The Relationship between Brightness Values from a Nighttime Satellite Image and Texas County Population

Authors

  • Linda F. Prosperie Southwest Texas State University
  • J. Ronald Eyton Southwest Texas State University

Keywords:

remote sensing, correlation analysis, regression analysis, population

Abstract

The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) acquires nighttime images using a photomultiplier tube sensing system. In addition to recording cloud cover by moonlight and starlight, the sensor images the light emitted from urban and built-up land as well as transients such as oil flares, forest fires, lightning, and the aurora. Attempts to correlate census population counts with pixel brighmess are often confounded by an inability to define appropriate urban boundaries. An alternative approach using Texas counties as the observation units produces a strong relationship (r=.974) be

Author Biographies

  • Linda F. Prosperie, Southwest Texas State University

    Department of Geography

    Southwest Texas State University

    San Marcos, TX

  • J. Ronald Eyton, Southwest Texas State University

    Department of Geography

    Southwest Texas State University

    San Marcos, TX

References

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Published

2004-01-01

Issue

Vol. 4 (2000)

Section

Articles

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