Resolution

Home > Earth Sciences > Remote sensing in Earth Science > Resolution

The level of detail or granularity captured by a remote sensing sensor, measured in terms of spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution.

Spatial Resolution: This refers to the size of the smallest object that can be distinguished in an image. This is an important consideration in remote sensing as it determines the level of detail that can be captured in an image.
Spectral Resolution: This refers to the ability of a sensor to distinguish between different wavelengths of light. This is important in remote sensing as it enables us to differentiate between different types of land cover, such as vegetation, water, and urban areas.
Temporal Resolution: This refers to the frequency with which images are captured over time. This is important in remote sensing as it allows us to monitor changes in land cover and land use over time.
Radiometric Resolution: This refers to the ability of a sensor to detect differences in the intensity of light. This is important in remote sensing as it enables us to detect subtle variations in land cover and land use.
Spatial Scale: This refers to the size of the area covered by an image. This is important in remote sensing as it determines the level of detail that can be captured in an image.
Data Pre-processing: This includes various techniques used to prepare remotely sensed data for analysis, such as radiometric and atmospheric correction, image enhancement, and image classification.
Image Classification: This involves the grouping of pixels in an image into different classes based on their spectral characteristics. This is an important technique in remote sensing as it enables us to map land cover and land use.
Digital Elevation Models: These are used to represent the elevation of the earth's surface and are constructed using remotely sensed data. They are important in remote sensing as they enable us to model terrain and analyze landscape features.
Remote Sensing Platforms: This includes satellites, airplanes, and drones that are used to capture remotely sensed data. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of these platforms is important in remote sensing.
Validation and Accuracy Assessment: This involves comparing remotely sensed data to ground truth data to assess the accuracy of the remote sensing products. This is important in remote sensing as it enables us to evaluate the reliability of the data and the accuracy of the resulting maps and models.
Spatial resolution: The smallest element on the ground that can be captured by a remote sensing system. It is determined by the sensor's pixel size and the accompanying ground area.
Spectral resolution: The number and width of bands in the electromagnetic spectrum captured by a sensor. This determines the range of wavelengths captured and the precision of the sensor in distinguishing between colors.
Radiometric resolution: The sensitivity of a sensor to the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation it detects. It is measured by the number of bits used to represent the range of detected values.
Temporal resolution: The frequency with which images are captured for a given area. It is determined by the time interval between image acquisitions, which can be daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.
Dynamic range resolution: The sensor's ability to detect the differences between bright and dark regions within an image.
Geometric resolution: The accuracy with which the sensor can locate an object in space. It is determined by the sensor's ability to distinguish between objects that are close together.
Luminance resolution: The minimum amount of luminance variation that can be distinguished by a sensor. It is measured in terms of the smallest detectable difference in brightness levels.
Contrast resolution: The ability of a sensor to distinguish between objects of different reflectivity. It is determined by the contrast ratio between the object and its background.
Polarimetric resolution: A measure of the amount of information collected by a remote sensing system about the polarization characteristics of light reflected from objects on the earth's surface.
Spatial-spectral resolution: A measure of how well a sensor can capture multiple bands of electromagnetic radiation in high spatial resolution. It is a tradeoff between spatial and spectral resolutions.
- "Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation."
- "Remote sensing is used in numerous fields, including geophysics, geography, land surveying, and most Earth science disciplines."
- "Exploration geophysics, hydrology, ecology, meteorology, oceanography, glaciology, geology"
- "It also has military, intelligence, commercial, economic, planning, and humanitarian applications, among others."
- "The term remote sensing generally refers to the use of satellite- or aircraft-based sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth."
- "It includes the surface and the atmosphere and oceans, based on propagated signals."
- "Active remote sensing is when a signal is emitted by a satellite or aircraft to the object and its reflection detected by the sensor." - "Passive remote sensing is when the reflection of sunlight is detected by the sensor."
- "The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth and other planets."
- "It includes the surface and the atmosphere and oceans, based on propagated signals (e.g. electromagnetic radiation)."
- "It may be split into 'active' remote sensing and 'passive' remote sensing."
- "Active remote sensing is when a signal is emitted by a satellite or aircraft to the object and its reflection detected by the sensor." - "Passive remote sensing is when the reflection of sunlight is detected by the sensor."
- "The term remote sensing generally refers to the use of satellite- or aircraft-based sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth."
- "It includes the surface and the atmosphere and oceans, based on propagated signals (e.g. electromagnetic radiation)."
- "Exploration geophysics, hydrology, ecology, meteorology, oceanography, glaciology, geology"
- "It also has military, intelligence, commercial, economic, planning, and humanitarian applications, among others."
- "Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation."
- "The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth and other planets."
- "Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object."
- "Remote sensing is used in numerous fields, including geophysics, geography, land surveying and most Earth science disciplines."
- "Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation."