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Comparison of spatial variability in visible and near-infrared spectral images

January 1, 1992

The visible and near-infrared bands of the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and the Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) were analyzed to determine which band contained more spatial variability. It is important for applications that require spatial information, such as those dealing with mapping linear features and automatic image-to-image correlation, to know which spectral band image should be used. Statistical and visual analyses were used in the project. The amount of variance in an 11 by 11 pixel spatial filter and in the first difference at the six spacings of 1, 5, 11, 23, 47, and 95 pixels was computed for the visible and near-infrared bands. The results indicate that the near-infrared band has more spatial variability than the visible band, especially in images covering densely vegetated areas. -Author

Publication Year 1992
Title Comparison of spatial variability in visible and near-infrared spectral images
Authors P.S. Chavez
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing
Index ID 70016165
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse