ENHANCEMENT OF SPATIAL RESOLUTION OF THE LROC WIDE ANGLE CAMERA IMAGES

Abstract. Image fusion, a popular method for resolution enhancement in Earth-based remote sensing studies involves the integration of geometric (sharpness) detail of a high-resolution panchromatic (Pan) image and the spectral information of a lower resolution multi-spectral (MS) image. Image fusion with planetary images is not as widespread as with terrestrial studies, although successful application of image fusion can lead to the generation of higher resolution MS image data. A comprehensive comparison of six image fusion algorithms in the context of lunar images is presented in this work. Performance of these algorithms is compared by visual inspection of the high-resolution multi-spectral products, derived products such as band-to-band ratio and composite images, and performance metrics with an emphasis on spectral content preservation. Enhanced MS images of the lunar surface can enable new science and maximize the science return for current and future missions.