IKONOS - A detailed view from space

The outstanding feature of the IKONOS imagery is the formidable spatial resolution, or detail. The images lend themselves well for mapping land use and for updating detailed maps at scales of 1:10,000 to 1:50,000. The data can also be used for cadastral surveys, especially in poorly mapped rural areas.

The following contains two examples of imagery collected over mainland Southeast Asia.

The first illustration (below) shows an IKONOS quick look image and location map of the Tonle Sap River, west of Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia, in December 2002. The 10 km by 8 km large image shows receding floods (e.g. water surfaces, represented by dark and medium grey tone) along the river (left); man-made dykes clearly appear as linear features. The right portion of the image shows upland terrain that is currently not affected by flooding. Numerous water retention reservoirs can be identified along the edge of the upland area. The water of these reservoirs will be utilized for irrigating agricultural crops (recession rice). This quick-look image provides only a glimpse at the spatial detail that the full-resolution IKONOS imagery reveals.

Source: Space Imaging / CRISP Click on the image to enlarge

The second example (below) shows a colour image acquired over an area that was affected by the American Vietnam War. Dark dots in the lower left portion show the remnants of water filled bomb craters. The image shows land use features in great detail: individual houses of rural settlements; small, secondary roads (light), fish ponds (dark green), fallow fields (brown-beige), small water courses (greenish - brown) and the distinctive texture of forested areas (light green).

Source: Space imaging / Hatfield Consultants Ltd. (click the image to enlarge)

The third example (below) shows the full detail of the IKONOS colour image at 4-meter resolution. The area is approximately 750 m by 750 m.

Source: Space imaging / Hatfielf Consultants Ltd. (click the image to enlarge)

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