Assessment for remote sensing data: Accuracy of interactive data quality interpretation

Abstract

Earth observation data has become a source for delivering data to monitor environmental processes. The increased availability of remote sensing data is accompanied by an increasing user demand for additional data information to describe remote sensing data of providers (e.g. ESA, European Space Agency). In addition to cloud cover degree, the data usability parameter defined by ESA will be delivered to characterise data quality. While the cloud cover degree refers to the number of cloud pixels only the data usability parameter additionally analyses the cloud distribution. The evaluation of remote sensing data is executed by visual assessment of interpreters. This paper deals with the quantification of subjective influences during the assessment process and on the assessment of the error magnitude of the interactive data usability assessment. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.