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Remote Sensing: is defined as the science and technology
by which the characteristics of objects of interest can be
identified, measured or analyzed the characteristics without direct contact. Electro-magnetic radiation which is reflected or emitted from an object is the usual source of remote sensing data. However any media such as gravity or magnetic fields can be utilized in remote sensing. A device to detect the electro-magnetic radiation reflected or emitted from an object is called a "remote sensor" or "sensor". Cameras or scanners are examples of remote sensors. A vehicle to carry the sensor is called a "platform". Aircraft or satellites are used as platforms. Types of Resolutions in GIS: The technical term "remote sensing" was first used in the Spatial Resolution: Size of the smallest discernible features United States in the 1960's. in a dataset. Remote sensing is a technology to identify and understand Typically expressed as pixel or cell size. the object or the environmental condition through the Temporal Resolution: Frequency at which data is collected uniqueness of the reflection or emission. or updated over time. Physical basic of remote sensing: The amount of radiation Time interval between successive measurements. that an object reflects is the physical basis of remote Spectral Resolution: Number and width of spectral bands sensing. Special sensors collect information about the in a remotely sensed image. reflected energy, and processing facilities turn it into a Determines the ability to distinguish different wavelengths format that anyone can use. of light. Radiometric Resolution: Level of detail and accuracy in brightness or intensity variations. Number of intensity levels or bit depth of the data. Sensor: A device that detects and measures Scale Resolution: Level of detail or generalization in a map Electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted from or dataset. objects, used in remote sensing. Relationship between the size of features on the map and Types of sensors: their real-world size. Optical sensors: Capture visible, near infrared, and infrared radiation. Uses: Measure reflected sunlight for land cover, vegetation health, and water quality. Geo referencing: The process of aligning spatial data, such Thermal Sensors: Measure emitted thermal radiating in the as maps, satellite images, or aerial photographs, with real- long-wave infrared region. world geographic coordinates. This alignment allows the Uses: Analyze temperature variations and detect heat data to be accurately located and overlaid with other sources, useful for monitoring urban heat islands, geographic data. volcanoes, and fires. Purpose: Ensures spatial data is correctly positioned in the Rada Sensors: Use radio waves to detect objects and geographic context, enabling accurate analysis and measure distance and speed. integration with other data sources. Uses: Provide information on surface topography, ocean Process: Involves assigning spatial reference information wave patterns, and land deformation, even through clouds (coordinates) to the data, so it corresponds to its true and vegetation. location on the Earth's surface. Hyperspectral Sensors: Capture a wide range of spectral Applications: Used in mapping, surveying, environmental bands for detailed spectral information. monitoring, urban planning, and any field requiring precise Uses: Identify materials and detect chemical composition, location data integration. used in mineral exploration, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. Global Positioning System (GPS): A satellite-based navigation system owned and operated by the United Practical applications and benefits of using GIS? States government that provides users with positioning, GIS provides a wide range of practical applications and navigation, and timing (PNT) services. benefits, including: Components: Network of satellites in medium Earth orbit 1. Providing driving directions. transmitting signals to GPS receivers on the ground. 2. Mapping criminal behavior. Function: Receivers calculate the user's position, velocity, 3. Monitoring voting trends. and time using signals from multiple satellites. 4. Evaluating land use changes and geo-hazards. Applications: Widely used in GIS for mapping, surveying, 5. Supporting community planning and development. asset management, tracking, and navigation. 6. Offering tools for environmental monitoring and Accuracy: Standard GPS offers nominal accuracy within 15 resource management. meters, but enhancements like Differential GPS (DGPS) can improve accuracy to 1-3 centimeters. Differential GPS: A Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) is an enhancement to the Global Positioning System (GPS) which provides improved location accuracy, in the range of operations of each system, from the 15m nominal GPS GIS MAPPING: Key points: accuracy to about 1–3 cm in case of the best Airplane Navigation: Airplanes use the Earth's curvature to implementations of DGPS. their advantage, which GIS applications support. Map Projections: World maps can accurately show either the size or shape of countries, but not both simultaneously. GIS combines different map projections for a unified view. Mapping Challenges: Representing the 3D curved surface of the Earth on 2D maps involves two main factors: scale and projection. Scale: GIS maintains accurate scaling to represent the true distances on Earth. Projections: Maps can either display a flat view or the curvature, but each approach has limitations. For example, Origin and historical development of GIS technology? flat maps work well for local navigation (e.g., Uber), but not GIS technology originated in the early 1800s for combining for international travel. topography and military maps. Significant milestones Height Representation: The Earth's curvature affects include the use of GIS to track disease spread in the 1850s, measurements of structures, such as the Golden Gate the development of the Canada Geographic System (CGIS) Bridge, where the towers appear further apart at the top in the 1960s, and the establishment of Environmental than the bottom. GIS helps account for these distortions, Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in 1969. GIS has evolved aiding architects and engineers. rapidly with improvements in software tools, computing capabilities, and data quality, leading to diverse applications today. main components of GIS: Hardware: PCs, printers, plotters, scanners, digitizing tablets, networks, and storage devices. Software: GIS software like MapInfo, AutoCAD Map, ArcView, ArcGIS, and IDRISI. People: Specialists, developers, analysts, users, and viewers. Data: Spatial, aspatial, temporal data, maps, images, reports, and survey points. Applications: Methods, procedures, customized interfaces, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and atlases. Importance of GIS Data: Spatial Analysis: Helps in understanding spatial relationships and patterns. Decision Making: Aids in informed decision-making by providing geographic context. Resource Management: Essential for managing natural resources efficiently. Urban Planning: Crucial for planning and development in urban areas. Emergency Response: Enhances response strategies during disasters. Usage in Daily Life: Navigation: Used in mapping applications like Google Maps for route planning. Environmental Monitoring: Tracks environmental changes and pollution levels. Real Estate: Helps in property search and valuation by providing location insights. Public Health: Assists in tracking disease outbreaks and planning healthcare services. Transportation: Optimizes route planning for public transport and delivery services. Usage in Business: Market Analysis: Identifies potential markets and customer demographics. Logistics: Optimizes supply chain and distribution networks. Site Selection: Helps in selecting optimal locations for new business establishments. Agriculture: Assists in precision farming and crop monitoring. Retail: Analyzes consumer behavior and site selection for new stores.