Data space volumes and classification optimization of SPOT and Landsat TM data

In order to compare the data space volume of SPOT XS and Landsat TM images, three data sets, i.e., a wetlands/agricultural data set, an agricultural data set, and a forest data set, are examined. The comparisons are made for the same geographic area. The data space volumes for Landsat TM (2, 3, and 4) are found to be 70 to 100 percent larger than the volumes for the SPOT XS images. It is suggested that the additional midinfrared bands contribute to the difference in data space volumes between Landsat TM and SPOT XS. The data space volumes for Landsat TM bands 3, 4, and 5 are more than an order of magnitude greater than the volumes for the three band SPOT XS data sets. The volumes of the six-band Landsat TM images are four orders of magnitude greater than the SPOT XS. The analysis of the data space volumes is used to optimize the computation time and minimize the storage requirements of a maximum-likelihood classification based on a look-up table.