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What We're Measuring

Understanding 30-meter Resolution and its Limits

a quick remote sensing primer
understanding 30-meter resolution
images to land cover
what we mean by developed
pixels vs. parcels
land cover and change categories

Resolution is the smallest possible level of detail of a given sensor (for you cartographers, the “minimum mapping unit.”) No feature on our land cover maps can be smaller than our minimum unit, which is 30 meters – that’s about 10,000 square feet, or ¼ acre. Thus, small features are often missed, and each square, or pixel, represents our best estimate as to the predominant land cover of that pixel.

To the right is a high resolution aerial photograph, with a 30 meter resolution grid superimposed. Pixel #1 is a homogenous pixel almost covered with trees, and would likely be interpreted by our project as a forested pixel. Pixel #2 is a “mixed pixel” with both vegetation and a large house; because the house covers a good portion of the pixel, this one would likely be interpreted as a “developed” pixel. Pixel #3, however, has a smaller structure, and might be interpreted as either “forest” or “developed,” depending on how the computer interprets the data.


What We're Measuring Connecticut's Changing Landscape
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