REMOTE SENSING

Minakshi Kumar
Indian Institute of Remote Sensing
Indian Space Research Organisation
The 5 sense organs Sensing Everyday

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 Remote Sensing
Remote : Far Away

Sensing : is to observe

Remote Sensing is an art and science of collecting information

about an object, area or phenomenon from a distance without
being in direct contact with the object under study.

The technique of acquiring information about an object by a recording device (sensor) that
is not in physical contact with the object by measuring portion of reflected or emitted
electromagnetic radiation from the earth’s surface.
(Kumar, M. 2001, Remote Sensing, NCERT)

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Components of Remote Sensing
Antenna Sensor Energy Source

(An observing
Device)

Ground Station

Satellites - objects which revolve around another object following

a path known as its orbit. Region
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Types of Remote Sensing
Passive

• Passive Remote Sensing

• Active Remote Sensing

Optical Remote Sensing

Active

Microwave Remote Sensing

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Example:
Corona

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Electromagnetic Waves

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Characteristics of Electromagnetic Waves

Frequency (n)
Wavelength ()
Frequency Bands
Radiation
Signals

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The electromagnetic spectrum

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 Types of Frequency Bands and Wavelength
Remote sensing types based on the
wavelength regions
 Visible and Reflective Infrared
Remote Sensing,
0.4µm to 3 µm

 Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing

3 µm to 35 µm
 Microwave Remote Sensing,
1mm to 1m

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 Sun Light and Atmosphere

Black body Radiation

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 Sensors

Active Sensor Microwave sensors

Passive Sensor Passive Active

Optical Remote Sensing Microwave Remote Sensing

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Remote Sensing Platforms

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Types of orbits for remote sensing satellites

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Types of orbits for remote sensing satellites

 Low earth orbits (LEO)  Geo stationary (GEO)

 Altitude 150-300 km;  Altitude 36000km above the
 Near earth orbit (NEO) / Middle Earth Orbit equator
(MEO)
 Altitude 300-6400 km;

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Resolution and its types
• Spatial
• Spectral
• Radiometric
• Temporal

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1. Spatial Resolution

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 2. Spectral Resolution
Width of the spectral range
Spectral Principal Applications
covered
Range (µm)
0.45 to 0.52 Sensitivity to chlorophyll, coastal water mapping,
soil/vegetation Discrimination, forest type mapping.
0.52 to 0.60 Green reflectance for vegetation discrimination.
0.63 to 0.69 Sensitivity to chlorophyll, plant species identification.

0.76 to 0.90 Vegetation type, soil boundary and geological boundary

mapping.
1.55 to 1.75 Sensitivity to the amount of water in plants, drought studies,
snow/cloud differentiation.
Panchromatic Image
(1 m)
Multispectral Image
(4 m)
2.08 to 2.35 Useful in discrimination of minerals and rock types.
10.4 to 12.5 Surface temperature mapping.

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Spectral Reflectance Curve

IRS LISS-3 Both cloud and snow have higher reflectance in visible and hence cannot be discriminated (except
from shadow). In SWIR, low reflectance of snow can discriminate snow from cloud.

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 3. Radiometric resolution

This resolution defines the

ability of the sensor to
differentiate between
varying gray-scale values

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 4. Temporal Resolution
This is the measure of the number of days between the observation
of same target

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Imaging Sensors for Remote Sensing

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Types of Electro – Optical Camera

Panchromatic Camera Multispectral Camera Hyperspectral Camera

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 Remote Sensing Data Processing and Analysis

Methods of Interpretation :
• Visual
• Digital

Visual Image interpretation :

• Act of examining images to
identify objects and judge
their significance

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 Data processing and Analysis
Digital Information Extraction : Image Classification – To generate Land Use Land
Cover Maps, Thematic Maps

Forest Cover Map of India

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 Remote Sensing Applications
Military Intelligence
Agriculture and soil

Humanitarian efforts
Monitoring forest and environment

Geology
Monitoring Water
Economy Planning
Ocean Monitoring
Land Monitoring

Monitoring weather and Climate

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 RS Data Application
Agriculture Drinking Water
Area & Production estimation Groundwater Prospects Zones Forestry
for 8 major crops & Recharge Sites

•In-season multiple forecast •Improved success rate for Bore

•Satellite data + Agro- wells
meteorology + Land based •Improved water level
observations

Fisheries Watershed Development

Potential Fisheries Zone Better productivity potential & Assessment of forest cover
(PFZ) Forecast improved livelihood on a two-year cycle
•Soil & Water Conservation
•Fish catch doubled •Enhanced crop yield •Plan conservation
•Reduced search time by 60% •Decrease in fallow lands measures
& fuel cost by abut 30% •Rapid Forest Mapping to
NR Census identify hot spot areas
Monitoring Irrigation Infrastructure Periodic Inventory of Natural
Inventory & Mapping of Resources
Irrigation Infrastructure
•Assessment of gaps in irrigation Land use , Wetland, Soil, Snow &
potential created and its Glaciers, Geomorphology, Land
utilization at the ground level degradation, Vegetation

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RS Data Application
Weather & Climate Weather monitoring using Flood mapping through RISAT-1
INSAT satellite.
•Space based
Weather
parameters &
Essential Climate
Variables
•Assimilation into
model for improved
weather prediction
•Ocean State
forecast
•Sea Surface
Temperature
•Sea Surface Heights
•Prediction of
cyclone formation
predictions

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Indian Remote Sensing Satellites

Bhaskara - 1 IRS - 1

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 IRS Satellite

LISS - 1 LISS – II

72 m 36 m
LISS - I 72.5 meters with a swath of
148 km on the ground
LISS - II Each with 36.25 meters with
A & IIB a swath of 146.98 km LISS-I DATA ( CANDIGARH & ENVIRONS – LISS-II DATA ( CHANDIGARH &
NOTHERN INDIA) ENVIRONS , NORTHERN INDIA)

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IRS Satellite

23 m LISS –III DATA ( HYDERABAD CITY & ENVIRONS, SOTHERN INDIA)

5.8 m PAN DATA ( PART OF CHANDIGARH CITY, NORTHERN INDIA)

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IRS Satellite

Cartosat-Images

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 Remote Sensing
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