High-resolution Satellite Imagery High-resolution Satellite Imagery ApplicationsApplications

Denis Collins

Research Section

Vancouver Forest Region

Project GoalsProject Goals

Determine feasibility & effectiveness of locating/mapping resource features using new satellite data

Utility of fusion with radar for winter monitoring

Linkage with change detection projects

Team/ResourcesTeam/Resources

Collaboration between– Research– LIM– Interfor– DSI– FRBC – Inventory branch

DescriptionDescription

Acquired 1m b/w and 4m MSS IKONOS imagery

3 different Radarsat-1 images Geocoded images Visual interpretation using Natural, NIR,

and PCA analysis

Http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/vancouvr/research/applications.htm

FOR MORE INFO...

Radarsat-1/IKONOS coverageRadarsat-1/IKONOS coverage

Radarsat-1 F1 scene covers 50 x 50 km

IKONOS scene covers 55 km2.

AOI Escalante and Hesquiat watersheds

Radarsat-1 imageRadarsat-1 image

Large landslides difficult to differentiate

Radarsat-1Radarsat-1

Findings: – weather independent but requires

expert knowledge not available throughout organization

– resolution not sufficient for mapping large landslides

Ikonos specsIkonos specs

Revisit schedule varies from 1-3 days

11 km swath width Orbits at altitude of

680 km

IKONOSIKONOS

Strengths:– Provides good input for mapping, inventorying, monitoring, surveying– Information captured in digital format plus provides NIR and spectral

information– Allows digital processing/interpretation– 11 bit data better for shadowed areas

Weaknesses– Cost– Not stereo (Quickbird will have capability)– Cloud cover

DEM capabilityDEM capability

Vegetation monitoringVegetation monitoring

MSS provides spectral information in visible and NIR parts of electromagnetic spectrum

Differences in reflectance denote different vegetation– green-up– free growing– Forest health

Vegetation Vegetation

Ikonos - RGB imageIkonos - RGB image

Ikonos Imagery ExamplesIkonos Imagery Examples

NIR image of landslide area– revegetation– landslide

classification– incipient landslides

Berm trace

Revegetated area

DeactivatedRoad

Road fill failure Naturalrock fall

Predictive mappingPredictive mapping

Tenure MappingTenure Mapping

NIR for NAR of VR blockNIR for NAR of VR block

CWD volume estimationCWD volume estimation

RoadsRoads

Deactivation monitoring

Inventory Infrastructure

calculations for input to TSR’s

AccuracyAccuracy

Image overlain with GPS points1.1 to 11.5 mSome distortion at edges of image

Smearing due to Ortho softwareSmearing due to Ortho software

Imagery CostImagery Cost

CostsCosts

Image acquisition cost – Current price = $0.21/ha– $3360/1:20,000 map sheet– Image will have < 20% cloud cover

Image processing/orthorectification cost ($1500 for average scene)

Current StatusCurrent Status

Barkley Sound TFL to TSA conversion project – Very little current data– 235 km2 costing $5272

Quickbird-2 will have stereo capability, 0.61m Pan/2.5m MSS

Hyperspectral capabilities with 256 channels eg. Aster

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

High-resolution satellite imagery is a new tool that can be used cost effectively.

For aerial coverage - the sky is no longer the limit !