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EEZG612_Lecture4_Reflectance and spectral indices_edited

The document discusses reflectance and spectral indices in environmental remote sensing, focusing on the calculation of Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance from Landsat images. It covers topics such as radiometric calibration, spectral response curves for vegetation and soil, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a key spectral index. The lecture emphasizes the importance of understanding spectral characteristics for environmental monitoring and analysis.

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11 views

EEZG612_Lecture4_Reflectance and spectral indices_edited

The document discusses reflectance and spectral indices in environmental remote sensing, focusing on the calculation of Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance from Landsat images. It covers topics such as radiometric calibration, spectral response curves for vegetation and soil, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a key spectral index. The lecture emphasizes the importance of understanding spectral characteristics for environmental monitoring and analysis.

Uploaded by

anandswarup
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BITS Pilani

Pilani Campus

EE ZG612, Environmental Remote


Sensing and GIS
Lecture No.4
Reflectance and
Spectral indices
BITS Pilani Dr. Prakash Mohan
Pilani Campus
Today’s Topic: Reflectance

Topic Topic Title Reference


No.
3.1 Exercise to calculate reflectance using Landsat Lecture slides
images
3.2 Plotting spectral reflectance curve of various T1Ch1
earth surface features
3.3 T1Ch7/ R1Ch10
Spectral Ratioing and spectral indices
3.4 Lecture slides
Spectral Indices for Environmental monitoring

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Radiance and Spectral Radiance

Digital Number (DN)


The values recorded by
the radiometer are
stored in pixels with DN
values

For an 8 bit system DN


ranges between 0 to 255.

0 255

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Electromagnetic energy Interactions with earth surface
features

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Radiometric Calibration

The process of estimating TOA radiance/reflectance values from


the DNs is known as radiometric calibration.

TOA radiance value is the sum of reflections from the surface, reflections from
clouds, and scattering from air molecules and aerosol particles in the atmosphere.

The process of estimating the surface reflectance values by removing the


atmospheric effects is known as atmospheric correction.
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Calculation of Top of the atmospheric reflectance of
Landsat -8/9
Conversion to TOA reflectance

TOA reflectance with a correction for the sun angle

https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/using-usgs-landsat-level-1-data-product BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Calculation of Top of the atmospheric reflectance of
Landsat -8/9

Sample image name : LC09_L1TP_144048_20230620_20230620_02_T1


Metadata- Relevant details Equations

Combined equation

SUN_ELEVATION = 52.21131469 = 0.91125 radian

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


True Color Composite

A natural or true color composite is an image displaying a combination of visible red,


green and blue bands to the corresponding red, green and blue channels on the
computer.

Blue 1
TCC

Blue 2

Green

Red

NIR

SWIR1

SWIR2

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


False Color Composite
False color images are a representation of a multi-spectral image produced using bands other than visible
red, green and blue as the red, green and blue components of an image display

Blue 1
FCC

Blue 2

Green

Red

NIR

SWIR1

SWIR2

https://gsp.humboldt.edu/olm/Courses/GSP_216/lessons/composites.html
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Handheld Spectral radiometer
Spectral response curve
The graphical representation of the spectral response of an object over
different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral reflectance curve

Landsat-9 Pixels X Y

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Handheld Spectral radiometer
Spectral response curve of vegetation

The spectral reflectance curve exhibits ‘peak-and –valley’ configuration

Peak

Peak

Peak
Peak Valley
Valley Valley Valley

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of vegetation
Sensitivity

0.7-1.3µm: Near Infrared region


where, plant reflects 60% NIR
radiation reaching the mesophyll
cells of the leaves, and 40% is
transmitted through the leaves. Beyond 1.3µm: Water in the leaf
strongly absorbs the energy at
wavelength 1.6, 1.9, 2.7 µm

NIR

0.4-0.7µm: Visible region: where, G


plant absorbs blue and red for R
B
photosynthesis and reflects green

Visible IR SWIR

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of vegetation
Sensitivity

NIR

G
R
B

Visible IR SWIR
Leaf pigments Leaf structure Leaf Water content

Due to multi-layer reflection of NIR, trees with thicker canopies reflect more NIR
compared to this canopy cover

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of vegetation
Sensitivity

NIR

G
R
B

Visible IR SWIR
Leaf pigments Leaf structure Leaf Water content

Due to multi-layer reflection of NIR, trees with thicker canopies reflect more NIR
compared to this canopy cover

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of vegetation
Healthy vs Stressed Vegetation

When vegetation get stressed:


• Red and blue bands also get reflected along with the green band giving an yellow colour
• NIR reflection decreases as the mesophyll cells get stressed or died

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of vegetation
Species difference

Different tree species may be similar in visible bands but can be easily
differentiated using NIR band

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of soil

Curve depends on:


• Moisture content of the soil
• Soil texture (proportion of sand, silt, clay)
• Surface roughness
• Presence of iron oxide
• Organic matter content

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Spectral response curve of water

Reflectance is below 0.7µm


Beyond 0.7µm the waterbody has no reflectance

Reflectance depends on
• Suspended solids
• Depth of water body
• Chlorophyll concentration

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Simple Ratio

This Simple ratio exhibits


relative biomass present in
the image

Soil exposed

Vegetation

It is difficult to fix a range of values in simple ratio


BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
NDVI values ranges between -1 to +1
Dr. John Schell and Dr. John Rouse

Water

Vegetation Soil

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus


Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
NDVI values ranges between -1 to +1

soil

Vegetation

NDVI is the most used spectral


index in remote sensing

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

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