Engineering topics

Thormodsgard, J. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Thormodsgard, J. M..

3 records

NASA NTRS1985

Geodetic Accuracy of LANDSAT 4 Multispectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper Data

Conclusive statements concerning the geodetic accuracy of LANDSAT 4 data, based on such a small sampling of scenes, is impossible. However, the results provide a few interesting observations. For example, LANDSAT 4 multispectral band scanner (MSS) system corrected errors were larger than were expected based on the knowledge of the geometric accuracy of the data from LANDSAT 2 and 3. Also, the thematic mapper (TM) system corrected scenes were more accurate than the MSS scenes by a factor of three. As the spacecraft platform for these two sensors is the same, this result cannot be explained, but a comparison of concurrently acquired MSS and TM data might clarify this situation. Finally, the single MSS ground control point (GCP) corrected product evaluated had good geodetic accuracy considering the poor distribution of the two GCP's applied in the registration.

Thormodsgard, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Geodetic Accuracy of LANDSAT-4 Multispectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper Data

The geodetic accuracy of an MSS or TM scene is assessed using a minicomputer and appropriate software, a digitizer, and an image display device. The calculated image location of a selected feature is compared with the actual image location obtained though visual inspection of the image on the display. Measurements of 15 to 20 features evenly distributed throughout the image provide an estimate of the geodetic accuracy of the scene. Tests of two system-corrected MSS scenes measured geodetic registration root-mean-square (RMS) errors of approximately 3,200 m or 57 pixels. Tests of two TM system-corrected scenes measured RMS errors of approximately 1,250 and 1,000 m, or 44 and 35 pixels, respectively. All errors were primarily translational, implying good internal scene registration of both MSS and TM data. The one MSS GCP-corrected scene which was evaluated had an RMS error of approximately 325 m or 6 pixels.

Thormodsgard, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Skylab altimeter observations over terrain

The author has identified the following significant results. Data obtained by Skylab radar altimeter (S193) over the continental U.S.A. for pass 1 of SL-3 were analyzed to relate radar return signal parameters such as range, power, and waveform to ground track terrain features. The altimeter, which was originally designed for ocean observations, performed predictably well over terrain with moderate to low relief. The maximum return from more complex areas corresponded usually to the lower flatter regions within the seven kilometer diameter footprint. Altimeter measured heights correlated with map topography with an rms deviation of + or - 30 m for terrain topography with large height dispersion (passes 1 and 28) and + or - 5 m for slowly varying terrain (passes 16, 17, and 18). Analysis of the waveform and statistical characteristics of the individual signals indicated that larger signal power was usually related to dominantly specular reflections from patches 100 m or larger. Results established the capability of a spacecraft altimeter system to observe characteristic radar signatures for different types of terrain within the bandwidth restrictions of the AGC and range tracker loops.

Shapiro, A.↗