The Importance of Accounting for Atmospheric Effects in the Application of NDVI and Interpretation of Satellite Imagery Supporting Archaeological Research: The Case Studies of Palaepaphos and Nea Paphos Sites in Cyprus

Atmospheric correction significantly impacts NDVI values derived from satellite imagery, particularly in agricultural seasons, with relative differences reaching up to 50% if atmospheric effects are ignored. This study analyzed eleven Landsat TM/ETM+ images from 2009–2010 over archaeological and agricultural areas in Paphos, Cyprus, applying the modified Darkest Pixel (DP) algorithm for atmospheric correction. Results demonstrated that while absolute NDVI changes were small (0.06), they were statistically significant when assessed via Student’s t-test. The findings underscore the critical role of atmospheric correction in enhancing image interpretation and detecting archaeological crop marks, especially under conditions of minimal water vapor optical thickness. This research highlights a key consideration for multi-temporal satellite imagery analysis in archaeology.

Agapiou, A., Hadjimitsis, D. G., Papoutsa, C., Alexakis, D. D., & Papadavid, G. (2011). The Importance of Accounting for Atmospheric Effects in the Application of NDVI and Interpretation of Satellite Imagery Supporting Archaeological Research: The Case Studies of Palaepaphos and Nea Paphos Sites in Cyprus. Remote Sensing, 3(12), 2605–2629. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs3122605