Remote Sensing
Audience #1 is a group of high school students being introduced to the term for the first time.
Have you ever seen the film Enemy of the State? How about The Bourne Identity, or any recent James Bond movie? All of these movies have something in common: they use striking graphics in the form of maps or satellite pictures – all the product of remote sensing. Remote sensing is a method by which scientists gather information about the surface of the earth from a distance. Remote Sensing can be traced back as far as the 1860s, and has since developed into the primary method of data gathering from the earth’s surface. The most important things to know about remote sensing are why it’s needed, how it works, and what it’s used for.
Humans have used maps since ancient times; they have been the tool of explorers, politicians, armies, and navigators. Throughout recorded history, we can see endless examples of maps being used to depict a part of the earth, giving people a visual illustration of their surroundings. While maps are useful in finding out where a place is, they are merely a representation. In the late 19th century, a French photographer named Felix Tournachon decided to use a recent invention, the camera, to create a new kind of map. Using a hot-air balloon, Tournachon hoisted his camera into the sky and took a photograph of the ground. What resulted was the first known remotely sensed image of the earth’s surface, a simple photograph showing a birds-eye view of the photographer’s surroundings (NASA). The advent of this new technology revolutionized not only map-making, but the way humans see the earth. Where once there were only drawings of where a place is, now it was possible to not only see where a place is,...
... middle of paper ...
...gement, carbon management, and disaster management (39).
Works Cited
NASA's Earth Observing System. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. .
This NASA website has a lot of information on the EOS, including a definition of its mission statement.
Oxford English Dictionary. OED Online. Web. 14 Mar. 2010.
Definition for Remote Sensing
Parkinson, Claire L. Earth Science Reference Handbook. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2006. Print.
This publication is an extensive guide to NASA’s Earth science program. It includes information about satellite missions and other examples of applied remote sensing.
The Remote Sensing Tutorial. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .
Information is given on this page about the history of remote sensing, including the first recorded incidences.
Hess, D., McKnight, T. L., & Tasa, D. (2011). McKnight's physical geography (Custom ed. for California State University, Northridge ; 2nd Calif. ed.). New York: Learning Solutions.
Simkin,T., Unger, J., Tilling, R., Vogt, P. and Spall, H. (1994) This dynamic planet : world map of volcanoes, earthquakes, impact craters, and plate tectonics. U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution
One of these is infrared satellite imagery. This is explained in paragraph 2-"Infrared satellite imagery can locate objects on the ground less than two feet wide. Infrared light also can penetrate about a foot below the surface and detect differences in the soil." At first, this might seem like a great idea. But it has plenty of cons. In paragraph 4, it is explained that infrared satellite imagery needs manual help in order to reveal any discoveries, and that takes lots of time. It goes on in paragraph 6, stating that infrared cannot be used in jungles, which is exactly where many ancient civilizations hide, buried beneath the tree canopies. It also doesn't scan very deep, so anything over a foot below the surface will remain undescoverd. Another technique is brought up in paragraph 11, called Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). "The GPR sent pulses of microwave energy underground, where it bounced off buried objects. They used state of the art software to analyze the radar echoes and constructed a 3D map," (Paragraph 11). Once again, this technology has serious negatives. Scientists had to drag this bulky lawnmover-like machine in blazing heat across the jungle floor (paragraph 11). This machine is great for a workout, but not it you want to discover lost civilizations
Glickman, Todd S. (ed.) (2000). Glossary of Meteorology (2nd ed.). American Meteorological Society. ISBN 978-1-878220-34-9.
1. Seasons of the year. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2011, from National Aeronautics and Space
The map presented is a map of California. The map shows roads, highways, regions of water, islands, street names, and landmarks. The map is from 2016. It was produced by Color-Art. INC. If I were to use this map in class I believe that it would fit into chapter 1 (Basic concepts). In chapter one we talk about GIS( Geographic information system) which is a system that layers sections for a map, in the map shown it must've used a GIS, because they would start out with the land mass, then the next layer would be the highways, then the roads, and finally the street names and landmarks. Chapter one also talks about scale,the scale on the map is one inch=.85 miles. Finally, the chapter talks about projections, the map shows is a Mercator projection.
My interest in satellite surveillance did not really appear to after I saw the movie "Enemy of the State" in 1998. The synopsis of the movie is: Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, ruin his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertise as the government itself. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should have to the communications of private citizens, and leaves the viewer with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. After this movie I was amazed that we have the capability in our hands to do this. I have two scenes from the movie that show the technology at work.
The surface of the Earth is perpetually changing at varying rates and magnitudes across different regions of the planet, due to a range of lateral transport processes (Merali & Skinner. 2009). The most prevalent of these processes include water, mass movement, ice, and wind. As these lateral transport processes function under and are influenced by the current climatic conditions, the ramifications of climate change on the Earth’s surface processes are pervasive. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines climate change as “any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity” (IPCC. 2014). The
Historical geographer JB Harley wrote an essay on Map Deconstruction in 1989, in which Harley argues that a map is more than just a geographical representation of an area, his theory is that we need to look at a map not just as a geographical image but in its entire context. Harley points out that by an examination of the social structures that have influenced map making, that we may gain more knowledge about the world. The maps social construction is made from debate about what it should show. Harley broke away from the traditional argument about maps and examined the biases that govern the map and the map makers, by looking at what the maps included or excluded. Harley’s “basic argument within this essay is that we should encourage an epistemological shift in the way we interpret the nature of cartography.” Therefore Harley’s aim within his essay on ‘Deconstructing the Map’ was to break down the assumed ideas of a map being a purely scientific creation.
Technology and computers have revolutionized many of the aspects of our lives. Many professions and businesses have used technology to their advantage and completely changed industries. One profession that has drastically changed because of computers and technology is cartography or mapmaking. The impact of technology on geographic information and mapmaking has led to new techniques and skills for these now computer-based jobs and careers. New technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) have emerged in mapmaking. There are also new Internet-based map services including MapQuest and MapBlast as well as other digital maps.
The claim being discussed here is that the only way a map or a way of representing things can be useful is if it simplifies the knowledge that the actual territory gives, that is, if it reduces the salient i...
More effective methods for increase accuracy of assessment and analysis of remotely sensed data are applying models which can combine in data layers. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to combine the layers of data in the modeling of drought. Recently, space technologies, such RS and GIS, and the numerical modeling techniques have been developed as powerful tools for the ecological assessment of environment (Krivtsov, 2004; MacMillan et al., 2004; Store and Jokimäki, 2003). Utilizing these technologies not only supply a platform to support multi-level and hierarchically integrated analysis on resource and environment, but also integrate the obtained information in a comparative theoretical ecosystem analysis. Meanwhile, Plummer (2000) argued that perspectives of combining ecological models and remotely sensed data would focus on the estimation of accuracy, the issues of spatial and temporal scale, and long-term comprehensive datasets.
A map is much more then just a sheet of paper, a map is a product of human creativity and has been made since human prehistory to represent the concepts of humanity’s place in the world. They were created by imperial states as tools of power and used by individuals to aid in the understanding of the study itself. When asked to describe what cartography is, most will respond with it being both an art as well as a science. But in reality, it is best to be thought of as a craft that combines knowledge from both graphic design as well as mathematics. To thrive in the study of cartography, one must expand their skills in both of these areas. For thousands of years cartography...
Surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional space position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually, but not exclusively, associated with positions on the surface of the Earth, and are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes. In order to accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of geometry, engineering, trigonometry, mathematics, physics, and law.
Parker, B. C. and Holliman, M. C. (eds), 1978, Environmental Impact in Antarctica, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.