Introduction

How do we sense our surroundings?

We feel by touching sense, eyes, ears and
by nose.
How do you operate your TV?
By remote devices.
Our immediate surroundings are sensed
by organs of our body, but distance
objects are sensed by some remote
devices
 Definition of remote sensing
Remote sensing is a technique which
provides up-to-date information about an
area with the help of sensors without
having any direct physical contact with the
objects of the area.
Development of remote sensing
Initially ground survey was used to collect
information about a small area.
It is time consuming and can cover only
small area.
First attempt to cover large area, surveys
from high mountains were undertaken.
A camera was fixed in a balloon which
took photograph of Paris city in 1858.
 After first world war, cameras were fixed in
aero planes to take photographs.
Systematic air photographs were taken
from low flying aircraft to eliminate the
effect of clouds.
Thus air photographs helped to map the
area for relief, drainage, land use pattern.
 Now a days, improvement in science and
technology has helped us to collect data
on any part of the earth within a short
span without visiting the places.
Satellite technology started by mid of
1940s.
ERTS Earth Resource Technology
Satellite was launched in 1972.
It is renamed as landsat in 1975 and is
still in operation.
Polar Synchronise Satellite
 Polar-orbiters were the first type of weather
satellite, with TIROS1 launching on April 1,
1960.
They make approximately 14 orbits daily,
covering a further west section of earth with
each orbit as the earth rotates beneath them.
Their low altitude of around 500 miles allows
high resolution images while the near-polar orbit
allows global coverage without the distortion
over northern latitudes that geo-stationary
satellites suffer from.
However the pictures are delayed real-time and
there are only a couple of passes per satellite
per day over any given spot.
Geo Synchronise Satellite
 The first operational geosynchronous weather
satellite, the SMS1, was launched on May 17,
1974.
Geo-stationary satellites circle the earth in a
geosynchronous orbit, which means they orbit at
the same speed as the earth's rotation.
This allows them to "hover" over one spot on the
surface.
Their higher altitude of 22,300 miles allows a
continuous full-disc view of the earth, but at a
lower resolution than polar-orbiting satellites.
Since the satellite is centered over the equator,
there is also significant distortion over northern
latitudes
 Process of remote sensing
a) Energy source
b) Sunrays and Atmosphere
c) Sunrays and object on the Earth
d) Recording the energy by the Sensor.
e) Transmission, Reception and
processing.
f) Interpretation and Analysis
g) Processing data and Application.
Process of Remote sensing
 Energy Source

Natural Source Man-made Source

Sun Sensors
Electromagnetic Microwave band
energy
Electro Magnetic Radiation
 Sunrays and Atmosphere
Sunrays passing through the atmosphere
interact with it.
Electromagnetic energy passing through
the atmosphere is distorted and scattered.
Finally it reaches the Earth surface.
 Sunrays and Object on the Earth
The rays fall on Earth surface and interact
with the objects.
The interaction depends upon the
properties of the objects or features.
The energy falling on the surface may be
absorbed, emitted or reflected.
The amount of energy absorbed, reflected
or emitted is unique for each object in the
Earth.
Recording of energy by the sensor
Sensor is a device which records the
reflected and emitted radiations by the
objects.
Sensor is a special camera which is
designed to capture particular wavelength.
The reflected and emitted long wave
radiations recorded by the sensors are
called special signatures.
 Satellite sensors record the intensity of
radiation reflected from the Earth at
different wavelength.
Energy that is not reflected by an object is
absorbed. Thus each object in the Earth
has its own unique reflectance property.
Example
Grass looks green because it reflects
green light and absorbs all other visible
wavelength.
 The sensors on the satellite are designed
to capture energy reflected in particular
wavelength.
A satellite may have sensors that will
capture reflected energy in various
wavelength: such as one from each,
green, blue, red, near infrared, thermal
infrared.
The sensors measure the intensity and
recorded as numbers between 0 and 255
(shades).
(where as human eye can see 16 shades)
 Transmission, Reception and
Processing
The recorded information by sensor are
transmitted to the processing station.
The computer decodes the reflectance
energy and prints the imagery (picture of
the Earth surface)
 Interpretation and Analysis
These imageries are interpreted by visual,
digital and electronic forms by a trained
person.
Required data can be collected from these
imageries by the techniques such as
photo elements like tone, texture,
shade, size, pattern etc.,
 Processing of the data
The processing of the data is carried out
by using instruments like photographic
enlarger.
Accuracy regarding classification of data
has to be supplemented by ground truth.
 Application
The extracted information by the ground station
can be used as a tool to record, analyse and
map in various fields.
Cartographers use CAD for mapping the
following
a) Land use
b) Forest cover
c) Soil erosion
d) Polluted rivers and other water bodies
e) Animal life
f) Resources
Advantages of Remote sensing
Remote sensing detect features which are not
visible to the human eye.
Eg the dense forest, Antarctic region and
inaccessible areas.
It provides upto date and continuous information
about an area.
Eg The changing pattern of wealth, land use etc.

 It helps the planners for formulating

polices and programs to achieve the
holistic function of environment, because
of its speedy, accurate and up-to-date
information.
It caters the information needed by the
agriculturists to identify the areas affected
by the pests, crop disease, water logging,
wasteland etc.,
It spots the areas of natural disasters such
as Tsunami, drought prone, flood affected
and cyclone hit areas.
 It is highly useful for detecting damage,
estimating the loss, for providing relief,
rehabilitation and , helps in reconstruction.
The most important utility of Remote
sensing is into the science of cartography.
It enables the cartographers to prepare
thematic maps like geological maps, soil
maps etc with greater accuracy and
speed.
 GIS
(Geographical Information Systems)
We have learnt the latest technique of
collecting data of objects through remote
sensing.
These collected data are classified,
manipulated and analysed for further
plans through the system of GIS.
What is GIS?

It is an organized collection of computer

hardware, software, Geographical data
and personal, designed to efficiently
capture, store, update, manipulate,
analyse and display all forms of
Geographically referenced information.
The data stored in GIS can be used for
computer mapping with 3D effects.
 GIS is also used by planers, engineers,
cartographers, construction companies,
surveyors, architects, marketing and
analysists etc.
GIS is also used for analysing data on
population distribution, traffic movements,
land availability, real estate prices,
environment hazards, soil type, flood
zones, disaster zone etc.,
 When galaxies collide -- as our galaxy, the Milky Way,
eventually will with the nearby Andromeda galaxy -- what
happens to matter that gets spun off in the collision's wake?
This false-color infrared image from the infrared array
camera on NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows dwarf
galaxies forming in the tails of two larger colliding galaxies.
The big galaxies are at the center of the picture, while the
dwarfs can be seen as red dots in the red streamers.
 GPS
(Global Positioning System)
The recent device used for identifying the
position and movement of an object on the
Earth surface is called GPS.
It looks like a mobile phone which
captures signals from multiple satellite and
provides information on the location of a
place, giving details about the latitudes
and longitudes.
 This device is highly useful for defence
purpose to find out the location of enemy
camps, missing soldiers, aircrafts etc.
How does GPS work?

The GPS Operational Constellation consists of 24

satellites that orbit the Earth in 12 hours.
GPS provides specially coded satellite signals
that can be processed by a GPS receiver, which
can compute position, velocity, and time.
Four GPS satellite signals are used to compute 4
dimensions of X, Y, Z (position), and time.
 What is GPS used for?

GPS receivers are used for navigation,

positioning, time dissemination, and research.
The system is used by the military as well as
civilians, including hikers, boaters, car drivers,
and others who need to know their exact
location.
Navigation in three dimensions is the primary
function of GPS.
Navigation receivers are made for aircraft, ships,
ground vehicles, and for hand carrying by
individuals.
 Since precise positioning is possible using GPS
receivers, it can be used for surveying as well as
for studying plate tectonics
Precision clocks on board the GPS satellites
help us keep the most accurate time in the
world!
Astronomical observatories,
telecommunications, and laboratory standards
can be set to precise time signals or controlled
to accurate frequencies by special purpose GPS
receivers.
Research projects have used GPS signals to
measure atmospheric information.
 The GPS system actually operates in two
different ways.

U. S. and Allied military, certain U. S.

Government agencies, and selected civilian
users with cryptographic equipment (which can
decipher coded information) and specially
equipped receivers use the Precise Positioning
System, or PPS.
Civilian users worldwide can use the Standard
Position Service, or SPS, without charge or
restrictions. Receivers capable of receiving and
using the SPS signal can be bought by anyone,
and some are even standard equipment in new
cars.
Indian Remote Sensing satellites
 Indian Remote Sensing satellites
CARTOSAT-1 will give further fillip to remote sensing
services by providing imagery with improved spatial
resolution.
The unique high-resolution along-track stereo imaging
capability, carried out for the first time anywhere in the
world, will enable generation of the Digital Elevation
Models (DEM) and other value added products.
The data from CARTOSAT-1 is expected to provide
enhanced inputs for large scale mapping applications
and stimulate newer applications in the urban and rural
development, land and water resources management,
disaster assessment, relief planning and management,
environment impact assessment and various other
Geographical Information System applications.
Applications