Considering Visual Perception and Cognition in the Analysis of Remotely Sensed Images

The physiological effects of insect infestations on forests can be examined through the use of aerial and satellite images. However, in some cases, visual identification is difficult. The goal of this research is to understand the role of cognitive reasoning and visual perception in the analysis of multi-spectral satellite images for forest management. From that knowledge, we will implement geovisual analytic methods that enable integration of computational methods and human expertise to support identification and attribution of forest disturbances. To address this goal, we pose three research questions; 1) how do the high-level cognitive processes underlying the image analysis change when image analysts are faced with novel analyses?; 2) how do image analysts use perceptual cues to build a mental model of the image, and use aerial and satellite images to determine the presence and cause of forest disturbances remotely sensed?; 3) how can a geovisual analytic framework and a clearer understanding of reasoning and perceptual processes associated with image analysis be used to develop interactive visual-computational tools to support the identification and attribution of forest disturbances?