| Kluane National Park, Yukon |
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Natural Resources Canada > Earth Sciences Sector > Priorities > Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Tour Canada from space Kluane National Park, Yukon
 This Landsat TM image shows a portion of the Kluane Ranges, within Kluane National Park, in south-western Yukon Territory. Although the region is almost uninhabited, it is a popular wilderness destination for tourists. Many of them use the Haines Highway to reach some of Canada's highest mountains with their spectacular ice and glacier fields and alluvial fans.The black and white insert image is a grey-scale representation of elevation, called a Digital Elevation Model or DEM. Mathematically combining the elevation information with a satellite image can produce a "perspective" or "oblique" view of the image (colour insert) that people are more familiar with. The white arrow in the main image indicates the viewing direction in the inset perspective image. Using two such perspective views a stereo representation (3-D view) of the ground can be produced too.
Question: Can you determine why the highest elevations are depicted in such prominent blue shades? [ Answer ]
About this Image
| Location: |
Kluane National Park, Yukon |
| NTS map(s): |
115A/6 (1:50,000) |
 Location Map: |
See a detailed map (1:1M) of the region |
| Image Date: |
August 3, 1990 |
| Satellites/Sensors: |
Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) Bands 4, 5, 7 (R, G, B) |
| Resolution: |
60 m pixels |
| Image Area: |
42km by 42km |
| Image Features: |
Digital Elevation Model (DEM), perspective view, stereo pairs, ice, glaciers, alluvial fan, Haines Highway, utility corridor |
| Related Tour Images: |
Bathurst Island, Nunavut |
| Related Glossary Terms: |
These terms from the CCRS Glossary may help you to understand this image and its interpretation:
digital elevation model, false colour composite, shadow, shadow enhancement, stereo imagery |
| Related Tutorial Sections: |
These sections of the "Fundamentals of Remote Sensing" tutorial by CCRS will help you to better understand this image and its interpretation:
2.12 2.8 5.8.2
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| Image Credits: |
Received by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Processed and provided courtesy of RADARSAT International Inc. |
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Additional
Information: | The black and white inset image is a representation of the
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the terrain corresponding to the
satellite image. The elevations have been coded as varying shades of
grey, with black denoting the lowest levels and white indicating the
highest. A DEM contains an array of points, each of which has an
identifying location on the surface of the earth (x,y) and a third
value, which is the elevation (z). By combining the DEM with a satellite
image (mathematically "draping" the image over the DEM), then
the image can be represented with its characteristic terrain height. In
this three-dimensional mode, the image can be seen in
"perspective". The viewing point and direction can be
selected, much as if viewed from a helicopter positioned anywhere above
the terrain. Such "perspective views" give a seemingly
realistic look to the landscape. Besides providing a scene that a person
can relate to from experience, there are some very practical
applications of such imagery: e.g. studying the "exposure" of
terrain to sunlight, visibility of forest cutting, tourism development
options and more. DEMs can be generated from ground
surveys (lengthy and expensive process), stereo aerial photography
(traditional method) or from special airborne
or satellite sensors. This last approach, now under
development, offers the prospect of wide-area DEMs for reasonable
cost. The original Landsat data had a resolution of 30m
pixels, which was degraded to 60m for display purposes only. The more
detailed sub-area images show the full 30m data. |
| Question: |
Can you determine why the highest elevations are depicted in
such prominent blue shades? |
| Answer: |
Landsat TM Band 7, displayed here in blue, collects
information from the short-wave infrared region. This band responds very
differently to vegetated and non vegetated surfaces. In this image, the
very high reflectance is from bare and lichen covered rock which is
found above the tree line. This band combination shows rock in blue,
water in black and vegetated areas in browns, oranges and light greens.
See a more detailed view of the tree line. |
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