MULTISPECTRAL AND SUPERSPECTRAL
IMAGE VISUALIZATION REFERENCE GUIDE
product portfolio
This guide demonstrates possible multispectral and superspectral band
combinations for the detection and identification of features in satellite imagery.
USE CASE FALSE COLOR EXAMPLE band band name
1 Coastal
General land cover 8, 6, 4
2 Blue
Water 16, 8, 7 3 Green
4 Yellow
Exposed soil 14, 5, 2 5 Red
6 Red Edge
Vegetation 8, 7, 8
7 Near-infrared 1 (NIR1)
8 Near-infrared 2 (NIR2)
Roofing and roads 10, 6, 8 9 SWIR-1
10 SWIR-2
Artificial features in desert 4, 1, 7 11 SWIR-3
12 SWIR-4
Artificial features in
6, 7, 4 13 SWIR-5
vegetation
14 SWIR-6
Underwater obstruction 1, 2, 3 15 SWIR-7
16 SWIR-8
Moving vehicles 6, 5, 4
Subsurface materials 8, 7, 6
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FALSE
USE CASE EXAMPLE band band name
COLOR
1 Coastal
Polymers/plastics 10, 12, 16
2 Blue
Seeing fire through smoke 16, 14, 9 3 Green
4 Yellow
Fires cool 16, 14, 12 5 Red
6 Red Edge
Fires hot 14, 11, 9 7 Near-infrared 1 (NIR1)
8 Near-infrared 2 (NIR2)
Fire and healthy vegetation 14, 7 ,5 9 SWIR-1
10 SWIR-2
Minerals 1 11, 14, 16 11 SWIR-3
12 SWIR-4
Minerals 2 11, 13, 15 13 SWIR-5
14 SWIR-6
Minerals 3 13, 14, 16 15 SWIR-7
16 SWIR-8
Natural appearance 10, 11, 13
*The visualization for this use case was created
using an enhanced false color composite that
leverages indices (as described below) in the RGB
12, 8, 6 or 13, channels to provide an boosted enhancement to
Soii moisture
8, 5
the features of interest within the image.
Steel and iron 1 6, 8, 9
WV-VI, WV-VI,
Trails between canopy*
WV-WI
When choosing and creating a false color visualization always consider how your
features of interest will respond given the sensitivity of the chosen spectral band
to your feature and how red, green and blue will mix as bands are chosen and
placed in the respective RBG display channels.
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Index
Band indices are a spectral enhancement to the image the enhances the contrast of
the specified features within the image. Making that feature brighter and most other
features darker. When the provided equation is reversed you can often achieve the
opposite effect and suppress the specified feature while enhancing the appearance
of all other features. These enhancements are all calculated using equations ran on
the bands spectral imagery (using band math) developed by subject matter experts.
These band based equations result in a black and white image that can then be
utilized on its own or further enhanced by displaying it with other bands or indices in
a false color composite.
index name index use description equation
WorldView-Water (WV-WI) Useful for detecting standing, flowing water, or shadow in VNIR imagery ((B8-B1)/(B8+B1))
Water Index Useful for detecting standing, flowing, or absorbed water ((B9-B1)/(B9+B1))
WorldView – Vegetation (WV-VI) Useful for detecting vegetation and assessing vegetation health ((B8-B5)/(B8+B5))
Modified Vegetation Index Useful for discerning between plastic tarps & netting and vegetation in VNIR imagery ((B6-B5)/(B6+B5))
WorldView – Soil (WV-SI) Useful for detecting and differentiating exposed soil ((B4-B3)/(B4+B3))
WorldView – Built-up (WV-BI) Useful for detecting impervious surfaces such as buildings and roads ((B6-B1)/(B6+B1))
Polymer 1 (Poly 1) Useful for detecting certain types of polymer chemistry ((B10/B12) + (B13/B16))
Polymer 2 (Poly 2) Useful for detecting certain types of polymer chemistry ((B10/B11) + (B14/B16))
Wake Useful for detecting the extended wake of a fast moving maritime vessel 1/((B9+B10+B11)2)
Ferric Iron (Iron 1) Useful for the detection of features with exposed ferric iron ((B6+B9)/B8)
Ferrous Iron (Iron 2) Useful for the detection of features with exposed ferrous iron ((B6+B9)/B7)
Carbonates Useful for the detection of exposed carbonates (B14/(B15+B16))
MXR-pp-multispectral 07/20
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