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TERRAINMAP™
Terrain Mapping and Satellite Image Processing
November, 2013 Edition

Welcome to TERRAINMAP^TM, terrain modeling and satellite image processing since June 2000. If you are new to the site see the archived -Articles- page. The postings that I have put up over the years are listed in reverse chronological order (oldest articles first). The -Free Data- page has a very comprehensive list of no-cost DEM and mapping data sources, grouped by category. I get asked for DEM Help periodically. You can click that link for some introductory information. More recent articles are posted below. Please visit the companion PANCROMA™ website for additional articles on pan sharpening, satellite image processing and more Free Satellite Data.

News and Information

How to remedy Contour Plot Compression to improve multispectral target analysis.

Preparing ASTER L1B TIR temperature contour plots.

Follow on to the previous article: Landsat 8 Visible Spectrum TOA Reflectance Images using a technique suggested by Mr Guy Serbin.

How to produce visually pleasing true color RGB images from Landsat 8 data. See the article: Landsat 8 Visible Spectrum Images.

Old Crow YT Flood Analysis. An interesting flood analysis using available free DEM data recently completed for a client.

Landsat 8 Multispectral Analysis. A software developer's perspective.

NAIP Multispectral Analysis. Find out more about this high resolution four band multispectral imagery.

Canadian National Topographical Map: New source for Canadian topographical maps. Coverage is not yet complete but presumably this will be increasing as Natural Resources Canada completes the collection.

USGS National Map: simply the best source for USA topo and other surface maps.

Euclidean Distance Fraction™ analysis offers a powerful alternative to statistical based classification methods using spectral signature matching.

Learn about Landsat Spectral Unmixing, an interesting new approach to multispectral analysis.

FFT Satellite Image Deconvolution.

FFT Image Analysis and Graphical FFT Filtering.

Approximating Landsat Surface Reflectance.

Using the new USGS and ASTER ASCII Spectral File Reader.

Using the new ASTER Nine Band multispectral analysis tools.

Using the PANCROMA Point Spectrum Generator and Euclidean Distance Analyzer to Create Cloud, Cloud Shadow and Snow Masks.

An article describing using PANCROMA features to create Terrain Models of Israel.

Techniques for Multispectral Analysis of WorldView2 Data.

The NASA/USGS LPDAAC seamless data server represents the easiest way to download ASTER GDEM V2 and SRTM DEM data. Congratulations NASA/USGS for an intuitive user interface. The only issue is that you have to actually read the instructions to find the download button (located at the upper menu bar). Otherwise a tremendous improvement over the WIST nightmare.

The PANCROMA Point Spectrum Zoom Tool can make interrogating multispectral band data a lot easier.

The Landsat Point Spectrum Generator can interrogate a Landsat band file and then generate the spectral signature for your selected areas of interest. The spectrum can then be used with the Spectral Analyzer to highlight the targeted areas of and compute the coverage area.

The Landsat Reflectance Spectral Analyzer can utilize superior Landsat Reflectance data and the USGS Spectral Library for land use and prospecting analyses.

The Landsat Spectral Analyzer is a powerful semi-automated utility for searching Landsat multispectral data for spectral fingerprints

The new ELIN Local Optimization algorithm represents another advance in pan sharpening technology. It produces pan sharpened Landsat images with virtually zero spectral distortion.

The new TERAS Landsat SLC-Off gap filling algorithm produces excellent color tone matches between the base image and the filled gaps. See the article.

Geoscience Australia has announced processed ASTER Mineral Maps for western Australia available for free download via their ftp site.

Autodesk is offering a free beta utility called Autodesk 123D for converting multiple digital images to 3D renderings. You can download a copy for experimenting. It appears to be designed for rendering objects. However you can also use it to capture local terrains. The really interesting thing is that the website states that the computed rendering can be exported to .dwg format. This may make it useful for creating DEMs. I will post an article if it turns out to be useful.

Compute Image-Specific Linear Transformations using PANCROMA multiple linear regression and linear transformation utilities.

Create terrain models using the NASA WorldWind SDK and PANCROMA image processing utilities.

Another source for free Landsat orthorectified data Landsat.org.

Compute surface temperatures from Landsat band 6 TIR data using the new PANCROMA Landsat Surface Temperature utility.

Transform the excellent NASA Landsat GEOCOVER data set from false color to natural color RGB images using the new PANCROMA Landsat GEOCOVER Spectral Transformer utility.

Landsat Vegetation Indices provide a means for studying land cover

Pan Sharpen Single Multispectral Band and superior color pan sharpened images with PANCROMA SPECTRAL algorithm. The SPECTRAL algorithm represents another PANCROMA innovation in the art and science of pan sharpening, allowing single multispectral and hyperspectral bands to be pan sharpened without loss of spectral fidelity and producing low levels of spectral distortion in color pan sharpened images.

Free UK Ordnance Survey GIS data is now available at OS OpenData. The venerable Ordnance Survey has been distributing a great deal of interesting free vector and raster map data for over a year. Excellent trend and excellent website.

Pan sharpening Landsat by Combining ENHG and AJISANE pan sharpening techniques.

Introductory article on Landsat Top of Atmosphere Reflectance computation. Explanation of why this may be important to you.

Digital Globe Data Fusion Contest Paper My entry in the 2011 contest. The paper contains some easy-to-understand information on atmospheric physics relative to remote sensing.

Free GIS Data

Excellent compilation of sources posted by Robin Wilson

Landsat Linear Transformation Image Registration
Registering Landsat and other images

Landsat Data Continuity Mission - Editorial
Why can't NASA and the USGS get it (right)?

Landsat Automatic Image Registration article.

Free High Resolution Satellite Data from India?
I guess I will believe it when I see it. Would appreciate more information on this article if anyone has any.

Landsat Data Continuity Mission information

Explosives Consulting LLC information.

Notice: No warranty for the author's programs is given or implied; use them at your own risk. The programs offered on this page, while believed accurate, have not been subjected to extensive quality control testing. They are not to be used in mission-critical GIS applications without the express written consent of the author.