TEXTURE ANALYSIS OF TROPICAL RAIN-FOREST INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGES

This paper describes a new application of the Fourier transform for te xture analysis of low reflectance, rain forest satellite images. After correction of edge effects, angular power spectra have been analyzed on windows of 64 by 64 pixels in size. Results of spectra analysis are compared to visually extracted linear features of near infrared SPOT images from South Cameroon forested areas. This method allows for the detection of low-contrast, periodic luminance variations and the extra ction of lineament direction with an accuracy of 10 degrees. An algori thm of processing of the whole image aimed at regional studies of text ure networks is proposed. Applications to structural geology, forest-t ype discrimination, and soil studies in the tropics are briefly evalua ted.