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Photonics Dictionary

adjacency effect

The adjacency effect refers to a phenomenon in remote sensing and image analysis where the characteristics of an object or area are influenced by its proximity to other objects or features within the scene. This effect can manifest in several ways:

Spatial interaction:
Nearby objects or features may affect each other's appearance or properties in an image due to their spatial relationship. For example, shadows cast by neighboring objects can alter the perceived brightness or color of nearby surfaces.

Spectral mixing: In multispectral or hyperspectral remote sensing, the adjacency effect can cause spectral mixing, where the spectral signatures of adjacent features blend together, making it challenging to distinguish them accurately.

Radiometric effects:
Changes in radiometric values (such as brightness or intensity) can occur due to the influence of adjacent objects, particularly in areas with complex terrain or diverse land cover types.

Atmospheric influence:
Atmospheric conditions can exacerbate the adjacency effect by scattering or absorbing light, affecting the appearance of neighboring features in remote sensing imagery.

Understanding and mitigating the adjacency effect is crucial for accurate interpretation and analysis of remote sensing data, as it can impact the interpretation of land cover, vegetation indices, urban areas, and other environmental features. Techniques such as image segmentation, spatial filtering, and atmospheric correction are often employed to minimize these effects and improve the reliability of remote sensing data analysis.
 
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