GISC9231 Deliverable 1 Panchromatic Airphoto Interpretation

Introduction
The purpose of deliverable 1 is to work on interpretation skills of panchromatic aerial photos. A number of features located in St. Catharines and Queenston must be identified using the seven elements of visual representation; tone, shape, size, pattern, texture, shadow and association. Tone refers to the relative brightness or colour of different features in the image, shape refers to the general form, configuration or outline of an individual feature, size of an object is considered in relation to other identifiable features and in relation to the scale of the image, pattern relates to the spatial arrangement of features in an image, the tonal change throughout features in an image refers to the texture, a feature shadow can help to identify the exact shape or height of an object and association refers to objects in relation to one another (Lillesand, Kiefer, & Chipman, 2008) . There are two sets of photos being referenced, (St Catharines A24284-69) and (St Catharines A24284-70) as well as (Queenston A19358-74) and (Queenston A19358-75). Using the seven elements of visual representation as identified by (Lillesand, Kiefer, & Chipman, 2008), along with some ground truth knowledge each feature will be identified and interpreted.

St. Catharines I. The triangular feature seen in Figure 1, (St Catharines A24284-69) is a triangular
shaped drive-in movie theatre with a small snack stand located in the middle of the feature area. There are rippled, row type lines throughout the entire feature, increasing in size throughout the triangle. Tone The triangular feature is a very light tone, with a smaller dark toned square in the middle. The area is composed of bare ground or a well-drained soil such as sand or gravel, while the darker shape in the middle is a snack stand feature. Shape The shape of the feature is large and triangular, with the big side being curved. Size The feature is very big, in comparison to buildings located around the feature, it looks comparable in size to the sports field that is located slightly south-west of the feature. Pattern There is a rippled pattern that covers the entire feature, with ripple sizes increasing farther away from the triangular vertex, this might indicate the rows where cars park during film screenings. Texture The rippled pattern suggests that there is some sort of texture to the actual feature area, slight ridges, or rows in the space with slightly differing heights in the land organization. Shadow There is no shadow associated with the feature as it is a bare plot of land. The snack stand in the middle of the feature does not have an apparent shadow either, as it is a relatively small feature.

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Association The feature is linked to two small roads that are located near the triangle vertex; one entrance and one exit. These roads or laneways are connected to a large main road.

Figure 1: St Catharines, Drive in Movie Theatre

II.

The dark linear feature shown in Figure 2, (St Catharines A24284-70) is a bridge passing over top of a water feature. The bridge could be part of a road or railroad feature, but it is difficult to distinguish because the feature only extends in a straight line through the extent of the photo. It could be distinguished as a road if there were sharp L-shaped turns, or a railroad if there were any large bends in the feature. Tone The tone of the feature is very dark, almost black. It could be composed of steel or some type of metal that absorbs much incoming electromagnetic
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radiation. Shape The linear feature extending over top of the water has a kind of arced shape, and extends out in a straight linear line from both sides to the extent of the photo. Size The feature is the same width as the road/railroad it is a part of. It looks slightly smaller than some of the roads that surround the feature, potentially suggesting that it could be a railway with only one or two track, rather than a road that is two four lanes wide, or bigger. Pattern There is no pattern associated with the linear bridge feature. Texture The linear feature doesnt have a texture associated with it. If the spatial resolution was smaller, there may be more detail seen in the IFOV of the image, and a texture might be apparent. Shadow There is a slight shadow located underneath the feature, which confirms that it is elevated above the water feature. Association There is a water feature running underneath the feature which suggests it is a bridge.

Figure 2: St Catharines, Bridge Feature

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III.

The large feature seen in Figure 3, (St Catharines A24284-70) extending out to the south and west areas is a golf course that has a residential neighbourhood located to the south-west. I suspect it is a golf-course because it is composed of well-kept vegetation, as there is a groomed look to the grass health with a striped pattern apparent. Tone The tone of the area varies slightly throughout the feature. In comparison to the residential area located at the bottom left of the feature, it is much darker suggesting it consists of vegetation. There are some areas that are darker, suggesting that the vegetation is healthier than other areas or groomed differently. Shape The feature does not have sharp edges, but a more curved shape suggesting that it consists of natural components. The boundaries of the area are curved rather than sharp indicating it follows a more natural build rather than man-made features which have sharper edges. Size The feature is a fairly large size. When compared to the residential area located to the bottom left, it looks to be about half the size of the entire subdivision. The golf course could range from nine to eighteen holes, but a more in depth knowledge of golf courses and their sizes would be needed to determine the exact size. Pattern The feature has a pattern of different tones that are associated with strips of land. This suggests that some areas of the feature consist of healthier vegetation (darker strips) while some areas have less healthy vegetation (lighter strips). The pattern in tone could also have to do with specific grooming of the grass in the golf course, as some areas are grown out completely while others cut meticulously depending on the section of the hole area. Texture The feature area has some texture in areas where larger vegetation is found. Areas within the golf course that have trees have a more mottled texture than areas consisting of well-groomed grasses. Shadow There is some shadow associated with parts of the feature that have larger vegetation such as trees present. There is also some shadow associated with a brighter area in the middle of the course, which could be indicative of a clubhouse, or washrooms building. Association The feature has small roads leading up to it, and is associated with a residential area that surrounds the west side of the course.

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Figure 3: St Catharines, Golf Course

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IV.

The white square shown in Figure 4, (St Catharines A24284-69) is a large parking lot located in a natural park area. Tone The tone of the feature itself is very light, as it is reflecting much of the incoming radiation, and the surrounding area is darker and mottled because it consists of tree and shrub vegetation. Shape The feature is rectangular shaped, with sharp edges and vertexes, suggesting that it is a man-made feature. Size The feature is a considerable size, in comparison to the houses located directly south of the area. This makes sense as a park would provide an ample amount of parking space so the area could be enjoyed and accessible for many people. Pattern There isnt much of a pattern associated with this feature, there is one large rectangle and another smaller one, suggesting a parking lot and associated building which could be a washroom station. Texture There is no apparent texture associated with the white feature, it is most likely a paved area, or bare ground feature. Shadow Since the feature is a paved or bare ground parking lot, there is no shadow associated. Association The parking lot is located beside a recreational park, allowing for parking and there is an access road that is leading into the area.

Figure 4: St Catharines, Parking Lot

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V.

The linear features seen in Figure 5, (St Catharines A24284-69) are a number of pipes from an electricity mill that the water from the river travels through before entering back into the water source. Tone The tone of the pipe features are dark. Shape - The features are linear shaped and straight connecting one side of the river with the other. The features are man-made because the shape is so sharp. Size The pipe sizes themselves are fairly thick, and the length of the pipes covers quite a long extent, looking to be longer than the building that is located directly to the north. Pattern There is a linear striped pattern with the pipes, as there are a number of pipes (four or five) so there is space in between in different pipes, of bareground or soil making some lighter patches in between. Texture There is not much of a texture associated with the pipes in comparison to the vegetation features located directly north-east and south-west which appear with a mottled texture. Shadow There is no apparent shadow associated with the features, as they are probably not located too far off the ground. Association There is a building directly north of the feature, this could be the station where technicians work. There are also no large residential areas associated with the pipe features, as power plant and industrial areas are usually located farther away from large suburbs.

Figure 5: St Catharines, Utility Pipes

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VI.

The large polygonal / linear feature that can be seen in Figure 6, (St Catharines A24284-70) is a large building. It could be a middle or high school because it is surrounded by residential areas in all directions and there is also a large area to the south-west that looks like it could be a sports field. Tone - The tone of the building is light grey. It is not completely uniform, the tone changes slightly from lighter to darker grey which could indicate differing building heights. Shape - The feature has a rectangular shape. Size - The size of the feature is large, in comparison to the many residential buildings that are located to the south and west of the feature. Pattern - The feature does not have any apparent pattern associated with it. Texture - The feature does not look completely smooth; it has some texture which could indicate some variance in building height. Shadow - There is a small shadow to the north of the building, this indicates that the building height is fairly low. This correlates with a school structure as schools are usually only two or three floors high at most. Association - There is a main road directly next to the feature, as well as some apartment/condominium buildings to the north, and residential buildings to the south and west areas. There is also a feature that could be a field located to the south of the feature, which indicates it could be a school as most schools have a sports field associated with them.

Figure 6: St Catharines, School Building Feature

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VII.

The features located in Figure 7, (St Catharines A24284-69) are a group of buildings and roads/walking paths located on the Brock University Campus, with a tall tower and a building complex to the east. Ground trothing has been used to identify the area as the Brock University campus. Tone The tone of the features is bright A concrete building, road or sidewalk appears very bright in an image. The features to the right of the area are very bright, with some darker patches in the middle which could indicate some vegetation such as a grassy area. Shape The shape of the features differ, one feature is a tall tower like building that is square shaped. Some of the buildings to the east are triangular shaped, with area in the middle such as a courtyard. Size The size of the different building features are fairly large in comparison to the residential buildings that is located to the north of the feature area. Many buildings on a university or college campus are very large, having many classrooms inside, cafeterias, or library spaces. Pattern There is no apparent pattern associated with this feature area. Texture There is texture apparent in this feature area that differs from the building and road/pathway to the other ground features that may consist of vegetation or soils. Shadow The large tower in the feature area has a large shadow, indicating that the building is very tall, and indicating the shape of the building as tall rectangular. The other building structures to the right of the feature area have much smaller shadows located to the north, indicating that these structures are much lower than the tower. Association The group of features has a number of associations that make the university campus easily identifiable. There is a large sports field directly to the south-east, and within the feature area there are many small roads and connecting pathways that are apparent in many university campuses.

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Figure 7: St Catharines, Brock University Campus Building Complex

VIII.

The large feature shown in Figure 8, (St Catharines A24284-70) is the Glenridge quarry; a large area of bareground or soil, probably well-drained soils such as sand or gravel. Ground-truth has helped to identify the feature specifically as the Glenridge quarry. Tone - The feature tone is very light, which indicates the feature may be composed of bareground or a well-drained soil as it probably isnt retaining much water. The feature could be composed of sand or gravel or a mix of both. Shape - The feature has a shape with irregular boundaries which suggests that it is composed of natural features (bareground/soil). Man-made features usually have sharp boundaries while more natural features have irregular ones. Size - The size of the feature is very large; it has taken up an area that is almost equivalent to the size of the Brock University campus which is located to the south-west of the feature. Pattern There isnt a pattern associated with the feature. Texture The feature has some apparent texture, which looks slightly mottled, this could be due to differing soil types in the area, or differing soil moisture content throughout the area. Shadow - There is no shadow associated with the feature as it is mostly flat. There could be some small elevations in the land but nothing that would show a shadow. Association There is not much associated with the feature space, there is a road leading into the area in the north-west corner and another leading in at the south-west area. The feature is located beside a highway interchange area and

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to the north-east there are vegetation fields.

Figure 8: St Catharines, Glenridge Quarry Bareground/Soil Feature

IX.

The numerous small features that can be seen in Figure 9, (St Catharines A24284-69) are trailer homes that make up a trailer park. Tone The tone of the trailer home features is bright, with darker strips in between each trailer home, made up of a bareground, soil or grass. Shape The features are all rectangular shaped. Size The features are a bit smaller than the many buildings that are located in the surrounding residential areas. This makes sense as trailer homes are smaller in size compared to a residential bungalow or semi-detached home. Pattern This area has a distinct pattern of many small rectangles lined up, the rectangles being numerous trailer homes. Texture There is a texture to the entire area because of the layout of the trailer park. The ground area in between each trailer has a different texture than each trailer themselves. This land in between is probably composed of soil or grass, making it a darker shade and adding some texting to the feature area. Shadow There is no shadow associated with the feature area because the
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trailer homes are small and the resolution of the photo is not small enough to detect the shadow from a structure with such a low height. Association There are residential neighbourhoods located to the east and west of the feature area. The trailer park area is also connected to residential main roads.

Figure 9: St Catharines, Trailer Homes in Trailer Park

X.

The dark patches that can be identified in Figure 10, (St Catharines A24284-70) are different vegetation patches, most likely an older growth tree stand. Tone - The tone of the feature area is very dark, indicating it is composed of healthy vegetation that has been growing for a long time. The areas in between that are not as dark are most likely less healthy trees, or much younger trees that
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have not matured yet. Shape - The feature has irregular shape boundaries indicating that it is not a man-made feature. Size - The feature covers a large area, comparable in size to multiple agricultural fields that can be seen located to the south-west directly next to the water feature next to the feature area under question. Pattern There is not much of a pattern associated with the feature area. Texture - The vegetation feature has a slight mottled texture, not a uniformed colour. This is because of the different vegetation heights in the stand, different vegetation densities or different vegetation age. Shadow There is no apparent shadows associated with the feature area, there may be a shadow but it could be close to the tone of the actual vegetation stand, making it much harder to distinguish than the shadow of a light shade building. Association There are water features located on either side of the feature area, and no residential built up areas close to the feature.

Figure 10: St Catharines, Vegetation/Tree Stand

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Queenston XI. The feature at location A, shown in Figure 11, (Queenston A19358-74) is an

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agricultural field. It is darker than similar features located nearby because it contains a healthier vegetation stand, or because it has a different growing season than other crops located nearby that are not as dark. Tone The tone of feature A is very dark, in comparison to some other agricultural/crop fields located close by. This can indicate a different growing season, or more healthy vegetation that contains more chlorophyll. Shape The feature has a rectangular shape with very sharp corners, this indicates the feature was man-made. Agricultural fields usually have sharp corners and edges because they are plowed meticulously by farmers. Size The agricultural field is large in size, but in comparison to other fields located to the south of the feature it looks to be smaller. Pattern There is a lined pattern associated with this feature which indicates plow lines in an agricultural/crop field. Texture The texture in the feature is not uniform, as there are differing brightness values in the plow line strips. Shadow There is no shadow associated with this feature as this field does not have any elevated features such as trees. Association There are other agricultural and orchard fields located around this feature which indicates that it also has the same purpose. The field also has a brighter outline which denotes the field boundary.

Figure 11: Queenston, Agricultural/Crop Field

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XII.

The feature at location B seen in Figure 12, (Queenston A19358-75) is a building with some sort of paved courtyard on the west side of the building structure. The dark shape on the left part of the feature is the shadow; this tells us the height of the building, the look direction of the plane during image acquisition and the sun angle during image acquisition. Tone The tone of the building itself is bright, but there is a shadow cast to the west of the building that is much darker. The courtyard that is located to the west of the building has a bright tone as well; it is made of concrete or pavement. Shape The building has an irregular rectangular shape. Size The building size is similar to that of the buildings in the surrounding residential neighbourhoods. Pattern There is no pattern associated with the feature. Texture The building itself does not have a texture associated with it. This information tells the viewer that the building has a constant height. Shadow There is a shadow that is cast to the left of the building, and this helps to identify the building shape as irregular because the shadow is not completely rectangular. Association The building is located near residential roads, and surrounded by residential neighbourhoods. The paved area to the west side of the building could be a parking lot or sports area. This helps to identify the building feature as a possible school, recreation centre, or place of worship.

Figure 12: Queenston, Building Feature

XIII.

The small object at the centre of area C, shown in Figure 13, (Queenston A19358-74) is a pole or tall structure that does not cover a large area on the ground. There is a small path leading up to the feature that is not as light as other paved roads and paths indicating that it is not used as frequently as the main
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road directly below the feature. Tone The tone of the feature is slightly lighter than the surrounding ground area which is most likely composed of grassy vegetation. The feature itself may be composed of wood or a metal like feature that reflects more light than the surrounding vegetation. Shape The feature is a small square, or cylinder shape. Size The feature size is very small when compared to the other residential buildings that are located to the south-east. Such a small feature could be a utility pole such as electricity or phone cables. Pattern There is no apparent pattern associated with the feature as it is too small to identify any characteristics. Texture The feature has no apparent texture as it is too small in the image to identify more details. Shadow There is a small shadow associated with the structure to the north. This indicated that the feature size is very small relative to the scale of the image. Association There is a small entrance road or pathway located to the south of the feature that connects the feature to the main road.

Figure 13: Queenston, Utility Pole Feature

XIV.

The linear feature in area D, identified as a horizontal line in Figure 14, (Queenston A19358-74) is the location of an old railroad, where the tracks have been taken out and the area has begun new growth with trees and shrubs. The line looks to be composed of trees, which are identifiable because of their shadows. The feature is identified as the site of an old railroad track because of the curve in the line that extends out to the left. Tone The tone of the tree line is a grey colour very similar to that of the fields directly above and below. It is distinguishable because of the shadows the features are casting directly to the north. Shape The feature is long and linear, with a slight curve to the left of the line
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feature which is telling of railroad features. Size The size of the feature seems to be approximately two tree widths. A railroad has two bars that create lines in the ground, and once removed create a path for new vegetation growth. Pattern There is a pattern associated with the linear feature that looks like small circles lined up beside one another. This indicates a number of trees and shrubs that have grown close to one another. Texture The line of trees or shrubs has a mottled texture which could be caused by different vegetation densities, different vegetation age and different health levels of the vegetation. Shadow The features are casting shadows to the north, which make them more identifiable as trees because the shapes can be identified much easier with the shadows than from only the aerial view. Association There are agricultural/crop fields located above and below the linear feature. The telling sign that the feature is the site of an old railroad track is the curve in the treeline, indicative of a railroad, as well as the large curve of trees located below the feature in question (seen in Figure 15, (Queenston A19358-74)) that is another old railroad track site.

Figure 14: Queenston, Overgrown Railroad Track Site

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Figure 15: Queenston, Old Railroad Site

XV.

The square feature in area E that can be identified in Figure 16, (Queenston A19358-75) is a wading pool in a recreational area. The feature is so bright because it is a shallow area of water so most of the incoming EMR is reflected as the pool water has a smooth surface, creating a near perfect diffuse reflection (lambertian surface) where all incoming radiation is reflected equally in all directions (Lillesand, Kiefer, & Chipman, 2008). Tone The tone of the feature has a very high brightness value, with a darker outline that indicates the feature edges that might be constructed of concrete or pavement. The feature could be a wading pool as it seems brighter along the edges (indicating shallow depth), and slightly darker in the center (indicating more depth). Shape The feature is a large square/rectangular shape. Size The size of the feature is very big. It is much bigger than residential houses located nearby, indicating that it is a large recreational public pool. Pattern The feature has a pattern of tone associated with it, being brighter along the edges, and darker to the middle of the feature which indicates differing water depths. Texture The feature does not have any texture associated with it, because of the near-perfect diffuse reflection, which has a uniform texture. Shadow The feature does not have a shadow associated with it, which indicates it is not elevated above the ground. Association There is a road or pathway associated with the feature, as well as some paved areas surrounding the feature, which could be lounging areas
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outside of the pool.

Figure 16: Queenston, Recreational Wading Pool

Conclusion
By using each of the seven elements of visual representation, each feature in the St Catharines, (St Catharines A24284-69) and (St Catharines A24284-70) and Queenston, (Queenston A19358-74) and (Queenston A19358-75) photo pairs was identified. In some cases the feature in question did not have any characteristics for a certain element of visual representation, which was just as telling as the feature having the characteristics. For example, if an element did not have a shadow associated with it, then it could be inferred that the feature was at ground level and did not have any elevation. By using the elements of visual representation all identifiable factors about the image were addressed and the best conclusion was presented.

Figures
Figure 1: St Catharines, Drive in Movie Theatre ............................................................. 2 Figure 2: St Catharines, Bridge Feature .......................................................................... 3 Figure 3: St Catharines, Golf Course .............................................................................. 5 Figure 4: St Catharines, Parking Lot ............................................................................... 6 Figure 5: St Catharines, Utility Pipes ............................................................................... 7 Figure 6: St Catharines, School Building Feature ........................................................... 8 Figure 7: St Catharines, Brock University Campus Building Complex .......................... 10
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Figure 8: St Catharines, Glenridge Quarry Bareground/Soil Feature ............................ 11 Figure 9: St Catharines, Trailer Homes in Trailer Park .................................................. 12 Figure 10: St Catharines, Vegetation/Tree Stand .......................................................... 13 Figure 11: Queenston, Agricultural/Crop Field .............................................................. 14 Figure 12: Queenston, Building Feature........................................................................ 15 Figure 13: Queenston, Utility Pole Feature ................................................................... 16 Figure 14: Queenston, Overgrown Railroad Track Site ................................................. 17 Figure 15: Queenston, Old Railroad Site....................................................................... 18 Figure 16: Queenston, Recreational Wading Pool ........................................................ 19

References
Lillesand, T. M., Kiefer, R. W., & Chipman, J. W. (2008). Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation (Sixth Edition ed.). Daryagani, New Delhi: John Wiley & Sons. Queenston A19358-74. Niagara College Libraries. Energy, Mines and Resources Canadian Govt. Queenston A19358-75. Niagara College Libraries. Energy, Mines and Resources Canadian Govt. St Catharines A24284-69. Niagara College Libraries. Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. St Catharines A24284-70. Niagara College Libraries. Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.

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