Satellite remote sensing

A GIS Comparative Analysis of Bronze Age Settlement Patterns and the Contemporary Physical Landscape in the Jazira Region of Syria

by Tony Mathys

Most of the datasets presented in this thesis are available for free in ArcGIS shapefile format on the ShareGeo Open data repository at http://www.sharegeo.ac.uk/.

These datasets are available for everyone to use as it is important to encourage data sharing in support of research activities.

There are also some CORONA satellite images available on ShareGeo for the Syrian Jazira region. The plan is to eventually provide complete CORONA coverage for this region, though geo-referencing will not be precise as it's intended to be more for user orientation.

Acknowledgement should go to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which makes CORONA imagery available via its EarthExplorer online data service at http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/NewEarthExplorer/
Many CORONA images are available to download for free from this service, though require processing and geo-referencing for use in a GIS or a software package for processing remotely sensed imagery.

Relevant to this, and the thesis, is the following paper presented which first introduced how CORONA satellite imagery could be applied to archaeological work in the Near East. Martin Fowler also wrote about the potential of CORONA in the Aerial Archaeology Research Group (AARG) news.

Mathys, Tony. “The Use of Declassified Intelligence Satellite Photographs in a GIS (IDRISI) to Map Archaeological Sites and the Surrounding Landscape in the Northeastern Region of the Syrian Jazirah. The University of Chicago Oriental Institute, NASA and St. Cloud State University Remote Sensing Applications in Archaeology Conference. St. Cloud, Minnesota, May 29-31, 1997.

Unfortunately, papers presented at this conference were not published.

My gratitude and thanks to Dr Sarah Parcak for citing this unpublished conference paper in her book (Satellite Remote Sensing in Archaeology), and to Dr Aled Rowlands and Dr Apostolos Sarris for citing it in their Journal of Archaeological Science article 34 (2007).

Observation bias correction with an ensemble Kalman filter

by Elana Fertig

Evaluation of a Strategy for the Assimilation of Satellite Radiance Observations with the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter

by Elana Fertig

IMPROVED ANALYSES AND FORECASTS WITH AIRS TEMPERATURE RETRIEVALS USING THE LOCAL ENSEMBLE TRANSFORM KALMAN FILTER

by Elana Fertig

Application of satellite data in management of cultural heritage. Project Report 2008

by Lars Gustavsen

Application of satellite data in management of cultural heritage – Project Report 2008. Rune Solberg (ed., NR), Trude Aga Brun (VFK), Lars Gustavsen (NIKU), Hans Koren (NR), Siri Øyen Larsen (NR), Christer Tonning (VFK), Øivind Due Trier (NR)

This report describes the achievements of the project during 2008. The CultSearcher software has been tested on many... more This report describes the achievements of the project during 2008. The CultSearcher software has been tested on many agricultural areas in Vestfold County. This has given a broader overview of potential obstacles and important experience for further development of the ring detection algorithms. Some improvements have been implemented in the user interface as well as the detection algorithm, the latter in order to increase the number of detections of real crop and soil marks as well as reducing the number of detections of non‐interesting marks. Also, an approach for making a frequency map of potential cultural heritage in agricultural fields (‘probability maps’) has been developed and tested out for a region in Vestfold County. Since there is interest in the methodological approach of CultSearcher in other county administrations as well, a dialogue has been established with Sør‐Trøndelag and Oppland County Administrations. The 2008 project was led by the Norwegian Computing Center (Norsk Regnesentral, NR), who carried out the project under a contract with the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren, RA), who funded the project. The user side was represented by the Vestfold County Administration (Vestfold fylkeskommune) and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (Norsk Institutt for Kulturminneforskning, NIKU).

Application of satellite data in management of cultural heritage. Project Report 2009

by Lars Gustavsen

Trier, Ø. D. (ed.), Brun, T. A., Gustavsen, L., Kristensen, S., Øyen Larsen, S. Salberg, A., Solberg, R., Stomsvik, K. H., Tonning, C. Application of satellite data in management of cultural heritage. Project Report 2009.

This report describes a prototype software system, CultSearcher, which is capable of detecting some previously unknown... more This report describes a prototype software system, CultSearcher, which is capable of detecting some previously unknown cultural heritage sites in high‐resolution satellite images of agricultural land in Norway. The software detects circular patterns in the images. These patterns may be indications of destroyed and over‐ploughed grave mounds. The new detections are to be verified by field inspections this summer. The focus of the report is twofold. Firstly, it describes improvements of the software made during 2009. This includes an improved detection algorithm, an improved user interface, and improved processing capability. Secondly, it describes soil marks and crop marks that are detected by the improved software. Many of the detections are previously unknown. Some of these are both obvious and close to known grave sites, so that they be included in the Norwegian national cultural heritage database Askeladden without further investigation. Other detections need to be confirmed by field work.In conclusion, 2009 was a breakthrough year in the project, by demonstrating that previously unknown cultural heritage sites can be detected by satellite remote sensing algorithms in a cost‐effective manner.

Application of remote sensing in management of cultural heritage. Project report 2010

by Lars Gustavsen

Application of remote sensing in management of cultural heritage. Project report 2010. Trier, Ø. T. D., Brun, T. A., Gustavsen, L,. Loftsgarden, K,. Pilø, L. H., Salberg, A. B., Solberg, R., Stomsvik, K. H., Tonning, C. 2011. Application of remote sensing in management of cultural heritage. Project Report 2010. Oslo: Norsk Regnesentral 2011 139 s. NR Notat (SAMBA/11/11)

Application of remote sensing in cultural heritage management – Project report 2011

by Lars Gustavsen

Trier, Ø., Gustavsen, L., Pilø, L. H. & Tonning, C. 2012. Application of remote sensing in cultural heritage management – Project report 2011. Oslo: Norsk Regnesentral 2012 69 s. NR Notat (SAMBA/09/12)

The project was started in 2002 with the overall aim of developing a cost-effective method for surveying and... more The project was started in 2002 with the overall aim of developing a cost-effective method for surveying and monitoring cultural heritage sites on a regional and national scale. The project focuses on the development of automated pattern recognition methods for detecting and locating cultural heritage sites. The pattern recognition methods are included in a prototype software called CultSearcher. This software currently supports the following: (1) Search for crop marks and soil marks in optical satellite and aerial imagery; these marks could be levelled grave mounds. (2) Search for pits in lidar data; these pits could be pitfall traps or charcoal burning pits. This note describes the achievements of the project during 2011. The project is funded by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. In 2011, the method for automatic detection of pits in lidar data was further developed, and is now being used operationally by Oppland County as part of their cultural heritage survey work. The next step is to include automatic detection of grave mounds in lidar data in CultSearcher. This work has started, and will continue in 2012. We have continued to monitor the Brunlanes and Tjølling study areas in Vestfold County with Worldview-2 satellite images. Unfortunately, a very wet summer prevented crop marks from developing in the fields. For two of the crop mark locations in 2009/2010 satellite images, archaeological field work was done, confirming the presence of circular ditches corresponding to the crop marks.

Detection of possible archaeological pathways in central Mexico through digital processing of remote sensing images

by Denisse Argote

Reach 2020: Tele-reach for the Global South

by Rob Hunt

Co-authored White Paper with 33 other participants in the Internatiponal Space University's Southern Hemisphere Summer Space Program, 2012

For those countries and communities in the Global South, achieving sustained socioeconomic development, providing... more For those countries and communities in the Global South, achieving sustained socioeconomic development, providing reliable and extensive infrastructure, and operating effective political institutions can be a challenge. Remote and rural populations and rugged terrain make ground-based solutions to development challenges even more difficult. Reach2020: Tele-reach for the Global South explores the potential for Tele-reach solutions to dramatically facilitate answers to these tough problems faced by the Global South.

Tele-reach allows people and organizations to complete tasks and activities at a distance through a synergy of space-based and ground-based Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Numerous tele-reach applications provide solutions for needs specific to the Global South such as delivering healthcare and education to remote locations or improving resource management through Earth observation data and analysis. In fact, tele-reach solutions can apply to every level of community within the complex region known as the Global South; from Advanced to Intermediate to Emerging Tiers. Even those countries or regions with little connectivity or economic development can benefit from tele-reach solutions. Conversely, well-developed nations with extensive ground- and space-based infrastructure can make use of more sophisticated tele-reach solutions such as remote surgery or precision farming.

While tele-reach provides countless solutions to a diverse range of needs in the Global South, many elements must be considered if these applications are to be sustainably employed. Existing infrastructure should be leveraged in combination with new and innovative systems, whether space- or ground-based. Political support, as demonstrated through clear policy guidance and reliable, long-term funding, is necessary for sustaining tele-reach programs and projects and usually must exist first. Sustainable implementation will also depend upon employing a viable business model, whether it is through private or public funding, or a combination of both. Finally, it is critical that the socioeconomic need drive the implementation of tele-reach solutions; rather than technology initiating a search for a relevant need.

Finally, Reach2020 provides a practical way forward for the Global South to collaborate internationally on tele-reach solutions. Through telereach.org, collaborators can share their tele-reach experiences and expertise, as well as network with each other in online discussion forums. This will enable the Global South to develop its own tele-reach capacity through the use of this shared resource.

MULTI-SCALE APPLICATION OF SPATIAL METRICS FOR QUANTIFYING FOREST SPATIAL STRUCTURE AND DIVERSITY FROM CORINE LAND COVER AND FMERS-WIFS RASTER DATA.

by Niels C. Nielsen

co-authored with Dr. G. A: Blackburn, Lancaster University

In this paper, the moving-windows approach to calculation and analysis of spatial metrics is tested with particular... more In this paper, the moving-windows approach to calculation and analysis of spatial metrics is tested with particular focus on forest mapping. The influence of window size on average metrics values, agreement between values from different EO-based data sources and local variance of metrics values is analysed using standard statistical approaches. Forest Concentration Profiles, based on forest-non forest masks for moving windows is presented as an approach to characterise structure and distribution of forest over certain areas of interest.

Keywords: Forest, Spatial Metrics, Structure, Diversity, Moving windows, Scale.

Detection of Breakpoints in Global NDVI time series

by Rogier de Jong

De Jong R, Verbesselt J, Schaepman ME, De Bruin S (2011) Detection of Breakpoints in Global NDVI time series. In: 34th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE). 10-15 April 2011, Sydney, Australia.

Continuous global time series of vegetation indices, which are available since early 1980s, are of great value to... more Continuous global time series of vegetation indices, which are available since early 1980s, are of great value to detect changes in vegetation status at large spatial scales. Most change detection methods, however, assume a fixed change trajectory – defined by the start and end of the time series – and a linear or
monotonic trend. Here, we apply a change detection method which detects abrupt changes within the time series. This Breaks For Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) approach showed that large parts of the world have been subjected to trend changes. The timing of the breakpoints could in some cases be related to satellite changes, but also to large-scale natural influences like the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Shifts from greening to browning (or vice versa) occurred in 15% of the global land surface, which demonstrates the importance of accounting for trend breaks when analyzing long-term NDVI time series.

Please also see the peer-reviewed paper on this topic:
de Jong, R., Verbesselt, J., Schaepman, M.E., & de Bruin, S. (2012). Trend changes in global greening and browning: contribution of short-term trends to longer-term change. Global Change Biology, 18, 642-655.

Analysis of monotonic greening and browning trends from global NDVI time-series

by Rogier de Jong

De Jong R, De Bruin S, De Wit A, Schaepman ME, Dent DL (2011) Analysis of monotonic greening and browning trends from global NDVI time-series. Remote Sensing of Environment, 115, 692-702.

Remotely sensed vegetation indices are widely used to detect greening and browning trends; especially the global... more Remotely sensed vegetation indices are widely used to detect greening and browning trends; especially the global coverage of time-series normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data which are available from 1981. Seasonality and serial auto-correlation in the data have previously been dealt with by integrating the data to annual values; as an alternative to reducing the temporal resolution, we apply harmonic analyses and non-parametric trend tests to the GIMMS NDVI dataset (1981–2006). Using the complete dataset, greening and browning trends were analyzed using a linear model corrected for seasonality by subtracting the seasonal component, and a seasonal non-parametric model. In a third approach, phenological shift and variation in length of growing season were accounted for by analyzing the time-series using vegetation development stages rather than calendar days. Results differed substantially between the models, even though the input data were the same. Prominent regional greening trends identified by several other studies were confirmed but the models were inconsistent in areas with weak trends. The linear model using data corrected for seasonality showed similar trend slopes to those described in previous work using linear models on yearly mean values. The non-parametric models demonstrated the significant influence of variations in phenology; accounting for these variations should yield more robust trend analyses and better understanding of vegetation trends.

Trend changes in global greening and browning: contribution of short‐term trends to longer‐term change

by Rogier de Jong

De Jong R, Verbesselt J, Schaepman ME, De Bruin S (2012) Trend changes in global greening and browning: contribution of short-term trends to longer-term change. Global Change Biology, 18, 642-655.

Field observations and time series of vegetation greenness data from satellites provide evidence of changes in... more Field observations and time series of vegetation greenness data from satellites provide evidence of changes in terrestrial vegetation activity over the past decades for several regions in the world. Changes in vegetation greenness over time may consist of an alternating sequence of greening and/or browning periods. This study examined this effect using detection of trend changes in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite data between 1982 and 2008. Time series of 648 fortnightly images were analyzed using a trend breaks analysis (BFAST) procedure. Both abrupt and gradual changes were detected in large parts of the world, especially in (semi-arid) shrubland and grassland biomes where abrupt greening was often followed by gradual browning. Many abrupt changes were found around large-scale natural influences like the Mt Pinatubo eruption in 1991 and the strong 1997/98 El Nin˜o event.
The net global figure – considered over the full length of the time series – showed greening since the 1980s. This is in line with previous studies, but the change rates for individual short-term segments were found to be up to five times higher. Temporal analysis indicated that the area with browning trends increased over time while the area with greening trends decreased. The Southern Hemisphere showed the strongest evidence of browning. Here, periods of gradual browning were generally longer than periods of gradual greening. Net greening was detected in all biomes, most conspicuously in croplands and least conspicuously in needleleaf forests. For 15% of the global land area, trends were found to change between greening and browning within the analysis period. This demonstrates the importance of accounting for trend changes when analyzing long-term NDVI time series.

Dálkový archeologický průzkum starého sídelního území Čech - Konfrontace výsledků letecké prospekce a analýzy družicových dat/Remote sensing and the study of lowland ancient landscapes in Bohemia - Comparison of the potential of aerial reconnaissance and high-resolution satellite data.

by Jan John

Gojda, M. – John, J. 2009: Dálkový archeologický průzkum starého sídelního území Čech - Konfrontace výsledků letecké prospekce a analýzy družicových dat/Remote sensing and the study of lowland ancient landscapes in Bohemia - Comparison of the potential of aerial reconnaissance
and high-resolution satellite data. Archeologické rozhledy 61/3, 467-492.

The main goal of the presented project was to compare the results of long-term aerial-archaeological surveys – oblique... more The main goal of the presented project was to compare the results of long-term aerial-archaeological surveys – oblique aerial photographs taken from a low-flying plane over old settlement territories in Bohemia, as well as evidence from satellite images
with very high spatial resolution. The project compared both types of photographic data in four territories (Podřipsko, the Terezín basin and the north bank of the Elbe River, the Kolín region and the Chomutovka River valley). In addition to panchromatic shots, satellite multispectral data was also utilized; the analysis of this data was performed using a number of procedures offered by special software (Geomatica, Idrisi).
The study likewise evaluates the positive and negative sides of both types of data and reaches the conclusion that the best results are achieved when these are used in combination.

6.1 APPLICATION OF LOCAL ENSEMBLE TRANSFORM KALMAN FILTER: PERFECT MODEL EXPERIMENTS WITH NASA FVGCM MODEL

by Elana Fertig

Space Assets for Demining Assistance

by Michiel Kruijff

Authors

Dr. Michiel Kruijff
European Space Agency (ESA)

Dr. Daniel Eriksson
Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining

Dr. Thomas Bouvet
European Space Agency (ESA)

Mr. Alexander Griffiths
Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD)

Mr. Matthew Craig
Cranfield University

Prof. Hichem Sahli
Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Mr. Fernando Valcarce González-Rosón
INSA S.A.

Mr. Philippe Willekens
International Astronautical Federation

Prof. Amnon Ginati
European Space Agency (ESA)

Populations emerging from armed conflicts often remain threatened by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War. The... more Populations emerging from armed conflicts often remain threatened by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War. The international Mine Action community is concerned with the relief of this threat. The Space Assets for Demining Assistance (SADA) undertaking is a set of projects that aims at developing new services to improve the socio-economic impact of mine action activities, primarily focused on the release of land thought to be contaminated, a process described as Land Release. SADA was originally initiated by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). It is now being implemented under the Integrated Applications Promotion (IAP) programme of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Land Release in Mine Action is the process whereby the demining community identifies, surveys and prioritizes suspected hazardous areas for more detailed investigation, which eventually results in the clearance of landmines and other explosives, thereby releasing land to the local population. SADA has a broad scope, covering activities such as planning (risk and impact analysis, prioritization, resource management), field operations and reporting.
SADA services are developed in two phases: feasibility studies followed by demonstration projects. Three parallel feasibility studies are currently ongoing. They aim at defining an integrated set of space enabled services to support the Land Release process in Mine Action, and at analysing their added value, viability and sustainability. The needs of the Mine Action sector have been assessed and the potential contribution of space assets has been identified. Support services are now being designed. To test their fieldability, proofs of concept involving mine action end users in various operational field settings are also under preparation by each of the study team. The economic viability will then be assessed.
Whenever relevant and cost effective, SADA aims at integrating Earth Observation data, GNSS navigation and SatCom technologies with existing Mine Action tools and procedures, as well as with novel aerial survey technologies. Such conformity with existing user processes, as well as available budgets and appropriateness of technology based solutions given the field level operational setting are important conditions for success. The studies have already demonstrated that Earth Observation data, Satellite Communication and Navigation indeed provide added value in Mine Action activities. Such added value for example includes the benefits of easy and sustained access to Earth Observation data that can satisfy the ubiquitous needs for general purpose mapping, as well as the value of data fusion algorithms which can be applied to relevant datasets to quantify risks and socio-economic impact for prioritization and planning purposes in order to justify land release. The environment of a hazardous area can also be characterized to support the land release process including detailed survey and clearance. Satellite Communication can help to provide relevant data to remote locations and in some cases can help to integrate field data and reporting with national or international databases. Finally, Satellite Navigation can support more precise non-technical surveys as well as aerial observation with small planes or hand-launched UAV’s.
To ensure the activity is genuinely user driven, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) plays an important role as ESA’s external advisor. ESA is furthermore supported by a representative field operator, the Swiss Foundation of Mine Action (FSD), providing ESA with a direct connection to the field level end users. Specifically FSD has provided a shared user needs baseline to the three study teams. To ensure solutions meet with end user requirements, the study teams themselves include Mine Action representatives and interact closely with their pre-existing and newly established contacts within the Mine Action community.

Mapping habitats for vectors of infectious disease: VECMAP

by Michiel Kruijff

Authors:
Dr. Michiel Kruijff, European Space Agency (ESA)
Dr. Guy Hendrickx, Avia-GIS
Dr. William Wint, Envirnmental Research Group (ERGO)
Prof. Amnon Ginati, European Space Agency (ESA)

Vector-borne diseases such as Malaria, Chikungunya, Dengue and West Nile are a persistent public health concern.... more Vector-borne diseases such as Malaria, Chikungunya, Dengue and West Nile are a persistent public health concern. International trade and travel. as well as changing environmental conditions favours colonisation of new areas by foreign (especially arthropod) species. Some of these species transmit diseases to human, and so their spread represents a significant health risk which needs to be quantified and mapped to facilitate strategic preparedness. VECMAP is a project of the European Space Agency’s Integrated Application Promotion program (IAP). Based on needs expressed by national public health agencies and regional mosquito controllers a consortium led by Avia-GIS is developing a service for predicting potential  mosquito-related health risks (early warning) and for reducing nuisance (targeted control effort). VECMAP enhances and simplifies traditional mathematical distribution modelling, field and laboratory work with the help of Satellite Navigation and Earth Observation. ). Though VECMAP's focus has so far been on mosquitoes, other vectors such as ticks, midges and rodents are now being considered
Prediction of vector distributions and associated risks is a challenge. It requires elaborate statistical simulations to be steadily fed with observations. To this end mosquito vectors are first sampled to make preliminary maps of vector presence. Using geo-referencing techniques and mobile communication technologies, the field data are automatically fed into the VECMAP distribution modelling tools, which use space imagery (processed to extract vegetation, weather data, proximity of water bodies, land use) to predict the presence of the vector throughout a project area, which may then be related to health risk or nuisance levels..
The VECMAP system optimises the sampling regime, ensures that state of the art modelling tools are used, and provides updated EO imagery to support the modelling. The system also provides expert assistance to clients where needed and acts as a secure data archive for the inputs and outputs. 
Using VECMAP’s integrated systems and services significantly reduces the resources needed to implement existing programmes, and with its automated methodologies and comprehensive supporting services makes advanced techniques more widely available than has hitherto been the case.
The results of the VECMAP feasibility study and prototype demonstration system indicate that the amount of field work can be greatly reduced by exploiting capabilities of satellites. A pre-operational service will therefore now be developed and implemented. 

Observation Operator and Estimation of Uncertainty In the Assimilation of AIRS Radiances Using Ensemble Kalman Filter

by Elana Fertig

Assimilating Nonlocal Observations Using a Local Ensemble Kalman Filter

by Elana Fertig

EJ Fertig, BR Hunt, E Ott, and I Szunyogh (2008) Tellus A, 59:719-730.

Many ensemble data assimilation schemes utilize spatial localization so that a small ensemble can capture the unstable... more Many ensemble data assimilation schemes utilize spatial localization so that a small ensemble can capture the unstable degrees of freedom in the model state. These local ensemble-based schemes typically allow the analysis at a given location to depend only on observations near that location. Meanwhile, the location of satellite observations cannot be pinpointed in the same manner as conventional observations. We propose a technique to update the state at a given location by assimilating satellite radiance observations that are strongly correlated to the model state there. For satellite retrievals, we propose incorporating the observation error covariance matrix and selecting the retrievals that have errors correlated to observations near the location to be updated. Our selection techniques improve the analysis obtained when assimilating simulated satellite observations with a seven-layer primitive equation model, the SPEEDY model.