SwRI Optical and Radar Remote Sensing: Earth and Planetary Geomatics, optical sensing, radar remote sensing, earth sciences, planetary sciences, geospatial data management, data mapping, geographic information systems, GIS, global positioning systems, GPS, visualization, modeling, geoinformatics

	Fault rupture mapping—This displacement gradient map is derived from a SAR image pair collected on April 24 and August 7, 1992, showing the Newberry fracture zone in California. Cultural and agricultural features (e.g., center pivot irrigation circles, ponds) are outlined in white. Suspected fault ruptures are indicated by black ellipses.

Advanced optical and radar remote sensing and image processing techniques are used at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) for detailed site-specific surveys and regional or global assessments. The remote sensing techniques are routinely supplementing near-surface geophysical techniques in projects related to the management of natural resources, natural hazard assessment, and infrastructure planning.

We have expertise in processing and analyzing radar interferometry (InSAR) data and have developed techniques for generating surface displacement maps and mapping fault ruptures. These techniques are essential for analysis of crustal deformation, natural hazard assessment, regulatory review and analysis, and performance confirmation.

Remote Sensing Core Capabilities

• Terrain analysis, categorization and other feature extraction techniques for mineral exploration and geological mapping

• Robust change detection and time series analyses

• Vegetation mapping

• Land use and land cover analyses

Remote Sensing Techniques

• Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis

• Radar interferometry

• Multi-sensor data fusion

• Data mining, including web delivery of raster and vector datasets

• Custom design scripts/modules using macro languages such as ERDAS^® Macro Language (EML), ERDAS^® Spatial Modeler Language (SML), IDL/ENVI^®, and ARC Macro Language™ (AML) and Microsoft^® Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)

Earth Airborne and Satellite Data

• Optical

  • Multispectral (IKONOS, Landsat MSS, TM, ETM+; SPOT; MODIS; SeaWiFS, and weather satellites)

  • Hyperspectral (AVIRIS and Hyperion)

• Radar

  • Amplitude images (ERS-1/2, RADARSAT, JERS, ENVISAT)

  • SAR interferometry

Planetary Science Satellite Data

• Galileo, HRSC, THEMIS, TES, MOC, MOLA, and Viking

A High Resolution Stereo Camera image is draped over gridded topography to provide a perspective view of a canyon system. Higher resolution altimeter tracks (dotted colored lines) provide precise elevation information and high resolution Mars Orbiter Camera images (gray swath) give detail.

SwRI maintains state-of-the-art equipment and software to support GIS (geographic information systems), remote sensing, and visualization projects. On the Solaris XP platforms, we utilize ARC/INFO^®, ArcView^®, ERDAS IMAGINE^®, EarthVision^® as well as a few freeware image processing and GIS packages. Under the Windows^® NT/2000/XP platforms, we utilize ArcGIS^®, ArcView^®, IDL/ENVI^®, Surfer^®, and Petrel^® software.

For more information about Earth and planetary geomatics and optical and radar remote sensing capabilities at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Marius Necsoiu, Ph.D., PMP, at mnecsoiu@swri.org or  (210) 522-5541.