VOLUME 63, NUMBER 6
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE
SENSING
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRY
AND REMOTE SENSING
Cover Image
The cover images were created from recently collected, multispectral MODIS
Airborne Simulator (MAS) data. The MAS is an airborne scanning spectrometer
that acquires high spatial resolution imagery of cloud and surface features
from ~ts vantage point on-board a NASA ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft.
Clockwise from upper left (center last) the MAS images show:
1. Glaciers near Mt. Hayes in the Alaska Range
2. Arkansas River and Kaw Reservoir along the Kansas/Oklahoma border
3. Lake-effect instability clouds and snow from Lake Erie into Buffalo, New
York
4. Bio-mass burning and smoke plume near the Xingu River, Brazil
5. Severe Thunderstorm over the Brooks Range, Alaska
Data acquired by the MAS are helping to define, develop, and test algorithms
for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a key sensor
of NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS). MODIS, scheduled for launch aboard
the EOS AM-I platform in 1998, is the premier instrument of NASA’s Mission
to Planet Earth. The MODIS program will emphasize the use of remotely sensed
data to monitor variation in environmental conditions for assessing both natural
and Human-induced global change. Research and Data Systems Corporation (RDC)
developed these images for Dr. Michael King, MAS Principal Investigator (NASA
GSFC), by processing raw instrument counts into calibrated/geolocated radiances
and then creating an RGB composite using 3, of the 50 available, MAS spectral
bands. For further information contact RDC at 301-982-3700; or browse the RDC
(http://www.rdcweb.com)
and MAS (http://mas.arc.nasa.gov/) web
sites.
An analysis of alternative compositing algorithms derived from various combinations
of criteria for NDVI, thermal, and view angle suggests potential improvements
over the standard maximum NDVI algorithm.
For both clear and algae-laden waters, the linearity in the 8CC-reflectance
relationship increased with wavelength between 400 and 900 nm, while a near-linear
relationship between SSC and reflectance was found between 720 and 900 nm.
Based on the field reference spectra of image components, a constrained least-squares
method was applied to Landsat TM data over an area in Long Valley, Nevada to
calculate vegetation abundance in a pixel.
In a comparison with traditional classification techniques (Isodata clustering,
maximum likelihood, and minimum distance), the subpixel classification of cypress
and tupelo yielded improved results.
Methods are presented for detecting and geolocating visible and near-infrared
emission sources from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program imagery.
Using sampling distributions and their attendant standard error, the statistical
comparison of cell values from two normalized confusion matrices is illustrated.
A cost-effective alternative to the clinometer and tape approach for monitoring
tree heights is described.
Announcements
658 Meeting: Softcopy Photogrammetry Applications
706 Meeting: Small Format Aerial Photography
676 Call for Papers: 1998 ASPRS/RTI Annual Conference, Tampa, FL
740 Meeting: Land Satellite Information II 740
726 Publication: Earth Observing Sensors & Platforms CD-ROM, ver. 1.1
690 Meeting: Third International Airborne Remote Sensing Conference
Departments
647 In Memoriom: Burns
649 In Memoriam: Stancil
665 Software Review
671 Board of Directors
673 Sustaining Members
675 New Members
680 Index to Advertisers
700 Instructions to Authors
725 Forthcoming Articles
748 Calendar
750 Classifieds
752 Professional Directory
756 Bookstore
759 Membership Application