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
 Introduction
Remote sensing is the art and science 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.
The two basic process involved are
1. Data acquisition and
2. Data analysis
 Elements of Data Acquisition Process

A. Energy source
B. Propagation of energy
through the atmosphere
C. Energy interaction with earth
surface features
D. Airborne/spaceborne sensor
E. Transmission, reception and
processing
F. Interpretation and analysis
G. Application
Components of Remote Sensing
 Types of Remote Sensing
Passive: source of energy Active: source of energy is
is either the Sun or part of the remote
Earth/atmosphere sensor system
– Sun – Radar

– Earth or its atmosphere – Lidar

Camera takes photo as example, no flash and

flash
 Advantages of Remote Sensing
a) Provides data of large areas
b) Provides data of very remote and inaccessible regions
c) Able to obtain imagery of any area over a continuous
period of time through which the any anthropogenic
or natural changes in the landscape can be analyzed
d) Relatively inexpensive when compared to employing a
team of surveyors
e) Easy and rapid collection of data
f) Rapid production of maps for interpretation
 Disadvantages of remote sensing

a) The interpretation of imagery requires a certain

skill level
b) Needs cross verification with ground (field) survey
data
c) Data from multiple sources may create confusion
d) Objects can be misclassified or confused
e) Distortions may occur in an image due to the
relative motion of sensor and source
Electromagnetic Spectrum
• All matters reflect, emit or radiate a range of
electromagnetic energy, depending upon the
material characteristics.
• In remote sensing, it is the measurement of
electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted
from an object.
• Used to identify the target and to infer its
properties.
 Principles of Remote Sensing

• Different objects reflect or emit different amounts of energy

in different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• The amount of energy reflected or emitted depends on the
properties of both the material and the incident energy
(angle of incidence, intensity and wavelength).
• Detection and discrimination of objects or surface features
is done through the uniqueness of the reflected or emitted
electromagnetic radiation from the object.
• A device to detect this reflected or emitted
electro-magnetic radiation from an object is called a
“sensor” (e.g., cameras and scanners).
• A vehicle used to carry the sensor is called a “platform”
(e.g., aircrafts and satellites).
 Remote sensing platforms

Ground-base Airplane-based Satellite-base

d d
 What is GIS? Why its needed
Almost everything happens somewhere and in most cases, knowing where
some things happen is critically important.
Examples:
• Position of country boundaries
• Location of hospitals
• Routing delivery vehicles

Geographical Information Systems are a special class of information systems

that keep track not only of events, activities, and things, but also of where
these events, activities, and things happen or exist.
Geographic location is an important attribute of activities, policies, strategies,
and plans.
Geographic problems involve an aspect of location, either in the information
used to solve them, or in the solutions themselves.
There are a number of definitions of GIS. Different groups of people (general public,
planners, teachers, scientists) can find a different definition useful.

Here are some of them:

• “GIS is much more than a container of maps in digital form”.

• “A GIS is a computerized tool for solving geographic problems”
• “GIS is a spatial decision support system”
• “GIS is a mechanized inventory of geographically distributed features and facilities”
• “GIS is a method for revealing patterns and processes in geographic information”
• “GIS is a tool to automate time-consuming tasks that are too tedious or expensive
or inaccurate if performed by hand”
• “GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for
capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically
referenced information.”
 FUNCTIONS OF GIS
The Functions of GIS describe the steps that have
to be taken
I) Data Capture
II) Data Compilation
III) Data Storage (GIS Data Models)
IV) Manipulation
V) Analysis
 Data Capture
Manual Digitization
Aerial photographs
Paper maps
Existing digital data sets
Remote-sensing satellite imagery
GPS
 Data capture
• Entering information into the system—consumes
much of the time of GIS practitioners. There are a
variety of methods used to enter data into a GIS
where it is stored in a digital format.
• Existing data printed on paper or maps can be
digitized or scanned to produce digital data.
• A digitizer produces vector data as an operator
traces points, lines, and polygon boundaries from
a map.
• Scanning a map results in raster data that could
be further processed to produce vector data.
• Survey data can be directly entered into a GIS
from digital data collection systems on survey
instruments using a technique called Coordinate
Geometry (COGO).
• Positions from a Global Navigation Satellite
System (GNSS) like Global Positioning System
(GPS), another survey tool, can also be directly
entered into a GIS.
• Remotely sensed data also plays an important
role in data collection and consist of sensors
attached to a platform. Sensors include cameras,
digital scanners and LIDAR, while platforms
usually consist of aircraft and satellites.
• Satellite remote sensing provides another
important source of spatial data.
• Satellites use different sensor packages to
passively measure the reflectance from parts of
the electromagnetic spectrum or radio waves that
were sent out from an active sensor such as
radar.
• Remote sensing collects raster data that can
be further processed using different bands to
identify objects and classes of interest, such as
land cover.
 Data Compilation
• By relating all spatial features to their
respective attributes
• Cleaning up and correcting errors
• Results - is a set of digital files, each
accurately representing all of the spatial and
attribute data of interest
• Digital files contain geographic coordinates for
spatial objects (points, lines, polygons, and
cells) that represent mapped features
 Data Storage (GIS Data Models)
• The two most common types of data models
are Raster and Vector
• Both types are used to simplify the data
shown on a map into a more basic form that
can be easily and efficiently stored in the
computer.
 Manipulation
• Toolkits provide processing functions such as
data retrieval, measuring area and perimeter,
overlaying maps, performing map algebra, and
reclassifying map data
• Data manipulation tools include Coordinate
change, Projections, and Edge matching,
which allow a GIS to reconcile irregularities
between map layers or adjacent map sheets
 Analysis
• The heart of GIS is the analytical capabilities of
the system.
• What distinguish the GIS system from other
information system are its spatial analysis
functions
• Analysis functions use the spatial and
non-spatial attributes - to answer questions
about the real world
 Analysis
• The objective of geographic analysis is to
transform data into useful information to
satisfy the requirements or objectives of
decision-makers
• Use of the analysis is the possibility of
predicting events in another location or at
another point in time
 Analysis
• Geographical analysis procedures can be
subdivided into the following categories
♦ Database Query
♦ Overlay
♦ Proximity Analysis
♦ Network Analysis
♦ Digital Terrain Model
♦ Statistical and Tabular Analysis.
 GIS Capabilities
• Planning
• Terrain Modeling
• GIS – Model Integration
• Asset and Permit Management
• Three Dimensional Modeling
• Spatial Database Development
• Internet Map Serving
 Database management
• Has a unique identifier, which distinguishes it
from the rest of the features on the layer,
• Allow us to relate it to relevant information
stored in external databases,
• Allows us to capture only those elements of
the world that are of interest to us, like
catchment area, under forestation, covered
under snow etc.
 Introduction
to the
Global Positioning System
 The History of GPS
• The Department of Defense in 1973 issued a memorandum
naming the Air Force as the Executive Service for the initial
development of a Defense Navigation Satellite System
(DNSS).
• This system was eventually designated the Navigation
Satellite Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System, or
NAVSTARGPS.
• The designed purpose of this system is to provide U.S.
military forces and its allies a means to navigate worldwide
without dependence on ground based navigation aids.
•
• During the early design phase of the GPS it was
determined that only 17 satellites were actually
needed to provide coverage for the entire earth.
However, the Pentagon decided that 24 satellites
would provide enough redundancy to prevent
failures or gaps in the global system.
• Today the GPS system is made up of 29 satellites of
a version called “Block II.” The first GPS satellite, a
Phase 1, Block I satellite, was launched in 1978. The
launch of the 24th satellite in 1994 completed the
functional system we use today.
 Three Segments of the GPS

Space Segment

User Segment

Control Segment

Ground
Antennas
Master Station Monitor Stations
 Control Segment

US Space Command

Cape Canaveral
Hawaii
Kwajalein Atoll

Diego Garcia
Ascension Is.

Master Control Station Monitor Station Ground Antenna

 User Segment
Military.
Search and rescue.
Disaster relief.
Surveying.
Marine, aeronautical and terrestrial navigation.
Remote controlled vehicle and robot guidance.
Satellite positioning and tracking.
Shipping.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Recreation.
 Four Primary Functions of GPS
Position and coordinates.

The distance and direction between any two waypoints,

or a position and a waypoint.

Travel progress reports.

Accurate time measurement.

Position is Based on Time
Signal leaves satellite at
time “T”

Signal is picked up by the

T+3 receiver at time “T + 3”
Distance between satellite and
receiver = “3 times the speed of
light”
Signal From One Satellite

The receiver is
somewhere on
this sphere.
Signals From Two Satellites
Three Satellites (2D Positioning)
Triangulating Correct Position
Three Dimensional (3D) Positioning
 Selective Availability (S/A)
The Defense Department dithered the satellite time
message, reducing position accuracy to some GPS users.
S/A was designed to prevent America’s enemies from
using GPS against us and our allies.
In May 2000 the Pentagon reduced S/A to zero meters
error.
S/A could be reactivated at any time by the Pentagon.