Fundamental of Remote

Sensing (GeES 3023)

Woldia University
CSSH GeES Dept’
Course Instructor’s: Sisay G.
( MSc in GIS and Remote Sensing )
 Major contents of the course :
▪ Introduction: Concepts and definition of remote
sensing

▪ Electromagnetic energy and remote sensing

▪ Aerial imagery, Satellite imagery and Platforms

▪ Image enhancement, Visualization and classification

▪ Visual image interpretation

▪ GPS and remote sensing

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CHAPTER ONE

Introduction
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 1.1 Definition and Concept of Remote Sensing
What is Remote Sensing?
• In fact, any information acquired from the object
without touching is “Remote Sensing”.
• Remote sensing is the science and an art 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.

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▪ RS is the science of acquiring information about the earth
using instruments which are remote to the earth's surface,
usually from aircraft or satellites.

▪ Instruments may use visible light, infrared or radar to

obtain data.

▪ Remote sensing offers the ability to observe and collect

data for large areas relatively quickly, and it is an
important source of data for GIS.
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▪ Remote sensing is the process of obtaining information about an object
using a sensor which is physically separated from the object.
• Human vision is the most popular example of a remote sensing system
• Our eyes detect light (visible EMR) reflected or emitted by objects.

• Energy source: The sun or

artificial light from objects.
• Sensor: The eye (retina) detect
reflected light from object.
• Transmission: light travel
through the atmosphere to eye.
• Processing: The signals are
processed and interpreted by
brain.
• Output: we perceive their color,
shape and size about the object. 6
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• It is also defined by other scholars as “ RS is the
science of acquiring, processing and interpreting
images that record the interaction between
electromagnetic energy and matter”.
Components in Remote Sensing
1. Platform: The vehicle which
carries a sensor. i.e. satellite,
aircraft, balloon, etc.
2. Sensors: Device that receives
EMR and converts it into a
signal and displayed as either
numerical data or an image.

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 Types of Remote Sensing System
• Sensor is a device that measures and records
electromagnetic energy.
• It has mainly two part or components that are
system component and detector component.
• Sensors can be divided into two groups based on
their source of energy
1. Passive sensor
2. Active sensor Set by: Sisay G. @ WDU
1. Passive sensor: is a remote sensing systems

which measure energy that is naturally available.

• Can only used to detect energy when the

naturally occurring energy is available.

• For all reflected energy, this can only take place

during the day time

• There is no reflected energy available from the

sun at night.
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• Energy that is naturally emitted (such as thermal
infrared) can be detected day or night.
• The oldest and most common type of passive
sensor is the photographic camera

Sun
Sensor

EME

Earth Sun
surface
2. Active sensor: Provide their own energy source for
illumination.

• The sensor emits radiation which is directed toward the

target to be investigated.

• The radiation is reflected back from that target and

then detected and measured by the sensor..

• Active sensors can be used for examining wavelengths

that are not sufficiently provided by the sun, such as
microwaves,

• To better control the way a target is illuminated.

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• The disadvantage of active sensors are to require the
generation of a large amount of energy to adequately
illuminate targets.
• Advantages for the ability to obtain measurements any
time, day and night or any seasons. E.g. SAR, RadarSAT-
1 & RadarSAT-2, and LIDAR.
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 1. 2. History of remote sensing
• The development of remote sensing clearly depends
on the general development of science and
technology
• The camera was used already during the end of the
19th century for the purpose of military
reconnaissance,
• Since the late 1920s, aerial photography has been an
important tool in all kinds of mapping and planning
work.
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 Overview of the history ”
• 1849: Hot-air balloons took first aerial photographs of the land
• 1914-1918: Aerial photographs were used extensively for reconnaissance
purposes, (Period of WW- I)
• 1939-1945: Aerial photos were used extensively for mapping,
reconnaissance and intelligence (Period of WW- II)
• 1945-1960: Development of photogrammetry for peaceful purposes in a
variety of disciplines,
• 1957: First satellite launched – Sputnik -1(USSR)
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Image taken by Birds
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The invention of the airplane by the Wright brothers (Willbur
Wright and Orville Wright) in 1903 proved modern aerial photo.
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• From the 1970s new instruments were developed
onboard satellites, forming images in the infrared
as well as in visible light, produced “false color
images”.

1972 - Launch of Environmental

satellites started with ERTS-1
(Earth Resources Technology
Satellite) Later named Landsat-1

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• The first Landsat program started in 1972 that is Landsat-
1 satellite carrying the multispectral sensor (MSS).
• After 1982 the TM replaced by MSS sensor. Both MSS
and TM are whiskbroom scanners.
• In April 1999 Landsat-7 was launched carrying the ETM+
scanner
• Landsat-8 (OLI) was launched on February 11, 2013 and
it is consists of two science device that are Operational
Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS).
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 1.3. Application of Remote Sensing
Remote Sensing Applications include:
• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Environmental monitoring
• Geology
• Hydrology
• Land use and cover
• Oceanography
• National security
• Urban and regional planning
• Clear cut mapping and deforestation
• Meteorology
• Disaster risk assessment etc. Set by: Sisay G. @ WDU
I. Agricultural Application:
• Agriculture plays a dominant role in economies of both
developed and undeveloped countries.
• Farmer needs to knowledge and information about crop land
and soil conditions.
Satellite and airborne images are used as mapping tools to
classify crops, examine their health, viability, and monitor farming
practices.
❖ Agricultural applications of remote sensing includes:

„- Crop type classification

„- Crop condition assessment
„- Crop yield estimation
„- Mapping and assess soil moisture and their characteristics
„- Mapping of soil management practices
„- Compliance monitoring (farming practices)
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II. Application on Forestry:
✓Forests are a valuable resource providing:
✓ Food, shelter,
✓Wildlife habitat,
✓Fuel, paper
✓Medicinal ingredients etc.
✓Forest plays an important role in:
✓ Balancing the Earth's CO2 supply and exchange,
✓Acting as key link b/n atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere

✓Forests are house for diversity of species.

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Forestry applications of remote sensing include the following:

A. Reconnaissance mapping:
➢ Objectives to be come across by national forest agencies include:
▪ Forest cover updating,
▪ Depletion monitoring,
▪ Measuring properties of forest stand
▪ Forest cover type discrimination
▪ Agroforestry mapping
B. Commercial forestry:
➢ Commercial forestry companies applications:
✓ Collecting harvest information,
✓ Updating of inventory information,
✓ Vegetation density, and biomass measurement
✓ Clear cut mapping or regeneration assessment
✓ Burn forest delineation
✓ Species inventory

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III. Application on Environmental monitoring
➢ Conservation authorities are concerned with monitoring:

✓ Quantity, health, and diversity of Earth's forests

✓Deforestation
✓Watershed protection
✓Coastal protection
✓Forest health and vigor

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IV. Geology
Geology involves the study of landforms, structures, and subsurface
to understand physical processes creating and modifying the earth's
crust.

➢ Geological applications of remote sensing include:

✓ Bedrock mapping
✓ Mineral exploration
✓ Hydrocarbon exploration
✓ Environmental geology
✓ Sedimentation mapping and monitoring
✓ Event mapping and monitoring
✓ Geo-hazard mapping
V. Application on Hydrology
It is the study of water on the Earth's surface
• Hydrology is inherently related to many other applications

of remote sensing, particularly:

✓ Forestry,
✓ Agriculture and
✓ Land cover,
since water is a vital component in each of these disciplines.

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Examples of hydrological applications include:
„ - Wetlands mapping and monitoring,
„ - Soil moisture estimation,
„ - Snow pack monitoring / delineation of extent,
„ - Measuring snow thickness,
„ - River and lake ice monitoring,
„ - Flood mapping and monitoring,
„ - River /delta change detection
„ - Irrigation canal leakage detection
„ - Drainage basin mapping and watershed modelling

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VI. Application on Land use mapping
oLand cover refers to how much of the surface cover on the
ground which include :
▪ Vegetation,
▪ Urban infrastructure,
▪ Water,
▪ Bare soil or other.
o Identifying, and mapping land cover is important for:
✓ Land monitoring studies,
✓ Change detection
✓ Resource management, and
✓ Planning activities.

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Land use refers to how people use the landscape whether for
development, conservation or mixed uses.
Land use applications of remote sensing include:
✓Natural resource management
✓Wildlife habitat protection
✓Baseline mapping for GIS input
✓Urban expansion / encroachment
✓Resource extraction activities
✓Damage delineation (flooding, volcanic, seismic, fire)
✓Legal boundaries for tax and property evaluation
✓target detection: identification of landing, road, water
VII. Application on Oceans and Coastal Monitoring
The oceans serve as:
✓Transportation routes,

✓Important in weather system formation and CO² storage,

✓Important link in the earth's hydrological balance.
Understanding ocean dynamics is important for:
• Fish stock assessment,
• Ship routing,
• Predicting consequences of El Nino,
• Forecasting and monitoring storms to reduce the impact of disaster
on marine navigation,
• Off-shore exploration, and coastal settlements.
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VIII. Application on National Security
Application of GIS &RS on national security include:
• Targeting e.g (you are under surveillance camera )
• Disaster mapping and monitoring
• Damage assessment
• Weapons monitoring
• Homeland security
• Navigation
• Policy

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XI. Application on Urban & Regional Management

o Urban land Use Planning

o Environmental Impact
o Public Works
o Emergency Response
o Legal Records
o Cadastral mapping (topographic map/ortho-photo)

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X. Application on Clear Cut Mapping & Deforestation

o Deforestation is a global problem, with many implications.

o The loss of forest affect soil erosion, wildlife habitat, and
drinking water supplies, as well as farming productivity and
self-sufficiency.
oHigh resolution data provide:
o detailed view of forest depletion,

o A view of often remote and inaccessible areas, where illegal

cutting or damage could carry out.

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 Use of Remote Sensing
❖ Remote Sensing is used for:
• Its provides spatial data: Images or map data.
• Its provides surface information: Estimate surface and subsurface
characteristics.
• Its the only way to do Accessibility: Size of area to be covered with
consistent measurements (global monitoring).
• Its provides multipurpose data: mapping of vegetation,
infrastructure, water body, air pollution etc.
• Its cost effective: it is cost effective when compare to ground based
data collection (costly and tedious on the field data collection).
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Main advantages and drawbacks of RS

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 Process of Remote Sensing
• Remote sensing involves the interaction between
incident radiation and targets of interest that
requires seven specific elements.

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1. Energy Source or Illumination (A) – the first
requirement for remote sensing is to have an energy
source which illuminates or provides electromagnetic
energy to the target of interest.
2. Radiation and the Atmosphere (B) – as the energy
travels from its source to the target, it will come in
contact or interact with the atmosphere it passes
through. This interaction may take place a second time
as the energy travels from the target to the sensor.

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3. Interaction with the Target (C) - once the energy makes its way to
the target through the atmosphere, it interacts with the target depending
on the properties of both the target and the radiation.

4. Recording of Energy by the Sensor (D) - after the energy has been
scattered by, or emitted from the target, we require a sensor (remote -
not in contact with the target) to collect and record the electromagnetic
radiation.

5. Transmission, Reception, and Processing (E) - the energy recorded

by the sensor has to be transmitted, often in electronic form, to a
receiving and processing station where the data are processed into an
image (hardcopy and/or digital).
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6. Interpretation and Analysis (F) - the processed image
is interpreted, visually and/or digitally or electronically, to
extract information about the target which was
illuminated.
7. Application (G) - the final element of the remote
sensing process is achieved when we apply the
information we have been able to extract from the
imagery about the target in order to better understand it,
reveal some new information, or assist in solving a
particular problem.
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 1.4. Spatial Data Acquisition
• Geospatial data is acquired data through Earth observation.
• Earth observation is gathering of information about
physical, chemical, biological, geometrical properties of
our planet; it helps us to assess the status and monitor
changes of the natural and cultural environment.
• Purpose of Earth Observation:-
- mapping,
- monitoring Natural and manmade
environment
- forecasting

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▪ Spatial data acquisition from remote sensing in
the form of images.

band 321

band 432

band 352
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 Classification of Earth Observation
• The general classification of earth observation are
divided in to two methods that are Ground Based and
Remote Sensing Based

I. Ground-based methods: such as making field

observations, taking in situ measurements and
performing land surveying.
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II. Remote sensing methods: which are based on the
use of image data acquired by a sensor such as aerial
cameras, scanners or a radar.

▪ Taking a remote sensing approach means that

information is derived from the image data

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Remote sensing data acquisition, pre process and
analysis methods