INTRODUCTORY REMOTE SENSING Geob 373
Landsat 7 15 m image highlighting the geology of Oman http://www.satimagingcorp.com/gallery-landsat.html
ASTER 15 m SWIR image, Escondida Mine, Chile http://www.satimagingcorp.com/satellite-sensors/aster.html
ADDING COLOUR TO THE UNSEEN Radio wave Red Blue Green Infra red The colours we see.
ASTER 15 m SWIR image, Mexicali
ASTER 15 m image, Las Vegas
MODIS 50 m hyperspectral image, Alaska http://airbornescience.nasa.gov/instrument/instruments.html
GOALS OF THE COURSE Overview of basics of remote sensing: Electromagnetic spectrum (energy), spectral responses of objects (e.g., trees, buildings, crops) Platforms/Sensors: where / how they capture the energy How this energy gets converted into images (A2D) Development of technical / theoretical skills for reading, enhancing and processing remotely sensed data in ArcMap (DIP) Use of remotely sensed imagery in (e.g.) environmental change detection, urbanization, desertification, deforestation, forest fire monitoring, natural hazards Become aware of the uses of remotely sensed data in a Geographic Information System
GOALS OF THE COURSE At the end of the course you should be able to, for a particular environmental problem (e.g., examining the effects of mountain pine beetle in BC): Determine what data is available, identify what data is relevant (resolution, spectral response, temporal aspects), load and process data in remote sensing software (georectification, enhancement, classification), conduct change analysis, and understand error. That is, know which imagery can be applied to which environmental problem, and what information you can obtain from the analysis.
COURSE PARTICULARS Web site: http://www.geog.ubc.ca/courses/geob373 Contains: Syllabus (marking scheme, etc.) Class and lab schedule Lab instructions Project description Laptops okay, but, please
WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING? Remote sensing is the art and science of acquiring information about the Earth's surface without actually being in contact with it. This is done by sensing and recording reflected or emitted energy and processing, analyzing, and applying that information.
WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING? Platforms Data types Analog (mainly older aerial photographs, some very old satellite imagery) Digital (satellite images, now aerial photography as well, LIDAR, RADAR) Science: Physics (in particular for RADAR) Art: Subjective interpretation Data qualities Fine resolution--large scale analyses Coarse resolution--small scale studies Data sources: Visible light (sun, lasers), heat (IR), radio waves (radar) and much more.
PLATFORMS Different platforms (the object that holds/contains the remote sensing device) are used, depending on the budget and scale of the study. Drone
Stereo-effect: pairs of images that are displaced produce a 3-D effect. Allows for measuring elevation, and for correcting for the distortions created by elevation (and perspective projections). AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
COLOUR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS Shinnecock Bay, Long Island, NY highlighting submerged aquatic vegetation
INFRARED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH Airborne thermal IR (25 cm resolution) of homes highlighting energy loss http://www.imagingnotes.com/go/article_free.php?mp_id=181
OBLIQUE AERIAL PHOTOS Eagleview
Eddies off of Haida Gwaii SeaWiFS (1 km) data June 13, 2002. SATELLITE IMAGERY: OCEAN MONITORING http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/iotd/view.php?id=2536
DROUGHT MONITORING JULY 2001 JULY 2002 LANDSAT THEMATIC MAPPER (30 m) (SOURCE: CCRS 2002) (Healthy vegetation is bright red)
DISASTER MONITORING MODIS imagery (200 m) showing Myanmar before and after being hit by a cyclone. http://movingimages.wordpress.com/2008/05/
LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING Forest canopy (1st return) Using many rapid small bursts of laser light, an aircraft-borne apparatus records reflection from multiple sources. Ground surface (last return)
LIDAR Archaeology Oceanography
(30 m) RADAR MONITORING SEA ICE
LECTURE REVIEW This is just a brief overview of the various sensors and applications that we will cover in greater detail throughout the course. The notes will supplement the text, while the labs will complement the lecture material by exposing you to realworld data and applications.