1. PRINCIPLES OF REMOTE SENSING
Lecture 1
Introduction

2. GROUND RULES Assessments and Examinations:
Total marks: 100 (AP - 85; YSR – 15)
Distribution of my 85 marks:
Mid-semester examination – 25
End-semester examination – 35
Assignments – 10
Quizzes (3 + 1 unannounced) – 10
Seminar - 5
Assignments and quiz would be distributed through out the semester.

3. GROUND RULES Attendance:
Attendance would be taken; 85% attendance COMPULSARY
NO COMPROMISE ON PUNCTUALITY …………..

4. GROUND RULES

5. Lecture notes / Working folder
GROUND RULES
Lecture notes / Working folder

6. COURSE OBJECTIVES To understand:
the physics, chemistry, and technology involved in remote sensing
the techniques for preprocessing aerospace remote sensing images (processing techniques will be covered in SIP course)
panchromatic, multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and to learn how to interpret the images acquired using these sensors
In short, the primary objective is to provide the conceptual foundations and technical skills to apply remote sensing to solve real-world problems.

7. COURSE CONTENTS ----------------- I Quiz ------------------- II Quiz
Atmospheric windows and effects, corrections
Multispectral systems
Characteristics of important remote sensing systems: LANDSAT, IRS, ASTER, SPOT; High resolution sensors
Hyperspectral systems
Thermal systems
Microwave systems
Interpretations and applications - agriculture, forestry, land-use mapping, geology, water resources etc etc.
History and development of remote sensing
Electromagnetic radiation - nature and sources, interaction with matter and atmosphere
I Quiz
II Quiz
… and Arial Photography/Photogrammetry.
III Quiz

8. A remote sensing image (Band 1 – B)
Blue penetrates clear water better than other colors - see the texture of/in the water along the shore. 
River shows shades of grey, depending on the depth of water
It is absorbed by chlorophyll, and so plants don't show up very brightly in this band.  That is why the fields all look drab and washed out.
However, it is useful for soil/vegetation discrimination, dark fields vs light coloured fields different shades of grey
Roads, inhabitations, air strip bright
Breakers, very bright, beach sand bright

9. A remote sensing image (Band 2 – G)
penetrates clear water fairly well, and gives excellent contrast between clear and turbid (muddy) water. 
It helps find oil on the surface of water, and vegetation (plant life) reflects more green light than any other visible color. 
Manmade features are still visible (note the airport).

10. A remote sensing image (Band 3 – R)
limited water penetration. 
It reflects well from dead foliage, but not well from live foliage with chlorophyll. 
It is useful for identifying vegetation types, soils, and urban (city and town) features. Town becoming much brighter

11. A remote sensing image (Band 4 – VNIR)
is good for mapping shorelines
Biomass content - It is very good at detecting and analyzing vegetation.  See how the fields that looked almost the same in bands 1, 2, or even 3 have changed dramatically in band 4. 
But the airport has darkened.

12. A remote sensing image (Band 6 – TIR)
Temperature – town area, as expected hottest; golf course cooler, so are mountain and vegetation

13. A remote sensing image (TCC)
For the true color rendition, band 1 is displayed in the blue color, band 2 is displayed in the green color, and band 3 is displayed in the red color.  The resulting image is fairly close to realistic - as though you took the picture with your camera and were riding in the satellite.  But it is also pretty dull - there is little contrast and features in the image are hard to distinguish.

14. A remote sensing image (FCC 247)
In this SWIR image, band 2 is displayed in blue, band 4 is displayed in green, and band 7 (or 5) is displayed in red.  This rendition looks like a jazzed up true color rendition - one with more striking colors.

15. A remote sensing image (FCC 234)
In this image, band 2 is displayed in blue, band 3 is displayed in green, and band 4 is displayed in red.  This rendition looks rather strange - vegetation jumps out as a bright red because green vegetation readily reflects infrared light energy!  It is similar to pictures taken from aircraft when using infrared film and is very useful for studying vegetation.

16. Remote sensing : Perspective
Concept: what do we understand by remote sensing?
Importance:
Is it just pretty pictures or serious science?
Does it add to our understanding of natural systems and resources?
Applications to natural resources studies

17. Remote sensing : Concept
Acquisition of information about an object without making physical contact
Earth: surface, atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere
planets
sun
stars; galaxies etc

18. Remote sensing : Concept
Most widely used remote sensors: human eyes
Motivation for remote sensing systems
Collection (eye), transmission (optic nerve) and storage (brain)
Cannot distribute the data though
Constant resolution
Visible part of the spectra

19. Remote Sensing : Concept
The sensor collects information within its IFOV (resolution cell) without being in direct physical contact with it.
The sensor can be located on ground, aircraft and spacecraft platforms.

20. Remote sensing : Concept
Technology, science and art of obtaining information about an object, area, or phenomenon through the analysis of data acquired by a device that is not in contact with the object, area or phenomenon under the investigation.
Technology : data collection
Science and technology : data processing and analysis
Science and art : data interpretation

21. Remote sensing : Concept
ASPRS formal definition of photogrammetry and remote sensing:
“the art, science, and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment, through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting imagery and digital representations of energy patterns derived from non-contact sensor systems.”

22. A Systems View of Remote Sensing
Passive
Active
Visible/IR
Active Microwave
Reflected light
Thermal emission
Passive Microwave
Light amplifcation by stimulated emission of radiation
Light detection and ranging
Laser Profiling and Lidar
Altimetry, Scatterometry
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Aerial photography
Visible/near IR/SWIR imaging
Passive microwave radiometry
Microwave sounding
Thermal imaging

23. Remote Sensing Process
Science goal
Data processing and analysis
Data Acquisition
Information extraction
1) In situ measurements (GPS, bio-mass, soil moisture, spectroradiometer, etc.)
2) Remote Sensing Data
(passive and active remote sensing )
Visual interpretation
Digital Image Processing
Scientific Visualization

24. Types and classes of remote sensing data
Spatial
Information
Imagers
Altimeters
Sounders
Imaging spectrometers
Imaging radiometers
(Polarimeters)
Scatterometers
Radiometers
Spectral
Information
Spectrometers
Intensity
Information

25. Other types of remote sensing
Geophysical
Sonar

26. Advantages of Remote Sensing
Data can be gathered from large areas of the Earth’s surface or atmosphere in short space of time.
In situ measurements are time consuming and costly over large areas. Remote Sensing is considered as cost effective.
No sampling bias - consistent coverage of the entire area
Response of objects collected in different wavelengths

27. Limitations of Remote Sensing
Often oversold
Provides information only about the spectral properties of objects on the earth’s surface (and their variation in time and space). We hope that the spectral properties are proxies for the property we are interested in.
Noise – atmospheric effects, topographic effects, soil/vegetation cover
Often considered an end in it self (the pretty picture syndrome!) - remote sensing should enhance scientific understanding of the system under study.

28. Applications of Remote Sensing
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Cryosphere
Planetary science
Land cover and land use
Military .

29. Further Reading Books :
Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, Lillesand, Kiefer, Chipman, 2007
Introduction to Remote Sensing, Campbell, 1996
Remote Sensing : Principles and interpretation, Sabins, 1997
Physical Principles of Remote Sensing, Rees, 2001
Introduction to physics and techniques of remote sensing, Elachi, 1987
Remote Sensing of the Environment : An earth resource perspective, Jensen , 2000
Journals :
Remote Sensing of Environment
International Journal of Remote Sensing
IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing
ISPRS
ISPRS Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing