GMC 110 Remote sensing

GMC 110 – Remote sensing

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© UP GMC 110: Remote sensing

Background
EMS
Sensors
Lecture Considerations
outline Types of satellite remote
sensing
Passive
Active

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GMC 110 Remote sensing

Outcomes
• Define remote sensing;
• Describe the fundamentals of the electromagnetic spectrum;
• Describe, using examples, the two types of sensors used in remote
sensing;
• Discuss the considerations of remote sensing;
• Describe the remote sensing data collection cycle;
• Briefly describe remote sensing applications;
• Define the different types of orbits common for satellites in optical remote
sensing;
• Describe, using examples, the different types of remote sensing;
• Contrast, providing advantages and disadvantages of each, the various
types of remote sensing;

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Remote sensing background

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GMC 110 Remote sensing

Outcomes
• Define remote sensing;
• Describe the fundamentals of the
electromagnetic spectrum;
• Describe, using examples, the two types of
sensors used in remote sensing;
• Discuss the four considerations of remote
sensing;
• Describe the remote sensing data collection
cycle;
• Briefly describe remote sensing applications;

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‘size’ of wavelengths

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Gomascara, 2009

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Extracting information from the EMS

Clear water
• Max reflectance on the blue part of the spectrum.
• Looks blue.

Turbid water
• Contains sediment.
• Max reflectance in the red end of the spectrum.
• Looks brownish.

Bare soil:
• Reflectance depends on its composition.

Vegetation:
• Max absorption in the blue and red regions of the
spectrum (absorption by chlorophyll for
photosynthesis).
• High reflectance in the green region of the EMS.
• Looks green.
https://crisp.nus.edu.sg/~research/tutorial/specv.gif • Max reflectance on the NIR (non-visible part of the
EMS).

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Sensors (instruments)

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Products
• Derived from instruments.
• There are two:
– Measurements
• Obtained using radiometers, scatterometers,
spectrophotometers
– Images
• Obtained from cameras, scanners, radar

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Image considerations
Temporal Radiometric Spatial resolution
• How much detail can
you see?
• Cell size
Trade-off – Satellite images: 0.5 m –
1 km
– Aerial photography: 0.01
m–5m

Spectral Spatial Remember your purpose!

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Remote sensing data collection cycle

A: Energy source
B: Radiation and atmosphere
C: Radiation interaction with
target
D: Sensor
E: Transmission, reception &
processing
F: Interpretation & analysis
http://gisceu.net/tutorial/chap1/c1p1_i2e.html
G: Visualisation

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Remote sensing types

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Outcomes
• Define the different types of orbits common
for satellites in optical remote sensing;
• Describe, using examples, the different types
of remote sensing;
• Contrast, providing advantages and
disadvantages of each, the various types of
remote sensing;

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Examples
• Passive remote sensing
– Aerial photographs
– Satellite imagery
• Optical remote sensing
• Active remote sensing
– SOund NAvigation and Ranging (Sonar)
– LIght Detection And Ranging (LiDAR)
– RAdio Detection and Ranging (Radar)
– Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR)
• Etc.
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Sensors
• Optical (visible)
– Passive:
• Aerial photographs
• Satellite imagery
– Active
• LiDAR
• Thermal
– Passive
• IR
• Microwave
– Active:
• Synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
• Radar

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Aerial photographs
• Passive sensors.
• Originally analogue, then
converted to digital formats;
now digital.
• Cameras have built-in
stabilisation.
• Suitable for detailed surveying
and mapping projects.
• Flown between 3000 – 9000 m
so high resolution (0.01-5 m).
• Flown ad hoc.
• Distortion occurs away from
central flight line.
• High costs. http://www.eou.edu/~mmustoe/aerial.html

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Aerial imagery
Advantages Disadvantages
• Useful for detailed surveying and mapping. • Passive sensors impacted by cloud cover.
– High spatial resolution. • Costs can be high.
• Can be used to do photogrammetry (creating • Poor temporal resolution.
3D datasets by overlapping two images taken • Only captures in the visible part of the EMS,
at different angles). normally only black and white.
– Refer to Topic 3. – Poor spectral resolution.
• Can be cheap but consider other options • Requires skilled personnel to capture the
(e.g., cheaper than surveying by hand for the product.
CTMM; more expensive than a satellite
image).
• GIS compatible.
1. Cartographic overlay can be added to
enhance interpretability.
2. Ability to perform change analysis by
comparing images from before and after.
3. Basemap for mapping.

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Optical remote sensing

Geostationary
• Altitude very close to
35,786 km (22,236 miles).
• To attain this height the
satellite travels at great
speeds along its orbit.
• Satellite fixed over one
longitude at the equator.
• Use:
– Focus on one portion of the
earth, e.g., for
communications.
© UP GMC 110: Remote sensing
Polar orbiting / sun-synchronous
• Altitude between 600-800
km.
• Polar orbiting
– Pass roughly over the poles.
– Revisit places every 24 hours.
• Sun-synchronous
– Special type of polar orbiting
satellite.
– Orbit is fixed to the position
of the sub.
– Always visits the same spot at
the same local time.
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Types of orbits

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More on orbits
• Geostationary orbit (GEO)
• Low Earth orbit (LEO)
• Medium Earth orbit (MEO)
• Polar orbit and Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)
• Transfer orbits and geostationary transfer
orbit (GTO)
• Lagrange points (L-points)

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Satellite imagery
Advantages Disadvantages
• Systematic global coverage useful • Coarse spatial resolution can be
for large area, inaccessible areas, problematic.
also detailed projects • Passive sensors impacted by
• Various bands of the EMS are cloud cover.
useful for various types of • Massive datasets.
monitoring and exploration. • Costs can be high.
• Depending on spatial resolution,
can be used for detailed mapping
(but not as detailed as aerial
imagery).
• Can be used to do
photogrammetry (creating 3D
datasets by overlapping two
images taken at different angles).
– Refer to Topic 3.

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Infrared remote sensing

• Passive sensor, i.e., reliant
on the sun.
• Images acquired in the
infrared portion of the EMS
(3-5 & 8-14 µm).
• Can be used during night or
day.
• Often used to measure
temperatures (land; ocean),
detecting forest fires,
determining earth’s
radiation budget.
• ‘Thermal’ remote sensing.

http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/~research/tutorial/intro.htm
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LIght Detection And Ranging (LiDAR)

• Active sensor, i.e., not reliant
on the sun.
• Can be used during night or
day.
• Uses radiation in the
ultraviolet, visible, or
infrared region of the EMS.
• Delivers point clouds (up to
30,000 points/second).
• Extensive post-processing
required.
• Can create highly-accurate
rasters of the earth’s surface http://pictomet.linux1.logicalsolutions.net/government/product_lidar.shtml

(topography, tree canopy,

etc.)

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RAdio Detection and Ranging (Radar)

• Active sensor, i.e., not reliant
on the sun.
• Can be used during night or
day.
• Uses radio waves of the EMS
(1 mm – 1 m).
• Used to image land areas
above sea level https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sonar_Principle_EN.svg
(electromagnetic waves are
strongly attenuated in water).
• But also good for materials of
considerable electrical
conductivity (e.g., metals,
water).
• Can ‘see’ through clouds.

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Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR)

• Active sensor.
• Example of microwave
remote sensing.
• Uses motion of the SAR
antenna over target region
to provide finer spatial
resolution than with
conventional beam-
scanning radars.
• For mapping the surface of
earth and other planets.
• All-weather imaging.
http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/~research/tutorial/intro.htm
Image: Wikipedia

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SOund NAvigation and Ranging (Sonar)

• Active sensor, i.e., not

reliant on the sun.
• Can be used during
night or day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sonar_Principle_EN.svg
• Uses sound waves
(longer wavelengths).
• Used to image the
seafloor (sound travels
well through water).

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Further study at UP?

Optical RS
GMA 220; GMA 320
Microwave RS

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References
Gomascara, M.O. 2009. Chapter 4 Elements of
remote sensing In: Basics of Geomatics. Springer:
Netherlands, pp. 690. ISBN: 978-1-4020-9013-4.

Longley, P.A., Goodchild, M.F., Maguire, D.J. Rhind,

D.W. 2015. Chapter 8 Data In: Geographical
Information Systems and Science (4th ed.). John Wiley
& Sons: England. pp 537. ISBN: 978-1-118-67695-0

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