Potential of hyperspectral remote sensing for analyzing the urban environment - Urban Remote Sensing: Monitoring, Synthesis and Modeling in the Urban Environment - page 47

to imperviousness. Vegetation is further distinguished into trees,
shrubs/bushes andmeadow/lawn. Bare ground is categorized into
soil, sand and rock and water bodies in ocean/sea, lakes, ponds
and rivers. These material types represent the main categories
and thus the framework for comprehensive spectral analysis of
urban surface materials described in Section 4.2.2.

Level 4 contains a compilation of urban surface materials
occurring in Europe and North America whereas emphasis has
been put on man-made materials. Despite their dominance in
the urban environment, man-made surface materials have been
neglected to a large extent in spectral investigations. Although
the resulting list of Table 4.1 is not meant to be exhaustive,

TABLE 4.1 Categories for comprehensive urban material mapping based on Anderson scheme (Anderson et al ., 1976).

Level 1 Level 2: Land cover types Level 3: Material types Level 4: Surface materials

Buildings/roofs Mineral materials Asbestos

Bitumen roof sheeting
Clay tiles
Concrete slabs
Concrete tiles
Fiber cement
Glass
Gravel
Slate

Metallic materials Aluminum

Copper
Zinc
Steel with protective coating
Corrugated metal sheet
Lead
Gold leaf
Tin

Hydrocarbon materials Coated corrugated metal sheet (PVC, Polyethylene,

coating color)
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
Polyethylene (PE)
Polyisobutylene (PIB)
Plexiglas
Tar Paper

Biomass materials Green roof

Thatched roof
Wood shingles

Artificial open spaces Partially impervious

surfaces

Cinder
Clay-baked paving stones
Cobblestone pavement
Concrete paving stones
Gravel
Grass pavers
Loose chippings
Railway tracks

Fully impervious surfaces Asphalt

Concrete
Flagstone (Granite)
Synthetic turf
Tartan

Water bodies with artificial
bottom

Pool
Garden pond