Remote Sensing

1
Remote Sensing
2
Remote Sensing

• Space-based Earth exploration and planetary
  exploration began with the International
  Geophysical Year (IGY) which was also the
  beginning of the space race (1957)
• IGY was an 18-month international scientific
  research project that spanned 1957-1958
• Research included Earth sciences aurora and
  airglow, cosmic rays, geomagnetism, gravity,
  ionospheric physics, longitude and latitude
  determinations (precision mapping), meteorology,
  oceanography, seismology and solar activity

3
Remote Sensing

• Instruments for the early Explorer program were
  improved and modified for lunar and planetary
  exploration in the Pioneer (lunar) and Mariner
  (Venus, Mars) missions
• Explorer 1 was Americas first satellite
• Continued through Explorer 78
• Launched in 2000

4
Remote Sensing

• Remote sensing is traditionally used for Earth
  observation, but also applies to planetary
  exploration
• The same or similar or instruments used for both
• Measurements at a distance use electromagnetic
  (EM) sensors
• Radio, microwave
• IR
• Visible
• UV

5
Remote Sensing

• Sampling (in situ) measurements
• Generally for accurate measurements of
  composition and abundance
• Include
• Mass spectrometers
• Atmospheric particle detectors
• Surface analysis
• Particle and EM radiation detectors

6
Remote Sensing

• Sampling (in situ) measurements on Earth can be
  relatively inexpensive
• In situ measurements on planets/moons are the
  most expensive space exploration projects
• Earth observation
• Ground-based
• Airborne
• Space-based

7
Remote Sensing

• Atmosphere is an important element in Earth
  observation
• 1. Direct atmospheric studies
• Complex circulation effects climates in many ways
• Changes in circulation important
• 2. Atmospheric interaction includes
• Absorption
• Emission
• Chemical interactions
• Water (liquid and vapor)

8
Remote Sensing

• Atmospheric absorption spectra

Mostly due to H2O, O2, CO2
9
Remote Sensing

• Space-based observations
• EM radiation sensors include
• Imaging data
• Spectral data
• Spectral imaging data
• Color television is an example of sequential
  spectral (color) images

10
Remote Sensing

• Spectral data example
• (Chandra X-ray
• Telescope data)

11
Remote Sensing

• Spectral image data mosaic

12
Remote Sensing

• Spectral image data of aurora

13
Spectral Bands
14
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands
15
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• Radio band
• Various definitions of frequency range
• 0 - 300 MHz (1 MHz 106Hz)
• 0 - 1 GHz (1GHz 109Hz)
• Lowest EM frequencies
• Often used for upper-atmosphere and ion/electron
  measurements

16
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• Microwave band
• 300 MHz - 300 GHz
• Used for
• Surface feature identification
• Atmospheric layer measurements
• Radio astronomy
• Synthetic aperture (imaging) radar

17
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• Infrared band
• 300 GHz - 400,000 GHz (400 THz)
• 1 THz 1 Tera Hertz 1012Hz 1,000 GHz
• Used for
• Surface feature identification
• Atmospheric layers and thunderstorm activity
• Atmospheric energy exchange
• Energy absorption or emission in atmosphere
• Vegetation characteristics
• Planetary heat flow
• Stellar and galactic activity

18
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• Visible band
• 4x1014Hz - 8x1014Hz (400 THz - 800 THz)
• Used for
• Surface feature identification
• Clouds precipitation
• Vegetation layers
• Ocean surfaces
• Mineral identification

19
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• UV band
• 7.5x1014Hz - 3x1016Hz
• Used for
• Upper atmosphere measurements
• Solar emissions
• Stellar characteristics including star birth and
  star death
• Galaxy characteristics

20
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• X-ray band
• 1016 - 1019Hz
• Used for
• Planetary surface composition from radioisotope
  emission spectra
• Stellar activity (primarily for stars, including
  our sun, and galaxies)
• Excited (hot) gas in the solar system,
  surrounding stars, in galaxies, and between
  galaxies

21
Remote Sensing Spectral Bands

• Gamma-ray band
• 1019Hz and higher (no defined maximum)
• Used for
• Planetary surface composition from radioisotope
  emission spectra
• Used to identify energetic stars and galaxies
• Supernova detection
• Neutron star formation

22
Applications
23
Applications

• Agriculture
• Crop type classification
• Crop condition assessment
• Crop yield estimation
• Mapping of soil characteristics
• Mapping of soil management practices
• Compliance monitoring (farming practices)

24
Applications

• Forestry
• Forest mapping
• Clear-cut mapping
• Forest inventory
• Deforestation evaluation
• Watershed evaluation
• Coastal forest protection

25
Applications

• Geology
• Bedrock mapping
• Surface deposit mapping
• Surface deformation changes
• Sedimentary mapping
• Structural mapping
• Mantle crust motion
• Volcanic evolution
• Event mapping
• Mineral exploration
• Hydrocarbon exploration
• Environmental geology
• Geo-hazard mapping
• Planetary mapping

26
Applications

• Ice Pack Hydrology
• Wetlands mapping monitoring
• Soil moisture estimation
• Snow pack evaluation
• River lake ice
• Flood mapping monitoring
• Glacier dynamics
• River delta changes
• Irrigation evaluation monitoring

27
Applications

• Environmental planning
• Atmosphere
• Oceans
• Public health
• Coastal changes
• Industrialization
• Forests
• Rivers, lakes estuaries

28
Applications

• Disaster Planning Evaluation
• Floods
• Tornadoes
• Hurricanes/cyclones
• Fires
• Earthquakes
• Droughts

29
Applications

• Weather
• Forecasting
• Adverse weather planning
• Aviation marine weather
• Global atmosphere
• Sun-Earth interactions

30
Applications

• Planetary Observations
• Surface characteristics
• Geology
• Composition
• Activity
• Atmosphere
• Environment
• Solar interactions

31

• Questions?