Classification

Analysis of Great Salt Lake

Three images of the Great Salt Lake taken by Landsat 5 in false color 5-4-3 configuration. Below the images show the classification. Remote sensing software is designed to recognize the spectral signature of certain land cover and, with a little help from the user, classify it into colors. It is a major part of remote sensing since it helps to quantify exactly what is happening in the imagery. 

For example, the surface area and shoreline of the Great Salt Lake tends to vary greatly since it is located on a flat plain. Classification lets us count exactly how many more square miles of surface area of water, vegetation, and soil exist at certain water levels. Information like this is useful to the brine shrimp fishermen on the lake, the sailors who need to know when certain reefs are hazards, those concerned with the well-being of the millions of birds who stop at the lake while migrating, urban planners in the local communities, etc. etc. etc.