Remote Sensing Commons^™

Vinoflot Rs Unification Of Unmanned Aerial Systems And Remote Sensing Practices To Better Analyze Grapevine Health, James M. White

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Success in agriculture is derived from nutrient-rich soil, well-tilled earth and hands-on attention. In order to meet the needs of increasing food demand, agricultural practices have endured a growing use of chemical and fertilization methods in order to produce higher yields. While the transition to an entirely chemical-free agricultural model is not achievable with regard to the quantity of crop yield, the integration of new technology and updated practices can lessen the amount of chemical and fertilizer adjuncts needed. The purpose of this plan is to offer a lightweight, customizable GIS solution to better understand crop health, in particular grapevines …

Automatic Extraction Of Plots From Geo-Registered Uas Imagery Of Crop Fields With Complex Planting Schemes, Anthony A. Hearst

Open Access Theses

Complex planting schemes are common in experimental crop fields and can make it difficult to extract plots of interest from high-resolution imagery of the fields gathered by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This prevents UAS imagery from being applied in High-Throughput Precision Phenotyping and other areas of agricultural research. If the imagery is accurately geo-registered, then it may be possible to extract plots from the imagery based on their map coordinates. To test this approach, a UAS was used to acquire visual imagery of 5 ha of soybean fields containing 6.0 m2 plots in a complex planting scheme. Sixteen artificial targets …

Evaluating Intensity As A Controller Function For Nextgen Scenarios With Increased Capacity, Caitlin Anne Surakitbanharn

Open Access Theses

Automated separation assurance is the most mature concept to handle increasing airspace traffic and capacity needs, yet the system lacks a way to pre-emptively identify aircraft separation problems. The intensity control measure looks to find situations where if an aircraft pair makes an unplanned change in heading or altitude at the wrong moment, an unrecoverable situation arises. This research analyzes static, open loop air traffic data in an en-route sector to determine how many high intensity aircraft pairs (HIP) exist per minute, and if the intensity measure is a safely manageable function for air traffic controllers. It is found that …

Mapping Forest Canopy Structure With On-Demand Fusion Of Remotely Sensed Data, Gordon M. Green

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Current methods of mapping forest canopy structure often result in data products that are limited in resolution, coverage, or ease of access. On-demand processing introduces several new ways in which existing data products can be combined and re-purposed, mitigating some of these limitations. In this research, we investigate several methods of extending the spatial and temporal resolution, coverage, and accessibility of existing forest canopy datasets by processing them on demand. These methods include downscaling coarse-resolution canopy height data dynamically to estimate height at 30 m and 1 m resolution for any location within the contiguous United States. A related method …

A New Forensics: Developing Standard Remote Sensing Methodologies To Detect And Document Mass Atrocities, Nathaniel A. Raymond, Brittany L. Card, Isaac L. Baker

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Aim: The aim of this article is to highlight potential methods applicable to a standard forensic approach for the analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery that may contain evidence of alleged mass atrocities.

Methods: The primary method employed is the retrospective analysis of a case study involving the use of high-resolution satellite imagery analysis to document alleged mass atrocities. The case study utilized herein is the Satellite Sentinel Project’s reporting on the May 2011 sacking of Abyei Town by Government of Sudan-aligned armed actors. In the brief case study, categories of objects, patterns of activities, and types of alleged mass atrocity …

Grid: A Methodology Integrating Witness Testimony And Satellite Imagery Analysis For Documenting Alleged Mass Atrocities, Brittany L. Card, Isaac L. Baker

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Aim: This article documents the development and initial use case of the GRID (Ground Reporting through Imagery Delivery) methodology by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI). GRID was created to support corroboration of witness testimony of mass atrocity related-events using satellite imagery analysis. A repeating analytic limitation of employing imagery for this purpose is that differences in the geographic knowledge of a witness and an imagery analyst can limit or impede corroboration.

Methods: The primary method used in this article is a case study of HHI’s development and use of GRID. The GRID methodology was designed during HHI’s work with the …

Shallow Water Surface Gravity Wave Imaging, Spectra And Their Use In Shallow Water Dredging Operations, Charles R. Bostater, Bingyu Yang

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Imaging of shallow waters using high resolution video imagery is described. Common to mono, stereo and trinocular imaging approaches from ground and airborne platforms is the need to validate the surface water wave field measurements, particularly the amplitude and specular reflectance of water surface small gravity waves. A technique for calibration and validation of water surface gravity wave field energy spectra is described. Results demonstrate the value of video imagery where water level staff gauges with approximately with 0.5 cm wave height accuracy are easily sensed using high definition videography. Essentially, a staff gauge placed in shallow water constructed from …

Predicting The Impact Of Climate Change On Regional And Seasonal Abundance Of The Mealybug Phenacoccus Solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Using Temperature-Driven Phenology Model Linked To Gis, Babasaheb B. Fand, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Mahesh Kumar, Santanu K. Bal, Naveen P. Singh, D. V.K.N. Rao, Ankush L. Kamble, Dhananjay D. Nangare, Paramjit S. Minhas

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a highly invasive and polyphagous pest of global incidence. The fundamental hypothesis of the present study was that the temperature variations due to global climate change may affect seriously the future distribution and abundance of P. solenopsis, which might further aggravate the crop yield losses. We employed a temperature-based phenology model of P. solenopsis in a geographic information system for mapping population growth potentials of P. solenopsis. The three risk indices viz., establishment risk index, generation index and activity index were computed using interpolated temperature data from worldclim database for current (2000) …

Utilizing Remote Sensing To Detect Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Properties, Amanda Kristedja

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

This paper focuses on the detection of oil spills using satellite information. ��For this research project, the focus will be primarily on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, which is the largest accidental oil spill. In order to detect an oil spill, the chlorophyll a content must be observed with data from the SeaWiFs at 9km and the MODIS-aqua at 9km and 4km. There is conflicting evidence of whether or not chlorophyll a concentration is positively correlated with the presence of an oil spill. This will be further investigated in the experiment. Also, by utilizing the MODIS instrument aboard the terra …

Automated Synthetic Scene Generation, Ryan N. Givens

Theses and Dissertations

First principles, physics-based models help organizations developing new remote sensing instruments anticipate sensor performance by enabling the ability to create synthetic imagery for proposed sensor before a sensor is built. One of the largest challenges in modeling realistic synthetic imagery, however, is generating the spectrally attributed, three-dimensional scenes on which the models are based in a timely and affordable fashion. Additionally, manual and semi-automated approaches to synthetic scene construction which rely on spectral libraries may not adequately capture the spectral variability of real-world sites especially when the libraries consist of measurements made in other locations or in a lab. This …

Integrated (Remote Sensing, Gis, And Modeling) Hydrological Investigation And Landslide Susceptibility Studies In The Arabian Shield, Talal Ghazi Alharbi

Dissertations

An integrated approach (remote sensing, geographical information systems [GIS], and modeling) was applied to conduct a number of hydrologic and environmental investigations in the Arabian Peninsula (AP) aimed at: (1) identifying the spatial and temporal climate change–related variations in precipitation over the AP using readily available, remotely acquired global precipitation data sets; (2) investigating the nature of the factors controlling the observed climatic variations; (3) estimating the partitioning of precipitation over the Red Sea Hills watersheds into runoff , recharge, and initial losses using calibrated continuous rainfall runoff models (Soil Water Assessment Tool [SWAT]); (4) identifying landslide (largely caused by …

Development Of A Real Time Bistatic Radar Receiver Using Signals Of Opportunity, Nicholas Rainville

Open Access Theses

Passive bistatic radar remote sensing offers a novel method of monitoring the Earth's surface by observing reflected signals of opportunity. The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been used as a source of signals for these observations and the scattering properties of GPS signals from rough surfaces are well understood. Recent work has extended GPS signal reflection observations and scattering models to include communications signals such as XM radio signals. However the communication signal reflectometry experiments to date have relied on collecting raw, high data-rate signals which are then post-processed after the end of the experiment. This thesis describes the development …

Open Access Data In Polar And Cryospheric Remote Sensing, Allen Pope, W. Rees, Adrian Fox, Andrew Fleming

Dartmouth Scholarship

This paper aims to introduce the main types and sources of remotely sensed data that are freely available and have cryospheric applications. We describe aerial and satellite photography, satellite-borne visible, near-infrared and thermal infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar, passive microwave imagers and active microwave scatterometers. We consider the availability and practical utility of archival data, dating back in some cases to the 1920s for aerial photography and the 1960s for satellite imagery, the data that are being collected today and the prospects for future data collection; in all cases, with a focus on data that are openly accessible. Derived data …

Mapping And Analyzing Historical Sanborn Maps Of San Luis Obispo From 1905 And 1950, Troy A. Lawson

Social Sciences

This project was conducted to map, analyze, and determine historical changes in the city of San Luis Obispo, California. Sanborn maps from 1905 and 1950 were drawn showing streets, parcels, creeks, and buildings of the city. These publications had limited use because they were in a physical format without any geographic reference. Here, these maps were digitized into a GIS format to analyze building trends and identify cultural and historical buildings not on the City’s list of Historic and Culturally Contributing Buildings, as well as published online on the City of San Luis Obispo’s website and on ArcGIS Online. Additionally, …

Spatial Analysis Of Post-Hurricane Katrina Thermal Pattern And Intensity In Greater New Orleans: Implications For Urban Heat Island Research, Aram P. Lief

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s diverse impacts on the Greater New Orleans area included damaged and destroyed trees, and other despoiled vegetation, which also increased the exposure of artificial and bare surfaces, known factors that contribute to the climatic phenomenon known as the urban heat island (UHI). This is an investigation of UHI in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which entails the analysis of pre and post-hurricane Katrina thermal imagery of the study area, including changes to surface heat patterns and vegetative cover. Imagery from Landsat TM was used to show changes to the pattern and intensity of the UHI effect, …

Interannual Variations And Trends In Global Land Surface Phenology Derived From Enhanced Vegetation Index During 1982–2010, Xiaoyang Zhang, Bin Tan, Yunyue Yu

GSCE Faculty Publications

Land surface phenology is widely retrieved from satellite observations at regional and global scales, and its long-term record has been demonstrated to be a valuable tool for reconstructing past climate variations, monitoring the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems in response to climate impacts, and predicting biological responses to future climate scenarios. This study detected global land surface phenology from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from 1982 to 2010. Based on daily enhanced vegetation index at a spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees, we simulated the seasonal vegetative trajectory for each individual pixel …

Land Cover Change And Its Impacts On A Flash Flood-Producing Rain Event In Eastern Kentucky, William N. Rodgers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Eastern Kentucky is a 35-county region that is a part of the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains. With mountaintop removal and associated land cover change (LCC) (primarily deforestation), it is hypothesized that there would be changes in various atmospheric boundary layer parameters and precipitation. In this research, we have conducted sensitivity experiments of atmospheric response of a significant flash flood-producing rainfall event by modifying land cover and topography. These reflect recent LCC, including mountaintop removal (MTR). We have used the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for this purpose. The study found changes in amount, location, and timing of …

Applications Of Satellite Remote Sensing In The Environment, Rajee Olaganathan, Muhammad Ihsan Bin Ibrahim, Huang Meitong, Tan Yong Jie Shawn, Wilson Tok Wei Sheng, Et Al.

Publications

Since its inception, satellite remote sensing has enabled observations of environmental changes at inaccessible locations in meteorology, disaster control, oceanography, agriculture, glaciology, geology etc. Using the information gathered from satellite remote sensing, changes in the physical environment can be measured and the information are utilized to predict future patterns and achieve better environmental outcomes in different areas. This paper serves to highlight some of the areas in which satellite remote sensing has been applied. In meteorology, Earth’s solar radiation intensity, geothermal energy and wind velocity are measured by satellite remote sensing. Satellite imageries are also used for forecasting natural disasters …

Time Correlated Measurements Using Plastic Scintillators With Neutron-Photon Pulse Shape Discrimination, Norman Edison Richardson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the beginning of the nuclear age, there has been a strong demand for the development of efficient technologies for the detection of ionizing radiation. According to the United States' Department of Energy, the accurate assessment of fissile materials is essential in achieving the nonproliferation goals of enhancing safety and security of nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear energy facilities [1]. Nuclear materials can be characterized by the measurement of prompt and delayed neutrons and gamma rays emitted in spontaneous or induced fission reactions [2] and neutrons emitted in fission reactions are the distinctive signatures of nuclear materials. Today, the most …

Landsat-8: Science And Product Vision For Terrestrial Global Change Research, David P. Roy, M. A. Wulder, T. R. Loveland, C. E. Woodcock, R. G. Allen, M. C. Anderson, D. Helder, J. R. Irons, D. M. Johnson, R. Kennedy, T. A. Scambos, C. B. Schaaf, J. R. Schott, Y. Sheng, E. F. Vermote, A. S. Belward, R. Bindchadler, W. B. Cohen, F. Gao, J. D. Hipple, P. Hostert, J. Huntington, C. O. Justice, A. Kilic, V Kovalskyy, Z. P. Lee, L. Lymburner, J. G. Masek, J. Mccorkel, Y. Shuai, R. Trezza, J. Vogelmann, R. H. Wynne, Z. Zhu

GSCE Faculty Publications

Landsat 8, a NASA and USGS collaboration, acquires global moderate-resolution measurements of the Earth's terrestrial and polar regions in the visible, near-infrared, short wave, and thermal infrared. Landsat 8 extends the remarkable 40 year Landsat record and has enhanced capabilities including new spectral bands in the blue and cirrus cloud-detection portion of the spectrum, twothermal bands, improved sensor signal-to-noise performance and associated improvements in radiometric resolution, and an improved duty cycle that allows collection of a significantly greater number of images per day. This paper introduces the current (2012–2017) Landsat Science Team's efforts to establish an initial understanding of Landsat …