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Remote sensing can be defined 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 representations of energy patterns derived from noncontact sensors. Some definitions make specific references to the types of sensors and the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation involved. Classic fields of application are topographic and thematic mapping, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, hydrology, and geology. New application fields include 3D mapping and environmental monitoring, as well as assessment and management support for catastrophic events.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum Used for Remote Sensing

The fact that elements have a characteristic interaction with electromagnetic radiation is used to build remote sensors. Every sensor is made of chemical elements that are sensitive to a specific range of electromagnetic wavelengths. The intensity of the radiation is then recorded by a calibrated sensor or set of sensors. The registered electromagnetic radiation also depends on the material composition of the objects from which it is reflected or emitted. Several regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are suitable for remote sensing. The ultraviolet section of the spectrum ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 μm and has the shortest wavelengths that can be used for remote sensing. The light that our eyes can detect is the visible spectrum covering a range from 0.4 to 0.7 μm. The next portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is the reflected infrared region with wavelengths from 0.7 to 3.0 μm followed by the thermal infrared domain with wavelengths from 3.0 to 100 μm, which records emission from the Earth’s surface in the form of heat. The portion of the spectrum beyond the infrared range is the microwave region from about 1 mm to 1 m.

Taxonomy of Remote Sensing Systems

Remote sensing has come a long way from its origins in aerial photography and image interpretation. Remotely sensed information is recorded by digital sensors onboard satellite and airborne platforms and is computer-processed. The sensors can passively record emitted or reflected radiation from the Earth or act as their own energy source in an active mode. Common categories of remote sensing systems are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Taxonomy of remote sensing systems

The quality and level of detail of the results and the possibility for exact differentiation and delineation of the observed phenomena depend largely on the accuracy with which the original image data are acquired. This accuracy depends on the resolution characteristics of the employed sensor. There exist four different types of resolution.

Spectral Resolution

Charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras use an array of sensors that register electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths. Because of the limited space on a CCD chip, only a limited number of sensor types can be arranged on one chip. Therefore, for multispectral imaging sensors, radiation can usually be recorded only in a number of discrete wavelength intervals, and a complete recording of a continuous spectrum is not possible. This can be achieved by imaging spectrometers or hyperspectral sensors with hundreds of very narrow spectral bands throughout the visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Their very high spectral resolution facilitates fine discrimination between different targets based on their spectral response in each of the narrow bands. Because of the limited sensor space, however, this achievement comes at the expense of spatial resolution or ground coverage. A panchromatic sensor is a single-channel detector sensitive to radiation within a broad wavelength range. The physical quantity being measured is the apparent brightness of the Earth’s surface targets. The advantage of broad-range single sensors is that they receive more energy and can in return use smaller CCDs, which results in higher spatial resolution.

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