Geometric Correction System Capabilities, Processing, and Application

The U.S. Department of Energy's Remote Sensing Laboratory developed the geometric correction system (GCS) as a state-of-the-art solution for removing distortions from multispectral line scanner data caused by aircraft motion. The system operates on Daedalus AADS-1268 scanner data acquired from fixed-wing and helicopter platforms. The aircraft attitude, altitude, acceleration, and location are recorded and applied to the data, thereby determining the location of the earth with respect to a given datum and projection. The GCS has yielded a positional accuracy of 0.5 meters when used with a 1-meter digital elevation model. Data at this level of accuracy are invaluable in making precise areal estimates and as input into a geographic information system. The combination of high-spatial resolution and accurate geo-rectification makes the GCS a unique tool in identifying and locating environmental conditions, finding targets of interest, and detecting changes as they occur over time.