ENVS/GEOG 406 Remote Sensing (Fall 2023)

Lecture Notes & Reference 09-07-2023

Basics of Remote Sensing (cont.)

Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Spectrum – Common Divisions & Units

What is the wavelength range of the Visible region in nm?

_____________nm

What is the upper range of X-Rays in cm? _________cm

Relationship between EMR Wavelengths & Sensors - Human Eye as a Model

Spectral Signatures & Common Remote Sensing Platforms (work in small groups to talk this
through…)

1. Spectral Signatures:
 Describe the characteristics of the spectral 60
signature of this remotely sensed object.
 Where does it peak specifically and in what 50

zones of the EMR spectrum? 40

% Reflectance
 Are the peaks the only source of useful
information here? Why or why not? 30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Wavelength (um)

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2. Landsat:
 Would LANDSAT 7 be a good remote sensing platform to identify
the object above? Why or why not?

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3. MODIS:
Now review the MODIS band information, via the NASA OceanColor data portal (see notes from week
#1).
 Does it have any possible utility for identifying the object described above – why or why not?
Which bands, if any, might be useful?
 How do you think MODIS would compare/contrast with LANDSAT when applied to this
object, with respect to the breadth/specifity of the different bands.
 What other satellite/image characteristics (besides the band wavelengths) might you
consider when comparing the adequacy of MODIS vs. LANDSAT?
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Now explore the Level 3 browser for MODIS.

 Which “reflectance values” for the bands that are most useful for identifying the object are
available as Level 3 data products?

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And finally…see if you can explore the Level 1 / 2 data browser to see if you can acquire reflectance
values for all the bands. This is a preview to what we will do next week…..