Introduction to Change Detection

Lecture 5: Data access + applications

Instructor: Lila Leatherman (they/them)

November 17-18, 2021

United States Department of Agriculture

High Resolution Data Resources

• FS EDW and Image Services
• NAIP Imagery
• Google Earth Engine
• NAIP Imagery (and others)
• Digital Globe
• WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 image search + view capabilities
• USGS Earth Explorer
• Limited WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 imagery
• Planet
• Basemaps available for select states, imagery starting April 2021
• USGS CIDR request portal (use in moderation)

• Request archived high-resolution imagery

• Request future acquisitions of high-resolution imagery
• GTAC High Resolution Imagery access tutorial
• For identifying WorldView Imagery and requesting through Earth Explorer
+ CIDR
United States Department of Agriculture

Moderate Resolution Imagery Resources

(10-30m resolution)

• USGS Earth Explorer

• Landsat - Analysis Ready Data (ARD)
• Level-2 Data Products
• Copernicus
• Sentinel-2 data
• Sentinel Hub EO Browser
• Google Earth Engine (GEE)
• Sentinel-2, Landsat, and many more
• Tutorial to get started, from GEE
• GTAC GEE Training Repository with example code
• GTAC Sentinel-2 Imagery Acquisition tutorial
• For downloading via the Copernicus portal
United States Department of Agriculture

More data resources

• WorldView data
• Digital Globe – Discover to browse , G-EGD to download
• Requires authorization to create an account
• Submit CIDR request for specific new imagery
acquisitions
United States Department of Agriculture

More data resources

• Sentinel-2 Data
• Copernicus via the European Space Agency
United States Department of Agriculture

More data resources

• Google Earth Engine tutorials
• From GEE
• From GTAC
United States Department of Agriculture

More data resources

• Tutorials on image access developed for FHP
• Obtaining Remotely Sensed Imagery webinar +
self-paced tutorial
United States Department of Agriculture

Data Resources - Disturbance Mapping

Projects
• USFS/partner programs
• Fire Mapping
• BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response), RAVG (Rapid
Assessment of Vegetation after wildfire), MTBS (Monitoring
Trends in Burn Severity) and more…
• Forest Health and Disturbance Monitoring
• FHAAST (Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences
Team)

• More programs and partnerships

• USGS/NASA, research institutions, Google Earth
Engine, etc.
United States Department of Agriculture

Fire Effects Data Products - BAER

• Burned Area Reflectance Classification
(BARC)
• 1-7 days post containment
United States Department of Agriculture

Fire Effects Data Products - RAVG

• RAVG Severity layers and tables
• 30-45 days post containment
• All fires >1000 acres on USFS land
United States Department of Agriculture

Fire Effects Data Products - MTBS

• Burn Severity layers from MTBS
• Assessed 12-18 months post containment
• All fires >1000 acres on USFS land
 United States Department of Agriculture

Image-Based Change Estimation (ICE)

No change
• What is it?
• Sampling approach
using image-based
interpretations to quickly
estimate land cover and
land use change
• When no change present,
5 points
• When change present, 45
points
• All points attributed with
LULC Change
• Completed for all lower
48 states
• Interpretation cycle
follows NAIP’s schedule
United States Department of Agriculture

Change Detection Products Guide

• Overview of operationally ready change
detection methods for rapid, accurate, and
repeatable estimates of tree mortality and
defoliation events across large spatial
extents
• Link to the Change Detection Products
Guide
United States Department of Agriculture

Products and Links

• Delta Viewer
• High-Resolution Forest Mapping System
(HiForm)
• ForWarn II
• Landscape Automated Monitoring and
Detection Algorithm (LAMDA)
• LandTrendr
• LCMS
 United States Department of Agriculture

Delta Viewer

• Delta Viewer Hub Site

• Near real-time, every 5
days
• Spatial Resolution: 20m
• Imagery: Sentinel 2
• Method: Two-date change
Detection, uses multiple
spectral
Indices
 United States Department of Agriculture

High Resolution Forest Mapping System

(HiForm)

• HiForm
• Near real-time, every 5 days
• Spatial Resolution: 20m
• Imagery: Sentinel 2 and Landsat
• Method: Two-date change
Detection of NDVI
• Easy-to use GEE script
United States Department of Agriculture

High Resolution Forest Mapping System

(HiForm)
 United States Department of Agriculture

ForWarn II

• ForWarn II
• Near real time – every 8 days
• Spatial Resolution: 250m
• Imagery: MODIS
• Method: multi-date differencing of
NDVI
• Can filter by landcover type
United States Department of Agriculture

ForWarn II
United States Department of Agriculture

Landscape Automated Monitoring and

Detection Algorithm (LAMDA)

• LAMDA
• Near real time
• Spatial Resolution:
250m
• Imagery: MODIS
• Method: Trend analysis
• Download Rasters
United States Department of Agriculture

Landscape Automated Monitoring and

Detection Algorithm (LAMDA)
United States Department of Agriculture

LandTrendr

• LandTrendr
• Annual
• Spatial Resolution: 30m
• Imagery: Landsat
• Method: Trend analysis
• Extensive documentation
• Requires at least 5 years of
data input
United States Department of Agriculture

LandTrendr
United States Department of Agriculture

Landscape Change Monitoring System

(LCMS)

• LCMS
• Annual
• Spatial Resolution: 30m
• Imagery: Landsat and
Sentinel 2
• Method: Trend analysis
• Dates from 1985-Present
United States Department of Agriculture

Landscape Change Monitoring System

(LCMS)
United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
 United States Department of Agriculture

GTAC Remote Sensing Contacts

Point of Contact Specialization Email
Indigo Catton Image interpretation, data indigo.catton@usda.gov
portals, ArcGIS Pro,
segmentation
Kain Kutz Object-based Image Analysis, kain.kutz@usda.gov
Raster Geoprocessing, UAS
Lila Leatherman Change detection, Image Lila.Leatherman@usda.gov
classification, R & Earth Engine
scripting, modeling
Jeremy Webb Aerial Photography, jeremy.webb@usda.gov
Photogrammetry, UAS
Mark Hammond ERDAS and Data Services, mark.hammond@usda.gov
Photogrammetry
Shiona Howard Lidar Acquisition, Analysis, and Shiona.Howard@usda.gov
Support, Python scripting

Geospatial Training and Awareness page

United States Department of Agriculture

GTAC Remote Sensing Contacts

Areas of expertise Name Contact
Land cover classification, geospatial scripting in R and Juliette Juliette.bateman@usda.gov
Google Earth Engine Bateman

Image interpretation, data portals, ArcGIS Pro, Indigo Indigo.catton@usda.gov

segmentation Catton
Change detection, scripting in R and Google Earth Jamie Jamieson.chaitman@usda.gov
Engine, machine learning, forest health Chaitman

Lidar data acquisition and analysis, python scripting Shiona Shiona.howard@usda.gov

Howard
Change detection, scripting in R and Google Earth Lila Lila.leatherman@usda.gov
Engine, machine learning, forest health Leatherman

eCognition, image segmentation, image classification Wyatt Wyatt.mccurdy@usda.gov

McCurdy

Habitat suitability modeling, scripting in R and python, Marie Marie.schleicher@usda.gov

ArcGIS desktop Schleicher

Aerial photography, photogrammetry, UAS Jeremy Jeremy.webb@usda.gov

Webb
Geospatial Training and Awareness page
Questions?
Lila.Leatherman@usda.gov