Bardia Region Overview - Image processing


This excercise is divided into eight parts and requires the use of LEOWorks.
 
Part 1
  
In this exercise, we will analyse the satellite images of Bardia by using the LEOWorks software. The main resources are the Landsat images of Bardia, which are compressed in the 'bardia.zip' file. All the bands are available in black and white. We will assess the suitability of the different bands for distinguishing the various land cover.
 
 
MERIS image of the Bardia National Park's boundaries in 2006
 
MERIS image of the Bardia National Park's boundaries in 2006
 
The Envisat MERIS image shows the Bardia region. The Bardia National Park is about 52 km long and 30 km wide, with an elevation ranging from 140 m in the flat land of Terai to 1440 m at the crest of the Churia or Siwalik ranges. In the Landsat image, flat land of Terai, two chains of Churia range, and the Babai valley are visible. The channels of Karnali River are seen west of the Park, and the Babai river valley in the eastern part of the park. The Surkhet valley is situated in the north and the Mahabharata mountain chains are visible even further north. Agricultural fields are visible in the south and west of the park. Many smaller tributaries of Karnali and Babai arising from the mountains are also visible in the image.

Until the 1960's, like other parts of Terai, Bardia was covered by dense forest. After the eradication of malaria, forest clearance and settlement speeded up rapidly.

1. Locate the image in an atlas or a regional map of Bardia. Name the geographical features, such as plains, rivers, and hills. Study the different colours of the image and try to allocate them to land cover classes such as floodplain, crop fields, and forest.

2. Observe the colours of all forested regions in relation to the topography. What is the reason for the variation in colours of forested areas in the image?


Next

 
 
  
Last update: 16 April 2013


Bardia National Park

 •  Introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEM67NKRQJF_0.html)
 •  Location (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMVZNKRQJF_0.html)
 •  Geology and soil (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMH5OKRQJF_0.html)
 •  Weather and climate (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMNGPKRQJF_0.html)
 •  People and settlements (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMF3Q6UWJF_0.html)

Exercises

 •  Worksheet introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEM5HQ6UWJF_0_ov.html)
 •  Overview - working on paper prints (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEM4JQ6UWJF_0.html)
 •  Landscape and land cover dynamics in the Karnali Floodplain (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMU4X6UWJF_0.html)
 •  Habitat suitability evaluation for rhinoceros in Bardia (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEM5LX6UWJF_0.html)

Eduspace - Software

 •  LEOWorks 3 (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/LEOWorks3.exe)
 •  ArcExplorer (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/eduspace/ae2setup.zip)

Eduspace - Download

 •  bardia.zip (http://download.esa.int/multimedia/eduspace/bardia_v2.zip)
 •  bardia_paperprints.zip (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/eduspace/bardia_paperprints.zip)

Resources

 •  Useful links (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Global_EN/SEMEIY6UWJF_0.html)