ENVI Poised for Use in Camouflage Detection

Customer ChallengeDefense forces routinely rely on a combination of camouflage netting,

foliage and terrain to protect large troop deployments and

infrastructure from detection. The use of standard broad-band

surveillance sensors to find these hidden targets is labor intensive and

generally results in a low probability of detection and many false

positives. The Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division of

Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organization (DSTO)

needed a high-tech solution for detecting hidden forces.

Solution AchievedBy contrast to using standard broad-band surveillance, using the power of hyperspectral sensors and analysis methods,

targets and backgrounds can be more quickly and accurately detected. In a trial study conducted by DSTO, the use of

hyperspectral imagery was evaluated for detecting camouflage materials. Specifically, the study assessed the use of

images from hyperspectral surveillance sensors for detecting camouflage targets in a tropical environment under various

hide scenarios.

ENVI was used to access, display, and analyze the image data. DSTO developed custom algorithms for detection of

camouflage targets and integrated this capability into the ENVI menu. The results of the study demonstrated that

hyperspectral imagery analysis offers the ability to detect camouflage materials in many hide scenarios with high

probability and low false alarm rates. This can provide both tactical advantages and counter-surveillance challenges in

the battlefield.

According to Dr. Vittala Shettigara, Senior Research Scientist for the DSTO, the hyperspectral technology could

potentially enable defence analysts to identify a target as a friend, foe or neutral. “Hyperspectral imagery and advanced

image analysis techniques are essential for locating and identifying the material under surveillance,” said Shettigara.

“We needed a software package with the functionalities to quickly implement algorithms to accurately detect and

classify the targets and ENVI was the clear choice.”

To learn more about ENVI, ENVI instructional courses, ENVI tutorial resources, or our Professional Services, visitwww.ittvis.com/ENVI.

Copyright © 2007 ITT Corporation. ENVI and IDL are trademarks of ITT Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

ENVI in Defense & Intelligence

Invasive Species Management in the Sacramento San Joaquin Valley

Customer ChallengeFor many years, we have known the threat and adverse effects of invasive plant species on our

ecosystem. Long after these species have been introduced, the original populations can continue to

spread virally and negatively affect other areas. Scientists needed a unique method of providing a

comprehensive baseline for documenting the distribution of the invasive species.

Solution Achieved

With advanced satellite imaging and image analysis software capabilities scientists can

detect the presence of these populations and chart their growth. By developing cost-

effective and non-intrusive monitoring and mapping methods, we can begin to

understand the significant threat that these plants pose to biological diversity and

ecological functioning and begin to manage their impact.

In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Region, the Department of Boating and

Waterways (CDBW) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

have become particularly concerned about two major invasive plant species: the

Brazilian waterweed and water hyacinth. These species cause significant threats to the

region, from interfering with recreational and commercial activities to obstructing

navigable waterways and blocking irrigation channels.

This project represents one of the largest airborne hyperspectral image acquisition

efforts ever undertaken for vegetation mapping purposes. Because of the need to

collect accurate visual data in this enormous project, we employed hyperspectral remote

sensing. In the past, both aerial and satellite imagery have been applied to mapping

invasive vegetation, but these techniques limited our ability to discriminate between

species due to low spectral and spatial resolution. Now, airborne hyperspectral remote

sensing has provided us with high-quality, easily analyzed images previously unavailable

to researchers.

In recent years, hyperspectral remote sensing has shown promising results for species-

level mapping. This advanced imaging technique, coupled with aggressive analysis

tools like ENVI software from ITT, gave us the opportunity to extract information like

never before. ENVI’s exclusive, flexible spectral suite and a friendly graphical user

interface allow researchers to perform image processing end-to-end. Its imaging capabilities range from exploration tools such

as the n-D Visualizer to analyzing capabilities with simple wizards or customized algorithms for maximum flexibility.

To learn more about ENVI, ENVI instructional courses, ENVI tutorial resources, or our Professional Services, visitwww.ittvis.com/ENVI.

Copyright © 2007 ITT Corporation. ENVI and IDL are trademarks of ITT Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

ENVI in Environmental Conservation

ENVI in Forestry & Agriculture

Using MERIS Images to Map Forest Fire Damage

Customer ChallengeForest fires, with the capacity to devastate landscape quickly and totally, are a threat to

ecosystem functioning in the areas of biodiversity and hydrology. By releasing carbon

dioxide, they can also affect global atmospheric chemistry. A system to map the extent

of the damage and plan recovery efforts has become a priority around the world.

Solution AchievedWildfires play a critical role in many aspects related to ecosystem functioning.

They are increasingly a source of concern for environmental protection and

security. Biomass burning has been on the rise for decades. In fact, in Europe,

the five Mediterranean States endured an astronomical 300% increase of forest

fires from 1980-2003. Remote sensing continues to play a crucial role in

extracting timely and harmonized information on these disasters. Using

sophisticated remote satellite sensors, such as the European Space Agency’s

Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS), researchers can better

obtain images and estimate the amount of damage caused by forest fires.

Disaster Help with Remote SensingHighly accurate data images help agencies plan post-fire restoration efforts in

many ways. First, scientists can determine which areas are most acutely affected,

thereby spending the largest amount of relief dollars in those regions. In

addition, information on forest fires is strategic for Kyoto Protocol

implementation and treaty verification. The Kyoto Protocol intends to limit or

reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions each year from a

benchmark determined in 1990. Wild land fires are a significant source of

greenhouse gas, especially in tropical areas.

Researchers from the Remote Sensing Laboratory in Madrid, Spain released

preliminary results on forest fire damage and burnt area assessment for a fire on

the border of Portugal and Spain during the first days of August 2003. The

summer of 2003 was a particularly dramatic season in much of Southern Europe,

especially in Portugal, where almost 8% of the forested area was burned.

Employing highly accurate remote sensing to obtain data and ENVI to perform

data analysis; the study area was effectively mapped and examined. The

MERIS sensor and subsequent analysis have proven to be accurate tools in

estimated the damage level of forest fires. The multispectral capabilities of Meris

in the visible and near-infrared regions and narrow spectral band give scientists

the benefit of improved spatial resolution compared to traditional sensors, such

as NOAA’s Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR).

Analyzing the DamageThe study area, known as Valencia de Alcantara, was delineated on a MERIS

image; all of the analysis was carried out on one working frame with ENVI and

IDL 4.0. Using ENVI’s convenient built-in algorithms, including the linear unmixing

algorithm, they created a post-fire sub-scene of the MERIS image, as well as a

post-fire SPOT-5 image obtained on August 21, 2003. The SPOT-5 is a a four-

band image with a 10-meter spatial resolution, with two visible spectral bands, a

third in the near infrared and the fourth in the shortwave infrared region.

The applied algorithms produced an estimate for the level of damage caused by the fire to give the researchers more concrete

data, and this estimate was reclassified into two degrees of affection: high and very high. This SPOT-5 image, with its

improved spatial resolution and proper spectral capabilities, was used as the ‘ground truth’ for evaluating MERIS estimations

of damage and affected areas.

Field Data and ResultsThough remotely sensed data is crucial to assessing the extent of damage after a fire, field work is also critical for

continued analysis. Two different trips allowed the team to verify what they had found in the remote sensing

estimations. The first trip was conducted a few weeks after the fire was extinguished, while the second was carried out

the next summer, during the following vegetative period.

Ground data from the first trip revealed the degree of devastation caused by the fire, while in the second trip the team

assessed clearing works on ravaged areas and documented signs of recovering vegetation. Linking pictures of several

locations to GPS coordinates and MERIS and SPOT-5 images showed a tremendous correlation between damage found

by the satellite sensors and the subsequent field work.

In an effort to analyze the effects of the fire on specific forest species, MERIS derived information on the damage was

compared with information on land cover classes taken from the Spanish National Forest Map. Analysis revealed that all

the species in the burn area were affected equally, unlike in other geographic locations, where some tree species are

more resistant than others.

The data collected in this study is extremely beneficial to people planning restoration efforts. Government subsidies can

be distributed appropriately to damaged areas, and future landscaping can be planned to include more fire resistant

species. Without the high resolution capabilities of remote sensing and highly analytical software such as ENVI,

researchers are able to provide this crucial information to the public and the agencies that monitor our planet.

To learn more about ENVI, ENVI instructional courses, ENVI tutorial resources, or our Professional Services, visitwww.ittvis.com/ENVI.

Copyright © 2007 ITT Corporation. ENVI and IDL are trademarks of ITT Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

ENVI Improves Mining Profitability

Customer ChallengeThe use of ASTER data has grown in recent years due to its

relatively low cost, broad area of coverage and the fact that data

from additional channels are available for critical parts of the

spectrum. Bob Agar of Australian Geological and Remote Sensing

Services needed a way to use ASTER data to detect areas of

mining that would prove lucrative.

Solution AchievedAgar used ASTER data and ENVI to discriminate between specific iron and clay

species by means of their unique spectral signatures in Peru to aid in mining

efforts. Using the ASTER data, Agar detected economic mineral deposits by

mapping important indicator, or alteration, minerals – minerals that have

unique spectral signatures and are known to surround target minerals. For

example kaolinite is a mineral commonly found near deposits of gold, so

targeting concentrations of kaolinite can indicate the presence of gold.

To provide field workers with useful information, Agar first calibrated the raw

data and corrected it for atmospheric backscatter, which provided him with a

cleaner, more reliable dataset. He then used ENVI’s built in routines to create

mineral indices for a suite of alteration minerals, and used spectral variations

to generate a phyllic index which provides a simple index for the probable

wavelength position of maximum absorption. Finally, some 25 alteration

minerals were mapped, showing regions of hydrothermal alteration that may

indicate the presence of mineral deposits. Using ENVI, Agar was able to glean

necessary crucial detail about the type and degree of alteration in the area.

Although geological field work cannot be completely replaced with the use

of remotely sensed images, multispectral data, such as ASTER, can be used

to determine regions of interest and to target field mining efforts. Using ASTER data and ENVI processing capabilities,

Agar was able to discriminate between styles of mineral alteration that can reduce the costs involved in exploration,

while at the same time increasing the chance of profitable returns.

To learn more about ENVI, ENVI instructional courses, ENVI tutorial resources, or our Professional Services, visitwww.ittvis.com/ENVI.

Copyright © 2007 ITT Corporation. ENVI and IDL are trademarks of ITT Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

ENVI in Mining

ENVI Plays Key Role in Oil Seep Detection

Customer ChallengeAsset monitoring is critical for energy and oil companies. Because assets can

be difficult to map and assess on a regular basis, decisions regarding their

development and maintenance are made with limited and often inaccurate

data. Ellis Geospatial of Walnut Creek, California needed a way to help

energy and oil companies better monitor their valuable resources.

Solution AchievedEllis GeoSpatial developed a method for asset monitoring by creating

detailed environmental baselines and maps of oil fields, refineries, tank

farms, pipelines, and exploration acreage. By accurately and thoroughly

mapping areas to identify soil that has been impacted by oil seeps, oil

companies can locate potentially rich oil reserves hidden beneath the

earth’s surface for exploration purposes, or can prevent environmental

damage by controlling seepage resulting from an oil spill. By using

environmental data from a variety of imaging sensors to assess vegetation

types, vegetation stress, soil conditions, land use/land cover, infrastructure,

and water conditions, Ellis GeoSpatial can create effective environmental

baselines for its customers. The use of ENVI for visualizing and analyzing

hyperspectral satellite imagery is a critical tool in this process.

The Versatility of ENVI for Geologic MappingAs the tool of choice for the processing and analysis of the hyperspectral

data, ENVI plays a key role in the development of environmental baselines.

Steve Ellis of Ellis GeoSpatial selected ENVI based on a number of important

factors. “ENVI supports multiple data sources for engineering and geologic

applications, which is obviously critical for our services because we’re using

so many different kinds of data. It also supports different methods for

analyzing hyperspectral imagery and features a variety of sophisticated

algorithms that allow us to create more focused maps and integrate

seamlessly with geographic information systems,” Ellis explains.

To create an environmental baseline, Ellis and his team use a combination

ENVI in Oil &Gas

of hyperspectral imagery, other image data, basemaps, and

field data integrated into a geographic information system

(GIS). They rapidly develop natural color, color-infrared, and

full-infrared composites using ENVI to help familiarize the

analyst with the terrain, environment, geomorphology and

man-made infrastructure. ENVI's visualization and analysis tools

are then used to locate and spectrally characterize oil seeps

and oil-impacted soils. One of the products developed with

ENVI are a series of black and white raster images that contain

the features of interest—such as oil-impacted surfaces,

vegetation types, iron minerals and carbonates. Then, the team

applies a rectification transformation to each image to warp it

into a specified map projection and datum. The quality of the

rectification often determines the usefulness of the

hyperspectral color composites and derived maps for the

exploration client.

ENVI's versatility enables Ellis’ team to quickly process

hyperspectral imagery for multiple geologic and land analysis

applications, including mapping of soils, plant communities,

paved surfaces, vegetation vigor and land use/land cover. A

number of routines support functions specifically related to

using hyperspectral data, especially the ability to extract

information at the sub-pixel level.

"ENVI's subpixel and unmixing algorithms enable us to detect

small amounts of hydrocarbon-based material that occur

within each pixel,” said Ellis. “This is a key capability in

working with hyperspectral data."

The use of ENVI for mapping targets that have unique and

strong spectral signatures, such as the clay minerals

associated with hydrothermal alteration, is valuable for creating spectral libraries. ENVI's unique algorithms are used

for spectral compression to reduce data size and accelerate the analysis process, making the number of spectral bands

easier to manipulate.

To learn more about ENVI, ENVI instructional courses, ENVI tutorial resources, or our Professional Services, visitwww.ittvis.com/ENVI.

Copyright © 2007 ITT Corporation. ENVI and IDL are trademarks of ITT Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.