landsat as a resource management nj quinn et al 1986

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CARTOGRAPHYJOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF CARTOCRAPHERS

ContentsEditorial page 2President's message page 3Bulletin page 5Recording Northern Territory mining heritagebyM.ZemanandB.Blakeman... ......page20Relational methods for format conversion of map databy J. P. Penny .. . . . page 26Contemporary Cartography: A venture into tourist mappingby K. .1. Davies . . . . page 36Tactual rnapping in New South Walesby J. E. Roberts and R. Bashford . . . page 44Landsat as a resource management tool in Papua New Cuineaby N.J. Quinn, W. Harvey, N. Keenan and P. J. Kershaw . . page 58Letters to the editor page 4ReviewsReviews in brief ...... page 70Abstracts page 71Literature received ....page75List of members: December 1985 . .. . page 76Advertisers"Aarque Systems Pty Ltd*Australian Aerial Mapping Pty Ltd*Cangraphics Pty Ltd*Carl Zeiss Pty Ltd*Croup Survey Distributors Pty Ltd+lntergraph Corporation Pty Ltd

*Jasco Pty Ltd+Mapping Systems (Qld)*Tennyson Craphics*Universal Press Pty LtdValentine Craphics*Wild Leitz (Australia) Pty Ltd

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VI, XVviixiXii, iv*Denotes Company Members of the lnstitute

The lnstitute is not necessarily responsible for any statements or opinions expressed in its publications.Copyright is reserved for all material credited and acknowledged above. Reproduction of text may bemade provided that credit is given to the journal and the author.CARTOCRAPHY Vol. 15, No. 1, March 1986


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l-andsat as a resource managementtool in Papua New CuineaN. J. Quinn, W Harvey, N. Keenan andP. J. Kershaw

Surveys of coastal and terrestrial contmunities areimportant in order to establish an inventory ofnational resources. The use of an earth resourcessatellite system (Landsat) contains the spectral andspatial resolution suitable for ntapping shallowwater and terrestrial contmunities in tropical Pa-pua New Cuinea. lt is suggested that the Univer-sity of Papua New Cuinea and the University ofTechnology initiate a joint multidisciplinary pro-gram to educate Papua New Guineans in the useof Landsat.

N. QuinnFisheries DepartmentPapua New Cuinea University of Technology, LaeW. HarveyN. KeenanP. KershawPapua New Cuinea Departnrent of Surveying andLand StudiesVol. 15, No. 1, March 1986 58

INTRODUCTIONPapua New Cuinea (PNC) is a newly indepen-dent nation (1975) with a total land area of461 7OO square kilometres. It consists of the east-ern half of the island of Nerrr Guinea and a myriadof smaller islands and has a coastline of over7000 km. The ocean within the Exclusive Econ-omic Zone (EEZ) o{ PNC, which the governmentmust control and regulate, fornrs a vast area over

seven times the land mass.To date large areas of PNC's seas are poorlycharted (Young 1982; Done 1983) and many coralreefs are only just being acknowledged in thescientific literature (Kojis and Quinn 1984; 1985).The ocean area within PNC's EEZ is covered with

charts varying from scales of 1:1 7OO 000 to1:12 5OO, the latter for harbours and channel ap-proaches. For general navigation 1:300 000 chartsare adequate while 1:100 000 charts are nroresuitable for coastal navigation. Table 1 lists thechart coverage within PNC's EEZ and the portionof surveyed area on charts of particular scale. Manyof the surveyed areas are based on incomplete,erroneous or dated information. Of the2 339 9OO km2 of ocean area, only 701 97Okm2are covered by a scale suitable for navigation, andonly 528 580 knr2 of this is surveyed. Much of thelatter area needs to be resurveyed or the existingdata verified (Young 1981). The use of Landsat datato create a 'Hyregraphic' (Hydrographic Recon-naissance Craphic at I:100 000) to update hydro-graphic and bathymetric detail in PNC has beensuggested by Young (1983a; 1983b).

Fundamental to the administration of the EEZ isa knowledge of the resources located within itsboundary, both in type and distribution. ShallorvCARTOCRAPHY


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Table 1: Hydrological Chart Coverage of Papua New Guinea,s EEZ

ScaleCoverage ofocean area

Ocean area not% of surveyed cwered byarea of charts ofcoverage larger scalel:12 500 to l:75 0001:100 000 to 1:150 0001:250 000 to l:300 0001: l 000 000 to 1:1 700 000

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Source; after Young I 983a,seas and numerous reefs have always prwed haz-ardous for maritime activities and discouraged ex-ploration.

Where developing countries must increasinglyrely upon development of their own resources toachieve financial independence, it is importantthat every opportunity be taken to facilitate explo-ratlon. Efficient exploration and development ofresources will assist developing countries toachieve prominence in a competitive internationalmarket place.

Papua New Cuinea has large areas of shallow-water habitats requiring initial identification or up-date mapping. As conventional charting methodsare slow, hazardous and expensive, alternative lowcost rapid remote sensing methods may be em-ployed to provide interim information until surveysby conventional means can be conducted. For ex-ample, Quinn (1984) used Landsat to monitor thenoxious weed Salvinia molesta on the Sepik River,a task that would have normally been done only atgreat expense and been plagued with logisticproblems.

Additionally, strict environmental laws in PNCrequire the monitoring and evaluation of development projects. Landsat imagery has already proveduseful to help monitor silt deposition associatedwith a proposed port development (Quinn andKojis 1982; 1984) and the techniques may besuccessfully applied to general areas of environ-mental monitoring and resource management(Harvey and Kershaw 1985a; 1985b) as well as tospecific areas such as the surveillance of volcanicregions (Harvey 1985).

The use of Landsat to map the shallow waterhabitats such as the Creat Barrier Reef was pro-posed by Smith and others, (1975a; 1975b) andapplied by Bina and others (1978) and Jupp andothers (1981; 1983). A pilot study into shallow-

water mapping using Landsat in PNC was comple-ted in April 1985 by the Australian Survey Office inconjunction with the Department of Surveying atthe University of Queensland (Lyons and Cuerin1985). This project was funded by the AustralianDevelopment Assistance Bureau and is the fore-runner of a number of pilot projects investigatingthe application of Landsat digital analysis tech-niques to monitoring of coastal and terrestrial re-sources in PNC and other south-west Pacificcountries. The Ministry of Primary lndustries in Fijiis considering using Landsat to define habitats forgiant clam recolonization (Adams, pers. comm.).Wolanski and others ('l 984) used Landsat to de-lineate wakes around islands and follow riverplumes in the Culf of Papua.PROCESSTNG TECHNTQUES

The Papua New Cuinea University of Tech-nology has two computer systems capable of dis-playing Landsat digital data. The firstcomputer-aided analysis of Landsat data uses aninteractive program called LANSAT running on aPDP 11/34 computer at the Papua New CuineaUniversity of Technology. The progranr nas writtenin Fortran by Dr Frank Honey to accept data fromthe Australian Landsat Station (ALS). The format ofthe ALS Landsat tapes is band interleaved by line.

The data from the Landsat tapes is transferred toan RK-05 disc, where allocated space allows sub-scenes of 512 lines by 512 pixels to be accommo-dated. A BASIC program called LSSTOR is used tocopy the data from the tapes to the disc fromwhere the information is read off for LANSAT. EachLandsat image is enhanced using an algorithmdevised by obtaining spectral signatures from sev-eral areas with suspected similar physical and bio-logical features.

To display the Landsat data an Electohome col-CARTOCRAPHY Vol. 15, No. .1, March 1986


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our display terminal, a Matrox colour display inter-face is used. Up to 256 lines by 256 pixels can bedisplayed in l0 colours. This systenr, while repre-senting a technological breakthrough in remotesensing in the south-west Pacific, has been ratheriimited in its capabilities. The major constraint inthe utilisation of the system in either a research oreducational role has been the inordinately longscreen loading time, varying from twenty-five min-utes if the system is dedicated to in excess of fourhours if the system is multi-user. During the pasttwo years the system has often been unavailabledue to the difficulty of acquiring and maintainingservice contracts on high-tech equipment in a re-mote area.

The second computer analysis uses a BBC mi-crocomputer (Harvey and Kershaw 1985a). Thissystem is being developed in-house in order toretain an interactive analysis capability after theplanned phasing out of the PDP 11/34 in late-1985. Consideration was given to the purchase ofcommercial packages for interactive analysis ofremotely sensed data, but financial constraintsprohibited the purchase of the more sophisticatedpackages; the limitations of the less expensive sys-tems investigated were considered unacceptable.The package developed offers an inexpensivetraining system which may be installed as a stand-alone for a single user or networked for a multi-user requirement. This system has been designedaround a screen resolution of 160 by 128 pixelsand has a screen loading time of twenty-five sec-onds.

One of the major benefits offered by such asystem is the multiple maintenance options ofcomponent repair, component replacement or unitreplacement offered by the adoption of a low costmicrocomputer, a critical factor in the introductionof high technology into development countries. Asecond important benefit is the transportability ofthe system to the site of operations, hence offeringnear realtime interaction between ground truthingsurveys and signature development and modifi-cation.The lmage lnterpretation

Raw Landsat imagery of shallow-water habitatssuch as coral reefs may be difficult to interpretvisually. A dark patch may be interpreted as a deeplagoon or sea-grass bed or mud flat and a verybright area could be a shallow lagoon with white

sand bottom or coral rubble. 1'he analysis may befurther confused with turbid o1 shallow waler. ll istherefore necessary that classificalions be con-ducted with the aid of somefne knowledgeableabout lhe area and post-procesPinB surveys be con-ducted lo sample localions to 'ferify classifit ationsat least in the initial stages.

The relative area and surfabe configuration ofeach colour zone depends on rhe tidal level duringimagery acquisition. A tempgral comparison ofthe band zones of the same sfallow-water habitatshould indicate which areas are subject to thegreatest spectral changes durir]r s tidal movement.Iimitations

Landsat can be used to provide reconnaissancemapping enabling effective plqnning and manage-ment of shallow-water habitals. Satellite remotesensing does not replace the more conventionalmethods of shallow-water mqpping, but can re-duce the tinre and costs associated with them bysupplying supplementary data, or data for conlinu-ous assessment. Additionally, where data is re-quired periodically over some considerable timethe costs of conventional metlpods would be pro-hibitive.The limitation to the application of Landsat data

exists where there is inappropriate data handlingtechnology and expertise. tn lhe case of Landsatthere is no requirement for adpptation of satellitetechnology to local conditionq as there is no in-volvement with the sensing eqr.lripment or its oper-ations. lnvolvement is conffned to the dataproduced from the satellite senling and lhis can beacquired in a usable state in readiness for inlerpret-alion or manipulation. The two main ldbour inten-sive activities are in the fnanipulation andinterprelation of the masses 9f dala and in theproduction of maps charts or qtatistical data pres-entat ion s.

Finally, the most immediate llrni,urion to poten-tial users in the South Pacific is thal lhere is nolocal receiving station in the legion. Hence, sig-nals for less than Vo of the wate{s in PNC's EEZ arecurrently being received and fhere is no currenldata irom landsat being receir]zed over any otherarea of lhe Soulh Pacific altholgh possibilities ex-ist for the acquisition of limitel coverage of muchof the region in the near futurel.

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interdisciplinary program is necessary to educatethe administrators and scientists involved in en-vironnrental monitoring and in the resource man-agement of PNC's coastal and terrestrial habitats.Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the use of theLandsat facilities of the Department of Survey andLand Studies and the computer facilities of thePapua New Cuinea University of Technology. MrB. Nichols is particularly acknowledged for hisassistance in maintaining the computing infra-structu re.ReferencesBina, R. T., Carpenter, K.,Zacher, W., Jara, R. andLinr, J. B. (1978) Coral reef mapping usingLarrdsat data: follow-up studies. Proceedings12th lnternational Synrposium on RemoteSensing of Environnrent, ERIM, Ann Arbor,Michigan, 3, 2051 -2059.Done, P. 1983) The present status of hydrographyin Papua New Cuinea. lnternational hydro-graphic review, Monaco 60,7-18.Harvey, \A4. M. (in press) Surveillance of volcanicregions by satellite remote sensing. Proc. 2Oth

Surv. Congr., Rabaul, 1985.Harvey, W. M. and Kershan, P. J. 1985a) The BBCmicrocomputer and its application to digital

analysis of Landsat multispectral scanner data:a Papua New Cuinea experience. Proc. Conf.on Recent Dev. in Remote Sensing Equipnrentand Technologl,, Singapore.Harvey, \4/. M. and Kersharv, P. j. (1985b) Theacquisition of satellite nrulti-spectral scannerdata and applications to resource managemenland environmental monitoring in Papua Nern,Cuinea (nranuscript).

Jupp, D. L. 8., Mayo, K. K., Kuchler, D. K., Heg-gen, S. \\1. and Kendall, 5. W. (1981) Renrotesensing b1' Landsat as support for nranagementof the Creat Barrier Reef in Proceedings of 2ndAustralian Remote Sensing Conference, Can-berra, P. Laut (ed.).

Jupp, D.L.8., Mayo, K. K., Kendall, S. and Heg-g,en, S. \\1 (1983) The use of Landsat data toassess bathl,metry and topographic structure inthe Creat Barrier Reef region. CSIRO Divisionof \,\/ater and Land Resources, Technical Memo-randunr, p. 60.Kojis, B. L. and Quinn, N. J. fl9S4) Seasonal and

li::1,1'-.gi1,:.l

depth variation in fecundity o( Acropora pali-fera al two reefs in Papua Nerv Cuinea. Coralreefs 3,165-172.

Kojis, B. L. and Quinn. N. J. (in press) Coral reefs ofnortheast New Cuinea. 5th lnternational CoralReef Symposium, Tahiti, 1985.

Lyons, K. J. and Cuerin, P. (1985) lnterim report tothe Ausiralian Development Assistance Bureauon the preparation and evaluation of a pilotshallow water mapping project in the Trobriandand Tagula lsland area of Papua New Cuinea.

Quinn, N. J. (t984) Evaluation of Landsat as an"reans of monitoring Salvinia ntole;ta on theSepik River, Papua Nerv Cuinea. Fisheries De-partment Research Report Series, 6, p. 13, Pa-pua New Cuinea University of Technology.Quinn, N. J. and Ko1is, B. L. (1982) The hydrologyof the N4arkham River intrusion into the HuonCulf using Landsat imag,ery and in -situ obser-vations. Science ln Ner.r, Cuinea 9, 115-129.Quinn, N. J. and Kojis, B. L. (1984) Renrote sens-ing of tlre Markham River intrusion irrto theHuon Culf, Papua New Cuinea. Proceedings ofthe 3rd Australasian Remote Sensing Confer-ence,74O-744.Smith, V. E., Rogers, R. H. and Reed, L. E. (1975a)Automated mapping and inventory of the Creat

Barrier Reef zonation with Landsat data. Ocean1975 Conference Record, IEEE, New York,p.952.Smith, V. E., Rogers, R. H. and Reed, L. E. (1975b)Thematic mapping of coral reefs using Landsat

data. 1Oth lnternational Synrposium of RemoteSensing of the Environment, Ann Arbor, r\4ichi-gan, October 1975, p. 10.

\4blanski, E., Pickard, C. L. and Jupp, D. L. B.(1984) River plumes. coral reefs and mixing inthe Culf of Papua and the Nclrthern Creat Bar-rier Reef. Estuarine, coastal and shelf science18,291-314.Young, F. R. (1981 ) Hydrographic charting b1, satel-lite sensing: appropriate technology for PapuaNew Cuinea. Journal of the association of Sur-veyors of Papua New Guinea 10, 3-9.Young, F. R. (1982) Charting Papua Nerv Cuinea'swaters-the hydrographer's challenge. Hydro-graphic journal , 24, 23-27 .Young, F. R. (2983a) the hi,regraphic-a transientalternative. Hydrographic journal, 27, 15-19.Young, F. R. (1983b) Satisfying a need-the hyre-graphic. Cartography, 13, 1 17-126.

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Vol. l5, No. 1,lrlarch 1986 62 CARTOCRAPHY

landsat as a resource management nj quinn et al 1986

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