Remote Sensing

Unit One

1.Introduction to Remote Sensing(RS)

Objectives of the Unit
After you have completed this unit, you will be able
to:
 Define the remote sensing.
 Explain the main Components of remote sensing
process.
 Differentiate natural Vs artificial remote sensing.
 Discuss the needs remote sensing.
 State and differentiate methods of data
acquisition.
1. Introduction
This unit introduces about the:
Concept,
Definition,
Historical development,
 Classification of remote sensing,
Components of remote sensing process,
Terminologies in remote sensing
 1.1 . Definition and Concepts of RS
what is exactly Remote Sensing mean?
• Remote sensing is the science and to some extent art of acquiring
information (data) about the Earth's surface through the analysis
of data acquiring by a device that is not in contact with the
object, area or phenomenon under investigation.

• This is done by sensing and recording of reflected or

emitted energy from the targets or real features.

• Human visual system is a good example of remote

sensing .
 Types of Remote Sensing
1. Active Remote Sensing
• Remote sensing methods that provide their own source of
electromagnetic radiation to illuminate/record the surface.
2. Passive Remote Sensing -----records only from naturally
reflected/ emitted energy from the target. The sun is the
main source of energy for passive remote sensing.

Active
Passive

Fig. 1.1. Active and passive sensor

1.2. Classification of Remote Sensing
Natural Vs Artificial RS
i. Natural Remote Sensing
• Sensing in general and RS in particular can be taken
as a measure of life and activity of all living
organisms, from microbes to man.

• Taking the example of man, we have five sense

organs(Natural Sensors) eye, ear, nose, skin and
tongue along with highly developed sensing systems-
the brain and the nervous system.
ii. Artificial Remote Sensing
• Seeing is believing.
• But, we human beings can see only through
the visible light which forms only narrow
bands out of the extremely broad
electromagnetic spectrum.

• This is because our eye is not sensitive to the

wave length below violet and above the red
portions of EMS.
 Cont….
• Similarly, our ear is insensitive to the infrasonic
and the ultrasonic (above the upper limits of
human hearing) frequencies-it can sense only in
the audible frequency range.
• Thus, the knowledge about objects obtained
through our eyes and ears is partial (natural
sensor).

• Due to this reasons, artificial remote sensing is

developed to collect detailed information about
the objects or Phenomena which are found
beyond the visible portions of electromagnetic
spectrum.
 Cont…
• Certainly, in much of remote sensing, the
processes involves an interaction between
incident radiation and the targets of
interest.

• This is exemplified by the use of imaging

systems where the following seven
elements are involved (Fig 1.2).
 1.3. Elements of Remote Sensing Process

Figure 1.2. Element of remote sensing process

1. Energy Source or Illumination (A)
1. Energy Source or Illumination (A)
• The first requirement for remote sensing is to have an
energy source, which illuminates or provides
electromagnetic energy to the target of interest.
2. Radiation and the Atmosphere (B)
• As the energy travels from its source to the target, it will
come in contact with and interact with the atmosphere.

• This interaction may take place a second time as the

energy travels from the source to the target and again
from the target to the sensor.
3. Interaction with the Target (C)
• Once the energy makes its way to the target through the
atmosphere, it interacts with the target depending on
the properties of both the target and the radiation.
 4. Recording of Energy by the Sensor (D) -
• After the energy has been scattered by, or emitted from
the target, we require a sensor (remote - not in contact
with the target) to collect and record the
electromagnetic radiation/energy.
5. Transmission, Reception, and Processing (E)

• The energy recorded by the sensor has to be

transmitted, often in electronic form, to a receiving and
processing station where the data are processed into an
image (in the form of hardcopy and/or digital data).
 6. Interpretation and Analysis (F)
• The processed image is interpreted, visually and/or
digitally or electronically to extract information about the
illuminated target.
7. Application (G)
• The final element of the remote sensing process is achieved
when we apply the information in order to reveal some new
information, or assist in solving a particular problem.

• We will cover all of these processes in sequential

order throughout the course.
 Components in Remote Sensing

Platform
• The vehicle which carries a sensor. i.e. satellite,
aircraft, balloon, etc...

Sensors
• Device that receives electromagnetic radiation and
converts it into a signal that can be recorded and
displayed as either numerical data or an image.
 1.4. Terminologies in remote sensing
• REMOTE SENSING
• Collection and interpretation of information about an object without
being in physical contact with the object.
• SATELLITE
• An object in orbit around a celestial body. It is an object in space that
orbits or circles around a bigger object.
Orbit
• Path of a satellite around a body such as the earth, under the influence of
gravity.

• WAVELENGTH
• Distance between successive wave crests or other equivalent points in a
harmonic wave.
• SWATH
• A swath of data is all data received from a spacecraft on a single pass from
acquisition of signal (AOS) to loss of signal (LOS).
• The area imaged on the surface is referred to as the Swath
• SPECTRAL SENSITIVITY
• Response, or sensitivity, of a film or detector to radiation in
different spectral regions.
• GRAY SCALE
• A sequence of gray tones ranging from black to white.
• ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Energy propagated in the form of and advancing interaction
between electric and magnetic fields. All electromagnetic
radiation moves at the speed of light.
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM--- total range of
wavelength

DETECTOR
• Component of a remote sensing system that converts
electromagnetic radiation into a recorded signal
CONTRAST
• The ratio between the energy emitted or reflected by an
object and its immediate surroundings.
• CYCLE-----One complete oscillation of a wave.
BAND
• A wavelength interval in the electromagnetic spectrum. For
example, in Landsat images the bands designate specific
wavelength intervals at which images are acquired.
Image CLASSIFICATION
• Process of assigning individual pixels of an image to
categories, generally on the basis of spectral reflectance
characteristics.
• BRIGHTNESS
• Magnitude of the response produced in the eye by light.
DIGITAL NUMBER (DN)
• Energy value assigned to a pixel in a digital image.
COLOR COMPOSITE IMAGE
• Color image prepared by projecting individual black-
and-white multispectral images, each through a
different color filter. When the projected images are
superposed, a color composite image results.

CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT
• Image-processing procedure that improves the contrast
ratio of images. The original narrow range of digital
values is expanded to utilize the full range of available
digital values.

• CLUSTER--A homogeneous group of units

DIFFUSE REFLECTOR
• Surface that reflects incident radiation nearly
equally in all directions.
DIGITAL IMAGE
• An image where the property being measured
has been converted from a continuous range of
analogue values to a range expressed by a finite
number of integers, usually recorded as binary
codes from 0 to 255, or as one byte.
DISTORTION
• On an image, changes in shape and position of
objects with respect to their true shape and
position.
 EMISSION
Process by which a body radiates electromagnetic
energy. Emission is determined by kinetic
temperature and emissivity.
FIELD OF VIEW (FOV)
• The area or solid angle which can be viewed
through an optical instrument.
GEORECTIFICATION
• The transformation process by which the
geometry of an image area is made planimetric.
• MOSAIC
• Composite image or photograph made by piecing
together individual images or photographs covering
adjacent areas.
• PANCHROMATIC FILM
• Black and white film that is sensitive to all visible
wavelengths.
• PANCHROMATIC IMAGE
• Imagery taken of all wavelengths within the visible
spectrum.
PIXEL
• An abbreviation of Picture Element. The minimum size
area on the ground detectable by a remote sensing
device. The size varies depending on the type of sensor.
PRIMARY COLORS
• A set of three colors that in various combinations will
produce the full range of colors in the visible spectrum.
There are two sets of primary colors, additive and
subtractive.
• RADIATION
• Propagation of energy in the form of electromagnetic
waves.
• REFLECTANCE
• Ratio of the radiant energy reflected by a body to the
energy incident on it. Spectral reflectance is the reflectance
measured within a specific wavelength interval.

• RESAMPLING
• The calculation of new Digital Numbers for pixels created
during geometric correction of a digital scene, based on the
values in the local area around the uncorrected pixels.
• SENSITIVITY
• Degree to which a detector responds to
electromagnetic energy incident on it.
• TARGET
• Object on the terrain of specific interest in a
remote sensing investigation.
• TEXTURE
• Frequency of change and arrangement of
tones on an image.
• TONE
• Each distinguishable shade of gray from white
to black on an image.
 1.5. History of Remote Sensing

• First known photograph was taken in 1827.

• 1860's - Aerial observations, and possible photography, for
military purposes were acquired from balloons in the Civil
War.
• 1887 - Germans began experiments with aerial photographs
and photogrammetric techniques for measuring features
and areas in forests.
• 1909 - Wilbur Wright takes aerial photograph from an
airplane of Centocelli, Italy, again a motion picture camera is
employed.
• 1919 - Hoffman first to sense from an aircraft in thermal IR.
• 1920's - First books on aerial photo interpretation
• 1946 - First space photographs from V-2
rockets.
• 1950's - Advances in sensor technology move
into multi-spectral range, Color-infrared
photography (CIR) recognized for non-military
applications.
• 1960 - TIROS-1 launched as first meteorological
satellite.
• 1960's - US begins collection of intelligence
photography from Earth orbiting
satellites, CORONA.
• Late 1960's - Gemini and Apollo Space photography.
• 1972 - Launch of ERTS-1, the first Earth Resources
Technology Satellite (later renamed Landsat 1). Carried
return beam vidicon (RBV) and multispectral scanner
(MSS).
• 1972 - Photography from Skylab, America's first space
station, was used to produce land use maps. DMSP
imagery declassified.
• 1975 - Launch of Landsat 2, Launch of the first of
the GOES satellites.
• 1977 - Launch of Meteosat-1, the first in a long series of
European weather satellites.
• 1978 - Launch of Landsat 3
• 1978 - Launch of Nimbus-7 with Total Ozone Mapping
Sensor (TOMS) and the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS),
Launch of GOES-3.
• 1981 - Launch of Space-Shuttle Imaging Radar
(SIR-A), Launch of Meteosat-2
• 1982 - Launch of Landsat 4
• 1984 - Launch of SIR-B
• 1984 - Launch of Landsat 5
• 1986 - Launch of SPOT-1 (Systeme Probatorie de
la Observation de la Terre)
• 1988 - Launch of IRS-1A, the first in a long series
of Indian Remote Sensing Satellites [isro.org/],
Launch of Meteosat 3, Launch of Ofek-1
• 1989 - Launch of Meteosat-4, Launch of Ofeq-2
• 1990 - Launch of SPOT-2
• 1991 - Launch of European Radar Satellite ERS-1, the first
satellite with an altimeter able to map the earth surface to
within 5 cm
• 1992 - Launch of JERS-1, Launch of Topex/Poseidon. [topex-
www.jpl.nasa.gov/]
• 1993 - Launch of SPOT-3, Landsat 6 fails to achieve orbit,
Launch of Meteosat-6
• 1994 - SIR-C/X-SAR flys on the space shuttle.
[jpl.nasa.gov/radar/sircxsar/]
• 1995 - Early KH intelligence imagery declassified by an
Executive Order signed by President Clinton authorizing the
declassification of satellite photographs collected in the
1960's.
• 1995 - Launch of OrbView-1 the world's first commercial
imaging satellite, Launch of ERS-2 [deos.tudelft.nl/ers/],
Launch of Radarsat-1[radarsat.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/],
Launch of IRS-1C, Ofeq-3 fails
• 2001 - Launch of Digitalglobe Quickbird, 61 cm resolution.