GISC9231- Introduction to Remote Sensing

Deliverable 9231D3: Georeferencing of Scanned Arial Imagery and Change Detection

NIAGARA COLLEGE December 14, 2012 Submitted To: Janet Finlay Submitted By: Brooke Le Blanc

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December 14, 2012 GISC9231-D3 Janet Finlay Niagara-on-the-lake Campus, Niagara College Room E301 135 Taylor Road, S.S #4 On, L0S 1J0

Dear: Janet Finlay: Re: Submission of GISC231-D3

Please accept this letter as formal submission of Deliverable 3: Georeferencing of Scanned Arial Imagery and Change Detection for GISC9231 Introduction to Remote Sensing. For this assignment, students were required to demonstrate georeferencing skills on aerial scanned imagery using the computer program ESRIs ArcGIS. This assignment also acted as an introduction to basic skills undertaking and reporting change detection analysis. The scanned images deal directly with the Welland canal locks. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any additional information at 1-416-509-8070. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely,

Brooke Le Blanc GIS-GM Graduate Candidate B.L Enclosures: 1.) GISC9231 Deliverable 3: Georeferencing of Scanned Aerial Imagery and Change Detection

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Table of Contents
Figures and Tables ........................................................................................................................... 2 Section 1.0- Introduction................................................................................................................. 3 Section 2.0- Background .................................................................................................................. 3 Section 3.0- 1934 Aerial Images (A4873_19, A4873_20 and A4873_21) ........................................ 4 3.1 Operational Status of Canals in 1934 ................................................................................ 4 3.2- Location A ......................................................................................................................... 4 3.3- Location B ......................................................................................................................... 6 3.4- Location C ......................................................................................................................... 7 3.5- Location E ......................................................................................................................... 7 Section 4.0- 1921 Aerial Images (H20-1, H20-2, H22-25, H22-91) .................................................. 8 4.1- Operational Status of Canals in 1921 ............................................................................... 8 Section 5.0- 2003 Satellite Imagery (IKONOS Multispectral Imagery) ............................................ 9 5.1- Operational Status of the Canals in 2003 ......................................................................... 9 Section 6.0- Change Detection ........................................................................................................ 9 6.1- Chart for Lock 11-24 Visibility from 1934-2003 ............................................................... 9 6.2- The Fuller Plan ................................................................................................................ 11 6.3- What Happened to the Wedge Shaped Formation at Location A ................................. 12 6.4- Georeferenced Imagery Overlaid atop the IKONOS Satellite Image.............................. 14 Section 7.0- Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 16 Section 8.0- Bibliography............................................................................................................... 17

Figures and Tables

Table 1- Chart for Lock 11-24 Visibility from 1934-2003- pages 9-11

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Section 1.0- Introduction

The final assignment for the Introduction to Remote Sensing course is dealing directly with the skill of georeferencing in ArcMap. This skill along with a combination of other skills that we have been learning throughout the course it will help us to complete this assignment to our full potential. Having the ability to georeference is a skill that will also benefit us when we go out into the work force and have to work with older aerial imagery.

Section 2.0- Background

The photos that were given to complete this assignment was a base image which was an IKONOS Multispectral image from 2003 titled Glendale_IKONOS_BGRNIR.tif the image itself is of the Welland canal. The tiff. aerial images that we were given to complete the georeferncing aspect of the assignment are A4873_19, A4873_20, A4873_21 and H20-1, H20-2, H22-25, H2291. The first set of images are from 1934, while the second set are from 1921. The reason why it is necessary to georeference these images is because it is common for aerial imagery to be void of locational information. The process of georeferencing allows this locational data to be identified.

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Section 3.0- 1934 Aerial Images (A4873_19, A4873_20 and A4873_21) 3.1 Operational Status of Canals in 1934 In 1934 all four canals had been created. The first Welland canal is located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. By 1934 the canal had underwent a number of changes and modifications. These modifications included the expansion of five more locks, the creation of a time conserving route from Port Robinson to Port Colborne, and the expansion of the feeder canal. At this time the canal was a total length of 43.4 kilometers and had a depth of 2.4 meters. The second Welland canal is located from Port Colbourne to Port Robinson and is situated in a southerly direction. The demand for creation of this canal was because there was such a high amount of water traffic. This second canal at 1934 had 27 lift locks and the length between the locks was averaged between 33.5 to 47.5 meters. The depth of the canal was 2.7 meters. The third canal was located between Port Colbourne to Allanburg. This canal did not rely on a feeder for water supply, it used water directly from Lake Erie. This canal had 26 stone locks and was 4.3 meters deep. The fourth Welland canal at this point had 8 locks and a depth of 7.6 meters (Welland Canals).

3.2- Location A Location A, shown below in figure 1, is actually what is called an excavation site. An excavation site is a location where soil or rock has been removed by the process of digging, blasting, breaking or loading either at the surface or
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underground (GEMET Thesaurus, 2012). This specific excavation site was created during the creation of the final fourth canal.

There is minimal to no shadowing on the feature which tells me there is no elevation to the feature. The tone of the feature at location a is a light gray in some areas and a moderate gray tone in other areas which tells me that it is not composed entirely of the same substance. Some of the darker areas at the bottom looks like it could be a line of vegetation, while the rest of the substance looks like dirt and soil. Although this is the largest excavation site, it does seem that this was a method that had been done more than once, it must have been a method that the canal builders regularly used in their creation of the canals. The feature itself looks to have a rougher surface. I can identify this because it looks as if the light is hitting the smaller bumps along the land. The feature looks man made because it is a very specific diagonal formation. Due to its association to the fourth canal it would make sense that it was created during its formation.

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I believe that the striations occurred when the feature was initially being created. Whatever machines were used to dig the excavation site made these striations, it simply shows where they dug. 3.3- Location B Location B, shown in figure 2, is actually a bridge with rail road tracks on the top part of it.

The association of this feature makes it a lot easier to identify. When looking at it one can depict that it is a continuation of a line like feature on the picture. The line feature is much too small to be considered a road, so one of the only other traveling features in this location is by the use of train. The shape of the feature helps to identify that it is manmade and has not been naturally created. The shadow around the feature shows that it is indeed elevated, which helps to identify it as a bridge, with the tracks on top of it. The colouring of the feature itself is much lighter than everything surrounding it. This tells me that it is composed of an alternate substance with a different texture entirely. In 1934 this railroad bridge was no longer it complete use, the top railroad section was no longer mobile. The creation of the fourth canal also stopped use of the tunnel underneath. My evidence for this is that Westwater 2010, stated that
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different means of transportation were used after a train accident in 1903 stopped all use of the railroad. 3.4- Location C Location C, shown in figure 3, is actually a pond that I believe to exist due to the creation of the fourth canal.

I believe this pond existed because of something that occurred while digging and creating the fourth canal. Due to its darker tone I believe it is filled with water at the point of the photo. I feel this way because of its close proximity to the canal itself. It may of just been a relatively large dent in the ground but due a buildup of rain over the years as well as any kind of water runoff it has become a pond. 3.5- Location E Location E, shown in figure 4, is actually a farmers field.

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I believe this farmers field existed because its texture looks to have vibrant crops growing. This is why all of the striated lines cover the area. The different lighting and amounts of shadowing also show that the crops that were being grown were not all of the same kind. The farmer must have had several different types of crops.

Section 4.0- 1921 Aerial Images (H20-1, H20-2, H22-25, H22-91)

4.1- Operational Status of Canals in 1921

In the year 1921 there was only one canal that was in use, this canal was canal number three. Both of canal number one and two were not in use. Canal number two at this time was providing waterpower to factories (The Welland Canals). Canal number
three was fully functional in 1921. In the aerial images H20-1, H20-2, H22-25, and H22-91 the canal is visibly functional. I know this because even though there are no boast actually traveling through them, the water is visible in the locks themselves at different levels. The reservoirs 8

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beside the canal are also still kept in decent conditions which also suggest that the canal is still functional. Canal number four at this point was still in mid construction and it would be quite some time before the completed and new canal was open for use. The given photos of the canals in 1921 show that the actual canal was still under construction due to the fact that the texture of the road and surrounding area is extremely rough. The fourth canal was definitely not ready to function at this point.

Section 5.0- 2003 Satellite Imagery (IKONOS Multispectral Imagery)

5.1- Operational Status of the Canals in 2003 In the year 2003 there was also only on canal that was in use, this canal was canal number four. At this point both canal number one and two were far beyond from being able to function in any possible way. For the most part they had disappeared due to several contributing factors like erosion and new developments in their preexisting area. Canal number three had been flooded over with the majority of the preexisting canal still visible. Some parts of this canal were actually used in creating the fourth canal. Canal number four was fully function in 2003 and from personal experience know that canal number four still continues to be fully functional to this day.

Section 6.0- Change Detection

6.1- Chart for Lock 11-24 Visibility from 1934-2003 Below is a chart that will help to define the visibility of the locks in the years 1934 and 2003. Lock Number Visibility in 1934 and Comments Partial Visibility- Covered with Visibility in 2003 and Comments Partial Visibility- Covered with

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water, but still visible. 12 Partial Visibility- Covered with water, but still visible. Visible- Still exists, in rough poor condition. Visible- Still exists, in rough poor condition. Visible- Still exists, in rough poor condition.

water, but still visible. Partial Visibility- Covered with water, but still visible. Partial Visibility-New bridge covers parts of feature. Partial Visibility- Covered with water, but still visible. Partial Visibility-Still intact but looks broken down from weathering. Partial Visibility- Covered with water, but still visible. Partial Visibility- Still intact but parts are covered with vegetation. Partial Visibility- Still intact but parts are covered with vegetation. No Visibility- Covered with vegetation. No Visibility-Completely covered with water.

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14

15

16

Visible- Still exists, in rough poor condition. Visible- Still exists, in rough poor condition.

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18

Visible- Still intact but needs work.

19

Partial Visibility-Still intact but needs work. No Visibility- Completely covered with water.

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21

Partial Visibility-Partially intact Partial Visibility- Still intact but parts are covered with vegetation. Visible-Still intact. Partial Visibility- Still intact but parts are covered with vegetation. No Visibility- Chanel covering it from view.

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23

No Visibility- Not included on the aerial photographs.

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No Visibility- Not included on the aerial photographs.

No Visibility-Chanel covering it from view.

6.2- The Fuller Plan

The land of the fuller plan was created in the beginning of the 1900s but never panned out. It had the initial intention of changing the orchard land to a complete residential subdivision. In the given photos we can see that in as early as 1921 the land was full of farmers crops and vegetation. There are also several man made roads that would make these crops easily accessible for movement and transportation to vendors and buyers. In the second group of photos given from 1934 it shows that there has been some alteration to the land. Where the lush crops once grew in 1921, was replaced with no sign of life in the form of vegetation at all. There are several factors that could of contributed to this extension of life on the land. One reason could have been a real lack of concern for the state that the land is in. Another could have been the fact that the land could of potentially been damaged when some of the canals were under construction and the soil was no longer rich with nutrients to continue growing crops on. In the last group of photos, which were taken in 2003, the Fuller plan seems to of entirely been forgotten. All crops have been removed and the land itself is now covered with mass amounts of vegetation that no longer have been cultivated by any kind of
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farmer. The accessible roads to and from the crops that was once most likely used for shipment of crops now no longer exists.
6.3- What Happened to the Wedge Shaped Formation at Location A

Looking at the wedged shaped landform above I had previously stated that I believed it to be an excavation site that was created during the construction of the fourth canal. I also have previously stated the striations were created from the use of heavy machinery.

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After consulting Google Earth in the picture above (Google Earth, 2012) we can see that the wedged shaped formation, which I previously believe to be a excavation site, it now simply covered with vegetation.

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6.4- Georeferenced Imagery Overlaid atop the IKONOS Satellite Image

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Section 7.0- Conclusion

The Welland Canals are something that has been extremely prevalent in the Niagara Region ever since they were initially created. Even though four have been created, and there has and will continue to be endless modifications and improvements to the canals they have been extremely useful and beneficial for the Niagara Region. This assignment was a great learning experience for specifically the process of geoprocessing. This will definitely help students as they further their lives and get careers in the field of GIS. Being able to add on to our pervious ArcMap skills allowed a great opportunity for expansion of knowledge and experimentation will new tools and skills with the program itself. Not only did we use computer skills but we also used our eyes and skills learned in the Remote Sensing project number one to help identify features on the older aerial photos. Overall this was a great assignment of collaborative knowledge.

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Section 8.0- Bibliography

GEMET Thesaurus, http://www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/concept?cp=3032&langcode=en&ns=1 . Accessed December 2012, 2012. Eionet Internet Thesaurus, http://www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/concept?cp=3032&langcode=en&ns=1 Welland Canals, http://www.wellandcanals.com/. Accessed December 12, 2012. The Old "Welland - Google Maps." Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Welland%27&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF8&startIndex=&startPage=1&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl>. Welland Canals Field Guide, http://oldwellandcanals.wikidot.com/feeder-canal.

Westwater, G. (2010). Welland Canals. Accessed December 12, 2012. http://www.wellandcanals.com/4thWellandCanal.html.

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