Cloud bottom altitude determination from a satellite

The letter is devoted to the introduction of a new technique to derive the cloud bottom height (CBH) from satellite measurements of the cloud reflectance in the oxygen A-band. The information on the cloud top height needed in the retrieval of the CBH must be obtained from separate measurements to insure small biases in the retrieved CBH. Such measurements can be performed by a space-based lidar.     

Assessing the sensitivity of site index models developed using bi-temporal airborne laser scanning data to different top height estimates and grid cell sizes

Site productivity and forest growth are critical inputs into projecting wood volume and biomass accumulation over time. Site productivity, which is determined most commonly using site index models is also the primary criterion to consider many forest management decisions. Most of the previous research utilizing the remote sensing data for assessment of site index with forest height are based on the existing site index models developed with traditional dendrometric methods. However, these traditional methods are both time-consuming and expensive. This study demonstrates how bi-temporal airborne laser scanning (ALS) data collected within the 8-year period can be used for the development of site index models for Scots pine. The accuracy of ALS-derived models was assessed by comparison to the reference site index model developed based on data from stem analysis of 174 felled Scots pine trees. We evaluated the effect of different height metrics and grid cell size on the trajectory of site index models developed from ALS-derived measurements. Four methods of estimating top height from ALS point clouds were evaluated: 95th, 99th and 100th percentiles of point clouds and an individual tree detection approach (ITD). The models were created for a range of grid cell sizes: 10 × 10 m, 30 × 30 m, and 50 × 50 m. The results indicate that bitemporal ALS data could substitute traditional methods that have been applied to date for stand growth modelling. It was found that top height increment can be estimated by using both ITD approach and the 100th percentile of point cloud giving an appropriate top height (TH) increment estimation. Observed growth curves of reference trees agreed best with the trajectories that were obtained based on TH calculated using ITD method (R² = 0.892) and 100th percentile (R² = 0.797). In case of TH obtained from 99th and 95th percentiles only weak correlation was found: R² = 0.358 and R² = 0.213, accordingly. The height growth models developed with 95th and 99th percentiles of point cloud were not compatible with the reference model. We also found that grid cell size did not affect the model height growth trajectories. Irrespective of the grid cell size, the obtained model trajectories for the given method of TH estimation are nearly identical for cells 10 × 10, 30 × 30 and 50 × 50 m.     

Deriving Marine-Boundary-Layer Lapse Rate from Collocated CALIPSO, MODIS, and AMSR-E Data to Study Global Low-Cloud Height Statistics

Global cloud-top height statistics of marine-boundary-layer clouds are derived from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Level 2 aerosol and cloud layer products. The boundary-layer lapse rate in the northeast region of the Pacific Ocean is investigated using sea surface temperature (SST) data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E), cloud-top temperature data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and cloud-top height data from CALIPSO. Based on the lapse rate derived from the combined CALIPSO/MODIS/AMSR-E measurements, cloud-top heights in regions within CALIPSO tracks are derived from AMSR SST and MODIS cloud temperature to test the validity of this approach. For homogeneous low-level clouds, the results agree with the cloud-top height from the collocated CALIPSO cloud-top height measurements. These results suggest that the database of derived lapse rates from the combined measurements can be applied to study cloud-top height climate statistics using the MODIS and AMSR data when CALIPSO observations are not available.      

On the Use of CloudSat and MODIS Data for Estimating Hurricane Intensity

This letter presents preliminary results concerning the use of new observations from the A-Train Constellation for testing a new technique of remotely sensing hurricane intensity from space based on modeling a hurricane as a balanced, convectively neutral vortex. The key observational requirements are simultaneous, accurate measurements of cloud-top height, cloudtop temperature, and cloud profiling information across the center of the storm, although there are ways to bypass the need for cloud-top temperature. In this letter, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer onboard Aqua provides an estimation of the cloud-top temperature, and the near-simultaneous CloudSat observations provide the essential cloud-top height and cloud profiling information. Initial results indicate that the new technique is a promising method for estimating storm intensity when compared post facto to the best track database. Potential uncertainties and room for further refinement of the technique are discussed.     

Tree species biomass and carbon stock measurement using ground based-LiDAR

This study scrutinises the use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to measure diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height at individual tree species level. LiDAR point cloud scans are collected from uniformly defined control points. The result of processed TLS data demonstrates the precise measurements of tree height and DBH by comparing it with field data (DBH, tree height, tree species and location). The average tree height and DBH obtained through TLS measurements were 9.44?m and 43.30?cm, respectively. A linear equation between TLS derived parameters and field measured values were established, which gave the coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.79 and 0.96 for tree height and DBH, respectively. Further, these parameters were used to calculate above ground biomass (AGB) for individual tree species by considering a non-destructive approach. The total AGB and carbon stock from 80 different trees are computed to be 49.601 and 22.320?tonnes, respectively.     

布料模拟法无人机倾斜摄影建筑点云提取

受布料模拟滤波思想的启发,本文提出一种基于无人机倾斜摄影密集匹配点云的建筑提取新方法。该方法引入布料模拟进行建筑顶面的初步识别,通过模拟布料下落过程,分析布料与对应密集匹配点云之间的作用,确定布料由重力下降后所停留的位置作为建筑顶面的初步识别,然后通过密度聚类算法进行建筑区分,从而实现建筑物顶面的单体化提取。通过实测数据进行试验,结果表明,该方法能取得较好的效果,为基于密集匹配点云的建筑物提取提供一种新思路。     

高分二号异轨立体数据的森林高度提取

森林植被碳储量的空间分布格局及其动态变化是陆地生态系统碳收支核算的基础。作为森林地上生物量的重要指示因子,森林高度的精确估算是提高森林植被碳储量估算精度的关键。现有研究已证明,由专业星载摄影测量系统获取的立体观测数据可用于森林高度提取,但光学遥感数据最大的问题是受云雨等天气因素的影响严重。区域森林地上生物量产品的生产需要充分挖掘潜在数据源。国产高分二号卫星(GF-2)虽然不是为获取立体观测数据而设计的专业星载摄影测量系统,但其获取的图像空间分辨率可达0.8 m,且具备±35°的的侧摆能力,在重复观测区域可构成异轨立体观测。本文以分别获取于2015年6月20日和2016年7月19的GF-2数据作为立体像对,其标称轨道侧摆角分别为0.00118°和20.4984°,以激光雷达数据获取的林下地形(DEM)和森林高度(CHM)为参考,对利用GF-2立体观测数据进行森林高度提取进行了研究。通过对立体处理得到的摄影测量点云的栅格化得到DSM,以激光雷达数据提供的DEM作为林下地形,得到了GF-2的CHM。结果表明GF-2提取的CHM与激光雷达CHM空间分布格局较为一致,两者之间存在明显的相关性,像素对像素的线性相关性(R2)达到0.51,均方根误差(RMSE)为3.6 m。研究结果表明,在林下地形已知的情况下,GF-2立体观测数据可用于森林高度估算。     

ICESat-2机载实验光子云数据自适应去噪及分类算法

第二代星载激光雷达冰、云和陆地测高卫星ICESat-2（The Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2）搭载了先进光子计数式激光雷达,使用了全新的微脉冲多波束光子计数式激光雷达。由于光子计数式激光雷达的自身特点,其光子云数据具有受噪声光子影响大、信噪比与扫描时间相关、光子分布密度不均匀等问题,目前开发的去噪算法并不能很好的应用于不同的光子云数据。基于以上问题,本文提出一种改进的去噪算法,首先分析光子云内部特征并自适应选择最优参数进行粗去噪,然后进行两次精去噪,最后对光子云进行分类并拟合出地面线及冠层顶线,为提取森林冠层高度提供基础。使用该算法对MABEL数据进行去噪实验,实验结果表明：该去噪算法的一次去噪对不同环境下MABEL数据在夜间的去噪平均精确度为94.5%,F1-score为96.3%,日间平均精确度为86.7%,F1-score为91.7%,且三次去噪算法完成后能够显著提升光子云去噪精度。实验证明该算法对MABEL光子云数据具有较好去噪效果和稳定性,可为ICESat-2数据处理提供参考。本文的光子分类算法能够从光子数据中提取冠层顶点、地面点及林内光子并在此算法中进一步精确去除剩余噪点,最终光子分类结果显示该算法能够从复杂光子云数据中提取森林剖面结构。     

热红外与可见光数据的云边缘高度匹配

高分辨率数据中云高度的差异性突显,特别是边缘处高度在云阴影识别和地表辐射估算等方面成为需要考虑的重要因素。热红外数据获取云高度分辨率较低、缺乏细部差异性特征,为解决这一问题,首先将对应的热红外和可见光数据进行特征点配准,再将基于热红外数据计算的云高度重采样至高分辨率,然后以基于欧式距离变换的围线搜索方法及距离加权将热红外云边缘高度匹配至对应的可见光图像,最后根据云阴影的相似度匹配方法确定真实云高度。结果表明,算法在遵循热红外云高信息分布变化规律的同时,可以得到较准确的高分辨率云边缘高度,一定程度上解决了热红外技术获取云高在分辨率上的局限,扩展了其在云高反演方面的作用。     

中低云云底高的地基红外遥感的初步分析

在辐射传输模拟结果分析的基础上,提出利用云底高与下行红外辐射之间的单调关系进行云底高遥感反演的算法,并结合激光测云仪云底高实测数据对算法进行了初步验证。结果表明,该算法对中低云云底高反演的平均误差为107 m,具有较高的准确性。     

Automatic estimation of olive tree dendrometric parameters based on airborne laser scanning data using alpha-shape and principal component analysis

The aim of this study is to present an automatic approach for olive tree dendrometric parameter estimation from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The proposed method is based on a unique combination of the alpha-shape algorithm applied to normalized point cloud and principal component analysis. A key issue of the alpha-shape algorithm is to define the α parameter, as it directly affects the crown delineation results. We propose to adjust this parameter based on a group of representative trees in an orchard for which the classical field measurements were performed. The best value of the α parameter is one whose correlation coefficient of dendrometric parameters between field measurements and estimated values is the highest. We determined crown diameters as principal components of ALS points representing a delineated crown. The method was applied to a test area of an olive orchard in Spain. The tree dendrometric parameters estimated from ALS data were compared with field measurements to assess the quality of the developed approach. We found the method to be equally good or even superior to previously investigated semi-automatic methods. The average error is 19% for tree height, 53% for crown base height, and 13% and 9% for the length of the longer diameter and perpendicular diameter, respectively.     

利用双向布料模拟的机载建筑物点云提取

针对现有机载激光扫描数据的建筑物提取方法过程复杂且易受植被干扰的问题,本文提出了一种利用双向布料模拟策略的建筑物提取方法。首先在正向布料模拟滤波的基础上,构建归一化数字表面模型提取过高建筑物,并采用反向布料模拟,从其余地物点中粗提取建筑物顶面点云;然后进行穿透性分析,并结合形态学操作进一步剔除错提的植被点;最后,以包含顶面点云的三维格网为种子格网,根据格网之间的邻接关系和内部点云几何特征进行约束生长,获取完整建筑物点云。试验结果表明,在复杂场景中,该方法能够有效避免植被的干扰,快速提取建筑物点云,具有提取精度高、计算时间少的优点。     

电力巡线LiDAR点云电塔自动定位和提取算法

针对电力巡线机载激光雷达（LiDAR）激光点云电塔自动提取问题,提出了一种电塔自动定位和点云提取算法。首先,基于点云进行二维空间网格划分,利用网格点云高程偏差和方差特征提取潜在电塔网格;其次,基于电塔点云的高程连续特性完成电塔自动定位和点云粗提取;然后,利用点云分层密度信息和图像开运算,实现电塔精细提取;最后,利用轻小型无人机载激光雷达数据验证本文算法的有效性。试验结果表明,本文所提出的自动提取算法,能够有效解决LiDAR数据中电塔自动定位和点云提取问题,在LiDAR数据质量较差时仍能够取得良好效果,算法对于噪点数据具有较强的稳健性。本文所提出的电塔自动提取算法在LiDAR电力巡检数据处理中具有一定的应用价值。     

低矮植被的无人机激光雷达测高精度分析

针对无人机激光雷达估测低矮植被高度的精度大小,本文以3m以下低矮树木为研究对象,通过数值模拟方法得到不同航高、不同扫描角情况下激光脚点坐标和点云估测单一树木高度的最大测量误差值;对比实测树高,分析了激光点云估测树高的精度。结果表明,在航高为30m、扫描范围为(-50°,5°)的情况下,无人机激光雷达获取的激光脚点坐标误差和由激光点云估测低矮树高(3m以下)的误差均可以达到cm级;激光点云估测单一树木高度与实测高度的决定系数为0.977,均方根差为5cm,标准均方根差为4%。因此,应用无人机激光雷达数据可以快速、精确获取低矮植被高度信息,进而为反演植被生物量和植被长势信息监测提供重要依据。     

机载LIDAR技术在城市建筑物高度分级中的应用

机载LIDAR技术解决了如何快速、准确地获取地物高度的难题,同时为地物高度信息的应用提供了有效的技术手段。本文根据地理国情普查中建筑物分类指标体系,分析离散点云数据高程关系和分类过程,实现了一种基于点云阶层式分类的城市建筑物高度分级的技术方法,并在Terrascan软件环境下验证了该方法的可行性和快速性。     

The cloud phase discrimination from a satellite

A new technique to identify mixed-phase clouds but also clouds with supercooled water droplets using satellite measurements is proposed. The technique is based on measurements of the backscattered solar light at wavelengths 1.55 and 1.67 /spl mu/m in combination with cloud brightness temperature measurements at 12 /spl mu/m. For the first time, the concept of the phase index-temperature correlation plot (the P-T diagram) is introduced in the cloud remote sensing. Retrievals of cloud temperature and cloud phase index are performed using data from the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) and Scaning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) both onboard the Envisat platform.     

机载LiDAR点云数据降维与分类的随机森林方法

探索自动化的激光点云分类方法对于三维建模、城市土地分类、DEM制图等应用具有重要作用。考虑到现有的点云分类算法在提取依赖邻域结构的特征参数时面临邻域尺度的选择难、数据维度高、计算复杂,并且缺乏对分类特征参数的重要性评估和选择等问题,本文提出了基于随机森林的机载LiDAR点云数据降维与分类方法。在分析点云数据的高程、回波、强度等属性特征的基础上,提取归一化高度、高度统计量、表面特征、空间分布特征、回波特征及强度特征6大类特征参数,并构建多尺度特征参数,运用随机森林的特征选择算法对分类特征集进行优化,然后进行点云分类。试验结果表明,基于随机森林的特征选择方法可以有效地降低特征维度,并且使得总体分类精度达到94.3%（Kappa系数为0.922）,相比于使用全部特征分类和SVM分类方法而言,该方法的总体分类精度均有一定程度的提高;特征的重要性度量结果表明,归一化高度特征在点云分类中所起的作用最大。     

A building extraction approach for Airborne Laser Scanner data utilizing the Object Based Image Analysis paradigm

In the past two decades Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) established itself as an efficient approach for the classification and extraction of information from remote sensing imagery and, increasingly, from non-image based sources such as Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) point clouds. ALS data is represented in the form of a point cloud with recorded multiple returns and intensities. In our work, we combined OBIA with ALS point cloud data in order to identify and extract buildings as 2D polygons representing roof outlines in a top down mapping approach. We performed rasterization of the ALS data into a height raster for the purpose of the generation of a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and a derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Further objects were generated in conjunction with point statistics from the linked point cloud. With the use of class modelling methods, we generated the final target class of objects representing buildings. The approach was developed for a test area in Biberach an der Riß (Germany). In order to point out the possibilities of the adaptation-free transferability to another data set, the algorithm has been applied “as is” to the ISPRS Benchmarking data set of Toronto (Canada). The obtained results show high accuracies for the initial study area (thematic accuracies of around 98%, geometric accuracy of above 80%). The very high performance within the ISPRS Benchmark without any modification of the algorithm and without any adaptation of parameters is particularly noteworthy.     

基于可变半径圆环和B样条拟合的机载LiDAR点云滤波

提出了一种LiDAR点云滤波方法,首先沿同一方向等间距逐行扫描点云,获取点序列构成的扫描线,针对每条扫描线,采取半径可变的圆环从面向地心一侧滚过,保留扫描线上被圆周滚过的点,从而滤除每条扫描线上的地物点;然后对滤波后每条扫描线上的地表点云数据等间隔采样,在此基础上采用均匀B样条曲面拟合地形表面,遍历每一个点,在拟合的B样条曲面上投影,根据投影点高程与实际高程的差判断其属性,保留地面点并滤除地物点。试验结果表明,与传统方法相比,本文方法的滤波精度提高1~5倍,可用于城市、山区和林地等各种地形,通用性好,其算法时间复杂度为O(n)。     

混合整体最小二乘曲面拟合在点云滤波中的应用

针对传统点云滤波过程中拟合曲面不连续,参数求解不合理及高差阈值不明确的问题,本文提出一种基于混合整体最小二乘的曲面拟合约束法。利用中心网格加权坡度值构建了多尺度格网,探讨了依据网格邻域选取地面种子点的标准,分析了混合整体最小二乘曲面方程求解和根据滤波结果逐级调整高差阈值的方法和步骤。试验结果表明,该方法提高了复杂区域的点云滤波精度,为构建数字高程模型提供了精确数据。