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At least 199 records · Page 11

A statistical technique for determining rainfall over land employing Nimbus 6 ESMR measurements

Statistical analysis of the Nimbus 6 ESMR measurements for remote monitoring of active rainfall data over land is presented. Horizontally and vertically polarized brightness temperature pairs from ESMR 6 were sampled for areas of rainfall over land as determined from the rain recording stations and the WSR 57 radar, and wet and dry ground over the southeastern U.S. These three categories of brightness temperatures were significantly different so that the possibilities of the mean vectors of any two populations coinciding were less than 1 in 100, so that classification algorithms were then developed. The Fisher linear classifier, the Bayesian quadratic classifier, and a non-parametric linear classifier were examined, and the Bayesian algorithm performed best. It was concluded that a rainfall area delineated by the Bayesian classifier coincided well with the synoptic-scale rainfall area mapped by ground recording rain data and radar echoes.

Rodgers, E.↗

An investigation of vegetation and other Earth resource/feature parameters using LANDSAT and other remote sensing data. 1: LANDSAT. 2: Remote sensing of volcanic emissions

A fanning technique based on a simplistic physical model provided a classification algorithm for mixture landscapes. Results of applications to LANDSAT inventory of 1.5 million acres of forest land in Northern Maine are presented. Signatures for potential deer year habitat in New Hampshire were developed. Volcanic activity was monitored in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala along with the Mt. St. Helens eruption. Emphasis in the monitoring was placed on the remote sensing of SO2 concentrations in the plumes of the volcanoes.

Birnie, R. W.↗

Multispectral data acquisition and classification - Computer modeling for smart sensor design

In this paper a model of the processes involved in multispectral remote sensing and data classification is developed as a tool for designing and evaluating smart sensors. The model has both stochastic and deterministic elements and accounts for solar radiation, atmospheric radiative transfer, surface reflectance, sensor spectral reponses, and classification algorithms. Preliminary results are presented which indicate the validity and usefulness of this approach. Future capabilities of smart sensors will ultimately be limited by the accuracy with which multispectral remote sensing processes and their error sources can be computationally modeled.

Park, S. K.↗

CCD data processor for maximum likelihood feature classification

The paper describes an advanced technology development which utilizes a high speed analog/binary CCD correlator to perform the matrix multiplications necessary to implement onboard feature classification. The matrix manipulation module uses the maximum likelihood classification algorithm assuming a Gaussian probability density function. The module will process 16 element multispectral vectors at rates in excess of 500 thousand multispectral vector elements per second. System design considerations for the optimum use of this module are discussed, test results from initial device fabrication runs are presented, and the performance in typical processing applications is described

Benz, H. F.↗

Vegetation survey in Amazonia using LANDSAT data

Automatic Image-100 analysis of LANDSAT data was performed using the MAXVER classification algorithm. In the pilot area, four vegetation units were mapped automatically in addition to the areas occupied for agricultural activities. The Image-100 classified results together with a soil map and information from RADAR images, permitted the establishment of the final legend with six classes: semi-deciduous tropical forest; low land evergreen tropical forest; secondary vegetation; tropical forest of humid areas, predominant pastureland and flood plains. Two water types were identified based on their sediments indicating different geological and geomorphological aspects.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Low-cost digital image processing on a university mainframe computer

The advantages and limitations of using university mainframe computers in digital image processing instruction are listed. Aspects to be considered when designing software for this purpose include not only two general audience, but also the capabilities of the system regarding the size of the image/subimage, preprocessing and enhancement functions, geometric correction and registration techniques; classification strategy, classification algorithm, multitemporal analysis, and ancilliary data and geographic information systems. The user/software/hardware interaction as well as acquisition and operating costs must also be considered.

Williams, T. H. L.↗

Parallel processing implementations of a contextual classifier for multispectral remote sensing data

Contextual classifiers are being developed as a method to exploit the spatial/spectral context of a pixel to achieve accurate classification. Classification algorithms such as the contextual classifier typically require large amounts of computation time. One way to reduce the execution time of these tasks is through the use of parallelism. The applicability of the CDC flexible processor system and of a proposed multimicroprocessor system (PASM) for implementing contextual classifiers is examined.

Siegel, H. J.↗

Contextual classification of multispectral image data

A general method is presented for exploiting both spatial and spectral information when classifying multispectral image data. This statistical classification algorithm utilizes the tendency of certain ground cover classes to be more likely to occur in some contexts than others. The theoretical model assumes the two-dimensional array of random observations and a 0-1 loss function, a distribution of the p-context array that is spatially invariant, and class-conditional independence for the observations. The problems that prevent the immediate use of this context classifier are the need for a generally applicable method for making adequate estimates of the context distribution and a reduction in the computational intensivity of the classifier. The former problem is being approached by a method that raises the relative frequency value for each class configuration to a power and uses the result as the context distribution estimate. The second is being approached by searching for a less computationally intensive algorithm.

Tilton, J. C.↗

Geology and image processing

Digital image processing for geological applications will be integrated with geographic information systems and data base management systems. While multiband data sets from radar and multispectral scanners will make extreme demands on memory, bus and processor architectures, it is expected that array processors and VLSI/VHSIC dedicated function chips will allow the use of fast Fourier transform and classification algorithms. It is anticipted that, as processor power increases, the weakest link of a processing system will become the analyst who uses it. Human engineering of systems is therefore recommended for the most effective utilization of remotely sensed geologic data.

Daily, M.↗

The effects of seasonal differences in climatic conditions on Landsat spectral signatures and associated land cover classification

Unsupervised classification algorithms are used to analyze Landsat computer-compatible tape data for an area of approximately 840 sq km in central Oklahoma, over the period from June 12 to August 4, 1979. The results obtained show that changes in remotely sensed spectral signatures and land cover classes are associated with a period of transition from moisture availability in late spring to moisture deficit in midsummer, with the latter being marked by greater visible spectrum reflectance and greater near-IR absorption, although each surface cover type has responded differently to the seasonal change in water availability. Consideration of these results has led to the identification of important factors in the use of multidate satellite data in environmental change monitoring. Naturally induced trends in surface albedo introduce noise into studies aimed at identifying anthropogenic land cover change. Specific problems associated with prairie-forest ecotonal areas in the southern Great Plains involve the seasonally induced differences in separability of forest, bush, and grassland cover types.

Harrington, J. A., Jr.↗

Urban land use of the Sao Paulo metropolitan area by automatic analysis of LANDSAT data

The separability of urban land use classes in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo was studied by means of automatic analysis of MSS/LANDSAT digital data. The data were analyzed using the media K and MAXVER classification algorithms. The land use classes obtained were: CBD/vertical growth area, residential area, mixed area, industrial area, embankment area type 1, embankment area type 2, dense vegetation area and sparse vegetation area. The spectral analysis of representative samples of urban land use classes was done using the "Single Cell" analysis option. The classes CBD/vertical growth area, residential area and embankment area type 2 showed better spectral separability when compared to the other classes.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Forest inventory using multistage sampling with probability proportional to size

A multistage sampling technique, with probability proportional to size, for forest volume inventory using remote sensing data is developed and evaluated. The study area is located in the Southeastern Brazil. The LANDSAT 4 digital data of the study area are used in the first stage for automatic classification of reforested areas. Four classes of pine and eucalypt with different tree volumes are classified utilizing a maximum likelihood classification algorithm. Color infrared aerial photographs are utilized in the second stage of sampling. In the third state (ground level) the time volume of each class is determined. The total time volume of each class is expanded through a statistical procedure taking into account all the three stages of sampling. This procedure results in an accurate time volume estimate with a smaller number of aerial photographs and reduced time in field work.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Microwave and optical remote sensing of forest vegetation

The objectives and anticipated results of a study to define the strengths and limitations of microwave (SIR-B) and optical (thematic Mapper) data, singly and in combination, for the purpose of characterizing forest cover types and condition classes are described. Other specific objectives include: (1) the assessment of the effectiveness of a contextual classification algorithm (SECHO); (2) evaluation of the utility of different look angles of SAR data in determining differences in stand density of commercial forests; and (3) the determination of the effectiveness of the L-band HH polarized SIR-B data in differentiating forest-stand densities.

Hoffer, R. M.↗

Information extraction and transmission techniques for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar images

Information extraction and transmission techniques for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery were investigated. Four interrelated problems were addressed. An optimal tonal SAR image classification algorithm was developed and evaluated. A data compression technique was developed for SAR imagery which is simple and provides a 5:1 compression with acceptable image quality. An optimal textural edge detector was developed. Several SAR image enhancement algorithms have been proposed. The effectiveness of each algorithm was compared quantitatively.

Frost, V. S.↗

Impact of Thematic Mapper Sensor Characteristics on Classification Accuracy

A fixed effect, three factor (two levels per factor) analysis of variance was used to quantitatively assess the significance of the improved spectral, spatial and radiometric resolution capabilities of the LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper sensor relative to the familiar MSS sensor. TM data acquired over the Washington, D.C. area were progressively degraded in spectral, spatial and radiometric characteristics to simulate the MSS, and classification accuracies were derived in a consistent manner for all eight treatments in the ANOVA design. Statistical testing of the significance of differences in classification accuracies between treatments indicated that the increased number of spectral bands and the improved quantization capabilities afforded by the TM sensor design would lead to significant improvements in classification accuracies attainable relative to MSS. In contrast, however, the improved spatial resolution provided by the TM sensor did not enhance classification accuracy. This latter result was felt to be more a function of the type of classification algorithms available.

Williams, D. L.↗

Comparison of the MPP with other supercomputers for LANDSAT data processing

The massively parallel processor is compared to the CRAY X-MP and the CYBER-205 for LANDSAT data processing. The maximum likelihood classification algorithm is the basis for comparison since this algorithm is simple to implement and vectorizes very well. The algorithm was implemented on all three machines and tested by classifying the same full scene of LANDSAT multispectral scan data. Timings are compared as well as features of the machines and available software.

Ozga, Martin↗

Summary of along-track data from the Earth radiation budget satellite for several major desert regions

For several days in January and August 1985, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, a component of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE), was operated in an along-track scanning mode. A survey of radiance measurements is given for four desert areas in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Australia, and the Sahel region of Africa. Each overflight provides radiance information for four scene categories: clear, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, and overcast. The data presented include the variation of radiance in each scene classification as a function of viewing zenith angle during each overflight of the five target areas. Several features of interest in the development of anisotropic models are evident, including day-night differences in longwave limb darkening and the azimuthal dependence of short wave radiance. There is some evidence that surface features may introduce thermal or visible shadowing that is not incorporated in the usual descriptions of the anisotropic behavior of radiance as viewed from space. The data also demonstrate that the ERBE scene classification algorithms give results that, at least for desert surfaces, are a function of viewing geometry.

Brooks, David R.↗

Characterizing forest stands with multi-incidence angle and multi-polarized SAR data

The potential for using HH-polarized L-band SAR data obtained at different incidence angles from satellite altitudes to identify and map different forest cover types and stand density classes is studied. Reasonably accurate results are obtained if the speckle characteristics of the data are suppressed by low-pass spatial filters and a contextual classification algorithm. Multipolarized L-band SAR data obtained from aircraft altitudes over the same test site are also analyzed to assess the relationships between polarization and forest stand characteristics. It is found that incidence angle controls, to a very large extent, the characteristics of the data and the type of information that can be obtained from L-band, HH-polarized satellite SAR data. Cross-polarization of L-band SAR data enhances and differentiates various forest stand characteristics which cannot be defined using only the like-polarized data, and vice-versa.

Hoffer, R. M.↗