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At least 811 records · Page 45

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NASA NTRS1973

Application of ERTS-1 imagery and underflight photography in the detection and monitoring of forest insect infestations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California

The analysis of ERTS-1 imagery of areas in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California is discussed. The data is used to detect two types of insect infestational and to determine the extent of timber resources. Addition applications are the mapping of stream courses, mountain meadows, lakes, rock outcrops, and grazing land. The ERTS-1 data and underflight photography are used for this purpose.

Hall, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

ERTS-1 imagery and high flight photographs as aids to fire hazard appraisal at the NASA San Pablo Reservoir test site

The identification of fire hazards at the San Pablo Reservoir Test Site in California using ERTS-1 data is discussed. It is stated that the two primary fire hazards in the area are caused by wild oat plants and eucalyptus trees. The types of imagery used in conducting the study are reported. Aerial photographs of specific areas are included to show the extent of the fire hazards.

Colwell, R. N.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Exploitation of ERTS-1 imagery utilizing snow enhancement techniques

Photogeological analysis of ERTS-simulation and ERTS-1 imagery of snowcovered terrain within the ERAP Feather River site and within the New England (ERTS) test area provided new fracture detail which does not appear on available geological maps. Comparative analysis of snowfree ERTS-1 images has demonstrated that MSS Bands 5 and 7 supply the greatest amount of geological fracture detail. Interpretation of the first snow-covered ERTS-1 images in correlation with ground snow depth data indicates that a heavy blanket of snow (more than 9 inches) accentuates major structural features while a light "dusting", (less than 1 inch) accentuates more subtle topographic expressions. An effective mail-based method for acquiring timely ground-truth (snowdepth) information was established and provides a ready correlation of fracture detail with snow depth so as to establish the working limits of the technique. The method is both efficient and inexpensive compared with the cost of similarly scaled direct field observations.

Wobber, F. J.↗

NASA NTRS1973

First look analysis of geologic ground patterns on ERTS-1 imagery of Missouri

Examination of ERTS-1 data for selected areas of Missouri revealed not only many of the known geologic features but also a number of unknown linear, circular and arcuate ground patterns. The number of new geologic elements that have been brought to light as well as the sharp definition and probable extensions of several known geologic features point out the importance of multispectral imagery via satellite and the synoptic views which they provide. To date, analysis and interpretations have been a first-look visual examination of the unenhanced projected images.

Allen, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Lineaments in coastal plain sediments as seen in ERTS imagery

Examination of satellite imagery over the Atlantic Coastal Plain near Washington, D. C. shows numerous lineaments, which cannot be accounted for by any known cultural or natural features. At least some of these lineaments represent the surface expression of faults, for one of them has been correlated with the outcrop of a fault that had been traced for several miles in southern Prince Georges County, Maryland. If a substantial number of these lineaments do indeed represent fault traces, the fact that they show on the surface suggests that the geologic history of the Coastal Plain is much more complex than has previously been recognized, and that faulting may have occurred in the Holocene, much later than has generally been recognized. The importance that such recent movements could have on future development of the Coastal Plain should be emphasized.

Withington, C. F.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Structural interpretations based on ERTS-1 imagery, Bighorn Region, Wyoming-Montana

Structural analysis is being carried out on bands MSS 5 and 7 of scene 1085-17294. Geologic strucutre is primarily revealed in the topographic relief and drainage. Topographic linears are particularly well developed in the bighorn uplift. Many of these occur along known faults and shear zones in the Precambrian core; several have not been previously mapped. These linears, however, do not continue into the younger rocks of the flanks or do so in a much less marked manner than in the core. Linears are far less abundant in the basin or are manifested only in very subtle tonal contrasts and somewhat straight drainage segments. Some of the linears are aligned along trends previously postulated on the basis of surface mapping to be lineaments. The imagery reveals little or no evidence of strike-slip displacements along these lineaments.

Hoppin, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Identification of marsh vegetation and coastal land use in ERTS-1 imagery

Coastal vegetation species appearing in the ERTS-1 images taken of Delaware Bay on August 16, and October 10, 1972 have been correlated with ground truth vegetation maps and imagery obtained from high altitude RB-57 and U-2 overflights. The vegetation maps of the entire Delaware Coast were prepared during the summer of 1972 and checked out with ground truth data collected on foot, in small boats, and from low-altitude aircraft. Multispectral analysis of high altitude RB-57 and U-2 photographs indicated that five vegetation communities could be clearly discriminated from 60,000 feet altitude including: (1) salt marsh cord grass, (2) salt marsh hay and spike grass, (3) reed grass, (4) high tide bush and sea myrtle, and (5) a group of fresh water species found in impoundments built to attract water fowl. All of these species are shown in fifteen overlay maps, covering all of Delaware's wetlands prepared to match the USGS topographic map size of 1:24,000.

Klemas, V.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Environmental study of ERTS-1 imagery: Lake Champlain and Vermont

Environmental concerns of the State of Vermont currently being stressed include water quality in Lake Champlain and a state-wide land use and capability plan. Significant results obtained from ERTS-1 relate directly to the above concerns. Industrial water pollution and turbidity in Lake Champlain have been identified and mapped and the ERTS pollution data will be used in the developing court suit which Vermont has initiated against the polluters. ERTS imagery has also provided a foundation for updating and revising land use inventories. Major classes of land use have been identified and mapped, and substantial progress has been made toward the mapping of such land use divisions as crop and forest type, and wetlands.

Lind, A. O.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Water turbidity detection using ERTS-1 imagery

ERTS-1 images of two federal reservoirs in Kansas exhibit good correlation with suspended load. The major reservoirs in Kansas, as well as in other Great Plains states, are playing increasingly important roles in flood control, recreation, agriculture, and urban water supply. Satellite imagery may prove useful for acquiring timely low cost water quality data required for optimum management of these fresh water resources.

Yarger, H. L.↗

NASA NTRS1973

A study on the erosion of Niigata Beach from ERTS-A imagery

Coastal erosion of Niigata Beach, Japan as a result of construction works is discussed. The application of ERTS-1 imagery for defining and monitoring the extent of the erosion is described. The contribution of ERTS-1 data to studies leading to effective erosion control methods are reported.

Maruyasu, T.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Applications of multispectral imagery to water resources development planning in the lower Mekong Basin (Khmer Republic, Laos, Thailand and Viet-Nam)

The use of ERTS imagery for water resources planning in the lower Mekong Basin relates to three major issues: (1) it complements data from areas, which have been inaccessible in the past because of security; this concerns mainly forest cover of the watersheds, and geological features, (2) it refines ground surveys; this concerns mainly land forms, and soils of existing and planned irrigation perimeters, and (3) it provides new information, which would be almost or entirely impossible to detect with ground surveys or conventional photography; this concerns the mechanism of flooding and drainage of the delta; siltation of the Great Lake and mapping of acidity, possibly also of salinity, in the lower delta; sedimentation and fisheries in the Mekong Delta estuarine areas.

Vankiere, W. J.↗

NASA NTRS1973

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.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Evaluation of ERTS imagery for mapping and detection of changes of snowcover land and on glaciers

The percentage of snowcover area on specific drainage basins was measured from ERTS imagery by video density slicing with a repeatability of 4 percent of the snowcovered area. Data from ERTS images of the melt season snowcover in the Thunder Creek drainage basin in the North Cascades were combined with existing hydrologic and meteorologic observations to enable calculation of the time distribution of the water stored in this mountain snowpack. Similar data could be used for frequent updating of expected inflow to reservoirs. Equivalent snowline altitudes were determined from area measurements. Snowline altitudes were also determined by combining enlarged ERTS images with maps with an accuracy of about 60 m under favorable conditions. Ability to map snowcover or to determine snowline altitude depends primarily on cloud cover and vegetation and secondarily on slope, terrain roughness, sun angle, radiometric fidelity, and amount of spectral information available.

Meier, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1973

First look analyses of five cycles of ERTS-1 imagery over County of Los Angeles: Assessment of data utility for urban development and regional planning

Significant results have been obtained from the analyses of ERTS-1 imagery from five cycles over Test Site SR 124 by classical photointerpretation and by an interactive hybrid multispectral information extraction system (GEMS). The synopticity, periodicity and multispectrality of ERTS coverage, available for the first time to LA County planners, have opened up both a new dimensionality in data and offer new capability in preparation of planning inputs. Photointerpretation of ERTS images has produced over 25 overlays at 1:1,000,000 scale depicting regional relations and urban structure in terms of several hundred linear and areal features. To mention only one such result, a possible new fault lineament has been discovered on the northern slope of the Santa Monica mountains in the scene 1144-18015, composited of MSS bands 4, 5, 6,. GEMS analysis of the ERTS products has provided new or improved information in the following planning data categories: urban vegetation; land cover segregation; man-made and natural impact monitoring; urban design; and suitability. ERTS data analysis has allowed planners to establish trends that directly impact planning policies. This new source of information will not only assist current methods to be more efficient, but permits entirely new planning methodologies to be employed.

Raje, S.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Pseudocolor transformation of ERTS imagery

One of the photographic techniques which shows great promise as an aid in interpreting ERTS imagery is pseudocolor transformation. It is a process where each shade of gray in an original black-and-white image is seen as a different color in the transformation. The well known ERTS-1 MSS image of the Monterey Bay-San Francisco area was transformed using a technique which requires only two intermediate separations. Possible faults were delineated on an overlay of the transformation before referring to geologic maps. The results were quite remarkable in that all large active or recently active faults shown on the latest geologic map of California were interpreted from the image for all, or much, of their length. Perhaps the most interesting result was the Reliz fault. The fault is shown as covered; however, a lineation corresponding to the position of the fault is visible on the image. The usefulness of ERTS image in identifying recently active faults is demonstrable. Although the faults are also visible in the unenhanced image, they are clearly accentuated and more easily mapped on the pseudocolor transformation.

Lamar, J. V.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Analysis of ERTS imagery using special electronic viewing/measuring equipment

An electronic satellite image analysis console (ESIAC) is being employed to process imagery for use by USGS investigators in several different disciplines studying dynamic hydrologic conditions. The ESIAC provides facilities for storing registered image sequences in a magnetic video disc memory for subsequent recall, enhancement, and animated display in monochrome or color. Quantitative measurements of distances, areas, and brightness profiles can be extracted digitally under operator supervision. Initial results are presented for the display and measurement of snowfield extent, glacier development, sediment plumes from estuary discharge, playa inventory, phreatophyte and other vegetative changes.

Evans, W. E.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Application of ERTS-1 imagery to the harvest model of the US Menhaden fishery

Preliminary results of an experiment to demonstrate the utility of ERTS-1 imagery for providing significant information to the harvest model of the menhaden industry are reported. Fisheries and related environmental data were obtained discontinuously throughout the 1973 menhaden (a surface schooling, coastal species) fishing season in Mississippi Sound. The unexpected complexity of the physical environment in Mississippi Sound precluded simplistic analysis of fish/environment relationships. Preliminary indications are that an association does exist between fish availability and differences in water transparency (turbidity) within the Sound. A clearer relationship is developing between major turbid features, imaged by ERTS-1 and location of successful fishing attempts. On all occasions where relatively cloudfree ERTS-1 overflight days coincided with fishery activity, overlays of catch location of ERTS-1 images show an association of school position with interfaces between imaged turbid features. Analysis is currently underway to determine persistence of such associations in an attempt to define minimum satellite return time necessary to maintain continuity of associations.

Maughan, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Natural resources inventory and monitoring in Oregon with ERTS imagery

Multidiscipline team interpretation of ERTS satellite and highflight imagery is providing resource and land use information needed for land use planning in Oregon. A coordinated inventory of geology, soil-landscapes, forest and range vegetation, and land use for Crook County, illustrates the value of this approach for broad area and state planning. Other applications include mapping fault zones, inventory of forest clearcut areas, location of forest insect damage, and monitoring irrigation development. Computer classification is being developed for use in conjunction with visual interpretation.

Simonson, G. H.↗