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Certificate Course on Basic Training on Remote Sensing Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP)

Under the Professional Skill Development Program


By: Md. ESRAZ-Ul-Zannat

Module-01: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing

Date:

27 September 2013

Signature
Md. ESRAZ-Ul-Zannat
MURP (BUET), BURP (BUET) MBIP (509), RAJUK Enlisted (RP09004)

GIS & Remote Sensing Specialist Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Division Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) House # 496, Road # 32, New DOHS, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1206 Cell: +8801712688268 Phone (Office): 8824590-91, 8802882205-6, Telex: 117 Fax: 88-02-8827901 Email (Personal): esrazuz@gmail.com Email (Official): euz@iwmbd.org Web: www.iwmbd.org

Outline
Fundamentals of Remote Sensing Electromagnetic energy (spectrum) Interactions with the atmosphere Characteristics of images Resolution: spatial, spectral, temporal and radiometric Basics of visual image interpretation Remote Sensing technology. Overview of different satellites and Sensors

Definition
Remote sensing is 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.

Remote Sensing
Collecting information without being in contact with it Measurement from a distance

Hearing, seeing, smelling are all remote sensing, but we will focus on one kind: Measurement, by satellite-borne sensors, of the electromagnetic energy reflected or emitted from objects on the Earths surface.
Source of image: http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Intro/nicktutor_I-1.html

Definition of Remote Sensing

Measurement from a distance. Measurement, by satellite-borne sensors, of the electromagnetic energy reflected or emitted from objects on the Earths surface.
Source of image: http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Intro/nicktutor_I-1.html

Satellites

Types of Satellites

Remote Sensing Satellites

Whats standing between you and your signal???


The atmosphere Terrain relief Season Sun angle Partial spectral signatures

Whats standing between you and your signal???


Remote sensing data must be corrected for atmospheric, topographic, and solar effects if they are to be compared to a library of spectral reflectance curves. Furthermore, relative atmospheric correction is needed if data signatures from one image date are to be compared to those from another date. Robert A. Schowengerdt, Remote Sensing: Models and Methods for Image Processing

Remote Sensing Realities | June

Whats standing between you and your signal???


A common radiometric response is required for quantitative analysis of multiple satellite images of a scene acquired on different dates with different sensor. Ideally, you want all image to appear as if they were acquired with the same sensor while observing through the same atmosphere and illumination conditions. Hall et al., 1991

Types of Satellites Orbits

Types of Satellites Orbits

Geostationary vs. polar orbiting sensors


Geostationary sensors orbit with the earth continually viewing the same hemispheric area Polar orbiters, continually view new areas of the earth as the planet rotates underneath the sensor. Keeps the same general solar time as it cross the equator on each orbit called sun synchronous
Polar orbit

Geostationary Field-of-View (FOV)

sub-orbital point

The field-of-view (FOV) of a Geostationary satellite (i.e., what it can see from its vantage point in space) remains the same over time, and is at most of the Earths surface (90 longitude one either side of the sub-orbital point on the equator).

Orbital Geometry
Nadir

Solar Zenith Angle Elevation Angle

Zenith Horizon

0.16 0.14

Radiance (Wm nm sr )

0.12 0.1 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750

average shrub average grass average soil

Reflectance

What we measure in remote sensing?

-2

-1

-1

2000

2250

2500

123 4
0.6
average shrub

Wavelength (nm) 5

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 250

average grass average soil

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

2000

2250

2500

Wavelength (nm)

What we measure in remote sensing?


Many more:
Temperature Soil moisture Mineral and rock types Rainfall Snow cover, snow depth or snow water equivalent Vegetation type and biomass Sea ice properties (concentration, thickness, extent, area) Elevation and change Aerosol, gas types and concentration You might name a few more?

The need for Education in Remote Sensing


Pollution, population growth exceeding the support capability of the land, loss of biodiversity and global climate change are only few of the problems that face todays and tomorrows generations. Remote sensing and related technologies can contribute to our understanding of these problems as well as the implementation of practical solutions

Advantages of remote sensing


Provides a regional view (large areas) Provides repetitive looks at the same area Remote sensors "see" over a broader portion of the spectrum than the human eye Sensors can focus in on a very specific bandwidth in an image or a number of bandwidths simultaneously Provides geo-referenced, digital, data Some remote sensors operate in all seasons, at night, and in bad weather

Satellite Images

Advantages Disadvantages Covers large areas Needs ground verification Cost effective Doesnt offer details Time efficient Not the best tool for Multi-temporal small areas Multi-sensor Needs expert system to Multi-spectral extract data Overcomes inaccessibility Faster extraction of GISready data

Remote Sensing Applications


Land-use mapping Forest and agriculture applications Telecommunication planning Environmental applications Hydrology and coastal mapping Urban planning Emergencies and Hazards Global change and Meteorology Many more.

Application of Remote sensing


Urbanization & Transportation
Updating road maps Asphalt conditions Wetland delineation

Agriculture
Crop health analysis Precision agriculture Compliance mapping Yield estimation

Application of Remote sensing


Natural Resource Management

Habitat analysis Environmental assessment Pest/disease outbreaks Impervious surface mapping Lake monitoring Hydrology Landuse-Landcover monitoring Mineral province Geomorphology Geology

National Security -Targeting - Disaster mapping and monitoring -Damage assessment -Weapons monitoring -Homeland security -Navigation -Policy

Applications of National Priority

Carbon Management

Public Health

Energy Management

Aviation

Water Management

Homeland Security

Coastal Management

Disaster Management

Agricultural Efficiency

Invasive Species

Ecological Forecasting

Air Quality

Remotely Sensed Data

Aerial Camera

Multispectral Satellite

Radar Satellite

Hyperspectral Sensor

Landsat/Ikonos/Quickbard

Hyperion

Image Processing
-

Image Pre-Processing Image Restoration Sensor Calibrations Atmospheric Corrections Solar Illumination Corrections Topographic Corrections Geometric Corrections
Image processing Spatial enhancement Spectral enhancement Classification Feature Extraction

Image Processing Software


ERDAS Imagine ENVI ILWIS ArcGIS PCI Geomatica

Nature of Remote Sensing Data


Quantized grid of small areas on the Earths surface. The energy of reflected electromagnetic radiation in each grid cell is a function of the characteristics of the objects in that cell.
Landsat Red = 5 (MIR) Green = 4 (NIR) Blue = 3 (Red)

Band

A set of adjacent wavelengths or frequencies with a common characteristic. For example, visible light is one band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes radio, gamma, radar and infrared waves.

Electromagnetic Spectrum
Electromagnetic waves are radiated through space from some source. When the energy encounters an object, even a very tiny one like a molecule of air, one of three reactions occurs. The radiation will be: (1) reflected off the object, (2) absorbed by the object, or (3) transmitted through the object.

Some Light Is Reflected

Albedo: reflective quality of a surface, expressed as percent of incident light reflected.

Sensors
Sensors - gather and process information detect and measure photons. Most air/space sensors are spectroradiometers The term spectroradiometer is reserved for sensors that collect the dispersed radiation in bands rather than discrete wavelengths.

Spectroradiometry is the measurement of absolute


radiometric quantities in narrow bands of wavelength

All sensors reside on a platform

Ground based sensors are used to compare with info collected by satellite sensors.

Sensor Technology
EMR is reflected or emitted from
target, through atmosphere, monitored by sensor. Sensors measure photons.

Critical component - the detector.

Photoelectric effect (Albert Einstein)


The release of electrons that occurs when electromagnetic radiation comes in contact with a metal.

Photoelectric effect
EMR Plate electrons Signal

Radiometer is a general term for any instrument that quantitatively measures EMR. Most sensors are spectroradiometers.
radiation collected in narrow spectral bands.

Prism or diffraction grating - breaks radiation into discrete wavelengths.

Sensor System
Platforms - Ground based ,Airborne , Satellite Sensor Types Passive, active Imaging, nonimaging Passive Sensors Photographic spectroradiometers Passive microwave systems Visible, infrared, and thermal imaging systems Active Sensors - Radar, Lidar

Two classes of sensors


Passive - radiation received comes from external source, Sun. Active - energy generated from within sensor system, beamed outward, and

fraction returned is measured.

Passive Sensors

Sun provides source of energy reflected (vis, near IR) absorbed and re-emitted (thermal IR)

Passive sensors can only be used to detect energ


when the sun is illuminating the Earth. thermal infrared - detected day or night.

Active sensors
sensor emits radiation which is directed toward target. radiation reflected from target is detected and measured by sensor.

Active sensors
Advantage

measurements anytime, regardless of time of day or season. can be used for examining wavelengths not sufficiently provided by the sun, such as microwaves.

Sensors can be
non-imaging - measures radiation and reports result as electrical signal imaging - electrons released are used to excite or ionize a substance like silver (Ag)

in film or to drive an image producing


device like a TV or computer monitor.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Source: http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/DIAL.html

Remote Sensing Platforms

Ground-based

Airplane-based

Satellite-based

NASA Research Spacecraft

In remote sensing, we are largely concerned with REFLECTED RADIATION. This is the radiation that causes our eyes to see colors, causes infrared film to record vegetation, and allows radar images of the earth to be created. The source of a vast majority of this reflected radiation is the sun.

Radiant Intensity of the Sun

Jensen, 2000

What Does The Detector See?


The instantaneous field of view (IFOV) is the cone angle in which the incident energy on the detector is focused.
Detector Objective
H Useful conversion: the ground area a detector sees if nadir (pointed straight down) is: D = H*IFOV, where D = diameter of circular ground area viewed by the detector H = height of the detector above terrain IFOV = angle (in radians) of the systems instantaneous field of view

Cone of light
D

Angle = IFOV

Swath
Area imaged on the ground Imaging swaths for different sensors vary from tens and hundreds of km wide.

Swath
Earth is rotating (from west to east). satellite swath covers new area with each consecutive pass. Allows complete coverage of Earth's surface.

Describing Sensors
Resolution: the smallest difference/units that is resolvable by a sensor Extent: the range of units of measurement that a sensor can resolve
Four Types: 1. Spatial 2. Spectral 3. Radiomatric 4. Temporal

Radiometric Resolution Spectral Resolution

8- bits 1- bit

Landsat

IKONOS

Spatial Resolution

The detail discernible in an image is


dependent on the spatial resolution of the sensor.

Spatial Resolution
Pixel size of satellite images High spatial resolution: 0.5 - 4 m Medium spatial resolution: 4 - 30 m

Low spatial resolution: 30 - > 1000 m


Landsat spatial resolution = 30m

Spatial Resolution

Spatial Resolution
General rule of thumb: the spatial resolution should be less than half of the size of the smallest object of interest.

Spatial Extent

Angular Field of View (AFOV) Swath Width

Spectral Resolution
Spectral resolution
The number, wavelength position and width of spectral bands a sensor has A band is a region of the EMR to which a set of detectors are sensitive. Multispectral sensors have a few, wide bands Hyperspectral sensors have a lot of narrow bands

Spectral Resolution
Number and position of bands in the electromagnetic spectrum that the sensor measures. High spectral resolution: - 220 bands Medium spectral resolution: 3 - 15 bands Low spectral resolution: - 3 bands Landsat = 7 bands

Spectral Resolution

Jensen, 2000

Radiometric Resolution and Extent


Radiometric resolution: the difference in signal strength resolvable by the sensor Reported in terms of bits: n-bits = 2n levels of sensitivity. A 6-bit sensor can record 26 levels of brightness, or 64 levels. A 12-bit sensor can record 212 levels of brightness, or 4096 levels. Radiometric extent: the range of brightness values a sensor band is sensitive to: While there is a zero point (e.g. zero radiance is received by the sensor), there is no physical limit on how bright a pixel can be. Depending on the purpose of the sensor, this maximum is set accordingly. It can be controlled by having a smaller IFOV, shorter sampling time or narrower bands.

Radiometric Resolution and Extent


The actual information content in an image. The sensitivity of the sensor to the magnitude of electromagnetic energy determines the radiometric resolution refers to the smallest change in intensity level that can be detected by the sensing system.

Radiometric Resolution and Extent


In a digital image, the radiometric resolution is limited by the number of discrete levels used to digitize the continuous intensity value. Digital Number (DN) - each pixel has a discrete value made by converting the analog signal to digital values of whole numbers over a finite range. Landsat system range is 28, 0 to 255

Radiometric Resolution

1-bit 4-bit 6-bit 3-bit 2-bit 8-bit 2 256 16 64 8 greys 4 greys greys greys

Bit Depth

Bit Depth

The range of values that a particular raster format can store, based on the formula 2n. An 8-bit depth dataset can store 256 unique values. Range of values by pixel depth.
Bit depth 1 bit 2 bit 4 bit Unsigned 8 bit Signed 8 bit Unsigned 16 bit Signed 16 bit Unsigned 32 bit Signed 32 bit Floating-point 32 bit Range of values that each cell can contain 0 to 1 0 to 3 0 to 15 0 to 255 -128 to 127 0 to 65535 -32768 to 32767 0 to 4294967295 -2147483648 to 2147483647 -3.402823466e+38 to 3.402823466e+38

Radiometric Extent

Maximum brightness = 127 255

Temporal Resolution and Extent


Temporal resolution: the shortest amount of time between image acquisitions of a given location. Temporal extent: the time between sensor launch and retirement.
Important to consider if historical data is necessary.

Temporal Resolution and Extent


Specifies the revisiting frequency of a satellite sensor for a specific location. High temporal resolution: < 24 hours - 3 days Medium temporal resolution: 4 - 16 days Low temporal resolution: > 16 days Landsat = 16 days

Temporal Resolution
MISR and MODIS are both on the TERRA satellite:

MISR has a swath width of 360 km. and images the earth once every 9 days.

MODIS has a swath width of 2,330 km. and images the earth once every 1 to 2 days.

Temporal Extent
The temporal extent of satellites is their launch to retirement date.
There are continuity missions for certain sensors, where an older sensor is replaced by a newer one before retirement.
LANDSAT sensors (1-7, except 6 which never made it to orbit) have been operating continuously since 1972. GOES (8-10) have been operating since 1994.

Pixel Size

Spectral Band Width

Pixel Size

Swath Width

Swath Width

Repeat Time

Fundamental Principle of Studies Using Remote Sensing: For any given material, the amount of radiation that is reflected (absorbed, transmitted) varies with wavelength. Different materials have different reflectance characteristics.

For any given material, the amount of radiation that is reflected (absorbed, transmitted) varies with wavelength.

The satellite images, consist of numbers which are measurements of the amount of energy that has been reflected from the earth's surface in different wavelength bands. Some of these bands, such as the infrared bands which contain so much information about vegetation growth and condition, can't be seen with the human eye The numbers recorded for the different satellite bands are displayed in red, green and blue colour guns on a computer screen.

Reflectance spectra of vegetation


--Chlorophyll reflects higher Green and Infrared, but absorbs more Red --NDVI is (IR-R)/(IR+R); range is 1 to +1

-- NDVI of an actively photosynthesizing leaf is, e.g. (72-22)/(72+22) = 0.53

Colored lines approx. represent TM bands 1-4

Modified from Jensen, J. 2000. Remote Sensing of the Environment. Prentice-Hall

Land cover Land use (inside Protected Area Remote Sensing? (PA) and adjacent lands) Fragmentation Sensor networks? Vegetation health Vegetation parameters (NDVI, NPP, LAI) Frequency of invasive species Climate change impacts Air quality Water quality Sensor networks? Streamflow Inputs (nitrogen, mercury)

Evolution of Satellite Imaging Industry


1960 1972 1984 1986 1988 1995 1992 1994 1999 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2007 2008 2009 2012 2013 2014
USG Launch of 1st spy satellite USG Landsat satellite USG Landsat satellite French SPOT satellite Russian satellite Indian satellite Congress passes Landsat Act Presidential Executive Order USG Landsat 7 US commercial IKONOS Israeli EROS satellite US commercial QuickBird CIA Memo to use commercial imagery Presidential Policy on Commercial Remote Sensing US commercial Orbview-3 US commercial WorldView-1 GeoEye-1 WorldView 2 Pleiades GeoEye-2 WorldView 3

classified 90m 30m 10m 7m 5m 15m .82m 1.0m .61m 1.0m .5m .5m .4m .4m

Landsat Satellite
Landsat 1 (originally named Earth Resources Technology Satellite 1): launched July 23, 1972, terminated operations January 6, 1978 Landsat 2: launched January 22, 1975, terminated January 22, 1981 Landsat 3: launched March 5, 1978, terminated March 31, 1983 Landsat 4: launched July 16, 1982, terminated 1993 Landsat 5: launched March 1, 1984, still functioning, but severe problems since November 2011. On December 26, 2012, USGS announced that Landsat 5 will be decommissioned. Landsat 6: launched October 5, 1993, failed to reach orbit Landsat 7: launched April 15, 1999, still functioning, but with faulty scan line corrector (May 2003) Landsat 8: Landsat Data Continuity Mission was launched February 11, 2013. May 30, 2013 Landsat Data Continuity Mission was turned over to USGS and renamed Landsat 8

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)


7 channel sensor mounted on the Landsat platform

sun-synchronous, near-polar orbit altitude 705 km. 16 day repeat coverage 30 m ground resolution across a swath of 185 km except for thermal data -120 m ground resolution.

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)


Bands
BLUE (0.45-0.52 m): water body penetration, coastal water mapping, soil/vegetation discrimination, forest type mapping, cultural feature identification. GREEN (0.52-0.60 m): green reflectance peak of veg. for discrimination and vigor assessment, cultural feature identification.

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)


RED (0.63-0.69 m): chlorophyll absorption
region aiding in plant species differentiation, cultural feature identification. NEAR INFRARED (0.76-0.90 m): determining vegetation types, vigor, and biomass content, delineating water bodies, soil moisture discrimination.

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)


MID-INFRARED (1.55-1.75 m): vegetation moisture content and soil moisture, differentiation of snow from clouds. FAR-INFRARED (2.08-2.35 m): discrimination of mineral and rock types, vegetation moisture content. THERMAL INFRARED (10.4-12.5 m): vegetation stress analysis, soil moisture discrimination, and thermal mapping applications.

Sensor Summarization

Image Processing Services


Our standard image processing includes:
Orthorectification
Client provided control (GCPs) RPC (Sensor) Model

Mosaicking and tonal balancing Cloud patching / haze correction Colour enhancements Image compression (ECW/SID)

Elevation Data Generation


DTM generation from stereo imagery:
DEM (regular grid at 1-5m) Contours (1m) Breaklines (including hydrography and access features) Random mass-points at high and low points Vertical accuracy of +/- 1 to 1.5m with surveyed control

Thanking You

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