Urban Mapping
Map built-up areas, quantify impervious surfaces for stormwater modelling, monitor urban expansion, and analyze urban heat islands. Urban indices distinguish construction materials (concrete, asphalt, metal roofing) from natural land cover by leveraging their unique spectral signatures.
Recommended indices (4)
These indices are most commonly used for urban mapping. Click any index to see the full formula, sensor-specific implementations, and code samples.
Highlights built-up areas and urban development. Higher values indicate more built-up surfaces.
(SWIR - NIR) / (SWIR + NIR)Color index representing the dominant wavelength in visible spectrum. Used for color analysis and classification of materials based on their spectral hue characteristics.
arctan((2 * Red - Green - Blue) / (30.5 * (Green - Blue)))Color brightness measure representing the total reflectance across visible bands. Used for overall brightness analysis and intensity-based classification.
(1/30.5) * (Red + Green + Blue)Blue Red Pigment Index (BRI) is a simple ratio index that compares reflectance in the blue (450nm) and red (690nm) regions of the spectrum. It is designed to assess plant pigment content and is sensitive to changes in chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, making it useful for stress detection and pigment analysis.
450nm / 690nmNot sure which one fits your project?
Tell our AI assistant about your sensor, your study area, and what you're measuring. It will recommend the right index and generate sensor-specific code.
Other applications
Track plant health, yield prediction, irrigation needs
Map water bodies, floods, wetlands, coastal change
Detect active fires and assess post-fire damage
Identify clay, iron oxides, hydrothermal alteration
Canopy assessment, deforestation, biomass