We have developed a'pattern decomposition method' based on linear spectral mixing of ground objects for n-dimensional satellite data. In this method, spectral response patterns for each pixel of an image are decomposed into three components using three standard spectral shape patterns determined from the image data. Applying this method to Landsat Thematic Mapper data, sixdimensional data are successfully transformed into three-dimensional data. Nearly 94% of the information in the

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... al data is retained in the three components. This method is very useful for classifying and monitoring changes in land cover.