Use of ERTS Data for Mapping Snow Cover in the Western United States

Application of ERTS-1 data to mapping snow cover in mountainous areas of western United State

Study to develop improved spacecraft snow survey methods using Skylab/EREP data

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Evaluate the application of ERTS-A data for detecting and mapping sea ice

The are no author-identified significant results in this report

The evolution of satellite snow mapping with emphasis on the use of LANDSAT in the snow ASUT study areas

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The application of ERTS imagery to monitoring Arctic sea ice

The author has identified the following significant results. Because of the effect of sea ice on the heat balance of the Arctic and because of the expanding economic interest in arctic oil and minerals, extensive monitoring and further study of sea ice is required. The application of ERTS data for mapping ice is evaluated for several arctic areas, including the Bering Sea, the eastern Beaufort Sea, parts of the Canadian Archipelago, and the Greenland Sea. Interpretive techniques are discussed, and the scales and types of ice features that can be detected are described. For the Bering Sea, a sample of ERTS-1 imagery is compared with visual ice reports and aerial photography from the NASA CV-990 aircraft. The results of the investigation demonstrate that ERTS-1 imagery has substantial practical application for monitoring arctic sea ice. Ice features as small as 80-100 m in width can be detected, and the combined use of the visible and near-IR imagery is a powerful tool for identifying ice types. Sequential ERTS-1 observations at high latitudes enable ice deformations and movements to be mapped. Ice conditions in the Bering Sea during early March depicted in ERTS-1 images are in close agreement with aerial ice observations and photographs

Use of ERTS data for mapping snow cover in the western United States

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the application of ERTS data for mapping snow cover, primarily in the mountainous areas of the western United States. The specific objectives are to determine the spectral interval most suitable for snow detection, to determine the accuracy with which snow lines can be mapped in comparison with the accuracies attainable from other types of measurements, and to develop techniques to differentiate reliably between snow and clouds and to understand the effects of terrain and forest cover on snow detection

Use of ERTS data for mapping Arctic sea ice

This investigation is to evaluate the application of ERTS data for detecting and mapping Arctic sea ice. The specific objectives are to determine the spectral bands most suitable for detecting ice, to measure the scale and types of ice features that can be detected, and to develop interpretive techniques for differentiating ice from clouds and for mapping ice concentrations. The ERTS data are being analyzed primarily for three Arctic areas, the eastern Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, and the Greenland Sea