Introduction to Remote Sensing FEG 350352 ERE 552

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Introduction to Remote Sensing FEG 350/352 ERE
552

• Lindi Quackenbush
• 310A Bray Hall
• ljquack_at_esf.edu

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Remote Sensing

• General definition
• Study objects without physically contacting them
• Applied definition
• Measure properties of objects on Earths surface
• Use data acquired from aircraft and satellites

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Remote Sensing

• Formal definition
• Acquisition and measurement of property(ies) of
  phenomenon by recording device not in physical
  contact with feature(s)
• RS techniques
• Measure force fields, EM radiation, or acoustic
  energy
• Use cameras, radiometers, scanners, lasers,
  radios, radar systems, sonar, thermal devices,
  seismographs, magnetometers, gravimeters and
  other instruments

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The Remote Sensing System
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History of Remote Sensing

• The beginning of RS
• Technology started with photography in early 19th
  century
• Balloons used for aerial photos in 1840s
• Photographic camera most common sensor for 150
  years
• Higher altitude image acquisitions
• 1940s rockets launched cameras to high
  altitudes for still or movie collection
• The first non-film camera sensors on unmanned
  spacecraft used to observe clouds

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History of Remote Sensing (contd)

• Transition to humans in space

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Modern Space Remote Sensing

• Modern RS
• Satellites designed for capture of earth resource
  information
• Landsat Multispectral Scanner System launched in
  1972
• Characteristics of MSS
• Consistent, synoptic, high resolution images of
  earth
• 4 spectral bands, 80m spatial resolution, large
  coverage area (185 ? 185 km)
• Repeated coverage every 18 days
• Digitally formatted imagery

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Modern Space Remote Sensing cont.

• Since 1972
• Many satellites and sensors launched
• Sponsored by governments and commercial sector
• Additional sensors available using airborne
  platform
• Types of sensors extended
• Multispectral e.g. MSS, TM, ETM, SPOT
• Hyperspectral e.g. AVIRIS, HYDICE
• High spatial resolution e.g. IKONOS, QuickBird,
  Emerge
• Low spatial resolution e.g. AVHRR, GOES

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Applications of Remote Sensing

• Atmosphere and meteorology
• Weather forecasting
• Global change detection and monitoring
• Atmospheric ozone depletion, deforestation,
  global warming
• Military
• Surveillance
• Monitoring
• Mapping
• Topography, land use, civil engineering

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Applications of Remote Sensing

• Environmental assessment and monitoring
• Urban growth, forestry monitoring, hazardous
  waste monitoring
• Agriculture
• Crop condition, yield prediction, soil erosion
• Renewable natural resources
• Wetlands, soils, forests, oceans

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Stages in Applying RS

• Define issue
• What is problem?
• Is RS an appropriate solution?
• Consider issues with RS system
• Energy source
• Atmospheric issues
• Properties of object of interest
• Sensor characteristics
• Processing procedures
• Assessing end product