Intro to Remote Sensing

Lecture 1
 What is remote sensing

 Remote Sensing: remote sensing is science of

 acquiring,
 processing, and
 interpreting
images and related data that are obtained from ground-based, air-or space-borne
instruments that record the interaction between matter (target) and electromagnetic
radiation.

 Remote Sensing: using electromagnetic spectrum to image the land, ocean, and
atmosphere.

 In this class, we will mostly focus on the

 principles and techniques for data collection and the interaction of electromagnetic energy
with the Earth's surface
 some application examples
 also you will get familiar with ENVI, an image processing software.
Electromagnetic Spectrum

Source: http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/DIAL.html
 What we 0.16

0.14
average shrub
average grass
measure in

Radiance (Wm nm sr )
-1
0.12 average soil

-1
0.1

remote

-2
0.08

0.06

sensing? 0.04

0.02

0
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500

123 4 5
Wavelength (nm) 7
0.6
average shrub
0.5 average grass
average soil
0.4
Reflectance

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500

Wavelength (nm)
 http://www.asdi.com/

In-Situ scale measurements

 Solar radiation
 Many more:
 Temperature
 Soil moisture
 Mineral and rock types
 Rainfall
 Snow cover, snow depth or snow water equivalent
 Vegetation type and biomass
 Sea ice properties (concentration, thickness, extent, area)
 Elevation and change
 Aerosol, gas types and concentration
 You might name a few more?
 Remote sensing platforms

Ground-based Airplane-based Satellite-based

 NASA
Research
Spacecraft
Busy Traffic Data acquisition
Applications of National Priority

Carbon Public Health Energy Aviation

Management Management

Water Homeland Coastal Disaster

Management Security Management Management

Agricultural Invasive Species Ecological Air Quality

Efficiency Forecasting
 History of Remote Sensing
 Aerial photography is the original form of remote sensing (using visible spectrum) started
in 1909
 Aerial photographic reconnaissance was widely used after 1915 in WWI.
 Photogrammetric Engineering, the official monthly publication of the American Society of
Photogrammetry, was first published in 1934.
 Color infrared photography began 1931, then was widely used in agriculture and forestry.
 Development of radar (1930-1940).
 During WWII, non-visible spectrum (infrared and radar) were used as tools in remote
sensing.
 After the first man-made satellite (Sputnik 1) was launched on 4 October 1957 by Soviet
Union, remote sensing moved to outer space, ignited the Space Race within the Cold War.
 The United States' Explorer 6 transmitted the first space photograph of the Earth in August
1959.
 The first systematic meteorological satellite observation came with the launch of the
United States' TIROS 1 in 1960.
 Landsat 1 (originally called the Earth Resources Technology Satellite or ERTS) was the
first satellite to collect data on the Earth's natural resources. It was launched on 23 July
1972.
 Hyperspectral remote sensing emerged (1980s), widely used in mineral, oil, etc.
exploration.
 Since then, a large number and advanced types of remote sensing systems have been
developed.
 Research Systems to Operational Systems
Imaging and Sounding
SeaWiFS Terra Aqua NPP NPOESS

Solar Irradiance, Ozone, and Aerosols

In operation
ACRIMsat SORCE Glory NPOESS
Under
Observation
Development SAGE III AURA NPOESS
NPP
In Formulation
Tech Atmospheric Composition
Development
UARS AURA TBD

Ocean Surface Topography

Jason OSTM NOAA/EUMETSAT
* Canceled
flight mission; Land Cover/Land Use Change
gleaning Landsat 7 LDCM Operational NPOESS
technology
for GOES-R GIFTS* GOES
Tech

Tropo Winds TBD

Data Assim

Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation NCEP

Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center NWS

NASA & NOAA jointly funding NRC studies on improving transition
 From Terra, Aqua to NPP to JPSS
NPP (2011, Oct)
Terra (1999) Coriolis (2003) CrIS/ATMS
Aqua (2002) WindSat METOP (2006) VIIRS JPSS/ (2016, 2019)
AIRS, AMSU & MODIS IASI/AMSU/MHS & AVHRR OMPS CrIS/ATMS, VIIRS, CMIS,
OMPS & ERBS

Use of Advanced Sounder Data for Improved

Weather Forecasting & Numerical Weather Prediction

NOAA Real-Time Data Delivery Timeline NWS/NCEP

Ground Station Scenario GSFC/DAO
ECMWF
NOAA UKMO
Real-time NWP
C3S IDPS FNMOC
User Forecasts
Meteo-France
BMRC-Australia
Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation Met Serv Canada
 NPOESS, JPSS, and NPP
 NPP and NPOESS have a long, complicated history

 The tri-agency NPOESS partnership (DOD, NOAA, NASA)

has been dissolved
 “NPOESS” is no more
 The NOAA-NASA partnership continues under the Joint Polar Satellite
System (JPSS) – afternoon platform series
 DOD is continuing alone -- early morning platform series

 NASA’s NPP mission has not changed its name – it is still the
NPOESS Preparatory Project.
 The roles and responsibilities of the NPP Science Team have
not changed (at its core, the primary work remains EDR
evaluation and related algorithm improvements for climate
science!)
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 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)

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NPOESS no more
The greatest canyon on Mars: Valles Marineris
Trend and Future of Remote Sensing (1)

 High spatial resolution

- IKONOS launched in 1999 by Space Imaging
(4 m multi-spectral and 1 m panchromatic)
- QuickBird launched in 2001 by DIGITALGLOBE
(2.44 m multi-spectral and 61 cm
panchromatic)
 High spectral resolution
- AVIRIS, 10nm and 20 m, 224 bands
- Hyperion launched in 2000, 10nm and 30m, 220
bands
 High radiometric resolution
- 8 bits to 12 bits
 High temporal resolution
- GOES 15-30 minutes
- NEXRAD 6 or 10 minutes
Trend and Future of Remote Sensing (2)

 Globe coverage, high repeatability (or improved temporal resolution)

- AVHRR, 1100m, morning or afternoon
- MODIS, 250-1000m, morning or afternoon
- NPOESS (will be launched in 2013), 370-740m, 4 hours
 Real-time or near real-time availability
- MODIS available online in the second day ?
- NEXRAD available online in 6 minutes
- NPOESS available online in 15 minutes
 Cost free or affordable
- Most of the federal collected images are free available or lower
cost, while commercial high resolution images are affordable.
 Integrated remote sensing and GIS
- Remote sensing applications with the support of GIS
- Remote sensing data as a major GIS data source
 Major image processing software

 ENVI/IDL: http://www.rsinc.com/
 ERDAS Imagine: http://www.gis.leica-
geosystems.com/Products/Imagine/
 PCI Geomatics: http://www.pci.on.ca/
 ER Mapper: http://www.ermapper.com/
 INTEGRAPH: http://imgs.intergraph.com/gimage/
 IDRIS:
 Ecognition: http://www.definiens-
imaging.com/ecognition/pro/40.htm
 See5 and decision tree