Introduction to Remote Sensing

Basic Image Enhancement Techniques

Dr. Arun K. Saraf,
Professor
Department of Earth Sciences

1
Remote Sensing Raster (Matrix) Data Format

Digital number of column 5,

row 4 at band 2 is expressed
as BV5,4,2 = 105.
 Image file formats
• BSQ (Band Sequential Format):
– Each line of the data followed immediately by the next line in the same spectral band.
This format is optimal for spatial (X, Y) access of any part of a single spectral band. Good
for multispectral images

• BIP (Band Interleaved by Pixel Format):

– The first pixel for all bands in sequential order, followed by the second pixel for all bands,
followed by the third pixel for all bands, etc., interleaved up to the number of pixels. This
format provides optimum performance for spectral (Z) access of the image data. Good for
hyperspectral images

• BIL (Band Interleaved by Line Format):

– The first line of the first band followed by the first line of the second band, followed by
the first line of the third band, interleaved up to the number of bands. Subsequent lines
for each band are interleaved in similar fashion. This format provides a compromise in
performance between spatial and spectral processing and is the recommended file format
for most ENVI processing tasks. Good for images with 20-60 bands
 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4
20 50 50 90 90 120 150 100 120 103 210 250 250 190 245
76 66 55 45 120 176 166 155 85 150 156 166 155 415 220
80 80 60 70 150 85 80 70 77 135 180 180 160 170 200

100 93 97 101 105 103 90 70 120 133 200 0 123 222 215

Matrix notation for band 2

1,1,2 2,1,2 3,1,2 4,1,2 5,1,2
1,2,2 2,2,2 3,2,2 4,2,2 5,2,2
1,3,2 2,3,2 3,3,2 4,3,2 5,3,2

1,4,2 2,4,2 3,4,2 4,4,2 5,4,2

10 15 17 20 21 15 16 18 21 23 17 18 20 22 22 18 20 22 24 25
20 50 50 90 90 76 66 55 45 120 80 80 60 70 150 100 93 97 101 105
120 150 100 120 103 176 166 155 85 150 85 80 70 77 135 103 90 70 120 133 BSQ
210 250 250 190 245 156 166 155 415 220 180 180 160 170 200 200 0 123 222 215

10 20 120 210 15 50 150 250 17 50 100 250 20 90 120 190 21 90 103 245
15 76 176 156 16 66 166 166 18 55 155 155 21 45 85 415 23 120 150 220
BIP
17 80 85 180 18 80 80 180 20 60 70 160 22 70 77 170 22 150 135 200

18 100 103 200 20 93 90 0 22 97 70 123 24 101 120 222 25 105 133 215

10 15 17 20 21 20 50 50 90 90 120 150 100 120 103 210 250 250 190 245
15 16 18 21 23 76 66 55 45 120 176 166 155 85 150 156 166 155 415 220
17 18 20 22 22 80 80 60 70 150 85 80 70 77 135 180 180 160 170 200 BIL
18 20 22 24 25 100 93 97 101 105 103 90 70 120 133 200 0 123 222 215
• Band sequential (BSQ) - image one band at a time. In other words,
data for all pixels for band 1 is stored first, then data for all pixels for
band 2, and so on.

– Value=image(c, r, b)

• Band interleaved by pixel (BIP) data is similar to BIL data, except that
the data for each pixel is written band by band. For example, with the
same three-band image, the data for bands 1, 2 and 3 are written for
the first pixel in column 1; the data for bands 1, 2 and 3 are written for
the first pixel in column 2; and so on.

– Value=image(b, c, r)

• Band interleaved by line (BIL) data stores pixel information band by

band for each line, or row, of the image. For example, given a three-
band image, all three bands of data are written for row 1, all three
bands of data are written for row 2, and so on, until the total number
of rows in the image is reached.

– Value=image(c, b, r)
 IMAGE ACQUISITION

IMAGE PROCESSING
(Feature extraction)

IMAGE CLASSIFICATION

ACCURACY ASSESSMENT
1.2m parabolic disk antenna and rotator of NOAA-HRPT system.
1.2m parabolic disk antenna and rotator of NOAA-HRPT system.
PC-based NOAA-HRPT receiver
 What is image processing?

• Image processing includes enhancing an image, extracting

information / features from an image

• Computerized routines for information extraction (e.g.

classification, pattern recognition) from satellite images to
obtain categories of information about specific features.
 Image Processing Includes
• Image quality and statistical evaluation
• Radiometric correction
• Geometric correction
• Image enhancement and sharpening
• Image classification
– Pixel based
– Object-oriented based
• Accuracy assessment of classification
• Post-classification and GIS
• Change detection
 Image Quality
• Many remote sensing datasets contain high-quality,
accurate data. Sometimes error (or noise) is introduced into
the remote sensor data by:
– the environment (e.g., atmospheric scattering, cloud),
– random or systematic malfunction of the remote sensing
system (e.g., an uncalibrated detector creates striping), or
– improper pre-processing of the remote sensor data prior to
actual data analysis (e.g., inaccurate analog-to-digital
conversion).
First step in image processing is to check image statistics
 The mean is the arithmetic average and is
defined as the sum of all brightness value
observations divided by the number of
observations.
 The median is the value midway in the
frequency distribution. One-half of the area
below the distribution curve is to the right of
the median, and one-half is to the left
 The mode is the value that occurs most
n frequently in a distribution and is usually the
∑ BV ik
highest point on the curve (histogram). It is
common, however, to encounter more than
µk = i =1
n one mode in a remote sensing dataset.
 Image Pre-Processing
• Create a more accurate representation through:
– Geometric correction (already discussed under Geo-
referencing)
– Radiometric correction
– Atmospheric correction
• Can also make it easier to interpret using “image enhancement”
• Images can be ordered at different levels of correction and enhancement
• Rectification – remove distortion (platform, sensor, earth, atmosphere)
 Radiometric corrections
(De-Striping and Noise Removal)
Radiometric correction is a pre-processing method to reconstruct physically calibrated values by
correcting the spectral errors and distortions caused by sensors.

Figure shows a typical systems errors which result in missing or defective data along a scan line.

Dropped lines are normally corrected by replacing the line with the pixel values in the line above
or below, or with the average of the two.
Speckle Noise and Removal
 Atmospheric corrections
• Solar radiation is largely unaffected as it travels through the vacuum
of space.
• However, when it interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere, it is
selectively scattered and absorbed.
• The sum of these two forms of energy loss is called atmospheric
attenuation.
• The general goal of atmospheric correction is to turn the digital
brightness values (or DN) recorded by a remote sensing system into
scaled surface reflectance values.
• These values can then be compared or used in conjunction with
scaled surface reflectance values obtained anywhere else on the
planet.
Atmospheric correction
Scattering,
Absorption

http://www.slideshare.net/pratomer/basics-of-dip
Refraction,
Reflection
• There are several ways to
atmospherically correct remotely
sensed data.

• Some are relatively straightforward

while others are complex, being
founded on physical principles and
requiring a significant amount of
information to function properly.
a) Image containing substantial haze prior to atmospheric correction.
b) Image after atmospheric correction using ATCOR (Courtesy Leica Geosystems and DLR,
the German Aerospace Centre).
 Image Enhancement
Improves interpretability of the image by increasing
apparent contrast among various features.
– Contrast manipulation: contrast stretching.
– Spatial feature manipulation: Spatial filtering, edge
enhancement, and Fourier analysis.
– Multi-image manipulation: Band ratioing, principal
components, vegetation indices
Original Image Stretched Image Lillesand and Kiefer, 1987
Lillesand and Kiefer, 1987
Lillesand and Kiefer, 1987
Lillesand and Kiefer, 1987
Histogram equalization

Lillesand and Kiefer, 1987

THANKS
A view of Himalaya as seen by NOAA-AVHRR on 28th October 2002 at 10:11 hrs

© Dr. Arun K. Saraf, IITR - Satellite Earth Station, DES, IIT Roorkee
A view of Karakoram and Western Himalaya mountains as A night-time view of Karakoram and Western Himalaya mountains
seen by NOAA-AVHRR of 19th November 2002 at 14:32 hrs as seen by NOAA-AVHRR of 24th November 2002 at 23:01 hrs

© Dr. Arun K. Saraf, IITR - Satellite Earth Station, DES, IIT Roorkee © Dr. Arun K. Saraf, IITR - Satellite Earth Station, DES, IIT Roorkee