Digital computer terrain mapping from multispectral data, and evaluation of proposed Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) data channels, Yellowstone National Park preliminary report
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Abstract
Digital computer processing of 12 wavelength bands of visible and reflective infrared scanner data has resulted in successful automatic computer mapping of eight terrain units in a Yellowstone National Park test site. Target areas in the scene were selected for training the computer. Statistical parameters of radiance such as mean, standard deviation, divergence, and covariance were computed for each category of material. These data were used in the computer program to determine which channels are most useful for recognition of all object categories studied, and to actually classify all the unknown data points into the known categories.
The following terrain types have been mapped with greater than 80 percent accuracy in a 12-square-mile area with 1,800 feet of relief: bedrock exposures, talus, vegetated rock rubble, glacial kame terrace, glacial till, forest, bog, and water, and shadows. In addition, shadows of clouds and cliffs are depicted.
In addition, studies were made of the effectiveness of the proposed Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) data channels as compared to the computer-selected best four channels in the automatic recognition and mapping of the same terrain types based on simulations, using the same set of data.
These simulations resulted in maps whose accuracies were only a few percent less than that using the best set of four channels; they indicate that the ERTS data channels are likely to be successful for terrain analysis of a wide variety of categories encompassing a broad range of spectral reflectance.
These studies also indicate that, for a broad range of terrain categories, many' combinations of 3 or 11 channels of data would be satisfactory. We need worry about careful selection of specific wavelength bands only if there is a specific category being sought.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Digital computer terrain mapping from multispectral data, and evaluation of proposed Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) data channels, Yellowstone National Park preliminary report |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 70-307 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr70307 |
| Year Published | 1970 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Description | iii, 39 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho, Montana, Wyoming |
| Other Geospatial | Yellowstone National Park |