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Kiefer, R. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Kiefer, R. W..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Wetland mapping from digitized aerial photography

Computer assisted interpretation of small scale aerial imagery was found to be a cost effective and accurate method of mapping complex vegetation patterns if high resolution information is desired. This type of technique is suited for problems such as monitoring changes in species composition due to environmental factors and is a feasible method of monitoring and mapping large areas of wetlands. The technique has the added advantage of being in a computer compatible form which can be transformed into any georeference system of interest.

Scarpace, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Remote sensing programs and courses in engineering and water resources

The content of typical basic and advanced remote sensing and image interpretation courses are described and typical remote sensing graduate programs of study in civil engineering and in interdisciplinary environmental remote sensing and water resources management programs are outlined. Ideally, graduate programs with an emphasis on remote sensing and image interpretation should be built around a core of five courses: (1) a basic course in fundamentals of remote sensing upon which the more specialized advanced remote sensing courses can build; (2) a course dealing with visual image interpretation; (3) a course dealing with quantitative (computer-based) image interpretation; (4) a basic photogrammetry course; and (5) a basic surveying course. These five courses comprise up to one-half of the course work required for the M.S. degree. The nature of other course work and thesis requirements vary greatly, depending on the department in which the degree is being awarded.

Kiefer, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Airphoto analysis of erosion control practices

The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is a widely accepted tool for erosion prediction and conservation planning. In this study, airphoto analysis of color and color infrared 70 mm photography at a scale of 1:60,000 was used to determine the erosion control practice factor in the USLE. Information about contour tillage, contour strip cropping, and grass waterways was obtained from aerial photography for Pheasant Branch Creek watershed in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Morgan, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Application of remote sensing to estimating soil erosion potential

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.

Morris-Jones, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Cropping management using color and color infrared aerial photographs

The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is a widely accepted tool for erosion prediction and conservation planning. Solving this equation yields the long-term average annual soil loss that can be expected from rill and inter-rill erosion. In this study, manual interpretation of color and color infrared 70 mm photography at the scale of 1:60,000 is used to determine the cropping management factor in the USLE. Accurate information was collected about plowing practices and crop residue cover (unharvested vegetation) for the winter season on agricultural land in Pheasant Branch Creek watershed in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Morgan, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Remote sensing as a tool for estimating soil erosion potential

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.

Morris-Jones, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

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

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.

Morris-Jones, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Remote sensing and image interpretation

A textbook prepared primarily for use in introductory courses in remote sensing is presented. Topics covered include concepts and foundations of remote sensing; elements of photographic systems; introduction to airphoto interpretation; airphoto interpretation for terrain evaluation; photogrammetry; radiometric characteristics of aerial photographs; aerial thermography; multispectral scanning and spectral pattern recognition; microwave sensing; and remote sensing from space.

Lillesand, T. M.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A statistical analysis of data extraction for land cover information from high-altitude and satellite images

Land cover information from a 10 by 30 km test site in eastern Wisconsin extracted using 70 mm positive LANDSAT transparencies in an additive color viewer at a scale of 1:500,000 was compared with land cover information extracted using LANDSAT 9 x 9 inch positive transparencies at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Color infrared photography (NASA RB-57) at a scale of 1:60,000 provided ground truth for each land cover type. Interpretations were made for four land cover classes: 1) forest-brushland; (2) structures-barren land; (3) surface water; and (4) agricultural-open land. Statistical comparisons showed that neither method for the extraction of this data was clearly superior.

Kiefer, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Evaluation of the application of ERTS-1 data to the regional land use planning process

The author has identified the following significant results. Employing simple and economical extraction methods, ERTS can provide valuable data to the planners at the state or regional level with a frequency never before possible. Interactive computer methods of working directly with ERTS digital information show much promise for providing land use information at a more specific level, since the data format production rate of ERTS justifies improved methods of analysis.

Clapp, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The application of ERTS-1 data to the land use planning process

Land resource data has been extracted on a percent of cell basis from ERTS imagery, RB-57 color infrared imagery and best available conventional sources for a 10,000 square kilometer test area in eastern Wisconsin. First, the data from the three sources is compared on a spatial basis for a 300 square kilometer portion of the test area. For those land resource variables associated with cover, ERTS derived resource data compared favorably with both the RB-57 and conventional data. Second, the effect of the data source on land use decisions is examined. Three interstate highway corridors are located through the same region based upon data extracted from each of the three sources. A policy of preserving natural environmental systems was used as a basis for the corridors selection in each case. The resulting three corridors compare favorably.

Clapp, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The use of ERTS-1 data for the inventory of critical land resources for regional land use planning

Computer-generated spatial and statistical comparisons of critical land resource data derived from conventional sources, RB-57 photographs, and ERTS images, for an eastern Wisconsin test site, suggest that certain critical land resource data can be mapped from ERTS images on a statewide basis. This paper presents one of the biotic resources, wetlands, as an example of the use of ERTS imagery to inventory land resources.

Clapp, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Interdisciplinary research on the application of ERTS-1 data to the regional land use planning process.

Although the degree to which ERTS-1 imagery can satisfy regional land use planning data needs is not yet known, it appears to offer means by which the data acquisition process can be immeasurably improved. This paper documents the initial experiences of an interdisciplinary group attempting to formulate ways of analyzing the effectiveness of ERTS-1 imagery as a base for environmental monitoring and the resolution of regional land allocation problems. Because of the need to describe and depict regional resource complexity in an interrelatable state, certain resources within the geographical regions have been inventoried and stored in a two-dimensional computer-based map form. Computer oriented processes were developed to provide for the economical storage, analysis and spatial display of natural and cultural data for regional land use planning purposes. Statistical programs have been developed that correlate interpreted data with stored data, both spatially and numerically.

Clapp, J. L.↗