3000 
]) for the 
anized 
er 48 
ifference 
ariability 
" DMSP 
e gain 
| percent 
"stimate 
t was for 
trolled 
ized area 
lue. 
ference 
sus vs 
GC (225) 
-46.06 
-34.38 
-30.02 
-18.18 
14.81 
-5.39 
71.32 
41.65 
-7.78 
-20.22 
11.09 
60.82 
61.91 
18.09 
-15.15 
38.2 
-3.11 
-33.99 
11.03 
Massachusetts 
Michigan 
Minnesota 
Mississipi 
Missouri 
Montana 
Nebraska 
Nevada 
New Hampshire 
New Jersey 
New Mexico 
New York ; 
North Carolina 
North Dakota 
Ohio 
Oklahoma 
Oregon 
Pennsylvania 
Rhode Island 
South Carolina 
South Dakota 
Tennessee 
Texas 
Utah 
Vermont 
Virginia 
Washington 
West Virginia 
Wisconsin 
Wyoming 
U.S. Total 
5410.51 
8571.35 
6357.36 
2192.61 
4912.55 
924.50 
1578.21 
1675.48 
1317.65 
7520.74 
1551.63 
9616.31 
5152.52 
1016.29 
10483.75 
2962.93 
1755.10 
9571705 
781.04 
2635.77 
1065.27 
6540.17 
19435.76 
1663.04 
401.91 
4994.76 
3548.66 
113357 
7046.07 
806.27 
5569.00 
6898.60 
4763.10 
2925.00 
4890.00 
640.10 
1018.80 
2437.20 
1329.60 
6287.80 
2062.80 
8769.20 
5859.40 
438.60 
9343.10 
4722.90 
2147.00 
7811.50 
772.50 
3692.50 
525.70 
6112.90 
19868.20 
1876.90 
366.60 
5669.30 
4597.30 
978.50 
4086.20 
233.20 
22559605 22260610 
-2.85 
24.25 
33.47 
-25.04 
0.46 
44.43 
54.91 
-31.25 
-0.9 
19.61 
-24.78 
9.66 
-12.06 
131.71 
12.21 
-37.26 
-18.25 
29:59 
jet 
-28.62 
102.64 
6.99 
-2.18 
11:39 
9.63 
-11.9 
-22.81 
15:85 
72.44 
245.74 
  
The gain controlled DMSP/OLS data for the U.S. had 
CONCLUSIONS 
sufficient dynamic range to allow for a very precise density 
slicing of the area under lights. By using a single data point 
from the U.S. census (i.e. total urban and urbanized area) a 
single image classification threshold could be applied to the 
DMSP data which rendered a very accurate map of urbanized 
area for the entire coterminous (lower 48) United States. 
State by state variance in the gain controlled data was 
greatly reduced as compared to previous DMSP urban area 
products. Apparently, in developed countries, there is a 
solid relationship between population and housing density 
and/or commercial and industrial activity and the density 
and intensity of lighting on the ground. The consistency of 
this relationship makes DMSP/OLS gain controlled data a 
very potent tool for mapping the areal extent and spatial 
distribution of developed lands in these regions. 
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