Remote Sensing of Our
Environment
Using Satellite Digital Images to
Analyze the Earth’s Surface
CIR Film at Close Range
Air Photos
Artist’s Rendition of SPOT
Satellite
Definition of Remote Sensing
• Remote sensing is the science and
art of acquiring information
(spectral, spatial, temporal) about
material objects, area, or
phenomenon, without coming into
physical contact.
EMR
• In remote sensing, information
transfer is accomplished by use of
electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic
Spectrum
Geraniums - Normal Color Film
Geraniums - CIR Film
Normal Color/CIR Comparison
Thermal Radiometer
Archeology Site - South Dakota
Big Brother Watching…..
Interactions between Matter and
Electro-magnetic Radiation
• All matter reflects, absorbs, penetrates and
emits electro-magnetic radiation in a unique
way.
• For example, the reason why a leaf looks
green is that the chlorophyll absorbs blue
and red spectra and reflects the green
spectrum
Types of Remote Sensing with
Respect to Wavelength Regions
• Remote sensing is classified into three types
with respect to the wavelength regions;
– (1)Visible and Reflective Infrared Remote
Sensing,
– (2)Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing and
– (3)Microwave Remote Sensing
Spectral Reflectance of Land Covers
Spectral reflectance of vegetation, soil
and water
Spectral Reflectance of Land Covers
Spectral reflectance of different
kinds of trees
Landsat MSS - Where??
Where?
Where?
Where?
Where?
Gemini Film Image
What Season?
See the Line?
Significant Variations in Land
Cover and Land Use
Ready to Go!
What Scale?
MSS vs. TM
SPOT - Washington DC
Pacman Farm….
Gharb, Morocco
Gharb - Pre-Harvest
Gharb - Post-Harvest
Sakur, Japan
Chernobyl - 1986
Ocean Measurements
California Mosaic
Resolution
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Spectral Resolution
Radiometric Resolution
Spatial Resolution
Temporal Resolution
Landsat MSS
• Spectral Resolution
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Band 4 (0.5 – 0.6 um, green)
Band 5 (0.6 – 0.7 um, red)
Band 6 (0.7 – 0.8 um, photo IR)
Band 7 (0.8 – 1.1um, near IR)
• Radiometric Resolution
– 1 byte (256 levels (0 – 255))
• Spatial Resolution
– 80m (260ft)
• Temporal Resolution
– 16 days
Landsat MSS
• Orbital altitude – 570 miles
• 11.560 FOV – 115 mile swath
SPOT
• Spectral Resolution
– Band 1 (0.50 – 0.59 um, green)
– Band 2 (0.60 – 0.68um, red)
– Band 3 (0.79 – 0.89um, RIR)
• Radiometric Resolution
– 1 byte
• Spatial Resolution
– 20m
• Temporal Resolution
– 26 days vertically downward. Can move mirror 270, increasing
repeatability to 7x in 26 days.
SPOT
• Orbital altitude – 516 miles
• 73 mile swath
Commercialization of Space Remote
Sensing
Here is a SpaceImaging
high resolution
panchromatic scene that
shows the pyramids outside
of Cairo, Egypt
Quickbird-2 is the flagship of Digital Globe
The Pentagon (a year after it
was damaged by a terrorist
air assault) on the Virginia
side of the Potomac River
outside Washington, D.C.
2.8m spatial resolution.
IKONOS
• 1999 launch
• Spatial Resolution:
– B/W: 82-cm
– Multispectral: 4-meter
IKONOS
• Spectral Range
– 526–929 nm
445–516 nm (blue)
506–595 nm (green)
632–698 nm (red)
757–853 nm (near IR)
• Revisit Time
– Approximately 3 days
GeoEye-1 and IKONOS
Comparison
Satellite Feature
GeoEye-1
IKONOS
Panchromatic Resolution
.5-meter
1-meter
Multispectral Resolution
1.64-meter
3.28-meter
Spectral Range
R G B IR
R G B IR
Launch Date
9/6/08
9/24/99
Orbit Altitude
681-km/423-miles
681-km/423/miles
GeoEye-1: Ayers Rock
GeoEye-1: Canyonlands, Utah
GeoEye-1: El Capitan
GeoEye-1: Kenai Fjords National Park,
Alaska
GeoEye-1: The Moon
GeoEye-1: Niagara Falls
GeoEye-1: Rainbow Bridge, Utah
GeoEye-1: Nile River Delta
GeoEye-1: Burning Man 2009
GeoEye-1: Burning Man 2009
GeoEye-1: Sand & Gravel Plant
Arkansas
GeoEye-1: Sand & Gravel Plant
Arkansas
Aster: Yukon Delta
Military Intelligence Satellites
The KH-12 series, the last for
which some specifications can
be found, is reputed to achieve
a resolution of 2+ cm, although
images of this sharpness haven't
been released.
US Spy Imagery Sources
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U-2
SR-71
TARPS (Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System)
ATARS (Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance
System)
Predator UAV TESAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar)
Predator UAV Electro-optical
KH-4 CORONA
KH-5 ARGON
KH-11 KENNAN/CRYSTAL
KH-12 IMPROVED CRYSTAL
Spatial Resolution
Detection vs.Recognition
NYC Landsat TM
Landsat 5
NYC
(summer 1997)
ASTER: NYC - 9/22/02