Information content analysis from very high resolution optical space imagery for updating spatial database

Abstract

High resolution satellite images started with IKONOS imagery. After the launch of the very high resolution IKONOS in the 1990s, a new generation of commercial Earth-imaging satellites have pioneered a new era of space imaging for observations of Earth. The IKONOS satellite image has an important place sampling range with 1m GSD. In the subsequent Quickbird satellite image, the GSD is down to 62 cm and the sensitivity is even higher. Advancements in the geometric resolution of space images have improved the conditions for generations of large-scale topographic maps. With using WorldView-1, WorldView-2, and GeoEye-1, images can now be captured from space with a 0.5 m ground sampling distance (GSD). The Worldview-4 display with the highest technology and resolution is being used in various application areas. WorldView-4 (formerly GeoEye-2), launched in November 2017, provides a second sensor which is capable of delivering imagery at 30cm resolution, the highest level of detail commercially available from satellite. WorldView-4 greatly expands the 30cm collection capabilities and archive growth in today’s imagery environment. Geometric accuracy and information content are the most significant components of mapping from space images. By using economical, rapid and periodic acquisition, and corresponding ground resolution, these satellites have established an alternative to aerial photos and have been widely used for various applications such as object extraction, change detection, topographic map production, and development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The utility of VHR images is dependent on their geometric accuracy and information content. Related with the study, the generally required production scale of 0.05 to 0.1 mm GSD in the map scale has been confirmed. This corresponds to a topographic map scale of 1:10,000 respectively 1∶5000 for 1 m and 0.5 m GSD images. In this study, images from IKONOS, QuickBird, WorldView-1, Worldview-2 and WorldView-4 have been used for topographic mapping. For this reason, İstanbul and Zonguldak test fields are an important area for applications of the high resolution imageries. The details which can be identified in the space images dominantly depends upon the ground resolution, available as ground sampling distance (GSD). In this study, high resolution imageries have been tested depending on the GSD and corresponding to the map scales for updating GIS database.