-day LST data from Jan 2014 to FebJanuary 2014 were differenced using the above background. Abnormal LST increase before the earthquake is quite obvious from the differential images, indicating that this method is useful in such area with high mountains and wide-area deserts. Also, in order to assess the damage to infrastructure, China's latest civilian high-resolution remote sensing satellite - GF-1 remote sensed data are applied to the affected counties in this area. The damaged infrastructures and ground surface could be easily interpreted in the fused pan-chromatic and multi-spectral images integrating both texture and spectral information.

A New Framework for Quantifying Lidar Uncertainty

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

Newman, Jennifer, F.; Clifton, Andrew; Bonin, Timothy A.

2017-03-24

As wind turbine sizes increase and wind energy expands to more complex and remote sites, remote sensing devices such as lidars are expected to play a key role in wind resource assessment and power performance testing. The switch to remote sensing devices represents a paradigm shift in the way the wind industry typically obtains and interprets measurement data for wind energy. For example, the measurement techniques and sources of uncertainty for a remote sensing device are vastly different from those associated with a cup anemometer on a meteorological tower. Current IEC standards discuss uncertainty due to mounting, calibration, and classificationmore » of the remote sensing device, among other parameters. Values of the uncertainty are typically given as a function of the mean wind speed measured by a reference device. However, real-world experience has shown that lidar performance is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions, such as wind shear, turbulence, and aerosol content. At present, these conditions are not directly incorporated into the estimated uncertainty of a lidar device. In this presentation, we propose the development of a new lidar uncertainty framework that adapts to current flow conditions and more accurately represents the actual uncertainty inherent in lidar measurements under different conditions. In this new framework, sources of uncertainty are identified for estimation of the line-of-sight wind speed and reconstruction of the three-dimensional wind field. These sources are then related to physical processes caused by the atmosphere and lidar operating conditions. The framework is applied to lidar data from an operational wind farm to assess the ability of the framework to predict errors in lidar-measured wind speed.« less

Development and application of a new comprehensive image-based classification scheme for coastal and benthic environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makowski, Christopher

The coastal (terrestrial) and benthic environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf show a unique biophysical succession of marine features from a highly urbanized, developed coastal region in the north (i.e. northern Miami-Dade County) to a protective marine sanctuary in the southeast (i.e. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary). However, the establishment of a standard bio-geomorphological classification scheme for this area of coastal and benthic environments is lacking. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis and answer the research question of whether new parameters of integrating geomorphological components with dominant biological covers could be developed and applied across multiple remote sensing platforms for an innovative way to identify, interpret, and classify diverse coastal and benthic environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf. An ordered manageable hierarchical classification scheme was developed to incorporate the categories of Physiographic Realm, Morphodynamic Zone, Geoform, Landform, Dominant Surface Sediment, and Dominant Biological Cover. Six different remote sensing platforms (i.e. five multi-spectral satellite image sensors and one high-resolution aerial orthoimagery) were acquired, delineated according to the new classification scheme, and compared to determine optimal formats for classifying the study area. Cognitive digital classification at a nominal scale of 1:6000 proved to be more accurate than autoclassification programs and therefore used to differentiate coastal marine environments based on spectral reflectance characteristics, such as color, tone, saturation, pattern, and texture of the seafloor topology. In addition, attribute tables were created in conjugation with interpretations to quantify and compare the spatial relationships between classificatory units. IKONOS-2 satellite imagery was determined to be the optimal platform for applying the hierarchical classification scheme. However, each remote sensing platform had beneficial properties depending on research goals, logistical restrictions, and financial support. This study concluded that a new hierarchical comprehensive classification scheme for identifying coastal marine environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf could be achieved by integrating geomorphological features with biological coverages. This newly developed scheme, which can be applied across multiple remote sensing platforms with GIS software, establishes an innovative classification protocol to be used in future research studies.

UAV-based remote sensing of the Heumoes landslide, Austria Vorarlberg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niethammer, U.; Joswig, M.

2009-04-01

The Heumoes landslide, is located in the eastern Vorarlberg Alps, Austria, 10 km southeast of Dornbirn. The extension of the landslide is about 2000 m in west to east direction and about 500 m at its widest extent in north to south direction. It occurs between an elevation of 940 m in the east and 1360 m in the west, slope angles of more than 60 % can be observed as well as almost flat areas. Its total volume is estimated to be 9.400.000 cubic meters and its average velocities amount to some centimeter per year. Surface signatures or 'photolineations' of creeping landslides, e.g. fractures and rupture lines in sediments and street pavings, and vegetation contrasts by changes of water table in shallow vegetation in principle can be resolved by remote sensing. The necessary ground cell resolution of few centimeters, however, generally can't be achieved by routine areal or satellite imagery. The fast technological progress of unmanned areal vehicles (UAV) and the reduced payload by miniaturized optical cameras now allow for UAV remote sensing applications that are below the high financial limits of military intelligence. Even with 'low-cost' equipment, the necessary centimeter-scale ground cell resolution can be achieved by adapting the flight altitude to some ten to one hundred meters. Operated by scientists experienced in remote-control flight models, UAV remote sensing can now be performed routinely, and campaign-wise after any significant event of, e.g., heavy rainfall, or partial mudflow. We have investigated a concept of UAV-borne remote sensing based on motorized gliders, and four-propeller helicopters or 'quad-rotors'. Several missions were flown over the Heumoes landslide. Between 2006 and 2008 three series UAV-borne photographs of the Heumoes landslide were taken and could be combined to orto-mosaics of the slope area within few centimeters ground cell resolution. We will present the concept of our low cost quad-rotor UAV system and first results of the image-processing based evaluation of the acquired images to characterize spatial and temporal details of landslide behaviour. We will also sketch first schemes of joint interpretation or 'data fusion' of UAV-based remote sensing with the results from geophysical mapping of underground distribution of soil moisture and fracture processes (Walter & Joswig, EGU 2009).

Wetland resources investigation based on 3S technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hui; Jing, Haitao; Zhang, Lianpeng

2008-10-01

Wetland is a special ecosystem between land and water . It can provide massive foods, raw material, water resources and habitat for human being, animals and plants, Wetlands are so important that wetlands' development, management and protection have become the focus of public attention ."3S" integration technology was applied to investigate wetland resources in Shandong Province ,the investigation is based on remote sensing(RS) information, combining wetlandrelated geographic information system(GIS) data concerning existing geology, hydrology, land, lakes, rivers, oceans and environmental protection, using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location accurately and conveniently , as well as multi-source information to demonstrate each other based on "3S" integration technology. In addition, the remote sensing(RS) interpretation shall be perfected by combining house interpretation with field survey and combining interpretation results with known data.By contrasting various types of wetland resources with the TM, ETM, SPOT image and combining with the various types of information, remote sensing interpretation symbols of various types of wetland resources are established respectively. According to the interpretation symbols, we systematically interpret the wetland resources of Shandong Province. In accordance with the purpose of different work, we interpret the image of 1987, 1996 and 2000. Finally, various interpretation results are processed by computer scanning, Vectored, projection transformation and image mosaic, wetland resources distribution map is worked out and wetland resources database of Shandong Province is established in succession. Through the investigation, wetland resource in Shandong province can be divided into 4 major categories and 17 sub-categories. we have ascertained the range and area of each category as well as their present utilization status.. By investigating and calculating, the total area of wetland in Shandong Province is 1,712,200 hm2,which accounts for 7.58% of the total area of land in Shandong Province (not including the wetland in the shallow waters along the coast). Among them, area of river wetland is 286,746 hm2, area of lakes wetland is143,490 hm2, area of reservoir and pond wetland is 118,693 hm2, area of offshore and coastal wetland is 994,100 hm2, and area of other wetland is 169,171 hm2. On the basis of this, we can analyze the dynamic changes trend and the reasons: steady degenerating for natural wetlands, increasing year by year for artificial wetland, and the distribution pattern takes shape that the existing natural wetlands are being protected and the increase of new artificial wetlands is in conformity with the social development, so the situation of the wetland resources is developing towards a virtuous circle direction.

Advances in planetary geology, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

This publication is a continuation of volume 1; it is a compilation of reports focusing on research into the origin and evolution of the solar system with emphasis on planetary geology. Specific reports include a multispectral and geomorphic investigation of the surface of Europa and a geologic interpretation of remote sensing data for the Martian volcano Ascreaus Mons.

Monitoring of the Abrasion Processes (by the Example of Alakol Lake, Republic of Kazakhstan)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abitbayeva, Ainagul; Valeyev, Adilet; Yegemberdiyeva, Kamshat; Assylbekova, Aizhan; Ryskeldieva, Aizhan

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study is to analyze the abrasion processes in the regions of dynamically changing Alakol lake shores. Using the field method, methods of positioning by the GPS receiver and interpretation of remote sensing data, the authors determined that abrasion processes actively contributed to the formation the modern landscape, causing the…

Tunnel-Site Selection by Remote Sensing Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

A study of the role of remote sensing for geologic reconnaissance for tunnel-site selection was commenced. For this study, remote sensing was defined...conventional remote sensing . Future research directions are suggested, and the extension of remote sensing to include airborne passive microwave

Biological and remote sensing perspectives of pigmentation in coral reef organisms.

PubMed

Hedley, John D; Mumby, Peter J

2002-01-01

Coral reef communities face unprecedented pressures on local, regional and global scales as a consequence of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. Optical remote sensing, from satellites or aircraft, is possibly the only means of measuring the effects of such stresses at appropriately large spatial scales (many thousands of square kilometres). To map key variables such as coral community structure, percentages of living coral or percentages of dead coral, a remote sensing instrument must be able to distinguish the reflectance spectra (i.e. "spectral signature", reflected light as a function of wavelength) of each category. For biotic classes, reflectance is a complex function of pigmentation, structure and morphology. Studies of coral "colour" fall into two disparate but potentially complementary types. Firstly, biological studies tend to investigate the structure and significance of pigmentation in reef organisms. These studies often lack details that would be useful from a remote sensing perspective such as intraspecific variation in pigment concentration or the contribution of fluorescence to reflectance. Secondly, remote sensing studies take empirical measurements of spectra and seek wavelengths that discriminate benthic categories. Benthic categories used in remote sensing sometimes consist of species groupings that are biologically or spectrally inappropriate (e.g. merging of algal phyla with distinct pigments). Here, we attempt to bridge the gap between biological and remote sensing perspectives of pigmentation in reef taxa. The aim is to assess the extent to which spectral discrimination can be given a biological foundation, to reduce the ad hoc nature of discriminatory criteria, and to understand the fundamental (biological) limitations in the spectral separability of biotic classes. Sources of pigmentation in reef biota are reviewed together with remote sensing studies where spectral discrimination has been effectively demonstrated between benthic categories. The basis of reflectance is considered as the sum of pigmented components, such as zooxanthellae, host tissues and skeletons of corals. Problems in the empirical in situ measurement of reflectance are identified, such as the differing types of reflectance which can be measured, the interaction of the light field with morphology, and depth-dependent variability of measured reflectance due to fluorescence. The latter is estimated in some cases to introduce an error of up to 20% when depth differs by 8 m. Spectral features useful in discriminating reef benthos are identified and related to pigmentation. The slope in the reflectance spectra between 650 and 690 nm is dependent on chlorophyll-a concentration and can be used to discriminate bare sand with no algal component from chlorophyll-a containing benthos (algae, corals). The slope in reflectance at various locations between 500 and 560 nm can be useful in discriminating bleached and unbleached corals, possibly due to reduced peridinin concentration. Rhodophyta may be discernible by the presence of a dip in reflectance at 570 nm, due to a phycoerythrin absorption peak. However, the utility of some discriminatory criteria in deeper waters is mitigated by the relatively poor transmission of light through water at longer wavelengths (especially > 600 nm). Contrary to suggested categorizations of fluorescent pigments in coral host tissues, it is shown that these pigments form an almost continuous distribution with respect to their excitation and emission peaks. Remote sensing by induced fluorescence is a promising approach, but further details about the variation and distribution of these pigments are required. It is hoped that this review will promote cross-disciplinary collaboration between pigment biologists and the reef remote sensing community. Where possible, the discriminative criteria adopted in remote sensing should be related to biological phenomena, thus lending an intuitive, process-orientated basis for interpreting spectral data. Similarly, remote sensing may provide a novel scaling perspective to biological studies of pigmentation in reef organisms.

System and method for evaluating wind flow fields using remote sensing devices

DOEpatents

Schroeder, John; Hirth, Brian; Guynes, Jerry

2016-12-13

The present invention provides a system and method for obtaining data to determine one or more characteristics of a wind field using a first remote sensing device and a second remote sensing device. Coordinated data is collected from the first and second remote sensing devices and analyzed to determine the one or more characteristics of the wind field. The first remote sensing device is positioned to have a portion of the wind field within a first scanning sector of the first remote sensing device. The second remote sensing device is positioned to have the portion of the wind field disposed within a second scanning sector of the second remote sensing device.

Exploring Models and Data for Remote Sensing Image Caption Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xiaoqiang; Wang, Binqiang; Zheng, Xiangtao; Li, Xuelong

2018-04-01

Inspired by recent development of artificial satellite, remote sensing images have attracted extensive attention. Recently, noticeable progress has been made in scene classification and target detection.However, it is still not clear how to describe the remote sensing image content with accurate and concise sentences. In this paper, we investigate to describe the remote sensing images with accurate and flexible sentences. First, some annotated instructions are presented to better describe the remote sensing images considering the special characteristics of remote sensing images. Second, in order to exhaustively exploit the contents of remote sensing images, a large-scale aerial image data set is constructed for remote sensing image caption. Finally, a comprehensive review is presented on the proposed data set to fully advance the task of remote sensing caption. Extensive experiments on the proposed data set demonstrate that the content of the remote sensing image can be completely described by generating language descriptions. The data set is available at https://github.com/201528014227051/RSICD_optimal

Research on active imaging information transmission technology of satellite borne quantum remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Siwen; Zhen, Ming; Yang, Song; Lin, Xuling; Wu, Zhiqiang

2017-08-01

According to the development and application needs of Remote Sensing Science and technology, Prof. Siwen Bi proposed quantum remote sensing. Firstly, the paper gives a brief introduction of the background of quantum remote sensing, the research status and related researches at home and abroad on the theory, information mechanism and imaging experiments of quantum remote sensing and the production of principle prototype.Then, the quantization of pure remote sensing radiation field, the state function and squeezing effect of quantum remote sensing radiation field are emphasized. It also describes the squeezing optical operator of quantum light field in active imaging information transmission experiment and imaging experiments, achieving 2-3 times higher resolution than that of coherent light detection imaging and completing the production of quantum remote sensing imaging prototype. The application of quantum remote sensing technology can significantly improve both the signal-to-noise ratio of information transmission imaging and the spatial resolution of quantum remote sensing .On the above basis, Prof.Bi proposed the technical solution of active imaging information transmission technology of satellite borne quantum remote sensing, launched researches on its system composition and operation principle and on quantum noiseless amplifying devices, providing solutions and technical basis for implementing active imaging information technology of satellite borne Quantum Remote Sensing.

Potentials and limitations of remote fire monitoring in protected areas.

PubMed

Dos Santos, João Flávio Costa; Romeiro, Joyce Machado Nunes; de Assis, José Batuíra; Torres, Fillipe Tamiozzo Pereira; Gleriani, José Marinaldo

2018-03-01

Protected areas (PAs) play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity and ecological processes of the site. One of the greatest challenges for the PA management in several biomes in the world is wildfires. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potentialities and limitations of the use of data obtained by orbital remote sensing in the monitoring fire occurrence in PAs. Fire Occurrence Records (FORs) were analyzed in Serra do Brigadeiro State Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2007 to 2015, using photo interpreted data from TM, ETM + and OLI sensors of the Landsat series and the Hot Spot Database (HSD) from the Brazilian Institute of Space Research - INPE. It was also observed the time of permanence of the scar left by fire on the landscape, through the multitemporal analysis of the behavior of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NBR (Normalized Burn Ratio) indexes, before and after the occurrence. The greatest limitation found for the orbital remote monitoring was the presence of clouds in the passage of the sensor in dates close to the occurrence of the fires. The burned area identified by photo interpretation was 54.9% less than the area contained in the FOR. Although the HSD reported fire occurrences in the buffer zone (up to 10km from the Park), no FORs were found at a distance greater than 1100m from the boundaries of the PA. As the main potential of remote sensing, the possibility of identifying burned areas throughout the park and surroundings is highlighted, with low costs and greater accuracy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introduction to the physics and techniques of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elachi, Charles

1987-01-01

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the basics behind remote-sensing physics, techniques, and technology. The physics of wave/matter interactions, techniques of remote sensing across the electromagnetic spectrum, and the concepts behind remote sensing techniques now established and future ones under development are discussed. Applications of remote sensing are described for a wide variety of earth and planetary atmosphere and surface sciences. Solid surface sensing across the electromagnetic spectrum, ocean surface sensing, basic principles of atmospheric sensing and radiative transfer, and atmospheric remote sensing in the microwave, millimeter, submillimeter, and infrared regions are examined.

[Thematic Issue: Remote Sensing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howkins, John, Ed.

1978-01-01

Four of the articles in this publication discuss the remote sensing of the Earth and its resources by satellites. Among the topics dealt with are the development and management of remote sensing systems, types of satellites used for remote sensing, the uses of remote sensing, and issues involved in using information obtained through remote…

75 FR 65304 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) was... Atmosphere, on matters relating to the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry and NOAA's activities to carry...

Microwave backscattering theory and active remote sensing of the ocean surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, G. S.; Miller, L. S.

1977-01-01

The status is reviewed of electromagnetic scattering theory relative to the interpretation of microwave remote sensing data acquired from spaceborne platforms over the ocean surface. Particular emphasis is given to the assumptions which are either implicit or explicit in the theory. The multiple scale scattering theory developed during this investigation is extended to non-Gaussian surface statistics. It is shown that the important statistic for the case is the probability density function of the small scale heights conditioned on the large scale slopes; this dependence may explain the anisotropic scattering measurements recently obtained with the AAFE Radscat. It is noted that present surface measurements are inadequate to verify or reject the existing scattering theories. Surface measurements are recommended for qualifying sensor data from radar altimeters and scatterometers. Additional scattering investigations are suggested for imaging type radars employing synthetically generated apertures.

Remote sensing monitoring of green tide in the Yellow Sea in 2015 based on GF-1 WFV data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xiangyu; Gao, Zhiqiang; Ning, Jicai; Xu, Fuxiang; Liu, Chaoshun; Sun, Zhibin

2016-09-01

In this paper, the green tide (Large green algae-Ulva prolifera) in the Yellow Sea in 2015 is monitored which is based on remote sensing and geographic information system technology, using GF-1 WFV data, combined with the virtual baseline floating algae height index (VB-FAH) and manual assisted interpretation method. The results show that GF-1 data with high spatial resolution can accurately monitoring the Yellow Sea Ulva prolifera disaster, the Ulva prolifera was first discovered in the eastern waters of Yancheng in May 12th, afterwards drifted from the south to the north and affected the neighboring waters of Shandong Peninsula. In early July, the Ulva prolifera began to enter into a recession, the coverage area began to decrease, by the end of August 6th, the Ulva prolifera all died.

Edge Response and NIIRS Estimates for Commercial Remote Sensing Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blonski, Slawomir; Ryan, Robert E.; Pagnutti, mary; Stanley, Thomas

2006-01-01

Spatial resolution of panchromatic imagery from commercial remote sensing satellites was characterized based on edge response measurements using edge targets and the tilted-edge technique. Relative Edge Response (RER) was estimated as a geometric mean of normalized edge response differences measured in two directions of image pixels at points distanced from the edge by -0.5 and 0.5 of ground sample distance. RER is one of the engineering parameters used in the General Image Quality Equation to provide predictions of imaging system performance expressed in terms of the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS). By assuming a plausible range of signal-to-noise ratio and assessing the effects of Modulation Transfer Function compensation, the NIIRS estimates were made and then compared with vendor-provided values and evaluations conducted by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Influence of spatial variability of hydraulic characteristics of soils on surface parameters obtained from remote sensing data in infrared and microwaves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunet, Y.; Vauclin, M.

1985-01-01

The correct interpretation of thermal and hydraulic soil parameters infrared from remotely sensed data (thermal infrared, microwaves) implies a good understanding of the causes of their temporal and spatial variability. Given this necessity, the sensitivity of the surface variables (temperature, moisture) to the spatial variability of hydraulic soil properties is tested with a numerical model of heat and mass transfer between bare soil and atmosphere. The spatial variability of hydraulic soil properties is taken into account in terms of the scaling factor. For a given soil, the knowledge of its frequency distribution allows a stochastic use of the model. The results are treated statistically, and the part of the variability of soil surface parameters due to that of soil hydraulic properties is evaluated quantitatively.

Land use mapping and change detection using ERTS imagery in Montgomery County, Alabama

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilms, R. P.

1973-01-01

The feasibility of using remotely sensed data from ERTS-1 for mapping land use and detecting land use change was investigated. Land use information was gathered from 1964 air photo mosaics and from 1972 ERTS data. The 1964 data provided the basis for comparison with ERTS-1 imagery. From this comparison, urban sprawl was quite evident for the city of Montgomery. A significant trend from forestland to agricultural was also discovered. The development of main traffic arteries between 1964 and 1972 was a vital factor in the development of some of the urban centers. Even though certain problems in interpreting and correlating land use data from ERTS imagery were encountered, it has been demonstrated that remotely sensed data from ERTS is useful for inventorying land use and detecting land use change.

Use Cases for Combining Web Services with ArcPython Tools for Enabling Quality Control of Land Remote Sensing Data Products.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krehbiel, C.; Maiersperger, T.; Friesz, A.; Harriman, L.; Quenzer, R.; Impecoven, K.

2016-12-01

Three major obstacles facing big Earth data users include data storage, management, and analysis. As the amount of satellite remote sensing data increases, so does the need for better data storage and management strategies to exploit the plethora of data now available. Standard GIS tools can help big Earth data users whom interact with and analyze increasingly large and diverse datasets. In this presentation we highlight how NASA's Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) is tackling these big Earth data challenges. We provide a real life use case example to describe three tools and services provided by the LP DAAC to more efficiently exploit big Earth data in a GIS environment. First, we describe the Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP), which calls to specific data, minimizing the amount of data that a user downloads and improves the efficiency of data downloading and processing. Next, we cover the LP DAAC's Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS), a web application interface for extracting and analyzing land remote sensing data. From there, we review an ArcPython toolbox that was developed to provide quality control services to land remote sensing data products. Locating and extracting specific subsets of larger big Earth datasets improves data storage and management efficiency for the end user, and quality control services provides a straightforward interpretation of big Earth data. These tools and services are beneficial to the GIS user community in terms of standardizing workflows and improving data storage, management, and analysis tactics.

The sky is the limit: reconstructing physical geography fieldwork from an aerial perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, R.; Tooth, S.; Gibson, M.; Barrett, B.

2017-12-01

In an era of rapid geographical data acquisition, interpretations of remote sensing products (e.g. aerial photographs, satellite images, digital elevation models) are an integral part of many undergraduate geography degree schemes but there are fewer opportunities for collection and processing of primary remote sensing data. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a relatively cheap opportunity to introduce the principles and practice of airborne remote sensing into fieldcourses, enabling students to learn about image acquisition, data processing and interpretation of derived products. Three case studies illustrate how a low cost DJI Phantom UAV can be used by students to acquire images that can be processed using off the shelf Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry software. Two case studies are drawn from an international fieldcourse that takes students to field sites that are the focus of current funded research whilst a third case study is from a course in topographic mapping. Results from a student questionnaire and analysis of assessed student reports showed that using UAVs in fieldwork enhanced student engagement with themes on their fieldcourse and equipped them with data processing skills. The derivation of bespoke orthophotos and Digital Elevation Models also provided students with opportunities to gain insight into the various data quality issues that are associated with aerial imagery acquisition and topographic reconstruction, although additional training is required to maximise this potential. Recognition of the successes and limitations of this teaching intervention provides scope for improving exercises that use UAVs and other technologies in future fieldcourses. UAVs are enabling both a reconstruction of how we measure the Earth's surface and a reconstruction of how students do fieldwork.

Integrating passive seismicity with Web-Based GIS for a new perspective on volcano imaging and monitoring: the case study of Mt. Etna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guardo, Roberto; De Siena, Luca

2017-04-01

The timely estimation of short- and long-term volcanic hazard relies on the existence of detailed 3D geophysical images of volcanic structures. High-resolution seismic models of the absorbing uppermost conduit systems and highly-heterogeneous shallowest volcanic layers, while particularly challenging to obtain, provide important data to locate feasible eruptive centers and forecast flank collapses and lava ascending paths. Here, we model the volcanic structures of Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy) and its outskirts using the Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio method, generally applied to industrial and engineering settings. The integration of this technique with Web-based Geographic Information System improves precision during the acquisition phase. It also integrates geological and geophysical visualization of 3D surface and subsurface structures in a queryable environment representing their exact three-dimensional geographic position, enhancing interpretation. The results show high-resolution 3D images of the shallowest volcanic and feeding systems, which complement (1) deeper seismic tomography imaging and (2) the results of recent remote sensing imaging. The main novelty with respect to previous model is the presence of a vertical structure that divides the pre-existing volcanic complexes of Ellittico and Cuvigghiuni. This could be interpreted as a transitional phase between the two systems. A comparison with recent remote sensing and geological results, however, shows clear connections between the anomaly and dynamic active during the last 15 years. We infer that seismic noise measurements from miniaturized instruments, when combined with remote sensing techniques, represent an important resource when monitoring volcanic media and eruptions, reducing the risk of loss of human lives and instrumentation.

STRUCTURAL AND HYDROGEOLOGIC APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING DATA, EASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, C. Scott; ,

1984-01-01

Landsat and Seasat satellite images and aerial photographs of eastern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, were analyzed to delineate geologic controls of ground water. Significant interpretation results include the delineation of linear topographic swales, interpreted as fractures, extending more than 50 km along strike from the previously known limit of the Holbox fracture system; the alignment of sink holes (cenotes) and inlets (caletas) on strike with existing faults and fracture systems; and the identification of tonal anomalies in Ingles Lagoon suggesting fresh-water discharge from a submarine spring.

Philippine microplate tectonics and hydrocarbon exploration

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

Gallagher, J.J. Jr.

1986-07-01

Hydrocarbon traps in the Philippine Islands developed during a long, complex history of microplate tectonics. Carbonate and clastic stratigraphic traps formed during Mesozoic and early Cenozoic rifting and drifting. Hydrocarbons, generated in deep rift basins, migrated to the traps during drifting. Later Cenozoic compressional tectonic activity and concomitant faulting enhanced some traps and destroyed others. Seismic data offshore from Palawan Island reveal the early trap histories. Later trap histories can be interpreted from seismic, outcrop, and remote-sensing data. Understanding the microplate tectonic history of the Philippines is the key to interpreting trap histories.

Remote sensing applications for range management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haas, R. H.

1981-01-01

The use of satellite information for range management is discussed. The use of infrared photography and color photography for analysis of vegetation cover is described. The methods of interpreting LANDSAT imagery are highlighted and possible applications of such interpretive methods to range management are considered. The concept of using LANDSAT as a sampling frame for renewable natural resource inventories was examined. It is concluded that a blending of LANDSAT vegetation data with soils and digital terrain data, will define a basic sampling unit that is appropriate for range management utilization.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China, Remote Sensing Systems, Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-17

Partial Contents: Short Introduction to Nation’s Remote Sensing Units, Domestic Airborne Remote - Sensing System, Applications in Monitoring Natural...Disasters, Applications of Imagery From Experimental Satellites Launched in 1985, 1986, Current Status, Future Prospects for Domestic Remote - Sensing -Satellite...Ground Station, and Radar Remote - Sensing Technology Used to Monitor Yellow River Delta,

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

Newman, Jennifer; Clifton, Andrew; Bonin, Timothy

As wind turbine sizes increase and wind energy expands to more complex and remote sites, remote-sensing devices such as lidars are expected to play a key role in wind resource assessment and power performance testing. The switch to remote-sensing devices represents a paradigm shift in the way the wind industry typically obtains and interprets measurement data for wind energy. For example, the measurement techniques and sources of uncertainty for a remote-sensing device are vastly different from those associated with a cup anemometer on a meteorological tower. Current IEC standards for quantifying remote sensing device uncertainty for power performance testing considermore » uncertainty due to mounting, calibration, and classification of the remote sensing device, among other parameters. Values of the uncertainty are typically given as a function of the mean wind speed measured by a reference device and are generally fixed, leading to climatic uncertainty values that apply to the entire measurement campaign. However, real-world experience and a consideration of the fundamentals of the measurement process have shown that lidar performance is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions, such as wind shear, turbulence, and aerosol content. At present, these conditions are not directly incorporated into the estimated uncertainty of a lidar device. In this presentation, we describe the development of a new dynamic lidar uncertainty framework that adapts to current flow conditions and more accurately represents the actual uncertainty inherent in lidar measurements under different conditions. In this new framework, sources of uncertainty are identified for estimation of the line-of-sight wind speed and reconstruction of the three-dimensional wind field. These sources are then related to physical processes caused by the atmosphere and lidar operating conditions. The framework is applied to lidar data from a field measurement site to assess the ability of the framework to predict errors in lidar-measured wind speed. The results show how uncertainty varies over time and can be used to help select data with different levels of uncertainty for different applications, for example, low uncertainty data for power performance testing versus all data for plant performance monitoring.« less

Assessing alternative measures of tree canopy cover: Photo-interpreted NAIP and ground-based estimates

Treesearch

Chris Toney; Greg Liknes; Andy Lister; Dacia Meneguzzo

2012-01-01

In preparation for the development of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2011 tree canopy cover layer, a pilot project for research and method development was completed in 2010 by the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC).This paper explores one of several topics investigated during the NLCD...

Image Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The Computer Graphics Center of North Carolina State University uses LAS, a COSMIC program, to analyze and manipulate data from Landsat and SPOT providing information for government and commercial land resource application projects. LAS is used to interpret aircraft/satellite data and enables researchers to improve image-based classification accuracies. The system is easy to use and has proven to be a valuable remote sensing training tool.

[A review on polarization information in the remote sensing detection].

PubMed

Gong, Jie-Qiong; Zhan, Hai-Gang; Liu, Da-Zhao

2010-04-01

Polarization is one of the inherent characteristics. Because the surface of the target structure, internal structure, and the angle of incident light are different, the earth's surface and any target in atmosphere under optical interaction process will have their own characteristic nature of polarization. Polarimetric characteristics of radiation energy from the targets are used in polarization remote sensing detection as detective information. Polarization remote sensing detection can get the seven-dimensional information of targets in complicated backgrounds, detect well-resolved outline of targets and low-reflectance region of objectives, and resolve the problems of atmospheric detection and identification camouflage detection which the traditional remote sensing detection can not solve, having good foreground in applications. This paper introduces the development of polarization information in the remote sensing detection from the following four aspects. The rationale of polarization remote sensing detection is the base of polarization remote sensing detection, so it is firstly introduced. Secondly, the present researches on equipments that are used in polarization remote sensing detection are particularly and completely expatiated. Thirdly, the present exploration of theoretical simulation of polarization remote sensing detection is well detailed. Finally, the authors present the applications research home and abroad of the polarization remote sensing detection technique in the fields of remote sensing, atmospheric sounding, sea surface and underwater detection, biology and medical diagnosis, astronomical observation and military, summing up the current problems in polarization remote sensing detection. The development trend of polarization remote sensing detection technology in the future is pointed out in order to provide a reference for similar studies.

Cybernetic Basis and System Practice of Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, X.; Jing, X.; Chen, R.; Ming, Z.; He, L.; Sun, Y.; Sun, X.; Yan, L.

2017-09-01

Cybernetics provides a new set of ideas and methods for the study of modern science, and it has been fully applied in many areas. However, few people have introduced cybernetics into the field of remote sensing. The paper is based on the imaging process of remote sensing system, introducing cybernetics into the field of remote sensing, establishing a space-time closed-loop control theory for the actual operation of remote sensing. The paper made the process of spatial information coherently, and improved the comprehensive efficiency of the space information from acquisition, procession, transformation to application. We not only describes the application of cybernetics in remote sensing platform control, sensor control, data processing control, but also in whole system of remote sensing imaging process control. We achieve the information of output back to the input to control the efficient operation of the entire system. This breakthrough combination of cybernetics science and remote sensing science will improve remote sensing science to a higher level.

SAR-EDU - An education initiative for applied Synthetic Aperture Radar remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckardt, Robert; Richter, Nicole; Auer, Stefan; Eineder, Michael; Roth, Achim; Hajnsek, Irena; Walter, Diana; Braun, Matthias; Motagh, Mahdi; Pathe, Carsten; Pleskachevsky, Andrey; Thiel, Christian; Schmullius, Christiane

2013-04-01

Since the 1970s, radar remote sensing techniques have evolved rapidly and are increasingly employed in all fields of earth sciences. Applications are manifold and still expanding due to the continuous development of new instruments and missions as well as the availability of very high-quality data. The trend worldwide is towards operational employment of the various algorithms and methods that have been developed. However, the utilization of operational services does not keep up yet with the rate of technical developments and the improvements in sensor technology. With the enhancing availability and variety of space borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and a growing number of analysis algorithms the need for a vital user community is increasing. Therefore the German Aerospace Center (DLR) together with the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena (FSU) and the Technical University Munich (TUM) launched the education initiative SAR-EDU. The aim of the project is to facilitate access to expert knowledge in the scientific field of radar remote sensing. Within this effort a web portal will be created to provide seminar material on SAR basics, methods and applications to support both, lecturers and students. The overall intension of the project SAR-EDU is to provide seminar material for higher education in radar remote sensing covering the topic holistically from the very basics to the most advanced methods and applications that are available. The principles of processing and interpreting SAR data are going to be taught using test data sets and open-source as well as commercial software packages. The material that is provided by SAR-EDU will be accessible at no charge from a DLR web portal. The educational tool will have a modular structure, consisting of separate modules that broach the issue of a particular topic. The aim of the implementation of SAR-EDU as application-oriented radar remote sensing educational tool is to advocate the development and wider use of operational services on the base of pre-existing algorithms and sensors on the one hand, and to aid the extension of radar remote sensing techniques to a broader field of application on the other. SAR-EDU therefore combines the knowledge, expertise and experience of an excellent German consortium.

Landscape characterization of peridomestic risk for Lyme disease using satellite imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dister, S. W.; Fish, D.; Bros, S. M.; Frank, D. H.; Wood, B. L.

1997-01-01

Remotely sensed characterizations of landscape composition were evaluated for Lyme disease exposure risk on 337 residential properties in two communities of suburban Westchester County, New York. Properties were categorized as no, low, or high risk based on seasonally adjusted densities of Ixodes scapularis nymphs, determined by drag sampling during June and July 1990. Spectral indices based on Landsat Thematic Mapper data provided relative measures of vegetation structure and moisture (wetness), as well as vegetation abundance (greenness). A geographic information system (GIS) was used to spatially quantify and relate the remotely sensed landscape variables to risk category. A comparison of the two communities showed that Chappaqua, which had more high-risk properties (P < 0.001), was significantly greener and wetter than Armonk (P < 0.001). Furthermore, within Chappaqua, high-risk properties were significantly greener and wetter than lower-risk properties in this community (P < 0.01). The high-risk properties appeared to contain a greater proportion of broadleaf trees, while lower-risk properties were interpreted as having a greater proportion of nonvegetative cover and/or open lawn. The ability to distinguish these fine scale differences among communities and individual properties illustrates the efficiency of a remote sensing/GIS-based approach for identifying peridomestic risk of Lyme disease over large geographic areas.

Remote sensing techniques in monitoring areas affected by forest fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagianni, Aikaterini Ch.; Lazaridou, Maria A.

2017-09-01

Forest fire is a part of nature playing a key role in shaping ecosystems. However, fire's environmental impacts can be significant, affecting wildlife habitat and timber, human settlements, man-made technical constructions and various networks (road, power networks) and polluting the air with emissions harmful to human health. Furthermore, fire's effect on the landscape may be long-lasting. Monitoring the development of a fire occurs as an important aspect at the management of natural hazards in general. Among the used methods for monitoring, satellite data and remote sensing techniques can be proven of particular importance. Satellite remote sensing offers a useful tool for forest fire detection, monitoring, management and damage assessment. Especially for fire scars detection and monitoring, satellite data derived from Landsat 8 can be a useful research tool. This paper includes critical considerations of the above and concerns in particular an example of the Greek area (Thasos Island). This specific area was hit by fires several times in the past and recently as well (September 2016). Landsat 8 satellite data are being used (pre and post fire imagery) and digital image processing techniques are applied (enhancement techniques, calculation of various indices) for fire scars detection. Visual interpretation of the example area affected by the fires is also being done, contributing to the overall study.

Ground-based grasslands data to support remote sensing and ecosystem modeling of terrestrial primary production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, R. J.; Scurlock, J. M. O.; Turner, R. S.; Jennings, S. V.

1995-01-01

Estimating terrestrial net primary production (NPP) using remote-sensing tools and ecosystem models requires adequate ground-based measurements for calibration, parameterization, and validation. These data needs were strongly endorsed at a recent meeting of ecosystem modelers organized by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program's (IGBP's) Data and Information System (DIS) and its Global Analysis, Interpretation, and Modelling (GAIM) Task Force. To meet these needs, a multinational, multiagency project is being coordinated by the IGBP DIS to compile existing NPP data from field sites and to regionalize NPP point estimates to various-sized grid cells. Progress at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on compiling NPP data for grasslands as part of the IGBP DIS data initiative is described. Site data and associated documentation from diverse field studies are being acquired for selected grasslands and are being reviewed for completeness, consistency, and adequacy of documentation, including a description of sampling methods. Data are being compiled in a database with spatial, temporal, and thematic characteristics relevant to remote sensing and global modeling. NPP data are available from the ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for biogeochemical dynamics. The ORNL DAAC is part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System, of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The coastline remote sensing survey for Zhao Shu Island in Xisha Islands based on WorldView-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li; Zhong, Chang; Kong, Fanping

2014-11-01

Due to diastrophism, tide action and human activities, the coastline is always in flux. There are lots of coral islands in the south sea of China. Remote sensing survey for the coastline not only can reassert the necessity and importance of coral protection, but also can provide basic data and scientific basis for island ecologic protection, reasonable utilization of land resources. The study area named Zhao Shu Island lies in Jintong Islands of Xisha. It is a coral island which has people inhabited. Using WorldView-2 satellite remote sensing images as data sources we carry out three phases of coastline investigation and monitoring. The satellite data phases are 2002, 2010 and 2013. Firstly, affirm the bands valuable for color composition on the basis of spectral and correlation analysis. Then extract the coastline by a series of image process, such as image correction, fusion, waterline extraction and coastline revision. Finally determine the coastline types and length by artificial interpretation. The results show that the island length is gradually smaller, which means the island area is reducing. The beach bedrock coast in northern island was eroded seriously especially during the period between 2010 and 2013. In addition, the shoal head shape in the western island changed a lot.

Intercomparison of phenological transition dates derived from the PhenoCam Dataset V1.0 and MODIS satellite remote sensing.

PubMed

Richardson, Andrew D; Hufkens, Koen; Milliman, Tom; Frolking, Steve

2018-04-09

Phenology is a valuable diagnostic of ecosystem health, and has applications to environmental monitoring and management. Here, we conduct an intercomparison analysis using phenological transition dates derived from near-surface PhenoCam imagery and MODIS satellite remote sensing. We used approximately 600 site-years of data, from 128 camera sites covering a wide range of vegetation types and climate zones. During both "greenness rising" and "greenness falling" transition phases, we found generally good agreement between PhenoCam and MODIS transition dates for agricultural, deciduous forest, and grassland sites, provided that the vegetation in the camera field of view was representative of the broader landscape. The correlation between PhenoCam and MODIS transition dates was poor for evergreen forest sites. We discuss potential reasons (including sub-pixel spatial heterogeneity, flexibility of the transition date extraction method, vegetation index sensitivity in evergreen systems, and PhenoCam geolocation uncertainty) for varying agreement between time series of vegetation indices derived from PhenoCam and MODIS imagery. This analysis increases our confidence in the ability of satellite remote sensing to accurately characterize seasonal dynamics in a range of ecosystems, and provides a basis for interpreting those dynamics in the context of tangible phenological changes occurring on the ground.

Remote Sensing of Earth Resources (1970-1973 Supplement): A Literature Survey with Indexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

This literature survey cites 4930 reports, articles and other documents that were announced between March 1970 and December 1973 in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) or in International Aerospace Abstracts (IAA). This publication supplements Remote Sensing of Earth Resources (NASA-SP-7036) that cited documents announced between January 1962 and February 1970. Beginning in 1974, a quarterly publication, Earth Resources, A Continuing Bibliography (NASA-SP-7041) was initiated. The first issue, NASA-SP-7041(01), was published in June covering the document announced between January 1974 and March 1974. The coverage includes documents related to the identification and evaluation by means of sensors in spacecraft and aircraft of vegetation, minerals, and other natural resources, and the techniques and potentialities of surveying and keeping up-to-date inventories of such riches. It encompasses studies of such natural phenomena as earthquakes, volcanoes, ocean currents and magnetic fields; and such cultural phenomena as cities, transportation networks, and irrigation systems. Descriptions of the components and use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation, their subsystems, observational procedures, signature and analyses and interpretive techniques for gathering data are also included. Reports generated under NASA's Earth Resources Survey Program and announced during the period covered by this bibliography are included.

Object-Based Random Forest Classification of Land Cover from Remotely Sensed Imagery for Industrial and Mining Reclamation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Luo, M.; Xu, L.; Zhou, X.; Ren, J.; Zhou, J.

2018-04-01

The RF method based on grid-search parameter optimization could achieve a classification accuracy of 88.16 % in the classification of images with multiple feature variables. This classification accuracy was higher than that of SVM and ANN under the same feature variables. In terms of efficiency, the RF classification method performs better than SVM and ANN, it is more capable of handling multidimensional feature variables. The RF method combined with object-based analysis approach could highlight the classification accuracy further. The multiresolution segmentation approach on the basis of ESP scale parameter optimization was used for obtaining six scales to execute image segmentation, when the segmentation scale was 49, the classification accuracy reached the highest value of 89.58 %. The classification accuracy of object-based RF classification was 1.42 % higher than that of pixel-based classification (88.16 %), and the classification accuracy was further improved. Therefore, the RF classification method combined with object-based analysis approach could achieve relatively high accuracy in the classification and extraction of land use information for industrial and mining reclamation areas. Moreover, the interpretation of remotely sensed imagery using the proposed method could provide technical support and theoretical reference for remotely sensed monitoring land reclamation.

Near-earth orbital guidance and remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powers, W. F.

1972-01-01

The curriculum of a short course in remote sensing and parameter optimization is presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) basics of remote sensing and the user community, (2) multivariant spectral analysis, (3) advanced mathematics and physics of remote sensing, (4) the atmospheric environment, (5) imaging sensing, and (6)nonimaging sensing. Mathematical models of optimization techniques are developed.

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 sensing, land use, and demography - A look at people through their effects on the land

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1976-01-01

Relevant causes of failure by the remote sensing community in the urban scene are analyzed. The reasons for the insignificant role of remote sensing in urban land use data collection are called the law of realism, the incompatibility of remote sensing and urban management system data formats is termed the law of nominal/ordinal systems compatibility, and the land use/population correlation dilemma is referred to as the law of missing persons. The study summarizes the three laws of urban land use information for which violations, avoidance, or ignorance have caused the decline of present remote sensing research. Particular attention is given to the rationale for urban land use information and for remote sensing. It is shown that remote sensing of urban land uses compatible with the three laws can be effectively developed by realizing the 10 percent contribution of remote sensing to urban land use planning data collection.

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.

Remote sensing of Earth terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, J. A.

1993-01-01

Progress report on remote sensing of Earth terrain covering the period from Jan. to June 1993 is presented. Areas of research include: radiative transfer model for active and passive remote sensing of vegetation canopy; polarimetric thermal emission from rough ocean surfaces; polarimetric passive remote sensing of ocean wind vectors; polarimetric thermal emission from periodic water surfaces; layer model with tandom spheriodal scatterers for remote sensing of vegetation canopy; application of theoretical models to active and passive remote sensing of saline ice; radiative transfer theory for polarimetric remote sensing of pine forest; scattering of electromagnetic waves from a dense medium consisting of correlated mie scatterers with size distributions and applications to dry snow; variance of phase fluctuations of waves propagating through a random medium; polarimetric signatures of a canopy of dielectric cylinders based on first and second order vector radiative transfer theory; branching model for vegetation; polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces; composite volume and surface scattering model; and radar image classification.

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.

Remote sensing by satellite - Technical and operational implications for international cooperation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, S. E.

1976-01-01

International cooperation in the U.S. Space Program is discussed and related to the NASA program for remote sensing of the earth. Satellite remote sensing techniques are considered along with the selection of the best sensors and wavelength bands. The technology of remote sensing satellites is considered with emphasis on the Landsat system configuration. Future aspects of remote sensing satellites are considered.

Viewing Marine Bacteria, Their Activity and Response to Environmental Drivers from Orbit

PubMed Central

Grimes, D. Jay; Ford, Tim E.; Colwell, Rita R.; Baker-Austin, Craig; Martinez-Urtaza, Jaime; Subramaniam, Ajit; Capone, Douglas G.

2014-01-01

Satellite-based remote sensing of marine microorganisms has become a useful tool in predicting human health risks associated with these microscopic targets. Early applications were focused on harmful algal blooms, but more recently methods have been developed to interrogate the ocean for bacteria. As satellite-based sensors have become more sophisticated and our ability to interpret information derived from these sensors has advanced, we have progressed from merely making fascinating pictures from space to developing process models with predictive capability. Our understanding of the role of marine microorganisms in primary production and global elemental cycles has been vastly improved as has our ability to use the combination of remote sensing data and models to provide early warning systems for disease outbreaks. This manuscript will discuss current approaches to monitoring cyanobacteria and vibrios, their activity and response to environmental drivers, and will also suggest future directions. PMID:24477922

Remote sensing of snow and ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.

1979-01-01

This paper reviews remote sensing of snow and ice, techniques for improved monitoring, and incorporation of the new data into forecasting and management systems. The snowcover interpretation of visible and infrared data from satellites, automated digital methods, radiative transfer modeling to calculate the solar reflectance of snow, and models using snowcover input data and elevation zones for calculating snowmelt are discussed. The use of visible and near infrared techniques for inferring snow properties, microwave monitoring of snowpack characteristics, use of Landsat images for collecting glacier data, monitoring of river ice with visible imagery from NOAA satellites, use of sequential imagery for tracking ice flow movement, and microwave studies of sea ice are described. Applications of snow and ice research to commercial use are examined, and it is concluded that a major problem to be solved is characterization of snow and ice in nature, since assigning of the correct properties to a real system to be modeled has been difficult.

System of experts for intelligent data management (SEIDAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodenough, David G.; Iisaka, Joji; Fung, KO

1993-01-01

A proposal to conduct research and development on a system of expert systems for intelligent data management (SEIDAM) is being developed. CCRS has much expertise in developing systems for integrating geographic information with space and aircraft remote sensing data and in managing large archives of remotely sensed data. SEIDAM will be composed of expert systems grouped in three levels. At the lowest level, the expert systems will manage and integrate data from diverse sources, taking account of symbolic representation differences and varying accuracies. Existing software can be controlled by these expert systems, without rewriting existing software into an Artificial Intelligence (AI) language. At the second level, SEIDAM will take the interpreted data (symbolic and numerical) and combine these with data models. at the top level, SEIDAM will respond to user goals for predictive outcomes given existing data. The SEIDAM Project will address the research areas of expert systems, data management, storage and retrieval, and user access and interfaces.

System of Experts for Intelligent Data Management (SEIDAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodenough, David G.; Iisaka, Joji; Fung, KO

1992-01-01

It is proposed to conduct research and development on a system of expert systems for intelligent data management (SEIDAM). CCRS has much expertise in developing systems for integrating geographic information with space and aircraft remote sensing data and in managing large archives of remotely sensed data. SEIDAM will be composed of expert systems grouped in three levels. At the lowest level, the expert systems will manage and integrate data from diverse sources, taking account of symbolic representation differences and varying accuracies. Existing software can be controlled by these expert systems, without rewriting existing software into an Artificial Intelligence (AI) language. At the second level, SEIDAM will take the interpreted data (symbolic and numerical) and combine these with data models. At the top level, SEIDAM will respond to user goals for predictive outcomes given existing data. The SEIDAM Project will address the research areas of expert systems, data management, storage and retrieval, and user access and interfaces.

Applications of remote sensing data in Alaska: A cooperative program of the University of Alaska with user organizations, including local, state and federal government agencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, J. M.

1976-01-01

The development of the coastal-zone-related issues is generating an increasing need for information which is greater in quantity of natural resource data, greater in quality of detail of data, and more frequent in collection of data owing to the need to monitor certain aspects of programs. The array, detail, and frequency of information acquisition required to develop natural resources and to implement and maintain the resulting programs demand improved techniques of data gathering, processing, and interpretation which is conducive to the use of remote-sensing techniques. As Alaska, both in the state and federal domain, gears up to meet the energy-related issues facing the nation there will be a growing role for efforts which adapt state-of-the-art tools to solving existing problems.

On the Accuracy of Double Scattering Approximation for Atmospheric Polarization Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korkin, Sergey V.; Lyapustin, Alexei I.; Marshak, Alexander L.

2011-01-01

Interpretation of multi-angle spectro-polarimetric data in remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols require fast and accurate methods of solving the vector radiative transfer equation (VRTE). The single and double scattering approximations could provide an analytical framework for the inversion algorithms and are relatively fast, however accuracy assessments of these approximations for the aerosol atmospheres in the atmospheric window channels have been missing. This paper provides such analysis for a vertically homogeneous aerosol atmosphere with weak and strong asymmetry of scattering. In both cases, the double scattering approximation gives a high accuracy result (relative error approximately 0.2%) only for the low optical path - 10(sup -2) As the error rapidly grows with optical thickness, a full VRTE solution is required for the practical remote sensing analysis. It is shown that the scattering anisotropy is not important at low optical thicknesses neither for reflected nor for transmitted polarization components of radiation.

Satellite Remote Sensing of Cirrus: An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnis, Patrick

1998-01-01

The determination of cirrus properties over relatively large spatial and temporal scales will, in most instances, require the use of satellite data. Global coverage, at resolutions as high as several meters are attainable with Landsat, while temporal coverage at 1-min intervals is now available with the latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imagers. Cirrus can be analyzed via interpretation of the radiation that they reflect or emit over a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Many of these spectra and high-resolution satellite data can be used to understand certain aspects of cirrus clouds in particular situations. Production of a global climatology of cirrus clouds, however, requires compromises in spatial, temporal, and spectral coverage. This paper summarizes the state of the art and the potential for future passive remote sensing systems for both understanding cirrus formation and acquiring sufficient statistics to constrain and refine weather and climate models.

An overview of remote sensing and geodesy for epidemiology and public health application.

PubMed

Hay, S I

2000-01-01

The techniques of remote sensing (RS) and geodesy have the potential to revolutionize the discipline of epidemiology and its application in human health. As a new departure from conventional epidemiological methods, these techniques require some detailed explanation. This review provides the theoretical background to RS including (i) its physical basis, (ii) an explanation of the orbital characteristics and specifications of common satellite sensor systems, (iii) details of image acquisition and procedures adopted to overcome inherent sources of data degradation, and (iv) a background to geophysical data preparation. This information allows RS applications in epidemiology to be readily interpreted. Some of the techniques used in geodesy, to locate features precisely on Earth so that they can be registered to satellite sensor-derived images, are also included. While the basic principles relevant to public health are presented here, inevitably many of the details must be left to specialist texts.

High temperature crystal field spectra of transition metal-bearing minerals - Relevance to remote-sensed spectra of planetary surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkin, K. M.; Burns, R. G.

1980-01-01

It is pointed out that transition metal ions in silicate minerals, glasses, and crystalline and amorphous oxyhydroxides and salts contribute to the visible-near infrared spectral profiles of planetary surfaces. Investigations are conducted to obtain spectral information which might be helpful in the interpretation of the remote-sensed spectra of planetary surfaces. A description is presented of the results of high temperature crystal field spectral measurements of a variety of heated minerals containing Cr(3+), Fe(3+), Fe(++), and Mn(++) ions in different coordination symmetries, taking into account a correlation of the temperature-induced variations with those previously observed for octahedrally coordinated Fe(++)-bearing silicates. The employed experimental methods are also discussed, giving attention to the preparation of the samples, the determination of the absorption spectra, electron microprobe analyses, and the curve fitting procedure.

An Overview of Remote Sensing and Geodesy for Epidemiology and Public Health Application

PubMed Central

Hay, S.I.

2011-01-01

The techniques of remote sensing (RS) and geodesy have the potential to revolutionize the discipline of epidemiology and its application in human health. As a new departure from conventional epidemiological methods, these techniques require some detailed explanation. This review provides the theoretical background to RS including (i) its physical basis, (ii) an explanation of the orbital characteristics and specifications of common satellite sensor systems, (iii) details of image acquisition and procedures adopted to overcome inherent sources of data degradation, and (iv) a background to geophysical data preparation. This information allows RS applications in epidemiology to be readily interpreted. Some of the techniques used in geodesy, to locate features precisely on Earth so that they can be registered to satellite sensor-derived images, are also included. While the basic principles relevant to public health are presented here, inevitably many of the details must be left to specialist texts. PMID:10997203

Microwave (SSM/I) Estimates of the Precipitation Rate to Improve Numerical Atmospheric Model Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raymond, William H.; Olson, William S.

1990-01-01

Delay in the spin-up of precipitation early in numerical atmospheric forecasts is a deficiency correctable by diabatic initialization combined with diabatic forcing. For either to be effective requires some knowledge of the magnitude and vertical placement of the latent heating fields. Until recently the best source of cloud and rain water data was the remotely sensed vertical integrated precipitation rate or liquid water content. Vertical placement of the condensation remains unknown. Some information about the vertical distribution of the heating rates and precipitating liquid water and ice can be obtained from retrieval techniques that use a physical model of precipitating clouds to refine and improve the interpretation of the remotely sensed data. A description of this procedure and an examination of its 3-D liquid water products, along with improved modeling methods that enhance or speed-up storm development is discussed.

Ion Irradiation Experiments on the Murchison CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrite: Simulating Space Weathering of Primitive Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, L. P.; Christoffersen, R.; Dukes, C. A.; Baragiola, R. A.; Rahman, Z.

2015-01-01

Remote sensing observations show that space weathering processes affect all airless bodies in the Solar System to some degree. Sample analyses and lab experiments provide insights into the chemical, spectroscopic and mineralogic effects of space weathering and aid in the interpretation of remote- sensing data. For example, analyses of particles returned from the S-type asteroid Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission revealed that space-weathering on that body was dominated by interactions with the solar wind acting on LL ordinary chondrite-like materials [1, 2]. Understanding and predicting how the surface regoliths of primitive carbonaceous asteroids respond to space weathering processes is important for future sample return missions (Hayabusa 2 and OSIRIS-REx) that are targeting objects of this type. Here, we report the results of our preliminary ion irradiation experiments on a hydrated carbonaceous chondrite with emphasis on microstructural and infrared spectral changes.

Applications of thermal remote sensing to detailed ground water studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Souto-Maior, J.

1973-01-01

Three possible applications of thermal (8-14 microns) remote sensing to detailed hydrogeologic studies are discussed in this paper: (1) the direct detection of seeps and springs, (2) the indirect evaluation of shallow ground water flow through its thermal effects on the land surface, and (3) the indirect location of small volumes of ground water inflow into surface water bodies. An investigation carried out with this purpose in an area containing a complex shallow ground water flow system indicates that the interpretation of the thermal imageries is complicated by many factors, among which the most important are: (1) altitude, angle of view, and thermal-spatial resolution of the sensor; (2) vegetation type, density, and vigor; (3) topography; (4) climatological and micrometeorological effects; (5) variation in soil type and soil moisture; (6) variation in volume and temperature of ground water inflow; (7) the hydraulic characteristics of the receiving water body, and (8) the presence of decaying organic material.

Interpretation of the characteristics of ocean-dumped sewage sludge related to remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pagoria, P. S.; Kuo, C. Y.

1979-01-01

Wastewater sludge characteristics in general, and characteristics of wastewater sludges generated by the City of Philadelphia in particular, were addressed. The types and sources of wastewater sludges, a description of sludge treatment and disposal processes, examination of sludge generation and management for the City of Philadelphia, and definition of characteristics for typical east coast sludges undergoing ocean disposal were discussed. Specific differences exist between the characteristics of primary and secondary wastewater sludges, especially with the nature and size distribution of the solids particles. The sludges from the City of Philadelphia monitored during remote sensing experiments were mixtures of various sludge types and lacked distinguishing characteristics. In particular, the anaerobic digestion process exerted the most significant influence on sludge characteristics for the City of Philadelphia. The sludges generated by the City of Philadelphia were found to be typical and harbor no unique features.

Exploration of Marine Resources by Photographic Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duntley, S. Q.; Stevenson, R. E.; Boileau, A. R.

1971-01-01

The interpretation of photographs in oceanographic remote sensing is discussed. The photographs were made from spacecraft with two exceptions. Two photographs were made from aircraft. There were three types of film used to make the photographs: black-and-white, color, and color IR. Black and white photography is well known; it presents pictures in various shades of gray from black to white. Color film presents pictures in color, very nearly as the human eye sees them. Color IR film presents pictures in color also but not as seen by the human eye. Blue becomes much deeper blue, green is suppressed to some extent, and red is recorded beyond the visual range of the human eye, out in the near infrared. The most noticeable effect of the use of color IR film is that leaf materials which are highly reflective in the infrared part of the spectrum are presented as red.

a Cognitive Approach to Teaching a Graduate-Level Geobia Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchetti, Raechel A.

2016-06-01

Remote sensing image analysis training occurs both in the classroom and the research lab. Education in the classroom for traditional pixel-based image analysis has been standardized across college curriculums. However, with the increasing interest in Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA), there is a need to develop classroom instruction for this method of image analysis. While traditional remote sensing courses emphasize the expansion of skills and knowledge related to the use of computer-based analysis, GEOBIA courses should examine the cognitive factors underlying visual interpretation. This current paper provides an initial analysis of the development, implementation, and outcomes of a GEOBIA course that considers not only the computational methods of GEOBIA, but also the cognitive factors of expertise, that such software attempts to replicate. Finally, a reflection on the first instantiation of this course is presented, in addition to plans for development of an open-source repository for course materials.

Remote sensing in operational range management programs in Western Canada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, M. D.

1977-01-01

A pilot program carried out in Western Canada to test remote sensing under semi-operational conditions and display its applicability to operational range management programs was described. Four agencies were involved in the program, two in Alberta and two in Manitoba. Each had different objectives and needs for remote sensing within its range management programs, and each was generally unfamiliar with remote sensing techniques and their applications. Personnel with experience and expertise in the remote sensing and range management fields worked with the agency personnel through every phase of the pilot program. Results indicate that these agencies have found remote sensing to be a cost effective tool and will begin to utilize remote sensing in their operational work during ensuing seasons.

Regolith Formation Rates and Evolution from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayne, P. O.; Ghent, R. R.; Bandfield, J. L.; Vasavada, A. R.; Williams, J. P.; Siegler, M. A.; Lucey, P. G.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Elder, C. M.; Paige, D. A.

2015-12-01

Fragmentation and overturn of lunar surface materials produces a layer of regolith, which increases in thickness through time. Experiments on the lunar surface during the Apollo era, combined with remote sensing, found that the upper 10's of cm of regolith exhibit a rapid increase in density and thermal conductivity with depth. This is interpreted to be the signature of impact gardening, which operates most rapidly in the uppermost layers. Gravity data from the GRAIL mission showed that impacts have also extensively fractured the deeper crust. The breakdown and mixing of crustal materials is therefore a central process to lunar evolution and must be understood in order to interpret compositional information from remote sensing and sample analysis. Recently, thermal infrared data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner radiometer were used to provide the first remote observational constraints on the rate of ejecta breakdown around craters < 1 Ga (Ghent et al., 2014). Here, we use nighttime regolith temperatures derived from Diviner data to constrain regolith thermal inertia, thickness, and spatial variability. Applied to models, these new data help improve understanding of regolith formation on a variety of geologic units. We will also discuss several anomalous features that merit further investigation. Reference: Ghent, R. R., Hayne, P. O., Bandfield, J. L., Campbell, B. A., Allen, C. C., Carter, L. M., & Paige, D. A. (2014). Constraints on the recent rate of lunar ejecta breakdown and implications for crater ages. Geology, 42(12), 1059-1062.

Operational Applications of Satellite Snowcover Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A. (Editor); Peterson, R. (Editor)

1980-01-01

The history of remote sensing of snow cover is reviewed and the following topics are covered: various techniques for interpreting LANDSAT and NOAA satellite data; the status of future systems for continuing snow hydrology applications; the use of snow cover observations in streamflow forecasts by Applications Systems Verification and Transfer participants and selected foreign investigators; and the benefits of using satellite snow cover data in runoff prediction.

07pd3609

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-11

(from left) NASA Research Scientist Dr. William Saturno, Program Manager for NASA Earth Science Division Mr. Woody Turner, NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and NASA Deputy Assistant Administrator for External Relations Mr. Al Condes investigate the San Bartolo Maya archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala, Tuesday Dec. 11, 2007. NASA's remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Maya civilization. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

KSC-07pd3609

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-11

PETEN, GUATEMALA -- (From left) NASA Research Scientist Dr. William Saturno, Program Manager for NASA Earth Science Division Woody Turner, NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and NASA Deputy Assistant Administrator for External Relations Al Condes investigate the San Bartolo Maya archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala, on Dec. 11. NASA's remote sensing data were used to locate and interpret the remains of the ancient Maya civilization. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Red River chloride remote sensing study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Side looking radar, infrared thermal imagery and color photography, together with a few examples of black and white panoramic photos, are used to supplement information on the natural saline pollution problem that is hydrologically and geologically oriented. The study area was explored concurrently by ground methods and a reasonably good understanding of hydrogeological conditions has been achieved. Examples of the products acquired, their interpretation, and use techniques are included.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOURTH SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT; 12, 13, 14 APRIL 1966.

DTIC Science & Technology

The symposium was conducted as part of a continuing program investigating the field of remote sensing , its potential in scientific research and...information on all aspects of remote sensing , with special emphasis on such topics as needs for remotely sensed data, data management, and the special... remote sensing programs, data acquisition, data analysis and application, and equipment design, were presented. (Author)

A survey of natural aggregate properties and characteristics important in remote sensing and airborne geophysics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knepper, D.H.; Langer, W.H.; Miller, S.

1995-01-01

Natural aggregate is vital to the construction industry. Although natural aggregate is a high volume/low value commodity that is abundant, new sources are becoming increasingly difficult to find and develop because of rigid industry specifications, political considerations, development and transportation costs, and environmental concerns. There are two primary sources of natural aggregate: (1) exposed or near-surface bedrock that can be crushed, and (2) deposits of sand and gravel. Remote sensing and airborne geophysics detect surface and near-surface phenomena, and may be useful for detecting and mapping potential aggregate sources; however, before a methodology for applying these techniques can be developed, it is necessary to understand the type, distribution, physical properties, and characteristics of natural aggregate deposits. The distribution of potential aggregate sources is closely tied to local geologic history. Conventional exploration for natural aggregate deposits has been largely a ground-based operation, although aerial photographs and topographic maps have been extensively used to target possible deposits. Today, the exploration process also considers factors such as the availability of the land, space and water supply for processing, political and environmental factors, and distance from the market; exploration and planning cannot be separated. There are many physical properties and characteristics by which to judge aggregate material for specific applications; most of these properties and characteristics pertain only to individual aggregate particles. The application of remote sensing and airborne geophysical measurements to detecting and mapping potential aggregate sources, however, is based on intrinsic bulk physical properties and extrinsic characteristics of the deposits that can be directly measured, mathematically derived from measurement, or interpreted with remote sensing and geophysical data. ?? 1995 Oxford UniversityPress.

Geotechnical applications of remote sensing and remote data transmission; Proceedings of the Symposium, Cocoa Beach, FL, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 1986

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

Johnson, A.I.; Pettersson, C.B.

1988-01-01

Papers and discussions concerning the geotechnical applications of remote sensing and remote data transmission, sources of remotely sensed data, and glossaries of remote sensing and remote data transmission terms, acronyms, and abbreviations are presented. Aspects of remote sensing use covered include the significance of lineaments and their effects on ground-water systems, waste-site use and geotechnical characterization, the estimation of reservoir submerging losses using CIR aerial photographs, and satellite-based investigation of the significance of surficial deposits for surface mining operations. Other topics presented include the location of potential ground subsidence and collapse features in soluble carbonate rock, optical Fourier analysis ofmore » surface features of interest in geotechnical engineering, geotechnical applications of U.S. Government remote sensing programs, updating the data base for a Geographic Information System, the joint NASA/Geosat Test Case Project, the selection of remote data telemetry methods for geotechnical applications, the standardization of remote sensing data collection and transmission, and a comparison of airborne Goodyear electronic mapping system/SAR with satelliteborne Seasat/SAR radar imagery.« less

Education in Environmental Remote Sensing: Potentials and Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiefer, Ralph W.; Lillesand, Thomas M.

1983-01-01

Discusses remote sensing principles and applications and the status and needs of remote sensing education in the United States. A summary of the fundamental policy issues that will determine remote sensing's future role in environmental and resource managements is included. (Author/BC)

THE EPA REMOTE SENSING ARCHIVE

EPA Science Inventory

What would you do if you were faced with organizing 30 years of remote sensing projects that had been haphazardly stored at two separate locations for years then combined? The EPA Remote Sensing Archive, currently located in Las Vegas, Nevada. contains the remote sensing data and...

Methodology of the interpretation of remote sensing data and applications in geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Veneziani, P.; Dosanjos, C. E.

1981-01-01

Methods used for interpreting orbital (LANDSAT) data for regional geological mapping in Brazil are examined. Particular attention is given to the levels of analysis used for studying geomorphology, structural geology, lithology, stratigraphy, surface geology, and dynamic processes. Examples of regional mapping described include: (1) rock intrusions in SE Sao Paulo, the southern parts of Minas Gerais, and the states of Rio de Janeiro, and Espiritu Santo; (2) a preliminary survey of Pre-Cambrian geology in the State of Piaui; and (3) the Gondwana Project - surveying Jaguaribe plants. Mineral exploration in Rio Grande do Sul, and the geology of the Alcalino complex of Itatiaia are discussed as well as the use of automatic classifications of rock intrusions and of ilmenite deposits in the Floresta Region. Aerial photography, side looking radar, and thermal infrared scanning are other types of remote sensors also used in prospecting for geothermal anomalies in the city of Caldas Novas-Goias.

Research on remote sensing image pixel attribute data acquisition method in AutoCAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaoyang; Sun, Guangtong; Liu, Jun; Liu, Hui

2013-07-01

The remote sensing image has been widely used in AutoCAD, but AutoCAD lack of the function of remote sensing image processing. In the paper, ObjectARX was used for the secondary development tool, combined with the Image Engine SDK to realize remote sensing image pixel attribute data acquisition in AutoCAD, which provides critical technical support for AutoCAD environment remote sensing image processing algorithms.

Bibliography of Remote Sensing Techniques Used in Wetland Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

remote sensing technology for detecting changes in wetland environments. This report documents a bibliographic search conducted as part of that work unit on applications of remote sensing techniques in wetland research. Results were used to guide research efforts on the use of remote sensing technology for wetland change detection and assessment. The citations are presented in three appendixes, organized by wetland type, sensor type, and author.... Change detection, Wetland assessment, Remote sensing ,

The identification of archaeological sites by false color infrared aerial photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gumerman, G. J.

1971-01-01

The study of color infrared photography of Tehuacan Valley, Mexico was made to determine the applicability of remotely sensed data to archeology. Photography was interpreted without prior knowledge of the area, followed by a field check to determine accuracy of the original interpretations and to evaluate causes of successes and failures. Results indicate that the visibility of sites depends primarily on its environmental situation, and also that the delineation of environments and microenvironments is especially easy with this type of film. Furthermore, the age and size of the sites are not necessarily the deciding factors in their discernment.

The potential of expert systems for remote sensing application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mooneyhan, D. W.

1983-01-01

An overview of the status and potential of artificial intelligence-driven expert systems in the role of image data analysis is presented. An expert system is defined and its structure is summarized. Three such systems designed for image interpretation are outlined. The use of an expert system to detect changes on the earth's surface is discussed, and the components of a knowledge-based image interpretation system and their make-up are outlined. An example of how such a system should work for an area in the tropics where deforestation has occurred is presented as a sequence of situation/action decisions.

Kite Aerial Photography as a Tool for Remote Sensing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sallee, Jeff; Meier, Lesley R.

2010-01-01

As humans, we perform remote sensing nearly all the time. This is because we acquire most of our information about our surroundings through the senses of sight and hearing. Whether viewed by the unenhanced eye or a military satellite, remote sensing is observing objects from a distance. With our current technology, remote sensing has become a part…

Surface energy balance estimates at local and regional scales using optical remote sensing from an aircraft platform and atmospheric data collected over semiarid rangelands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kustas, William P.; Moran, M.S.; Humes, K.S.; Stannard, D.I.; Pinter, P. J.; Hipps, L.E.; Swiatek, E.; Goodrich, D.C.

1994-01-01

Remotely sensed data in the visible, near-infrared, and thermal-infrared wave bands were collected from a low-flying aircraft during the Monsoon '90 field experiment. Monsoon '90 was a multidisciplinary experiment conducted in a semiarid watershed. It had as one of its objectives the quantification of hydrometeorological fluxes during the “monsoon” or wet season. The remote sensing observations along with micrometeprological and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) data were used to compute the surface energy balance over a range of spatial scales. The procedure involved averaging multiple pixels along transects flown over the meteorological and flux (METFLUX) stations. Average values of the spectral reflectance and thermal-infrared temperatures were computed for pixels of order 10−1 to 101 km in length and were used with atmospheric data for evaluating net radiation (Rn), soil heat flux (G), and sensible (H) and latent (LE) heat fluxes at these same length scales. The model employs a single-layer resistance approach for estimating H that requires wind speed and air temperature in the ABL and a remotely sensed surface temperature. The values of Rn and G are estimated from remote sensing information together with near-surface observations of air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation. Finally, LE is solved as the residual term in the surface energy balance equation. Model calculations were compared to measurements from the METFLUX network for three days having different environmental conditions. Average percent differences for the three days between model and the METFLUX estimates of the local fluxes were about 5% for Rn, 20% for Gand H, and 15% for LE. Larger differences occurred during partly cloudy conditions because of errors in interpreting the remote sensing data and the higher spatial and temporal variation in the energy fluxes. Minor variations in modeled energy fluxes were observed when the pixel size representing the remote sensing inputs changed from 0.2 to 2 km. Regional scale estimates of the surface energy balance using bulk ABL properties for the model parameters and input variables and the 10-km pixel data differed from the METFLUX network averages by about 4% for Rn, 10% for G and H, and 15% for LE. Model sensitivity in calculating the turbulent fluxes H and LE to possible variations in key model parameters (i.e., the roughness lengths for heat and momentum) was found to be fairly significant. Therefore the reliability of the methods for estimating key model parameters and potential errors needs further testing over different ecosystems and environmental conditions.

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...

Reflections on Earth--Remote-Sensing Research from Your Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Bruce A.

2001-01-01

Points out the uses of remote sensing in different areas, and introduces the program "Reflections on Earth" which provides access to basic and instructional information on remote sensing to students and teachers. Introduces students to concepts related to remote sensing and measuring distances. (YDS)

Remote-Sensing Practice and Potential

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-05-01

Six essential processes that must be accomplished if use of a remote - sensing system is to result in useful information are defined as problem...to be useful in remote - sensing projects are described. An overview of the current state-of-the-art of remote sensing is presented.

History and future of remote sensing technology and education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N.

1980-01-01

A historical overview of the discovery and development of photography, related sciences, and remote sensing technology is presented. The role of education to date in the development of remote sensing is discussed. The probable future and potential of remote sensing and training is described.

Understanding heterogeneity in metropolitan India: The added value of remote sensing data for analyzing sub-standard residential areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baud, Isa; Kuffer, Monika; Pfeffer, Karin; Sliuzas, Richard; Karuppannan, Sadasivam

2010-10-01

Analyzing the heterogeneity in metropolitan areas of India utilizing remote sensing data can help to identify more precise patterns of sub-standard residential areas. Earlier work analyzing inequalities in Indian cities employed a constructed index of multiple deprivations (IMDs) utilizing data from the Census of India 2001 ( http://censusindia.gov.in). While that index, described in an earlier paper, provided a first approach to identify heterogeneity at the citywide scale, it neither provided information on spatial variations within the geographical boundaries of the Census database, nor about physical characteristics, such as green spaces and the variation in housing density and quality. In this article, we analyze whether different types of sub-standard residential areas can be identified through remote sensing data, combined, where relevant, with ground-truthing and local knowledge. The specific questions address: (1) the extent to which types of residential sub-standard areas can be drawn from remote sensing data, based on patterns of green space, structure of layout, density of built-up areas, size of buildings and other site characteristics; (2) the spatial diversity of these residential types for selected electoral wards; and (3) the correlation between different types of sub-standard residential areas and the results of the index of multiple deprivations utilized at electoral ward level found previously. The results of a limited number of test wards in Delhi showed that it was possible to extract different residential types matching existing settlement categories using the physical indicators structure of layout, built-up density, building size and other site characteristics. However, the indicator 'amount of green spaces' was not useful to identify informal areas. The analysis of heterogeneity showed that wards with higher IMD scores displayed more or less the full range of residential types, implying that visual image interpretation is able to zoom in on clusters of deprivation of varying size. Finally, the visual interpretation of the diversity of residential types matched the results of the IMD analysis quite well, although the limited number of test wards would need to be expanded to strengthen this statement. Visual image analysis strengthens the robustness of the IMD, and in addition, gives a better idea of the degree of heterogeneity in deprivations within a ward.

An inventory of historical glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas based on remote sensing observations and geomorphological analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Yong; Liu, Qiao; Wang, Jida; Zhang, Yili; Sheng, Yongwei; Liu, Shiyin

2018-05-01

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are a unique type of natural hazard in the cryosphere that may result in catastrophic fatalities and damages. The Himalayas are known as one of the world's most GLOF-vulnerable zones. Effective hazard assessments and risk management require a thorough inventory of historical GLOF events across the Himalayas, which is hitherto absent. Existing studies imply that numerous historical GLOF events are contentious because of discrepant geographic coordinates, names, or outburst time, requiring further verifications. This study reviews and verifies over 60 historical GLOF events across the Himalayas using a comprehensive method that combines literature documentations, archival remote sensing observations, geomorphological analysis, and field investigations. As a result, three unreported GLOF events were discovered from remote sensing images and geomorphological analysis. Eleven suspicious events were identified and suggested to be excluded. The properties of five outburst lakes, i.e., Degaco, Chongbaxia Tsho, Geiqu, Lemthang Tsho, and a lake on Tshojo Glacier, were corrected or updated. A total of 51 GLOF events were verified to be convincing, and these outburst lakes were classified into three categories according to their statuses in the past decades, namely disappeared (12), stable (30), and expanding (9). Statistics of the verified GLOF events show that GLOF tended to occur between April and October in the Himalayas. We suggest that more attention should be paid to rapidly expanding glacial lakes with high possibility of repetitive outbursts. This study also demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating remote sensing and geomorphic interpretations in identifying and verifying GLOF events in remote alpine environments. This inventory of GLOFs with a range of critical attributes (e.g., locations, time, and mechanisms) will benefit the continuous monitoring and prediction of potentially dangerous glacial lakes and contribute to outburst-induced risk assessments and hazard mitigations.

Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Robert A.; Byler, Dirck; Eastman, J. Ron; Fleishman, Erica; Geller, Gary; Goetz, Scott; Guild, Liane; Hamilton, Healy; Hansen, Matt; Headley, Rachel; Hewson, Jennifer; Horning, Ned; Kaplin, Beth A.; Laporte, Nadine; Leidner, Allison K.; Leimgruber, Peter; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Musinsky, John; Pintea, Lilian; Prados, Ana; Radeloff, Volker C.; Rowen, Mary; Saatchi, Sassan; Schill, Steve; Tabor, Karyn; Turner, Woody; Vodacek, Anthony; Vogelmann, James; Wegmann, Martin; Wilkie, David; Wilson, Cara

2014-01-01

In an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed data and analyses of those data. Our goals were to increase conservation practitioners’ use of remote sensing to support their work, increase collaboration between the conservation science and remote sensing communities, identify and develop new and innovative uses of remote sensing for advancing conservation science, provide guidance to space agencies on how future satellite missions can support conservation science, and generate support from the public and private sector in the use of remote sensing data to address the 10 conservation questions. We identified a broad initial list of questions on the basis of an email chain-referral survey. We then used a workshop-based iterative and collaborative approach to whittle the list down to these final questions (which represent 10 major themes in conservation): How can global Earth observation data be used to model species distributions and abundances? How can remote sensing improve the understanding of animal movements? How can remotely sensed ecosystem variables be used to understand, monitor, and predict ecosystem response and resilience to multiple stressors? How can remote sensing be used to monitor the effects of climate on ecosystems? How can near real-time ecosystem monitoring catalyze threat reduction, governance and regulation compliance, and resource management decisions? How can remote sensing inform configuration of protected area networks at spatial extents relevant to populations of target species and ecosystem services? How can remote sensing-derived products be used to value and monitor changes in ecosystem services? How can remote sensing be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts? How does the expansion and intensification of agriculture and aquaculture alter ecosystems and the services they provide? How can remote sensing be used to determine the degree to which ecosystems are being disturbed or degraded and the effects of these changes on species and ecosystem functions?

Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation.

PubMed

Rose, Robert A; Byler, Dirck; Eastman, J Ron; Fleishman, Erica; Geller, Gary; Goetz, Scott; Guild, Liane; Hamilton, Healy; Hansen, Matt; Headley, Rachel; Hewson, Jennifer; Horning, Ned; Kaplin, Beth A; Laporte, Nadine; Leidner, Allison; Leimgruber, Peter; Morisette, Jeffrey; Musinsky, John; Pintea, Lilian; Prados, Ana; Radeloff, Volker C; Rowen, Mary; Saatchi, Sassan; Schill, Steve; Tabor, Karyn; Turner, Woody; Vodacek, Anthony; Vogelmann, James; Wegmann, Martin; Wilkie, David; Wilson, Cara

2015-04-01

In an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed data and analyses of those data. Our goals were to increase conservation practitioners' use of remote sensing to support their work, increase collaboration between the conservation science and remote sensing communities, identify and develop new and innovative uses of remote sensing for advancing conservation science, provide guidance to space agencies on how future satellite missions can support conservation science, and generate support from the public and private sector in the use of remote sensing data to address the 10 conservation questions. We identified a broad initial list of questions on the basis of an email chain-referral survey. We then used a workshop-based iterative and collaborative approach to whittle the list down to these final questions (which represent 10 major themes in conservation): How can global Earth observation data be used to model species distributions and abundances? How can remote sensing improve the understanding of animal movements? How can remotely sensed ecosystem variables be used to understand, monitor, and predict ecosystem response and resilience to multiple stressors? How can remote sensing be used to monitor the effects of climate on ecosystems? How can near real-time ecosystem monitoring catalyze threat reduction, governance and regulation compliance, and resource management decisions? How can remote sensing inform configuration of protected area networks at spatial extents relevant to populations of target species and ecosystem services? How can remote sensing-derived products be used to value and monitor changes in ecosystem services? How can remote sensing be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts? How does the expansion and intensification of agriculture and aquaculture alter ecosystems and the services they provide? How can remote sensing be used to determine the degree to which ecosystems are being disturbed or degraded and the effects of these changes on species and ecosystem functions? © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Role of remote sensing in documenting living resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, P. E.; Anderson, R. R.; Brun, B.; Eisenberg, M.; Genys, J. B.; Lear, D. W., Jr.; Miller, M. H.

1978-01-01

Specific cases of known or potentially useful applications of remote sensing in assessing biological resources are discussed. It is concluded that the more usable remote sensing techniques relate to the measurement of population fluctuations in aquatic systems. Sensing of the flora and the fauna of the Bay is considered with emphasis on direct sensing of aquatic plant populations and of water quality. Recommendations for remote sensing projects are given.

Commercial future: making remote sensing a media event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lurie, Ian

1999-12-01

The rapid growth of commercial remote sensing has made high quality digital sensing data widely available -- now, remote sensing must become and remain a strong, commercially viable industry. However, this new industry cannot survive without an educated consumer base. To access markets, remote sensing providers must make their product more accessible, both literally and figuratively: Potential customers must be able to find the data they require, when they require it, and they must understand the utility of the information available to them. The Internet and the World Wide Web offer the perfect medium to educate potential customers and to sell remote sensing data to those customers. A well-designed web presence can provide both an information center and a market place for companies offering their data for sale. A very high potential web-based market for remote sensing lies in media. News agencies, web sites, and a host of other visual media services can use remote sensing data to provide current, relevant information regarding news around the world. This paper will provide a model for promotion and sale of remote sensing data via the Internet.

77 FR 39220 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Charter Renewal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Charter Renewal AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration... Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) was renewed on March 14, 2012. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties...

76 FR 66042 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations ACTION: Notice requesting nominations for the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) was established to advise the Secretary of Commerce, through the Under Secretary...

An introduction to quantitative remote sensing. [data processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindenlaub, J. C.; Russell, J.

1974-01-01

The quantitative approach to remote sensing is discussed along with the analysis of remote sensing data. Emphasis is placed on the application of pattern recognition in numerically oriented remote sensing systems. A common background and orientation for users of the LARS computer software system is provided.

Remote Sensing of Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation: A Review from the Perspective of Remote Sensing Specialists

PubMed Central

Wang, Kai; Franklin, Steven E.; Guo, Xulin; Cattet, Marc

2010-01-01

Remote sensing, the science of obtaining information via noncontact recording, has swept the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation (EBC). Several quality review papers have contributed to this field. However, these papers often discuss the issues from the standpoint of an ecologist or a biodiversity specialist. This review focuses on the spaceborne remote sensing of EBC from the perspective of remote sensing specialists, i.e., it is organized in the context of state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, including instruments and techniques. Herein, the instruments to be discussed consist of high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, thermal infrared, small-satellite constellation, and LIDAR sensors; and the techniques refer to image classification, vegetation index (VI), inversion algorithm, data fusion, and the integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). PMID:22163432

Remote sensing of ecology, biodiversity and conservation: a review from the perspective of remote sensing specialists.

PubMed

Wang, Kai; Franklin, Steven E; Guo, Xulin; Cattet, Marc

2010-01-01

Remote sensing, the science of obtaining information via noncontact recording, has swept the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation (EBC). Several quality review papers have contributed to this field. However, these papers often discuss the issues from the standpoint of an ecologist or a biodiversity specialist. This review focuses on the spaceborne remote sensing of EBC from the perspective of remote sensing specialists, i.e., it is organized in the context of state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, including instruments and techniques. Herein, the instruments to be discussed consist of high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, thermal infrared, small-satellite constellation, and LIDAR sensors; and the techniques refer to image classification, vegetation index (VI), inversion algorithm, data fusion, and the integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS).

Remote Sensing and Reflectance Profiling in Entomology.

PubMed

Nansen, Christian; Elliott, Norman

2016-01-01

Remote sensing describes the characterization of the status of objects and/or the classification of their identity based on a combination of spectral features extracted from reflectance or transmission profiles of radiometric energy. Remote sensing can be benchtop based, and therefore acquired at a high spatial resolution, or airborne at lower spatial resolution to cover large areas. Despite important challenges, airborne remote sensing technologies will undoubtedly be of major importance in optimized management of agricultural systems in the twenty-first century. Benchtop remote sensing applications are becoming important in insect systematics and in phenomics studies of insect behavior and physiology. This review highlights how remote sensing influences entomological research by enabling scientists to nondestructively monitor how individual insects respond to treatments and ambient conditions. Furthermore, novel remote sensing technologies are creating intriguing interdisciplinary bridges between entomology and disciplines such as informatics and electrical engineering.

Remote Sensing in Geography in the New Millennium: Prospects, Challenges, and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Jensen, John R.; Morain, Stanley A.; Walsh, Stephen J.; Ridd, Merrill K.

1999-01-01

Remote sensing science contributes greatly to our understanding of the Earth's ecosystems and cultural landscapes. Almost all the natural and social sciences, including geography, rely heavily on remote sensing to provide quantitative, and indispensable spatial information. Many geographers have made significant contributions to remote sensing science since the 1970s, including the specification of advanced remote sensing systems, improvements in analog and digital image analysis, biophysical modeling, and terrain analysis. In fact, the Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) is one of the largest specialty groups within the AAG with over 500 members. Remote sensing in concert with a geographic information systems, offers much value to geography as both an incisive spatial-analytical tool and as a scholarly pursuit that adds to the body of geographic knowledge on the whole. The "power" of remote sensing as a research endeavor in geography lies in its capabilities for obtaining synoptic, near-real time data at many spatial and temporal scales, and in many regions of the electromagnetic spectrum - from microwave, to RADAR, to visible, and reflective and thermal infrared. In turn, these data present a vast compendium of information for assessing Earth attributes and characte6stics that are at the very core of geography. Here we revisit how remote sensing has become a fundamental and important tool for geographical research, and how with the advent of new and improved sensing systems to be launched in the near future, remote sensing will further advance geographical analysis in the approaching New Millennium.

Agricultural Production Monitoring in the Sahel Using Remote Sensing: Present Possibilities and Research Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

during the agricultural season. Satellite remote sensing can contribute significantly to such a system by collecting information on crops and on...well as techniques to derive biophysical variables from remotely-sensed data. Finally, the integration of these remote - sensing techniques with crop

Remote assessment of ocean color for interpretation of satellite visible imagery: A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, H. R.; Morel, A. Y.

1983-01-01

An assessment is presented of the state-of-the-art of remote, (satellite-based) Coastal Zone Color (CZCS) Scanning of color variations in the ocean due to phytoplankton. Attention is given to physical problems associated with ocean color remote sensing, in-water algorithms for the correction of atmospheric effects, constituent retrieval algorithms and application of the algorithms to CZCS imagery. The applicability of CZCS to both near-coast and mid-ocean waters is considered, and it is concluded that while differences between the two environments are complex, universal algorithms can be used for the case of mid-ocean waters, and site-specific algorithms are adequate for CZCS imaging of the near-coast oceanic environment. A short description of CVCS and some sample photographs are provided in an appendix.

Method of determining forest production from remotely sensed forest parameters

DOEpatents

Corey, J.C.; Mackey, H.E. Jr.

1987-08-31

A method of determining forest production entirely from remotely sensed data in which remotely sensed multispectral scanner (MSS) data on forest 5 composition is combined with remotely sensed radar imaging data on forest stand biophysical parameters to provide a measure of forest production. A high correlation has been found to exist between the remotely sensed radar imaging data and on site measurements of biophysical 10 parameters such as stand height, diameter at breast height, total tree height, mean area per tree, and timber stand volume.

Removal of Surface-Reflected Light for the Measurement of Remote-Sensing Reflectance from an Above-Surface Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

remote - sensing reflectance) can be highly inaccurate if a spectrally constant value is applied (although errors can be reduced by carefully filtering measured raw data). To remove surface-reflected light in field measurements of remote sensing reflectance, a spectral optimization approach was applied, with results compared with those from remote sensing models and from direct measurements. The agreement from different determinations suggests that reasonable results for remote sensing reflectance of clear

Removal of Surface-Reflected Light for the Measurement of Remote-Sensing Reflectance from an Above-Surface Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-06

remote - sensing reflectance) can be highly inaccurate if a spectrally constant value is applied (although errors can be reduced by carefully filtering measured raw data). To remove surface-reflected light in field measurements of remote sensing reflectance, a spectral optimization approach was applied, with results compared with those from remote sensing models and from direct measurements. The agreement from different determinations suggests that reasonable results for remote sensing reflectance of clear

Field Data Collection: an Essential Element in Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettinger, L. R.

1971-01-01

Field data collected in support of remote sensing projects are generally used for the following purposes: (1) calibration of remote sensing systems, (2) evaluation of experimental applications of remote sensing imagery on small test sites, and (3) designing and evaluating operational regional resource studies and inventories which are conducted using the remote sensing imagery obtained. Field data may be used to help develop a technique for a particular application, or to aid in the application of that technique to a resource evaluation or inventory problem for a large area. Scientists at the Forestry Remote Sensing Laboratory have utilized field data for both purposes. How meaningful field data has been collected in each case is discussed.

Remote sensing and eLearning 2.0 for school education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, Kerstin; Goetzke, Roland; Hodam, Henryk

2010-10-01

The "Remote Sensing in Schools" project aims at improving the integration of "Satellite remote sensing" into school teaching. Therefore, it is the project's overall objective to teach students in primary and secondary schools the basics and fields of application of remote sensing. Existing results show that many teachers are interested in remote sensing and at same time motivated to integrate it into their teaching. Despite the good intention, in the end, the implementation often fails due to the complexity and poor set-up of the information provided. Therefore, a comprehensive and well-structured learning platform on the topic of remote sensing is developed. The platform shall allow a structured introduction to the topic.

Inventory of wetland habitat using remote sensing for the proposed Oahe irrigation unit in eastern South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Best, R. G.; Moore, D. G.; Myers, V. I.

1977-01-01

An inventory of wetlands for the area included in the proposed Oahe irrigation project was conducted to provide supplemental data for the wildlife mitigation plan. Interpretation techniques for inventoring small wetlands in the low relief terrain of the Lake Dakota Plain were documented and data summaries included. The data were stored and tabulated in a computerized spatial data analysis system.

Spectral Survey of Irrigated Region Corps and Soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The applications of remote sensing techniques to spectral surveys of irrigation, crops, and soils are reported. Topics discussed include: (1) canopy temperature as an indication of plant water stress, (2) temperature of soils and of crop canopies differing in water conditions, (3) ERTS project, (4) spectrum matching and pattern recognition, (5) photographic procedures and interpretation, (6) interaction of light with plants, and (7) plant physiological and histological factors.

On the use of Multisensor and multitemporal data for monitoring risk degradation and looting in archaeological site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masini, Nicola; Lasaponara, Rosa

2015-04-01

Illegal excavations represent one of the main risks which affect the archaeological heritage all over the world. They cause a massive loss of artefacts but also, and above all, a loss of the cultural context, which makes the subsequent interpretation of archaeological remains very difficult. Remote sensing offers a suitable chance to quantify and analyse this phenomenon, especially in those countries, from Southern America to Middle East, where the surveillance on site is not much effective and time consuming or non practicable due to military or political restrictions. In this paper we focus on the use of GeoEye and Google Earth imagery to quantitatively assess looting in Ventarron (Lambayeque, Peru) that is one of most important archaeological sites in Southern America. Multitemporal satellite images acquired for the study area have been processed by using both autocorrelation statistics and unsupervised classification to highlight and extract looting patterns. The mapping of areas affected by looting offered the opportunity to investigate such areas not previously systematically documented. Reference Lasaponara R.; Giovanni Leucci; Nicola Masini; Raffaele Persico 2014 ": Investigating archaeological looting using very high resolution satellite images and georadar: the experience in Lambayeque in North Peru JASC13-61R1 Cigna Francesca, Deodato Tapete, Rosa Lasaponara and Nicola Masini, 2013 Amplitude Change Detection with ENVISAT ASAR to Image the Cultural Landscape of the Nasca Region, Peru (pages 117-131). Archeological Prospection Article first published online: 21 MAY 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/arp.1451 Tapete Deodato, Francesca Cigna, Nicola Masini and Rosa Lasaponara 2013. Prospection and Monitoring of the Archaeological Heritage of Nasca, Peru, with ENVISAT ASAR Archeological Prospection (pages 133-147) Article first published online: 21 MAY 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/arp.1449 Lasaponara Rosa 2013: Geospatial analysis from space: Advanced approaches for data processing, information extraction and interpretation. Int. J. Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 20 Lasaponara . R &N. Masini "Satellite Remote Sensing: A NewTool for Archaeology" Springer February 2012 (http://www.amazon.com/Satellite-Remote-Sensing-Archaeology-Processing/dp/9048188008) Lasaponara, R., Lanorte, A., 2012. Satellite time-series analysis. Int. J. Remote Sens.33 (15), 4649-4652, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2011.638342.

Geospatial revolution and remote sensing LiDAR in Mesoamerican archaeology

PubMed Central

Chase, Arlen F.; Fisher, Christopher T.; Leisz, Stephen J.; Weishampel, John F.

2012-01-01

The application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a laser-based remote-sensing technology that is capable of penetrating overlying vegetation and forest canopies, is generating a fundamental shift in Mesoamerican archaeology and has the potential to transform research in forested areas world-wide. Much as radiocarbon dating that half a century ago moved archaeology forward by grounding archaeological remains in time, LiDAR is proving to be a catalyst for an improved spatial understanding of the past. With LiDAR, ancient societies can be contextualized within a fully defined landscape. Interpretations about the scale and organization of densely forested sites no longer are constrained by sample size, as they were when mapping required laborious on-ground survey. The ability to articulate ancient landscapes fully permits a better understanding of the complexity of ancient Mesoamerican urbanism and also aids in modern conservation efforts. The importance of this geospatial innovation is demonstrated with newly acquired LiDAR data from the archaeological sites of Caracol, Cayo, Belize and Angamuco, Michoacán, Mexico. These data illustrate the potential of technology to act as a catalytic enabler of rapid transformational change in archaeological research and interpretation and also underscore the value of on-the-ground archaeological investigation in validating and contextualizing results. PMID:22802623

Geospatial revolution and remote sensing LiDAR in Mesoamerican archaeology.

PubMed

Chase, Arlen F; Chase, Diane Z; Fisher, Christopher T; Leisz, Stephen J; Weishampel, John F

2012-08-07

The application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a laser-based remote-sensing technology that is capable of penetrating overlying vegetation and forest canopies, is generating a fundamental shift in Mesoamerican archaeology and has the potential to transform research in forested areas world-wide. Much as radiocarbon dating that half a century ago moved archaeology forward by grounding archaeological remains in time, LiDAR is proving to be a catalyst for an improved spatial understanding of the past. With LiDAR, ancient societies can be contextualized within a fully defined landscape. Interpretations about the scale and organization of densely forested sites no longer are constrained by sample size, as they were when mapping required laborious on-ground survey. The ability to articulate ancient landscapes fully permits a better understanding of the complexity of ancient Mesoamerican urbanism and also aids in modern conservation efforts. The importance of this geospatial innovation is demonstrated with newly acquired LiDAR data from the archaeological sites of Caracol, Cayo, Belize and Angamuco, Michoacán, Mexico. These data illustrate the potential of technology to act as a catalytic enabler of rapid transformational change in archaeological research and interpretation and also underscore the value of on-the-ground archaeological investigation in validating and contextualizing results.

The distribution of particulate material on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, Philip R.

1991-01-01

The surface materials on Mars were extensively studied using a variety of spacecraft and Earth-based remote sensing observations. These measurements include: (1) diurnal thermal measurements, used to determine average particle size, rock abundance, and the presence of crusts; (2) radar observations, used to estimate the surface slope distributions, wavelength scale roughness, and density; (3) radio emission observations, used to estimate subsurface density; (4) broadband albedo measurements, used to study the time variation of surface brightness and dust deposition and removal; and (5) color observations, used to infer composition, mixing, and the presence of crusts. Remote sensing observations generally require some degree of modeling to interpret, making them more difficult to interpret than direct observations from the surface. They do, however, provide a means for examining the surface properties over the entire planet and a means of sampling varying depths within the regolith. Albedo and color observations only indicate the properties of the upper-most few microns, but are very sensitive to thin, sometimes emphemeral dust coatings. Thermal observations sample the upper skin depth, generally 2 to 10 cm. Rock abundance measurements give an indirect indication of surface mantling, where the absence of rocks suggests mantles of several meters. Finally, radar and radio emission data can penetrate several meters into the surface, providing an estimate of subsurface density and roughness.

Remote sensing research in geographic education: An alternative view

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, H.; Cary, T. K.; Goward, S. N.

1981-01-01

It is noted that within many geography departments remote sensing is viewed as a mere technique a student should learn in order to carry out true geographic research. This view inhibits both students and faculty from investigation of remotely sensed data as a new source of geographic knowledge that may alter our understanding of the Earth. The tendency is for geographers to accept these new data and analysis techniques from engineers and mathematicians without questioning the accompanying premises. This black-box approach hinders geographic applications of the new remotely sensed data and limits the geographer's contribution to further development of remote sensing observation systems. It is suggested that geographers contribute to the development of remote sensing through pursuit of basic research. This research can be encouraged, particularly among students, by demonstrating the links between geographic theory and remotely sensed observations, encouraging a healthy skepticism concerning the current understanding of these data.

Research on assessment and improvement method of remote sensing image reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Li; Hua, Nian; Yu, Yanbo; Zhao, Zhanping

2018-01-01

Remote sensing image quality assessment and improvement is an important part of image processing. Generally, the use of compressive sampling theory in remote sensing imaging system can compress images while sampling which can improve efficiency. A method of two-dimensional principal component analysis (2DPCA) is proposed to reconstruct the remote sensing image to improve the quality of the compressed image in this paper, which contain the useful information of image and can restrain the noise. Then, remote sensing image quality influence factors are analyzed, and the evaluation parameters for quantitative evaluation are introduced. On this basis, the quality of the reconstructed images is evaluated and the different factors influence on the reconstruction is analyzed, providing meaningful referential data for enhancing the quality of remote sensing images. The experiment results show that evaluation results fit human visual feature, and the method proposed have good application value in the field of remote sensing image processing.

Unmanned aerial vehicle: A unique platform for low-altitude remote sensing for crop management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provide a unique platform for remote sensing to monitor crop fields that complements remote sensing from satellite, aircraft and ground-based platforms. The UAV-based remote sensing is versatile at ultra-low altitude to be able to provide an ultra-high-resolution imag...

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...

75 FR 32360 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

... Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems AGENCY: National Oceanic and.... Abstract NOAA has established requirements for the licensing of private operators of remote-sensing space... Land Remote- Sensing Policy Act of 1992 and with the national security and international obligations of...

78 FR 44536 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

... Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems AGENCY: National Oceanic and... for the licensing of private operators of remote-sensing space systems. The information in applications and subsequent reports is needed to ensure compliance with the Land Remote- Sensing Policy Act of...

Advancement of China’s Visible Light Remote Sensing Technology In Aerospace,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-03-19

Aerospace visible light film systems were among the earliest space remote sensing systems to be developed in China. They have been applied very well...makes China the third nation in the world to master space remote sensing technology, it also puts recoverable remote sensing satellites among the first

Polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veysoglu, Murat E.; Yueh, H. A.; Shin, R. T.; Kong, J. A.

1991-01-01

The concept of polarimetry in active remote sensing is extended to passive remote sensing. The potential use of the third and fourth Stokes parameters U and V, which play an important role in polarimetric active remote sensing, is demonstrated for passive remote sensing. It is shown that, by the use of the reciprocity principle, the polarimetric parameters of passive remote sensing can be obtained through the solution of the associated direct scattering problem. These ideas are applied to study polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces. The solution of the direct scattering problem is obtained by an integral equation formulation which involves evaluation of periodic Green's functions and normal derivative of those on the surface. Rapid evaluation of the slowly convergent series associated with these functions is observed to be critical for the feasibility of the method. New formulas, which are rapidly convergent, are derived for the calculation of these series. The study has shown that the brightness temperature of the Stokes parameter U can be significant in passive remote sensing. Values as high as 50 K are observed for certain configurations.

From planets to crops and back: Remote sensing makes sense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustard, John F.

2017-04-01

Remotely sensed data and the instruments that acquire them are core parts of Earth and planetary observation systems. They are used to quantify the Earth's interconnected systems, and remote sensing is the only way to get a daily, or more frequent, snapshot of the status of the Earth. It really is the Earth's stethoscope. In a similar manner remote sensing is the rock hammer of the planetary scientist and the only way comprehensive data sets can be acquired. To risk offending many remotely sensed data acquired across the electromagnetic spectrum, it is the tricorder to explore known and unknown planets. Arriving where we are today in the use of remotely sensed data in the solar system has been a continually evolving synergy between Earth observation, planetary exploration, and fundamental laboratory work.

Remote sensing of on-road vehicle emissions: Mechanism, applications and a case study from Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yuhan; Organ, Bruce; Zhou, John L.; Surawski, Nic C.; Hong, Guang; Chan, Edward F. C.; Yam, Yat Shing

2018-06-01

Vehicle emissions are a major contributor to air pollution in cities and have serious health impacts to their inhabitants. On-road remote sensing is an effective and economic tool to monitor and control vehicle emissions. In this review, the mechanism, accuracy, advantages and limitations of remote sensing were introduced. Then the applications and major findings of remote sensing were critically reviewed. It was revealed that the emission distribution of on-road vehicles was highly skewed so that the dirtiest 10% vehicles accounted for over half of the total fleet emissions. Such findings highlighted the importance and effectiveness of using remote sensing for in situ identification of high-emitting vehicles for further inspection and maintenance programs. However, the accuracy and number of vehicles affected by screening programs were greatly dependent on the screening criteria. Remote sensing studies showed that the emissions of gasoline and diesel vehicles were significantly reduced in recent years, with the exception of NOx emissions of diesel vehicles in spite of greatly tightened automotive emission regulations. Thirdly, the experience and issues of using remote sensing for identifying high-emitting vehicles in Hong Kong (where remote sensing is a legislative instrument for enforcement purposes) were reported. That was followed by the first time ever identification and discussion of the issue of frequent false detection of diesel high-emitters using remote sensing. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of on-road remote sensing were elaborated.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ackers, Steven H.; Davis, Raymond J.; Olsen, K.; Dugger, Catherine

2015-01-01

Wildlife habitat mapping has evolved at a rapid pace over the last few decades. 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 essential for producing range wide maps. Habitat monitoring for northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), whose geographic covers about 23 million ha, is based on SDMs that use Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery to create forest vegetation data layers using gradient nearest neighbor (GNN) methods. Vegetation data layers derived from GNN are modeled relationships between forest inventory plot data, climate and topographic data, and the spectral signatures acquired by the satellite. When used as predictor variables for SDMs, there is some transference of the GNN modeling error to the final habitat map.Recent increases in the use of light detection and ranging (lidar) data, coupled with the need to produce spatially accurate and detailed forest vegetation maps have spurred interest in its use for SDMs and habitat mapping. Instead of modeling predictor variables from remotely sensed spectral data, lidar provides direct measurements of vegetation height for use in SDMs. We expect a SDM habitat map produced from directly measured predictor variables to be more accurate than one produced from modeled predictors.We used maximum entropy (Maxent) SDM modeling software to compare predictive performance and estimates of habitat area between Landsat-based and lidar-based northern spotted owl SDMs and habitat maps. We explored the differences and similarities between these maps, and to a pre-existing aerial photo-interpreted habitat map produced by local wildlife biologists. The lidar-based map had the highest predictive performance based on 10 bootstrapped replicate models (AUC = 0.809 ± 0.011), but the performance of the Landsat-based map was within acceptable limits (AUC = 0.717 ± 0.021). As is common with photo-interpreted maps, there was no accuracy assessment available for comparison. The photo-interpreted map produced the highest and lowest estimates of habitat area, depending on which habitat classes were included (nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat = 9962 ha, nesting habitat only = 6036 ha). The Landsat-based map produced an estimate of habitat area that was within this range (95% CI: 6679–9592 ha), while the lidar-based map produced an area estimate similar to what was interpreted by local wildlife biologists as nesting (i.e., high quality) habitat using aerial imagery (95% CI: 5453–7216). Confidence intervals of habitat area estimates from the SDMs based on Landsat and lidar overlapped.We concluded that both Landsat- and lidar-based SDMs produced reasonable maps and area estimates for northern spotted owl habitat within the study area. The lidar-based map was more precise and spatially similar to what local wildlife biologists considered spotted owl nesting habitat. The Landsat-based map provided a less precise spatial representation of habitat within the relatively small geographic confines of the study area, but habitat area estimates were similar to both the photo-interpreted and lidar-based maps.Photo-interpreted maps are time consuming to produce, subjective in nature, and difficult to replicate. SDMs provide a framework for efficiently producing habitat maps that can be replicated as habitat conditions change over time, provided that comparable remotely sensed data are available. When the SDM uses predictor variables extracted from lidar data, it can produce a habitat map that is both accurate and useful at large and small spatial scales. In comparison, SDMs using Landsat-based data are more appropriate for large scale analyses of amounts and general spatial patterns of habitat at regional scales.

Remote sensing of natural resources: Quarterly literature review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

A quarterly review of technical literature concerning remote sensing techniques is presented. The format contains indexed and abstracted materials with emphasis on data gathering techniques performed or obtained remotely from space, aircraft, or ground-based stations. Remote sensor applications including the remote sensing of natural resources are presented.

Time Series Remote Sensing in Monitoring the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Plant Invasions: A Study of Invasive Saltcedar (Tamarix Spp.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Chunyuan

In today's big data era, the increasing availability of satellite and airborne platforms at various spatial and temporal scales creates unprecedented opportunities to understand the complex and dynamic systems (e.g., plant invasion). Time series remote sensing is becoming more and more important to monitor the earth system dynamics and interactions. To date, most of the time series remote sensing studies have been conducted with the images acquired at coarse spatial scale, due to their relatively high temporal resolution. The construction of time series at fine spatial scale, however, is limited to few or discrete images acquired within or across years. The objective of this research is to advance the time series remote sensing at fine spatial scale, particularly to shift from discrete time series remote sensing to continuous time series remote sensing. The objective will be achieved through the following aims: 1) Advance intra-annual time series remote sensing under the pure-pixel assumption; 2) Advance intra-annual time series remote sensing under the mixed-pixel assumption; 3) Advance inter-annual time series remote sensing in monitoring the land surface dynamics; and 4) Advance the species distribution model with time series remote sensing. Taking invasive saltcedar as an example, four methods (i.e., phenological time series remote sensing model, temporal partial unmixing method, multiyear spectral angle clustering model, and time series remote sensing-based spatially explicit species distribution model) were developed to achieve the objectives. Results indicated that the phenological time series remote sensing model could effectively map saltcedar distributions through characterizing the seasonal phenological dynamics of plant species throughout the year. The proposed temporal partial unmixing method, compared to conventional unmixing methods, could more accurately estimate saltcedar abundance within a pixel by exploiting the adequate temporal signatures of saltcedar. The multiyear spectral angle clustering model could guide the selection of the most representative remotely sensed image for repetitive saltcedar mapping over space and time. Through incorporating spatial autocorrelation, the species distribution model developed in the study could identify the suitable habitats of saltcedar at a fine spatial scale and locate appropriate areas at high risk of saltcedar infestation. Among 10 environmental variables, the distance to the river and the phenological attributes summarized by the time series remote sensing were regarded as the most important. These methods developed in the study provide new perspectives on how the continuous time series can be leveraged under various conditions to investigate the plant invasion dynamics.

Sea Ice Thickness Measurement by Ground Penetrating Radar for Ground Truth of Microwave Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, M.; Yoshimura, M.; Naoki, K.; Cho, K.; Wakabayashi, H.

2018-04-01

Observation of sea ice thickness is one of key issues to understand regional effect of global warming. One of approaches to monitor sea ice in large area is microwave remote sensing data analysis. However, ground truth must be necessary to discuss the effectivity of this kind of approach. The conventional method to acquire ground truth of ice thickness is drilling ice layer and directly measuring the thickness by a ruler. However, this method is destructive, time-consuming and limited spatial resolution. Although there are several methods to acquire ice thickness in non-destructive way, ground penetrating radar (GPR) can be effective solution because it can discriminate snow-ice and ice-sea water interface. In this paper, we carried out GPR measurement in Lake Saroma for relatively large area (200 m by 300 m, approximately) aiming to obtain grand truth for remote sensing data. GPR survey was conducted at 5 locations in the area. The direct measurement was also conducted simultaneously in order to calibrate GPR data for thickness estimation and to validate the result. Although GPR Bscan image obtained from 600MHz contains the reflection which may come from a structure under snow, the origin of the reflection is not obvious. Therefore, further analysis and interpretation of the GPR image, such as numerical simulation, additional signal processing and use of 200 MHz antenna, are required to move on thickness estimation.

Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response

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

Leifer, Ira; Melton, Christopher; Frash, Jason

Chemical release disasters have serious consequences, disrupting ecosystems, society, and causing significant loss of life. Mitigating the destructive impacts relies on identification and mapping, monitoring, and trajectory forecasting. Improvements in sensor capabilities are enabling airborne and space-based remote sensing to support response activities. Key applications are improving transport models in complex terrain and improved disaster response. Understanding urban atmospheric transport in the Los Angeles Basin, where topographic influences on transport patterns are significant, was improved by leveraging the Aliso Canyon leak as an atmospheric tracer. Plume characterization data was collected by the AutoMObile trace Gas (AMOG) Surveyor, a commuter carmore » modified for science. Mobile surface in situ CH 4 and winds were measured by AMOG Surveyor under Santa Ana conditions to estimate an emission rate of 365±30% Gg yr -1. Vertical profiles were collected by AMOG Surveyor by leveraging local topography for vertical profiling to identify the planetary boundary layer at ~700 m. Topography significantly constrained plume dispersion by up to a factor of two. The observed plume trajectory was used to validate satellite aerosol optical depth-inferred atmospheric transport, which suggested the plume first was driven offshore, but then veered back towards land. Numerical long-range transport model predictions confirm this interpretation. Lastly, this study demonstrated a novel application of satellite aerosol remote sensing for disaster response.« less

A rapid extraction of landslide disaster information research based on GF-1 image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Sai; Xu, Suning; Peng, Ling; Wang, Zhiyi; Wang, Na

2015-08-01

In recent years, the landslide disasters occurred frequently because of the seismic activity. It brings great harm to people's life. It has caused high attention of the state and the extensive concern of society. In the field of geological disaster, landslide information extraction based on remote sensing has been controversial, but high resolution remote sensing image can improve the accuracy of information extraction effectively with its rich texture and geometry information. Therefore, it is feasible to extract the information of earthquake- triggered landslides with serious surface damage and large scale. Taking the Wenchuan county as the study area, this paper uses multi-scale segmentation method to extract the landslide image object through domestic GF-1 images and DEM data, which uses the estimation of scale parameter tool to determine the optimal segmentation scale; After analyzing the characteristics of landslide high-resolution image comprehensively and selecting spectrum feature, texture feature, geometric features and landform characteristics of the image, we can establish the extracting rules to extract landslide disaster information. The extraction results show that there are 20 landslide whose total area is 521279.31 .Compared with visual interpretation results, the extraction accuracy is 72.22%. This study indicates its efficient and feasible to extract earthquake landslide disaster information based on high resolution remote sensing and it provides important technical support for post-disaster emergency investigation and disaster assessment.

Fusion of Remote Sensing Methods, UAV Photogrammetry and LiDAR Scanning products for monitoring fluvial dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lendzioch, Theodora; Langhammer, Jakub; Hartvich, Filip

2015-04-01

Fusion of remote sensing data is a common and rapidly developing discipline, which combines data from multiple sources with different spatial and spectral resolution, from satellite sensors, aircraft and ground platforms. Fusion data contains more detailed information than each of the source and enhances the interpretation performance and accuracy of the source data and produces a high-quality visualisation of the final data. Especially, in fluvial geomorphology it is essential to get valuable images in sub-meter resolution to obtain high quality 2D and 3D information for a detailed identification, extraction and description of channel features of different river regimes and to perform a rapid mapping of changes in river topography. In order to design, test and evaluate a new approach for detection of river morphology, we combine different research techniques from remote sensing products to drone-based photogrammetry and LiDAR products (aerial LiDAR Scanner and TLS). Topographic information (e.g. changes in river channel morphology, surface roughness, evaluation of floodplain inundation, mapping gravel bars and slope characteristics) will be extracted either from one single layer or from combined layers in accordance to detect fluvial topographic changes before and after flood events. Besides statistical approaches for predictive geomorphological mapping and the determination of errors and uncertainties of the data, we will also provide 3D modelling of small fluvial features.

Urban structure analysis of mega city Mexico City using multisensoral remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taubenböck, H.; Esch, T.; Wurm, M.; Thiel, M.; Ullmann, T.; Roth, A.; Schmidt, M.; Mehl, H.; Dech, S.

2008-10-01

Mega city Mexico City is ranked the third largest urban agglomeration to date around the globe. The large extension as well as dynamic urban transformation and sprawl processes lead to a lack of up-to-date and area-wide data and information to measure, monitor, and understand the urban situation. This paper focuses on the capabilities of multisensoral remotely sensed data to provide a broad range of products derived from one scientific field - remote sensing - to support urban managing and planning. Therefore optical data sets from the Landsat and Quickbird sensors as well as radar data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and the TerraSAR-X sensor are utilised. Using the multi-sensoral data sets the analysis are scale-dependent. On the one hand change detection on city level utilising the derived urban footprints enables to monitor and to assess spatiotemporal urban transformation, areal dimension of urban sprawl, its direction, and the built-up density distribution over time. On the other hand, structural characteristics of an urban landscape - the alignment and types of buildings, streets and open spaces - provide insight in the very detailed physical pattern of urban morphology on higher scale. The results show high accuracies of the derived multi-scale products. The multi-scale analysis allows quantifying urban processes and thus leading to an assessment and interpretation of urban trends.

Application of Machine Learning in Urban Greenery Land Cover Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, X.; Li, L. L.; Li, D.; Gan, Y. L.; Hou, A. Y.

2018-04-01

Urban greenery is a critical part of the modern city and the greenery coverage information is essential for land resource management, environmental monitoring and urban planning. It is a challenging work to extract the urban greenery information from remote sensing image as the trees and grassland are mixed with city built-ups. In this paper, we propose a new automatic pixel-based greenery extraction method using multispectral remote sensing images. The method includes three main steps. First, a small part of the images is manually interpreted to provide prior knowledge. Secondly, a five-layer neural network is trained and optimised with the manual extraction results, which are divided to serve as training samples, verification samples and testing samples. Lastly, the well-trained neural network will be applied to the unlabelled data to perform the greenery extraction. The GF-2 and GJ-1 high resolution multispectral remote sensing images were used to extract greenery coverage information in the built-up areas of city X. It shows a favourable performance in the 619 square kilometers areas. Also, when comparing with the traditional NDVI method, the proposed method gives a more accurate delineation of the greenery region. Due to the advantage of low computational load and high accuracy, it has a great potential for large area greenery auto extraction, which saves a lot of manpower and resources.

The application of the unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing technology in the FAST project construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Boqin

2015-08-01

The purpose of using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing application in Five-hundred-meter aperture spherical telescope (FAST) project is to dynamically record the construction process with high resolution image, monitor the environmental impact, and provide services for local environmental protection and the reserve immigrants. This paper introduces the use of UAV remote sensing system and the course design and implementation for the FAST site. Through the analysis of the time series data, we found that: (1) since the year 2012, the project has been widely carried out; (2) till 2013, the internal project begun to take shape;(3) engineering excavation scope was kept stable in 2014, and the initial scale of the FAST engineering construction has emerged as in the meantime, the vegetation recovery went well on the bare soil area; (4) in 2015, none environmental problems caused by engineering construction and other engineering geological disaster were found in the work area through the image interpretation of UAV images. This paper also suggested that the UAV technology need some improvements to fulfill the requirements of surveying and mapping specification., including a new data acquisition and processing measures assigned with the background of highly diverse elevation, usage of telephoto camera, hierarchical photography with different flying height, and adjustment with terrain using the joint empty three settlement method.

The Oxford space environment goniometer: A new experimental setup for making directional emissivity measurements under a simulated space environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren, T. J.; Bowles, N. E.; Donaldson Hanna, K.; Thomas, I. R.

2017-12-01

Measurements of the light scattering behaviour of the regoliths of airless bodies via remote sensing techniques in the Solar System, across wavelengths from the visible to the far infrared, are essential in understanding their surface properties. A key parameter is knowledge of the angular behaviour of scattered light, usually represented mathematically by a phase function. The phase function is believed to be dependent on many factors including the following: surface composition, surface roughness across all length scales, and the wavelength of radiation. Although there have been many phase function measurements of regolith analog materials across visible wavelengths, there have been no equivalent measurements made in the thermal infrared (TIR). This may have been due to a lack of TIR instruments as part of planetary remote sensing payloads. However, since the launch of Diviner to the Moon in 2009, OSIRIS-Rex to the asteroid Bennu in 2016, and the planned launch of BepiColombo to Mercury in 2018, there is now a large quantity of TIR remote sensing data that need to be interpreted. It is therefore important to extend laboratory phase function measurements to the TIR. This paper describes the design, build, calibration, and initial measurements from a new laboratory instrument that is able to make phase function measurements of analog planetary regoliths across wavelengths from the visible to the TIR.

Discrimination of common Mediterranean plant species using field spectroradiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manevski, Kiril; Manakos, Ioannis; Petropoulos, George P.; Kalaitzidis, Chariton

2011-12-01

Field spectroradiometry of land surface objects supports remote sensing analysis, facilitates the discrimination of vegetation species, and enhances the mapping efficiency. Especially in the Mediterranean, spectral discrimination of common vegetation types, such as phrygana and maquis species, remains a challenge. Both phrygana and maquis may be used as a direct indicator for grazing management, fire history and severity, and the state of the wider ecosystem equilibrium. This study aims to investigate the capability of field spectroradiometry supporting remote sensing analysis of the land cover of a characteristic Mediterranean area. Five common Mediterranean maquis and phrygana species were examined. Spectra acquisition was performed during an intensive field campaign deployed in spring 2010, supported by a novel platform MUFSPEM@MED (Mobile Unit for Field SPEctral Measurements at the MEDiterranean) for high canopy measurements. Parametric and non-parametric statistical tests have been applied to the continuum-removed reflectance of the species in the visible to shortwave infrared spectral range. Interpretation of the results indicated distinct discrimination between the studied species at specific spectral regions. Statistically significant wavelengths were principally found in both the visible and the near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectral bands in the shortwave infrared demonstrated significant discrimination features for the examined species adapted to Mediterranean drought. All in all, results confirmed the prospect for a more accurate mapping of the species spatial distribution using remote sensing imagery coupled with in situ spectral information.

Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response

DOE PAGES

Leifer, Ira; Melton, Christopher; Frash, Jason; ...

2016-09-22

Chemical release disasters have serious consequences, disrupting ecosystems, society, and causing significant loss of life. Mitigating the destructive impacts relies on identification and mapping, monitoring, and trajectory forecasting. Improvements in sensor capabilities are enabling airborne and space-based remote sensing to support response activities. Key applications are improving transport models in complex terrain and improved disaster response. Understanding urban atmospheric transport in the Los Angeles Basin, where topographic influences on transport patterns are significant, was improved by leveraging the Aliso Canyon leak as an atmospheric tracer. Plume characterization data was collected by the AutoMObile trace Gas (AMOG) Surveyor, a commuter carmore » modified for science. Mobile surface in situ CH 4 and winds were measured by AMOG Surveyor under Santa Ana conditions to estimate an emission rate of 365±30% Gg yr -1. Vertical profiles were collected by AMOG Surveyor by leveraging local topography for vertical profiling to identify the planetary boundary layer at ~700 m. Topography significantly constrained plume dispersion by up to a factor of two. The observed plume trajectory was used to validate satellite aerosol optical depth-inferred atmospheric transport, which suggested the plume first was driven offshore, but then veered back towards land. Numerical long-range transport model predictions confirm this interpretation. Lastly, this study demonstrated a novel application of satellite aerosol remote sensing for disaster response.« less

Monitoring the ecology and environment using remote sensing in the Jinta area/Middle Reaches of Heihe River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Anxin; Wang, Lihong; Chen, Xianzhang

2003-07-01

A major monitoring area, a part of the middle reaches of Heihe basin, was selected. The Landsat TM data in summer of 1990 and 2000 were used with interpretation on the computer screen, classification and setting up environmental investigation database (1:100000) combined with DEM, land cover/land use, land type data and etc., according to the environmental classification system. Then towards to the main problems of environment, the spatial statistical analysis and dynamic comparisons were carried out using the database. The dynamic monitoring results of 1999 and 2000 show that the changing percentage with the area of 6 ground objects are as follows: land use and agriculture land use increased by 34.17% and 19.47% respectively, wet land and water-body also increased by 6.29% and 8.03% respectively; unused land increased by 1.73% and the biggest change is natural/semi-natural vegetation area, decreased by 42.78%, the main results above meat with the requirements of precise and practical conditions by the precise exam and spot check. With the combinations of using TM remote sensing data and rich un-remote sensing data, the investigations of ecology and environment and the dynamic monitoring would be carried out efficiently in the arid area. It is a dangerous signal of large area desertification if the area of natural/semi-natural vegetation is reduced continuously and obviously.

Forest mensuration with remote sensing: A retrospective and a vision for the future

Treesearch

Randolph H. Wynne

2004-01-01

Remote sensing, while occasionally oversold, has clear potential to reduce the overall cost of traditional forest inventories. Perhaps most important, some of the information needed for more intensive, rather than extensive, forest management is available from remote sensing. These new information needs may justify increased use and the increased cost of remote sensing...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

Remote Sensing: Analyzing Satellite Images to Create Higher Order Thinking Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Steven K.; And Others

1996-01-01

Presents a unit that uses remote-sensing images from satellites and other spacecraft to provide new perspectives of the earth and generate greater global awareness. Relates the levels of Bloom's hierarchy to different aspects of the remote sensing unit to confirm that the concepts and principles of remote sensing and related images belong in…

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

Annotated bibliography of remote sensing methods for monitoring desertification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, A.S.; Robinove, Charles J.

1981-01-01

Remote sensing techniques are valuable for locating, assessing, and monitoring desertification. Remotely sensed data provide a permanent record of the condition of the land in a format that allows changes in land features and condition to be measured. The annotated bibliography of 118 items discusses remote sensing methods that may be applied to desertification studies.

Applied Remote Sensing Program (ARSP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. D.; Foster, K. E.; Mouat, D. A.; Miller, D. A.; Conn, J. S.

1976-01-01

The activities and accomplishments of the Applied Remote Sensing Program during FY 1975-1976 are reported. The principal objective of the Applied Remote Sensing Program continues to be designed projects having specific decision-making impacts as a principal goal. These projects are carried out in cooperation and collaboration with local, state and federal agencies whose responsibilities lie with planning, zoning and environmental monitoring and/or assessment in the application of remote sensing techniques. The end result of the projects is the use by the involved agencies of remote sensing techniques in problem solving.

Communicating remote sensing concepts in an interdisciplinary environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, R.

1981-01-01

Although remote sensing is currently multidisciplinary in its applications, many of its terms come from the engineering sciences, particularly from the field of pattern recognition. Scholars from fields such as the social sciences, botany, and biology, may experience initial difficulty with remote sensing terminology, even though parallel concepts exist in their own fields. Some parallel concepts and terminologies from nonengineering fields, which might enhance the understanding of remote sensing concepts in an interdisciplinary situation are identified. Feedbacks which this analogue strategy might have on remote sensing itself are explored.

People, Places and Pixels: Remote Sensing in the Service of Society

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lulla, Kamlesh

2003-01-01

What is the role of Earth remote sensing and other geospatial technologies in our society? Recent global events have brought into focus the role of geospatial science and technology such as remote sensing, GIS, GPS in assisting the professionals who are responsible for operations such as rescue and recovery of sites after a disaster or a terrorist act. This paper reviews the use of recent remote sensing products from satellites such as IKONOS in these efforts. Aerial and satellite imagery used in land mine detection has been evaluated and the results of this evaluation will be discussed. Synopsis of current and future ISS Earth Remote Sensing capabilities will be provided. The role of future missions in humanitarian use of remote sensing will be explored.

Remotely sensed geology from lander-based to orbital perspectives: Results of FIDO rover May 2000 field tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jolliff, B.; Knoll, A.; Morris, R.V.; Moersch, J.; McSween, H.; Gilmore, M.; Arvidson, R.; Greeley, R.; Herkenhoff, K.; Squyres, S.

2002-01-01

Blind field tests of the Field Integration Design and Operations (FIDO) prototype Mars rover were carried out 7-16 May 2000. A Core Operations Team (COT), sequestered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory without knowledge of test site location, prepared command sequences and interpreted data acquired by the rover. Instrument sensors included a stereo panoramic camera, navigational and hazard-avoidance cameras, a color microscopic imager, an infrared point spectrometer, and a rock coring drill. The COT designed command sequences, which were relayed by satellite uplink to the rover, and evaluated instrument data. Using aerial photos and Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, and information from the rover sensors, the COT inferred the geology of the landing site during the 18 sol mission, including lithologic diversity, stratigraphic relationships, environments of deposition, and weathering characteristics. Prominent lithologic units were interpreted to be dolomite-bearing rocks, kaolinite-bearing altered felsic volcanic materials, and basalt. The color panoramic camera revealed sedimentary layering and rock textures, and geologic relationships seen in rock exposures. The infrared point spectrometer permitted identification of prominent carbonate and kaolinite spectral features and permitted correlations to outcrops that could not be reached by the rover. The color microscopic imager revealed fine-scale rock textures, soil components, and results of coring experiments. Test results show that close-up interrogation of rocks is essential to investigations of geologic environments and that observations must include scales ranging from individual boulders and outcrops (microscopic, macroscopic) to orbital remote sensing, with sufficient intermediate steps (descent images) to connect in situ and remote observations.

Differentiating aquatic plant communities in a eutrophic river using hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tian, Y.Q.; Yu, Q.; Zimmerman, M.J.; Flint, S.; Waldron, M.C.

2010-01-01

This study evaluates the efficacy of remote sensing technology to monitor species composition, areal extent and density of aquatic plants (macrophytes and filamentous algae) in impoundments where their presence may violate water-quality standards. Multispectral satellite (IKONOS) images and more than 500 in situ hyperspectral samples were acquired to map aquatic plant distributions. By analyzing field measurements, we created a library of hyperspectral signatures for a variety of aquatic plant species, associations and densities. We also used three vegetation indices. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), near-infrared (NIR)-Green Angle Index (NGAI) and normalized water absorption depth (DH), at wavelengths 554, 680, 820 and 977 nm to differentiate among aquatic plant species composition, areal density and thickness in cases where hyperspectral analysis yielded potentially ambiguous interpretations. We compared the NDVI derived from IKONOS imagery with the in situ, hyperspectral-derived NDVI. The IKONOS-based images were also compared to data obtained through routine visual observations. Our results confirmed that aquatic species composition alters spectral signatures and affects the accuracy of remote sensing of aquatic plant density. The results also demonstrated that the NGAI has apparent advantages in estimating density over the NDVI and the DH. In the feature space of the three indices, 3D scatter plot analysis revealed that hyperspectral data can differentiate several aquatic plant associations. High-resolution multispectral imagery provided useful information to distinguish among biophysical aquatic plant characteristics. Classification analysis indicated that using satellite imagery to assess Lemna coverage yielded an overall agreement of 79% with visual observations and >90% agreement for the densest aquatic plant coverages. Interpretation of biophysical parameters derived from high-resolution satellite or airborne imagery should prove to be a valuable approach for assessing the effectiveness of management practices for controlling aquatic plant growth in inland waters, as well as for routine monitoring of aquatic plants in lakes and suitable lentic environments. ?? 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Three decades of landscape change in Alaska documented using spatiotemporal analyses of remote sensing imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastick, N. J.; Jorgenson, T.; Swanson, D. K.; Jorgenson, J. C.; Goetz, S. J.; Jones, B. M.; Wylie, B. K.; Knight, J. F.; Minsley, B. J.; Helene, G.

2017-12-01

Contemporary climate change in Alaska has resulted in amplified rates of press and pulse disturbances that have significant consequences for socio-environmental systems. With the heightened susceptibility of arctic and boreal landscapes to change, the characterization of landscape dynamics and the identification of environmental drivers of change across northern high latitudes is critical. Here, we characterize the historical sensitivity of Alaska's ecosystems to natural and anthropogenic disturbances using expert knowledge, remote sensing data, spatiotemporal analyses, and modeling. Time-series analysis of moderate- and high-resolution imagery was used to characterize landscape dynamics across Alaska and along randomly sampled change-detection grids (n=312). Expert interpretations of ecological and geomorphological changes were made at each grid using historical air photos and high-resolution satellite imagery (1980s, 2000s, 2010s), and corroborate land surface greening, browning, and wetness/moisture trends derived from peak-growing season (July 1st - August 31st) Landsat imagery acquired from 1984 to 2015. Spectral change metrics, climatic data, maps of biophysical characteristics, and interpretations of change were incorporated into a modeling framework for mapping and understanding change across Alaska. At the landscape scale, substantial increases in remotely sensed vegetation productivity were most pronounced in western and northern foothills of Alaska, which is associated with recent warming-induced shrub expansion and vegetation growth. Significant browning trends in interior Alaska were largely the­­­­ result of recent wildland fires, but browning trends are also driven by increases in evaporative demand and surface water gains that have predominately occurred over warming permafrost landscapes. Increased rates of photosynthetic activity were also associated with stabilization and recovery processes following wildfire, timber harvesting, insect damage, thermokarst, and glacial retreat, as well as lake infilling and drainage events. This study documents historical landscape dynamics and drivers of change, which is important for understanding potential future trajectories of change and for identifying areas most likely vulnerable to change.

Uncertainty in structural interpretation: Lessons to be learnt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, Clare E.

2015-05-01

Uncertainty in the interpretation of geological data is an inherent element of geology. Datasets from different sources: remotely sensed seismic imagery, field data and borehole data, are often combined and interpreted to create a geological model of the sub-surface. The data have limited resolution and spatial distribution that results in uncertainty in the interpretation of the data and in the subsequent geological model(s) created. Methods to determine the extent of interpretational uncertainty of a dataset, how to capture and express that uncertainty, and consideration of uncertainties in terms of risk have been investigated. Here I review the work that has taken place and discuss best practice in accounting for uncertainties in structural interpretation workflows. Barriers to best practice are reflected on, including the use of software packages for interpretation. Experimental evidence suggests that minimising interpretation error through the use of geological reasoning and rules can help decrease interpretation uncertainty; through identification of inadmissible interpretations and in highlighting areas of uncertainty. Understanding expert thought processes and reasoning, including the use of visuospatial skills, during interpretation may aid in the identification of uncertainties, and in the education of new geoscientists.

Remote Sensing and Remote Control Activities in Europe and America: Part 2--Remote Sensing Ground Stations in Europe,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-04-08

Development tasks and products of remote sensing ground stations in Europe are represented by the In-Sec Corporation and the Schlumberger Industries Corporation. The article presents the main products of these two corporations.

Remote sensing of land degradation: experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean.

PubMed

Metternicht, G; Zinck, J A; Blanco, P D; del Valle, H F

2010-01-01

Land degradation caused by deforestation, overgrazing, and inappropriate irrigation practices affects about 16% of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This paper addresses issues related to the application of remote sensing technologies for the identification and mapping of land degradation features, with special attention to the LAC region. The contribution of remote sensing to mapping land degradation is analyzed from the compilation of a large set of research papers published between the 1980s and 2009, dealing with water and wind erosion, salinization, and changes of vegetation cover. The analysis undertaken found that Landsat series (MSS, TM, ETM+) are the most commonly used data source (49% of the papers report their use), followed by aerial photographs (39%), and microwave sensing (ERS, JERS-1, Radarsat) (27%). About 43% of the works analyzed use multi-scale, multi-sensor, multi-spectral approaches for mapping degraded areas, with a combination of visual interpretation and advanced image processing techniques. The use of more expensive hyperspectral and/or very high spatial resolution sensors like AVIRIS, Hyperion, SPOT-5, and IKONOS tends to be limited to small surface areas. The key issue of indicators that can directly or indirectly help recognize land degradation features in the visible, infrared, and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are discussed. Factors considered when selecting indicators for establishing land degradation baselines include, among others, the mapping scale, the spectral characteristics of the sensors, and the time of image acquisition. The validation methods used to assess the accuracy of maps produced with satellite data are discussed as well.

[Estimation of desert vegetation coverage based on multi-source remote sensing data].

PubMed

Wan, Hong-Mei; Li, Xia; Dong, Dao-Rui

2012-12-01

Taking the lower reaches of Tarim River in Xinjiang of Northwest China as study areaAbstract: Taking the lower reaches of Tarim River in Xinjiang of Northwest China as study area and based on the ground investigation and the multi-source remote sensing data of different resolutions, the estimation models for desert vegetation coverage were built, with the precisions of different estimation methods and models compared. The results showed that with the increasing spatial resolution of remote sensing data, the precisions of the estimation models increased. The estimation precision of the models based on the high, middle-high, and middle-low resolution remote sensing data was 89.5%, 87.0%, and 84.56%, respectively, and the precisions of the remote sensing models were higher than that of vegetation index method. This study revealed the change patterns of the estimation precision of desert vegetation coverage based on different spatial resolution remote sensing data, and realized the quantitative conversion of the parameters and scales among the high, middle, and low spatial resolution remote sensing data of desert vegetation coverage, which would provide direct evidence for establishing and implementing comprehensive remote sensing monitoring scheme for the ecological restoration in the study area.

Grid workflow validation using ontology-based tacit knowledge: A case study for quantitative remote sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jia; Liu, Longli; Xue, Yong; Dong, Jing; Hu, Yingcui; Hill, Richard; Guang, Jie; Li, Chi

2017-01-01

Workflow for remote sensing quantitative retrieval is the ;bridge; between Grid services and Grid-enabled application of remote sensing quantitative retrieval. Workflow averts low-level implementation details of the Grid and hence enables users to focus on higher levels of application. The workflow for remote sensing quantitative retrieval plays an important role in remote sensing Grid and Cloud computing services, which can support the modelling, construction and implementation of large-scale complicated applications of remote sensing science. The validation of workflow is important in order to support the large-scale sophisticated scientific computation processes with enhanced performance and to minimize potential waste of time and resources. To research the semantic correctness of user-defined workflows, in this paper, we propose a workflow validation method based on tacit knowledge research in the remote sensing domain. We first discuss the remote sensing model and metadata. Through detailed analysis, we then discuss the method of extracting the domain tacit knowledge and expressing the knowledge with ontology. Additionally, we construct the domain ontology with Protégé. Through our experimental study, we verify the validity of this method in two ways, namely data source consistency error validation and parameters matching error validation.

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.

The U.S. Geological Survey land remote sensing program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saunders, T.; Feuquay, J.; Kelmelis, J.A.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has been a provider of remotely sensed information for decades. As the availability and use of satellite data has grown, USGS has placed increasing emphasis on expanding the knowledge about the science of remote sensing and on making remotely sensed data more accessible. USGS encourages widespread availability and distribution of these data and through its programs, encourages and enables a variety of research activities and the development of useful applications of the data. The science of remote sensing has great potential for assisting in the monitoring and assessment of the impacts of natural disasters, management and analysis of environmental, biological, energy, and mineral investigations, and supporting informed public policy decisions. By establishing the Land Remote Sensing Program (LRS) as a major unit of the USGS Geography Program, USGS has taken the next step to further increase support for the accessibility, understanding, and use of remotely sensed data. This article describes the LRS Program, its mission and objectives, and how the program has been structured to accomplish its goals.

Progress in remote sensing as it applies to missions of Committee for Coordination of Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in Asian Offshore Areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, William A.

1979-01-01

An exception to this focus of investigation was the launch of Seasat, a satellite dedicated to marine investigations. Seasat was short lived but the data produced strongly supported the use of imaging radar for land investigation, and, although studies are incomplete, suggest eventual benefits for the navigator, searchers for marine resources, and mariners--provided that the data and/or interpretations can be available to the marine users shortly after collection. In this regard, the positive steps now being taken in Southeast Asia to establish reception, processing, and interpretation centers are a major development.

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.

Microwave Remote Sensing Modeling of Ocean Surface Salinity and Winds Using an Empirical Sea Surface Spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yueh, Simon H.

2004-01-01

Active and passive microwave remote sensing techniques have been investigated for the remote sensing of ocean surface wind and salinity. We revised an ocean surface spectrum using the CMOD-5 geophysical model function (GMF) for the European Remote Sensing (ERS) C-band scatterometer and the Ku-band GMF for the NASA SeaWinds scatterometer. The predictions of microwave brightness temperatures from this model agree well with satellite, aircraft and tower-based microwave radiometer data. This suggests that the impact of surface roughness on microwave brightness temperatures and radar scattering coefficients of sea surfaces can be consistently characterized by a roughness spectrum, providing physical basis for using combined active and passive remote sensing techniques for ocean surface wind and salinity remote sensing.

Online catalog access and distribution of remotely sensed information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutton, Stephen M.

1997-09-01

Remote sensing is providing voluminous data and value added information products. Electronic sensors, communication electronics, computer software, hardware, and network communications technology have matured to the point where a distributed infrastructure for remotely sensed information is a reality. The amount of remotely sensed data and information is making distributed infrastructure almost a necessity. This infrastructure provides data collection, archiving, cataloging, browsing, processing, and viewing for applications from scientific research to economic, legal, and national security decision making. The remote sensing field is entering a new exciting stage of commercial growth and expansion into the mainstream of government and business decision making. This paper overviews this new distributed infrastructure and then focuses on describing a software system for on-line catalog access and distribution of remotely sensed information.

Remote Sensing and the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osmers, Karl

1991-01-01

Suggests using remote sensing technology to help students make sense of the natural world. Explains that satellite information allows observation of environmental changes over time. Identifies possible student projects based on remotely sensed data. Recommends obtaining the assistance of experts and seeking funding through effective project…

Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval With AVIRIS Data: A Test of Tafkaa

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

the spatial resolution . Clearly there is a need for a method of AOD retrieval that can cover more of the globe in a...imagers lack sufficient spectral resolution for some scientific applications. The future of remote sensing is in the ability to collect and interpret...AVIRIS is by using a data cube with two axes for the spatial dimensions and the third axis representing the 224 channels that make up the spectral

Martian geomorphology and its relation to subsurface volatiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clifford, Stephen M. (Editor); Rossbacher, Lisa A. (Editor); Zimbelman, James R. (Editor)

1986-01-01

Martian volatile inventory, planetary climatic and atmospheric evolution, and the interpretation of various remote sensing data were discussed. A number of morphologies that were cited as potential indicators of subsurface volatiles were reviewed. Rampart craters and terrain softening were the focus of more in-depth discussion because of the popular attention they have received and the fact that their areal distributions are by far the most extensive of all the proposed indicators.

Interpretation of remote sensing data in the Bayou Lafourche Delta of south Louisiana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitehurst, C. A.

1975-01-01

Initial efforts were directed toward a comprehensive ground truth program for the Bayou Lafourche Delta. The impact of transportation systems on the marsh environment, impounded marsh areas, proposed jetty systems at Belle Pass, Louisiana, and erosion and sediment transport in the southwestern canal, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana are studied. The use of color IR imagery for a vegetation study of spoil banks in the Bayou Lafourche Region is also discussed.

High altitude perspective. [cost-reimbursable services using NASA U-2 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The capabilities of the NASA Ames Center U-2 aircraft for research or experimental programs are described for such areas as Earth resources inventories; remote sensing data interpretation, electronic sensor research and development; satellite investigative support; stratospheric gas studies; and astronomy and astrophysics. The availability of this aircraft on a cost-reimbursable basis for use in high-altitude investigations that cannot be performed by the private sector is discussed.

Use of remote sensing in agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettry, D. E.; Powell, N. L.; Newhouse, M. E.

1974-01-01

Remote sensing studies in Virginia and Chesapeake Bay areas to investigate soil and plant conditions via remote sensing technology are reported ant the results given. Remote sensing techniques and interactions are also discussed. Specific studies on the effects of soil moisture and organic matter on energy reflection of extensively occurring Sassafras soils are discussed. Greenhouse and field studies investigating the effects of chlorophyll content of Irish potatoes on infrared reflection are presented. Selected ground truth and environmental monitoring data are shown in summary form. Practical demonstrations of remote sensing technology in agriculture are depicted and future use areas are delineated.

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.

NASA Glenn OHIOVIEW FY01/02 Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The results of the research performed by the university principal investigators are herein compiled. OhioView's general goals were: 1) To increase remote sensing education for Ohio s undergraduate and graduate students, and also enhancing curriculum in the mathematics and science for K-12 students using the capabilities of remote sensing; 2) To conduct advanced research to develop novel remote sensing applications, i.e. to turn data into information for more applications; 3) To maximize the use of remote sensing technology by the general public through outreach and the development of tools for more user-friendly access to remote sensing data.

The availability of conventional forms of remotely sensed data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturdevant, James A.; Holm, Thomas M.

1982-01-01

For decades Federal and State agencies have been collecting aerial photographs of various film types and scales over parts of the United States. More recently, worldwide Earth resources data acquired by orbiting satellites have inundated the remote sensing community. Determining the types of remotely sensed data that are publicly available can be confusing to the land-resource manager, planner, and scientist. This paper is a summary of the more commonly used types of remotely sensed data (aircraft and satellite) and their public availability. Special emphasis is placed on the National High-Altitude Photography (NHAP) program and future remote-sensing satellites.

Wind Streaks on Earth; Exploration and Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen-Zada, Aviv Lee; Blumberg, Dan G.; Maman, Shimrit

2015-04-01

Wind streaks, one of the most common aeolian features on planetary surfaces, are observable on the surface of the planets Earth, Mars and Venus. Due to their reflectance properties, wind streaks are distinguishable from their surroundings, and they have thus been widely studied by remote sensing since the early 1970s, particularly on Mars. In imagery, these streaks are interpreted as the presence - or lack thereof - of small loose particles on the surface deposited or eroded by wind. The existence of wind streaks serves as evidence for past or present active aeolian processes. Therefore, wind streaks are thought to represent integrative climate processes. As opposed to the comprehensive and global studies of wind streaks on Mars and Venus, wind streaks on Earth are understudied and poorly investigated, both geomorphologically and by remote sensing. The aim of this study is, thus, to fill the knowledge gap about the wind streaks on Earth by: generating a global map of Earth wind streaks from modern high-resolution remotely sensed imagery; incorporating the streaks in a geographic information system (GIS); and overlaying the GIS layers with boundary layer wind data from general circulation models (GCMs) and data from the ECMWF Reanalysis Interim project. The study defines wind streaks (and thereby distinguishes them from other aeolian features) based not only on their appearance in imagery but more importantly on their surface appearance. This effort is complemented by a focused field investigation to study wind streaks on the ground and from a variety of remotely sensed images (both optical and radar). In this way, we provide a better definition of the physical and geomorphic characteristics of wind streaks and acquire a deeper knowledge of terrestrial wind streaks as a means to better understand global and planetary climate and climate change. In a preliminary study, we detected and mapped over 2,900 wind streaks in the desert regions of Earth distributed in approximately 500 sites. Most terrestrial wind streaks are formed on a relatively young geological surface and are concentrated along the equator (± 30°). They are categorized by the combination of their planform and reflectance; with linear-bright and dark are the most common. A site-specific examination of remote-sensing effects on wind streaks identification has been conducted. The results thus far, indicate that in images with varying spatial and spectral specifications some wind streaks are actually composed of other aeolian bedforms, especially dunes. Specific regions of the Earth were then compared qualitatively to surface wind data extracted from a general circulation model. Understanding the mechanism and spatial and temporal distribution of wind streak formation is important not only for understanding surface modifications in the geomorphological context but also for shedding light on past and present climatic processes and atmospheric circulation on Earth. This study yields an explanation for wind streaks as a geomorphological feature. Moreover, it is in this planet-wide geomorphological research ability to lay down the foundations for comparative planetary research.

Remote Sensing of Crystal Shapes in Ice Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

van Diedenhoven, Bastiaan

2017-01-01

Ice crystals in clouds exist in a virtually limitless variation of geometries. The most basic shapes of ice crystals are columnar or plate-like hexagonal prisms with aspect ratios determined by relative humidity and temperature. However, crystals in ice clouds generally display more complex structures owing to aggregation, riming and growth histories through varying temperature and humidity regimes. Crystal shape is relevant for cloud evolution as it affects microphysical properties such as fall speeds and aggregation efficiency. Furthermore, the scattering properties of ice crystals are affected by their general shape, as well as by microscopic features such as surface roughness, impurities and internal structure. To improve the representation of ice clouds in climate models, increased understanding of the global variation of crystal shape and how it relates to, e.g., location, cloud temperature and atmospheric state is crucial. Here, the remote sensing of ice crystal macroscale and microscale structure from airborne and space-based lidar depolarization observations and multi-directional measurements of total and polarized reflectances is reviewed. In addition, a brief overview is given of in situ and laboratory observations of ice crystal shape as well as the optical properties of ice crystals that serve as foundations for the remote sensing approaches. Lidar depolarization is generally found to increase with increasing cloud height and to vary with latitude. Although this variation is generally linked to the variation of ice crystal shape, the interpretation of the depolarization remains largely qualitative and more research is needed before quantitative conclusions about ice shape can be deduced. The angular variation of total and polarized reflectances of ice clouds has been analyzed by numerous studies in order to infer information about ice crystal shapes from them. From these studies it is apparent that pristine crystals with smooth surfaces are generally inconsistent with the data and thus crystal impurity, distortion or surface roughness is prevalent. However, conclusions about the dominating ice shapes are often inconclusive and contradictory and are highly dependent on the limited selection of shapes included in the investigations. Since ice crystal optical properties are mostly determined by the aspect ratios of the crystal components and their microscale structure, it is advised that remote sensing applications focus on the variation of these ice shape characteristics, rather than on the macroscale shape or habit. Recent studies use databases with nearly continuous ranges of crystal component aspect ratio and-or roughness levels to infer the variation of ice crystal shape from satellite and airborne remote sensing measurements. Here, the rationale and results of varying strategies for the remote sensing of ice crystal shape are reviewed. Observed systematic variations of ice crystal geometry with location, cloud height and atmospheric state suggested by the data are discussed. Finally, a prospective is given on the future of the remote sensing of ice cloud particle shapes.

NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Webinar Series

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-07-12

NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Webinar Series Tuesday, July 12, 2016 ... you of a free training opportunity: Introduction to Remote Sensing for Air Quality Applications Webinar Series Beginning in ...

Tropospheric Passive Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keafer, L. S., Jr. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The long term role of airborne/spaceborne passive remote sensing systems for tropospheric air quality research and the identification of technology advances required to improve the performance of passive remote sensing systems were discussed.

Remote Sensing as a Demonstration of Applied Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colwell, Robert N.

1980-01-01

Provides information about the field of remote sensing, including discussions of geo-synchronous and sun-synchronous remote-sensing platforms, the actual physical processes and equipment involved in sensing, the analysis of images by humans and machines, and inexpensive, small scale methods, including aerial photography. (CS)

Opportunities and problems in introducing or expanding the teaching of remote sensing in universities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, E. L.

1980-01-01

The need for degree programs in remote sensing is considered. Any education program which claims to train remote sensing specialists must include expertise in the physical principles upon which remote sensing is based. These principles dictate the limits of engineering and design, computer analysis, photogrammetry, and photointerpretation. Faculty members must be hired to provide emphasis in those five areas.

Remote sensing of vegetation fires and its contribution to a fire management information system

Treesearch

Stephane P. Flasse; Simon N. Trigg; Pietro N. Ceccato; Anita H. Perryman; Andrew T. Hudak; Mark W. Thompson; Bruce H. Brockett; Moussa Drame; Tim Ntabeni; Philip E. Frost; Tobias Landmann; Johan L. le Roux

2004-01-01

In the last decade, research has proven that remote sensing can provide very useful support to fire managers. This chapter provides an overview of the types of information remote sensing can provide to the fire community. First, it considers fire management information needs in the context of a fire management information system. An introduction to remote sensing then...

Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-15

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2016-0068 Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing Hean-Teik...SUBTITLE Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER... electromagnetics to the application in microwave remote sensing as well as extension of modelling capability with computational flexibility to study

Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-15

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2016-0068 Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing Hean-Teik...SUBTITLE Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER...electromagnetics to the application in microwave remote sensing as well as extension of modelling capability with computational flexibility to study

Basic Remote Sensing Investigations for Beach Reconnaissance.

DTIC Science & Technology

Progress is reported on three tasks designed to develop remote sensing beach reconnaissance techniques applicable to the benthic, beach intertidal...and beach upland zones. Task 1 is designed to develop remote sensing indicators of important beach composition and physical parameters which will...ultimately prove useful in models to predict beach conditions. Task 2 is designed to develop remote sensing techniques for survey of bottom features in

Monitoring Crop Phenology and Growth Stages from Space: Opportunities and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, F.; Anderson, M. C.; Mladenova, I. E.; Kustas, W. P.; Alfieri, J. G.

2014-12-01

Crop growth stages in concert with weather and soil moisture conditions can have a significant impact on crop yields. In the U.S., crop growth stages and conditions are reported by farmers at the county level. These reports are somewhat subjective and fluctuate between different reporters, locations and times. Remote sensing data provide an alternative approach to monitoring crop growth over large areas in a more consistent and quantitative way. In the recent years, remote sensing data have been used to detect vegetation phenology at 1-km spatial resolution globally. However, agricultural applications at field scale require finer spatial resolution remote sensing data. Landsat (30-m) data have been successfully used for agricultural applications. There are many medium resolution sensors available today or in near future. These include Landsat, SPOT, RapidEye, ASTER and future Sentinel-2 etc. Approaches have been developed in the past several years to integrate remote sensing data from different sensors which may have different sensor characteristics, and spatial and temporal resolutions. This allows us opportunities today to map crop growth stages and conditions using dense time-series remote sensing at field scales. However, remotely sensed phenology (or phenological metrics) is normally derived based on the mathematical functions of the time-series data. The phenological metrics are determined by either identifying inflection (curvature) points or some pre-defined thresholds in the remote sensing phenology algorithms. Furthermore, physiological crop growth stages may not be directly correlated to the remotely sensed phenology. The relationship between remotely sensed phenology and crop growth stages is likely to vary for specific crop types and varieties, growing stages, conditions and even locations. In this presentation, we will examine the relationship between remotely sensed phenology and crop growth stages using in-situ measurements from Fluxnet sites and crop progress reports from USDA NASS. We will present remote sensing approaches and focus on: 1) integrating multiple sources of remote sensing data; and 2) extracting crop phenology at field scales. An example in the U.S. Corn Belt area will be presented and analyzed. Future directions for mapping crop growth stages will be discussed.

Remote Sensing: A Film Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, David J.

1986-01-01

Reviews the content of 19 films on remote sensing published between 1973 and 1980. Concludes that they are overly simplistic, notably outdated, and generally too optimistic about the potential of remote sensing from space for resource exploration and environmental problem-solving. Provides names and addresses of more current remote sensing…

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.

A mathematical characterization of vegetation effect on microwave remote sensing from the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choe, Y.; Tsang, L.

1983-01-01

In passive microwave remote sensing of the earth, a theoretical model that utilizes the radiative transfer equations was developed to account for the volume scattering effects of the vegetation canopy. Vegetation canopies such as alfalfa, sorghum, and corn are simulated by a layer of ellipsoidal scatterers and cylindrical structures. The ellipsoidal scatterers represent the leaves of vegetation and are randomly positioned and oriented. The orientation of ellipsoids is characterized by a probability density function of Eulerian angles of rotation. The cylindrical structures represent the stalks of vegetation and their radii are assumed to be much smaller than their lengths. The underlying soil is represented by a half-space medium with a homogeneous permittivity and uniform temperature profile. The radiative transfer quations are solved by a numerical method using a Gaussian quadrature formula to compute both the vertical and horizontal polarized brightness temperature as a function of observation angle. The theory was applied to the interpretation of experimental data obtained from sorghum covered fields near College Station, Texas.

Ice Stream Slowdown Will Drive Long-Term Thinning of the Ross Ice Shelf, With or Without Ocean Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Adam J.; Hulbe, Christina L.; Lee, Choon-Ki

2018-01-01

As time series observations of Antarctic change proliferate, it is imperative that mathematical frameworks through which they are understood keep pace. Here we present a new method of interpreting remotely sensed change using spatial statistics and apply it to the specific case of thickness change on the Ross Ice Shelf. First, a numerical model of ice shelf flow is used together with empirical orthogonal function analysis to generate characteristic patterns of response to specific forcings. Because they are continuous and scalable in space and time, the patterns allow short duration observations to be placed in a longer time series context. Second, focusing only on changes that are statistically significant, the synthetic response surfaces are used to extract magnitude and timing of past events from the observational data. Slowdown of Kamb and Whillans Ice Streams is clearly detectable in remotely sensed thickness change. Moreover, those past events will continue to drive thinning into the future.

USGS remote sensing coordination for the 2010 Haiti earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duda, Kenneth A.; Jones, Brenda

2011-01-01

In response to the devastating 12 January 2010, earthquake in Haiti, the US Geological Survey (USGS) provided essential coordinating services for remote sensing activities. Communication was rapidly established between the widely distributed response teams and data providers to define imaging requirements and sensor tasking opportunities. Data acquired from a variety of sources were received and archived by the USGS, and these products were subsequently distributed using the Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS) and other mechanisms. Within six weeks after the earthquake, over 600,000 files representing 54 terabytes of data were provided to the response community. The USGS directly supported a wide variety of groups in their use of these data to characterize post-earthquake conditions and to make comparisons with pre-event imagery. The rapid and continuing response achieved was enabled by existing imaging and ground systems, and skilled personnel adept in all aspects of satellite data acquisition, processing, distribution and analysis. The information derived from image interpretation assisted senior planners and on-site teams to direct assistance where it was most needed.

Integration and Value of Earth Observations Data for Water Management Decision-Making in the Western U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, S. G.; Willardson, T.

2017-12-01

Some exciting new science and tools are under development for water management decision-making in the Western U.S. This session will highlight a number of examples where remotely-sensed observation data has been directly beneficial to water resource stakeholders, and discuss the steps needed between receipt of the data and their delivery as a finished data product or tool. We will explore case studies of how NASA scientists and researchers have worked with together with western state water agencies and other stakeholders as a team, to develop and interpret remotely-sensed data observations, implement easy-to-use software and tools, train team-members on their operation, and transition those tools into the insititution's workflows. The benefits of integrating these tools into stakeholder, agency, and end-user operations can be seen on-the-ground, when water is optimally managed for the decision-maker's objectives. These cases also point to the importance of building relationships and conduits for communication between researchers and their institutional counterparts.

Integration and Value of Earth Observations Data for Water Management Decision-Making in the Western U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, S. G.; Willardson, T.

2016-12-01

Some exciting new science and tools are under development for water management decision-making in the Western U.S. This session will highlight a number of examples where remotely-sensed observation data has been directly beneficial to water resource stakeholders, and discuss the steps needed between receipt of the data and their delivery as a finished data product or tool. We will explore case studies of how NASA scientists and researchers have worked with together with western state water agencies and other stakeholders as a team, to develop and interpret remotely-sensed data observations, implement easy-to-use software and tools, train team-members on their operation, and transition those tools into the insititution's workflows. The benefits of integrating these tools into stakeholder, agency, and end-user operations can be seen on-the-ground, when water is optimally managed for the decision-maker's objectives. These cases also point to the importance of building relationships and conduits for communication between researchers and their institutional counterparts.

Application of remote sensing to selected problems within the state of California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N. (Principal Investigator); Benson, A. S.; Estes, J. E.; Johnson, C.

1981-01-01

Specific case studies undertaken to demonstrate the usefulness of remote sensing technology to resource managers in California are highlighted. Applications discussed include the mapping and quantization of wildland fire fuels in Mendocino and Shasta Counties as well as in the Central Valley; the development of a digital spectral/terrain data set for Colusa County; the Forsythe Planning Experiment to maximize the usefulness of inputs from LANDSAT and geographic information systems to county planning in Mendocino County; the development of a digital data bank for Big Basin State Park in Santa Cruz County; the detection of salinity related cotton canopy reflectance differences in the Central Valley; and the surveying of avocado acreage and that of other fruits and nut crops in Southern California. Special studies include the interpretability of high altitude, large format photography of forested areas for coordinated resource planning using U-2 photographs of the NASA Bucks Lake Forestry test site in the Plumas National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Image processing developments and applications for water quality monitoring and trophic state determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackwell, R. J.

1982-01-01

Remote sensing data analysis of water quality monitoring is evaluated. Data anaysis and image processing techniques are applied to LANDSAT remote sensing data to produce an effective operational tool for lake water quality surveying and monitoring. Digital image processing and analysis techniques were designed, developed, tested, and applied to LANDSAT multispectral scanner (MSS) data and conventional surface acquired data. Utilization of these techniques facilitates the surveying and monitoring of large numbers of lakes in an operational manner. Supervised multispectral classification, when used in conjunction with surface acquired water quality indicators, is used to characterize water body trophic status. Unsupervised multispectral classification, when interpreted by lake scientists familiar with a specific water body, yields classifications of equal validity with supervised methods and in a more cost effective manner. Image data base technology is used to great advantage in characterizing other contributing effects to water quality. These effects include drainage basin configuration, terrain slope, soil, precipitation and land cover characteristics.

Searching for patterns in remote sensing image databases using neural networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paola, Justin D.; Schowengerdt, Robert A.

1995-01-01

We have investigated a method, based on a successful neural network multispectral image classification system, of searching for single patterns in remote sensing databases. While defining the pattern to search for and the feature to be used for that search (spectral, spatial, temporal, etc.) is challenging, a more difficult task is selecting competing patterns to train against the desired pattern. Schemes for competing pattern selection, including random selection and human interpreted selection, are discussed in the context of an example detection of dense urban areas in Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery. When applying the search to multiple images, a simple normalization method can alleviate the problem of inconsistent image calibration. Another potential problem, that of highly compressed data, was found to have a minimal effect on the ability to detect the desired pattern. The neural network algorithm has been implemented using the PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) library and nearly-optimal speedups have been obtained that help alleviate the long process of searching through imagery.

Study on Karst Information Identification of Qiandongnan Prefecture Based on RS and GIS Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, M.; Zhou, G.; Wang, W.; Wu, Z.; Huang, Y.; Huang, X.

2018-04-01

Karst area is a pure natural resource base, at the same time, due to the special geological environment; there are droughts and floods alternating with frequent karst collapse, rocky desertification and other resource and environment problems, which seriously restrict the sustainable economic and social development in karst areas. Therefore, this paper identifies and studies the karst, and clarifies the distribution of karst. Provide basic data for the rational development of resources in the karst region and the governance of desertification. Due to the uniqueness of the karst landscape, it can't be directly recognized and extracted by computer in remote sensing images. Therefore, this paper uses the idea of "RS + DEM" to solve the above problems. this article is based on Landsat-5 TM imagery in 2010 and DEM data, proposes the methods to identify karst information research what is use of slope vector diagram, vegetation distribution map, distribution map of karst rocky desertification and other auxiliary data in combination with the signs for human-computer interaction interpretation, identification and extraction of peak forest, peaks cluster and isolated peaks, and further extraction of karst depression. Experiments show that this method achieves the "RS + DEM" mode through the reasonable combination of remote sensing images and DEM data. It not only effectively extracts karst areas covered with vegetation, but also quickly and accurately locks down the karst area and greatly improves the efficiency and precision of visual interpretation. The accurate interpretation rate of karst information in study area in this paper is 86.73 %.

Educational activities of remote sensing archaeology (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Agapiou, Athos; Lysandrou, Vasilki; Themistocleous, Kyriacos; Cuca, Branka; Nisantzi, Argyro; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Krauss, Thomas; Cerra, Daniele; Gessner, Ursula; Schreier, Gunter

2016-10-01

Remote sensing science is increasingly being used to support archaeological and cultural heritage research in various ways. Satellite sensors either passive or active are currently used in a systematic basis to detect buried archaeological remains and to systematic monitor tangible heritage. In addition, airborne and low altitude systems are being used for documentation purposes. Ground surveys using remote sensing tools such as spectroradiometers and ground penetrating radars can detect variations of vegetation and soil respectively, which are linked to the presence of underground archaeological features. Education activities and training of remote sensing archaeology to young people is characterized of highly importance. Specific remote sensing tools relevant for archaeological research can be developed including web tools, small libraries, interactive learning games etc. These tools can be then combined and aligned with archaeology and cultural heritage. This can be achieved by presenting historical and pre-historical records, excavated sites or even artifacts under a "remote sensing" approach. Using such non-form educational approach, the students can be involved, ask, read, and seek to learn more about remote sensing and of course to learn about history. The paper aims to present a modern didactical concept and some examples of practical implementation of remote sensing archaeology in secondary schools in Cyprus. The idea was built upon an ongoing project (ATHENA) focused on the sue of remote sensing for archaeological research in Cyprus. Through H2020 ATHENA project, the Remote Sensing Science and Geo-Environment Research Laboratory at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), with the support of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) aims to enhance its performance in all these new technologies.

Remote Sensing and the Earth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brosius, Craig A.; And Others

This document is designed to help senior high school students study remote sensing technology and techniques in relation to the environmental sciences. It discusses the acquisition, analysis, and use of ecological remote data. Material is divided into three sections and an appendix. Section One is an overview of the basics of remote sensing.…

Microwave remote sensing of snowpack properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Topic concerning remote sensing capabilities for providing reliable snow cover data and measurement of snow water equivalents are discussed. Specific remote sensing technqiues discussed include those in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

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.

Object-oriented recognition of high-resolution remote sensing image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongyan; Li, Haitao; Chen, Hong; Xu, Yuannan

2016-01-01

With the development of remote sensing imaging technology and the improvement of multi-source image's resolution in satellite visible light, multi-spectral and hyper spectral , the high resolution remote sensing image has been widely used in various fields, for example military field, surveying and mapping, geophysical prospecting, environment and so forth. In remote sensing image, the segmentation of ground targets, feature extraction and the technology of automatic recognition are the hotspot and difficulty in the research of modern information technology. This paper also presents an object-oriented remote sensing image scene classification method. The method is consist of vehicles typical objects classification generation, nonparametric density estimation theory, mean shift segmentation theory, multi-scale corner detection algorithm, local shape matching algorithm based on template. Remote sensing vehicles image classification software system is designed and implemented to meet the requirements .

SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING IN THE POLAR REGIONS

DTIC Science & Technology

The Arctic Institute of North America long has been interested in encouraging full and specific attention to applications of remote sensing to polar...research problems. The major purpose of the symposium was to acquaint scientists and technicians concerned with remote sensing with some of the...special problems of the polar areas and, in turn, to acquaint polar scientists with the potential of the use of remote sensing . The Symposium therefore was

REMOTE SENSING IN OCEANOGRAPHY.

DTIC Science & Technology

remote sensing from satellites. Sensing of oceanographic variables from aircraft began with the photographing of waves and ice. Since then remote measurement of sea surface temperatures and wave heights have become routine. Sensors tested for oceanographic applications include multi-band color cameras, radar scatterometers, infrared spectrometers and scanners, passive microwave radiometers, and radar imagers. Remote sensing has found its greatest application in providing rapid coverage of large oceanographic areas for synoptic and analysis and

Methods of Determining Playa Surface Conditions Using Remote Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-08

NO. 11. TITLE (include Security Classification) METHODS OF DETERMINING PLAYA SURFACE CONDITIONS USING REMOTE SENSING 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) J. PONDER...PLAYA SURFACE CONDITIONS USING REMOTE SENSING J. Ponder Henley U. S. Army Engineer Topographic Laboratories Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060-5546 "ABSTRACT...geochemistry, hydrology and remote sensing but all of these are important to the understanding of these unique geomorphic features. There is a large body

Needs Assessment for the Use of NASA Remote Sensing Data in the Development and Implementation of Estuarine and Coastal Water Quality Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiering, Bruce; Underwood, Lauren; Ellis, Chris; Lehrter, John; Hagy, Jim; Schaeffer, Blake

2010-01-01

The goals of the project are to provide information from satellite remote sensing to support numeric nutrient criteria development and to determine data processing methods and data quality requirements to support nutrient criteria development and implementation. The approach is to identify water quality indicators that are used by decision makers to assess water quality and that are related to optical properties of the water; to develop remotely sensed data products based on algorithms relating remote sensing imagery to field-based observations of indicator values; to develop methods to assess estuarine water quality, including trends, spatial and temporal variability, and seasonality; and to develop tools to assist in the development and implementation of estuarine and coastal nutrient criteria. Additional slides present process, criteria development, typical data sources and analyses for criteria process, the power of remote sensing data for the process, examples from Pensacola Bay, spatial and temporal variability, pixel matchups, remote sensing validation, remote sensing in coastal waters, requirements for remotely sensed data products, and needs assessment. An additional presentation examines group engagement and information collection. Topics include needs assessment purpose and objectives, understanding water quality decision making, determining information requirements, and next steps.

Commercial use of remote sensing in agriculture: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnauck, Gary E.

1999-12-01

Over 25 years of research have clearly shown that an analysis of remote sensing imagery can provide information on agricultural crops. Most of this research has been funded by and directed toward the needs of government agencies. Commercial use of agricultural remote sensing has been limited to very small-scale operations supplying remote sensing services to a few selected customers. Datron/Transco Inc. undertook an internally funded remote sensing program directed toward the California cash crop industry (strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, other fresh vegetables and cotton). The objectives of this program were twofold: (1) to assess the need and readiness of agricultural land managers to adopt remote sensing as a management tool, and (2) determine what technical barriers exist to large-scale implementation of this technology on a commercial basis. The program was divided into three phases: Planning, Engineering Test and Evaluation, and Commercial Operations. Findings: Remote sensing technology can deliver high resolution multispectral imagery with rapid turnaround, that can provide information on crop stress insects, disease and various soil parameters. The limiting factors to the use of remote sensing in agriculture are a lack of familiarization by the land managers, difficulty in translating 'information' into increased revenue or reduced cost for the land manager, and the large economies of scale needed to make the venture commercially viable.

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and...

Advanced Remote Sensing Research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slonecker, Terrence; Jones, John W.; Price, Susan D.; Hogan, Dianna

2008-01-01

'Remote sensing' is a generic term for monitoring techniques that collect information without being in physical contact with the object of study. Overhead imagery from aircraft and satellite sensors provides the most common form of remotely sensed data and records the interaction of electromagnetic energy (usually visible light) with matter, such as the Earth's surface. Remotely sensed data are fundamental to geographic science. The Eastern Geographic Science Center (EGSC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently conducting and promoting the research and development of three different aspects of remote sensing science: spectral analysis, automated orthorectification of historical imagery, and long wave infrared (LWIR) polarimetric imagery (PI).

Remote sensing in the coastal and marine environment. Proceedings of the US North Atlantic Regional Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaitzeff, J. B. (Editor); Cornillon, P. (Editor); Aubrey, D. A. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Presentations were grouped in the following categories: (1) a technical orientation of Earth resources remote sensing including data sources and processing; (2) a review of the present status of remote sensing technology applicable to the coastal and marine environment; (3) a description of data and information needs of selected coastal and marine activities; and (4) an outline of plans for marine monitoring systems for the east coast and a concept for an east coast remote sensing facility. Also discussed were user needs and remote sensing potentials in the areas of coastal processes and management, commercial and recreational fisheries, and marine physical processes.

Remote sensing of Earth terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, J. A.

1992-01-01

Research findings are summarized for projects dealing with the following: application of theoretical models to active and passive remote sensing of saline ice; radiative transfer theory for polarimetric remote sensing of pine forest; scattering of electromagnetic waves from a dense medium consisting of correlated Mie scatterers with size distribution and applications to dry snow; variance of phase fluctuations of waves propagating through a random medium; theoretical modeling for passive microwave remote sensing of earth terrain; polarimetric signatures of a canopy of dielectric cylinders based on first and second order vector radiative transfer theory; branching model for vegetation; polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces; composite volume and surface scattering model; and radar image classification.

Brazil's remote sensing activities in the Eighties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raupp, M. A.; Pereiradacunha, R.; Novaes, R. A.

1985-01-01

Most of the remote sensing activities in Brazil have been conducted by the Institute for Space Research (INPE). This report describes briefly INPE's activities in remote sensing in the last years. INPE has been engaged in research (e.g., radiance studies), development (e.g., CCD-scanners, image processing devices) and applications (e.g., crop survey, land use, mineral resources, etc.) of remote sensing. INPE is also responsible for the operation (data reception and processing) of the LANDSATs and meteorological satellites. Data acquisition activities include the development of CCD-Camera to be deployed on board the space shuttle and the construction of a remote sensing satellite.

Application of remote sensing to state and regional problems. [for Mississippi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. F.; Bouchillon, C. W.; Harris, J. C.; Carter, B.; Whisler, F. D.; Robinette, R.

1974-01-01

The primary purpose of the remote sensing applications program is for various members of the university community to participate in activities that improve the effective communication between the scientific community engaged in remote sensing research and development and the potential users of modern remote sensing technology. Activities of this program are assisting the State of Mississippi in recognizing and solving its environmental, resource and socio-economic problems through inventory, analysis, and monitoring by appropriate remote sensing systems. Objectives, accomplishments, and current status of the following individual projects are reported: (1) bark beetle project; (2) state park location planning; and (3) waste source location and stream channel geometry monitoring.

Physics teaching by infrared remote sensing of vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schüttler, Tobias; Maman, Shimrit; Girwidz, Raimund

2018-05-01

Context- and project-based teaching has proven to foster different affective and cognitive aspects of learning. As a versatile and multidisciplinary scientific research area with diverse applications for everyday life, satellite remote sensing is an interesting context for physics education. In this paper we give a brief overview of satellite remote sensing of vegetation and how to obtain your own, individual infrared remote sensing data with affordable converted digital cameras. This novel technique provides the opportunity to conduct individual remote sensing measurement projects with students in their respective environment. The data can be compared to real satellite data and is of sufficient accuracy for educational purposes.

Application of remote sensing to water resources problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, J. L.

1972-01-01

The following conclusions were reached concerning the applications of remote sensing to water resources problems: (1) Remote sensing methods provide the most practical method of obtaining data for many water resources problems; (2) the multi-disciplinary approach is essential to the effective application of remote sensing to water resource problems; (3) there is a correlation between the amount of suspended solids in an effluent discharged into a water body and reflected energy; (4) remote sensing provides for more effective and accurate monitoring, discovery and characterization of the mixing zone of effluent discharged into a receiving water body; and (5) it is possible to differentiate between blue and blue-green algae.

SUPERFUND REMOTE SENSING SUPPORT

EPA Science Inventory

This task provides remote sensing technical support to the Superfund program. Support includes the collection, processing, and analysis of remote sensing data to characterize hazardous waste disposal sites and their history. Image analysis reports, aerial photographs, and assoc...

Remote Sensing and the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brosius, C. A.; Gervin, J. C.; Ragusa, J. M.

1977-01-01

A text book on remote sensing, as part of the earth resources Skylab programs, is presented. The fundamentals of remote sensing and its application to agriculture, land use, geology, water and marine resources, and environmental monitoring are summarized.

Operational Use of Remote Sensing within USDA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bethel, Glenn R.

2007-01-01

A viewgraph presentation of remote sensing imagery within the USDA is shown. USDA Aerial Photography, Digital Sensors, Hurricane imagery, Remote Sensing Sources, Satellites used by Foreign Agricultural Service, Landsat Acquisitions, and Aerial Acquisitions are also shown.

Investigation related to multispectral imaging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nalepka, R. F.; Erickson, J. D.

1974-01-01

A summary of technical progress made during a five year research program directed toward the development of operational information systems based on multispectral sensing and the use of these systems in earth-resource survey applications is presented. Efforts were undertaken during this program to: (1) improve the basic understanding of the many facets of multispectral remote sensing, (2) develop methods for improving the accuracy of information generated by remote sensing systems, (3) improve the efficiency of data processing and information extraction techniques to enhance the cost-effectiveness of remote sensing systems, (4) investigate additional problems having potential remote sensing solutions, and (5) apply the existing and developing technology for specific users and document and transfer that technology to the remote sensing community.

An object-based storage model for distributed remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhanwu; Li, Zhongmin; Zheng, Sheng

2006-10-01

It is very difficult to design an integrated storage solution for distributed remote sensing images to offer high performance network storage services and secure data sharing across platforms using current network storage models such as direct attached storage, network attached storage and storage area network. Object-based storage, as new generation network storage technology emerged recently, separates the data path, the control path and the management path, which solves the bottleneck problem of metadata existed in traditional storage models, and has the characteristics of parallel data access, data sharing across platforms, intelligence of storage devices and security of data access. We use the object-based storage in the storage management of remote sensing images to construct an object-based storage model for distributed remote sensing images. In the storage model, remote sensing images are organized as remote sensing objects stored in the object-based storage devices. According to the storage model, we present the architecture of a distributed remote sensing images application system based on object-based storage, and give some test results about the write performance comparison of traditional network storage model and object-based storage model.

Fuzzy Classification of High Resolution Remote Sensing Scenes Using Visual Attention Features.

PubMed

Li, Linyi; Xu, Tingbao; Chen, Yun

2017-01-01

In recent years the spatial resolutions of remote sensing images have been improved greatly. However, a higher spatial resolution image does not always lead to a better result of automatic scene classification. Visual attention is an important characteristic of the human visual system, which can effectively help to classify remote sensing scenes. In this study, a novel visual attention feature extraction algorithm was proposed, which extracted visual attention features through a multiscale process. And a fuzzy classification method using visual attention features (FC-VAF) was developed to perform high resolution remote sensing scene classification. FC-VAF was evaluated by using remote sensing scenes from widely used high resolution remote sensing images, including IKONOS, QuickBird, and ZY-3 images. FC-VAF achieved more accurate classification results than the others according to the quantitative accuracy evaluation indices. We also discussed the role and impacts of different decomposition levels and different wavelets on the classification accuracy. FC-VAF improves the accuracy of high resolution scene classification and therefore advances the research of digital image analysis and the applications of high resolution remote sensing images.

Fuzzy Classification of High Resolution Remote Sensing Scenes Using Visual Attention Features

PubMed Central

Xu, Tingbao; Chen, Yun

2017-01-01

In recent years the spatial resolutions of remote sensing images have been improved greatly. However, a higher spatial resolution image does not always lead to a better result of automatic scene classification. Visual attention is an important characteristic of the human visual system, which can effectively help to classify remote sensing scenes. In this study, a novel visual attention feature extraction algorithm was proposed, which extracted visual attention features through a multiscale process. And a fuzzy classification method using visual attention features (FC-VAF) was developed to perform high resolution remote sensing scene classification. FC-VAF was evaluated by using remote sensing scenes from widely used high resolution remote sensing images, including IKONOS, QuickBird, and ZY-3 images. FC-VAF achieved more accurate classification results than the others according to the quantitative accuracy evaluation indices. We also discussed the role and impacts of different decomposition levels and different wavelets on the classification accuracy. FC-VAF improves the accuracy of high resolution scene classification and therefore advances the research of digital image analysis and the applications of high resolution remote sensing images. PMID:28761440

A Integrated Service Platform for Remote Sensing Image 3D Interpretation and Draughting based on HTML5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LIU, Yiping; XU, Qing; ZhANG, Heng; LV, Liang; LU, Wanjie; WANG, Dandi

2016-11-01

The purpose of this paper is to solve the problems of the traditional single system for interpretation and draughting such as inconsistent standards, single function, dependence on plug-ins, closed system and low integration level. On the basis of the comprehensive analysis of the target elements composition, map representation and similar system features, a 3D interpretation and draughting integrated service platform for multi-source, multi-scale and multi-resolution geospatial objects is established based on HTML5 and WebGL, which not only integrates object recognition, access, retrieval, three-dimensional display and test evaluation but also achieves collection, transfer, storage, refreshing and maintenance of data about Geospatial Objects and shows value in certain prospects and potential for growth.

A Plane Target Detection Algorithm in Remote Sensing Images based on Deep Learning Network Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuxin, Li; Zhilong, Zhang; Biao, Li

2018-01-01

Plane is an important target category in remote sensing targets and it is of great value to detect the plane targets automatically. As remote imaging technology developing continuously, the resolution of the remote sensing image has been very high and we can get more detailed information for detecting the remote sensing targets automatically. Deep learning network technology is the most advanced technology in image target detection and recognition, which provided great performance improvement in the field of target detection and recognition in the everyday scenes. We combined the technology with the application in the remote sensing target detection and proposed an algorithm with end to end deep network, which can learn from the remote sensing images to detect the targets in the new images automatically and robustly. Our experiments shows that the algorithm can capture the feature information of the plane target and has better performance in target detection with the old methods.

DARLA: Data Assimilation and Remote Sensing for Littoral Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jessup, A.; Holman, R. A.; Chickadel, C.; Elgar, S.; Farquharson, G.; Haller, M. C.; Kurapov, A. L.; Özkan-Haller, H. T.; Raubenheimer, B.; Thomson, J. M.

2012-12-01

DARLA is 5-year collaborative project that couples state-of-the-art remote sensing and in situ measurements with advanced data assimilation (DA) modeling to (a) evaluate and improve remote sensing retrieval algorithms for environmental parameters, (b) determine the extent to which remote sensing data can be used in place of in situ data in models, and (c) infer bathymetry for littoral environments by combining remotely-sensed parameters and data assimilation models. The project uses microwave, electro-optical, and infrared techniques to characterize the littoral ocean with a focus on wave and current parameters required for DA modeling. In conjunction with the RIVET (River and Inlets) Project, extensive in situ measurements provide ground truth for both the remote sensing retrieval algorithms and the DA modeling. Our goal is to use remote sensing to constrain data assimilation models of wave and circulation dynamics in a tidal inlet and surrounding beaches. We seek to improve environmental parameter estimation via remote sensing fusion, determine the success of using remote sensing data to drive DA models, and produce a dynamically consistent representation of the wave, circulation, and bathymetry fields in complex environments. The objectives are to test the following three hypotheses: 1. Environmental parameter estimation using remote sensing techniques can be significantly improved by fusion of multiple sensor products. 2. Data assimilation models can be adequately constrained (i.e., forced or guided) with environmental parameters derived from remote sensing measurements. 3. Bathymetry on open beaches, river mouths, and at tidal inlets can be inferred from a combination of remotely-sensed parameters and data assimilation models. Our approach is to conduct a series of field experiments combining remote sensing and in situ measurements to investigate signature physics and to gather data for developing and testing DA models. A preliminary experiment conducted at the Field Research Facility at Duck, NC in September 2010 focused on assimilation of tower-based electo-optical, infrared, and radar measurements in predictions of longshore currents. Here we provide an overview of our contribution to the RIVET I experiment at New River Inlet, NC in May 2012. During the course of the 3-week measurement period, continuous tower-based remote sensing measurements were made using electro-optical, infrared, and radar techniques covering the nearshore zone and the inlet mouth. A total of 50 hours of airborne measurements were made using high-resolution infrared imagers and a customized along track interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ATI SAR). The airborne IR imagery provides kilometer-scale mapping of frontal features that evolve as the inlet flow interacts with the oceanic wave and current fields. The ATI SAR provides maps of the two-dimensional surface currents. Near-surface measurements of turbulent velocities and surface waves using SWIFT drifters, designed to measures near-surface properties relevant to remote sensing, complimented the extensive in situ measurements by RIVET investigators.

Towards Automated Analysis of Urban Infrastructure after Natural Disasters using Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Axel, Colin

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, are an unpreventable component of the complex and changing environment we live in. Continued research and advancement in disaster mitigation through prediction of and preparation for impacts have undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented significant amounts of damage, but it is inevitable that some events will cause destruction and loss of life due to their sheer magnitude and proximity to built-up areas. Consequently, development of effective and efficient disaster response methodologies is a research topic of great interest. A successful emergency response is dependent on a comprehensive understanding of the scenario at hand. It is crucial to assess the state of the infrastructure and transportation network, so that resources can be allocated efficiently. Obstructions to the roadways are one of the biggest inhibitors to effective emergency response. To this end, airborne and satellite remote sensing platforms have been used extensively to collect overhead imagery and other types of data in the event of a natural disaster. The ability of these platforms to rapidly probe large areas is ideal in a situation where a timely response could result in saving lives. Typically, imagery is delivered to emergency management officials who then visually inspect it to determine where roads are obstructed and buildings have collapsed. Manual interpretation of imagery is a slow process and is limited by the quality of the imagery and what the human eye can perceive. In order to overcome the time and resource limitations of manual interpretation, this dissertation inves- tigated the feasibility of performing fully automated post-disaster analysis of roadways and buildings using airborne remote sensing data. First, a novel algorithm for detecting roadway debris piles from airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) point clouds and estimating their volumes is presented. Next, a method for detecting roadway flooding in aerial imagery and estimating the depth of the water using digital elevation models (DEMs) is introduced. Finally, a technique for assessing building damage from airborne lidar point clouds is presented. All three methods are demonstrated using remotely sensed data that were collected in the wake of recent natural disasters. The research presented in this dissertation builds a case for the use of automatic, algorithmic analysis of road networks and buildings after a disaster. By reducing the latency between the disaster and the delivery of damage maps needed to make executive decisions about resource allocation and performing search and rescue missions, significant loss reductions could be achieved.

Modelling Biophysical Parameters of Maize Using Landsat 8 Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahms, Thorsten; Seissiger, Sylvia; Conrad, Christopher; Borg, Erik

2016-06-01

Open and free access to multi-frequent high-resolution data (e.g. Sentinel - 2) will fortify agricultural applications based on satellite data. The temporal and spatial resolution of these remote sensing datasets directly affects the applicability of remote sensing methods, for instance a robust retrieving of biophysical parameters over the entire growing season with very high geometric resolution. In this study we use machine learning methods to predict biophysical parameters, namely the fraction of absorbed photosynthetic radiation (FPAR), the leaf area index (LAI) and the chlorophyll content, from high resolution remote sensing. 30 Landsat 8 OLI scenes were available in our study region in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. In-situ data were weekly to bi-weekly collected on 18 maize plots throughout the summer season 2015. The study aims at an optimized prediction of biophysical parameters and the identification of the best explaining spectral bands and vegetation indices. For this purpose, we used the entire in-situ dataset from 24.03.2015 to 15.10.2015. Random forest and conditional inference forests were used because of their explicit strong exploratory and predictive character. Variable importance measures allowed for analysing the relation between the biophysical parameters with respect to the spectral response, and the performance of the two approaches over the plant stock evolvement. Classical random forest regression outreached the performance of conditional inference forests, in particular when modelling the biophysical parameters over the entire growing period. For example, modelling biophysical parameters of maize for the entire vegetation period using random forests yielded: FPAR: R² = 0.85; RMSE = 0.11; LAI: R² = 0.64; RMSE = 0.9 and chlorophyll content (SPAD): R² = 0.80; RMSE=4.9. Our results demonstrate the great potential in using machine-learning methods for the interpretation of long-term multi-frequent remote sensing datasets to model biophysical parameters.

Role of remote sensing in the evaluation of anthropogenic activity and its effect on environment and human econonomic development: an Indian example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perni, Venkateswarlu

In the scenario of a exponential growth of world population, changes in land use and evaluating the domestication and rearing of aquatic animals and plants; Remote Sensing has the role of an emerging discipline and provides essential tools of trade to the environmental scientist. Ecologically sustainable development of the aqua resources requires that management and use as compatible with the attributes of exploited resources. Aquaculture plays a crucial role in the development of fishing industry and contributes in rural development, increased foreign reserves besides replenishment of important aquatic species. The synoptivity, repititivity and multi spectral vision are the significant edges of Remote Sensing over conventional practices in the application domain. The present study aimed at mapping and monitoring of damages to the ecologically sensitive land farms like mangroves, sand deserts, wetlands, marshy areas etc., due to the development of aquaculture ponds and to analyze and understand the impact of pond aquaculture on water course, ground water quality, drinking water source etc. Indian Remote Sensing satellite:1D - Liss-III + PAN sensors merged data of two seasons is used to carry out change detection studies of mangroves, lakes/lagoons and coastal wetlands. To generate microscopic information of Machilipatnam and to monitor the water circulation in creeks the very high resolution IKONOS Panchromatic data is used. Geometrically rectified digital base map covering the study area is prepared on 1:63,630 scale. Satellite data of Land Sat TM, IRS Liss - II, Liss - III and PAN were used. Satellite data geometrically rectified with reference to base map using standard image-to-image tie up procedure besides necessary enhancement techniques for better interpretation. The economic impact of aquaculture is critically analyzed considering certain statistics and the resultant affects are presented. Tropical brackish water and saltwater aquaculture have contributed to the destruction of Mangrove Forests, Wetlands and Salt Marshes, because they have been cleared for use as ponds. It is observed that around 60

A remote sensing and GIS-enabled asset management system (RS-GAMS).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

Under U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Commercial Remote Sensing and : Spatial Information (CRS&SI) Technology Initiative 2 of the Transportation : Infrastructure Construction and Condition Assessment, an intelligent Remote Sensing and : GIS-b...

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 sensing utility in a disaster struck urban environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, M.; Holguin, A.; Vernon, S.

1974-01-01

A project to determine the ways in which remote sensing can contribute to solutions of urban public health problems in time of natural disaster is discussed. The objectives of the project are to determine and describe remote sensing standard operating procedures for public health assistance during disaster relief operations which will aid the agencies and organizations involved in disaster intervention. Proposed tests to determine the validity of the remote sensing system are reported.

Removal of Surface-Reflected Light for the Measurement of Remote-Sensing Reflectance from an Above-Surface Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-06

raw data). To remove surface-reflected light in field measurements of remote sensing reflectance, a spectral optimization approach was applied, with...results compared with those from remote - sensing models and from direct measurements. The agreement from different determinations suggests that...reasonable results for remote sensing reflectance of clear blue water to turbid brown water are obtainable from above-surface measurements, even under conditions of high waves.

Bibliography of Remote Sensing Techniques Used in Wetland Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

8217 is investigating the application of remote sensing technology for detecting changes in wetland environments. This report documents a bibliographic...search conducted as part of that work unit on applications of remote sensing techniques in wetland research. Results were used to guide research...efforts on the use of remote sensing technology for wetland change detection and assessment. The citations are presented in three appendixes, organized by wetland type, sensor type, and author.

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.

Strategies for using remotely sensed data in hydrologic models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peck, E. L.; Keefer, T. N.; Johnson, E. R. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

Present and planned remote sensing capabilities were evaluated. The usefulness of six remote sensing capabilities (soil moisture, land cover, impervious area, areal extent of snow cover, areal extent of frozen ground, and water equivalent of the snow cover) with seven hydrologic models (API, CREAMS, NWSRFS, STORM, STANFORD, SSARR, and NWSRFS Snowmelt) were reviewed. The results indicate remote sensing information has only limited value for use with the hydrologic models in their present form. With minor modifications to the models the usefulness would be enhanced. Specific recommendations are made for incorporating snow covered area measurements in the NWSRFS Snowmelt model. Recommendations are also made for incorporating soil moisture measurements in NWSRFS. Suggestions are made for incorporating snow covered area, soil moisture, and others in STORM and SSARR. General characteristics of a hydrologic model needed to make maximum use of remotely sensed data are discussed. Suggested goals for improvements in remote sensing for use in models are also established.

A preliminary study of the statistical analyses and sampling strategies associated with the integration of remote sensing capabilities into the current agricultural crop forecasting system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sand, F.; Christie, R.

1975-01-01

Extending the crop survey application of remote sensing from small experimental regions to state and national levels requires that a sample of agricultural fields be chosen for remote sensing of crop acreage, and that a statistical estimate be formulated with measurable characteristics. The critical requirements for the success of the application are reviewed in this report. The problem of sampling in the presence of cloud cover is discussed. Integration of remotely sensed information about crops into current agricultural crop forecasting systems is treated on the basis of the USDA multiple frame survey concepts, with an assumed addition of a new frame derived from remote sensing. Evolution of a crop forecasting system which utilizes LANDSAT and future remote sensing systems is projected for the 1975-1990 time frame.