Abstract
This paper introduces several unique image processing and interpretation techniques that can be used to monitor and verify arms control treaties. It is argued in the paper that not only has there been great improvement in the spatial and temporal resolution of commercial satellite imagery providing the international community with the means to monitor arms control treaties, but also, unlike aerial observations, it is non-intrusive. The paper first looks at the development of a “key” that describes research and power reactors and conventional power plants. Secondly, with the aid of this and digital image processing, it is shown how the verification and monitoring of the NPT could be carried out. One of the image processing techniques, the multi-variate alteration detection (MAD) concept is introduced, which has been developed for the purposes of multi-spectral change detection. This is then followed by descriptions of several other imaging techniques, including: detection of changes using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images; automated object-based image analysis; and analysis of hyper-spectral imagery. Finally, the potential use of commercial satellite based digital images and advanced image processing techniques could be used for monitoring and verifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aschbacher, J., 2002. Monitoring environmental treaties using earth observation. In: Findlay, T. and Meier, O. (ed.), 2002. Verification Yearbook 2002. VERTIC, London, 171–185.
Canty, M. J., 2006. Image Analysis, Classification and Change Detection in Remote Sensing, with Algorithms for ENVI/IDL. Taylor & Francis, London.
Canty, M. J. and Nielsen, A. A., 2006. Visualization and unsupervised classification of changes in multispectral satellite imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 27(18), 3961–3975.
Canty, M. J. and Schlittenhardt, J., 2001. Satellite data used to locate site of 1998 Indian nuclear test. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 82(3), 25–29.
Canty, M. J., Nielsen, A. A., and Schmidt, M., 2004. Automatic radiometric normalization of multitemporal satellite imagery. Remote Sensing of Environment, 91(3–4), 441–445.
Canty, M. J., Nielsen, A. A., and Schlittenhardt, J., 2005. Sensitive change detection for remote monitoring of nuclear treaties. Proceedings of the 31st International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Global Monitoring for Sustainability and Security, St. Petersburg, Russia, 20–24 June 2005.
Cooley, J. N., 2006. International atomic energy agency safeguards under the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons: challenges in implementation. In: Avenhaus, R., Kyriakopoulos, N., Richard, M., and Stein, G. (ed.), Verifying Treaty Compliance. Limiting Weapons of Mass Destruction and Monitoring Kyoto Protocol Provisions. Springer, Berlin, 61–76.
Jasani, B., 1989. Monitoring the greenhouse effect from space. Space Policy, 5(2), 94–98.
Jasani, B., 1990. Commercial observation satellites and verification. In: Krepon, M. et al. (ed.), Commercial Observation Satellites and International Securit. MacMillan, Basingstoke, England, 142–150.
Jasani, B. and Stein, G. (ed.), 2002. Commercial Satellite Imagery. A Tactic in Nuclear Weapon Deterrence. Springer, Berlin.
Jasani, B., 1994. Verification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty from Space: A Preliminary Study. Research paper No: 32, UNIDIR, Geneva.
Mallat, S. G., 1989. A theory for multiresolution signal decomposition: the wavelet representation. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 11(7), 674–693.
Neville, R. A., Staenz, K., Lévesque, J., Nadeau, C., Truong, Q. S., and Borstad, G. A., 2001. Hyperspectral analysis of imagery of a uranium mine site. Proceedings of the ISSSR Symposium, Québec City.
Nielsen, A. A., 2007. The regularized iteratively reweighted MAD method for change detection in multi- and hyperspectral data. IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 16(2), 463–478.
Nielsen, A. A., Conradsen, K., and Simpson, J. J., 1998. Multivariate alteration detection (MAD) and MAF processing in multispectral, bitemporal image data: New approaches to change detection studies. Remote Sensing of Environment, 64, 1–19.
Nussbaum, S., Niemeyer, I., and Canty, M. J., 2005. Feature recognition in the context of automated object-oriented analysis of remote sensing data monitoring the Iranian nuclear sites. Proceedings of SPIE's Europe Symposium Optics and Photonics for Defense and Security 2005, Bruges, SPIE Vol. 5988-6.
Poucet, A., 2006. Arms control and non-proliferation treaties: an ontology of concepts and characteristics. In: Avenhaus, R., Kyriakopoulos, N., Richard, M., and Stein, G. (ed.), Verifying Treaty Compliance. Limiting Weapons of Mass Destruction and Monitoring Kyoto Protocol Provisions. Springer, Berlin, 41–60.
Redner, R. A. and Walker, H. F., 1984. Mixture densities, maximum likelihood and the EM algorithm. SIAM Review, 26(2), 195–239.
UN document A/AC.206/14, 6 August 1981.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Canty, M. et al. (2009). Treaty Monitoring. In: Jasani, B., Pesaresi, M., Schneiderbauer, S., Zeug, G. (eds) Remote Sensing from Space. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8484-3_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8484-3_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-8483-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-8484-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)