Christine Urbanowicz

Prepared for NC Climate Fellows WorkshopJune 21, 2011

OutlineWhat is remote sensing?Electromagnetic spectrum Satellites and their application to climate change

Identifying, observing, and measuring an object without coming into direct contact with it (NASA)

What is remote sensing?

Activity Recap After using infrared thermometers to characterize the landscape…

Were there any patterns in IR across the landscape?

Vs.

Differences between ground IR

data, aerial data, and satellite data?

Ease of data collection Data extent, records Spatial Resolution Temporal Resolution Spectral Resolution

Did IR provide different information than visible wavelengths?

Activity Recap

A

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Gamma Rays

X-Rays UV

Infrared Radio Waves

Visible Light

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Visible Infrared

Ref

lect

ance

Healthy Vegetation

Building

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Tradeoffs in Sensor Design

To increase the signal to noise ratio, we can :

Field of View Dwell time Width of spectral bands

How do these changes affect

the different resolutions?

So many satellites and sensors

Landsat ProgramTemporal: 16 days

Spectral: 4-8 bandsSpatial: 30 m

Land cover and land cover change

MODIS (on two satellites)Temporal: Daily

Spectral: 36 bandsSpatial: 250-1000 m

Global land cover and ocean RS

Fire monitoring

IKONOSTemporal: On DemandSpectral: 4 bandsSpatial: 1-4 m

Local land cover

JASON (Active)Temporal: 10 daysSpectral: NA (Active)Spatial: ~ 2 km

Sea level

SummaryRemote sensing allows us to

observe and monitor the earth surface

Features on the ground can be

interpreted using spectral information

Satellites have wide range of purposes

Sensor PlatformsPigeons, Planes, and Satellites

How might scientists use IR data to study the earth’s surface?

Activity Recap

Kohrs, Infrared Image