Publications

The appropriate spatial scale for a distributed energy balance model was investigated by: (a) determining the scale of variability associated with the remotely sensed and GIS-generated model input data; and (b) examining the effects of input data spatial aggregation on model response. The semi-variogram and the characteristic length calculated from the spatial autocorrelation were used to determin

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with other government and private organizations, is producing a conterminous U.S. land-cover map using Landsat Thematic Mapper 30-meter data for the Federal regions designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accuracy assessment is to be conducted for each Federal region to estimate overall and class-specific accuracies. In Region 2, consistin

Simulation of urban/rural land surface climate processes using boundary layer climate models requires accurate input data with regard to surface thermal and radiative properties. The research reported here resulted in development of a procedure to integrate the satellite-derived surface biophysical parameters with a boundary layer climate model for simulating spatial surface energy exchange.The pr

The KidSAT/EarthKAM program is a NASA educational initiative that allows students to develop and operate a remote sensing space program. The first phase of the program consisted of a student developed camera that is flown on Space Shuttle missions in the nadir window. A network of students develop a series of image acquisition requests, based on approved science proposals, that are combined into a

No abstract available.

Satellite imagery provides a unique vantage point for observing seasonal dynamics of the landscape that have implications for global change issues. An objective evaluation of surface conditions may be performed using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration advanced very high resolution radiometer data. NDVI data are typically v

This paper focuses on the lessons hearned in the conduct of the lnternational Geosphere Biosphere Program's Data and Information System (rcnr-nts), global 1-km Land-Cover Mapping Project (n$cover). There is stiLL considerable fundamental research to be conducted dealing with the development and validation of thematic geospatial products derived from a combination of remotely sensed and ancillary d

Land surface elevation around the world is reaching new heights—as far as its description and measurement goes. A new global digital elevation model (DEM) is being cited as a significant improvement in the quality of topographic data available for Earth science studies.Land surface elevation is one of the Earth's most fundamental geophysical properties, but the accuracy and detail with which it ha

No abstract available.

In this study, data characteristics for composited, multitemporal Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer data sets for Alaska were assessed for a 7- year period from 1991 to 1997. This involved consideration of the satellite sensors used, data processing performed, and data set compilation, along with an analysis of acquisition date, solar zenith angle, satellite viewing angle, presence of cloud

Metropolitan areas in the United States are growing at unprecedented rates, creating extensive urban landscapes. Many of the farmlands, wetlands, forests, and deserts that formed the America of 1900 have been transformed during the past 100 years into human settlements. Almost everyone has seen these changes to their local environment but without a clear understanding of their impacts. It is not u

No abstract available.