The status of satellite remote sensing techniques used in the Republic of Panama up to November, 1977 is reviewed

Denichols, N. A.

English

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APPLICATION OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF THE USE OF
	
"J	 NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
a
Nidia Avila de Nichols
(NASA-TM-75089) APPLICATION OF SPACE	 N78-22971
TECHNOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF THE USE OF
NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA 	
Unclas(National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) 11 p HC A02/MF A01 CSCL O8F G3/85 15896
Translation of "Aplicacion de la Tecnologia
Espacial Al Estudio del Uso De Los Recursos
Naturales en la Republica de Panama", Paper
presented at the UN/FAO Regional Training Seminar on
the Application of Satellite Remote Sensing, Dec. 1-9,
1977, La Paz, Bolivia, pp 1-7.
P^(191^'	 ^^:
M
	
	 Fn ^,a,
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20546
	 March, 1978
STANDARD TITLE PACE
1.	 Report No. 7. Gevetntatat Accession Na. }	 Recipient's Catalog No.
• •NASA	 TM-75089
d. Title.nasaLtitl. Application of Space Tect no- s. Report Data March,	 191R
logy to the Study of the Use of Natural 6.	 Performing Oreanicatlon Code
Resources in the Republic of Panama
7. Authet(s) S.	 Performing Organisation Report No.
Nidia Avila de Nichols
•	 10. Work Unit No.
9. Performing Organicahon Nome and Address	 11. Contract or Grant No.
SCITRAN -
Type of Report and Period CoveraABOX 5456	 1P..
Santa Barbara, CA 93108 Translation
17. Sponsoring Agency Nome and Address'
National Aeronautics and Space Administration td. Sponsoring Agency Cede
Washington, D.C.	 20546
15. Sur,plamentery Notes
Translation of "Aplicacion.de la Tecnologia Espacial Al Estudi
del Uso de lop Recursos Naturales en la Re publica de Panama"
Paper presented at the UN/FRO Regional Trainin g Seminar on the
Application of Satellite Remote Sensing, Dec.. 1-9, 197', La Paz,
Bolivia, pp
16.	 Abstract
This paper is a review of the status of satellite
remote sensing techniques used•in • the ' Republic of
Panama up to November, 	 1977•
17. Key Words (Selected by Author($)) 18.	 Dl stributian Statement
Unclassified - Unlimited
It.	 Security Clessl f. (of this re parQ 20.	 Security Cinnlf. (of this papa) 4D. Ne. of Pege• 22.
Unclassified Unclassified 9
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APPLICATION OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF THE USE OF
NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
By Nidia Avila de Nichols*
INTRODUCTION
The present paper has been prepared by the Panamanian professional /*
Professor Nidia Avila de Nichols, as Panama's participation in the Re-
gional Training Seminar on Applications of Remote Sensing by Satellite,
held under the auspices of the United Nations and FAO, at La Paz, Bo-
livia, from December 1 to 9, 1977.
The paper consists of a compilation of information relating to the
use of the remote sensing technique at the present time, November, 1977,
in the Republic of Panama.
All of the information has been compiled with the kind cooperation
of the technicians and professional staffs of the various public and
private institutions, such as the personnel of the Instituto Geografico
Tommy Guardia [Tommy Guardia Geographic Institute], CODEMIN, the Catastro
[Census of Property], and the Negotiating Mission of the Ministerio de
Hacienda y Tesoro [Ministry of Finance and Treasury]. Although the
application of this technique is somewhat modest, given our limited
resources, the facc that it is used gives us an insight into its future
importance.
*Regional Training Seminar on Applications of Remote Sensing by Satel-
lite, December 1
-9, 1977, La Paz, Bolivia
** Numbers in Margin indicate pagination in foreign text.
i
i
1
CONTENTS
1. First attempts at Using the Technology of Remote
Sensing in the Republic of Panama,	 1967-1973. 3
II. Recent Applications of Spaoo Technology to the
Study of the Use of Natural Resources of the Garth
In Panama,	 1974-1977
1.	 Program of investigation of Cerro Colorado;
mining protect
2.	 Program of investigation of Cerro Pando; geo-
thermal protect 7
3.	 Program of land use in the province of Boons
del Toro 7
III. Expectation from the Application of Remote Sen-
sing Technology to the Study of the Use of Na-
tural Resources by the Panamanian authorities. 8
IV. Bibliography 9
I^
FIRST ATTEMPTS AT USING THE TECHNOLOGY OF REMOTE SENSING IN THE
	 /11
REPUBLIC OF PANAMA, 1967-1973.
In the republic of Panama, the coverage of the nation's territory
with some type of remote sensors was begun with the acquisition of the
first images with radar in 1967 by the Westinghouse Electric Corpora-
tion. 1
 This first image (Figure 1) which covers part of the province
of Darien, the San Blas section and the frontier with Colombia, was
made at a scale of 1:170,000. The Raytheon Autometric Company conver-
ted it to a topographic map  at a scale of 1:250,000; see Figure 2.
This topographic map was the first one made of the Darien area. The
following slides show the transparencies obtained for preparing the
topographic sheet. This map represented a landmark in the cartographic
technique in Panama. Now it was possible to identify and to inventory
cultural characteristics in the area of Darien which had hitherto been
unknown, such as areas of settlement of rural and indigenous communi-
ties, and physical characteristics. The following slides show some of
the physical elements which have been successfully recognised by the
radar technique:4
a) Photography of the Darien area under study
b) Surface water and drainage water
c) Condition of the terrain
d) Geology
e) Surface materials
f) Configuration of the terrain
g) Hydrology
h) Areas of possible routes for the construction of an interocean
canal.
In 1969, other images were taken in certain sections of the above-
1Lasso, Julio E., and Villareal, Noe, La Fotografia Aerea y sus Apli-
caciones ("Aerial Photography and Its Applications"), Thesis, Uni-
versity of Panama, School of Geography and History, 1974.
3Discussion with cartographer Leticia Guardia of the Instituto Geograf-
ifco Tommy Guardia of Panama, November, 1977.
4 Slides made from the transparencies in the Map Library of the Insti-
tuto Geografico Tommy Guardia.
*Numbers in margin indicate pagination in original foreign text.
3
'	
	 mentioned area, this time at a scale of 1:140 , 000 and 1:212 , 000, by	 12
the Sample Strip and the IAGS.S
rr t
In August, 1972, the Canal Zone and its environs were covered with
images at 1:200 , 000 by Goodyear Aerospace.°
iAll of these efforts were carried out through contracts with foreign
companies; see Figure 3.
In November, 1972, Daedalus Enterprises began a series of flights
under contract with the IAGS and the EROS programs in Panama, to col-
lect multispectral data in the Canal Zone and surrounding areas. This
was the first time that multispectral and thermal infrared images ware
taken at low altitude in Panamanian territory. The Daedalous system
used its DS-1250 consisting of a scan head with double optical chan-
nels equipped with a thermal infrared detector and a 10-channel spectro-
meter, which provided 11 channels of spectral coverage in the region
from 0.38 um to 14.0 um.
1
j
	
	 The processing of the information provided a set of multispectral
data with which a new technique of multispectral processing was inves-
tigated for the semi-automatic discrimination of objectives and classi-
fication of the various features. The results of this study showed
that a variety of terrestrial features in the tropical areas can be
reliably distinguished and coded in color by the use of these multi-
spectral techniques of differentiation and distribution among channels.
The technique uses all solid state analog processors and operates on
the data as originally recorded, in such a way that no conversion or
digital calculation is necessary, and all of the discriminations shown
-.^	 can be carried out in real time 7 ; see Figure 3b.
Y^	
In 1973, photographs and space images were taken by means of ERTS-1 X3
5Lasso and Villareal, op. cit.
.'	 61bid.
7 Ory, Thomas R.; Esperimentos de Procesamiento Analogo sobre Datos del
`TI	 Scanner Multiespectral Recogidos en Panama ("Experiments on Analog Pro-
Cessing of data from the Multispectral scanner collected in Panama"),
Daedalus Enterprises, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1972.
EiC a`_J^i^ 9.-^^d ,^ ".;PS I •._• Y ^ -r,. • .- -1,. ^- 	 ... ^._..... 1	 l_.—.^^ ^-. .__....^. .z_ ------	 _.-_^.	 '_' "^ _: J
satellite (now renamed Land-satel) is 805 complete; this was accom-
plished with only nine images (see Figures 4 and 5). At a later date
one more image was obtained, so that the entire country was covered
with ten images. 8 These images could not be used, owing to excessive
cloudiness.
The coverage of the country
 with Skylab Images is 50%; see Figure
6.
II. RECFhT APPLICATIONS OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF THE USE
OF 4ATORAL RESOURCES OF THE EARTH IN PANAMA, 197 -1977•
Owing to the fact that the application of sFace technology In
Panama is so recent, its use has been quite limited. Nevertheless,
the development of this technology coincides with the initiation of
Panama of natural resource studies in a much more systematized and
intensive form. The National Development Plan for 1976-1980 numbers
among the purposes and objectives of a plan, "harmon y among different
regions of the country and the actions taken to develop and integrate
them," in such a way that every project for the development of the
country has a regional base or is based on a regional study; hence,
remote sensing technology is an ideal tool for investigation.
The most noteworthy investigative studies which have made use of
this technique in Panama are the following:
1) Program of investigation of Cerro Colorado: mining project.
Gregory Geoscience was given a contract in 1973 to study the area
of Cerro Colorado, in the Province of Chiriqui, with ERTS-1 images.
The area of copper deposits had been discovered by conventional field
methods; so that the use of ERTS-1 technology a posteriori was for the
purpose of identifying similar neighboring areas, or similar neighboring
geologic areas, based on the photographic characteristics of the area_
II	
8Discussion with geographer Noe Villareal, of the Inst-ituto Geogrnfico
Tommy Guardia.
5
under study.
/4
In August, 1973, only four ERTS-1 images relating to the area
were sufficiently free of clouds to be analyzed. As the multispectral
scanner of ERTS-1 covers information in four bands of the electromag-
netic spectrum, there were four black-and-white copies for each image
which represented reflectance in the green, red, and two regions of
the infrared band. Figure 7 represents the area coverel by ERTS-1
used in the study. Frame 1 shows the materials used in the interpre-
tation.
Cloudiness situations, crzated by local problems of atmospheric
interference from clouds [and] from heat and smoke in areas of confla-
gration, covered a large part of the images to be interpreted, and
effectively limited their use. Other technical limitations discovered
were the lack of lines between North 75 0E and North 1350E.9
The interpretative technique 10 used was:
1) Transfer of the information directly from 1:500,000 scale to base
maps.
2) Projection of the multispectral scanner bands from 9" x 9 " and
70 mm transparencies to 1:100,000 base maps.
3) Stereoscopic and pseudo-stereoscopic examination of 9" x 9 " trans-
parencies at a scale of 1:1,000,000 using a Wild ST4 stereoscope and
the Zeiss-Jena interpretoscope. Stereoscopic viewing of variable qua-
lity was possible for almost all of the area of study owing to the
fact that the overlapping orbits of the images were slightly displaced
4) Ex periment with equipment for color weeding ir using the Spectral
Data Corporation's additive color viewer (the results were negative)
and the 1 2 a density slicer.
As a general principle, the tonal and structural information by
9 Gregory Geoscience Ltd., Analyses of ERTS-1 Images for the Central
Corderilla in the Vicinity of Cerro Colo rado, Western Panama, 197
10 - - [Translator's note: Omitted from foreign text].
,E 
[Translator's note: Sp. "ensachamiento" may be misprint for "ensanch-
imiento" = expansiun.]
6
1density slicing and visual discrimination were of little use because of
the poor quality of the images and the lack of contrast. The poor de-
finition of contrasts resulting from the mist and smoke eliminated the
possibility of spectral contrasts. It was possible to identify the
contrasts between the forest and the plains, as a result, Cerro Colorado
and Cerro Mogla were identified by the use of spectral contrasts. The /5
structural analysis was based on classification of the linear and curvi-
linear characteristics identified in the four spectral bands of the
image. The area free of clouds was divided into seven segments, with
which individual maps were prepared for each segment at a scale of
1:100,000. Other types of analysis carried out have not been divulged.
2) Program of Investigation of Cerro Pando: geothermal pro,jectll
Starting in 1975, the Corporation de Desarollo Minero de Panama
(Panama Mining Development Corporation) (CODEMIN), has been investiga-
ting the existence of geothermal deposits in Cerro Pando. During 1976-
1977, these studies were carried out with the participation of the
British government, United Nations and the Instituto de Recursos Hidra-
aulicos y de Electrificado [Institute of Water Resources and Electri-
fication] (IRHE).
The studies carried out to investigate the geothermal potential
in tha area of Cerro Pando have focussed on geological, geochemical,
hydrologic, perforation and geophysical activities. The progress in
the geological studies is the most noteworthy, since, in the period be-
tween October, 1976, and October, 1977, a preliminary geologic map was
prepared which covers a surface area of 60,000 hectares, as well as a
structural map with data obtained from the stereoscopic study of images
of the area and field verifications. See Figure S.
3) Program of Land Use in the Province of Boca del Toro12
This is a first attempt on the part of the Instituto Tommy Guardia
3
to draw up topographic maps of the area of the province of Bocas del
Toro without field checking, using Skylab images, (to determine physi-
11CODEMIX, Report, October 1976-1977
1 12 Discussionwith geographer Noe Villareal, of the Instituto Geografico
• ic' Tommy Guardia.
7
III.
t w^_ I-LLL
changes in land use [sic]). This attempt, however, begun in September,
1977, has not been completed; analysis using a multispectral differen- b
tiator shows changes in the coastline, growth in villages and changes
in cultivated areas.
The Panamanian authorities consider that:
- the technology of remote sensing offers a set of opportunities
for investigation which are highly desirable for the plans of national
development;
- the various governmental sectors agree in indicating that the
Instituto Geografico Tommv Guardia should be the institution responsible
for the organization and administration of the use of the technology of
remote perfection*;
- for this purpose the Instituto Geografico Tommy Guardia has es-
tablished a small section whose assignment is to compile and evaluate
the pertinent information. It is hoped that in the near future, this
section will increase in the resources necessary to establish the prin-
ciples of application of the technology to the use of natural resources.
- for this reason, the Panamanian hovernment encourages professionals
and technicians to attend international seminars and training- program[s]
so that the pric'cts of national development are carried out by Inter-
disciplinar y and interministerial task forces, whose components ur mem-
bers, by virtue of their technical training, are capable of applying
whichever technology is the most appropriate on the basis of time, ef-
fort, and economy, while giving consideration to the philosophy of na-
tional development..
*'Translator's note: Sp. "perfection"; probably an error for "perception",
= sensing.
8
IV. References	 /7
I. Lasso, Julio E., and Villareal, Noe.: La Potografia Aerea y sus
Apt caciones ("Aerial Photography and its Applications"), Thesis,
University of Panama, School of Geography and History, 1974. 	 j :a
1
2. Ory, Thomas R.: Esperimentos de Procesamiento Alalogo sobre Datos
	 I
del Scanner Multiespectral Recogidos en Panama Experiments on
Analog Processing of Data from the Multispectral Scanner Collected
In Panama"), Daedalus Enterprises, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1972•
rl
3. Gregory Geoscience Limited, Analyses of ERTS-1 Images for the Central
Corderilla in the Vicinity of Cerro Colorado Western Panama, 197 4.
4. CODEMIN, Report, October 1976-October, 1977.
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Application of space technology to the study of the use of natural resources in the Republic of Panama

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