Shadow Analysis in High-Resolution Satellite Imagery of Urban Areas

High-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) offers great possibilities for urban mapping. Unfortunately, shadows cast by buildings in high-density urban environments obscure much of the information in the image leading to potentially corrupted classification results or blunders in interpretation. Although significant research has been carried out on the subject of shadowing in remote sensing, very few studies have focused on the particular problems associated with high-resolution satellite imaging of urban areas. This paper reviews past and current research and proposes a solution to the problem of automatic detection and removal of shadow features. Tests show that although detection and removal of shadow features can lead to improved image quality, results can be image-dependent.