Changes in land use in the Phoenix (1:250,000 scale) Quadrangle in Arizona have been mapped using only the images from ERTS-1, tending to verify the utility of a land use classification system proposed for use with ERTS images. The period of change investigated was from November 1970 to late summer or early fall, 1972. Seasonal changes also were studied using successive ERTS images. Types of equipment used to aid interpretation included a color additive viewer, a twenty-power magnifier, a density slicer, and a diazo copy machine for making ERTS color composites in hard copy. Types of changes detected have been: (1) cropland or rangeland developed for new residential areas; (2) rangeland converted to new cropland; and (3) possibly new areas of industrial or commercial development. A map of land use previously compiled from air photos was updated in this manner

Place, J. L.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Paper L 3 
CHANGE IN LAND USE IN THE PHOENIX (1:250,000) QUADRANGLE, 
ARIZONA BETWEEN 1970 AND 1972: SUCCESSFUL USE OF A PROPOSED 
LAND USE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM 
John L. Place, U. S. Geological Survey, Geographic Applications Program, 
Washington, D. C. 
ABSTRACT 
Changes in land use in the Phoenix (1:250,000 scale) 
Quadrangle in Arizona have been mapped using only the images 
from ERTS-1, tending to verify the utility of a land use classi- 
fication system proposed for use with ERTS images. The period 
of change investigated was from November 1970 to late summer 
o r  early fall, 1972. Seasonal changes also were studied using 
successive ERTS images. Types of equipment used to aid 
interpretation included a color additive viewer, a twenty-power 
magnifier, a density slicer, and a diazo copy machine for 
making ERTS color composites in hard copy. Types of changes 
detected have been: a) cropland o r  rangeland developed for new 
residential areas;  b) rangeland converted to new cropland; and 
c) possibly new areas of industrial o r  commercial development. 
A map of land use previously compiled from air photos was  up- 
dated in this manner. 
This information on changes can be of value to planners and 
resource managers a t  Federal, state, and regional levels, in 
monitoring environmental chaage in developing resources in 
broad regions of the United States. Planners need land use maps 
as an early step in planning both in the Governmental and private 
sectors. Managers utilize successive maps of land use to monitor 
change in the natural and man-made environment. The ERTS 
images focussed attention on those areas of greatest change re-  
quiring more intensive study. 
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730019567 2020-03-17T08:45:00+00:00Z
1. INTRODUCTION 
Attempts have been made in the past to map the current land use of 
all or most of the United States, but i t  took so  long to compile the 
necessary information that some of i t  was obsolete before i t  was finally 
published. With the advent of earth resources satellites of the ERTS 
type, the potential now exists for mapping land use in very large areas  
of the United States and for keeping these maps relatively current. In 
order to utilize as much as possible of the detail available from 
satellite images, an intermediate scale of 1:250,000 was selected for 
the mapping. This is the largest standard scale for which we have 
nationwide coverage. Pr ior  to the launch of ERTS, an investigation had 
been conducted within the USGS Geographic Applications Program with 
NASA and EROS sponsorship to develop procedures for mapping land 
use in a sample 1:250,000 quadrangle, specifically the Phoenix 
Quadrangle in Arizona. The land use data were read off into a computer 
where they were combined with information on other environmental and 
politico-economic factors. It was  hoped that contiguous blocks of such 
maps and data banks could be created to cover large regions, such a s  
the Colorado River drainagk basin. 
The mapping of the Phoenix Quadrangle was done primarily with the 
aid of high-altitude aerial  photography taken by NASA in 1970. Our ERTS 
experiment is to determine the value of ERTS imacres in the updatins of 
that 1970 map and for consequent updating of the computer data bank for 
the Phoenix Quadrangle. In the past few months, we have successfully 
mamed the chancres in generalized land use between 1970 and 1972 in 
the test quadrangle using only the images from ERTS. We believe now 
that we can use the frequent passage of ERTS-type satellites to com- 
plement our map revision procedures, providing us with a capability to 
monitor trends in land utilization on a nearly real-time basis. Admittedly, 
this is still highly-generalized mapping because of the 100-meter re -  
solution limit on the images. However, better resolution should be 
forthcoming from Skylab and future unmanned satellites beyond the 
ERTS-B era,  and we are already close to the threshold for  another 
level of detailed classification using only the ERTS-1 images. In any 
event, our present capabilities allow us to monitor general trends and 
to focus in on areas  of most rapid change requiring more intensive study. 
2. PROCEDURES 
However, our immediate goal is to draw the most information 
900 
possible from the existing ERTS images. During the past summer with 
the launch of ERTS-A imminent , experimentation commenced using 
ERTS-simulation photographs. This procedure gave us experience in 
using the several spectral bands to create enhanced images on an 1% 
Color Additive Viewer and for making land use interpretations from them. 
Multiband 70 mm frames were mounted in the viewer to determine the 
best combination of colored filters and light intensities. 
With the arrival of the f i rs t  ERTS images during the past five 
months, interpretation has been attempted using every image enhance- 
ment technique a t  our disposal. Experimentation has been primarily 
with 70 mm chips cut out of the 9 x 9 transparencies of each of the 
ERTS MSS bands 4, 5, and 6. The primary equipment used was 
(1) an 1% Color Additive Viewer; (2) a Richardson Film Projection 
Viewer a t  10-power and 20-power magnification, (3) a microfiche 
viewer a t  12-power and 18 -power magnification, and (4) a Spectral 
Data Systems Data Color density slicer. We have found the MSS images 
to be superior to the RBV images for purposes of interpreting land use. 
Since it had been found previously that color infrared transparencies 
are generally the most useful images for land use interpretation, a 
search was made for the best method of creating hard copy composites 
from the ERTS MSS bands. Copies of color composite transparencies 
are being ordered retrospectively from NASA Goddard by special order 
form, One composite has been made by conventional photographic pro- 
cedure, but this is very expensive, Diazo copying of individual bands 
has been done with the Diazo transparencies being overlain to form a 
composite. This is quite inexpensive and the quality is almost as good 
as the photographic product. The method demonstrated here to create 
briefing slides and report illustrations is the simple photographing of 
the display screen of the Color Additive Viewer, An example is shown 
in Figure 1 which is a color infrared composite of ERTS MSS bands 4, 
5 J and 8 taken of the eastern part of the Phoenix Quadrangle in November 
Some degradation in quality occurred from the photographic step, yet 
this can be compared favorably with the famous Apollo-9 photo of the 
Phoenix area. 
Almost all of the interpretation of land use change in this project 
was done using the Color Additive Viewer with this type of display. The 
most useful setting that we found showed the MSS band 4 with a blue 
filter and light intensity of 4, the MSS band 5 with a green filter and 
fu l l  light intensity, and MSS band 6 with a red  filter and light intensity 
90 1 
and down, it aids det 
as bright red field pl 
barely be detected by the absence of faint brownbrown desert shrub 
cover. Tree crops appeared brownish red, non-vegetated man-made 
featuvles appeared bluish, and water surfaces stood, out as dark blue. 
The 1970 map of land use was consulted and any changes discovered 
were plotted on an overlay upon it. 
The EROS Program of the Department of the Interior has in its 
possession a Data Color density slicer made by Spectral Data Systems, 
It is housed at the Geological Survey s McLean, Virginia Office. This 
density slicer was tested with samples of ERTS MSS bands 5, 0, and 7. 
The next figure shows a photograph taken of the display screen of the 
density slicer which appear interesting. Although we have& yet 
been able to interpret these patterns to help in land use mapping, the 
potential is there and we seem to be getting close to something useful. 
Figure 2 shows the Data Color density slicer enhancing certain 
gray tones of an ERTS Image. Plots of land with lush, well-watered 
vegetation are  enhanced compared to other types of surface cover, held 
as a duller gray background. This area is west of Phoenix in the 
vicinity of sun city. 
In general, of the 5, 6, and 7 bands tested, MXS band 7 gave the 
sharpest patterns in terms of contrast between vegetated and non- 
Vegetated areas. 
Basic to the entire investigation is the detection of change. The 
simplest approach was visual comparison of the 1970 map of land use 
with the 1972 ERTS image. An aid to this comparison would be the 
"quick flipff technique possible using a Bausch and Lomb Zoom Transfer 
Scope. Delivery of two of these instruments to our office is expected 
in the next few weeks. In the meantime, we have been experimenting 
with change detection Using ERTS images taken t h e e  o r  more months 
apart. For example, field patterns in August are  ditferent from those 
in November. Use of the I% Color Additive Viewer allows both "quick 
flip" techniques and overlaying/registering of the August and November 
images. 
902 
3. FINDINGS 
Nevertheless, a map of change in land use for the entire Phoenix 
Quadrangle was compiled by point by point visual comparison. A part 
of that map is shown in Figure 3, the portion around the City of 
Phoenix. Information already known, but recognized on the ERTS 
images is shown in red with solid line boundaries. New information 
detected by ERTS is in green with dotted boundaries. Al l  of the 
changes shown here a re  new urban developments. New cropland was  
detected elsewhere in the quadrangle. 
One of the goals of this experiment was to test the new standard 
land use classification designed for use with ERTS images and high- 
altitude air photos to see if it  could be applied to ar id  areas.  The 
proposed classification system for  nationwide land use is shown in 
Figure 4. This classification system is described in USGS Circular 
671. Basically, it  consists of a f i rs t  level of classification, designed 
for  use with ERTS-type images, and a second level designed for use 
with high-altitude aerial  photos. For the Phoenix Quadrangle, the 
proposed sys  tem was an apparent success. Because only satellite 
images were involved in the test, only the first  level was used. Of 
the f i rs t  level categories only Urban and Built-up, Agricultural Land, 
Rangeland, and Water existed in this quadrangle. We were particularly 
pleased that we came close to interpreting some of the second level 
categories as well, notably separating residential from other urban 
categories, separating out tree crops, and delimiting some mining/ 
quarrying activities. In other areas, deciduous forests might be dis- 
tinguished from evergreen forests, but surveillance over many seasons 
will  probably be needed, and possibly use of more-advanced interpreta- 
tion techniques presently being developed. 
The most important test in this investigation is yet to come. When 
our ERTS underflight photography finally arrives- -it was ordered by 
NASA MSC Form 192 in January 1972--we wil l  calculate the accuracy 
of our ERTS interpretation. Until then, we cannot use the new dis- 
coveries to update the existing computer data bank for the Phoenix 
Quadrangle. 
4. CONCLUSIONS 
In conclusion, a map of land use change in the Phoenix 1:250,000 
quadrangle has been compiled using ERTS images only. The proposed 
standard land use classification has been an apparent success in this 
test site, though not yet checked for accuracy. 
903 
Figure 1. A composite of ERTS MSS bands 4, 5, and 6 show' g Phoenix 
and irrigated farmland November 1972, photographed from I S viewer. Y 
Figure 2. Data Color density slicer enhancing an ERTS image. Plots 
of land west of Phoenix with lush, well-watered vegetation are en- 
hanced compared to other types of surface cover, 
904 
Known Urban 1970 
New Urbon detected from ERTS imagery 1972 
10 Kilometers 5 0 5 
4 H W  t - 
Figure 3. Map of urban and built-up land in the Phoenix metropolitan 
area. Areas with solid boundaries were detected in U-2 aerial photo- 
graphs in 1970 and recognized in ERTS. Areas with dotted patterns 
are new urbanized areas detected in ERTS MSS composites. ERTS 
images were the only source of information used f o r  this change 
detection. 
905 
LAND USE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR USE WITH WMOTE SENSOR DATA 
LEVEL 1 CAE6OM€S L€HL I CATEGOR/ES 
01 URBAN BE BUILT4JP 
1 €VEL fl C.4EGORlES LEVFL n CA7EGORR3 
05 WATER 
01 5'7REAMS # WATERWAY5 
01 8AV5 $ E5TUARl€S 
01 RESID€NTlAL 
P COMM€@CIAL iSERViCES QZ 1AKE5 
U INDUSTRIAL 01 RE5ERWlRS 
64 EXTRACTIVE 
td IN5TlTU7/ONAL 
OI  TRIP +ClUSTE&'ED SErrlEMENT 
111 MIXED 
W OP€N# OTHER 
05 MAJOR TRANSPORT ROUTES AREA6 M o r w  
06 NONFORESTED WETLAND 
Q1 V€MrATED 
02 BARE 
07 BARREN LAND 02 AGRICULTURAL 
01 5ALT FlAT5 
01 SAND fOT#Eb? THAN BEACH€$ 
M BARE EXPOSED ROCK 
M BEACH€5 
01 CRLVLAND f PASTUR€ 
02 OR~UARD5, %ROVES. BUSH FRU/TS, 
01 F€EOIUG OPERATION5 
M OIUER 
WUfVdRDS 1 HopTCUlTURAl AR€Ab 
B ornm 
08 TUNDRA 
09 PERMANENT SNOWarvO ICE FIELDS 
03 RANGELANO 
01 TUNDRA 
01 dRA6S 
01 SAVANNA5 (PALME~lO PRAIRIES) 
m cnAmaau u DMRT snRu8 . .  
04 FORESTLAND 01 PERMANENT 5NOW)lCE FIELDS 
01 mclDuous 
02 EVEU6REEN &NlFEROUSq Or#€@ 
03 MIXED 
'Figure 4. Proposed standard land use classification system.. The first 
level of the classification system was designed for use with ERTS 
images. 
906 


Change in land use in the Phoenix (1:250,000) Quadrangle, Arizona between 1970 and 1972: Successful use of proposed land use classification system

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