Image Processing

1. Image Processing Chapter 14 Landsat 7 image of the retreating Malaspina Glacier, Alaska

2. Image Basics • Earth science is a very visual discipline • Graphs • Maps • Field Photos • Satellite images • Because of this, all Earth scientists should have: • Basic knowledge about graphics file types • Pros/cons of different graphics file types Landsat image of Death Valley, CA Cathodoluminescence image of granite Sediment Core Siccar Point: The first recognized angular unconformity by James Hutton Image: Chris Rowan @ Highly Allochthonous Blog Photomicrograph of peridotite (mantle rock) NED Dataset

3. Image File Types: Raster vs Vector Raster Image • Made of pixels • When you scale it, quality changes (finite # pixels) • Common formats: jpg, png, gif, tif, bmp Vector Image • Made of vector objects (not pixel-based) • Can scale to any size • Common Formats: ai, eps, ps, svg, wmf, pdf Many Formats Can Contain Both Vector and Raster Images • For example, ai, pdf, eps, ps, wmf • How can you tell? Zoom in on the image • Which is better? • Depends on use • For graphs/plots: typically vector (unless data set is HUGE) • For photos: raster

4. A Cute Raster Image Example

5. Zoomed In… • Raster images are made of square pixels • Each pixel has a single and constant color

6. Image Processing in MATLAB • MATLAB provides functions that read raster images • Each pixel’s value (color) is stored as a number in matrix • MATLAB also has an image processing toolbox with TONS of image processing options. • In this class, we will only use the image functions that are part of the standard MATLAB libraries • imread, image, imagesc, colormap, Landsat false-color image examples… Yukon River delta, Alaska Mississippi River meanders & oxbows near Memphis, TN Novarupta Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska Purples/Reds: Volcanic ash from 1912 Eruption Blues: Snow/Ice

7. Color Models • Before we start processing images, we need to talk about how computers represent colors as numbers • Three common color models • RGB: An additive model • works like light • CMYK: A subtractive model • works like ink • HSV: A cone-shaped model • useful for shading colors

8. The RGB Color Model • For variables of class uint8 (and 8-bit images) • 0-255 are the possible integer values (same for the uint8 class!) • 0 is minimum for any RGB color • 255 is max for any RGB color • To define any color, you must specify the Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B)values • Wait, color can be a vector! • Grayscale images only need one value (0=black, 255=white) [ 0 0 0 ] [ 255 255 255 ] [ 75 75 75 ] [ 200 200 200] [ 255 0 0] [ 100 0 0] [ 0 255 0] Total number of different colors: 2563 = 16,777,216 [ 0 100 0 ] [ 0 0 255 ] [ 0 0 100 ] [ 255 255 0] [ 0 255 255] [ 255 0 255] [ 237 125 49]

9. Colormaps in MATLAB • Just to annoy us, MATLAB requires colormap RGB values to be values between 0 and 1 for variables of class double • 0 is minimum for any RGB color • 1 is max for any RGB color • To define any color, you must specify the Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B)values • To convert from the 0-255 system, just divide by 255! Or cast as uint8 • Grayscale images really only need one value (0=black, 1=white) [ 0 0 0 ] [ 1 1 1 ] [ 0.29 0.29 0.29 ] [ 0.78 0.78 0.78] [ 1 0 0] [ 0.39 0 0] [ 0 1 0] [ 0 0.39 0 ] [ 0 0 1 ] [ 0 0 0.39 ] [ 1 1 0] [ 0 1 1] [ 1 0 1] [ 0.93 0.49 0.19]

10. MATLAB & Images MATLAB can represent color in images in two basic ways • True Color or RGB • The three color components are stored in a m x n x 3 matrix. I.e. a 3D matrix. (:, :, 1) R-values; (:, :, 2) G-values; (:, :, 3) B-values • Indexed to a Colormap • Colors are stored as a single integer value that corresponds to a row in a colormap matrix. • Colormap stores the RGB values 4 Pixel Image Colormap Matrix Image Matrix

11. Images Represented as Colormaps • ‘image’ plots a matrix as an image • Don’t forget to specify the colormap • If not, you get the default 64 color ‘jet’ colormap

12. Built-In Colormaps • MATLAB provides several built-in colormaps • The command colormap is rather useful • It can set the current colormap • Can be a built-in map or a custom n x 3 matrix • Built-in colormaps can be easily scaled • E.g. “jet(256)” returns a 256 x 3 matrix that follows the color scheme of the built-in “jet” colormap.

13. True Color Images If ‘image’ is passed a 3D matrix • It is assumed to be a true color image • 1st level R-values • 2nd level G-values • 3rd level B-values If ‘image’ is passed a 2D matrix • It is assumed to be an colormap indexed image

14. Exceed Max/Min Indexed Color? • If you exceed the color map values, you get either the min or max color

15. Why have both Types of Images? Why does MATLAB offer two ways to store image colors? • Flexibility. It is always good to give users options • Grayscale vs Color Images • These images are typically read in MATLAB in different ways • Grayscale: Indexed Color • Color image: True Color or RGB image

16. Reading in Grayscale Images

17. Reading in Grayscale Images • ‘imread’ can read in most standard grayscale raster image types • .jpg .gif .png, etc… • Stores image as a rectangular matrix • Each entry represents one pixel’s grayscale value • 0-255 (black to white) • Let’s read this image into MATLAB • The image is 814 x 531 pixels • Matrix will be 531 x 814 • Try to automate detection of the dendrites Cropped grayscale image of dendrites Increased contrast (using Photoshop)

18. Reading in Grayscale Images • If ‘image’ is given a 2D matrix, it assumes the image is indexed color

19. Reading in Grayscale Images How could I figure out the % dendrites?

20. Reading in True Color / RGB Images Landsat image of Yukon River delta • ‘imread’ can read in most standard RGB raster image types • .jpg .gif .png, etc… • Stores image as a 3D matrix • Each entry represents one pixel’s R, G, or B value • 0-255 (min/max) • 1st z-slice = Red values • 2nd z-slice = Green values • 3rd z-slice = Blue values • Let’s read this image into MATLAB • The image is 1000 x 1001 pixels • Matrix will be 1001 x 1000 x 3 • Try to automate detection of the water Google Earth Image (aerial photo)

21. Reading in True Color / RGB Images • Are all of the selected pixels actually blue? (No) • How could I improve water detection? • How could I calculate water surface area?

22. Final Thoughts… • Images are everywhere in Earth sciences • Images are actually matrices of numbers • MATLAB can be used to automate detection of features in images. • Can replace point counting • Saves time!