Multiscale object-specific analysis: Scale problems and multiscale solutions (original) (raw)

Based on a series of empirical studies beginning in the 1970’s, it was noted that remote sensing data suffered from the scale and aggregation problem. It was further recognized that there was no unique or ‘optimal’ spatial resolution for detecting the different sized, shaped, and spatially arranged entities represented in a remote sensing image of a complex scene. Today within the Earth sciences, it is strongly recognized that landscapes exhibit distinctive spatial patterns associated to different processes at different scales. Consequently, multiscale approaches are required for modern landscape analysis. It is within this context that the Multiscale Object-Specific Analysis (MOSA) framework was developed. In this paper we review the background, foundations, and recent developments of MOSA. We begin with the original definition of Object-Specific Analysis (OSA) and Object-Specific Upscaling (OSU), and continue with the recent integration of Marker Controlled Watershed Segmentation ...