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NASA NTRS2018

Image Station Matching, Preprocessing, Spatial Registration and Change Detection with Multi-Temporal Remotely-Sensed Imagery

A method for collecting and processing remotely sensed imagery in order to achieve precise spatial co-registration (e.g., matched alignment) between multi-temporal image sets is presented. Such precise alignment or spatial co-registration of imagery can be used for change detection, image fusion, and temporal analysis/modeling. Further, images collected in this manner may be further processed in such a way that image frames or line arrays from corresponding photo stations are matched, co-aligned and if desired merged into a single image and/or subjected to the same processing sequence. A second methodology for automated detection of moving objects within a scene using a time series of remotely sensed imagery is also presented. Specialized image collection and preprocessing procedures are utilized to obtain precise spatial co-registration (image registration) between multitemporal image frame sets. In addition, specialized change detection techniques are employed in order to automate the detection of moving objects.

Coulter, Lloyd Lawrence Arthur↗

NASA NTRS2001

Remote Sensing of Aerosol and Non-Aerosol Absorption

Remote sensing of aerosol from the new satellite instruments (e.g. MODIS from Terra) and ground based radiometers (e.g. the AERONET) provides the opportunity to measure the absorption characteristics of the ambient undisturbed aerosol in the entire atmospheric column. For example Landsat and AERONET data are used to measure spectral absorption of sunlight by dust from West Africa. Both Application of the Landsat and AERONET data demonstrate that Saharan dust absorption of solar radiation is several times smaller than the current international standards. This is due to difficulties of measuring dust absorption in situ, and due to the often contamination of dust properties by the presence of air pollution or smoke. We use the remotely sensed aerosol absorption properties described by the spectral sin le scattering albedo, together with statistics of the monthly optical thickness for the fine and coarse aerosol derived from the MODIS data. The result is an estimate of the flux of solar radiation absorbed by the aerosol layer in different regions around the globe where aerosol is prevalent. If this aerosol forcing through absorption is not included in global circulation models, it may be interpreted as anomalous absorption in these regions. In a preliminary exercise we also use the absorption measurements by AERONET, to derive the non-aerosol absorption of the atmosphere in cloud free conditions. The results are obtained for the atmospheric windows: 0.44 microns, 0.66 microns, 0.86 microns and 1.05 microns. In all the locations over the land and ocean that were tested no anomalous absorption in these wavelengths, was found within absorption optical thickness of +/- 0.005.

Kaufman, Y. J.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Laboratory requirements for in-situ and remote sensing of suspended material

Recommendations for laboratory and in-situ measurements required for remote sensing of suspended material are presented. This study investigates the properties of the suspended materials, factors influencing the upwelling radiance, and the various types of remote sensing techniques. Calibration and correlation procedures are given to obtain the accuracy necessary to quantify the suspended materials by remote sensing. In addition, the report presents a survey of the national need for sediment data, the agencies that deal with and require the data of suspended sediment, and a summary of some recent findings of sediment measurements.

Kuo, C. Y.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Laboratory requirements for in-situ and remote sensing of suspended material

Kuo, C. Y.↗

NASA NTRS2000

An Airborne A-Band Spectrometer for Remote Sensing Of Aerosol and Cloud Optical Properties

Atmospheric remote sensing with the O2 A-band has a relatively long history, but most of these studies were attempting to estimate surface pressure or cloud-top pressure. Recent conceptual studies have demonstrated the potential of spaceborne high spectral resolution O2 A-band spectrometers for retrieval of aerosol and cloud optical properties. The physical rationale of this new approach is that information on the scattering properties of the atmosphere is embedded in the detailed line structure of the O2 A-band reflected radiance spectrum. The key to extracting this information is to measure the radiance spectrum at very high spectral resolution. Instrument performance requirement studies indicate that, in addition to high spectral resolution, the successful retrieval of aerosol and cloud properties from A-band radiance spectra will also require high radiometric accuracy, instrument stability, and high signal-to-noise measurements. To experimentally assess the capabilities of this promising new remote sensing application, the NASA Langley Research Center is developing an airborne high spectral resolution A-band spectrometer. The spectrometer uses a plane holographic grating with a folded Littrow geometry to achieve high spectral resolution (0.5 cm-1) and low stray light in a compact package. This instrument will be flown in a series of field campaigns beginning in 2001 to evaluate the overall feasibility of this new technique. Results from these campaigns should be particularly valuable for future spaceborne applications of A-band spectrometers for aerosol and cloud retrievals.

Pitts, Michael↗

NASA NTRS1994

Simulating Local and Intercontinental Pollutant Effects of Biomass Burning: Integration of Several Remotely Sensed Datasets

Burning to clear land for crops and to destroy pests is an integral and largely unavoidable part of tropical agriculture. It is easy to note but difficult to quantify using remote sensing. This report describes our efforts to integrate remotely sensed data into our computer model of tropical chemical trace-gas emissions, weather, and reaction chemistry (using the MM5 mesoscale model and our own Global-Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Simulator). The effects of burning over the continents of Africa and South America have been noticed in observations from several satellites. Smoke plumes hundreds of kilometers long may be seen individually, or may merge into a large smoke pall over thousands of kilometers of these continents. These features are related to intense pollution in the much more confined regions with heavy burning. These emissions also translocate nitrogen thousands of kilometers in the tropical ecosystems, with large fixed-nitrogen losses balanced partially by locally intense fertilization downwind, where nitric acid is rained out. At a much larger scale, various satellite measurements have indicated the escape of carbon monoxide and ozone into large filaments which extend across the Tropical and Southern Atlantic Ocean. Our work relates the source emissions, estimated in part from remote sensing, in part from conventional surface reports, to the concentrations of these gases over these intercontinental regions. We will mention work in progress to use meteorological satellite data (AVHRR, GOES, and Meteosat) to estimate the surface temperature and extent and height of clouds, and explain why these uses are so important in our computer simulations of global biogeochemistry. We will compare our simulations and interpretation of remote observations to the international cooperation involving Brazil, South Africa, and the USA in the TRACE-A (Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator - Atlantic) and SAFARI (Southern Africa Fire Atmosphere Research Initiative) and remote-sensing /aircraft/ecosystem observational campaigns.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Utility of remotely sensed data for identification of soil conservation practices

Discussed are a variety of remotely sensed data sources that may have utility in the identification of conservation practices and related linear features. Test sites were evaluated in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma using one or more of a variety of remotely sensed data sources, including color infrared photography (CIR), LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) data, and aircraft-acquired Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data. Both visual examination and computer-implemented enhancement procedures were used to identify conservation practices and other linear features. For the Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma test sites, photo interpretations of CIR identified up to 24 of the 109 conservation practices from a matrix derived from the SCS National Handbook of Conservation Practices. The conservation practice matrix was modified to predict the possibility of identifying the 109 practices at various photographic scales based on the observed results as well as photo interpreter experience. Some practices were successfully identified in TM data through visual identification, but a number of existing practices were of such size and shape that the resolution of the TM could not detect them accurately. A series of computer-automated decorrelation and filtering procedures served to enhance the conservation practices in TM data with only fair success. However, features such as field boundaries, roads, water bodies, and the Urban/Ag interface were easily differentiated. Similar enhancement techniques applied to 5 and 10 meter TIMS data proved much more useful in delineating terraces, grass waterways, and drainage ditches as well as the features mentioned above, due partly to improved resolution and partly to thermally influenced moisture conditions. Spatially oriented data such as those derived from remotely sensed data offer some promise in the inventory and monitoring of conservation practices as well as in supplying parameter data for a variety of computer-implemented agricultural models.

Pelletier, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Remote sensing in the coastal and marine environment. Proceedings of the US North Atlantic Regional Workshop

Presentations were grouped in the following categories: (1) a technical orientation of Earth resources remote sensing including data sources and processing; (2) a review of the present status of remote sensing technology applicable to the coastal and marine environment; (3) a description of data and information needs of selected coastal and marine activities; and (4) an outline of plans for marine monitoring systems for the east coast and a concept for an east coast remote sensing facility. Also discussed were user needs and remote sensing potentials in the areas of coastal processes and management, commercial and recreational fisheries, and marine physical processes.

Zaitzeff, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Differential Radiometers Using Fabry-Perot Interferometric Technique for Remote Sensing of Greenhouse Gases

A new type of remote sensing radiometer based upon the Fabry-Perot interferometric technique has been developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and tested from both ground and aircraft platform. The sensor uses direct or reflected sunlight and has channels for measuring column concentration of carbon dioxide at 1570 nm, oxygen lines sensitive to pressure and temperature at 762 and 768 nm, and water vapor (940 nm). A solid Fabry-Perot etalon is used as a tunable narrow bandpass filter to restrict the measurement to the gas of interest's absorption bands. By adjusting the temperature of the etalon, which changes the index of refraction of its material, the transmission fringes can be brought into nearly exact correspondence with absorption lines of the particular species. With this alignment between absorption lines and fringes, changes in the amount of a species in the atmosphere strongly affect the amount of light transmitted by the etalon and can be related to gas concentration. The technique is applicable to different chemical species. We have performed simulations and instrument design studies for CH4, "Cot isotope, and CO detection. Index Terms- Absorbing media, Atmospheric measurements, Fabry-Perot interferometers, Optical interferometry, Remote sensing.

Georgieva, Elena M.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Transitioning Earth Remote Sensing Data to Benefit Society: A Paradigm for a Center of Excellence

Over the past decade there has been a substantial increase in the number of Earth remote sensing satellites launched for research and operational usage and numerous others planned by the international community. These satellites have been used to varying degrees by their supporting agencies for weather and environmental monitoring, climate studies, disaster monitoring and response, and other humanitarian activities. While there are success stories on useful applications of remote sensing data, the broader use of these satellite assets by other organizations and entities has been limited for a number of reasons including lack of data services, data dissemination issues, and a general failure to engage the broader end user community with useful data access and knowledge of how to use the data and products. This paper describes some of these current limitations on the broader use of Earth remote sensing data by the international community and describes the concept of a general "Center of Excellence" to facilitate the development, transition, and utilization of these Earth remote sensing observations by the broader international community.

Transition to operations↗

DOE OSTI2025

Tree-level carbon stock estimations across diverse species using multi-source remote sensing integration

Forests are critical carbon sinks, and remote sensing has been increasingly widely used for forest monitoring and biomass estimations. However, species-specific tree-level studies remain limited. In this study, we demonstrated the feasibility of integrating UAV-based LiDAR with high-resolution optical satellite imagery (0.5 m) to estimate biomass for individual trees across different species. The proposed method accurately estimated biomass for 53 trees (R² = 0.82, rRMSE = 0.44), with species-specific datasets, showing an average 25.2% increase in R² and a 14.8% reduction in rRMSE. A novel vegetation index combining forest structure parameters with vegetation indices (VIs) was developed using high-resolution multispectral satellite data (3 m) to explore its relationship with individual tree biomass. Combining forest structural parameters with VIs further improved estimation accuracy, achieving an R²of 0.89 and an rRMSE of 0.34. Species-specific datasets show an 11.6% increase in R²compared to methods without VIs, and a 22.2% improvement over methods using only VIs. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis shows that the volume feature played a key role in model performance and remained stable throughout the training process. Altogether, the proposed approach enhances individual tree biomass and carbon sink estimations, showing great potential for large-scale precise forest carbon monitoring using multi-source remote sensing data.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2017

Remote Sensing of Crystal Shapes in Ice Clouds

Ice crystals in clouds exist in a virtually limitless variation of geometries. The most basic shapes of ice crystals are columnar or plate-like hexagonal prisms with aspect ratios determined by relative humidity and temperature. However, crystals in ice clouds generally display more complex structures owing to aggregation, riming and growth histories through varying temperature and humidity regimes. Crystal shape is relevant for cloud evolution as it affects microphysical properties such as fall speeds and aggregation efficiency. Furthermore, the scattering properties of ice crystals are affected by their general shape, as well as by microscopic features such as surface roughness, impurities and internal structure. To improve the representation of ice clouds in climate models, increased understanding of the global variation of crystal shape and how it relates to, e.g., location, cloud temperature and atmospheric state is crucial. Here, the remote sensing of ice crystal macroscale and microscale structure from airborne and space-based lidar depolarization observations and multi-directional measurements of total and polarized reflectances is reviewed. In addition, a brief overview is given of in situ and laboratory observations of ice crystal shape as well as the optical properties of ice crystals that serve as foundations for the remote sensing approaches. Lidar depolarization is generally found to increase with increasing cloud height and to vary with latitude. Although this variation is generally linked to the variation of ice crystal shape, the interpretation of the depolarization remains largely qualitative and more research is needed before quantitative conclusions about ice shape can be deduced. The angular variation of total and polarized reflectances of ice clouds has been analyzed by numerous studies in order to infer information about ice crystal shapes from them. From these studies it is apparent that pristine crystals with smooth surfaces are generally inconsistent with the data and thus crystal impurity, distortion or surface roughness is prevalent. However, conclusions about the dominating ice shapes are often inconclusive and contradictory and are highly dependent on the limited selection of shapes included in the investigations. Since ice crystal optical properties are mostly determined by the aspect ratios of the crystal components and their microscale structure, it is advised that remote sensing applications focus on the variation of these ice shape characteristics, rather than on the macroscale shape or habit. Recent studies use databases with nearly continuous ranges of crystal component aspect ratio and-or roughness levels to infer the variation of ice crystal shape from satellite and airborne remote sensing measurements. Here, the rationale and results of varying strategies for the remote sensing of ice crystal shape are reviewed. Observed systematic variations of ice crystal geometry with location, cloud height and atmospheric state suggested by the data are discussed. Finally, a prospective is given on the future of the remote sensing of ice cloud particle shapes.

clouds↗

NASA NTRS1983

Remote sensing program

Built on Cornell's thirty years of experience in aerial photographic studies, the NASA-sponsored remote sensing program strengthened instruction and research in remote sensing, established communication links within and beyond the university community, and conducted research projects for or with town, county, state, federal, and private organizations in New York State. The 43 completed applied research projects are listed as well as 13 spinoff grants/contracts. The curriculum offered, consultations provided, and data processing facilities available are described. Publications engendered are listed including the thesis of graduates in the remote sensing program.

Philipson, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS2005

GPS Remote Sensing Measurements Using Aerosonde UAV

In February 2004, a NASA-Langley GPS Remote Sensor (GPSRS) unit was flown on an Aerosonde unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia. Using direct and surface-reflected 1.575 GHz coarse acquisition (C/A) coded GPS signals, remote sensing measurements were obtained over land and portions of open water. The strength of the surface-reflected GPS signal is proportional to the amount of moisture in the surface, and is also influenced by surface roughness. Amplitude and other characteristics of the reflected signal allow an estimate of wind speed over open water. In this paper we provide a synopsis of the instrument accommodation requirements, installation procedures, and preliminary results from what is likely the first-ever flight of a GPS remote sensing instrument on a UAV. The correct operation of the GPSRS unit on this flight indicates that Aerosonde-like UAV's can serve as platforms for future GPS remote sensing science missions.

Grant, Michael S.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Quarterly literature review of the remote sensing of natural resources, third quarter 1976

Abstracts related to remote sensing instrumentation and techniques, and to the remote sensing of natural resources are presented by the Technology Application Center at the University of New Mexico. Areas of interest included theory, general surveys, and miscellaneous studies; geology and hydrology; agriculture and forestry; marine sciences; and urban and land use. An alphabetically arranged Author/Key Word index is provided.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2007

Land Remote Sensing Overview

A general overview of the USGS land remote sensing program is presented. The contents include: 1) Brief overview of USGS land remote sensing program; 2) Highlights of JACIE work at USGS; 3) Update on NASA/USGS Landsat Data Continuity Mission; and 4) Notes on alternative data sources.

Byrnes, Ray↗

NASA NTRS2007

A Review and Analysis of Remote Sensing Capability for Air Quality Measurements as a Potential Decision Support Tool Conducted by the NASA DEVELOP Program

This project focused on a comprehensive utilization of air quality model products as decision support tools (DST) needed for public health applications. A review of past and future air quality measurement methods and their uncertainty, along with the relationship of air quality to national and global public health, is vital. This project described current and future NASA satellite remote sensing and ground sensing capabilities and the potential for using these sensors to enhance the prediction, prevention, and control of public health effects that result from poor air quality. The qualitative uncertainty of current satellite remotely sensed air quality, the ground-based remotely sensed air quality, the air quality/public health model, and the decision making process is evaluated in this study. Current peer-reviewed literature suggests that remotely sensed air quality parameters correlate well with ground-based sensor data. A satellite remote-sensed and ground-sensed data complement is needed to enhance the models/tools used by policy makers for the protection of national and global public health communities

Ross, A.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Evaluating the Use of Remote Sensing Data in the U.S. Agency for International Development Famine Early Warning Systems Network

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) provides monitoring and early warning support to decision makers responsible for responding to food insecurity emergencies on three continents. FEWS NET uses satellite remote sensing and ground observations of rainfall and vegetation in order to provide information on drought, floods, and other extreme weather events to decision makers. Previous research has presented results from a professional review questionnaire with FEWS NET expert end-users whose focus was to elicit Earth observation requirements. The review provided FEWS NET operational requirements and assessed the usefulness of additional remote sensing data. We analyzed 1342 food security update reports from FEWS NET. The reports consider the biophysical, socioeconomic, and contextual influences on the food security in 17 countries in Africa from 2000 to 2009. The objective was to evaluate the use of remote sensing information in comparison with other important factors in the evaluation of food security crises. The results show that all 17 countries use rainfall information, agricultural production statistics, food prices, and food access parameters in their analysis of food security problems. The reports display large-scale patterns that are strongly related to history of the FEWS NET program in each country. We found that rainfall data were used 84% of the time, remote sensing of vegetation 28% of the time, and gridded crop models 10% of the time, reflecting the length of use of each product in the regions. More investment is needed in training personnel on remote sensing products to improve use of data products throughout the FEWS NET system.

USAID↗