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At least 667 records · Page 37

Flood Mapping in the Lower Mekong River Basin Using Daily MODIS Observations

In flat homogenous terrain such as in Cambodia and Vietnam, the monsoon season brings significant and consistent flooding between May and November. To monitor flooding in the Lower Mekong region, the near real-time NASA Flood Extent Product (NASA-FEP) was developed using seasonal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) differences from the 250 m resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor compared to daily observations. The use of a percentage change interval classification relating to various stages of flooding reduces might be confusing to viewers or potential users, and therefore reducing the product usage. To increase the product usability through simplification, the classification intervals were compared with other commonly used change detection schemes to identify the change classification scheme that best delineates flooded areas. The percentage change method used in the NASA-FEP proved to be helpful in delineating flood boundaries compared to other change detection methods. The results of the accuracy assessments indicate that the −75% NDVI change interval can be reclassified to a descriptive 'flood' classification. A binary system was used to simplify the interpretation of the NASA-FEP by removing extraneous information from lower interval change classes.

Cambodia↗

Flood Mapping Using UAVSAR and Convolutional Neural Networks

We have mapped flooded areas in data collected by the NASA/JPL Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) using two convolutional neural network (CNN) image classifier architectures: U-Net and SegNet. Our study area was a region around Houston, TX, USA affected by widespread flooding in 2017 due to Hurricane Harvey. To train and test the classifiers, we manually labelled over 10000 image segments in two flight lines. Both U-Net and SegNet yielded higher accuracy than a previous non-machine learning classifier we used as a baseline. U-Net had slightly higher accuracy than SegNet. The classifiers performed better in areas with more homogeneous land cover. To independently validate the classifier accuracy we used NOAA aerial imagery, with overall accuracy around 80%. Future work includes assessing the classifier robustness in other study areas, assessing the classifier dependence on UAVSAR incidence angle, particularly for open water and bare ground, and collecting more training data, particularly in urban areas. This study demonstrates the potential of CNN image classifiers for mapping flooded areas in airborne polarimetric SAR imagery, and for land cover classification of polarimetric SAR imagery more generally.

Denbina, Michael W↗

Mesoamerica Ecological Forecasting: Assessing Land Cover Change to Inform Management Planning for the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor

In 1992, Central America and Mexico drew up an agreement to establish the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) which defines natural corridors to connect nearly 600 protected areas. The MBC is home to 9% of the world's terrestrial species on 0.7% of the world's landmass, yet this biodiverse area has been impacted by great levels of deforestation. The MBC supports protected areas and the important conservation efforts that are tied into the area’s economic and sustainable development. The NASA DEVELOP team partnered with NASA SERVIR, Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA), Tropical Agriculture Research and High Education Center (CATIE), and Ministries of the Environment for Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala to assess forest cover change in the MBC. While the southern states of Mexico are included in the MBC, the team excluded Mexico in this study. The team acquired data from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), and Landsat 9 OLI-2 to develop a forest versus non-forest classification. This classification was used to create a Land Use Land Cover Change (LULC) trend map and Deforestation Detection Time Series analysis between 1992 and 2022. The team found that minimum distance classification was the most effective classifier for the project scope. Analysis showed that 6.18% of the study area experienced forest loss and 10.99% experienced forest growth. These observations will help partners visualize the evolution and severity of deforestation and allow decision making for future land management and transboundary conservation efforts.

Hanna Jung↗

Structural Differences Between Insoluble Organic Matter in Matrix and Chondrules: Potential Insights into Pre-Parent Body Thermal Alteration

Carbon is a major molecular constituent of primitive chondrites of low petrologic grade. A majority of the carbon (>70%) is in the insoluble organic matter (IOM) fraction that cannot be extracted from the meteorite sample using polar or nonpolar solvents. The IOM is comprised of a kerogen-like macromolecular carbon (MMC) structure that consists of aromatic rings connected by highly branching aliphatic chains. Raman spectroscopy is highly sensitive to IOM due to a strong resonance enhancement that occurs for all visible excitation wavelengths, making Raman a powerful in-situ probe of IOM. The Raman spectrum of IOM consists of two primary bands, the G band originates from all carbon-carbon bonds in the MMC structure and the D band that originates from carbon 6-member ring breathing motions. The peak position and width of the G and D bands probe the structure of the IOM. Using Raman spectroscopy, the IOM structure has been shown to correlate with the thermal alteration history of the meteorite, allowing for petrologic grade classification to the tenths place in the 3.0-3.9 range. Here, we have collected Raman images of GRA 06100,41 (CR2) for the examination of the IOM spatial distribution and observe significant differences between the IOM in the matrix and chondrules.

R S Jakubek↗

Binarization of Gray-Scaled Digital Images Via Fuzzy Reasoning

A new fast-computational technique based on fuzzy entropy measure has been developed to find an optimal binary image threshold. In this method, the image pixel membership functions are dependent on the threshold value and reflect the distribution of pixel values in two classes; thus, this technique minimizes the classification error. This new method is compared with two of the best-known threshold selection techniques, Otsu and Huang-Wang. The performance of the proposed method supersedes the performance of Huang- Wang and Otsu methods when the image consists of textured background and poor printing quality. The three methods perform well but yield different binarization approaches if the background and foreground of the image have well-separated gray-level ranges.

Dominquez, Jesus A.↗

Applications of LANDSAT data to the integrated economic development of Mindoro, Phillipines

LANDSAT data is seen as providing essential up-to-date resource information for the planning process. LANDSAT data of Mindoro Island in the Philippines was processed to provide thematic maps showing patterns of agriculture, forest cover, terrain, wetlands and water turbidity. A hybrid approach using both supervised and unsupervised classification techniques resulted in 30 different scene classes which were subsequently color-coded and mapped at a scale of 1:250,000. In addition, intensive image analysis is being carried out in evaluating the images. The images, maps, and aerial statistics are being used to provide data to seven technical departments in planning the economic development of Mindoro. Multispectral aircraft imagery was collected to compliment the application of LANDSAT data and validate the classification results.

Wagner, T. W.↗

Visual Impairment/lntracranial Pressure Risk Clinical Care Data Tools

Prior to 2010, several ISS crewmembers returned from spaceflight with changes to their vision, ranging from a mild hyperopic shift to frank disc edema. As a result, NASA expanded clinical vision testing to include more comprehensive medical imaging, including Optical Coherence Tomography and 3 Tesla Brain and Orbit MRIs. The Space and Clinical Operations (SCO) Division developed a clinical practice guideline that classified individuals based on their symptoms and diagnoses to facilitate clinical care. For the purposes of clinical surveillance, this classification was applied retrospectively to all crewmembers who had sufficient testing for classification. This classification is also a tool that has been leveraged for researchers to identify potential risk factors. In March 2014, driven in part by a more comprehensive understanding of the imaging data and increased imaging capability on orbit, the SCO Division revised their clinical care guidance to outline in‐flight care and increase post‐flight follow up. The new clinical guidance does not include a classification scheme

Van Baalen, Mary↗

Binarization of Gray-Scaled Digital Images Via Fuzzy Reasoning

A new fast-computational technique based on fuzzy entropy measure has been developed to find an optimal binary image threshold. In this method, the image pixel membership functions are dependent on the threshold value and reflect the distribution of pixel values in two classes; thus, this technique minimizes the classification error. This new method is compared with two of the best-known threshold selection techniques, Otsu and Huang-Wang. The performance of the proposed method supersedes the performance of Huang-Wang and Otsu methods when the image consists of textured background and poor printing quality. The three methods perform well but yield different binarization approaches if the background and foreground of the image have well-separated gray-level ranges.

Dominquez, Jesus A.↗

Modeling, simulation, and analysis of optical remote sensing systems

Remote Sensing of the Earth's resources from space-based sensors has evolved in the past 20 years from a scientific experiment to a commonly used technological tool. The scientific applications and engineering aspects of remote sensing systems have been studied extensively. However, most of these studies have been aimed at understanding individual aspects of the remote sensing process while relatively few have studied their interrelations. A motivation for studying these interrelationships has arisen with the advent of highly sophisticated configurable sensors as part of the Earth Observing System (EOS) proposed by NASA for the 1990's. Two approaches to investigating remote sensing systems are developed. In one approach, detailed models of the scene, the sensor, and the processing aspects of the system are implemented in a discrete simulation. This approach is useful in creating simulated images with desired characteristics for use in sensor or processing algorithm development. A less complete, but computationally simpler method based on a parametric model of the system is also developed. In this analytical model the various informational classes are parameterized by their spectral mean vector and covariance matrix. These class statistics are modified by models for the atmosphere, the sensor, and processing algorithms and an estimate made of the resulting classification accuracy among the informational classes. Application of these models is made to the study of the proposed High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HRIS). The interrelationships among observational conditions, sensor effects, and processing choices are investigated with several interesting results.

Kerekes, John Paul↗

Spectral imaging applications: Remote sensing, environmental monitoring, medicine, military operations, factory automation and manufacturing

This paper reviews the activities at OKSI related to imaging spectroscopy presenting current and future applications of the technology. The authors discuss the development of several systems including hardware, signal processing, data classification algorithms and benchmarking techniques to determine algorithm performance. Signal processing for each application is tailored by incorporating the phenomenology appropriate to the process, into the algorithms. Pixel signatures are classified using techniques such as principal component analyses, generalized eigenvalue analysis and novel very fast neural network methods. The major hyperspectral imaging systems developed at OKSI include the Intelligent Missile Seeker (IMS) demonstration project for real-time target/decoy discrimination, and the Thermal InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (TIRIS) for detection and tracking of toxic plumes and gases. In addition, systems for applications in medical photodiagnosis, manufacturing technology, and for crop monitoring are also under development.

National Defense↗

The Galex Time Domain Survey. I. Selection And Classification of Over a Thousand Ultraviolet Variable Sources

We present the selection and classification of over a thousand ultraviolet (UV) variable sources discovered in approximately 40 deg(exp 2) of GALEX Time Domain Survey (TDS) NUV images observed with a cadence of 2 days and a baseline of observations of approximately 3 years. The GALEX TDS fields were designed to be in spatial and temporal coordination with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey, which provides deep optical imaging and simultaneous optical transient detections via image differencing. We characterize the GALEX photometric errors empirically as a function of mean magnitude, and select sources that vary at the 5 sigma level in at least one epoch. We measure the statistical properties of the UV variability, including the structure function on timescales of days and years. We report classifications for the GALEX TDS sample using a combination of optical host colors and morphology, UV light curve characteristics, and matches to archival X-ray, and spectroscopy catalogs. We classify 62% of the sources as active galaxies (358 quasars and 305 active galactic nuclei), and 10% as variable stars (including 37 RR Lyrae, 53 M dwarf flare stars, and 2 cataclysmic variables). We detect a large-amplitude tail in the UV variability distribution for M-dwarf flare stars and RR Lyrae, reaching up to absolute value(Δm) = 4.6 mag and 2.9 mag, respectively. The mean amplitude of the structure function for quasars on year timescales is five times larger than observed at optical wavelengths. The remaining unclassified sources include UV-bright extragalactic transients, two of which have been spectroscopically confirmed to be a young core-collapse supernova and a flare from the tidal disruption of a star by dormant supermassive black hole. We calculate a surface density for variable sources in the UV with NUV less than 23 mag and absolute value(Δm) greater than 0.2 mag of approximately 8.0, 7.7, and 1.8 deg(exp −2) for quasars, active galactic nuclei, and RR Lyrae stars, respectively. We also calculate a surface density rate in the UV for transient sources, using the effective survey time at the cadence appropriate to each class, of approximately 15 and 52 deg(exp −2 yr−1 for M dwarfs and extragalactic transients, respectively.

Gezari, S.↗

Stellar spectrum classifier

Stellar classification is accomplished by correlating holograms of classified spectra with the Fourier transform of the spectral images to be classified.

Reid, J. H.↗

Introduction to computer image processing

Theoretical backgrounds and digital techniques for a class of image processing problems are presented. Image formation in the context of linear system theory, image evaluation, noise characteristics, mathematical operations on image and their implementation are discussed. Various techniques for image restoration and image enhancement are presented. Methods for object extraction and the problem of pictorial pattern recognition and classification are discussed.

Moik, J. G.↗

Planning applications in East Central Florida

The author has identified the following significant results. This is a study of applications of ERTS data to planning problems, especially as applicable to East Central Florida. The primary method has been computer analysis of digital data, with visual analysis of images serving to supplement the digital analysis. The principal method of analysis was supervised maximum likelihood classification, supplemented by density slicing and mapping of ratios of band intensities. Land-use maps have been prepared for several urban and non-urban sectors. Thematic maps have been found to be a useful form of the land-use maps. Change-monitoring has been found to be an appropriate and useful application. Mapping of marsh regions has been found effective and useful in this region. Local planners have participated in selecting training samples and in the checking and interpretation of results.

Hannah, J. W.↗

Regional tectonic evaluation of the Tuscan Apenine, vulcanism, thermal anomalies and the relation to structural units

The author has identified the following significant results. The geological interpretation on data exhibiting the Italian peninsula led to the recognition of tectonic features which are explained by a clockwise rotation of various blocks along left-handed transform faults. These faults can be interpreted as resulting from shear due to main stress directed north-eastwards. A land use map of the mountainous regions of Italy was produced on a scale of 1:250,000. For the digital treatment of MSS-CCTs an image processing software was written in FORTRAN 4. The software package includes descriptive statistics and also classification algorithms.

Bodechtel, J.↗

Fisheries imaging radar surveillance test /FIRST/ - Bering Sea test

A joint NOAA, U.S. Coast Guard and NASA program is being conducted to determine if a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, such as planned for NASA's SEASAT, can be useful in monitoring fishing vessels within the newly established 200-mile fishing limit. As part of this program, data gathering field operations were conducted over concentrations of foreign fishing vessels in the Bering Sea off Alaska in April 1976. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed synthetic aperture L-band radar which was flown aboard the NASA Convair 990 aircraft, with a Coast Guard cutter and C-130 aircraft simultaneously gathering data to provide both radar imagery and sea truth information on the vessels being imaged. Results indicate that synthetic aperture radar systems have potential for all weather detection, enumeration and classification of fishing vessels.

Woods, E. G.↗

Spaceborne SAR data for land-cover classification and change detection

Supervised maximum-likelihood classifications of Seasat, SIR-A, and Landsat pixel data demonstrated that SIR-A data provided the most accurate discrimination (72 percent) between five land-cover categories. Spatial averaging of the SAR data improved classification accuracy significantly due to a reduction in both fading and within-field variability. The best multichannel classification accuracy (97.5 percent) was achieved by combining the SIR-A data with two Seasat images (ascending and descending orbits). In addition, semiquantitative analysis of Seasat-A digital data shows that orbital SAR imagery can be successfully used for multitemporal detection of change related to hydrologic and agronomic conditions by using simple machine processing techniques.

Brisco, B.↗

Can Distributed Volunteers Accomplish Massive Data Analysis Tasks?

We argue that many image analysis tasks can be performed by distributed amateurs. Our pilot study, with crater surveying and classification, has produced encouraging results in terms of both quantity (100,000 crater entries in 2 months) and quality. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Kanefsky, B.↗