ALBERT

Description: Background information and exercises are provided to: (1) establish or expand understanding of the concepts, methods, and terminology of computer processing of image producing data; (2) develop insight into the advantages of computer based image processing compared with the photointerpretation approach for processing, classifying, interpreting, and applying remote sensing data; (3) foster a broad perspective on the principal of the main techniques for image enhancement, pattern recognition, and thematic classification; (4) appreciate the pros and cons of batch and interactive modes of image analysis; (5) examine and evaluate some specific computer generated products for subscenes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and (6) interrelate these particular examples of output with more theoretical explanations of computer processing strategies and procedures.

Description: Isolated knobs that are erosional remnants of central volcanoes or of folded rocks occur in several areas of the Altiplano are visible on both optical and images. The optically visible streaks occur in the immediate lee of the knobs, whereas the radar visible streaks occur in the zone downwind between the knobs. Aerial reconnaissance and field studies showed that the optically visible streaks consist of a series of small ( 100 m wide) barchan and barchanoid dunes, intradune sand sheets, and sand hummocks (large shrub coppice dunes) up to 15 m across and 5 m high. On LANDSAT images these features are poorly resolved but combine to form a bright streak. On the radar image, this area also appears brighter than the zone of the radar dark streak; evidently, the dunes and hummocks serve as radar reflectors. The radar dark streak consists of a relatively flat, smooth sand sheet which lacks organized aerolian bedforms, other than occasional ripples. Wind velocity profiles show a greater U value in the optically bright streak zone than in the radar dark streak.

Description: The diversity of proposed origins for large Martian outflow channels results from the differing interpretations given to the landforms associated with the outflow channels. In an attempt to help limit the possible mechanisms of channel erosion, detailed studies of three of the channel features were done; the streamlined islands, longitudinal grooves and scour marks. This examination involved a comparison of the martian streamlined islands with various streamlined landforms on Earth including those found in the Channel Scabland in large rivers, glacial drumlins, and desert yardangs. The comparisons included statistical analyses of the landform lengths versus widths and positions of maximum width, and an examination of the degree of shape agreement with the geometric lemniscate which was in turn demonstrated to correspond closely with true airfoil shapes. The analyses showed that the shapes of the martian islands correspond closely to the streamlined islands in rivers and the Channel Scabland land. Drumlins show a much smaller correlation. Erosional rock islands formed by glaciers are very much different in shape.

Description: Various image processing and information extraction systems are described along with the design and operation of an interactive multispectral information system, IMAGE 100. Analyses of ERTS data, using IMAGE 100, over a number of U.S. sites are presented. The following analyses are included: investigations of crop inventory and management using remote sensing; and (2) land cover classification for environmental impact assessments. Results show that useful information is provided by IMAGE 100 analyses of ERTS data in digital form.

Description: Images characteristics of geographic regions other than the northeastern part of the United States are presented for interpretation. Pre- and post-eruption imagery of Mt. St. Helens volcano serves to demonstrate the advantages of thermal infrared sensing, and the potential for developing a timely, decision oriented thematic map to be used in solving drought-related problems in Upper Volta is examined to show the applicability of satellite remote sensing in all geographic areas.

Description: The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens in southeast Washington resulted in a pronounced effect on the surface and ground water resources of the state. In response to the volcanic activity, the U.S. Geological Survey intensified statewide surface and ground water sampling programs to determine the nature and magnitude of the volcanic-induced variations. Streams to the east of Mount St. Helens received the major ash fallout. Chemical effects were best noted in smaller streams sampled 60 to 70 miles northeast of Mount St. Helens. The chemical variations observed were pronounced but short lived. Sulfate and chloride increases in anionic composition were prevalent immediately following the eruption; however, the original bicarbonate predominance was again attained within several days. Suspended iron and aluminum concentrations were similarly elevated during the period of greatest ash deposition (highest turbidity); however, the dissolved concentrations remained relatively constant. Depressions of pH were minor and short lived. Streams draining to the south, tributaries to the Columbia river, showed little observable changes in water chemistry. Streams draining to the west (Toutle river and its tributaries) were compositionally affected by the various volcanic activities. Chloride and sulfate anion percentage exceeded the bicarbonate percentage up to one month following the eruption period. Streams and lakes sampled in the immediate vicinity of Mount St. Helens, in addition to trace metals, contained organic compounds derived from decomposing wood buried in the debris deposits. This organic material may constitute a significant source of organic compounds to surface and ground water for some time to come.

Description: The benefits-to-cost ratio of satellite remote sensing, both as a substitute for conventional methods of monitoring and assessing resources, and as a supplement to these methods is examined using a model which analyzes the cost of aerial photography versus satellite scanner for producing and interpreting an image of the Earth's surface sized to LANDSAT dimensions. Examples of cost savings are tabulated for ground surveys, aerial photos, and LANDSAT. Possible additional benefits from LANDSAT D are assessed. The way in which satellites fit into more comprehensive models for resources management is discussed. It is shown that remote sensing is but one essential component in a complex system that aggregates technical. Socioeconomics, political, cultural, and other factors in the human decision process.

Description: Computer processing facilitates extraction of information from every pixel by executing a variety of functional operations, called processed algorithms, in general or specialized routines. The best results are obtained when data from more than one multispectral band are used together. Multivariate tatistical analysis, computer tape characteristics, processing modes, and a choice of systems (batch or interactive) are discussed. The major operations in computer processing elaborated include: preprocessing, enhancement, effects of rationing, and classification. Techniques for multisource data correlation are considered with emphasis on geobased systems.

Description: Learning objectives include: (1) developing an understanding of the implications of the term "near surface observations"; (2) associating the appearance of large ground features as seen in satellite imagery with their appearance as seen from the ground; (3) grasping criteria and procedures for selecting training sites on the ground for use in supervised classification; (4) running through an example of training site selection; (5) becoming familiar with several methods of accuracy assessment; (6) becoming aware of the approach and value of making supporting measurements of the spectral and physical properties of materials on the ground and from aircraft; (7) taking note of the different types of instruments used in making specific ground measurements; and (8) appreciating the rationale underlying laboratory and field studies on or near the Earth's surface for the purpose of developing new sensor systems.

Description: Learning objectives include: (1) developing a facility for applying conventional techniques of photointerpretation to small scale (satellite) imager; (2) promoting the ability to locate, identify, and interpret small natural and man made surface features in a LANDSAT image; (3) using supporting imagery, such as aerial and space photography, to conduct specific applications analyses; (4) learning to apply change detection techniques to recognize and explain transient and temporal events in individual or seasonal imagery; (5) producing photointerpretation maps that define major surface units, themes, or classes; (6) classifying or analyzing a scene for specific discipline applications in geology, agriculture, forestry, hyrology, coastal wetlands, and environmental pollution; and (7) evaluating both advantages and shortcomings in relying on the photointerpretive approach (rather than computer based analytical approach) for extracting information from LANDSAT data.

Description: Activities are provided for: (1) developing insight into the way in which the LANDSAT MSS produces multispectral data; (2) promoting understanding of what a "pixel" means in a LANDSAT image and the implications of the term "mixed pixel"; (3) explaining the concept of spectral signatures; (4) deriving a simple signature for a class or feature by analysis: of the four band images; (5) understanding the production of false color composites; (6) appreciating the use of color additive techniques; (7) preparing Diazo images; and (8) making quick visual identifications of major land cover types by their characteristic gray tones or colors in LANDSAT images.

Description: Learning objectives of the activities provided include: (1) reading the annotation of a LANDSAT image; (2) becoming acquainted with the characteristics of 1:1,000,000 scale transparencies and prints of MSS images; (3) noting the general information visible in LANDSAT photo products; (4) observing changes of appearance of any ground feature or class in the black and white images made from the four MSS bands and the characteristic color of each class in color composites; (5) determining the degree to which a LANDSAT image meets map accuracy standards and can be fitted to map projections; (6) assessing the effects of LANDSAT enlargements and scale changes and of the limitations of satellite resolution relative to aerial photos; (7) observing the influence of time of acquisition (season) on a scene; (8) getting a feel for image quality as dependent on processing and photoreproduction; (9) appreciating the characteristics of the RBV and thermal band imagery obtained from LANDSAT-3; and (10) becoming familiar with certain attributes of adjacent LANDSAT images which permit them to be joined in mosaics and to be viewed in stereo.

Description: The primary LANDSAT mission and the system requirements are summarized and pertinent parameters of the spacecraft, its orbit, and payload are tabulated. The history acquisition to entry into the archives for storage and product generation and dissemination is recounted. The LANDSAT D data handling plan is discussed showing requirements for both the MSS CCT and the thematic mapper CCT.

Description: The term remote sensing is defined as well as ideas such as class, pattern, feature, pattern recognition, feature extraction, and theme. The electromagnetic spectrum is examined especially those wavelength regions available to remote sensing. Relevant energy and wave propagation laws are discussed and the characteristics of emitted and reflected radiation and their detection are investigated. The identification of classes by their spectral signatures, the multispectral approach, and the principal types of sensors and platforms used in remote sensing are also considered.

Description: Operation of the microwave instrument as a two frequency scatterometer, a synthetic aperture radar, and a passive microwave radiometer is planned. Operation of the instrument in each of its three modes is discussed and the antenna system described.

Description: In order to understand better the polygenetic evolution of landforms on the martian surface, field studies were conducted in and around the Kharga Depression, Egypt. The Kharga region, on the eastern edge of Egypt's Western Desert, was subject to erosion under mostly hyperarid climatic conditions, punctuated by brief pluvial episodes of lesser aridity, since early Pleistocene time. The region contains numerous landforms analogous to features on the martian surface: yardangs carved in layered surficial deposits and in bedrock, invasive dune trains, wind-modified channels and interfluves, and depressions bounded by steep scarps. Like many of the topographic depresions on Mars, the Kharga Depression was invaded by crescentic dunes. In Egypt, stratigraphic relations between dunes, yardangs, mass-wasting debris, and wind-eroded flash-flood deposits record shifts in the relative effectiveness of wind, water, and mass-wasting processes as a function of climate change.

Description: LANDSAT data acquired over an agricultural area along with ground enumeration of the same area are used to obtain crop acreage estimates which are better (as measured in terms of bias and variance) than can be obtained from either data source alone. Two basic approaches considered within the AgRISTARS program are a stratified crop acreage estimator and a regression estimator. A statement of the problem was mathematically formulated and some theorems were proved which relate to the variance of the two estimators. For a particular set of data, the regression and stratified estimators are compared in terms of certain easily computed parameters.

Description: Sand bars and islands within braided rivers have characteristic rhomboid or diamond shapes, often becoming very complex in form as the density of islands increases. Similar forms are observed in the martian outflow channels where the islands occur in groups. This contrasts with the more isolated martian islands which have airfoil shapes, as do isolated streamlined islands in rivers and in the Channeled Scabland. These observations indicate that the bar and island forms are controlled by the density of the islands, with increasing island interaction and flow modification as the density increases. As a continuation of previous flume experiments on the shapes of isolated islands, a new series of experiments investigate the modifications produced by a progressive increase in island density, finally leading to a true braided system.

Description: The development of an ERTS/MSS image processing system responsive to the needs of the user community is discussed. An overview of the TRW ERTS/MSS processor is presented, followed by a more detailed discussion of image processing functions satisfied by the system. The particular functions chosen for discussion are evolved from advanced signal processing techniques rooted in the areas of communication and control. These examples show how classical aerospace technology can be transferred to solve the more contemporary problems confronting the users of spaceborne imagery.

Description: A natural environmental analysis process which allows the decision maker to know the probable consequences of a decision prior to the act is developed. Emphasis is placed on the fit between the natural environment and the social, economic, and functional attributes of man's communities and the transition from nature in its present state to various forms and intensities of development. Applications of the analysis are examined. It is concluded that the analysis is a workable system for land use management.

Description: The history of remote sensing is reviewed and the scope and versatility of the several remote sensing systems already in orbit are discussed, especially those with sensors operating in other EM spectral modes. The multisensor approach is examined by interrelating LANDSAT observations with data from other satellite systems. The basic principles and practices underlying the use of thermal infrared and radar sensors are explored and the types of observations and interpretations emanating from the Nimbus, Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, and SEASAT programs are examined. Approved or proposed Earth resources oriented missions for the 1980's previewed include LANDSAT D, Stereosat, Gravsat, the French satellite SPOT-1, and multimission modular spacecraft launched from space shuttle. The pushbroom imager, the linear array pushbroom radiometer, the multispectral linear array, and the operational LANDSAT observing system, to be designed the LANDSAT-E series are also envisioned for this decade.

Description: The use of computer aided classification of LANDSAT data in developing water quality plans for New Jersey watersheds is used to exemplify how a state natural resource management program benefits from satellite imagery. The transition of a research and development system into an operational remote sensing system to help decision makers is demonstrated. Nontechnial issues that can assist (or hinder) an agency in adopting a new technology are examined. The progress of LANDSAT use by state government from the earliest stage of curiosity through to incorporation in actual state planning methods is charted. Potential applications of LANDSAT data to real information needs and solutions to management problems are examined. The problems and mistakes that occurred in using LANDSAT data in the past are discussed as well as the ways by which these problems were overcome.

Description: Information and activities are provided to: (1) enhance the ability to distinguish between a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a data management system; (2) develop understanding of spatial data handling by conventional methods versus the automated approach; (3) promote awareness of GIS design and capabilities; (4) foster understanding of the concepts and problems of data base development and management; (5) facilitate recognition of how a computerized GIS can model conditions in the present "real world" to project conditions in the future; and (6) appreciate the utility of integrating LANDSAT and other remotely sensed data into the GIS.

Description: Sample images obtained with the Shuttle Imaging Radar A (SIR-A) are presented, along with design and performance features of the SIR-A, Seasat and Landsat images of the same scenes for comparison purposes. The SIR-A functions at the L-band 25 cm at a frequency of 1278 GHz with a spectral bandwidth of 6 MHz. The images were taken at an angle of 47 deg and furnished a resolution of 40 m from an altitude of 259 km. The images covered a ground swath 50 km wide. The images are provided to assist in the development of effective techniques for interpreting radar imagery. The SIR-A instrument is a precursor of another imaging device which will be flown around Venus. The images provided include sections of France, Sardinia and Algeria.

Description: SKYLAB mission SEASAT-B altimeter observations in combination with surface gravity measurements provide useful data on the marine geoid and expected ocean perturbations from analyses of seamount structures.

Description: Observations are reported of high-albedo soils denuded by overgrazing which appear bright, in high contrast to regions covered by natural vegetation. Measurements and modeling show that the denuded surfaces are cooler, when compared under sunlit conditions. This observed 'thermal depression' effect should, on theoretical grounds, result in a decreased lifting of air necessary for cloud formation and precipitation, and thus lead to regional climatic desertification.

Description: A computer-implemented classification has been derived from Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper data acquired over Baldwin County, Alabama on January 15, 1983. One set of spectral signatures was developed from the data by utilizing a 3x3 pixel sliding window approach. An analysis of the classification produced from this technique identified forested areas. Additional information regarding only the forested areas. Additional information regarding only the forested areas was extracted by employing a pixel-by-pixel signature development program which derived spectral statistics only for pixels within the forested land covers. The spectral statistics from both approaches were integrated and the data classified. This classification was evaluated by comparing the spectral classes produced from the data against corresponding ground verification polygons. This iterative data analysis technique resulted in an overall classification accuracy of 88.4 percent correct for slash pine, young pine, loblolly pine, natural pine, and mixed hardwood-pine. An accuracy assessment matrix has been produced for the classification.

Description: Among the topics discussed are NASA's land remote sensing plans for the 1980s, the evolution of Landsat 4 and the performance of its sensors, the Landsat 4 thematic mapper image processing system radiometric and geometric characteristics, data quality, image data radiometric analysis and spectral/stratigraphic analysis, and thematic mapper agricultural, forest resource and geological applications. Also covered are geologic applications of side-looking airborne radar, digital image processing, the large format camera, the RADARSAT program, the SPOT 1 system's program status, distribution plans, and simulation program, Space Shuttle multispectral linear array studies of the optical and biological properties of terrestrial land cover, orbital surveys of solar-stimulated luminescence, the Space Shuttle imaging radar research facility, and Space Shuttle-based polar ice sounding altimetry.

Description: Oil and gas deposits in the Alaskan Arctic are estimated to contain up to 40 percent of the remaining undiscovered crude oil and oil-equivalent natural gas within U.S. jurisdiction. Most (65 to 70 percent) of these estimated reserves are believed to occuur offshore beneath the shallow, ice-covered seas of the Alaskan continental shelf. Offshore recovery operations for such areas are far from routine, with the primary problems associated with the presence of ice. Some problems that must be resolved if efficient, cost-effective, environmentally safe, year-round offshore production is to be achieved include the accurate estimation of ice forces on offshore structures, the proper placement of pipelines beneath ice-produced gouges in the sea floor, and the cleanup of oil spills in pack ice areas.

Description: A multistage sampling procedure using image processing, geographical information systems, and analytical photogrammetry is presented which can be used to guide the collection of representative, high-resolution spectra and discrete reflectance targets for future satellite sensors. The procedure is general and can be adapted to characterize areas as small as minor watersheds and as large as multistate regions. Beginning with a user-determined study area, successive reductions in size and spectral variation are performed using image analysis techniques on data from the Multispectral Scanner, orbital and simulated Thematic Mapper, low altitude photography synchronized with the simulator, and associated digital data. An integrated image-based geographical information system supports processing requirements.

Description: The present investigation has the objective to develop a simple 'user's' model for simulating the measured radar backscattering coefficients from vegetation-covered fields in conjunction with the data obtained by Jackson et al. (1980, 1982). The theoretical work reported by Fung and Eom (1981) provides the basis for the model. Certain modifications are related to a consideration of the effect of a vegetation canopy. The first part of the model is concerned with a description of scatter from rough bare soil, while the second part takes into account the effect of a vegetation cover. It is shown that the measured angular distribution of the backscattering coefficient of vegetation-covered fields can be satisfactory reproduced by using the developed model.

Description: The atmospheric effect on the upward radiance of sunlight scattered from the earth-atmosphere system is strongly influenced by the contrasts between fields and their sizes. In this paper, the radiances above finite fields are computed to simulate radiances measured by a satellite. A simulation case including 11 agricultural fields and four natural fields (water, soil, savanah, and forest) is used to test the effect of field size, background reflectance, and optical thickness of the atmosphere on the classification accuracy. For a given atmospheric turbidity, the atmospheric effect on classification of surface features may be much stronger for nonuniform surfaces than for uniform surfaces. Therefore, the classification accuracy of agricultural fields and urban areas is dependent not only on the optical characteristics of the atmosphere, but also on the size of the surface elements to be classified and their contrasts. It is concluded that new atmospheric correction methods, which take into account the finite size of the fields, are needed.

Description: A goal of future synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system design is to yield the radiometrically accurate imagery necessary for use in classification problems. To accomplish this, a reliable calibration technique must be developed. Many such techniques have been proposed (e.g., Stiles and Holtzman, 1982); however, until now, none have been tested on spaceborne SAR digital data. In this paper, a method of significantly increasing the reproducibility of several independent Seasat SAR data sets of a test site using an automated correction procedure is described.

Description: The presence of positive serial correlation (autocorrelation) in remotely sensed data results in an underestimate of the variance-covariance matrix when calculated using contiguous pixels. This underestimate produces an inflation in F statistics. For a set of Thematic Mapper Simulator data (TMS), used to test the ability to discriminate a known geobotanical anomaly from its background, the inflation in F statistics related to serial correlation is between 7 and 70 times. This means that significance tests of means of the spectal bands initially appear to suggest that the anomalous site is very different in spectral reflectance and emittance from its background sites. However, this difference often disappears and is always dramatically reduced when compared to frequency distributions of test statistics produced by the comparison of simulated training sets possessing equal means, but which are composed of autocorrelated observations.

Description: The spectral and spatial requirements for remote sensing in the next decade are presented. The requirements presented were obtained through extensive literature research and discussions with leading members of the various remote sensing research communities. In the 0.35-2.5 micron region of the spectrum, numerous bands will be needed at bandwidths as narrow as 10-20 nanometers. There is also growing interest in the thermal infrared (8-14 microns). Spatial resolution (instantaneous field of view) of 5 to 10 meters will be of great benefit to many fields of remote sensing.

Description: The validity of using data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) of the satellites NOAA-6 and NOAA-7 for land cover mapping is assessed by making comparisons with much higher resolution LANDSAT multi-spectral scanner (MSS) data. Near synchronous data for both systems are analysed for test sites in the Imperial Valley, California, the Nile Delta, and southern Italy. The results strongly indicate that despite the very coarse resolution of the AVHRR data compared with conventional MSS data they are sufficiently strongly correlated to suggest that the former have significant potential for land cover mapping, especially at small scales and for large areas. Hence the outstanding benefits of AVHRR data, namely their high temporal frequency, relative cheapness and low data volumes for image processing, may readily be taken advantage of for such tasks.

Description: The radiometric measurements over bare field and fields covered with grass, soybean, corn, and alfalfa were made with 1.4- and 5-GHz microwave radiometers during August-October 1978. The measured results are compared with radiative transfer theory treating the vegetated fields as a two-layer random medium. It is found that the presence of a vegetation cover generally gives a higher brightness temperature T sub B than that expected from a bare soil. The amount of this T sub B excess increases with increase in the vegetation biomass and in the frequency of the observed radiation. The results of radiative transfer calculations, which include a parameter characterizing ground surface roughness, generally match well with the experimental data.

Description: The technique for inverting a vegetation canopy reflectance model described earlier (Goel and Strebel, 1983) is investigated further. The novel concept of an 'angle transform' is introduced. This concept allows the formation of functions of reflectances at different view zenith and azimuth angles, which are either sensitive or insensitive to a certain agronomic parameter. A proper combination of these functions can allow determination of all the important agronomic and spectral parameters from measured canopy reflectance data. The technique is demonstrated using Suits' (1972) model for homogeneous canopies. It is shown that leaf area index, leaf reflectance and transmittance, and average leaf angle all can be determined from the canopy reflectance at a set of selected view zenith and azimuth angles. A sensitivity analysis of the calculated values to the errors in the data is also carried out. Guidelines are formulated for the number and types of observations required to obtain the values of a particular canopy variable to within a given degree of accuracy for a given level of error in the measurement of canopy reflectance.

Description: Glacial landforms in the drumlin drift belt of Ireland and the Alaska Range can be identified and mapped from Seasat synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images. Drumlins cover 60 percent of the Ireland scene. The width/length ratio of individual drumlins can be measured on the SAR images, allowing regional differences in drumlin shape to be mapped. This cannot be done with corresponding Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images because of lower spatial resolution and because of shadowing effects that vary seasonally. The Alaska scene shows the extent and nature of morphological features such as medial and lateral moraines, stagnant ice, and fluted ground moraine in glaciated valleys. Perception of these features on corresponding Landsat MSS images is limited by seasonal diffrences in solar illumination. Because SAR is not affected by such differences or by cloud cover, it is particularly well suited for monitoring glacial movement. The disadvantage of distorted high-relief features on Seasat SAR images can be reduced in future SAR systems by modifying the radar illumination geometry.

Description: An evaluation of Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types based on vegetative cover characteristics is addressed in this research. A methodology for accomplishing this evaluation utilizing univariate and multivariate techniques is presented. TMS data acquired with a Daedalus DEI-1260 multispectral scanner were integrated with vegetation and geologic information for subsequent statistical analyses, which included a chi-square test, an analysis of variance, stepwise discriminant analysis, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results indicate that ultramafic rock types are spectrally separable from nonultramafics based on vegetative cover through the use of statistical analyses.

Description: An assessment is made of the information content of Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data for the case of a forested region, in order to determine the sensitivity of such data to forest crown closure and tree size class. Principal components analysis and Monte Carlo simulation indicated that channels 4, 7, 5 and 3 were optimal for four-channel forest structure analysis. As the number of channels supplied to the Monte Carlo feature selection routine increased, classification accuracy increased. The greatest sensitivity to the forest structural parameters, which included succession within clearcuts as well as crown closure and size class, was obtained from the 7-channel TMS data.

Description: An historical account is given of the development of technology for the processing of satellite-acquired multispectral data aimed at the identification of the type, condition, and ontogenic stages of agricultural areas. During 1972 and 1973, research established the feasibility of automating digital classification for the processing of large volumes of Landsat MSS data. This capability was successfully demonstrated during the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment, which estimated wheat crop production on a global basis. This achievement in turn led to the Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing, which investigated other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and expanded the study of key commercial crops in important agricultural areas.

Description: The present model for the temporal behavior of agricultural greenness is applied to the extraction of Landsat-derived profile features, distinguishing small from large grain crops. An additional feature derivable from the temporal behavior of the ratio of greenness to brightness is noted which aids in the separation of crops from other vegetation. A limited training set of 20 pure pixels/class, obtained from ground data, is subjected to the Ho-Kashyap (1965) linear classifier. The initial correct classification value for pure pixels of about 85 percent drops to 75 percent for all Landsat pixels.

Description: The utility of Landsat MSS classification methods in the case of small, highly urbanized hydrological basins containing complex land-use patterns is limited, and is plagued by misclassifications due to the spectral response similarity of many dissimilar surfaces. Landsat MSS data for the Conley Creek basin near Atlanta, Georgia, have been compared to thematic mapper simulator (TMS) data obtained on the same day by aircraft. The TMS data were able to alleviate many of the recurring patterns associated with MSS data, through bandwidth optimization, an increase of the number of spectral bands to seven, and an improvement of ground resolution to 30 m. The TMS is thereby able to detect small water bodies, powerline rights-of-way, and even individual buildings.

Description: An attempt has been made to relate hand-held radiometer measurements, and airborne multispectral scanner readings, with both different wheat stand densities and grain yield. Aircraft overflights were conducted during the tillering, stem extension and heading period stages of growth, while hand-held radiometer readings were taken throughout the growing season. The near-IR/red ratio was used in the analysis, which indicated that both the aircraft and the ground measurements made possible a differentiation and evaluation of wheat stand densities at an early enough growth stage to serve as the basis of management decisions. The aircraft data also corroborated the hand-held radiometer measurements with respect to yield prediction. Winterkill was readily evaluated.

Description: Ratios of intensities of near-infrared spectral bands, measured in reflectance, quantitatively predict the iron content of granitic rocks. Such data from the 1.60- and 1.05-micron bands of the Shuttle multispectral infrared radiometer have been used to study granitic rocks along orbits crossing Baja California, Mexico, and the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Both regions are arid and relatively to essentially free of vegetation, and there is no indication in the spectra that surface chemical alteration masks the true composition of the unweathered rock. Predicted values of iron are consistent with known compositional types of most of the rocks along the orbital paths. Results demonstrate that the near-infrared method used is a powerful technique to average the variability of these rocks on the scales of meters to kilometers.

Description: The presence of positive serial correlation (autocorrelation) in remotely sensed data results in an underestimate of the variance-covariance matrix when calculated using contiguous pixels. This underestimate produces an inflation in F statistics. For a set of Thematic Mapper Simulator data (TMS), used to test the ability to discriminate a known geobotanical anomaly from its background, the inflation in F statistics related to serial correlation is between 7 and 70 times. This means that significance tests of means of the spectral bands initially appear to suggest that the anomalous site is very different in spectral reflectance and emittance from its background sites. However, this difference often disappears and is always dramatically reduced when compared to frequency distributions of test statistics produced by the comparison of simulated training sets possessing equal means, but which are composed of autocorrelated observations. Previously announced in STAR as N82-25602

Description: A complete automatic unsupervised classification approach has been developed to estimate the proportion of corn, soybeans, and other crops in a Landsat 5-by-6-nanometer segment. The technique involves extracting crop growth variables that are predictable from agromet models, it provides a signature extension not possible before. The technique has been applied in 3 years (1978-1980) for 56 segments and shows neither a year-to-year effect nor any geographic effect. The results to date are considered far better than those obtainable from any other currently available technique. Nontheless, the technique can be improved to reduce the bias.

Description: Since NASA's program of research concerning remote sensing was initiated in the 1960s, one of its major objectives has been to advance the state-of-the-art in machine processing of satellite acquired multispectral data. Possibilities have been studied regarding a use of these data to identify type, to monitor condition, and to estimate the ontogenetic stage of cultural vegetation. The present investigation provides a review of the state-of-the-art of the technology used to make remote sensing crop production estimates in foreign regions. Attention is given to Landsat data acquisition, aspects of registration and preprocessing, questions of data transformation, data modeling, proportion estimation, labeling, development stage models, crop condition models, and an outlook regarding future developments.

Description: The improved spatial resolution of the new earth resources satellites will increase the need for effective utilization of spatial information in machine processing of remotely sensed data. One promising technique is scene segmentation by region growing. Region growing can use spatial information in two ways: only spatially adjacent regions merge together, and merging criteria can be based on region-wide spatial features. A simple region growing approach is described in which the similarity criterion is based on region mean and variance (a simple spatial feature). An effective way to implement region growing for remote sensing is as an iterative parallel process on a large parallel processor. A straightforward parallel pixel-based implementation of the algorithm is explored and its efficiency is compared with sequential pixel-based, sequential region-based, and parallel region-based implementations. Experimental results from on aircraft scanner data set are presented, as is a discussioon of proposed improvements to the segmentation algorithm.

Description: The scientific instruments comprising the OSTA-1 package flown on the second Shuttle mission (November 12-14, 1981) are listed, and the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) experiments are examined in detail: SIR-A operated for 8 h and obtained images covering more than 10 million sq km at 40-m resolution. The images were recorded on photographic film and processed in holographic form at JPL, and data for Southern Europe and parts of Africa were distributed to French scientists by the Groupement pour le Developpement de la Teledetection Aerospatiale. The main areas of research were environmental studies and geology, and the SIR-A images were used in combination with aerial photography, thematic maps, and Landsat images. The technical specifications of the SIR-B radar planned for STS-17 in 1984 are compared with those of SIR-A and Seasat SAR in tables.

Description: The use of remote sensing in resource exploration is reviewed, with emphasis placed on new developments in high spectral resolution remote-sensing techniques for mineralogic and vegetation mapping. Topics discussed include aerial photography and satellite remote sensing, concepts and principles of spectral data collection, spectral properties of rocks and minerals, spectral properties of vegetation, and botanical aspects of geochemical stress. The discussion also covers applications of Landsat multispectral scanner data to lithologic and geobotanic studies and the future development of data acquisition and data interpretation techniques.

Description: In this paper, results of a Monte Carlo simulation of the effect of noise on the relationship between the microwave emissivity of soil and its moisture content are presented. It is found that whenever the magnitude of the noise for the independent variable, in this case the soil moisture, is increased, both the slope of the regression and the correlation coefficient decrease. In particular, when the noise has magnitude equivalent to a coefficient of variation of 0.25, the slope and correlation coefficient are in good agreement with those obtained from the data of a 21-cm airborne microwave radiometer which was flown over a test site in hand county, South Dakota. The comparison was made using a linear relationship to determine the estimated emissivity from the ground measurements of soil moisture. The linear relationship was derived from a radiative transfer model calculation of the microwave emissivities using realistic soil-moisture profiles. The effect of surface roughness was included in the relationship, and the variability of the surface roughness was also simulated by a Monte Carlo technique.

Description: Automated information extraction procedures for analysis of multitemporal Landsat data in non-U.S. crop inventory and monitoring are reviewed. Experiments to develop and evaluate crop area estimation technologies for spring small grains, summer crops, corn, and soybeans are discussed. Previously announced in STAR as N82-32793

Description: Agriculture, which occupies a vital position in the economy of the State of California, depends crucially on the available water. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is, therefore, greatly concerned with the total water requirements for agricultural applications. In view of the limitations of an area-limited, single-date survey system, the DWR has been cooperating with NASA and the University of California in a study of the applicability of Landsat imagery and digital data as an aid in making decisions concerning the management of water resources. Attention is given to a statewide inventory of irrigated land, computer-assisted estimation and mapping of irrigated land, and a crop type analysis using Landsat digital data.

Description: The development of a preprocessing unit for Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data for the Earth Observations Data Laboratory at Johnson Space Center is reported. The background of the project is sketched, including the greatly increased data-handling requirements compared to MSS, the influence of the JPL VICAR system on the system design, and the completeness of the GSFC SCROUNGE (LASLIB) TM data tapes. The design approach and realization are discussed, and the performance and transportability of the preprocessor programs (totaling about 2000 lines of source code in FORTRAN and IBM Assembly languages) are indicated. The system is able to read the TM image tapes, extract areas of interest to particular studies, and register the extracted imagery to suitable references. Ancillary programs include image enhancement, rotation, filtering and pixel-size modification.

Description: Features of the NASA Regional Application Program for providing state and local land management agencies an opportunity to assess the usefulness of emerging remote sensing technology are described. The Program guidelines necessitated configuring software for local facilities, assuring that the aggncy involved furnished manpower, and applying the technology to local needs. The study focused on the southwestern U.S., particularly for purposes of water management, federal/state ownership/policy, energy development, environmental impact issues, timber and range inventory, fire control, and urban expansion. Demonstration projects were conducted in various topics, according to the state surveyed, with the success of the projects determined by the willingness of the agencies to continue with the technology, which happened in several cases.

Description: A statistical correlation technique is applied to the retrieval of vertical moisture profiles from downlooking radiometric measurements of atmospheric radiation at microwave wavelengths. Only an optimum subset of available radiometer channels is selected for estimating water vapor at specific pressure levels. To test its validity the algorithm was applied, in a numerical experiment, to 50 independent tropical radiosondes over a sea surface. It was also used to retrieve continuous sequences of atmospheric moisture profiles from a set of data obtained with a 4-channel microwave radiometer carried aboard an aircraft over a land surface.

Description: The SEASAT altimeter (ALT), scatterometer (SASS), and scanning microwave multichannel radiometer (SMMR) measured sea surface wind speed. During the satellite lifetime from June to October 1978, the Austral winter, the highest wind speeds were recorded in the Southern Ocean. Three-month, monthly, and three-day surface wind speed fields deduced from the three Seasat wind speed sensors are compared. The monthly and three-day fields show a pronounced mesoscale (1000 km) variability in wind speed. At all space and time scales analyzed, differences of 40% are found in the magnitude of the wind speed features, with the ALT consistently yielding the lowest wind speed and the SMMR the highest.

Description: Passive microwave measurements of the Bering Sea were made with the NASA CV-990 airborne laboratory during February. Microwave data were obtained with imaging and dual-polarized, fixed-beam radiometers in a range of frequencies from 10 to 183 GHz. The high resolution imagery at 92 GHz provides a particularly good description of the marginal ice zone delineating regions of open water, ice compactness, and ice-edge structure. Analysis of the fixed-beam data shows that spectral differences increase with a decrease in ice thickness. Polarization at 18 and 37 GHz distinguishes among new, young, and first-year sea ice types.

Description: Data acquired with the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) on board the Nimbus-7 Satellite for a six-week period in Fram Strait were analyzed with a procedure for calculating sea ice concentration, multiyear fraction, and ice temperature. Calculations were compared with independent observations made on the surface and from aircraft to check the validity of the calculations based on SMMR data. The calculation of multiyear fraction, which was known to be invalid near the melting point of sea ice, is discussed. The indication of multiyear ice is found to disappear a number of times, presumably corresponding to freeze/thaw cycles which occurred in this time period.

Description: The California Integrated Remote Sensing System's San Bernardino County Project was devised to study the utilization of a data base at a number of jurisdictional levels. The present paper discusses the implementation of change-detection and masking techniques in the updating of Landsat-derived land-cover maps. A baseline landcover classification was first created from a 1976 image, then the adjusted 1976 image was compared with a 1979 scene by the techniques of (1) multidate image classification, (2) difference image-distribution tails thresholding, (3) difference image classification, and (4) multi-dimensional chi-square analysis of a difference image. The union of the results of methods 1, 3 and 4 was used to create a mask of possible change areas between 1976 and 1979, which served to limit analysis of the update image and reduce comparison errors in unchanged areas. The techniques of spatial smoothing of change-detection products, and of combining results of difference change-detection algorithms are also shown to improve Landsat change-detection accuracies.

Description: A technique is examined for improving the comparability of Landsat multisppectral scanner (MSS) data acquired on different dates. The technique involves conversion of digital brightness counts to relative radiance values measured in energy units (milliwatts per square centimeter-steradian). The statistical data of signature from 23 land cover (or biomass) classifications derived from all three Landsats were compared before and after the radiance normalization. Significant convergence occurred among the data sets for mean spectral values and the variances associated with each of seven major land cover types for MSS bands 4, 5, and 7. Overall, the variance attributed to the sensor component was reduced from 5.39 to 2.69 percent, with the largest decrease occurring in band 4 (14.4 percent to 3.7 percent).

Description: Soil moisture budgets at the Earth's surface were investigated based on soil and atmospheric temperature variations. A number of data sets were plotted and statistically analyzed in order to accentuate the existence and the characteristics of mesoscale soil temperature extrema variations and their relations to other parameters. The correlations between diurnal temperature extrema for air and soil in drought and non-drought periods appear to follow different characteristic patterns, allowing an inference of soil moisture content from temperature data. The recovery of temperature extrema after a precipitation event also follows a characteristic power curve rise between two limiting values which is an indicator of evaporation rates. If these indicators are applied universally to regional temperature data, soil moisture content or drought conditions can be inferred directly from temperature measurements.

Description: The spaceborne gravity gradiometer is a potential sensor for mapping the fine structure of the Earth's gravity field. Error analyses were performed to investigate the accuracy of the determination of the Earth's gravity field from a gravity field satellite mission. The orbital height of the spacecraft is the dominating parameter as far as gravity field resolution and accuracies are concerned.

Description: The capability of spaceborne altimetry to record the level, or monitor changes in the level, of inland seas was assessed. SEASAT altimetry data from Lake Baikal in Siberia; the Caspian, Black, and Aral Seas in the southern Soviet Union; the Great Salt Lake in the United States; lakes and reservoirs in northwestern and central China; and snow cover in northwestern India and on the Tibetan Plateau were examined.

Description: A simple interactive biosphere is presented based on an electrical analog of turbulent transport processes that produce heat and moisture fluxes between land and the atmosphere. A network of resistances that effect temperature or vapor pressure fluxes are identified and entered into the quasi steady state equations. A set of solutions that depict a realistic diurnal cycle is included.

Description: Changes in leaf spectra caused by mineralization under different conditions of preservation are measured using a three-band portable radiometer which simulates three Thematic Mapper bands 3, 4, and 5. Daily spectral measurements of white oak (Quercus alba) leaves did not distinguish among the fresh, bottled, and bagged vegetation in the spectral bands 3 and 5 for up to four days after collection. The reflected energy of the preserved vegetation increased thereafter, reportedly due to the loss of chlorophyll and dehydration. It is concluded that the measurement procedure is sufficiently sensitive as to discern documented patterns of variation in reflectance measurements.

Description: An airborne multispectral scanner, operating in the same spectral channels as the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), was used in a region east of Denver, CO, for a simulation test performed in the framework of using TM to discriminate the level I and level II classes. It is noted that at the 30-m spatial resolution of the Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) the overall discrimination for such classes as commercial/industrial land, rangeland, irrigated sod, irrigated alfalfa, and irrigated pasture was superior to that of the Landsat Multispectral Scanner, primarily due to four added spectral bands. For residential and other spectrally heterogeneous classes, however, the higher resolution of TMS resulted in increased variability within the class and a larger spectral overlap.

Description: The Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Program was established by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1966 under the administration of the Geological Survey. It is primarily concerned with the application of remote sensing techniques for the management of natural resources. The retrieval system employed to search the EROS database is called INORAC (Inquiry, Ordering, and Accounting). A description is given of the types of images identified in EROS, taking into account Landsat imagery, Skylab images, Gemini/Apollo photography, and NASA aerial photography. Attention is given to retrieval commands, geographic coordinate searching, refinement techniques, various online functions, and questions regarding the access to the EROS Main Image File.

Description: The sensitivity of thermal inertia (TI) calculations to errors in the measurement or parameterization of a number of environmental factors is considered here. The factors include effects of radiative transfer in the atmosphere, surface albedo and emissivity, variations in surface turbulent heat flux density, cloud cover, vegetative cover, and topography. The error analysis is based upon data from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM) satellite for July 1978 at three separate test sites in the deserts of the western United States. Results show that typical errors in atmospheric radiative transfer, cloud cover, and vegetative cover can individually cause root-mean-square (RMS) errors of about 10 percent (with atmospheric effects sometimes as large as 30-40 percent) in HCMM-derived thermal inertia images of 20,000-200,000 pixels.

Description: Alluvial fans have been mapped in Death Valley, California using NASA's 8-12 micron six-channel airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS). Both composition and relative age differences were recognized. Age unit boundries are generally consistent with those obtained by conventional mapping. Composition was verified by field investigation and comparison with existing geologic maps. Bedrock and its young derived fan gravels have similar emissivities. The original composition of the fans is modified by differential erosion and weathering, permitting relative age mapping with TIMS.

Description: Emissivity and reflectivity in the thermal infrared spectral region (8-13 microns) may be used to discriminate among rocks and minerals. Although considerable success has been achieved in remote sensing classification of rock types based on emissivity measurements made with NASA's Thermal Infreared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), classification based on reflectivity offers several advantages: much narrower bandwidths are used, higher signal to noise ratios are possible, and measurements are little affected by surface temperature. As a demonstration, an airborne CO2 laser instrument was flown along the margin of Death Valley, California. Measurements of spectral reflectance collected with this device were compared with emissivity measurements made with the TIMS. Data from either instrument provided the means for recognizing boundaries between geologic units including different rock types and fan surfaces of different ages.

Description: Correlations between spectral indices and vegetation parameters in south-central New Mexico were used to determine the utility of Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) spectral indices in arid rangeland monitoring. In addition, spectral index change for 1976-1980 was calculated from retrospective MSS data and compared with qualitative ground truth in order to evaluate vegetation change detection by means of spectral indices. Brightness index change consistently differentiated between cover increase and decrease, but index change appears to have been offset from true cover change; this may at least partly be attributed to the failure of the methods used to standardize MSS scenes for differences in sensor response. Green vegetation indices, by contrast to brightness indices, failed to consistently differentiate between cover increase and decrease.

Description: The NOAA-7 polar orbiting sun-synchronous operational satellite carries the 5-channel advanced very high-resolution radiometer which acquires data globally at a spatial resolution of 4 km on a daily basis. These data provide a means for frequently monitoring global vegetation at continental scales. Techniques for compositing and cloud screening a green leaf density vegetation index product for Africa are presented for 9 sequential days beginning August 16, 1982 and are compared with a semi-operational vegetation index product produced by NOAA.

Description: The present work describes the use of an airborne electromagnetic sensing system for measuring snowpack depth, density, and water content. A transmitter sends a sequence of pulses of stepped frequencies, and the reflections are measured by a sensitive receiver. The combination of the snowpack and the earth interacts with the electromagnetic wave so as to modify the characteristics of the reflected signals. The variation of the reflected intensity with frequency provides the desired data. A theoretical analysis of return signal and snowpack parameter relationships is given, and the results of experimental verification of the theory are discussed.

Description: The spectral reflectance of a cropped surface changes as the plant develops. An indicator of crop growth is leaf area index (ratio of green leaf area to soil area). The leaf area index, disease severity, and yield were determined for several winter wheat fields in Kansas during the 1973 growing season. Multispectral scanner (MSS) data from Earth Resources Technology Satellite-1 (ERTS-1) showed a high correlation (r greater than or equal to 0.90) between crop growth and MSS4/MSS5, and crop growth and MSS5/MSS6. Wheat disease severity and yields were significantly correlated at the 5% level with MSS4/MSS6 and with MSS4/MSS7. Further investigation is required before ERTS imagery can be routinely used detecting and estimating disease severity and yield reduction.

Description: Synoptic views of the entire polar regions of earth have been obtained free of the usual persistent cloud cover using a scanning microwave radiometer operating at a wavelength of 1.55 cm on board the Nimbus-5 satellite. Three different views at each pole are presented utilizing data obtained at approximately one-month intervals from December 1972 to February 1973. Large discrepancies exist between the long-term ice cover depicted in various atlases and the actual extent of the canopies. The distribution of multiyear ice in the north polar region is markedly different from that predicted by existing ice dynamics models. Irregularities in the edge of the Antarctic sea ice pack occur that have neither been observed previously nor anticipated. The brightness temperatures of the Greenland and Antarctic glaciers show interesting contours probably related to the ice and snow morphologic structure.

Description: ERTS-1 imagery of the volcanic areas of southern Italy was used primarily for the evaluation of space platform capabilties in the domains of regional geology, soil and rock-type classification and, more generally, to study the environment of active volcanoes. The test sites were selected and equipped primarily to monitor thermal emission, but ground truth data was also collected in other domains (reflectance of rocks, soils and vegetation). The test areas were overflown with a two channel thermal scanner, while a thermo camera was used on the ground to monitor the hot spots. The primary goal of this survey was to plot the changes in thermal emission with time in the framework of a research program for the surveillance of active volcanoes. However, another task was an evaluation of emissivity changes by comparing the outputs of the two thermal channels. These results were compared with the reflectance changes observed on multispectral ERTS-1 imagery.

Description: Atmospheric radiation was measured as a function of wavelength, position, angle, and time. Radiation was determined by temperature, cloud (aerosol), composition, and surface emissivity measurements. The theory of radiative transfer is reviewed, along with retrieval methods. Instruments onboard space probes for infrared remote sounding of planetary atmospheres are also described.

Description: Lunar photography from Zond 6 showed half the side of the moon which is not visible from the earth, and this made it possible to construct a photogrammetric grid encompassing the entire Western Hemisphere and referenced to points of the visible side, whose coordinates were taken from the Goloseyev catalog. The problem was solved using two pictures taken from approximately 9000 km above the lunar surface. The photogrammetric grid was constructed by joint statistical analysis of the measurements of both pictures and the selenographic coordinates of the catalog points. A special algorithm was developed and a program compiled realizing the maximum likelihood method which permitted working with up to 120 catalog points simultaneously.

Description: Pictures of the lunar surface with an image of practically the entire lunar limb were obtained from the Zond 6 spacecraft. During the time of exposure, the entire lunar surface covered by these photographs was illuminated by the sun. Such single pictures were used to find the external orientation elements and selenographic coordinates of the photographed lunar surface points. The selenographic coordinate system was specified by the Goloseyev catalog and was realized by points of this catalog identified on the pictures and termed reference points. Craters located on the invisible side of the moon and also other points of the Goloseyev catalog, which could be used as control points, were taken as the points being determined. The technique used to compute the selenographic coordinates of the points is outlined.

Description: The linear and angular motions of the Zond 6 and Zond 8 spacecraft imaging camera during the exposure cause displacements of the optical image points. In the case of instantaneous exposure of each individual point and the nonsimultaneous exposure of the complete frame, this leads to finite geometric shifts of the points without causing blurring of the photographic image. Therefore, when measuring the resulting photographic pictures, the problem arises of reducing the picture point positions to a common instant of time. This reduction is performed by means of dynamic corrections to the measured picture point coordinates. These corrections are found by using formulas of dynamic photogrammetry. Their use with the Zond space probe photographs is described.

Description: Estimates were made of the accuracy of reference point grids using the technique of calculating the errors from theoretical analysis. Factors taken into consideration were: telescope accuracy, number of photographs, and libration amplitude. To solve the problem, formulas were used for the relationship between the coordinates of lunar surface points and their images on the photograph.

Description: This investigation was restricted to the determination of recognitional characteristics of a single type of relief form, dimple craters on the surface of maria. These craters were arbitrarily considered as closed, negative relief forms, circular in plan-view, and symmetric relative to the center. Two techniques were used to determine the shadow configuration in the craters: (1) experimental determination of the shadow edge by illuminating the models of different profile shapes with a parallel light beam; and (2) geometric construction of the shadow edge using a vertical section of the formation in the direction of the solar rays. A morphological map of the surface which includes the following factors can be compiled using the proposed identification technique: crater profile nature, crater diameter, ratio of diameter and depth, sharpness of the lip, and distribution density of the forms.

Description: Results are presented of Soviet investigations into the use of television imagery obtained from meteorological satellites for the interpretation of tectonics, lithology, and structural properties of the earth. The area investigated encompassed the eastern part of Iran, and the western regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Interpretation of the features identified during the analysis was accomplished by comparing these features with physical, geographic, geological, and tectonic maps. It was concluded that television pictures of the earth from space can be used for geological and structural analysis.

Description: A method was examined for joint construction of a selenocentric fundamental system which can be realized by a coordinate catalog of reference contour points uniformly positioned over the entire lunar surface, and determination of the parameters characterizing the gravitational field, rotation, and orbital motion of the moon. Characteristic of the problem formulation is the introduction of a new complex of inconometric measurements which can be made using pictures obtained from an artificial lunar satellite. The proposed method can be used to solve similar problems on any other planet for which surface images can be obtained from a spacecraft. Characteristic of the proposed technique for solving the problem is the joint statistical analysis of all forms of measurements: orbital iconometric, earth-based trajectory, and also a priori information on the parameters in question which is known from earth-based astronomical studies.

Description: The primary sources information for compiling this map were the photographs of the visible hemisphere obtained by earth-based observatories, the Luna 3 and Zond 3 pictures, and a small number of Lunar Orbiter pictures. The primary content of the complete lunar map is the surface relief and its tonal characteristics. In preparing the map, particular attention was devoted to the variety of lunar relief forms. The color spectrum of the map was selected not only for the natural coloring of the lunar surface, but also with the objective of achieving maximum expressiveness. A lunar globe to scale 1:10 million was prepared along with the preparation of the map. The scale of the globe, half that of the map, led to some selection and generalization of the relief forms. The globe permits maintaining simultaneously geometric similarity of contours, exact proportions of areas, and identical scales in all directions. The globe was prepared in both the Latin and Russian languages.

Description: Two examples of regional interpretation of imagery acquired from satellite photographic and television systems are discussed. The imagery was taken aboard the Zond 7 and Kosmos satellites, and depicted; (1) sand and dust storm activity in the eastern Mediterranean Sea area; and (2) landscape and structural properties of territory of southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

Description: The possibilities of using images obtained by devices which detect the reflected and self-radiation of the the earth's surface and atmosphere in other parts of the spectrum, other than visible, were analyzed. Considered were: (1) infrared; (2) radiothermal; and (3) magnetic field.

Description: An electronic transformation and correlation system has been developed for the Meteor space weather system which provides transformation and scaling of the original picture, accounts for satellite flight altitude and inclinations of the optical axes of the transmitting devices, and simultaneously superposes the geographical coordinate grid on the transformed picture.

Description: The requirements on the accuracy of geographical correlation of TV and IR cloud cover images are determined by the objective of the analysis of the weather information contained in these images. In the operational analysis case, the correlation accuracy need not be high. Errors of several tens of kilometers in determining the location of the cloud formation contours are considered acceptable in this case. Such correlation must be provided in real image reception time. Scientific studies require accurate correlation of the cloud formation contours. The errors in determining their position should be commensurate with the imaging system resolution. The geometric aspects of developing methods and equipment for geographical correlation of television and infrared images of cloud cover taken from Meteor satellites are discussed.

Description: The geographical control of satellite pictures, using the terminology of aerial photography, can be treated as the problem of analysis of a single picture with the objective of obtaining a ground contour map. Studies have shown the possibility and capability of the method of composing photographic maps from transformed television pictures. Optico-mechanical transformation solves the problem of geographical correlation for operational purposes. However, this technique does not compensate for electronic distortion, and accounts for earth sphericity only approximately. However, for certain purposes (studying ice drift), the maximum possible accuracy is required. Analytic geographical correlation methods using digital computers should be considered promising.

Description: One criterion of image quality is its geometric similarity to the control test. The ability of television, phototelevision, phototelegraphic, and other systems to transmit geometrically similar images is characterized by the geometric distortion coefficient. Linear distortions result from the inaccuracy of scanning mechanism element assembly, and distortions can be minimized during adjustment operations or may be easily compensated during image reception. Brief descriptions are given of the possible sources of nonlinear distortions which arise in these devices due to the scanning mechanism, objective distortion, or the nodding mirror.

Description: One of the problems solvable by the spaceborne television system, topographical surveying, makes high demands on image quality, particularly on the geometric distortions introduced by the television camera. It is the geometric distortions which determine measurement accuracy and, consequently, the possibility of creating reliable planetary surface maps. Comparative analysis of the different television systems capable of solving the problem showed that the requirements on quality of the transmitted images are best satisfied by television cameras with opticomechanical scanning. The design of panoramic television systems and the process of image construction by the opticomechanical camera are discussed. Results indicate that panoramic television cameras have the necessary instrumental accuracy and permit determination of the direction to objects with an error practically equal to the resolution.

Description: The problem of determining the iconometric parameters of the imaging device can be solved if the camera being calibrated is used to obtain the image of a group of reference points, the directions to which are known. In order to specify the imaging device coordinate system, it is sufficient in principle to obtain on the picture the images of three reference points which do not lie on a single straight line. Many more such points are required in order to determine the distortion corrections, and they must be distributed uniformly over the entire field of view of the camera being calibrated. Experimental studies were made using this technique to calibrate photographic and phototelevision systems. Evaluation of the results of these experiments permits recommending collimators for calibrating television and phototelevision imaging systems, and also short-focus small-format photographic cameras.

Description: The self radiation of the surface being viewed is used for image synthesis in IR thermovision equipment. The installation of such equipment aboard weather satellites makes it possible to obtain cloud cover pictures of the earth's surface in a complete orbit, regardless of the illumination conditions, and also provides quantitative information on the underlying surface temperature and cloud top height. Such equipment is used successfully aboard the Soviet satellites of the Meteor system, and experimentally on the American satellites of the Nimbus series. With regard to surface resolution, the present-day IR weather satellite equipment is inferior to the television equipment. This is due primarily to the comparatively low detectivity of the IR detectors used. While IR equipment has several fundamental advantages in comparison with the conventional television equipment, the problem arises of determining the possibility for future development of weather satellite IR thermovision equipment. Criteria are examined for evaluating the quality of IR.

Description: The term iconics covers the complex of methods and equipment for obtaining images, integrated on a common methodological basis. The concept combines such methods and equipment for obtaining images as photography, television, phototelevision, thermovision, and radar. The term iconics has been used previously, but in a narrower sense, as the name for the theory of image reproduction systems, primarily in the sense of their optimization. Iconics must include two branches; theoretical and practical. The system optimization problem then takes its place in theoretical iconics along with other problems. The term iconology has been proposed to cover the complex of image interpretation methods and equipment.