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At least 379 records · Page 21

The use of remote sensing imagery for environmental land use and flood hazard mapping

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.

Mouat, D. A.↗

Measuring Effective Leaf Area Index, Foliage Profile, and Stand Height in New England Forest Stands Using a Full-Waveform Ground-Based Lidar

Effective leaf area index (LAI) retrievals from a scanning, ground-based, near-infrared (1064 nm) lidar that digitizes the full return waveform, the Echidna Validation Instrument (EVI), are in good agreement with those obtained from both hemispherical photography and the Li-Cor LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer. We conducted trials at 28 plots within six stands of hardwoods and conifers of varying height and stocking densities at Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, and Howland Experimental Forest, Maine, in July 2007. Effective LAI values retrieved by four methods, which ranged from 3.42 to 5.25 depending on the site and method, were not significantly different ( b0.1 among four methods). The LAI values also matched published values well. Foliage profiles (leaf area with height) retrieved from the lidar scans, although not independently validated, were consistent with stand structure as observed and as measured by conventional methods. Canopy mean top height, as determined from the foliage profiles, deviated from mean RH100 values obtained from the Lidar Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) airborne large-footprint lidar system at 27 plots by .0.91 m with RMSE=2.04 m, documenting the ability of the EVI to retrieve stand height. The Echidna Validation Instrument is the first realization of the Echidna lidar concept, devised by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), for measuring forest structure using full-waveform, ground-based, scanning lidar.

Zhao, Feng↗

Advances in turbine blade temperature measurements

Radiation pyrometry principles and imaging methods like photography and photoelectric scanning are combined to make accurate research quality temperature measurements on turbine airfoils. Two systems are described for obtaining detailed temperature distribution measurements: an infrared photographic system for stationary vanes and a photoelectric scanning system for rotating blades. An overview is presented outlining the design, calibration methods, and recent test results.

Pollack, F. G.↗

Advances in turbine blade temperature measurements

Radiation pyrometry principles and imaging methods like photography and photoelectric scanning are combined to make accurate research quality temperature measurements on turbine airfoils. Two systems are described for obtaining detailed temperature distribution measurements: an infrared photographic system for stationary vanes and a photoelectric scanning system for rotating blades. An overview is presented outlining the design, calibration methods, and recent test results

Pollack, F. G.↗

Remote sensing applications in marine science programs at VIMS

Scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) utilized remote sensing in three programs: (1) tonal variations in imagery of wetlands; (2) use of the thermal infrared to delineate the discharge cooling water at the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) nuclear power station on the James River; and (3) the use of aerial photography to determine the volume storage function for water in the marsh-bay complex fed by Wachapreague Inlet on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Details of the investigations are given, along with significant results.

Gordon, H. H.↗

Large scale 20mm photography for range resources analysis in the Western United States

Large scale 70mm aerial photography is a valuable supplementary tool for rangeland studies. A wide assortment of applications were developed varying from vegetation mapping to assessing environmental impact on rangelands. Color and color infrared stereo pairs are useful for effectively sampling sites limited by ground accessibility. They allow an increased sample size at similar or lower cost than ground sampling techniques and provide a permanent record.

Tueller, P. T.↗

Assessment of flood damage in Arizona by means of ERTS-1 imagery

ERTS-1 MSS images clearly show two important effects of a large flood in southeastern Arizona - the extent of inundation and the areas affected by servere sediment deposition and erosion - although the images were made a week and a half after the flood. On October 20 and 21, 1972, the upper Gila River had its third-largest flood on record. Peak flows attained about 42,000 and 82,000 cubic feet a second at Duncan and Safford, Arizona, respectively. The first ERTS-1 images after the flood were made on November 1 and 2. The inundated area is best displayed on the infrared bands, particularly on band 7, where it appears as a belt along the river that is distinctly darker than adjoining parts of the flood plain. This dark belt does not appear on ERTS images that predate the flood. Presumably the low infrared reflectance of this belt is caused by still-moist soil and by flood-stressed vegetation. Inundation limits mapped from ERTS imagery agree well with those obtained by aerial photography during the flood and by ground surveys.

Morrison, R. B.↗

Multisensor analysis of hydrologic features in the Wind River Range, Wyoming with emphasis on the SEASAT SAR

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of imagery obtained over west-central Wyoming indicates that Seasat SAR has capability for hydrologic mapping. Both the L-Band (Seasat) and the X-Band (aircraft) SAR imagery were useful for observing drainage detail. Streams have bright signatures on the SAR imagery because the riparian vegetation produces a rough surface and thus high radar returns. Lakes appear relatively bright on the Seasat image presumably in response to surface ripples and waves induced by wind action. SAR imagery did not reveal snow at either the 23.5 cm (L-Band) or 2.8 cm (X-Band) wavelengths. Comparing Seasat and X-Band aircraft SAR imagery to LANDSAT RBV imagery, U-2 photography, and topographic maps of the Wind River Range, it appears that the SAR data do not seem to provide as much hydrologic information as do the other sensors in the visible and near infrared portions of the spectrum.

Foster, J. L.↗

Resource inventory for multi-agency watershed planning

A demonstration study showed that NASA high-altitude color infrared (RB-57) imagery is useful for providing timely, relatively inexpensive, and accurate land-use information. The inventory encompassed 18 land-use categories for a 2590-square-kilometer Michigan watershed. The RB-57 photography was compared to alternative data collection methods (including ERTS and Skylab) and was found to have superior cost effectiveness for providing the desired information.

Enslin, W. R.↗

Remote sensing techniques for conservation and management of natural vegetation ecosystems

The importance of using remote sensing techniques, in the visible and near-infrared ranges, for mapping, inventory, conservation and management of natural ecosystems is discussed. Some examples realized in Brazil or other countries are given to evaluate the products from orbital platform (MSS and RBV imagery of LANDSAT) and aerial level (photography) for ecosystems study. The maximum quantitative and qualitative information which can be obtained from each sensor, at different level, are discussed. Based on the developed experiments it is concluded that the remote sensing technique is a useful tool in mapping vegetation units, estimating biomass, forecasting and evaluation of fire damage, disease detection, deforestation mapping and change detection in land-use. In addition, remote sensing techniques can be used in controling implantation and planning natural/artificial regeneration.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Classification of wetlands vegetation using small scale color infrared imagery

A classification system for Chesapeake Bay wetlands was derived from the correlation of film density classes and actual vegetation classes. The data processing programs used were developed by the Laboratory for the Applications of Remote Sensing. These programs were tested for their value in classifying natural vegetation, using digitized data from small scale aerial photography. Existing imagery and the vegetation map of Farm Creek Marsh were used to determine the optimal number of classes, and to aid in determining if the computer maps were a believable product.

Williamson, F. S. L.↗

Photointerpretation of Skylab photography

The author has identified the following significant results. In terms of film grain texture and object definition, the S190B color positive film is distinctly superior to the S190A films, when both are compared in the 9 x 9 inch format. Within the six S190A films, the panchromatic black and white films are superior to the infrared black and white, and the color positive film is superior to the color infrared. Minimum relief differences on the order of 500 to 100 feet could be detected by stereoscopic study, however, it is not possible to determine to what extent vegetation and cultural practices assist in such delineations. Water and wind gaps through major ridges were easily seen. Streams of third order and larger were clearly visible and easy to trace; second order streams were not identified with consistency. Differences in color, tone, and textural patterns rarely supplied clues for differentiating soils or bedrock. The separation of naturally forested areas from areas of cultivation and pasture was effective and a valuable clue to the underlying geology. Suburban and industrial developments were clearly differentiated from urban areas and surrounding agricultural fields. Soil associations could be identified on a regional basis, but no sharp boundary could be drawn separating soil associations.

Mcmurtry, G. J.↗

A multispectral cloud type identification method using Nimbus 3 MRIR measurements.

Using Nimbus 3 medium resolution infrared radiometer measurements, a multispectral cloud type identification method is developed. This method includes a fourth spectral region (20-23 microns), the use of radiative transfer theory, and a semiquantitative evaluation of satellite cloud type estimates with concurrent high resolution photography from aircraft flights.

Shenk, W. E.↗

The remote sensing of algae

State agencies need rapid, synoptic and inexpensive methods for lake assessment to comply with the 1972 Amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Low altitude aerial photography may be useful in providing information on algal type and quantity. Photography must be calibrated properly to remove sources of error including airlight, surface reflectance and scene-to-scene illumination differences. A 550-nm narrow wavelength band black and white photographic exposure provided a better correlation to algal biomass than either red or infrared photographic exposure. Of all the biomass parameters tested, depth-integrated chlorophyll a concentration correlated best to remote sensing data. Laboratory-measured reflectance of selected algae indicate that different taxonomic classes of algae may be discriminated on the basis of their reflectance spectra.

Thorne, J. F.↗

Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery for the Detection of Agricultural Crop Stress

Multispectral digital imagery from aircraft or satellite is presently being used to derive basic assessments of crop health for growers and others involved in the agricultural industry. Research indicates that narrow band stress indices derived from hyperspectral imagery should have improved sensitivity to provide more specific information on the type and cause of crop stress, Under funding from the NASA Earth Observation Commercial Applications Program (EOCAP) we are identifying and evaluating scientific and commercial applications of hyperspectral imagery for the remote characterization of agricultural crop stress. During the summer of 1999 a field experiment was conducted with varying nitrogen treatments on a production corn-field in eastern Nebraska. The AVIRIS (Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) hyperspectral imager was flown at two critical dates during crop development, at two different altitudes, providing images with approximately 18m pixels and 3m pixels. Simultaneous supporting soil and crop characterization included spectral reflectance measurements above the canopy, biomass characterization, soil sampling, and aerial photography. In this paper we describe the experiment and results, and examine the following three issues relative to the utility of hyperspectral imagery for scientific study and commercial crop stress products: (1) Accuracy of reflectance derived stress indices relative to conventional measures of stress. We compare reflectance-derived indices (both field radiometer and AVIRIS) with applied nitrogen and with leaf level measurement of nitrogen availability and chlorophyll concentrations over the experimental plots (4 replications of 5 different nitrogen levels); (2) Ability of the hyperspectral sensors to detect sub-pixel areas under crop stress. We applied the stress indices to both the 3m and 18m AVIRIS imagery for the entire production corn field using several sub-pixel areas within the field to compare the relative sensitivity of each stress index; and (3) Comparative sensitivity of stress indices to realistic measurement uncertainties. We compare the stress indices calculated with several levels of spectral uncertainty (by shifting the wavelengths) and reflectance uncertainty (by systematically varying the reflectance retrieval code initialization).

Cassady, Philip E.↗

Mars Cameras Make Panoramic Photography a Snap

If you wish to explore a Martian landscape without leaving your armchair, a few simple clicks around the NASA Web site will lead you to panoramic photographs taken from the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Many of the technologies that enable this spectacular Mars photography have also inspired advancements in photography here on Earth, including the panoramic camera (Pancam) and its housing assembly, designed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Cornell University for the Mars missions. Mounted atop each rover, the Pancam mast assembly (PMA) can tilt a full 180 degrees and swivel 360 degrees, allowing for a complete, highly detailed view of the Martian landscape. The rover Pancams take small, 1 megapixel (1 million pixel) digital photographs, which are stitched together into large panoramas that sometimes measure 4 by 24 megapixels. The Pancam software performs some image correction and stitching after the photographs are transmitted back to Earth. Different lens filters and a spectrometer also assist scientists in their analyses of infrared radiation from the objects in the photographs. These photographs from Mars spurred developers to begin thinking in terms of larger and higher quality images: super-sized digital pictures, or gigapixels, which are images composed of 1 billion or more pixels. Gigapixel images are more than 200 times the size captured by today s standard 4 megapixel digital camera. Although originally created for the Mars missions, the detail provided by these large photographs allows for many purposes, not all of which are limited to extraterrestrial photography.

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