Geography ETDs

Publication Date

4-12-1977

Abstract

This research compares the ability of various areal measuring techniques to accurately measure reservoir surface area from Landsat imagery. Water volume and surface area data obtained from reservoir management agencies for six New Mexico reservoirs were used as test data. Acreage estimates obtained from a dot grid, an electronic planimeter, a 32-level color density slicer and a 16-level black and white density slicer, were compared to the test data. Surface area measurements were taken from Landsat infrared images by these devices at scales of 1:1,000,000, 1:500,000 and 1:250,000. The acreage estimates were obtained for four seasons during 1973. The results of this study show that, although the dot grid at a scale of 1:250,000 and the planimeter at a scale of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 provided acreage estimates which approached the actual field data, none was able to measure all of the reservoirs with consistent accuracy. Several explanations for the results obtained in this study, along with some suggestions for further research, are included.

Degree Name

Geography

Department Name

Geography

Level of Degree

Masters

First Committee Member (Chair)

Stanley A. Morain

Second Committee Member

Wesley Noble Redfield

Third Committee Member

Robert Dale Campbell

Document Type

Thesis

Project Sponsors

New Mexico State University, Water Resources Research Institute project 3109-204

Language

English

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