UAV - based imagery processing using structure from motion and remote sensing technology

With the recent advances in technology and miniaturization of devices such as GPS or IMU, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles became a feasible platform for a Remote Sensing applications. The use of UAVs compared to the conventional aerial platforms provides a set of advantages such as higher spatial resolution of the derived products. UAV - based imagery obtained by a user grade cameras introduces a set of problems which have to be solved, e. g. rotational or angular differences or unknown or insufficiently precise IO and EO camera parameters. In this work, UAV - based imagery of RGB and CIR type was processed using two different workflows based on PhotoScan and VisualSfM software solutions resulting in the DSM and orthophoto products. Feature detection and matching parameters influence on the result quality as well as a processing time was examined and the optimal parameter setup was presented. Products of the both workflows were compared in terms of a quality and a spatial accuracy. Both workflows were compared by presenting the processing times and quality of the results. Finally, the obtained products were used in order to demonstrate vegetation classification. Contribution of the IHS transformations was examined with respect to the classification accuracy.

Utilizing Remote Sensing Imagery to Monitor Vegetation Change within World Heritage Sites

ABSTRACT World Heritage sites provide a glimpse into the stories and civilizations of the past. There are currently 1007 unique World Heritage properties with 779 being classified as cultural sites, 197 as natural sites, and 31 falling into the categories of both cultural and natural sites (UNESCO & World Heritage Centre, 1992-2015). However, of these 1007 World Heritage sites, at least 46 are categorized as in danger and this number continues to grow. These unique and irreplaceable sites are exceptional because of their universality. Consequently, since World Heritage sites belong to all the people of the world and provide inspiration and admiration to all who visit them, it is our responsibility to help preserve these sites. The key form of preservation involves the individual monitoring of each site over time. While traditional methods are still extremely valuable, more recent advances in the field of geographic and spatial technologies including geographic information systems (GIS), laser scanning, and remote sensing, are becoming more beneficial for the monitoring and overall safeguarding of World Heritage sites. Through the employment and analysis of more accurately detailed spatial data, World Heritage sites can be better managed. There is a strong urgency to protect these sites. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the importance of taking care of World Heritage sites and to depict a way in which spatial technologies can be used to monitor and in effect preserve World Heritage sites through the utilization of remote sensing imagery. The research conducted in this thesis centers on the Everglades National Park, a World Heritage site that is continually affected by changes in vegetation. Data used include Landsat satellite imagery that dates from 2001-2003, the Everglades' boundaries shapefile, and Google Earth imagery. In order to conduct the in-depth analysis of vegetation change within the selected World Heritage site, three main techniques were performed to study changes found within the imagery. These techniques consist of conducting supervised classification for each image, incorporating a vegetation index known as Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI), and utilizing the change detection tool available in the Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) software. With the research and analysis conducted throughout this thesis, it has been shown that within the three year time span (2001-2003), there has been an overall increase in both areas of barren soil (5.760%) and areas of vegetation (1.263%) with a decrease in the percentage of areas classified as sparsely vegetated (-6.987%). These results were gathered through the use of the maximum likelihood classification process available in the ENVI software. The results produced by the change detection tool which further analyzed vegetation change correlate with the results produced by the classification method. As well, by utilizing the NDVI method, one is able to locate changes by selecting a specific area and comparing the vegetation index generated for each date. It has been found that through the utilization of remote sensing technology, it is possible to monitor and observe changes featured within a World Heritage site. Remote sensing is an extraordinary tool that can and should be used by all site managers and organizations whose goal it is to preserve and protect World Heritage sites. Remote sensing can be used to not only observe changes over time, but it can also be used to pinpoint threats within a World Heritage site. World Heritage sites are irreplaceable sources of beauty, culture, and inspiration. It is our responsibility, as citizens of this world, to guard these treasures.

Applications of LiDAR remote sensing of forest structure in the Upper Great Lakes region, USA

We used active remote sensing technology to characterize forest structure in a northern temperate forest on a landscape- and local-level in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Specifically, we used a form of active remote sensing called light detection and ranging (e.g., LiDAR) to aid in the depiction of current forest structural stages and total canopy gap area estimation. On a landscape-level, LiDAR data are shown not only to be a useful tool in characterizing forest structure, in both coniferous and deciduous forest cover types, but also as an effective basis for data-driven surrogates for classification of forest structure. On a local-level, LiDAR data are shown to be a benchmark reference point to evaluate field-based canopy gap area estimations, due to the highly accurate nature of such remotely sensed data. The application of LiDAR remote sensed data can help facilitate current and future sustainable forest management.

S. 2297, the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 : hearing before the Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, second session, May 6, 1992.

Shipping list no.: 93-0028-P.

Distributed processing of large remote sensing images using MapReduce - A case of Edge Detection

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

Remote Sensing (LIDAR) for Management of Highway Assets for Safety, 2003

The main objective of this study was to utilize light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology to obtain highway safety-related information. The safety needs of older drivers in terms of prolonged reaction times were taken into consideration. The tasks undertaken in this study were (1) identification of crashes that older drivers are more likely to be involved in, (2) identification of highway geometric features that are important in such crashes, (3) utilization of LIDAR data for obtaining information on the identified highway geometric features, and (4) assessment of the feasibility of using LIDAR data for such applications. A review of previous research indicated that older drivers have difficulty negotiating intersections, and it was recognized that intersection sight triangles were critical to safe intersection negotiation. LIDAR data were utilized to obtain information on potential sight distance obstructions at six selected intersections located on the Iowa Highway 1 corridor by conducting in-office line-of-sight analysis. Crash frequency, older driver involvement, and data availability were considerations in the selection of the six intersections. Results of the in-office analysis were then validated by visiting the intersections in the field. Sixty-six potential sight distance obstructions were identified by the line-of-sight analysis, out of which 62 (89.8%) were confirmed while four (5.8%) were not confirmed by the video. At least three (4.4%) potential sight distance obstructions were discovered in the video that were not detected by the line-of-sight analysis. The intersection with the highest crash frequency involving older drivers was correctly found to have obstructions located within the intersection sight triangles. Based on research results, it is concluded that LIDAR data can be utilized for identifying potential sight distance obstructions at intersections. The safety of older drivers can be enhanced by locating and rectifying intersections with obstructions in sight triangles.

Use of Remote Sensing for Collection of Data Elements for Linear Referencing Systems, 2001

This report evaluates the use of remotely sensed images in implementing the Iowa DOT LRS that is currently in the stages of system architecture. The Iowa Department of Transportation is investing a significant amount of time and resources into creation of a linear referencing system (LRS). A significant portion of the effort in implementing the system will be creation of a datum, which includes geographically locating anchor points and then measuring anchor section distances between those anchor points. Currently, system architecture and evaluation of different data collection methods to establish the LRS datum is being performed for the DOT by an outside consulting team.

Inversion and assimilation methods with applications in geophysical remote sensing

Stratospheric ozone can be measured accurately using a limb scatter remote sensing technique at the UV-visible spectral region of solar light. The advantages of this technique includes a good vertical resolution and a good daytime coverage of the measurements. In addition to ozone, UV-visible limb scatter measurements contain information about NO2, NO3, OClO, BrO and aerosols. There are currently several satellite instruments continuously scanning the atmosphere and measuring the UVvisible region of the spectrum, e.g., the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System (OSIRIS) launched on the Odin satellite in February 2001, and the Scanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) launched on Envisat in March 2002. Envisat also carries the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) instrument, which also measures limb-scattered sunlight under bright limb occultation conditions. These conditions occur during daytime occultation measurements. The global coverage of the satellite measurements is far better than any other ozone measurement technique, but still the measurements are sparse in the spatial domain. Measurements are also repeated relatively rarely over a certain area, and the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere changes dynamically. Assimilation methods are therefore needed in order to combine the information of the measurements with the atmospheric model. In recent years, the focus of assimilation algorithm research has turned towards filtering methods. The traditional Extended Kalman filter (EKF) method takes into account not only the uncertainty of the measurements, but also the uncertainty of the evolution model of the system. However, the computational cost of full blown EKF increases rapidly as the number of the model parameters increases. Therefore the EKF method cannot be applied directly to the stratospheric ozone assimilation problem. The work in this thesis is devoted to the development of inversion methods for satellite instruments and the development of assimilation methods used with atmospheric models.

Drought Climatology of Indo-Gangetic Region of India Using Remote Sensing and Crop Growth Simulation Models

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Remote Sensing the Signatures of Upwelling in South Eastern Arabian Sea

In this thesis, a variety of available satellite data products have been made use of to bring out a synergistic analysis on the upwelling phenomenon in SEAS. Basic concepts of remote sensing, upwelling and linked oceanography topics have been dealt in this work .Auxiliary data products utilized in this study are described in chapter 2. The climatological monthly variability of the upwelling signatures are detailed under chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents the forcing factors that trigger the upwelling process in SEAS. Chapter 5 describes the oceanic response to the forcing factors with respect to the SST cooling and CHLA blooms. Chapter 6 presents the heat budget of the region and the variability of heat budget terms with respect to upwelling. Chapter 7 describes the inter-annual variability of upwelling intensity in SEAS and the influence of climatic events on upwelling.

Spatio-Temporal Changes in the Wetland Ecosystem of Cochin City using Remote Sensing and GIS

Urban developments have exerted immense pressure on wetlands. Urban areas are normally centers of commercial activity and continue to attract migrants in large numbers in search of employment from different areas. As a result, habitations keep coming up in the natural areas / flood plains. This is happening in various Indian cities and towns and large habitations are coming up in low-lying areas, often encroaching even over drainage channels. In some cases, houses are constructed even on top of nallahs and drains. In the case of Kochi the situation is even worse as the base of the urban development itself stands on a completely reclaimed island. Also the topography and geology demanded more reclamation of land when the city developed as an agglomerative cluster. Cochin is a coastal settlement interspersed with a large backwater system and fringed on the eastern side by laterite-capped low hills from which a number of streams drain into the backwater system. The ridge line of the eastern low hills provides a welldefined watershed delimiting Cochin basin which help to confine the environmental parameters within a physical limit. This leads to an obvious conclusion that if physiography alone is considered, the western flatland is ideal for urban development. However it will result in serious environmental deterioration, as it comprises mainly of wetland and for availability of land there has to be large scale filling up of these wetlands which includes shallow mangrove-fringed water sheets, paddy fields, Pokkali fields, estuary etc.Chapter 1 School 4 of Environmental Studies The urban boundaries of Cochin are expanding fast with a consequent over-stretching of the existing fabric of basic amenities and services. Urbanisation leads to the transformation of agricultural land into built-up areas with the concomitant problems regarding water supply, drainage, garbage and sewage disposal etc. Many of the environmental problems of Cochin are hydrologic in origin; like water-logging / floods, sedimentation and pollution in the water bodies as well as shoreline erosion

Ecological studies of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats of India, using Remote Sensing and GIS

mbikulam Tiger Reserve of Western Ghats using Geospatial technology. The major objectives of the study are Land use land cover mapping (LULC) and Phytodiversity analysis. Satellite data was used to map the land use / land cover using supervised classification techniques in Erdas imagine. The change for a period of 32 years was assessed using the multi-temporal satellite datasets from Landsat MSS (1973), Landsat TM (1990), and IRS P6 LISS III (2005). A geospatial approach was used for the land cover analysis. Digital elevation models, Satellite imageries and SOI topo sheets were the data sets used in the analysis. Vegetation sampling plots distributed over the different forest types were enumerated and studied for Phytodiversity analysis.

Exploiting existing ground-based remote sensing networks to improve high-resolution weather forecasts

A new generation of high-resolution (1 km) forecast models promises to revolutionize the prediction of hazardous weather such as windstorms, flash floods, and poor air quality. To realize this promise, a dense observing network, focusing on the lower few kilometers of the atmosphere, is required to verify these new forecast models with the ultimate goal of assimilating the data. At present there are insufficient systematic observations of the vertical profiles of water vapor, temperature, wind, and aerosols; a major constraint is the absence of funding to install new networks. A recent research program financed by the European Union, tasked with addressing this lack of observations, demonstrated that the assimilation of observations from an existing wind profiler network reduces forecast errors, provided that the individual instruments are strategically located and properly maintained. Additionally, it identified three further existing European networks of instruments that are currently underexploited, but with minimal expense they could deliver quality-controlled data to national weather services in near–real time, so the data could be assimilated into forecast models. Specifically, 1) several hundred automatic lidars and ceilometers can provide backscatter profiles associated with aerosol and cloud properties and structures with 30-m vertical resolution every minute; 2) more than 20 Doppler lidars, a fairly new technology, can measure vertical and horizontal winds in the lower atmosphere with a vertical resolution of 30 m every 5 min; and 3) about 30 microwave profilers can estimate profiles of temperature and humidity in the lower few kilometers every 10 min. Examples of potential benefits from these instruments are presented.

The use of remote sensing imagery for monitoring recovery in the aftermath of a natural disaster: the Hurricane Katrina Case

Although Recovery is often defined as the less studied and documented phase of the Emergency Management Cycle, a wide literature is available for describing characteristics and sub-phases of this process. Previous works do not allow to gain an overall perspective because of a lack of systematic consistent monitoring of recovery utilizing advanced technologies such as remote sensing and GIS technologies. Taking into consideration the key role of Remote Sensing in Response and Damage Assessment, this thesis is aimed to verify the appropriateness of such advanced monitoring techniques to detect recovery advancements over time, with close attention to the main characteristics of the study event: Hurricane Katrina storm surge. Based on multi-source, multi-sensor and multi-temporal data, the post-Katrina recovery was analysed using both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The first phase was dedicated to the investigation of the relation between urban types, damage and recovery state, referring to geographical and technological parameters. Damage and recovery scales were proposed to review critical observations on remarkable surge- induced effects on various typologies of structures, analyzed at a per-building level. This wide-ranging investigation allowed a new understanding of the distinctive features of the recovery process. A quantitative analysis was employed to develop methodological procedures suited to recognize and monitor distribution, timing and characteristics of recovery activities in the study area. Promising results, gained by applying supervised classification algorithms to detect localization and distribution of blue tarp, have proved that this methodology may help the analyst in the detection and monitoring of recovery activities in areas that have been affected by medium damage. The study found that Mahalanobis Distance was the classifier which provided the most accurate results, in localising blue roofs with 93.7% of blue roof classified correctly and a producer accuracy of 70%. It was seen to be the classifier least sensitive to spectral signature alteration. The application of the dissimilarity textural classification to satellite imagery has demonstrated the suitability of this technique for the detection of debris distribution and for the monitoring of demolition and reconstruction activities in the study area. Linking these geographically extensive techniques with expert per-building interpretation of advanced-technology ground surveys provides a multi-faceted view of the physical recovery process. Remote sensing and GIS technologies combined to advanced ground survey approach provides extremely valuable capability in Recovery activities monitoring and may constitute a technical basis to lead aid organization and local government in the Recovery management.