SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Significant results obtained from ERTS-1 observations of agriculture, forestry, and range resources are summarized. Four major parts are covered: (1) crop classification and mensuration; (2) timber and range resources survey and classification; (3) soil survey and mapping; and (4) subdiscipline areas.
A synopsis of significant results achieved within the marine resources and ocean surveys discipline of the overall ERTS program is provided. Summaries are provided of the following subdisciplines: (1) coastal processes; (2) bathymetry; (3) sea ice; (4) oceanic circulation and dynamics; and(5) living marine resources.
The multidisciplinary/regional resource surveys summary is presented in four parts: land use, geologic interpretation, resource survey, and pollution monitoring. Significant results derived from ERTS-1 imagery and data for these four disciplines are briefly reviewed and summarized.
Review of the results of a recent study of the potential uses of remote sensing in the Southeastern United States in evaluating resources. The use of remote sensing in the evaluation and management of earth resources is discussed, as well as the use of satellites and aircraft as remote sensing platforms. The specific needs to be satisfied by remote sensing in the Southeast region are considered, dwelling, in particular, on the use of remote sensing for land use mapping, forest inventory, water pollution monitoring, strip mine reclamation, air pollution, demonstration farms and forests, and reservoir ecology. A brief description is given of multispectral photographic and scanner data analysis techniques, to illustrate that regional information needs can be met with existing technological capability.
The author has identified the following significant results. An interdisciplinary group at Penn State University is analyzing ERTS-1 data. The geographical area of interest is that of the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania. The objectives of the work have been to ascertain the usefulness of ERTS-1 data in the areas of natural resources and land use inventory, geology and hydrology, and environmental quality. Specific results include a study of land use in the Harrisburg area, discrimination between types of forest resources and vegetation, detection of previously unknown geologic faults and correlation of these with known mineral deposits and ground water, mapping of mine spoils in the anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania, and mapping of strip mines and acid mine drainage in central Pennsylvania. Both photointerpretive techniques and automatic computer processing methods have been developed and used, separately and in a combined approach.
The author has identified the following significant results. This 15-month ERTS-1 investigation produced correlations between satellite, aircraft, menhaden fisheries, and environmental sea truth data from the Mississippi Sound. Selected oceanographic, meteorological, and biological parameters were used as indirect indicators of the menhaden resource. Synoptic and near real time sea truth, fishery, satellite imagery, aircraft acquired multispectral, photo and thermal IR information were acquired as data inputs. Computer programs were developed to manipulate these data according to user requirements. Preliminary results indicate a correlation between backscattered light with chlorophyll concentration and water transparency in turbid waters. Eight empirical menhaden distribution models were constructed from combinations of four fisheries-significant oceanographic parameters: water depth, transparency, color, and surface salinity. The models demonstrated their potential for management utilization in areas of resource assessment, prediction, and monitoring.
Skylab data has been used: (1) as an aid to resource management in Northern California; (2) to assess and monitor change in the Southern California environment; and (3) for resource inventory and analysis of The California Desert Program.
The NASA Earth Resources Spectral Information System (ERSIS) and the information contained therein are described. It is intended for use as a second supplement to the NASA Earth Resources Spectral Information System: A Data Compilation, NASA CR-31650-24-T, May 1971. The current supplement includes approximately 100 rock and mineral, and 375 vegetation directional reflectance spectral curves in the optical region from 0.2 to 22.0 microns. The data were categorized by subject and each curve plotted on a single graph. Each graph is fully titled to indicate curve source and indexed by subject to facilitate user retrieval from ERSIS magnetic tape records.
ERTS-1 satellite imagery has proved a valuable data source for land use as well as natural and cultural resource studies on a regional basis. ERTS-1 data also provide an excellent base for mapping resource related features and phenomena. These investigations are focused on a number of potential applications which are already showing promise of having operational utility.
ERTS data affords a unique opportunity to perform urgently needed resource surveys and land use planning at a critical juncture in the history of Alaska's social and economic development. The available facilities for photographic, optical and digital processing of ERTS data are described, along with the interpretive techniques which have been developed. Examples of the applications of these facilities and techniques are given for three environmental disciplines: vegetation mapping for potential archeological sites; marine and sea ice surveys on the Alaskan continental shelf for the determination of surface circulation and sedimentation patterns and their effects on navigation, pollution assessment, fisheries, location of habors and construction of off-shore structures; snow surveys for inventories of water resources and flood potential in Alaska watersheds.
The use of the space shuttle and of spacelab in earth resources surveys is reviewed. Advantages for viewing earth resources from space are summarized and research and development requirements are dealt with. Man's role in spacelab and shuttle operations is discussed and flight schedules are tabulated.
The application of NASA earth resource survey technology to resource management and environmental protection in Michigan was investigated. Remote sensing techniques to aid Michigan government agencies were applied in the following activities: (1) land use inventory and management, (2) great lakes shorelands protection and management, (3) wetlands protection and management, and (4) soil survey. In addition, information was disseminated on remote sensing technology, and advice and assistance was provided to a number of users.
Substantial progress has been made in applying ERTS-1 data to water resources problems, nevertheless, more time and effort still appear necessary for further quantification of results, including the specification of thematic measurement accuracies. More modeling can be done very profitably. In particular, more strategy models describing the processes wherein ERTS-1 data would be acquired, analyzed, processed, and utilized in operational situations could be profitably accomplished. It is generally observed that the ERTS-1 data applicability is evident in several areas and that the next most general and substantive steps in the implementation of the data in operational situations would be greatly encouraged by the establishment of an operational earth resources satellite organization and capability. Further encouragement of this operational capability would be facilitated by all investigators striving to document their procedures as fully as possible and by providing time and cost comparisons between ERTS-1 and conventional acquisition approaches.
Techniques have been developed for defining coastal circulation patterns using sediment as a natural tracer, allowing the formulation of new circulation concepts in some geographical areas and, in general, a better capability for defining the seasonal characteristics of coastal circulation. An analytical technique for measurement of absolute water depth based upon the ratios of two MSS channels has been developed. Suspended sediment has found wide use as a tracer, but a few investigators have reported limited success in measuring the type and amount of sediment quantitatively from ERTS-1 digital data. Significant progress has been made in developing techniques for using ERTS-1 data to locate, identify, and monitor sea and lake ice. Ice features greater than 70 meters in width can be detected, and both arctic and antarctic icebergs have been identified. In the application area of living marine resources, the use of ERTS-1 image-density patterns as a potential indicator of fish school location has been demonstrated for one coastal commercial resource, menhaden. ERTS-1 data have been used to locate ocean current boundaries using ERTS-1 image-density enhancement, and some techniques are under development for measurement of suspended particle concentration and chlorophyll concentration. The interrelationship of water color and surface characteristics (sea state) are also being studied to improve spectral and spatial interpretive techniques.
Discussion of the state of the technology of earth resources information systems relative to future operational implementation. The importance of recognizing the difference between systems with image orientation and systems with numerical orientation is illustrated in an example concerning the effect of noise on multiband multispectral data obtained in an agricultural experiment. It is suggested that the data system hardware portion of the total earth resources information system be designed in terms of a numerical orientation; it is argued, however, that this choise is entirely compatible with image-oriented analysis tasks. Some aspects of interfacing such an advanced technology with an operational user community in such a way as to accommodate the user's need for flexibility and yet provide the services needed on a cost-effective basis are discussed.
The characteristics of optical measurements taken by the return-beam vidicon and multispectral scanner systems on the ERTS-1 satellite are described together with the interpretation of these observations for purposes of mapping and surveying earth resources over large areas. Each spectral interval covered by the sensors is discussed in terms of the type of features which can be discriminated and related to particular earth resources.
The present work discusses some recent developments in preprocessing and extractive processing techniques and hardware and in user applications model development for earth resources survey systems. The Multivariate Interactive Digital Analysis System (MIDAS) is currently being developed, and is an attempt to solve the problem of real time multispectral data processing in an operational system. The main features and design philosophy of this system are described. Examples of wetlands mapping and land resource inventory are presented. A user model developed for predicting the yearly production of mallard ducks from remote sensing and ancillary data is described.
The scheduling of space shuttle missions within specified window and resource constraints are reported. Models are described for selecting qualified resource units to the mission assignments.