Multi-spectral and Hyper-spectral
Remote Sensing
Lecture 6-7
Multispectral Remote Sensing

Multispectral remote sensing is defined as the collection of reflected,
emitted, or backscattered energy from an object or area of interest in
multiple bands of electromagnetic spectrum; while Hyperspectral remote
sensing involves data collection in hundreds of continuous bands with
spectral resolution of ≤ 20nm.

Instead of cameras and 1 to 4 bands for photogrammetry, Remote sensing
use detectors that are sensitive to from multiple bands to hundreds of
bands in the electromagnetic spectrum. Measurements made by detectors
are always stored in a digital format (as BSQ, BIP, or BIL)
Ustin, 2003
Landsat satellite series
MSS
0.5-0.6
0.6-0.7
0.7-0.8
0.8-1.1
10.4-12.6
TM
0.45-0.52
0.52-0.60
0.63-0.69
0.76-0.90
1.55-1.75
10.4-12.5
2.08-2.35
79m
240m
30
120
6 bits
8
103 m/c 99
18 days 16
919km 705
185km 185
ETM+
0.45-0.52
0.52-0.61
0.63-0.69
0.78-0.90
1.55-1.75
10.4-12.5
2.09-2.35
0.52-0.90
30
60
15
8
99
16
705
185
Jensen, 2000
Inclination (99º) of the Landsat Orbit to
Maintain A Sun-synchronous Orbit



Sun-synchronous orbit mean
that the orbital plane processed
around Earth at the same
angular rate at which Earth
moved around the Sun
The satellite cross the equator
at approximately the same local
time (9:30 to 10:00 am)
Orbit the Earth once every 103
minutes, resulting in 14 orbits
per day.
Landsat at
12:30 p.m.
local time
N
MSS 99º
TM 98.2º
99Þ
Equatorial
plane and
direction of
Earth
rotation
Landsat at
9:42 a.m.
local time
Jensen, 2000
S
Today’s Landsat 7 orbits
and acquisition
http://landsat7.usgs.gov/pathrows.php
You can download
Landsat images from
this website for
anywhere in the world.
It is free.
You can check the
cloud coverage, the
quality of an image and
time series of images
for any place.
GOES satellites provide the kind of continuous monitoring necessary for intensive
data analysis. They circle the Earth in a geosynchronous orbit, which means they
orbit the equatorial plane of the Earth at a speed matching the Earth's rotation.
This allows them to hover continuously over one position on the surface
http://www.oso.noaa.gov/goesstatus/
GOES13, or GOES-N
Launched 5/24/2006
GOES14, or GOES-O
Launched 6/27/2009
GOES15, or GOES-P
Launched 3/4/2010
http://www.oso.noaa.gov/goesstatus/
GOES
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050829.html
GOES data downloading
http://www.class.ngdc.noaa.gov/saa/products/search?datatype_family=GVAR_IMG
IFOV =1.4 milliradians,
833 km above surface
100
Normalized Relative
Response (%)
80
Band 2
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
500
550
100
600 650 700
Wavelength (nm)
750
0
600
800
700
800
900
Normalized Relative
Response (%)
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
3.6
3.5
3.7
Wavelength (
1100
Band 4
80
3.4
1000
100
Band 3
0
3.3
Advanced Very High
Resolution Radiometer
(AVHRR) Bandwidths
100
AVHRR
Band 1
3.8
m)
3.9
4.0
0
9.5
1.1 km
10
10.5
11
11.5
12
100
Band 5
Normalized Relative
Response (%)
80
60
40
20
0
11
11.25 11.5 11.75 12 12.25 12.5
Wavelength ( m)
Jensen, 2000
Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
(AVHRR) Mosaic of the Conterminous United States
Jensen, 2000
Global Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
(NDVI) Image Produced Using Advanced Very High
Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Imagery
Jensen, 2000
Chronological Launch History of the SPOT Satellites
Jensen, 2000
SPOT Satellite
System
Components
Courtesy of
SPOT Image, Inc.
Jensen, 2000
Geographic Coverage of the SPOT HRV and Landsat
Thematic Mapper Remote Sensing Systems
Jensen, 2000
IKONOS
Panchromatic Images
of Washington, DC
Jensen, 2000
1 x 1 m spatial resolution
IKONOS Panchromatic Stereopair of Columbia, SC Airport
Jensen, 2000
November 15, 2000
IKONOS Imagery of Columbia, SC Obtained on October 28, 2000
Panchromatic 1 x 1 m
Pan-sharpened multispectral 1 x 1 m
Earth Observing System Terra – AM
(launched 12/18/1999)
Multi-angle Imaging
Spectroradiometer
(MISR) Onboard Terra
70.5Þ Da
60Þ Ca
45.6Þ Ba
26.1Þ Aa
0Þ nadir
26.1Þ Af
45.6Þ Bf
60Þ Cf
Nadir is the point of the Earth surface that
is vertically downward from the observer
70.5Þ Df
Sens ors
Df
View an gle
70.5Þ
Cf
60Þ
Bf
45.6Þ
Af
An
26.1Þ
0Þ
Aa
Ba
26.1Þ 45.6Þ
Ca
Da
60Þ
70.5Þ
425 – 467 nm
543 – 571 nm
660 – 682 nm
846 – 886 nm
275 x 275 m
1.1 x 1.1 km
f: forward, a: after
275 m x 1.1 km
Jensen, 2000
Terra launched 12/18/1999
Earth Observing System Aqua – PM
(launched 5/4/02)


mission is collecting about the Earth's water cycle, including evaporation from the
oceans, water vapor in the atmosphere, clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, sea ice,
land ice, and snow cover on the land and ice. Additional variables also being
measured by Aqua include radiative energy fluxes, aerosols, vegetation cover on the
land, phytoplankton and dissolved organic matter in the oceans, and air, land, and
water temperatures
The six instruments are
- AIRS: the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
- AMSU-A : the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit,
- HSB: the Humidity Sounder for Brazil ,
- AMSR-E: the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS,
- MODIS: the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, and
- CERES Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System.
Information about Terra: http://terra.nasa.gov/ and Aqua: http://aqua.nasa.gov
All Terra and Aqua and many other data can be downloaded from:
http://edcimswww.cr.usgs.gov/pub/imswelcome/
Earth Observing System Aura
(launched 7/15/04)


The Aura mission researches the composition, chemistry and
dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere as well as the ozone, air
quality and climate.
The six instruments are
- HIRDLS: HIgh Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder
- MLS : Microwave Limb Sounder
- OMI: Ozone Monitoring Instrument
- TES: Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer
Information about Aura: http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html
NPP Satellite Scheduled for
Launch
Nadir facing antennas
– T&C
– HRD
– SMD
Launch
Readiness Date:
October 25,
2011
VIIRS
CrIS
ATMS
OMPS
http://jointmission.gsfc.nasa.gov/
45
NPP Goals
The NPP mission has two major goals:
 To provide a continuation of the EOS record of climate-
quality observations after EOS Terra, Aqua, and Aura (i.e., it
will extend key Earth system data records and/or climate data
records of equal or better quality and uncertainty in
comparison to those of the Terra, Aqua, and Aura sensors), and
 To provide risk reduction for JPSS instruments, algorithms,
ground data processing, archive, and distribution prior to the
launch of the first JPSS spacecraft (but note that there are now
plans to use NPP data operationally)
49
Hyper-spectral remote sensing




Many remote sensing systems record energy over several
separate wavelength ranges at various spectral resolutions.
These are referred to as multi-spectral sensors. Advanced
multi-spectral sensors called hyperspectral sensors, detect
hundreds of very narrow spectral bands throughout the visible,
near-infrared, and mid-infrared portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Hyper-: Narrow bands ( 20 nm in resolution or FWHM) and
continuous measurements.
Imaging spectrometry: the simultaneous acquisition of images
in many relatively narrow, contiguous and/or non-contiguous
spectral bands throughout the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared
portions of the spectrum.
The very high spectral resolution facilitates fine discrimination
between different targets based on their spectral response in
each of the narrow bands
Source: http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/pdf/shippert.pdf
Airborne Visible
Infrared Imaging
Spectrometer
(AVIRIS) Datacube of
Sullivan’s Island
Obtained on
October 26, 1998
Jensen, 2000
Linear and Area Arrays

Hyperion (EO-1, NASA)
220 bands: 400-2500 nm, band width 10 nm
 Pixel size 30 x 30 m, swath width 7.5 km
 11/21/2000 to present, it is the first satellite-based
hyperspectral remote sensor.

Science information: http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/overview/eo1Overview.html
Data order from: http://edc.usgs.gov/products/satellite/eo1.html
Hyper- and Multi- spectrum comparison
TM image Band 1 to Band 7
123 4
5
7
0.6
average shrub
0.5
average grass
Reflectance
average soil
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
2250
2500
Wavelength (nm)
Continuous hyperspectral curve for any one pixel in an image
Ustin, 2003
Summary table: current and recent
hyderspectral sensors
OMEGA
ESA Mars Express
351
Spectral resolution:
7 or 4 nm in 0.5-1.1 microns
13 nm in 1.0-2.7 microns
20 nm in 2.6-5.2 microns
Spatial resolution:
300 m – 5 km
0.35 to 5.12 µm
(8 to 12.5 µm)
Cont’
Hyperspectral sensors on Mars orbit

TES -- Thermal Emission Spectrometer (s. r. 3Km ), on
board the Mars Global Surveyor, 1997, NASA (will be
covered in the Thermal Remote Sensing lecture)

OMEGA -- Visible and Infrared Mineralogical Mapping
Spectrometer (s. r. 0.3 - 4Km), on board the Mars
Express, 2003, ESA

CRISM--Compact Reconnaissance Imaging
Spectrometer for Mars (s. r. 18 m), on board the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter, 2005, NASA
What is OMEGA ?
OMEGA - Visible and Infrared
Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer
352 contiguous spectral bands
 Covering 0.35 to 5.1 µm
 Spectral resolution of 7 nm to 20 nm
 Spatial resolution of 0.3 to 4 km/pixel

Surface mineralogy revealed by OMEGA





Mafic and ultramafic minerals (pyroxene and olivine)
Surface CO2 and H2O ice and frosts
Hydrated sulfates (gypsum, kieserite, and polyhydrated
sulfates) on light-toned layered terrains
Hydrated alteration phyllosilicates (nontronite, chamosite,
and montmorillonite)
Iron oxides and oxhydroxides (hematite and jarosite)
related to liquid water processes
From: Bibring et al. 2005; Mustard et al., 2005; Poulet et al, 2005; Gendrin et
al. 2005; Langevin et al, 2005; Arvidson et al, 2005; Combe et al, 2005. all
in Science vol. 307
Identification of Olivine (J. F. Mustard et al., 2005)
Yellow - OMEGA I/F of Terrain A
Red - OMEGA I/F of Dusty Terrain
Blue - lab spectra of Fe-rich olivine (Fayalite)
Green - lab spectra of Mg-rich olivine (Forsterite)
Black - ratio of (Terrain A)/(Dusty Terrain)
Red - olivine absorption-band strengths
> 10%
Blue - no olivine detected with this
parameter
http://crism.jhuapl.edu/
CRISM
False Color
R:2.50µm
G:1.50µm
B:1.08µm
Louth Crater
Band Depth Extraction