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NASA aerial photography in the form of color infrared and color positive transparencies is used as an aid for evaluation of the route proposed for relocated Louisiana Highway 1, between LaRose and Golden Meadow, in South Louisiana.
NASA aerial photography in the form of color infrared and color positive transparencies is used as an aid in evaluating the rate and effect of erosion and sediment transport in Bay Champagne Louisiana.
Aerial photography in the form of color infrared and color positive transparencies was used as an aid for evaluation of the route proposed for relocated Louisiana Highway 1, between LaRose and Golden Meadows, in South Louisiana.
The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS imagery in photographic format was used to make land use maps of two areas of special interest to native corporations under terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Land selections are to be made in these areas, and the maps should facilitate decisions because of their comprehensive presentation of resource distribution information. The ERTS images enabled mapping broadly-defined land use classes in large areas in a comparatively short time. Some aerial photography was used to identify colors and shades of gray on the various images. The 14 mapped land use categories are identified according to the classification system under development by the U.S. Geological Survey. These maps exemplify a series of about a dozen diverse Alaskan areas. The principal resource depicted is vegetation, and clearly shown are vegetation units of special importance, including stands possibly containing trees of commercial grade and stands constituting wildlife habitat.
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.
The thematic mapper simulator (TMS) flown by the U-2/ER-2 aircraft is being used as a surrogate for LANDSAT-4TM data. Progress is reported on spectral data acquisition including TMS, color infrared high altitude aerial photography, and LANDSAT 3 MSS and ground data collection to support classification and testing. A test site in San Joaquin County was selected for analysis.
The Apollo 15 metric camera photography provided a number of spectacular views of most of the southern and central portions of the unique systems of major lava flows that stretch diagonally across Mare Imbrium from the general area of Euler Crater to a point east of Le Verrier Crater. A preliminary examination of the photographs indicates that the source of the material comprising the major flows is situated to the west of Euler Crater and south of the limits of the photographic coverage. The photographs also show clearly that most, if not all, the mare ridges included were formed after the solidification of the flows. Few color boundaries exist in the area of metric photography where the illumination angle is low enough to show the fronts of some of the very thin flows. However, patches of redder material lying northeast of Mt. Lahire are found to be enclosed by low flow fronts, confirming the theory that the redder material represents an earlier filling of the Imbrium basin.
Several remote sensors were simultaneously used to collect data over the tidal James River from Hopewell to Norfolk, Virginia. Sensors evaluated included the Multichannel-Ocean Color Sensor, multispectral scanners, and multispectral photography. Ground truth measurements and remotely sensed data are given. Preliminary analysis indicates that suspended sediment and concentrated industrial effluent are observable from all sensors.
Water quality parameters in the San Francisco Bay-delta area using remotely sensed data combined with in situ data are investigated. The parameters included suspended solids, chlorophyll, turbidity, and electrical conductivity; the ocean color scanner (OCS) data were acquired from a NASA U-2 aircraft, and water quality samples were obtained from boats. It was concluded that areas with high biological activity were clearly discernible on enhanced imagery from OCS data, and it was impossible to locate such areas on aerial photography taken with conventional or infrared sensitive color films.
Here we present our recent studies on the color and spectral reflectance changes induced by approximately 0.9 megaelectronvolts proton irradiation of ammonium hydrosulfide, NH4SH, a compound predicted to be an important tropospheric cloud component of Jupiter and other giant planets. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy was used to observe and identify reaction products in the ice sample and digital photography was used to document the corresponding color changes at 10-160 degrees Kelvin. Our experiments clearly show that the resulting color of the sample depends not only on the irradiation dose but also the irradiation temperature. Furthermore, unlike in our most recent studies of irradiation of NH4SH at 120 degrees Kelvin, which showed that higher irradiation doses caused the sample to appear green, the lower temperature studies now show that the sample becomes red after irradiation. However, comparison of these lower temperature spectra over the entire spectral range observed by HST (Hubble Space Telescope) shows that even though the color and spectrum resemble the color and spectrum of the GRS (Jupiter’s Great Red Spot), there is still enough difference to suggest that another component may be needed to adequately fit spectra of the GRS and other red regions of Jupiter's clouds. Regardless, the presence of NH4SH in the atmosphere of Jupiter and other gas giants, combined with this compound's clear alteration via radiolysis, suggests that its contribution to the ultraviolet-visible spectra of any of these object's clouds is significant.
An index of representative photographs is presented. Color transparencies and black and white glossies of major launches, Mariner spacecraft, Pioneer spacecraft, planets and other space phenomena, Skylab, space shuttle, Viking spacecraft, and Voyager spacecraft are included.
Potential applications of remote sensing technology to the study of coastal marine environments are reviewed, emphasizing water quality and biological measurements. Parameters measurable by airborne or spaceborne remote sensors include particulates, measured by visual or multispectral photography, chlorophyll a, measured by the Ocean Color Scanner or Coastal Zone Color Scanner, temperature distributions, by IR or microwave sensors, and salinity, by means of microwave radiometers. Research projects in which wide area synoptic or repetitive remote sensing can make a major contribution include the study of estuarine and continental shelf sediment transport dynamics, marine pollutant transport, marine phytoplankton dynamics and ocean fronts.
Clementine 750 nm and multispectral ratio data, along with Lunar Orbiter and radar data, were used to study the crater Scott in the lunar south polar region. The multispectral data provide evidence for mafic materials, impact melts, anorthositic materials, and a small pyroclastic deposit. High-resolution radar data and Lunar Orbiter photography for this area show differences in color and surface texture that correspond with the locations of the hypothesized mafic and anorthositic areas on the crater floor. This region provides a test case for the upcoming Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Verification of the existence of a mafic deposit at this location is relevant to future lunar resource utilization planning.
Satellite data image products potentially useful in solving Earth resource and environmental problems are described. Sources for satellite data and user information are given. Recommendations for suitability of use of data from each satellite are presented. Satellite sources of Earth resources data are summarized for satellites launched since 1965 and those projected for launch through the late 1980s. The sensors of interest on each satellite, the wavelength or frequency of operation, and the resolution are given. Color ranges are illustrated and compared. The form and utility of aircraft and LANDSAT images are compared. Data from the Gemini-Apollo photography, Skylab, meteorological satellites, the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, the Coastal Zone Color Scanner, Seasat, LANDSAT, and projected future satellites are briefly described.
A fault investigation was performed at the Mars and Uranus antenna sites at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the Mojave desert. The Mars/Uranus Station consists of two large-diameter reflector antennas used for communication and control of deep-space probes and other missions. The investigation included interpretation of Landsat thematic mapper scenes, side-looking airborne radar transparencies, and both color-infrared and black-and-white aerial photography. Four photolineaments suggestive of previously undocumented faults were identified. Three generally discrete morphostratigraphic alluvial-fan deposits were also recognized and dated using geomorphic and soil stratigraphic techniques. Fourteen trenches were excavated across the four lineaments; the trenches show that three of the photolineaments coincide with faults. The last displacement of two of the faults occurred between about 12,000 and 35,000 years ago. The third fault was judged to be older than 12,000 years before present (ybp), although uncertainty remains. None of the surface traces of the three faults crosses under existing antennas or structures; however, their potential activity necessitates appropriate seismic retrofit designs and loss-prevention measures to mitigate potential earthquake damage to facilities and structures.
The purpose of this research was to develop enhancement and multi-sensor fusion algorithms and techniques to make it safer for the pilot to fly in what would normally be considered Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions, where pilot visibility is severely restricted due to fog, haze or other weather phenomenon. We proposed to use the non-linear Multiscale Retinex (MSR) as the basic driver for developing an integrated enhancement and fusion engine. When we started this research, the MSR was being applied primarily to grayscale imagery such as medical images, or to three-band color imagery, such as that produced in consumer photography: it was not, however, being applied to other imagery such as that produced by infrared image sources. However, we felt that it was possible by using the MSR algorithm in conjunction with multiple imaging modalities such as long-wave infrared (LWIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), and visible spectrum (VIS), we could substantially improve over the then state-of-the-art enhancement algorithms, especially in poor visibility conditions. We proposed the following tasks: 1) Investigate the effects of applying the MSR to LWIR and SWIR images. This consisted of optimizing the algorithm in terms of surround scales, and weights for these spectral bands; 2) Fusing the LWIR and SWIR images with the VIS images using the MSR framework to determine the best possible representation of the desired features; 3) Evaluating different mixes of LWIR, SWIR and VIS bands for maximum fog and haze reduction, and low light level compensation; 4) Modifying the existing algorithms to work with video sequences. Over the course of the 3 year research period, we were able to accomplish these tasks and report on them at various internal presentations at NASA Langley Research Center, and in presentations and publications elsewhere. A description of the work performed under the tasks is provided in Section 2. The complete list of relevant publications during the research periods is provided in Section 5. This research also resulted in the generation of intellectual property.
The usefulness of multiband photography in forestry and agricultural applications was evaluated by a large group of skilled photo interpreters within four California test sites. Environmental parameters selected included crop types, forest vegetation types, and tree species composition. Quantitative analyses were made of the interpretability of (1) multiband black and white photos viewed separately, (2) multiband black and white photos combined into true and false color composites, and (3) color and color infrared photos obtained simultaneously with the multiband black and white photography. Tests indicated that multiband photography consistently yielded higher interpretation accuracies than any types of single-band photography. Black and white multiband photos which were properly procured and displayed as false-color composite imagery in all cases rendered as much (or as little) information as conventional tri-emulsion color or infrared color film.
The author has identified the following significant results. Data from an ocean color scanner flown on a U-2 aircraft at 65,000 ft and from LANDSAT MSS were enhanced to identify biologically active areas of San Francisco Bay, and to determine the salinity, turbidity, chlorophylls, and suspended solids. The best fit regression models for mapping water quality parameters were based on bands 3, 5, 7, and 10. Comparision of the results indicate that chlorophyll concentrations can best be estimated by the OCS or MSS data. Salinity can best be estimated by OCS data; turbidity can best be estimated by LANDSAT data. Neither OCS nor MSS data provide reliable basis for estimating suspended solids. Aerial photography of the highest quality taken with either conventional color or infrared-sensitive color films was unable to locate the biologically active areas.