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LECTURE 3

Remote sensing is the science of acquiring information about the Earth's surface without direct contact, utilizing reflected or emitted energy. It encompasses two main types: passive remote sensing, which detects natural radiation, and active remote sensing, which emits energy to measure reflected radiation. Applications range from monitoring environmental changes and disaster assessment to military reconnaissance and resource exploration.

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11 views

LECTURE 3

Remote sensing is the science of acquiring information about the Earth's surface without direct contact, utilizing reflected or emitted energy. It encompasses two main types: passive remote sensing, which detects natural radiation, and active remote sensing, which emits energy to measure reflected radiation. Applications range from monitoring environmental changes and disaster assessment to military reconnaissance and resource exploration.

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wekesatonny167
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LECTURE 3

REMOTE SENSING
Introduction to Fundamentals

1.1 What is Remote Sensing?

So, what exactly is remote sensing? For the purposes of this tutorial, we will
use the following definition:

"Remote sensing is the science (and to some extent, art) of acquiring


information about the Earth's surface without actually being in contact
with it. This is done by sensing and recording reflected or emitted energy
and processing, analyzing, and applying that information."

In much of remote sensing, the process involves an interaction between incident


radiation and the targets of interest. This is exemplified by the use of imaging
systems where the following seven elements are involved. Note, however that
remote sensing also involves the sensing of emitted energy and the use of non-
imaging sensors.

It could also be said to be;

Remote Sensing: is the collection of information relating to objects without


being in physical contact with them. Thus our eyes and ears are remote sensors,
and the same is true for cameras and microphones and for many instruments
used for all kinds of applications
Or, said another way:

Remote sensing is the process of acquiring data/information about


objects/substances not in direct contact with the sensor, by gathering its inputs using
electromagnetic radiation or acoustical waves that emanate from the targets of interest.
An aerial photograph is a common example of a remotely sensed (by camera and film, or
now digital) product.

Introduction

The sun is a source of energy or radiation, which provides a very convenient source of
energy for remote sensing. The sun's energy is either reflected, as it is for visible
wavelengths, or absorbed and then reemitted, as it is for thermal infrared wavelengths.
There are two main types of remote sensing: Passive remote sensing and Active
remote sensing.

Passive Active

1-Passive sensors detect natural radiation that is emitted or reflected by the object or
surrounding area being observed. Reflected sunlight is the most
common source of radiation measured by passive sensors. Examples of passive remote
sensors include film photography, infrared, and radiometers.

2-Active remote sensing, on the other hand, emits energy in order to scan objects and
areas whereupon a sensor then detects and measures the radiation that is reflected or
backscattered from the target. RADAR is an example of active remote sensing where the
time delay between emission and return is measured, establishing the location, height,
speeds and direction of an object.

Overview
Remote sensing makes it possible to collect data on dangerous or inaccessible areas.
Remote sensing applications include monitoring deforestation in areas such as the
Amazon Basin, the effects of climate change on glaciers and Arctic and Antarctic regions,
and depth sounding of coastal and ocean depths. Military collection during the cold war
made use of stand-off collection of data about dangerous border areas. Remote sensing
also replaces costly and slow data collection on the ground, ensuring in the process that
areas or objects are not disturbed.

Applications of Remote Sensing

There are probably hundreds of applications - these are typical: Meteorology - Study of
atmospheric temperature, pressure, water vapour, and wind velocity.

Oceanography: Measuring sea surface temperature, mapping ocean currents, and wave
energy spectra and depth sounding of coastal and ocean depths Glaciology- Measuring ice
cap volumes, ice stream velocity, and sea ice distribution. (Glacial)
Geology- Identification of rock type, mapping faults and structure.
Geodesy- Measuring the figure of the Earth and its gravity field.
Topography and cartography - Improving digital elevation models. Agriculture
Monitoring the biomass of land vegetation
Forest- monitoring the health of crops, mapping soil moisture
Botany- forecasting crop yields.
Hydrology- Assessing water resources from snow, rainfall and underground aquifers.
Disaster warning and assessment - Monitoring of floods and landslides, monitoring
volcanic activity, assessing damage zones from natural disasters. Planning applications -
Mapping ecological zones, monitoring deforestation, monitoring urban land use.
Oil and mineral exploration- Locating natural oil seeps and slicks, mapping geological
structures, monitoring oil field subsidence.
Military- developing precise maps for planning, monitoring military infrastructure,
monitoring ship and troop movements Urban- determining the status of a growing crop

Climate- the effects of climate change on glaciers and Arctic and Antarctic regions

Sea- Monitoring the extent of flooding

Rock- Recognizing rock types


Space program- is the backbone of the space program

Seismology: as a premonition.

3
Topography and cartography - Improving digital elevation models. Agriculture
Monitoring the biomass of land vegetation
Forest- monitoring the health of crops, mapping soil moisture Botany-
forecasting crop yields.
Hydrology- Assessing water resources from snow, rainfall and underground aquifers.
Disaster warning and assessment - Monitoring of floods and landslides, monitoring volcanic
activity, assessing damage zones from natural disasters. Planning applications - Mapping
ecological zones, monitoring deforestation, monitoring urban land use.
Oil and mineral exploration- Locating natural oil seeps and slicks, mapping geological
structures, monitoring oil field subsidence.
Military- developing precise maps for planning, monitoring military infrastructure,
monitoring ship and troop movements Urban- determining the status of a growing crop

Climate- the effects of climate change on glaciers and Arctic and Antarctic regions

Sea- Monitoring the extent of flooding

Rock- Recognizing rock types

Space program- is the backbone of the space program

Seismology: as a premonition.

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