A Method for Developing Urban Extent Map of High Accuracy and Resolution by Integrating ASTER/VNIR Images and Existing Urban Extent Maps

Abstract

We proposed a method to improve accuracy and spatial resolution of urban extent map by integration of ASTER/VNIR images and existing urban extent maps. The proposed method mainly consists of 1) unsupervised clustering on ASTER/VNIR images, 2) extracting urban clusters from clustered ASTER/VNIR images by overlaying existing urban extent maps, 3) calculating conditional probability under condition of urban or non-urban on the extracted urban clusters and existing urban extent maps against ground truth. We developed urban extent map with ASTER/VNIR images, MOD12Q1 and GRUMP by proposed method at 101 sites of the world. As the result, spatial resolution is improved to 15m, and user's accuracy and producer's accuracy of developed map is 56% and 62%, better than those of MOD12Q1 and GRUMP. The proposed method will be useful to improve accuracy and spatial resolution of urban extent map. In addition, the conditional probability indicates effect of the integration. Investigation based on the conditional probability will clarify way of improving accuracy and spatial resolution.