Remote Sensing

REMOTE SENSING
The art of measuring an object or entity without touching it

Satellite

Aero-plane
Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS)

Courses to be covered:-
1. Basic concept (Remote sensing)
2. Sensors and Platforms
3. Aerial Photography and stereoscope (theory)
4. Aerial Photo practical exercise
5. Practical exercise on ERDAS Imagine
6. Image Interpretation and Image processing (practical)
7. GIS and applications
8. Introduction to Arc Catalog and ArcInfo
9. Practical Exercise on ArcInfo
DEFINITION
 It is the science of acquiring information about
an object or a phenomenon kept at a distance.

Essential components-
1. The Signal (from an object)
2. The sensor (from a platform)
3. The sensing (acquiring knowledge after analysis
of the data).
DEFINITIONS
 The term Remote Sensing means the sensing of the Earth's surface
from space by making use of the properties of electromagnetic waves
emitted, reflected or diffracted by the sensed objects, for the purpose
of improving natural resources management, land use and the
protection of the environment.
 “The science and art of obtaining
information about an object, area, or
phenomenon through the analysis of
data acquired by a device that is not
in contact with the object, area, or
phenomenon under investigation"
(Lillesand and Kiefer,1994)
WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING?

The International Society for Photogrammetry and

Remote Sensing (ISPRS) defined Remote Sensing (RS)
as:
“The art, science, and technology of obtaining reliable
information about physical objects and the environment,
through the process of recording, measuring, and
interpreting imagery and digital representation of energy
patterns derived from non contact sensor system.“
This definition considered photogrammetry as sub-field
of remote sensing
via cameras recording on film, which may then be
scanned (aerial photos)
via sensors, which directly output digital data (satellite
imagery)
NATURAL REMOTE SENSING
 Remote sensing can be taken as a measure of
life activity of all living species. Species with
better sense organs can interact better with its
environment and can protect themselves from
enemies.
e.g. man has five well developed sensor- eye,
ear, nose, skin and tongue along with highly
developed sensing systems- brain and the
nervous system.
ARTIFICIAL REMOTE SENSING
 Eyes and ears can only see and listen a narrow
band of extremely broad electromagnetic
spectrum and sound frequency. In artificial remote
sensing, we try to improve and thus include wider
information channel to collect detailed
information.
 Passive Remote sensing- external source (natural)
to irradiate the target/object to be sensed
 Active Remote sensing- internal source to irradiate
the target……e.g. radar. Sends microwave pulses
and receives back from Antenna.
 PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE
REMOTE SENSING
 Most remote-sensing systems are
passive
 They use energy provided by the sun, and
Earth.
 e.g. Aerial photographs and
most satellite systems

 Some systems are active

 They generate their own energy
 e.g. RADAR (radio detection and ranging),
LIDAR (light detection and ranging) and
SONAR(Sound navigation ranging)
 Used for altimetry and imaging.
THE SIGNAL
 Signals are carrier of information.
In general, there are following type of signals-
1. Disturbance in a force field- Gravitational,
electrical and magnetic.
2. Acoustic signal
3. Particulate signal
4. Electromagnetic signal
THE SIGNALS- GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
 When a test body (mass m) enters the
gravitational field of another body (mass M), it
creates a disturbance in the force field of the latter
and experiences a force of attraction whose
magnitude is given by
F = G Mm/r^2
G= 6.670x10^-11 Nm2/Kg2
The possibility of sensing the earth’s gravitational
field leads to gravity survey in the field of
geological prospecting.
THE SIGNAL- ELECTRIC FIELD

Similarly, when a test charge (charge q2) enters

the field of electric field of another charge q1,
It experience a force F = (k q1q2/r^2)..vector…
k= 8.9875x10^9
THE SIGNAL- MAGNETIC FIELD

 A magnetic pole attracts the opposite pole of

another magnet and it can also induce
magnetism in some materials present in the
earth’s crust such as iron, cobalt and nickel
and hence attract them towards it.
 The sensing of magnetic field is used in the
prospecting of commercial deposit of magnetic
materials in geomagnetic survey.
 THE SIGNAL- ACOUSTIC SIGNAL

 Infrasonic waves- <20 Hz

 Ultrasonic waves- >20,000 Hz.

In a solid medium, a sudden bang generates

longitudinal compression wave and sheer
transverse waves. Sensing of acoustic signals
helps in sound ranging for locating the source of
the sound.
THE SIGNAL- PARTICULATE SIGNALS
 So far as the remote signals are concerned, a whole
class of energetic particles coming from the distant
stars and galaxies, from the deeper region of outer
space. These are classified into following groups-
 Photons: quanta of electromagnetic energy
 Leptons: light weight- neutrinos, electrons and muons
 Mesons: medium weight particle- π mesons, K mesons,
ρ mesons
 Baryons: heavy particles- protons, neutrons
The sensing of these particles tells us about the structure
and activity of the distant stars and galaxies.
MOLECULAR SIGNAL

 Apart from the cosmic ray signals, another form

of particulate signal- molecular signal, which
helps the living organisms to get information
about a distant object and its activity, e.g.
molecules of volatile essential oils from a
flower is received by the sensing organ (nose)
of a butterfly or honey bee to get the
information about the flower.
THE SIGNAL- ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNAL

 Electromagnetic radiations forms a very broad

spectrum varying from very low frequency to
very high frequency.
e.g. Radio-waves wavelength- ~1000 meters
micro waves ~3-30 mm
visible ~0.3-0.7 micron
X rays and gamma rays…..>30 nm
We are interested in electromagnetic rays as
it comes naturally from the sun and
reflected back from the earth surface,
detected by various sensors.
REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS
 Land-use mapping
 Forest and agriculture applications

 Telecommunication planning

 Environmental applications

 Hydrology and coastal mapping

 Urban planning

 Emergencies and Hazards

 Global change and Meteorology