Background

My interest in going to the 2nd International Workshop on Multiangluar Measurements and Models (IWMMM) held at the Space Applications Institute (SAI) in Ispra, Italy stemmed from my involvement in the EOC High Resolution BRDF Task where I am involved in the programming and operationalising of the Referencing Technique (Ong 1996). I was interested in investigating techniques used for the correction of BRDF in high spatial resolution, hyperspectral data, particularly those used in an operational environment. While in Europe, I took the opportunity to visit other key remote sensing centers, namely the Environment and Geo-Information Unit (EGEO) of the SAI in Ispra and German Aerospace DLR based in Munich.

IWMMM

The IWMMM meeting was held over a period of three days (15th -17th September) at the EU SAI with a half day set aside for each of the following topics: estimating land surface BRF's from space, modeling and inversion of surface BRF models, current and future airborne and space missions to measure BRDF, laboratory and field instruments, benefits of multiangular measurements and multiangular applications over land surfaces. The workshop highlights include presentations on 'The At-Launch MODIS BRDF/Albedo Product', 'BRDF signatures of Major biome types as seen by Polder/Adeos', 'BRDF Measurements from Aircraft: Past and Future', and the wide variety of physical based surface BRF models presented during the first poster session. For a detailed discussion of the conference proceedings see Grant 1999.

Visit to EGEO, SAI

After the conference my colleague from CSIRO Division of Forestry, Darius Culvenor and I spent a day at the Mediterranean Ecosystem Monitoring (MECOM) unit of the EGEO, SAI. The EGEO unit carries out research and development work on the use of remote sensing focusing on the European environment. Within this unit the MECOM unit is developing methods for degradation monitoring in the Mediterranean environment using a variety of data sources ranging from field spectral measurements to medium resolution satellite data such as NOAA / AVHRR.

The day started with discussions with Helen Preissler. Helen is currently responsible for MECOM's field and laboratory spectrometers and for the development of the spectral database, MedSpec, used for end member selection. MedSpec provides a sophisticated organizational framework for the storage of lab and field spectra as well as ancillary data collected at the time of spectra measurement such as photos of test sites, soil analysis, and target description. I could see possible applications for a use of MedSpec or MedSpec type system within our group. After discussions with Helen about her work and the MECOM unit, Darius and I, presented posters on our work groups (Reinhaeckel 1999, Ong 1999, Cudahy 1999 and Wilson 1998) to Helen and some of her colleagues. I focused on presenting an overview of the MMTG mine environment work while Darius talked about his work with remote sensing forestry applications. The presentations were well received.

We talked with Pam Kennedy who works on forestry applications. Obviously Pam and Darius had a lot to talk about and it was interesting to hear about the different techniques that were used. Our next meeting was with Stefan Sommer, the head of the MECOM unit. Stefan provided us with a overview of the role of the unit within the SAI and more generally the role of remote sensing in the EU. He provided us with some interesting reports on the techniques used with in the group. Our final meeting was with Thomas Kemper. Thomas is conducting work in the mine environment field, using Hymap data. Thomas' test site has many severe environmental problems and he is currently working on mapping ARD and various other heavy metal contaminates on the minesite and surrounding area. Coming from the mine environment group of the MMTG his work was of particular interest and I look forward to hear more about his final results.

Visit to German Aerospace DLR

Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Instiute of Optoelectronics at German Aerospace, Munich. We met with the Head of the Working Group of Image Spectroscopy, Andreas Mueller. Andreas explained the group is very much involved in hyperspectral remote sensing to the extent of owning their own hyperspectral instrument - the DAIS. The DAIS is a GER built instrument which has 79 channels, 72 narrow channels between 450-2450nm and 6 spectral channels in the thermal infrared wavelengths 8000-12000nm. The sensor covers the spectral range from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelengths at a spatial resolution from 3 to 20m. Many of the challenges we are facing in Australia with hyperspectral data, Andreas and his group have also experienced. It was interesting to hear about the different techniques they employ for such issues as atmospheric correction (ATCORR), georectification (PARGE) and instrument calibration. Their group was also very interested in the poster presentations Darius and I made on our respective groups' work.

Later in the day we were shown around the facilites of DLR by Ulrich Beisl, highlights of the tour were: the Large Calibration Facility (where the DAIS was in the process of being calibrated); and the command and control centre for European satellites. In the afternoon we spoke to Dr Kurt Gunther, Stefan Maier and Harald van der Werff. Darius' work had aspects in common to Dr Kurt Kunther and Stefan Maier and the meeting proved fruitful. Harald is conducting mine environment work using DAIS data over the same site as Thomas Kemper of the SAI. Harald is looking at mapping ARD and other heavy metal contaminates on the mine site and surrounding area. Like Thomas' work I look forward to hearing more about his final results. The day finished with the hand over of DLR's IRIS spectrometer, which I then brought back to Australia for use within our group.

Contacts Visited

Helen Preissler
Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
Space Applications Institute (SAI)
Environment and Geo-Information (EGEO) Unit
TP 441
21020 Ispra (Va), Italy
Tel.: +39-0332 785038
Fax.: +39-0332 789469
email: helen.preissler@jrc.it

Andreas Mueller
WG Imaging Spectroscopy
DLR - German Aerospace Center
Institute of Optoelectronics
D-82234 Wessling, GERMANY
Tel:+49 8153 281533
FAX: +49 8153 281458
Andreas.Mueller@DLR.DE

References

1. Ong, C., Soole P., Hick, P. T., Craig, M., Warren, P. and Newman, C. (1996) A correlative technique for correction of shading effects in digital multispectral video imagery. Proc. XVIII Congress Int. Soc. Photog. and Remote Sensing, Vienna Austria.

2. Grant. I (, in collaboration with Michael Caccetta, Norm Campbell, and Darius Culvenor) (1999) Second International Workshop on Multiangular Measurements and Models (IWMMM-2) Ispra, Italy, 15--17~September 1999

3. Reinhaeckel, G., Hick, P., and Cudahy, T. (1999) Acid Mine Drainage Detecting at the Brukunga Mine (South Australia) using Multitemporal Hyperspectral Data.

4. Ong, C., Hick, P., Piggott, M., Caccetta, M., Cudahy, T., and Wilson, J., (1999) Hyperspectral Remote Mapping of Iron Ore Dust on Mangroves.

5. Cudahy, T., Okada, K., Ueda K., Brauhardt, C., Morant P., Huston, P., Cocks, T., Cocks, P., Ong, C., Caccetta, M., Hick, P., Mason, P., Huntington, J., and de Vries, D,. (1999) Mineralogical Mapping of the Panorama Volcanic Massive Sulphide Alteration System, Western Australia.

6. Wilson, J., Caccetta, M., Hick, P., and Stoddart, J,. (1998). The use of Remotely Sensed Data to asses the impact on Vegetation Condition for the Central Pilbara Railway Reserve, Karijini National Park.