Application of Remote
Sensing
Dr. Abhishek Rawat
The application of remotely sensed imagery in many areas of scientific,
economic, and social activity has provided the motivating force that led
to the development of the diverse range of sensors we have today,
from high-resolution digital cameras to multispectral, hyperspectral,
and thermal imaging systems and radar and LIDAR systems
• LAND USE/LAND COVER MAPPING
• The term land cover relates to the type of feature present on the
surface of the earth. Cornfields, lakes, maple trees, and concrete
highways are all examples of land cover types.
• The term land use relates to the human activity or economic function
associated with a specific piece of land.
• Depending on the level of mapping detail, its land use could be
described as urban use, residential use, or single-family residential
use.
USGS Land Use/Land Cover Classification System for Use with Remote Sensor Data
Level I
Level II
Urban or built-up land
Residential, Commercial and service, Industrial, Transportation, communications, and utilities
Industrial and commercial complexes, Mixed urban or built-up land, Other urban or built-up
land
Agricultural land
Cropland and pasture, Orchards, groves, vineyards, nurseries, and ornamental
horticultural areas, Confined feeding operations, Other agricultural land
Rangeland
Herbaceous rangeland, Shrub and brush rangeland, Mixed rangeland
Forest land
Deciduous forest land, Evergreen forest land, Mixed forest land
Water
Streams and canals, Lake, Reservoirs, Bays and estuaries
Wetland
Forested wetland, Nonforested wetland
• Geological mapping
Rock type, structures, mineral prospecting
• Soil mapping
Understanding soil suitability for various land use activities is essential to
preventing environmental deterioration associated with misuse of land. In
short, if planning is to be an effective tool for guiding land use, it must be
premised on a thorough inventory of the natural resource base; soil data are
an essential facet of such inventories.
• Agricultural applications
Worldwide, agricultural crop forecasting has historically been the largest
single use of Landsat imagery, while new satellite constellations such as
RapidEye are explicitly oriented toward providing timely and reliable imagery
at high resolution for agricultural management.
• Forestry
Forestry is concerned with the management of forests for wood, forage,
water, wildlife, recreation, and other values
• Rangeland applications
• Rangeland has historically been defined as land where the potential
natural vegetation is predominantly grasses, grasslike plants, forbs, or
shrubs and where animal grazing was an important influence in its
presettlement state.
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Rangeland management places emphasis on the following: (1) determining
the suitability of vegetation for multiple uses, (2) designing and implementing
vegetation improvements, (3) understanding the social and economic effects of
alternative land uses, (4) controlling range pests and undesirable vegetation,
(5) determining multiple-use carrying capacities, (6) reducing or eliminating soil
erosion and protecting soil stability, (7) reclaiming soil and vegetation on
disturbed
areas, (8) designing and controlling livestock grazing systems, (9) coordinating
rangeland management activities with other resource managers, (10) protecting
and maintaining environmental quality, (11) mediating land use conflicts, and (12)
furnishing information to policymakers
water resource applications
• At the outset of the 21st century, scarce water resources were already
in high demand for agriculture, domestic consumption, hydropower,
sanitation, industrial manufacturing, transportation, recreational
activities, and ecosystem services.
• Water Quantity and Distribution
• Water Quality
SNOW AND ICE APPLICATIONS
Urban and Regional Planning Applications
• Urban and regional planners require nearly continuous acquisition of
data to formulate governmental policies and programs.
• The role of planning agencies is becoming increasingly more complex
and is extending to a wider range of activities in the social, economic,
and environmental domains.
• Consequently, there is an increased need for these agencies to have
timely, accurate, and cost-effective sources of spatial information.
WETLAND MAPPING
• The value of the world’s wetland systems has gained increased
recognition.
• Wetlands contribute to a healthy environment in many ways.
• They act to retain water during dry periods, thus keeping the water
table high and relatively stable.
• During periods of flooding, they act to reduce flood levels and to trap
suspended solids and attached nutrients.
Wildlife Ecology Applications
• The term wildlife refers to animals that live in a wild, undomesticated
state.
• Wildlife ecology is concerned with the interactions between wildlife
and their environment. Related activities are wildlife conservation
and wildlife management.
• In this section, we focus on the use of remote sensing for habitat
mapping, wildlife censusing, and animal movement research.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
• Archaeology is concerned with the scientific study of historic or
prehistoric peoples by excavation and analysis of the remains of their
existence.
• The earliest archaeological investigations dealt with obvious
monuments of earlier societies.
• The existence of these sites was often known from historical
accounts. Visual image interpretation has proven particularly useful in
locating sites whose existence has been lost to history.
• Both surface and subsurface features of interest to archaeologists
have been detected using visual image interpretation.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PROTECTION
• Many human activities produce potentially adverse environmental
effects.
• Examples include the construction and operation of highways, railroads,
pipelines, airports, industrial sites, power plants, and transmission lines;
subdivision and commercial developments; sanitary landfill and
hazardous waste disposal operations; and timber harvesting and strip
mining operations.
• Dating as far back as 1969, the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) established as national policy the creation and maintenance of
conditions that encourage harmony between people and their
environment and minimize environmental degradation.