Remote Sensing: Meaning,
Concept and Components |
Geography
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In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Introduction to
Remote Sensing 2. Concept of Remote Sensing 3.
Components 4. Satellite Remote Sensing.
Introduction to Remote Sensing:
Remote sensing in the science and art 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 under
investigation. It is a technology for sampling
electromagnetic radiation to acquire and interpret non-
immediate geospatial data from which to extract
information about features, objects and classes on the
Earth’s land surface, oceans and atmosphere (and, where
applicable, on the exteriors of other bodies in the solar
system, or, in the broadest framework, celestial bodies
such as stars and galaxies).
Without direct contact, some means of transferring
information through space must be utilized. In other
words, remote sensing refers to instrument-based
techniques used in the acquisition and measurement of
spatially organized (distributed) data/information on some
property (ies) (spectral; spatial; physical) of an array of
target points (pixels) within the sensed scene that
correspond to features, objects and materials, doing this
by applying one or more recording devices not in physical,
intimate contact with the item(s) under surveillance.
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The remote sensing techniques involve amassing
knowledge pertinent to the sensed scene (target) by
utilizing electromagnetic radiation, force fields, or
acoustic energy by employing cameras, microwave
radiometers and scanners, lasers, radio frequency
receivers, radar systems, sonar, thermal devices,
seismographs, magnetometers, gravimeters, scintillo-
meters and other sensing instruments.
All these advanced instruments gather different types of
data that can be interpreted to derive accurate, large-
scale information about the Earth’s surface and
atmosphere. Because these data and images are digital,
they can easily be quantified and manipulated using
computers.
This makes remote sensing a uniquely versatile tool, since
the same data can be analyzed in different ways for
different applications. Some of the fields that use remote
sensing are agriculture, forestry, geology, archaeology,
oceanography, architecture, meteorology, etc.
Concept of Remote Sensing:
When electromagnetic radiation falls upon a surface, some
of its energy is absorbed while some is transmitted
through the surface and the rest is reflected. Surfaces also
naturally emit radiation in the form of heat. Photographic
films or digital sensors in the satellite or aerial vehicle
record the reflected and emitted radiation. Since the
intensity and wavelengths of this radiation depend on the
nature of surface, each surface is described as possessing
a characteristic spectral signature.
Specific instruments and software’s are used to identify
and distinguish between different spectral signatures
which will be ultimately useful in mapping the extent of
surfaces. Satellite remote sensing is widely used as a tool
in many parts of the world for the management of the
natural resources and global activities. The remote
sensing is divided into two major categories – satellite
remote sensing and aerial photography.
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The satellite may be geostationary (which permits
continuous sensing of a portion of the Earth) or sun-
synchronous with polar orbit (which covers entire Earth at
the same equator crossing time. The LANDSAT series
satellites have a repeat period ranging from 16-18 days,
whereas in IRS satellite, it is 22 days. Sensor is a device
used for making observations and uses satellite as
platform and observes large areas of the Earth surface.
Components of Remote Sensing:
Major Components of Remote Sensing Technology:
The following are major components of remote
sensing system:
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1. Energy Source:
i. Passive System:
Sun, irradiance from earth’s materials.
ii. Active System:
Irradiance from artificially generated energy sources such
as radar.
2. Platforms:
These are vehicles to carry the sensor e.g. truck, aircraft,
space shuttle, satellite, etc.
3. Sensors:
Device to detect electro-magnetic radiation e.g. camera,
scanner, etc.
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4. Detectors:
Handling signal data e.g. photographic, digital, etc.
5. Processing:
Handling signal data e.g. photographic, digital etc.
6. Institutionalization:
These are organizations for execution of all stages of
remote sensing technology e.g. International and national
organizations, research centres, universities, etc.
Classification of Remote Sensing:
With respect to the type of energy resources, remote
sensing is classified into two categories – passive and
active remote sensing.
i. Passive Remote Sensing:
It makes use of sensors that detect the reflected or
emitted electro-magnetic radiation from natural sources.
ii. Active Remote Sensing:
It makes use of sensors that detect reflected responses
from objects that are irradiated from artificially-generated
energy sources, such as radar.
With respect to wavelength regions, remote sensing
is classified into three categories:
i. Visible and Reflective Infrared Remote Sensing.
ii. Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing.
iii. Microwave Remote Sensing.
Satellite Remote Sensing:
The Earth is constantly under observation by many
satellites orbiting the planet and collecting data. They are
engaged in an activity called “remote sensing”, the act of
obtaining information about something without being in
direct contact with it. The satellite images, as well as the
actual predictions, are obtained through remote sensing of
the Earth.
The satellites don’t gather the information themselves;
they simply orbit the Earth and provide platforms from
which the sensors can observe large areas of the surface.
Airplanes also provide platforms for remote sensing and
some sensors operate from land. Remote sensing satellites
are launched by government agencies of many countries
including India, and are usually equipped with sensors
that serve a particular purpose.
For the past four decades, Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) has launched more than 65 satellites
for various scientific and technological applications like
mobile communications, Direct-to-Home services,
meteorological observations, telemedicine, tele- education,
disaster warning, radio networking, search and rescue
operations, remote sensing and scientific studies of the
space.
ISRO has established two major space systems, the Indian
National Satellite System (INSAT) series for
communication, television broadcasting and
meteorological services which is geo-stationary satellites,
and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) system for
resources monitoring and management which is Earth
observation satellites. ISRO has launched many
experimental satellites which are generally small
comparing to INSAT or IRS.
Important Terminologies:
i. Analog and Digital Images:
An image is a two-dimensional representation of objects in
a real scene. Remote sensing images are representations
of parts of the earth surface as seen from space. The
images may be analog or digital. Aerial photographs are
examples of analog images while satellite images acquired
using electronic sensors are examples of digital images.
ii. Multilayer Image:
Several types of measurement may be made from the
ground area covered by a single pixel. Each type of
measurement forms an image which carries some specific
information about the area. By “stacking” these images
from the same area together, a multilayer image is
formed. Each component image is a layer in the multilayer
image. Multilayer images can also be formed by combining
images obtained from different sensors and other
subsidiary data.
iii. Multispectral Image:
A multispectral image consists of a few image layers, each
layer represents an image acquired at a particular
wavelength band. For example, if a sensor operating in the
multispectral mode detects radiations in three wavelength
bands: the green (500-590 nm), red (610-680 nm) and near
infrared (790-890 nm) bands, then a single multispectral
scene consists of three intensity images in the three
wavelength bands.
In this case, each pixel of the scene has three intensity
values corresponding to the three bands. While a Landsat
TM multispectral image consists of seven bands: blue,
green, red, near-IR bands, two SWIR bands and a thermal
IR band.
iv. Superspectral Image:
The more recent satellite sensors are capable of acquiring
images at many more wavelength bands e.g. nearly 36
spectral bands, covering the wavelength regions ranging
from the visible, near infrared, short-wave infrared to the
thermal infrared. The bands have narrower bandwidths,
enabling the finer spectral characteristics of the targets to
be captured by the sensor.
v. Hyperspectral Image:
A hyperspectral image consists of about a hundred or
more contiguous spectral bands. The characteristic
spectrum of the target pixel is acquired in a hyperspectral
image. The precise spectral information contained in a
hyperspectral image enables better characterization and
identification of targets.
vi. Spatial Resolution:
It refers to the size of the smallest object that can be
resolved on the ground. It is a measure of the smallest
area identifiable on a digital image as a discrete separate
unit (typically pixels) or measure of the smallest angular
or linear separation between two objects that can be
resolved by the sensor.
A “High Resolution” image refers to one with a small
resolution size. Fine details can be seen in a high
resolution image. On the other hand, a “Low Resolution”
image is one with a large resolution size, i.e. only coarse
features can be observed in the image.
vii. Spectral Resolution:
Spectral resolution describes the specific wavelengths that
the sensor can record within the electromagnetic
spectrum. Narrow bandwidths in certain regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum allow the discrimination of
various features more easily.
viii. Temporal Resolution:
Temporal resolution is a description of how often a sensor
can obtain imagery of a particular area of interest. It is
based on the repeat period of a particular satellite. Ideally,
the sensor obtains data repetitively to capture unique
discriminating characteristics of the phenomena of
interest.
ix. Radiometric Resolution:
Radiometric resolution refers to the smallest change in
intensity level that can be detected by the sensing system.
It is the capability to differentiate the spectral reflectance/
remittance from various targets. This depends on the
number of quantization levels within the spectral band. In
other words, the number of bits of digital data in the
spectral band will decide the sensitivity of sensor.
Utilization of Satellite Remote Sensing Techniques:
Satellites have been providing multispectral images of the
Earth continuously since the early 1970’s. A unique 40
years data record of the Earth’s land surface now exists.
This unique retrospective portrait of the Earth’s surface
has been used across disciplines to achieve improved
understanding of the Earth’s land surface and the impacts
of humans on the environment.
Satellite data have been utilized in a variety of
government, public, private and national security
applications. Examples include land and water
management, global change research, oil and mineral
exploration, agricultural yield forecasting, pollution
monitoring, land surface change detection, cartographic
mapping, etc.
Satellite based remotely sensed digital data have been
used to map forest resources since the inception of the
LANDSAT satellite programme in 1972. Satellites provide
synoptic images and homogeneous data, which can be
geographically registered over time and which can be
therefore an efficient tool for providing high quality forest
management information. Since the 1980s, with the
availability of scanners, improvements in computer
software and development of image processing algorithms,
there have been many studies of remote sensing
applications in forestry.
