A Comparison of Microdensitometry and TV Waveform Analysis as Expressions of Observed Landscape Patterns on Radar.

Delimiting landscape regions with radar is largely dependent upon recognition of variations in texture patterns on the radar image. Since texture is a function of frequency and magnitude of tone or density changes over discrete distances any objective means of evaluating textures must be based on mechanically measuring and recording tonal information. Comparison of microdensitometer traces with television waveforms reveals that, for similar resolution systems, essentially the same textural information can be obtained from either system. Many interpreters who do not have access to scanning densitometers do have access to television equipment. This, and the fact that the location of the scan line being analyzed can be viewed simultaneously on the television monitor, favors waveform analysis for many interpretation situations.