Sei sulla pagina 1di 12

r\l/NSA Facts

An Educational Publication
of the
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration ^
NF-138/3-83

features and trends on the Earth's


surface not readily apparent to
the human eye alone. When com-
bined with observations made on
the ground itself, Landsat 1 data
could be processed into land-use
classification maps. For example,
a particular hardwood forest, fol-
lowing its identification, could be
Planet Earth bands and four were
measured for bright-
located on the Landsat scene.
The light intensity levels of the
Through the ness. Furthermore each
scan line was subdivided
various spectral bands measured
of that forest by Landsat 1 could
Eyes of into individual segments
79 by 79
be as unique as a human finger-
print. Other areas, of the same
Landsat 4 meters in
size so that
scene, that exhibit the same
reflected characteristics, could be
For more than 10 years, NASA the reflected interpreted as consisting of the
Landsat satellites have been light levels same surface material—in this
recording pictures of the Earth's of acre-sized case, another hardwood forest. It
surface. Landsat 1, the first satel- plots of land was not necessary for the
lite in this series, was launched in could be researcher to hunt for the right
1972 and it literally changed the recorded. reflectance combinations. That
way we looked at our planet. Back on Earth, job was done by a computer in
Instead of returning exposed film the streams of num- just seconds.
it transmitted an astounding bers received from The pictures of the Earth's sur-
stream of numbers. Through its Landsat 1 were assembled by a face from Landsat 1 and later
complex optical system, the computer into black and white or from Landsats 2 and 3, launched
Earth's surface was broken into colored images 185 by 185 kilo- in 1975 and 1978, gave scientists
narrow slices or scan lines. While meters in size. To make just one in many disciplines new oppor-
moving roughly north to south colored view, more than six mil- tunities to understand the com-
over the sunlit side of Earth a lion pieces of Landsat 1 data had plex systems of Earth. Where
mirror directed Earth's reflected to be assembled. Once assembled, normally 100 aerial photographs
light from the east/west sending the data could be manipulated. and many months or years would
scan lines into detectors. Before Unusual or unique combinations be necessary to assemble and
reaching the dectectors, the light of reflected light levels could be analyze a scene 185 by 185
was broken down into spectral intensified by computers to reveal kilometers in size, Landsat could t
cover the same area in just a sin- ,;/^/?£jJ$
gle picture. The analysis of the fet'^V -
picture could be accomplished in f^*e&! T« ^ • "J •«
just days or weeks. Furthermore, :HM?
l
Landsat data was timely—
especially useful for agricultural
' ^wV :. -^/
and environmental studies.
Since the first Landsat launch, V i^ -
i^ •MB

scientists and technicians from


more than 130 countries have
used Landsat data to know and
understand the resources and
environment of their portions of
the Earth.
In 1982, a new Landsat,
Landsat 4, was launched. The
fourth Landsat carried the same
optical scanning system as the
first three, but it also carried a
new scanner, the Thematic
Mapper, for high resolution
studies. Those square segments of
scan lines, looked at by the first
Landsats, became much smaller— •
30 by 30 meters in size. The
Thematic Mapper also increased
the number of spectral bands of
light measured in each segment
from four to seven. A single
scene from the Thematic Mapper
of Landsat 4 contains six times
more data than a similar-sized
area from the first Landsats. The
scientific payoff from this
improvement can be found on
the next pages.


Washington DC/Baltimore, tion appears red. Hea\'ily forested a lighter color as is visible in some of
Maryland and agricultural areas reveal the the reaches of the Potomac River
strongest reds. Suburban areas sur- (running downward in the picture
From Landsai 4 s 960 kilometer rounding Washington (left center of from Washington). Baltimore, Md
altitude, the nation's capital, Balti- image) appear a dull pink to grey appears in the upper center of this
more, MD, and large segments of color because of the blending of scene. Date: November 2, 1982.
Maryland, Virginia, and the Chesa- trees, lawns, and residential build-
peake Bay are easily captured in a ings. Urban areas appear a light blue
single image. Because data from because of a relative lack of vegeta-
Landsai satellites is transmitted to tion and a high percentage of buildings
Earth in digital form, images can be and parking lots. With this particular
given any combinations of colors to color combination, water appears
accent ground features of interest. In deep blue. Water with pollution and
this particular combination, vegeta- suspended sediments, however, shows
,'v

' *• •' * ' .. - '•-L

•'-

Boston, Massachusetts found at the center. The land in this


area was hea\'ily modified by glacial
In these two scenes of the Boston advances and the direction of ice
area, Tttematic Mapper data was movement is presented in the elon-
processed differently to produce a gated, north-south lakes found
false color image (right) and a natural throughout much of the area. Date:
color image (left). Boston appears September 10, 1982.
at the top and Providence, RI is

Fur sale liy the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
\ V n s h l u g t i i n . D.C. 20402.
./-•$u

,'-«rv
x
New Orleans, Louisiana Death Valley, California
Lake Pontchartrain and the city of The arid, vegetation-sparse terrain
New Orleans are the central features of Death Valley appears in a variety
of this false color image of the of dark and light tones in this false
southeastern end of Louisiana. The color scene. Vegetation (red) appears
sediment-rich Mississippi River only in a few scattered regions where
meanders from left to right, south of the land is irrigated and near the top
the city, toward the Gulf of Mexico of snow-covered mountains. Scenes, •
(not seen). Along the Mississippi, such as this one, are especially useful
and other nearby rivers, a peculiar for differentiating between rock types m
arrangement of farm land is visible. when exploring for mineral deposits.
This is the "long lot" system of land Variations in the color tones can
subdivision that was carried over indicate zones of mineralization.
from the French Colonial days. With Light colored areas on valley floors
this system, land was parceled in indicate clay and salt deposits. In the
such a way as to give estates enlarged subscene to the right, taken
some river frontage. Date: from the northwest corner of the
September 16, 1982. larger view, sediment washed down
from higher land streaks into valleys
forming alluvial fan deposits. Date:
November 17, 1982.
Jamestown, New York Medicine Hat, A Iberta, Canada
The region of southwestern New The Canadian province of Alberta
York, northwestern Pennsylvania, occupies the western one third of this
and southeastern Lake Erie are false color scene just north of the
shown in this false color image of the U.S. border. Saskatchewan occupies
Allegheny Plateau. Jamestown, NY the eastern two thirds of this picture.
is found at the southeastern end of Running southwest to northeast is
Chautauqua Lake (upper left). Flat- the Saskatchewan River. The town of
lying sedimentary rock underlies this Medicine Hat appears on the bend of
area. Long years of erosion ha\'e the river near the southwest corner of
produced the typical dendritic drain- the scene. The southeastern portion
age (tree branch-like) pattern of the scene is cloud-covered. Colors
associated with this type of rock ha\'e been computer- assigned to high-
structure. Although much of the area light agricultural patterns of the
is sparsely populated and heavily region. In the Medicine Hat subscene
forested (deep red), much land south- individual fields and alternating crops
eastward from Lake Erie has been are easily seen and several circular
partially cleared and devoted to long irrigation fields can be picked out.
strips of meadows and fields for The land in this area is relatively flat
cattle raising and farming (light red lying and scars of the meandering
and pink). Date: August 28, 1982. Saskatchewan River are visible.
Date: November, 10, 1982.
"*.

w;fwf • > / /
kSS,

\
J ! :..i ^ '
-T
1
A
« 'V
I '
!•

\
^

.!</v'- '.
'•• • -f A<
•^"r. • /
.»*'
ex
:dr
*'• ¥.v/' V/ «*

,.l • r/$«r c<


sJ^-'X *tl
V^

s .
; .3? ^ ,

Potrebbero piacerti anche