Spectral Mixture Analysis Using Hyperspectral Image for Hydrological Land Cover Classification in Urban Area

Satellite images have been used to obtain land cover information that is one of important factors for hydrological analysis over a large area. In urban area, more detailed land cover data are often required for hydrological analysis because of the relatively complex land cover types. The number of land cover classes that can be classified with traditional multispectral data is usually less than the ones required by most hydrological uses. In this study, we present the capabilities of hyperspectral data (Hyperion) for the classification of hydrological land cover types in urban area. To obtain 17 classes of urban land cover defined by the USDA SCS, spectral mixture analysis was applied using eight endmembers representing both impervious and pervious surfaces. Fractional values from the spectral mixture analysis were then reclassified into 17 cover types according to the ratio of impervious and pervious materials. The classification accuracy was then assessed by aerial photo interpretation over 10 sample plots.