AN ASSESSMENT of the VEGETATIVE HEALTH SURROUNDING the ALISO CANYON GAS LEAK USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES By

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AN ASSESSMENT of the VEGETATIVE HEALTH SURROUNDING the ALISO CANYON GAS LEAK USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES By AN ASSESSMENT OF THE VEGETATIVE HEALTH SURROUNDING THE ALISO CANYON GAS LEAK USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES by Noel Dyer A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Geoinformatics and Geospatial Intelligence Committee: _________________________________________ Dr. Arie Croitoru, Thesis Director _________________________________________ Dr. Ronald Resmini, Committee Member _________________________________________ Dr. Ruixin Yang, Committee Member _________________________________________ Dr. Anthony Stefanidis, Department Chairperson _________________________________________ Dr. Donna M. Fox, Associate Dean, Office of Student Affairs & Special Programs, College of Science _________________________________________ Dr. Peggy Agouris, Dean, College of Science Date: __________________________________ Fall Semester 2016 George Mason University Fairfax, VA An Assessment of the Vegetative Health Surrounding the Aliso Canyon Gas Leak Using Remote Sensing Techniques A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at George Mason University by Noel Dyer Bachelor of Science George Mason University, 2011 Director: Arie Croitoru, Professor Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science Fall Semester 2017 George Mason University Fairfax, VA TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... iv List of Equations ................................................................................................................. v List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... vi Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Objective ............................................................................................................................. 5 History and Geography of Aliso Canyon Oil Field ............................................................ 6 Data Sources ..................................................................................................................... 15 LANDSAT 7 ................................................................................................................. 15 Hyperion ........................................................................................................................ 18 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 23 Multispectral Imagery Analysis .................................................................................... 23 Hyperspectral Imagery Analysis ................................................................................... 27 Results ............................................................................................................................... 31 Multispectral Imagery Analysis .................................................................................... 31 Hyperspectral Imagery Analysis ................................................................................... 51 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 76 References ......................................................................................................................... 81 ii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table 1 LANDSAT 7 ETM+ Band Designations ............................................................. 16 Table 2 Before Leak ETM+ Scenes .................................................................................. 25 Table 3 Before Leak ETM+ Scenes Continued. ............................................................... 26 Table 4 During Leak ETM+ Scenes ................................................................................. 26 Table 5 Hyperion Scenes .................................................................................................. 27 Table 6 Before Leak MSAVI Summary Information ....................................................... 32 Table 7 During Leak MSAVI Summary Information ....................................................... 32 Table 8 Difference Image Summary Statistics ................................................................. 38 Table 9 MSAVI Means of Vegetation Communities Before the Leak ............................. 50 Table 10 MSAVI Means of Vegetation Communities During the Leak .......................... 50 Table 11 Red-Edge Position of Processed Pixel ............................................................... 55 Table 12 Red-Edge Positions Calculated Using the First Derivative Approach .............. 57 Table 13 Standard Deviations of the Red-Edge Positions Calculated Using the First Derivative Approach ......................................................................................................... 58 Table 14 Red-Edge Positions Calculated Using the Four-Point Linear Interpolation Approach ........................................................................................................................... 59 Table 15 Standard Deviations of the Red-Edge Positions Calculated Using the Four-Point Linear Interpolation Approach ....................................................................... 60 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1 Natural Gas Production Over Time ...................................................................... 7 Figure 2 Map of Active Wells Of Aliso Canyon Oil Field ................................................ 8 Figure 3 Color Infrared Representation Of Vegetation Surrounding Well SS-25 ............ 11 Figure 4 Stratigraphic Log Of Aliso Canyon Oil Field .................................................... 12 Figure 5 Plot of the Image Statistics Before and During the Leak ................................... 32 Figure 6 Plot of Monthly Average Temperature Compared to 2015/2016 ....................... 33 Figure 7 Plot of Average Precipitation Compared to 2015/2016 ..................................... 33 Figures 8A-8I Study Area MSAVI Image Historgams..................................................... 35 Figure 9 Plot of the Difference Image Statistics ............................................................... 39 Figures 10A-10D Difference Image Histograms .............................................................. 40 Figures 11A-11D Thresholded Difference Images ........................................................... 43 Figure 12 Map of Designated Vegetation Communities .................................................. 48 Figure 13 Plot of Vegetation Community Means ............................................................. 50 Figures 14A-14D Spectral Signatures of Pre-Processed Pixel ......................................... 52 Figures 15A-15G First Eigenvalue Images of Each Hyperion Scene............................... 53 Figure 16 Plot of VCW First Derivative Red-Edge Positions ......................................... 61 Figure 17 Plot of VCW First Derivative Standard Deviations ........................................ 61 Figure 18 Plot of VCE First Derivative Red-Edge Positions .......................................... 62 Figure 19 Plot of VCE First Derivative Standard Deviations .......................................... 62 Figure 20 Plot of VCN First Derivative Red-Edge Positions .......................................... 63 Figure 21 Plot of VCN First Derivative Standard Deviations ......................................... 63 Figure 22 Plot of VCW Four-Point Linear Interpolation Red-Edge Positions ................ 64 Figure 23 Plot of VCW Four-Point Linear Interpolation Standard Deviations ............... 64 Figure 24 Plot of VCE Four-Point Linear Interpolation Red-Edge Positions ................. 65 Figure 25 Plot of VCE Four-Point Linear Interpolation Standard Deviations ................ 65 Figure 26 Plot of VCN Four-Point Linear Interpolation Red-Edge Positions ................. 66 Figure 27 Plot of VCN Four-Point Linear Interpolation Standard Deviations ................ 66 Figure 28 Plot of Spectral Signatures ............................................................................... 79 Figure 29 Plot of First Derivatives of Spectral Signatures ............................................... 79 iv LIST OF EQUATIONS Equation Page Equation 1 Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index ...................................................................... 17 Equation 2 Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index ...................................................... 18 Equation 3 Four Point Linear Interpolation for Red-Edge ............................................... 22 Equation 4 Hyperion Bands Four Point Linear Interpolation for Red-Edge .................... 22 Equation 5 Difference Image ............................................................................................ 37 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Department of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources .............................................. DOGGR Office of Environmental
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