Limitations
Although RGBs are extremely useful, there are some limitations to be aware of. These are addressed in the questions below. Answer each question, clicking Done to move on to the next one.
RGBs eliminate interpretation ambiguities. (Choose the best answer.)
The correct answer is False.
RGBs reduce ambiguities, but they do not always eliminate them. Just consider the high clouds at point C and the snow cover at point A in this natural color RGB; both are cyan. This highlights the importance of having either good interpretation skills, ancillary information, or a different product altogether! However, the RGB product is still better than single channel images. For example, it enables us to distinguish high clouds and snow cover (A and C) from low clouds (B).
While RGBs are designed to help identify specific features, they do not by themselves provide quantitative information, such as cloud droplet size or snow depth. (Choose the best answer.)
The correct answer is True.
Although RGBs come with color interpretation guidelines, in general, you will not see color bars or legends on them. That's because they are intended for general interpretation and do not convey quantitative information or objective classifications. In contrast, classification products are derived products that classify each pixel into various classes. In this example, each of the 21 cloud or surface types has its own color. Unlike RGBs, classification schemes can be validated against ground truth and judged based on their performance. Take a minute to compare the natural color RGB with the companion classification product.