Digital Image Classification

 Supervised classification
 The analyst "supervises” the categorization of a set of specific classes by
providing training statistics that identify each category.
 Unsupervised classification
 The raw spectral data are grouped first, based solely on the statistical
structure of the data. Then the analyst must label each statistical cluster,
placing them in the appropriate categories (if possible).

 Rule-based classification
 Spectrally categorized pixels are classified using
ancillary data in a model.

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
 Rule-Based Classification
 Employs a hierarchy of rules (a decision tree) that
describes the conditions under which a set of low-
level constituent data get abstracted into a set of
high-level informational classes.
 The constituent data consist of user-defined variables
that may include raster imagery, vector GIS files,
spatial models, external programs, or simple scalars.
 “choose your own adventure”

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
 Rule-Based Classification
 A rule is a conditional statement, or a list
of conditional statements, about the
variable’s data values and/or attributes
that determine an informational
component or hypothesis.
== “is equal to”
!= “is not equal to”
< “is less than”
<= “is less than or equal to”
> “is greater than”
>= “is greater than or equal to
&& “AND”
|| “OR”
Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing
 Digital Image Classification
 Rule-Based Classification
 Multiple rules and hypotheses can be
linked together into a hierarchy that
describes a final set of target informational
classes (a decision tree).
 In ERDAS Imagine, rule-based image
classification is performed with two
modules: Knowledge Engineer and
Knowledge Classifier.
 To the board!

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
 Rule-Based Classification
 Knowledge Engineer provides the interface
for an expert to identify the variables,
rules, and output classes of interest and
create the hierarchical decision tree.

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
 Rule-Based Classification
 Knowledge Classifier provides an interface
for a non-expert to apply the knowledge
base created with the Knowledge Engineer
tool to create the output classification.

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
 Rule-Based Classification
 A Knowledge Base consists of:
– Hypothesis: the feature that is being
modeled. Think of a single hypothesis as an
output class in a classification.
– Rules: a single conditional test or a list of
conditional tests. Input pixels that satisfy the
rules belong to the hypothesis class.
– Variables: The spatial data layers used in
the Rules.

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
 Knowledge Base
•Hypothesis (the resulting class)
•Rules (test of the hypothesis)
•Variables (data layers)

A Knowledge Base is a Decision Tree with branches

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing
 Digital Image Classification
The remote Lower Riparian Deciduous
sensing analysis
Deciduous input Decision Model
Y ?

Sunny Y Elev Y Y
slope < 7000 CurvGrad Lower Riparian 1
= 1
?
N

Elev Y
>= 7000
Y
N < 7700
CurvGrad Lower Riparian 2
= 1

Elev Y Y
< 6800
CurvGrad Lower Riparian 3
= 1

Elev Y Y
>= 6800 CurvGrad Lower Riparian 4
< 7500 = 1

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
Lower Rip.1 = Deciduous, CurvGrad = 1, Sunny, Elev < 7000’
Lower Rip.2 = Deciduous, CurvGrad = 1, Sunny, 7000’ <= Elev < 7700’
Lower Rip.3 = Deciduous, CurvGrad = 1, Shady, Elev < 6800’
Lower Rip.4 = Deciduous, CurvGrad = 1, Shady, 6800’ <= Elev < 7500’

ClusterBust-Recode.img
The remote DEM
sensing input
Curvature-Gradient Aspect

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
0 or
360

• Sunny slopes
290
>= 110° and
<= 290°
270 90

• Shady slopes
< 110° or
110
> 290°
180

Aspect

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

Digital Image Classification

Hypotheses Rules Variables

Shady requires two Aspect is the
rules: an OR statement only variable
Sunny requires only one
rule: an AND statement

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

Digital Image Classification

• Sunny slopes
>= 110° and
<= 290°

• Shady slopes
< 110° or
> 290°

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification

Profile
Curvature Analysis

Curvature-Gradient DEM

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

Digital Image Classification

Geo 424 – Advanced Remote Sensing

 Digital Image Classification
Research Examples

Ganasri & Ramesh 2015 Assessment of soil erosion by RUSLE model using remote sensing and
GIS – A case study of Nethravathi Basin. Geoscience Frontiers. 7: 953-961
 Digital Image Classification
Research
Examples

Churches et al 2014 Evaluation of forest cover estimates for Haiti using supervised classification of
Landsat data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. 40: 203 - 2016
 Digital Image Classification
Research Examples

Dahlin & Ault (in review) Global linkages between teleconnection patterns and the terrestrial
biosphere. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation
 Digital Image Classification
Research Examples