Section A  provides 4 steps to help you learn how to interpret satellite images and identify features. Section B provides you with directions for aquiring raw satellite data, which can be used to address your own questions, (higher resolution). Required: High Speed Internet connected computers, Downloaded free Multispec software program and several LANDSAT images.  

Section A:  Interpreting images

  1. Go to http://www.ohioview.org; Select Data Service; Select Data Viewers; Select OhioView Interactive Data Viewer
  2. Click on the rectangle that covers the area of interest.
  3. Choose a date to view; Change pixels to 800 x 600 for higher resolution; Zoom in.
  4. Recommended activity: Choose near infrared. Compare two images from different seasons, or different years, by preparing one image, then, choose PrtSc, and paste in a word document. Prepare the second image, choose PrtSc, and paste in the word doc. Observe changes in the land surface. For help understanding the meaning of the colors, go to: http://eros.usgs.gov/kids/documentation/3_Imagery/Lessonplan.pdf (pg 2), http://chesapeake.towson.edu/data/all_raw_data.asp, http://biodiversityinformatics.amnh.org/index.php?section_id=33&content_id=120 or http://biodiversityinformatics.amnh.org/tool.php?content_id=141

Possible Questions To Discuss:

How can you tell the difference between roads and rivers?
What do golf courses look like? Why are they yellow in the near infrared image?
How would you differentiate a summer crop from a winter crop?
How would you differentiate a forested park from a crop field?
How could you tell if a football field was artificial turf?