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Example Projects
MDA's image processing projects include Landsat orthorectification, geocover basemapping, coral reef mapping and urbanization studies.
Global Landsat TM and MSS Orthorectifications
MDA orthorectified 14,000 Landsat TM (circa 1990) and MSS (mid 1970's) scenes for the entire land surface of the Earth in conjunction with a NASA Earth Science Enterprise contract. Called EarthSat GeoCoverTM Ortho, these image products are accurate to 50m RMS and are available for the entire world. This comprehensive set of images provides a highly accurate worldwide basemap, and a baseline for global environmental analyses.
Coral Reef Mapping in the Hawaiian Islands
Executive Order P.L. 13089, signed in 1998, called for the conservation and protection of coral reefs in all state and federal waters, as well as in the waters of the freely associated states, such as the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) are implementing a comprehensive plan, in cooperation with other federal and state partners, to map and monitor the estimated 17,000 sq. kms of coral reefs under direct U.S. protection and an unknown area in the Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding the freely associated states.
In support of these efforts, MDA is providing NOAA's National Ocean Survey (NOS) with multispectral and panchromatic IKONOS data of several coral reef areas. Shown here is a portion of a multispectral IKONOS natural color mosaic created by NOS. The image shows Tern Island, which is the largest island in French Frigate Shoals. French Frigate Shoals is one of 15 critical areas under state and Federal jurisdiction within the recently designated Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. NOAA plans to derive bathymetry and detailed shallow-water coral reef ecosystem maps from images such as these.
GeoCover Ortho Mosaic for the Island Institute
The Island Institute is a non-profit organization concerned with the island and coastal communities of the Gulf of Maine (Cape Cod to Nova Scotia). This EarthSat GeoCover Ortho Landsat mosaic of the Maine coast has been very popular with visitors to The Island Institute's new headquarters in downtown Rockland, Maine. Rockland is a popular summer destination, and thousands of tourists have visited the new headquarters since it opened in July, 2000.
GeoCover as Basemap in Guatemala
Working with Basic Resources International in Guatemala, MDA geocoded and orthorectified approximately 30 Landsat TM and MSS scenes acquired between 1974 and 2000. EarthSat GeoCover Ortho TM scenes served as the base maps to which to reference all scenes. The images shown here have been processed to differentiate between vegetated areas (in green), and non-vegetated areas (in pink). Loss of forests is a concern in these areas as pressure mounts to increase agricultural acreage.
Multitemporal Analysis
In conjunction with the above multidate scene co-registration in Guatemala, MDA created a change product to indicate differences in vegetation cover between 1988 to 1999. First we separated each of the co-registered images into two classes -- vegetated and non-vegetated -- using the Transformed Vegetation Index. Once divided into two categories, the images were smoothed and water/cloud masks were created.
The data sets were then merged into a bivariate change matrix which assigned a unique number to each change category. The final change image was then processed to assign the appropriate bivariate value to each pixel, depending on the observed change, and then the image was colorized. In this image, the areas where vegetation was lost is shown in red, and covers much of the study area.
Urbanization in Kentucky
The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District needed a method to quickly and cost effectively identify urban change at a regional scale. Aerial surveying of the entire Louisville metropolitan area would have been too costly, so city officials turned to SPOT and MDA for an efficient solution to the problem. MDA Geospatial Service U.S. Image Processing and Environment groups coregistered two different SPOT scenes and calculated the change that occurred over a three year time period. On this example, new developments and roads appear as red, and re-vegetated areas are shown in blue.
With the changed areas clearly identified, the District was able to schedule low altitude aerial surveys over those particular areas and not waste time and money on unchanged areas.
