Simulating Landsat ETM plus imagery using DAIS 7915 hyperspectral scanner data

Abstract

Any application in remote sensing requires specific datasets that are defined in terms of the spectral and spatial characteristics of the sensor. The question as to which spatial resolution is preferable for a particular problem is a difficult one, and represents a critical decision in the planning of a project. Remote sensing data with different spatial resolutions are often required. In such cases, an alternative to the purchase of new images is simulation. Simulation is often used to generate images that will be acquired by a future sensor such as using aircraft imagery to simulate a new, as yet unavailable, orbital sensor. Simulation has usually been carried out as a spatial degradation process. However, to make a realistic simulation it is necessary to take a number of factors into consideration. Two such factors are the point spread function (PSF) and the spectral response of the sensor. In this study, Digital Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (DAIS 7915) data for a test site from the La Mancha Alta region of Spain are used to simulate a Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM +) image. The results are promising in that comparable images are produced by considering the PSF and spectral response of the Landsat ETM +.