POPULATION ESTIMATES FROM SATELLITE IMAGERY

Abstract

The suitability of medium ground resolution, high altitude satellite imagery as a data source for intercensal population estimates was evaluated. Four variables representing urban size and relative dominance were measured directly from unmagnified high-altitude, color-infrared transparencies for each of 18 urban test sites in the Puget Sound region. Linear relationships between each variable and the population of the test sites were established, the strongest association being between the logarithm of the area of the site (Y),r2=0.964. Use of all four independent variables in a multiple linear regression equation resulted in a slight increases in the r2 value, to 0.973. The high degree of association indicated that relatively low ground resolution images may be useful for certain intercensal estimating purposes. Further research is needed to define additional variables which may be useful for predictive purposes.