NSW Land and Property Management Authority: Rapid

Response Imagery

Phil Woodbury
Graduate Spatial Technician
Imagery Applications
NSW Land and Property Management Authority
Bathurst, NSW 2795
Ph:+61 2 63328163
phil.woodbury@lpma.nsw.gov.au

Jeff Hosken
Senior Spatial Technician
Imagery Applications & Aerial Survey
NSW Land and Property Management Authority
Bathurst, NSW 2795
Ph:+61 2 63328159
jeff.hosken@lpma.nsw.gov.au

Doug Herrick
Senior Spatial Technician
Imagery Applications
NSW Land and Property Management Authority
Bathurst, NSW 2795
Ph:+61 2 63328149
doug.herrick@lpma.nsw.gov.au

Leanne Mills
Senior Spatial Technician
Imagery Applications
NSW Land and Property Management Authority
Bathurst, NSW 2795
Ph:+61 2 63328147
leanne.mills@lpma.nsw.gov.au

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Abstract
The recent increase in extreme climactic events has given rise to a growing
demand for Rapid Response airborne imagery. Aerial imagery is a valuable
source of information for recording, monitoring, forecasting and managing
natural resources and human activities. It enables users to make better, faster
and more informed decisions. Rapid Response Imagery is the ability to record
and process an event in a short period of time. The resultant timely supply of
imagery to decision makers is critical in the management of such events.
This paper describes the workflows and processes that are used by the New
South Wales Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA) to capture and
process rapid response imagery. It compares the different production
methodologies used by LPMA to process Rapid Response Imagery and
standard program imagery. Additionally, the paper covers spatial accuracy and
the expected processing times that can be achieved when using different
processing methods. Also discussed are the multi-spectral imagery outputs that
can be produced for a range of applications and purposes.
There is reference to a number of recent events where Rapid Response
Imagery has been used. One of these events was a flood event in early 2010
along the Darling River in North West New South Wales (NSW) where 22 areas
were captured and processed in 26 working days for the NSW State Emergency
Services and other government organisations.

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1.0 Introduction
The New South Wales Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA) has,
since 1947, routinely captured aerial imagery of the State’s landscape through
film based photography and, from 2007, digital imagery utilising the Leica
Geosystems ADS40 sensor. From 1997 onwards, this imagery has been
regularly held in digital orthorectified form, facilitating its use in a Geographic
Information System (GIS) alongside other digital data.
The acquisition and processing of such aerial imagery has proven to be an
essential element in decision making and planning processes for various
government agencies, particularly those charged with the responsibility of
responding to natural and man-made emergencies such as flooding, severe
storms and environmental events.
Due to the increase in demand for aerial imagery covering such events, the
LPMA imagery team has developed processes to implement a rapid response
imagery capability delivering quality products and services in a timely and cost
efficient manner for their clients. This paper covers the different processes used
to produce Rapid Response imagery, in contrast to LPMA’s standard production
imagery

2.0 Background
Through its standard imagery capture program, LPMA has officially recorded
the State’s development as a key component of the NSW Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI). The SDI comprises a suite of initiatives to ensure NSW’s
key spatial datasets are current, comprehensive, accurate and readily available
for the benefit of government and other geospatial users.
A key component of the LPMA Imagery capability is the Leica Geosystems
ADS40 sensor used for capturing the imagery. The ADS40 utilises a continuous
push broom scanning process to record imagery in 3 look angles; forward, nadir
and backward views. The ADS40 is a multi-spectral sensor that captures
panchromatic bands in the forward, nadir and backward, angles, along with
Red, Green, Blue (RGB) and Near Infrared bands (IR) in the nadir and
backward look angles (Bachofen et al. 2008). The multi-spectral nature of the
ADS40 has opened further analysis capabilities, including image classification.
The design of the ADS40 and associated software allows for the direct
georeferencing of the acquired image data without the use of ground control
points (Casella et al. 2008). LPMA and its clients have found this approach
adequate for Rapid Response Imagery applications, where time becomes the
critical factor for decision makers.
The successful implementation of the ADS40 has lead to improvements and
efficiencies in the acquisition and processing of airborne data for both standard
and rapid response imagery production.

3.0 Standard Production Imagery vs Rapid Response Imagery

For LPMA, standard production refers to the systematic acquisition and
processing of imagery over a 1:100,000 mapping block made up of

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approximately 12 flight lines or strips and based on the standard NSW
Topographic Map Series.
Standard production imagery is flown according to a systematic programme
established in consultation with government agencies and other users. The
imagery has a nominal Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) of 50cm and a revisit
period of 3-5 years over eastern and central NSW. Standard production imagery
acquisition is bound by National Mapping standards covering such variables as
cloud cover, atmospheric conditions and solar altitude limits to ensure optimum
conditions for capture and acceptable accuracy of processed image data
(National Mapping Council of Australia 1985).
In contrast, rapid response imagery projects are ad hoc by definition and are
undertaken at short notice. Acquisition is planned in consultation with
emergency services and government agencies with a view to meeting the
needs of the client for each unique event. Due to the time-critical nature of
capture and processing, rapid response imagery standards are necessarily
more relaxed, with imagery often flown outside normal solar altitude limits or
under cloudy conditions.

4.0 Airborne GNSS processing for Rapid Response Imagery

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data is recorded in conjunction with
the imagery during an aerial survey flight. This data is processed to provide
accurate positional information for aerial triangulation. There are two different
methods of processing GNSS data; the traditional method of Differential GNSS
(DGNSS) positioning utilising a base station or the use of Precise Point
Positioning (PPP). Both methods have a number of advantages and
disadvantages when processing GNSS data for rapid response projects.
Differential GNSS positioning requires that one or more base stations are
simultaneously recording data on the ground, while the airborne GNSS receiver
is recording data during the aerial survey flight (Yuan, et al., 2009). In order to
achieve the best results from this method the base station should be located
close to the project area; preferably within 50 kilometres (Leica Geosystems
2007). With LPMA’s CORSnet-NSW network still being rolled out across the
State in 2010, the location of these base stations is typically not favourable, and
the option of setting a temporary base station in an area not serviced by a base
station is generally not considered practical because of time issues.
Precise Point Positioning is a GNSS processing technique in which only a
single GNSS receiver located on the aircraft is required. PPP utilises precise
GPS satellite ephemeris parameters and clock error correction products from
the International GNSS Service (IGS) to process the airborne GNSS data (Yuan
et al. 2009). The primary advantage of using PPP is that it is capable of
producing centimetre level accuracy for kinematic GNSS data, without requiring
a base station (Yuan et al. 2009). The perceived drawback to the use of PPP for
rapid response imagery is the reduced accuracy of the precise clock and
ephemeris products if used within 13 days of the airborne GNSS data being
recorded. Table 1 outlines the relative accuracies of the various IGS precise
clock and ephemeris products.

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 Table 1. Precise Point Positioning ephemeris and clock
product accuracies (International GNSS Service, 2009).
Accuracy
Product Latency
Orbit (cm) Clock (ns)
IGS Ultra Rapid
~3 ~0.2 3 hours
(estimated)
IGS Rapid ~2.5 0.1 17 hours
IGS Final <2.5 <0.1 13 Days

It can be seen from Table 1 that the final, most accurate IGS clock and
ephemeris products are not available until 13 days after the aerial survey flight.
Clearly this is not an acceptable time-frame when the emphasis is on rapid
response imagery. As a result, tests were undertaken to determine if the IGS
Rapid clock and ephemeris products could be used to process the GNSS data
while maintaining the level of accuracy required for rapid response imagery.
Table 2. Check point RMS values for Rapid and Final PPP.
Rapid PPP Final PPP
Area
X Y Z X Y Z
Ulladulla 0.005 0.308 0.469 0.306 0.075 0.170
Finley 0.045 0.031 0.172 0.074 0.059 0.093
Lightning Ridge 0.158 0.053 0.304 0.138 0.057 0.312
Average RMS 0.069 0.131 0.315 0.173 0.064 0.192

Table 2 displays the RMS values obtained from aerial triangulation using
Leica’s ORIMA software, utilising a number of ground control points (GCP) as
check points to assess the accuracies of both Rapid and Final PPP. The overall
RMS values show that sub-50cm accuracies can be expected from both Final
and Rapid PPP. These RMS values reveal that there is little difference in the
accuracy of the check points when Rapid PPP is used instead of the Final PPP
clock and ephemeris products.
As ground control points are often unavailable for rapid response imagery,
these results indicate that the overall accuracy that can be achieved using
Rapid PPP meet the requirements for emergency imagery.

5.0 LPMA Geodatabases and Reusability of Data

The use of existing data is an important aspect of LPMA’s rapid response
imagery capability. In order to better facilitate the reuse of data, a number of
geodatabases storing information from previous jobs, such as ground control
points, seamlines and surface models are utilised. These geodatabases
become an important time-saving tool when processing rapid response
imagery.
Utilising existing Ground Control Points (GCP) may be another option for rapid
response imagery as there is often insufficient time available to source new
GCP’s in the project area. These GCP’s may be unusable due to factors
including; flood waters, dense vegetation, shadows or the GSD of the imagery.

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Seamlines are required for mosaicing (joining) each of the flight lines in a
project. The seamlines created for all jobs are stored in a geodatabase. As a
result, these seamlines can be reused for rapid response imagery should the
same flight lines be flown as a previous job. Potentially, this can reduce manual
editing time from 3-4 days to several hours.
The most time consuming part of the orthophoto production process is that of
surface model creation. Each surface model is generated from ADS40 stereo-
imagery utilising auto-correlation techniques, often taking up to a week to
create and requiring further manual editing. The generation of a surface model
is not feasible for rapid response imagery due to the time constraints involved.
This is overcome by the utilisation of existing ADS40 derived surface models
where available or acquiring from other sources, such as the coarse 25 metre
state-wide surface model held by LPMA.
This use of previously created data becomes a significant time saving technique
that is used to its full potential to expedite the production of rapid response
imagery jobs.

6.0 Colour Infrared Imagery

The ADS40 is a multi-spectral sensor that captures red, green, blue (RGB) and
Near Infrared bands in the backward and nadir look angles. Colour infrared
(CIR) imagery consists of green, red and near infrared bands.

Figure 1: Wavelengths of the ADS40 spectral bands (Wagner 2008).

The production of CIR ortho-rectified imagery in rapid response imagery is
crucial for further image analysis. Different ground cover features reflect varying
amounts of Near Infrared (NIR) energy. Healthy green vegetation has a high
NIR reflectance. Water and asphalt, in particular, absorb almost all of the NIR
wavelengths of light, allowing these features to be easily identified. This also
makes flood water identification more apparent as it will vary from black to light
shades of blue depending on the level of sedimentation. Figure 2 highlights

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these differences in feature reflectance values when displayed in false colour
(Figure 2a) and true colour imagery (Figure 2b)

a b
Figure 2: Penrith Regatta Centre. a: False Colour (CIR). b: True Colour (RGB)

7.0 Classification of Flood Imagery

The multi-spectral capability of the ADS40 sensor enables accurate extraction
of different land-cover classes through classification of the imagery.
In response to flood events in 2010, inundating vast regions of north-west New
South Wales, LPMA was requested to capture imagery of flood waters in the
Paroo Overflow to the north of Wilcannia. Figure 3 shows the extent of the
imagery captured for this project in both false colour Infrared (Figure 3a) and
true colour (Figure 3b).
Using 4-band imagery consisting of blue, green, red and near infrared bands, a
supervised classification was undertaken to extract flood water areas. Spectral
signatures were collected for a small number of ground-cover types including;
water, bare soil and vegetation. Utilising the band combinations available, these
ground-cover classes were easily identifiable. Had ground-truth data been
available, the accuracy of the classification would have been further improved.
However given the nature of the job and the priority being placed on classifying
the flooded regions, this lack of ground-truth data did not adversely affect the
overall classification result.
The results of the classification can be seen in Figure 4(a). The extent of the
flood waters has been accurately classified, while the vegetation and soil
classes have also been well delineated. Figure 4(b) shows the water class as a
polygon shapefile. This layer can then be used for further analysis in
conjunction with other datasets.
Results show that it is possible to undertake a straight-forward supervised
classification using 4-band ADS40 imagery that accurately identifies a number
of basic land-cover classes. Due to the time saved in the production of rapid
reponse imagery, additional analysis such as this can be undertaken to further
assist emergency services response to the flood event.

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 a b
Figure 3: Paroo Overflow Flood area. a: False Colour (CIR). b: True Colour (RGB).

a b
Figure 4: a: Result of supervised classification of Paroo Overflow
flood imagery, showing water, soil and vegetation classes. b: Water extent extracted
from the classified image and converted to vector polygon.

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8.0 Examples of Rapid Response Imagery Projects

8.1 NSW Riverina Red Gum Research

Figure 5: New South Wales Riverina region – Red Gum research area coverage
(Background 1:100,000 mapping sheets)
Due to environmental events occurring in the Riverina region in 2010, LPMA
was tasked to fly a number of specialised areas for Red Gum research at 50cm
GSD. The area, covering almost 5700km2, consisted of a number of separate
blocks and single flight lines, see Figure 5. The unavailability of ground control
points for these areas meant that the accuracy of the aerial triangulation
process relied on Rapid PPP data. Further, LPMA’s 25m state-wide DTM was
used as no surface models from previous jobs were available.
In total 11 areas were covered, with 11 RGB mosaics, 11 CIR mosaics and
multiple 4 band imagery tiles created. This enormous task was processed by
the LPMA team in 4 days, demonstrating LPMA’s rapid response imagery
capabilities.

8.2 North-west NSW Flood

In early 2010, over a period of 4 weeks, large regions of North-west New South
Wales were inundated with flood waters (see Figure 6). In response, emergency
services requested that LPMA capture imagery of the flooded areas. The
following blocks, totalling an area of 18000km2, were flown:

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 Brewarrina 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Bourke 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Narran 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Carinda 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Walgett 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Toorale Part 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 30cm
Louth Part 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Cumborah Part 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Geera Part 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Coonamble Part 1:100,000 RGB and CIR 50cm
Coonamble Town RGB and CIR 10cm

Figure 6: North-west New South Wales Flood coverage (Background 1:100,000

mapping sheets)
These particular areas were processed using Rapid PPP due to the urgency of
the imagery. Previously derived seamlines, control points and surface models
were used where available, as some of the areas of interest had already been
captured under LPMA’s Standard Imagery Program. The reusability of this data
saved weeks of processing and manual editing.
Within a time span of 5 ½ weeks from the first flight date, the LPMA team
managed to deliver 22 final products, including individual RGB and Colour
Infrared Mosaics. Again, this demonstrates LPMA’s rapid response imagery
capabilities.

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9.0 Conclusion
With the introduction of the ADS40 digital sensor in 2007, LPMA was able to
substantially reduce the amount of processing time required for standard
imagery processing compared to film-based image processing. However, with
increasing demand from emergency services and government agencies for a
rapid supply of high quality imagery in times of natural disaster or emergency, it
became clear that the processing time had to decrease further in order to better
meet these needs.
The LPMA imagery team undertook intensive research into the imagery
processing workflow in order to determine where time-savings could be made,
whilst still providing a high quality product to the client. This research involved
examining areas of the workflow such as the GNSS processing, where it has
been determined that the accuracy achieved using Rapid PPP is suitable. A
number of geodatabases were also developed to allow for the storage and re-
use of auxiliary data, such as ground control points, surface models and
seamlines. This reusability of data has lead to a significant increase in efficiency
when processing rapid response imagery.
Research into imagery products has revealed that colour infrared imagery is
beneficial for an effective response to the event or disaster. The availability of
CIR products allows for further interpretation of the imagery. This includes
classification of the rapid response imagery, which can be particularly valuable
in assessing flood events.
The LPMA imagery applications team have proven that it is capable of
producing rapid response imagery in a timely manner to provide emergency
services and government agencies with high quality imagery that meets their
needs and allows the response to emergency situations to be more efficient and
effective.

References
Bachofen, D., Kirchhofer, W., Saks, T., Steinmann, P., Sun, H., Vonblon, L.,
Wagner, R., Zuberbühler, F., 2008. New Developments on Pushbroom
Sensors. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing
and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol. XXXVII, Part B1, pp. 688-690.

Casella, V., Franzini, M., Banchini, G., Gentili, G., 2008. Initial Evaluation of the
Second-Generation Leica ADS40 Camera. The International Archives of the
Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol.
XXXVII, Part B1, pp. 527-532.

International GNSS Service, 2009, IGS Products. Available online at:

http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/components/prods.html (Viewed 15 June 2010).

Leica Geosystems, 2007, ADS40 Documentation, Volume 3, Field Manual.

Version 2.12-86 (Heerbrugg: Leica Geosytems AG).

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National Mapping Council of Australia, 1985. Standard Specifications for Black
and White Vertical Aerial Photography for Line Map Production. (Canberra:
Department of Resources and Energy).

Wagner, R., 2008, Leica ADS80 – Digital Airborne Imaging Solution.

Presentation at a conference. Leica Geosystems Airborne Sensor Workshop,
27 October 2008, San Ramon, CA.

Yuan, X., Fu, J., Sun, H. and Toth, C., 2009, The Application of GPS Precise
Point Positioning Technology in Aerial Triangulation. ISPRS Journal of
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