There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Alexander, R. H.

Lewis, J.

Wray, J. R.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

E 7. 4- 1 .0.047
URBAN AND REGIONAL LAND USE ANALYSIS:
CARETS AND CENSUS CITIES EXPERIMENT PACKAGE
"M~ avaiable Wuier -1VA sponsorslp SKYLAB/EREP INVESTIGATION NO. 469in the interest of early and wide dis- NASA Order #T-5290 B
semination of Earth Resources Survey,
Program information and without liaLility
for any use made thereof."for any use made thereof." MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT, SEPTEMBER, 1973
John Lewis and James R. Wray
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Applications Program
Washington, D. C.20244
October 20, 1973
(E74-10047) URBAN AND REGIONAL LAND USE N74-11166ANALYSIS: CARETS AND CENSUS CITIES
EXPERIMENT PACKAGE Monthly Proqress
Report, Sep. 1973 (Geological Survey) Unclas
4 p BC $3.00 CSCL 08B G3/13 00047
Principal Investigator NASA Technical Monitor
Robert Alexander John T. Wheeler
U. S. Geological Survey Technology Utilization Officer
Geographic Applications Program NASA-Manned Spacecraft Center
Washington, D. C. 20244 Code JM7
Houston, Texas 77058
Publication authorized by the Director, U. S. Geological Survey
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19740003055 2020-03-23T14:05:03+00:00Z
URBAN AND REGIONAL LAND USE ANALYSIS:
CARETS AND CENSUS CITIES EXPERIMENT PACKAGE
Monthly Progress Report: October 20, 1973
Investigation No. 469
a. Overall status, including problem areas and significant progress
to date.
For the CARETS portion of this experiment, work concentrated on the analysis
of aircraft thermal imagery (Mission 55M) flown for Baltimore, May 11, 1972.
The data were processed by Environmental Research Institute of Michigan
(ERIM) to produce computer-compatible tapes (CCT), video replay of imagery,
and digital surface radiant temperature maps. Mission 55M was designed
as a testing effort to develop procedures for handling Skylab 5192 data
in the land use climatology experiment.
The problem faced was too much temperature diversity on the original maps.
This necessitated a smoothing procedure for reducing the information content
of the maps. The matrix of surface radiant temperature was smoothed 4 points
by 4 lines which reduced the original data by a factor of 16. The smoothing
program looks at a block of data 4 points by 4 lines on the original data
and then computes the average block value. A decision was then made to
filter blocked smoothed data recursively using a 3 x 3 sliding Gaussian
filter. This type of filter does not reduce the amount of data but per-
forms a running, weighted averaging of a 3 point by 3 line block of data.
This computed averaged filter value is then assigned to the central data
point. The recursion was performed 4 x and after each recursion, the maps
were inspected to ascertain the decrease in information diversity. It
was after the 4th smoothing with the Gaussian filter, an on line decision
was made to stop the recursive smoothing operation. The visual map product
was deemed satisfactory at this point.
Conversations during the month with Skylab project personnel indicate
pessimism regarding ability of Johnson Space Center computers to produce
thermal digital maps as users' products from the S-192 scanner. Therefore,
some effort this past month was spent in attempting to develop procedures
for the computer processing of the S-192 data tapes. Negotiations are in
progress to develop in-house capabilities for computer processing and map
production of the data tapes, or to have this operation contracted to an
outside data processing firm.
No new data were received from Houston on SL-2; however, data were ordered
in the form of CCT of bands, 2,4,6,8 and 13 and corrected film for the
same bands for the above mission.
-2-
For the Census Cities portion of this experiment, work has concentrated
on analysis of the Phoenix and Tucson SL-2 S-190a imagery. Of the eight
urban test sites, these two are the likeliest to analyze first, because
of status of our correlative control studies. The analysis of Phoenix
is especially appropriate because of recent completion of manuscript
studies showing 1970 land use at 1:62,500 as derived from 1970 high
altitude photography. Also available are 1970 census tract data and
map overlay, area measurements of these data and analysis and measure-
ment of land use change 1970-72 (also from aircraft data). We have
also delimited the urban area using Bureau of the Census density criteria
but land use boundaries. Then we have mapped 1972 land use and urban
delimitation on a 1:100,000 enlargement of the ERTS-1 May 10, 1973 scene.
From this control data, analysis of the S1-2 imagery was begun. Valerie
Milazzo is writing up the results for presentation at a news conference
prior to the Skylab 4 launch on or about November 10. Her report will
be part of the next monthly EREP progress report.
b. Recommendations concerning decision and/or actions required to ensure
the attainment of the experiment's scientific objectives.
In a telephone report at time of splashdown of Skylab 3, we received word
that S-190a and S-190b imagery now have been acquired for all eight
mandatory urban test sites except S-190b (Earth Terrain Camera) coverage
of San Francisco. We still have not seen any SL-3 imagery, but Dr. Wilmarth
has promised to make copies available for Valerie Milazzo's review at Cape
Canaveral on November 8 prior to the news conference. We emphasized the
importance of getting S-190b coverage of San Francisco on Skylab 4. Of
course, we also seek additional S-190a and/or S-190b coverage of Washington,
Boston, New Haven, Cedar Rapids, Pontiac, Peoria, Tucson and Phoenix in
order to pursue the land use change detection portion of the Census Cities
Skylab experiment.
c. Expected accomplishments during the next report periods.
A large effort for the next reporting period will be channeled into completion
of the technical report containing the analysis of the Baltimore thermal
imagery. Also, a trip is planned to coordinate project tasks and exchange
data with R. W. Pease, co-investigator at University of California, Riverside.
Return via Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and University of California, Davis,
is planned to discuss the climatic modeling phase of the land use climatology
project.
d. Significant results and their relationship to practical applications
or operational problems.
Review of results and applications of the Skylab SL-2 S-190a coverage of
Phoenix is included in report by Valerie Milazzo to be presented at Cape
Canaveral, November 8.
-3-
e. Summary outlook for the remaining effort to be performed.
The Census Cities work will pursue more comprehensive urban analysis,
hopefully using SL-3 imagery.
f. Travel summary and plans.
Travel during the past month included a trip to Ann Arbor to: 1) consult
with Professor Sam I.. Outcalt and 2) work at ERIM on data processing
(map smoothing) of the Baltimore thermal imagery (Mission 55M). A trip
for John Lewis and Sam Outcalt has been planned from November 13 through 17
to California for the purposes expressed in section "c". Valerie Milazzo
will represent the USGS CARETS and Census Cities experiment at the news
conference on November 8, at time of launch of Skylab 4. From there, she
will visit Skylab urban test sites (and co-workers) in Arizona.
Approved:
Robert H. Alexander
Principal Investigator
SKYLAB/EREP INVESTIGATION NO. 469


Urban and regional land use analysis: CARETS and Census Cities experiment package

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