METR155/METR280 Prof. Jin
Review for Mid-term 1
9/27/2011
Professor’s notes:
 This list is only an outline of most important things you need to know after these
lectures.
 Remember to go over your homework, class videos, and class activities.
 Prepare early.
 Prof. Jin’s office hour is Tuesday 9:50-10:20 AM, Wednesday 1:00-2:30 PM, DH
613, or menglin.jin@sjsu.edu
Lecture 1: Remote Sensing Introduction
1. What are advantages on remote sensing – for example, MODIS snow observation?
2. Definitions of remote sensing – what are the key components in remote sensing?
3. What are passive and active remote sensing?
4. What do we need to know atmosphere structure and compositions in remote sensing?
5. List at least 4 key reasons for the need in remote sensing in earth climate study.
Lecture 2: Radiation theory – underlying principles for remote sensing
1. Difference between “remote” and “proximal” sensing
2. Why solar radiation is important in remotely sensing surface? (diagram)
3. Why longwave radiation is important in remote sensing surface?
4. What is Electromagnetic spectrum?
5. What is solar constant? How to calculate solar constant?
6. What is solar zenith angle, viewing zenith angle, elevation angle, Azimuth angle
7. How to calculate solar radiation at the top of atmosphere for specific region?
8. Units related to radiation
9. What is blackbody?
10. What is Planck’s function? Stephen-Boltzmann law? How these two are related?
11. Wein’s displacement law
12. Understand the diagram “Radiation Transmitted by the Atmosphere” can use this in
remote sensing question
Lecture 3. Quantum Physics
1. What is quanta?
2. Know this theory well to do class activity related to calculate the wavelength of a
quantum of radiation
3. Discuss why Albert Einstein’s experiment of photon is related to modern satellite remote
sensing?
4. Understand the concepts of Transmittance, Absorptance, Reflectance and how these
concepts are used in satellite remote sensing
5. What is radiance? How radiance related to brightness temperature?
6. Why radiance is key concept on remote sensing?
7. Understand Rayleigh scattering, Mie scattering. Use these to explain some important
optical phenomena in sky
Lecture 4. Spectral Signature
1. What is spectral signature?
2. Why spectral signature can be used in remote sensing?
3. What is NDVI?
4. Using spectral signature to identify different materials.
5. Why often times, one band is not enough? Explain
6. Explain page 32 using spectral signature
7. Examples listed in this and homework
Lecture 5. Orbit
1. What are definitions for LEO, MEO, HEO.
2. How to calculate the satellite orbit height
3. What are the three key parameters in describing satellite orbit?
4. What are Sun-Synchronous and Geostationary satellites? What are their differences
5. Make sure to know the homework
Lecture 6. Sensors and Scanning
1. What are sensor types
2. Major elements of electro-optical scanners
3. Principal of sensor (EA experiment)
4. Can tell imaging scanning, optical scanning
5. Can tell different sensors
6. What is FOV –can show in image
7. What is cross-track scanner,
8. What is along-track scanner
9. Essential Components of Cross-track Sensor/along track sensors
10. Using fig. 1-9 to do calculation
11. Physical meaning of pixel
12. What is purpose of spectral filter. What are major spectral filters
Lecture 7. Image Processing
1. What is picture element?
2. What is image resolution, spatial resolution, spectral resolution, temporal resolution.
3. What is digital number
4. What are the two major image interpretation approaches?
5. What is CASI?
6. What are the three image processing techniques. Give example for each.
7. What is supervised classification and unsupervised classification.
8. Example techniques for image enhancement
9. Reason for Image Ratio
10. Reasons for PCA (principal component analysis)
11. What is data processing level (what does it mean by level 0 image? Level 1, level 2?)