Spatial-spectral endmember extraction from hyperspectral imagery using multi-band morphology and volume optimization

We develop a new approach for characterization of mixed pixels in remotely sensed hyperspectral images. The proposed method first performs joint spatial-spectral pixel characterization via extended morphological transformations, and then automatically extracts pure spectral signatures (called endmembers) using volume optimization and convex geometry concepts. The proposed method outperforms other widely used approaches in the analysis of a real hyperspectral scene collected by the NASA´s Airborne Visible Infra-Red Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) over the Cuprite mining district in Nevada. Ground-truth information available from U.S. Geological Survey is used to substantiate our findings.