Introduction to Remote Sensing

Government Post Graduate College No 1, Abbottabad

Adnan Rauf(adnanrauf143@yahoo.com)
Overview
Principles of Electromagnetic Radiation
The EM Spectrum
Radiation Laws
Interactions of Radiation with the Atmosphere
Atmospheric Windows
Interactions of Radiation with Earth Surface Features
Spectral Response
Introduction
What is remote sensing?
Remote sensing is the science of deriving information about
objects, areas, phenomena from measurements made at a
distance, using electromagnetic radiation in one or more
regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Un‐Conventional Definition
Remote Sensing is the most expensive way to make a picture
Having fun without touching
Staying as far away from the problem as possible
Introduction 
What is terrestrial remote sensing?
Terrestrial remote sensing is the science of deriving
information about objects, areas, phenomena of earth
surface features from measurements made at a
distance, using electromagnetic radiation in one or
more regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
History of Remote Sensing
 1666 Isaac Newton while experimenting with a prism, found that
he could disperse light into a spectrum of red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, and violet. Utilizing a second prism, he found
that he could re‐combine the colors into white light.
 1777 Carl Wilhelm Scheele, a Swedish chemist, discovers that
silver chromate darkened by exposure to sunlight could be rinsed
off with ammonia leaving the dark unexposed silver chromate
crystals to form a "fixed" image, a precursor to modern
photographic film.
 1800 Discovery of Infrared spectrum by Sir William Herschel
History of Remote Sensing
1839 Beginning of practice of photography
1847 Infrared spectrum shown to share properties
with visible light
1850‐60 Photography from balloons
History of Remote Sensing
1855 James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish physicist,
describes color addictive theory for the producing
color photographs
 1873 Theory of electromagnetic energy developed
by James C Maxwell
History of Remote Sensing
History of Remote Sensing
1909 Photography from
airplane
 
1914‐1918 World War I:
aerial reconnaissance
 
1920‐30 Development &
initial applications of
aerial photography &
photogrammetry
 History of Remote Sensing
1930‐40 Development of radar in Germany, US and
UK
1940‐50 World War II: applications of nonvisible
portions of EM spectrum
1950‐60 Military research and development
1960's US begins collection of intelligence
photography from Earth orbiting satellites, Corona
History of Remote Sensing
1956 Colwell’s research on disease detection with infrared photography
1960‐70 First use of term ”Remote Sensing” TIROS Weather satellites, SkyLab
remote sensing observations from space.
1972 Civilian satellite remote sensing: launch of Landsat 1
1970‐80 Rapid advances in digital image processing
1980‐90 Landsat 4: new generation of Landsat TM; SPOT: French Earth
Observation Satellite
1980s Development of hyperspectral sensors
1990s Global RS systems; Spaceborne SAR systems; Very high‐resolution
satellites; LiDAR
2005 Google Inc. releases Keyhole, http://earth.google.com,
http://maps.google.com greatly increasing public awareness of the uses of
satellite imagery & other geospatial information.
 2007 3D Virtual Earth (http://www.microsoft.com/virtualearth)
 
 
The Remote Sensing Framework
The Remote Sensing Framework
Landscape/Terrain
Complex mosaic (e.g., geophysical, biophysical,
cultural)
Landscape/terrain Characteristics vary over
SPACE (geographically varied)
TIME (temporally dynamic)
Toronto (Canada) Area over time
1983 1988 1990

1996 2001
Toronto (Canada) Area over time
KhaoLak, Thailand Over time
ASTER- Achive

Tsunami
2004/12/26

2002/11/15 2004/12/31 2005/02/08 2006/01/26

The Remote Sensing Framework
Source of Energy
Passive Sources (Natural)
Reflected solar radiation
Emitted terrestrial radiation
Active Sources (Man‐made)
Flash photography
Radar/LIDAR/Sonar
The Remote Sensing Framework
Atmosphere
Scattering, absorption, refraction
Atmospheric windows
The Remote Sensing Framework
Sensors: mounted on various platform
The Remote Sensing Framework
Interpretation and Analysis
Visual Interpretation
Digital Image Analysis
Pre‐processing: Geometric & Radiometric
Correction
Image Enhancement & Transformation
Image Classification
The Remote Sensing Framework
Information Products
Analog and Digital
Images or Image Maps
Thematic Maps
Spatial databases
Accuracy Report
Geometric
Radiometric
 Thematic
Statistics: Univariate, Multivariate
Graphs
The Remote Sensing Framework
Interpreter
understand radiation laws & energy‐atmosphere‐terrain
interactions
understand remote sensing systems
Advantages and limitations
knowledge of landscape units
digital image analysis skills
experience and formal instruction
User
Practical application of information
Principles of Electromagnetic Radiation
The EM Spectrum
 
Radiation Laws
 
Interactions of Radiation with the Atmosphere
 
Atmospheric Windows
 
Interactions of Radiation with Earth Surface Features
 
Spectral Response
The EM Spectrum
The EM Spectrum
The EM Spectrum
• Gamma rays < 0.03 nm
•  X rays 0.03 ‐ 300 nm
• UV radiation 0.3- 0.38 µm
•   Visible 0.38 ‐ 0.72 µm
•  Near Infrared 0.72 ‐ 1.30 µm
•  Mid Infrared 1.30 ‐ 3.00 µm
•  Far IR (Thermal) 7.0 ‐ 1000 µm (1mm)
•  Microwave 1 mm - 30 cm
•   Radio > 30 cm
Electromagnetic Wave
Interactions of Radiation with the
Atmosphere ‐ Scattering
Rayleigh Scattering
Caused by atmosphere molecules & other tiny particles that
are smaller in diameter than the wavelength of the interacting
radiation
Inversely proportional to λ4
 
 
Dominant process high in the atmosphere
(up to 9-10km) Blue sky,
Brilliant red and orange colors often seen
in the sunset
Interactions of Radiation with the
Atmosphere ‐ Scattering
Mie Scattering
Caused by larger atmosphere particles, such as water vapor,
pollen and dust, that have diameters roughly equivalent to
the wavelength of the scattered radiation (lower in the
atmosphere 0‐5 km)

Nonselective Scattering
Caused by particles with much larger diameters than the
wavelength of the scattered radiation.
For radiation in and near the visible spectrum, such particles
might be water droplets or large particles of airborne dust.
Interactions of Radiation with the
Atmosphere ‐ Refraction

Refraction
Occurs in the atmosphere as light passes
through air masses of different clarity,
humidity and temperature
 
 
 
Interactions of Radiation with the Atmosphere ‐ Absorption
Absorption
Most efficient absorbers: Water vapor (strongest absorption in 5.5‐7µm and above
27µm), carbon dioxide (strongest absorption in the region 13‐17.5µm), and ozone
(max. concentrations at 20-30km)

10.2 ‐ 12.4 µm
Microwave 7.5 ‐ 11‐5 mm
20.0+ mm
Interactions of Radiation with Earth Surface
Features
Interactions of Radiation with Earth Surface
Features
Specular vs. Diffuse Reflectance
Spectral Signatures Dominant Factor
Controlling Leaf Reflectance

Leaf Pigments Cell Structure Water Content

Water Absorption
Spectral Signatures
Spectral Signatures
Normal Color
Airphoto

Color Infrared
Airphoto
 Thanks
Questions??