10 Applications or uses of Remote Sensing and GIS technique are as follows :
1. Determining soil moisture content using active and passive sensors from space
Soil moisture contributes so much to understanding Earth sciences, the water cycle, weather forecasting, drought and floods. But, there are two ways to derive soil moisture from space.
a) Active sensors like Radarsat-2 illuminate their target and measures backscatter – resulting in high spatial resolution but low accuracy.
b) Passive sensors like SMOS measures naturally emitted microwave radiation – highly accurate but poor spatial resolution.
SMAP is trying to achieve – Soil Moisture Active Passive.
2. Mapping with laser precision using Light Detection and Ranging technology
LiDAR measures the distance from the airborne platform to the earth surface using laser beams. This is how LiDAR got its name – “Light Detection and Ranging”. What makes LiDAR so special is its densely sampled points at laser accuracy. Digital surface models, digital elevation models and light intensity models can all be derived from LiDAR.
3. Detecting land cover/use types for decision making
‘Land cover’ is the physical property of the surface. ‘Land use’ explains how land is being utilized. When a mayor of a city targets a 50% urban tree canopy, spatial resolution matters. A Landsat pixel spans multiple parcel boundaries and is not a realistic representation of tree canopy. The Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL) of Vermont compared the National Land Cover with object-based classification and found it was significantly underestimated (11% vs 39%). A mayor would be very embarrassed to know their objective is almost exceeded.
4. Pinpointing your position on Earth with Global Positioning Satellites
In May 2000, the GPS switch (also known as selective availability) was flicked. Suddenly, accuracy has changed from the size of an airport to the size of a small shed. GPS has led the way to great innovative products like car navigation systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. It’s no wonder why the GPS has been ranked one of the top 50 greatest breakthroughs since the wheel.
5. Charging higher insurance premiums in flood-prone areas using radar
Some of the remote sensing applications insurance companies are using include radar and hydrological modelling. Geographers can map out areas more prone to flooding, how often these areas would flood and how badly the damage could be.
6. Searching for aircrafts and saving lives after fatal crashes
Of all remote sensing applications, there may be no other that touches the heart as much as saving another life through search and rescue. Hundreds of satellites orbit the Earth each day. Each one has its own live-saving ability – but only if it’s in the right time and place.
7. Identifying forest stands and tallying their area to estimate forest supplies
Global forest supplies are being monitored because they not only provide valuable materials (think construction, paper, packaging…) but they also absorb roughly one-third of carbon dioxide emissions. AVHRR, MODIS and SPOT quantitatively measure the loss and gain of our global forests.
8. Spying on enemies with reconnaissance satellites
Various Military Forces across the world are harnessing the power of satellite imagery to retrieve intelligence on enemies. As for remote sensing applications, reconnaissance satellites go all the way back to the 1950’s US Corona Program. Its purpose was to spy on the Soviet Union and China after the war. But satellites have come a long way from taking photographs and parachuting down to the surface. Now they’re so secretive that if they told you… well… who knows what they would do to you
9. Extracting mineral deposits with hyperspectral remote sensing
There are over 4000 natural minerals on Earth. Each one has their own chemical composition. This is the equivalent to saying that each composition has its own spectral reflectance. Having more spectral bands like hyperspectral sensors gives potential to map more minerals. There is some predictability with remote sensing applications for geology and minerals. After spotting one mineral, almost certainly other specific minerals accompany it.
10. Forecasting weather to warn about natural disasters
Remote sensing applications like weather forecasting and monitoring are fundamentally important for businesses, athletes and tourists. In 1975, the Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite (GOES-1) was launched to collect wind, temperature and other atmospheric data. But GOES-1 was limited to a small portion of the Earth. A lot has changed since then. We are now on GOES-12, 13, 14 and 15 with improving temporal, spectral, spatial and radiometric resolution.
Source : GISGEOGRAPHY.com
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