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