Contrast enhancement of landsat data on multispectral data analysis system

Contrast enhancement, one of the image processing techiques, is developed on the Multispectral Data Analysis System (MDAS) for enhancing the LANDSAT data. The purpose of image processing for enhancement is to improve the obscure objects data in the image to stand out more readily for good sensing to the human eye. It is observed on MDAS that some of the LANDSAT scenes when examined on the color display, give inadequate information for the required objective of interpretation. This is due to poor tonal contrast in the scene because of prevailing climatological conditions at the time of satellite pass over that area. Also, the LANDSAT data usually occupy a small subset of the total brightness range 0–127. To provide optimal contrast and variation for color compositing, contrast enhancement may by performed on the data before going to trie information processing (categolization) on the landsat scene. This paper describes the algorithms of parametric linear and non linear contrast enhancement techniques. A typical example to differentiate the degree of salinity in the soils was tested with the suggested algorithms and the results are tabulated in the form of photographs. The test area is selected from Haryana (frame no. 158-040 dated 2nd May, 1977) for testing the algorithms. The enhancement software developed on the MDAS stretches all the four Landsat bands and generates an output tape with the format similar to LANDSAT computer compatible tape (CCT). The stretched results of 5 and 7 bands are displayed in this paper. A false color composite which appears as on the color displya could also be generated from 4, 5 and 7 bands. The enhanced output was found to be useful for easily categorizing the data into various categories on MDAS.