Snow Coverage Identification Using

The GOES Satellite Imagery.

By: Joseph G. Haines III

Abstract:

The increase in snowfall throughout the Midwestern Ohio region this past winter season, prompted me to apply my newly acquired skills in the field of Remote Sensing and incorporate them into this working project. Initially, using the GOES imagery supplied by the University of Toledo GISAG Department (see image above), this project allowed me to view GOES data and manipulate it using the ERDAS IMAGINE software. This project takes a closer look at snow coverage to try and determine how it affects our local area. Two images were created from the multiple images contained within the UT View catalog. These images were then classified using a simple unsupervised classification and supervised classification techniques. The images that were used are taken from January 8, 2003 and April 9, 2003.

Introduction:

This project takes a look at the snowfall coverage across the midwestern region of Ohio. I manipulated the raw data obtained from the GOES satellite and applied classification techniques in order to separate the snow coverage from the cloud coverage.

					Figure 3 Unsupervised classification For January 8, 2003 images
								Figure 4 supervised classification For January 8,2003 image
		Figure 2 January 8, 2003 Stacked Image