The economic impact of remote sensing data as the source of nonpoint pollution monitoring and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. L.

1974-01-01

Nonpoint pollution of streams with sediment as a result of runoff from alternative uses of land has become a socially unacceptable product of economic activity. This report describes a research approach to economically achieve correction of the nonpoint pollution problem. The research approach integrates the economic model with those data which may be obtainable from remotely sensed sources. The economic problem involves measurement of the direct benefits and costs associated with the changes in land management activities necessary to reduce the level of nonpoint pollution. Remotely sensed data from ERTS-1 may provide some of the information required for the economic model which indicates efficient solutions to the nonpoint pollution problem. Three classes of data (i.e., soil categories, vegetative cover, and water turbidity) have the potential to be measured by ERTS-1 systems. There is substantial research which indicates the ability of ERTS-1 to measure these classes of data under selected conditions.

Development of mathematical techniques for the assimilation of remote sensing data into atmospheric models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seinfeld, J. H. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The problem of the assimilation of remote sensing data into mathematical models of atmospheric pollutant species was investigated. The data assimilation problem is posed in terms of the matching of spatially integrated species burden measurements to the predicted three-dimensional concentration fields from atmospheric diffusion models. General conditions were derived for the reconstructability of atmospheric concentration distributions from data typical of remote sensing applications, and a computational algorithm (filter) for the processing of remote sensing data was developed.

Development of mathematical techniques for the assimilation of remote sensing data into atmospheric models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seinfeld, J. H. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The problem of the assimilation of remote sensing data into mathematical models of atmospheric pollutant species was investigated. The problem is posed in terms of the matching of spatially integrated species burden measurements to the predicted three dimensional concentration fields from atmospheric diffusion models. General conditions are derived for the "reconstructability' of atmospheric concentration distributions from data typical of remote sensing applications, and a computational algorithm (filter) for the processing of remote sensing data is developed.

Investigation of the application of remote sensing technology to environmental monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rader, M. L. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

Activities and results are reported of a project to investigate the application of remote sensing technology developed for the LACIE, AgRISTARS, Forestry and other NASA remote sensing projects for the environmental monitoring of strip mining, industrial pollution, and acid rain. Following a remote sensing workshop for EPA personnel, the EOD clustering algorithm CLASSY was selected for evaluation by EPA as a possible candidate technology. LANDSAT data acquired for a North Dakota test sight was clustered in order to compare CLASSY with other algorithms.

Research on visible and near infrared spectral-polarimetric properties of soil polluted by crude oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Hui-yan; Zhou, Pu-cheng; Pan, Bang-long

2017-10-01

Hydrocarbon contaminated soil can impose detrimental effects on forest health and quality of agricultural products. To manage such consequences, oil leak indicators should be detected quickly by monitoring systems. Remote sensing is one of the most suitable techniques for monitoring systems, especially for areas which are uninhabitable and difficulty to access. The most available physical quantities in optical remote sensing domain are the intensity and spectral information obtained by visible or infrared sensors. However, besides the intensity and wavelength, polarization is another primary physical quantity associated with an optical field. During the course of reflecting light-wave, the surface of soil polluted by crude oil will cause polarimetric properties which are related to the nature of itself. Thus, detection of the spectralpolarimetric properties for soil polluted by crude oil has become a new remote sensing monitoring method. In this paper, the multi-angle spectral-polarimetric instrument was used to obtain multi-angle visible and near infrared spectralpolarimetric characteristic data of soil polluted by crude oil. And then, the change rule between polarimetric properties with different affecting factors, such as viewing zenith angle, incidence zenith angle of the light source, relative azimuth angle, waveband of the detector as well as different grain size of soil were discussed, so as to provide a scientific basis for the research on polarization remote sensing for soil polluted by crude oil.

Remote measurement of atmospheric pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allario, F.; Hoell, J.; Seals, R. K.

1979-01-01

The concentration and vertical distribution of atmospheric ammonia and ozone are remotely sensed, using dual-C02-laser multichannel infrared Heterodyne Spectrometer (1HS). Innovation makes atmospheric pollution measurements possible with nearly-quantum-noise-limited sensitivity and ultrafine spectral resolution.

Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, volume 2. [application and processing of remotely sensed data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Application and processing of remotely sensed data are discussed. Areas of application include: pollution monitoring, water quality, land use, marine resources, ocean surface properties, and agriculture. Image processing and scene analysis are described along with automated photointerpretation and classification techniques. Data from infrared and multispectral band scanners onboard LANDSAT satellites are emphasized.

For multidisciplinary research on the application of remote sensing to water resources problems. [including crop yield, watershed soils, and vegetation mapping in Wisconsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiefer, R. W. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

Research on the application of remote sensing to problems of water resources was concentrated on sediments and associated nonpoint source pollutants in lakes. Further transfer of the technology of remote sensing and the refinement of equipment and programs for thermal scanning and the digital analysis of images were also addressed.

OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING FOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING

EPA Science Inventory

The paper outlines recent developments in using optical remote sensing (ORS) instruments for air quality monitoring both for gaseous pollutants and airborne particulate matter (PM). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been using open-path Fourier transform infrared...

Air pollution linked to Remote Sensing tools - Science training using a Master's Level e-Learning Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladstaetter-Weissenmayer, A.; Kanakidou, M.; Richter, A.; Wagner, T.; Borrell, P.; Law, R. J.; Burrows, J. P.

2009-09-01

As we know it today air pollution is a release into the atmosphere of any substances, chemicals or particles, which are harmful both to the human and animal health as well as the health of the wider environment. The use of satellite based instruments is a young and developing research field and excellent for studying air pollution events over large areas at high spatial-temporal resolutions, especially when ground measurements, which are limited in spatial-temporal coverage, are not available. Students on postgraduate level should be trained in using, and analysing remote sensing data from both ground and satellite based or in interpreting the high variety in remote sensing e.g satellite images or maps. As follows an e-learning online module has been devised and constructed to facilitate the teaching of Remote Sensing of Troposphere from Space to research students at a Master's level. The module, which is essentially an interactive on-line text book, is stand alone, although it could be encompassed within a standard course management system. The scientific content is presented as study pages under three headings: remote sensing from space, the basics of radiation transfer, and retrieval procedures for tropospheric satellite data.The student is encouraged to test his or her comprehension of the material through exercises on the scientific topics.

Air pollution linked to Remote Sensing tools - Science training using a Master's Level e-Learning Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladstätter-Weißenmayer, A.; Kanakidou, M.; Richter, A.; Wagner, T.; Borrell, P.; Law, R. J.; Burrows, J. P.

2009-04-01

As we know it today air pollution is a release into the atmosphere of any substances, chemicals or particles, which are harmful both to the human and animal health as well as the health of the wider environment. The use of satellite based instruments is a young and developing research field and excellent for studying air pollution events over large areas at high spatial-temporal resolutions, especially when ground measurements, which are limited in spatial-temporal coverage, are not available. Students on postgraduate level should be trained in using, and analysing remote sensing data from both ground and satellite based or in interpreting the high variety in remote sensing e.g satellite images or maps. As follows an e-learning online module has been devised and constructed to facilitate the teaching of Remote Sensing of Troposphere from Space to research students at a Master's level. The module, which is essentially an interactive on-line text book, is stand alone, although it could be encompassed within a standard course management system. The scientific content is presented as study pages under three headings: remote sensing from space, the basics of radiation transfer, and retrieval procedures for tropospheric satellite data.The student is encouraged to test his or her comprehension of the material through exercises on the scientific topics.

REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND FOOD SECURITY

EPA Science Inventory

The integration of IKONOS satellite data, airborne color infrared remote sensing, visualization, and decision support tools is discussed, within the contexts of management techniques for minimizing non-point source pollution in inland waterways, such s riparian buffer restoration...

Reconstruction of atmospheric pollutant concentrations from remote sensing data - An application of distributed parameter observer theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koda, M.; Seinfeld, J. H.

1982-01-01

The reconstruction of a concentration distribution from spatially averaged and noise-corrupted data is a central problem in processing atmospheric remote sensing data. Distributed parameter observer theory is used to develop reconstructibility conditions for distributed parameter systems having measurements typical of those in remote sensing. The relation of the reconstructibility condition to the stability of the distributed parameter observer is demonstrated. The theory is applied to a variety of remote sensing situations, and it is found that those in which concentrations are measured as a function of altitude satisfy the conditions of distributed state reconstructibility.

Application of remote sensing for prediction and detection of thermal pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veziroglu, T. N.; Lee, S. S.

1974-01-01

The first phase is described of a three year project for the development of a mathematical model for predicting thermal pollution by use of remote sensing measurements. A rigid-lid model was developed, and results were obtained for different wind conditions at Biscayne Bay in South Florida. The design of the measurement system was completed, and instruments needed for the first stage of experiment were acquired, tested, and calibrated. A preliminary research flight was conducted.

Microwave remote sensing laboratory design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, E.

1979-01-01

Application of active and passive microwave remote sensing to the study of ocean pollution is discussed. Previous research efforts, both in the field and in the laboratory were surveyed to derive guidance for the design of a laboratory program of research. The essential issues include: choice of radar or radiometry as the observational technique; choice of laboratory or field as the research site; choice of operating frequency; tank sizes and material; techniques for wave generation and appropriate wavelength spectrum; methods for controlling and disposing of pollutants used in the research; and pollutants other than oil which could or should be studied.

A simulation of water pollution model parameter estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kibler, J. F.

1976-01-01

A parameter estimation procedure for a water pollution transport model is elaborated. A two-dimensional instantaneous-release shear-diffusion model serves as representative of a simple transport process. Pollution concentration levels are arrived at via modeling of a remote-sensing system. The remote-sensed data are simulated by adding Gaussian noise to the concentration level values generated via the transport model. Model parameters are estimated from the simulated data using a least-squares batch processor. Resolution, sensor array size, and number and location of sensor readings can be found from the accuracies of the parameter estimates.

Joint Conference on Sensing of Environmental Pollutants, 4th, New Orleans, La., November 6-11, 1977, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Papers are presented on such topics as environmental chemistry, the effects of sulfur compounds on air quality, the prediction and monitoring of biological effects caused by environmental pollutants, environmental indicators, the satellite remote sensing of air pollution, weather and climate modification by pollution, and the monitoring and assessment of radioactive pollutants. Consideration is also given to empirical and quantitative modeling of air quality, disposal of hazardous and nontoxic materials, sensing and assessment of water quality, pollution source monitoring, and assessment of some environmental impacts of fossil and nuclear fuels.

REMOTE SENSING, VISUALIZATION AND DECISION SUPPORT FOR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

EPA Science Inventory

The integration of satellite and airborne remote sensing, scientific visualization and decision support tools is discussed within the context of management techniques for minimizing the non-point source pollution load of inland waterways and the sustainability of food crop produc...

Remote sensing of PBL meteorology and air quality: the outcome of the ESCOMPTE experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobinski, P.

2008-05-01

In the French Mediterranean basin, the large city of Marseille and its industrialized suburbs (oil plants in the Fos-Berre area) are major pollutant sources which cause frequent and hazardous pollution episodes especially in summer when intense solar heating enhances the photochemical activity and when sea-breeze circulation redistributes pollutants further north in the countryside. This paper summarizes the findings of five years of research on the sea-breeze in southeastern France and related mesoscale transport and dilution of pollutants within the ESCOMPTE program held in June and July 2001 (field experiment to constraint models of atmospheric pollution and emissions transport), obtained thanks to a composite observing system and a combination of remote sensing and in situ systems which produced a wealth of data. Indeed, the combination of established and novel and highly sophisticated remote sensing instruments with conventional in situ measurements (dense surface network and radiosondes) allowed to capture previously unseen details of the fine structure of the sea breeze, allowed unprecedented insight into the structure of the sea breeze flow and its contribution to ozone redistribution and allowed the validation of ultrahigh-resolution numerical research and weather prediction models as well as chemistry transport models.

Lidar system for air-pollution monitoring over urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskalenko, Irina V.; Shcheglov, Djolinard A.; Molodtsov, Nikolai A.

1997-05-01

The atmospheric environmental situation over the urban area of a large city is determined by a complex combination of anthropogenic pollution and meteorological factors. The efficient way to provide three-dimensional mapping of gaseous pollutants over wide areas is utilization of lidar systems employing tunable narrowband transmitters. The paper presented describes activity of RRC 'Kurchatov Institute' in the field of lidar atmospheric monitoring. The project 'mobile remote sensing system based on tunable laser transmitter for environmental monitoring' is developed under financial support of International Scientific and Technology Center (Moscow). The objective of the project is design, construction and field testing of a DIAL-technique system. The lidar transmitter consists of an excimer laser pumping dye laser, BBO crystal frequency doubler, and scanning flat mirror. Sulfur dioxide and atomic mercury have been selected as pollutants for field tests of the lidar system under development. A recent large increase in Moscow traffic stimulated taking into consideration also the remote sensing of lower troposphere ozone because of the photochemical smog problem. The status of the project is briefly discussed. The current activity includes also collecting of environmental data relevant to lidar remote sensing. Main attention is paid to pollutant concentration levels over Moscow city and Moscow district areas.

Inferring nutrient loading of estuarine systems by remote sensing of aquatic vegetation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, R. R.

1978-01-01

THe use of remote sensing to record algal and vascular aquatic plant growths in estuarine waters is discussed. A technique is proposed that uses a combination of data to hierarchically classify watersheds with regard to severity of potential pollution. Specific nonpoint sources of nutrients in tributaries of the watershed are identified with lower altitude photography of vegetation and selected ground sampling. It is concluded that excessive growths of some aquatic plants may be related to nutrient pollution.

Design of Laser Based Monitoring Systems for Compliance Management of Odorous and Hazardous Air Pollutants in Selected Chemical Industrial Estates at Hyderabad, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudhakar, P.; Kalavathi, P.; Ramakrishna Rao, D.; Satyanarayna, M.

2014-12-01

Industrialization can no longer sustain without internalization of the concerns of the receiving environment and land-use. Increased awareness and public pressure, coupled with regulatory instruments and bodies exert constant pressure on industries to control their emissions to a level acceptable to the receiving environment. However, when a group of industries come-up together as an industrial estate, the cumulative impacts of all the industries together often challenges the expected/desired quality of receiving environment, requiring stringent pollution control and monitoring measures. Laser remote sensing techniques provide powerful tools for environmental monitoring. These methods provide range resolved measurements of concentrations of various gaseous pollutants and suspended particulate matter (SPM) not only in the path of the beam but over the entire area. A three dimensional mapping of the pollutants and their dispersal can be estimated using the laser remote sensing methods on a continuous basis. Laser Radar (Lidar) systems are the measurements technology used in the laser remote sensing methods. Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) and Raman Lidar technologies have proved to be very useful for remote sensing of air pollutants. DIAL and Raman lidar systems can be applied for range resolved measurements of molecules like SO2, NO2, O3 Hg, CO, C2H4, H2O, CH4, hydrocarbons etc. in real time on a continuous basis. This paper describes the design details of the DAIL and Raman lidar techniques for measurement of various hazardous air pollutants which are being released into the atmosphere by the chemical industries operating in the Bachupally industrial Estate area at Hyderabad, India. The relative merits of the two techniques have been studied and the minimum concentration of pollutants that can be measured using these systems are presented. A dispersion model of the air pollutants in the selected chemical industrial estates at Hyderabad has been developed.

Satellite Remote Sensing Detection of Coastal Pollution in Southern California: Stormwater Runoff and Wastewater Plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh, R. C.; Holt, B.; Gierach, M.

2016-02-01

Coastal pollution poses a major health and environmental hazard, not only for beach goers and coastal communities but for marine organisms as well. Stormwater runoff is the largest source of environmental pollution in coastal waters of the Southern California Bight (SCB) and is of great concern in increasingly urbanized areas. Buoyant wastewater plumes also pose a marine environmental risk. In this study we provide a comprehensive overview of satellite remote sensing capabilities in detecting buoyant coastal pollutants in the form of stormwater runoff and wastewater effluent. The SCB is the final destination of four major urban rivers that act as channels for runoff and pollution during and after rainstorms. We analyzed and compared sea surface roughness data from various Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments to ocean color data from the Moderate Imaging System (MODIS) sensor on board the Aqua satellite and correlated the results with existing environmental data in order to create a climatology of naturally occurring stormwater plumes in coastal waters after rain events, from 1992 to 2014 from four major rivers in the area. Heat maps of the primary extent of stormwater plumes were constructed to specify areas that may be subject to the greatest risk of coastal contamination. In conjunction with our efforts to monitor coastal pollution and validate the abilities of satellite remote sensing, a recent Fall 2015 wastewater diversion from the City of Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP) provided the opportunity to apply these remote sensing methodologies of plume detection to wastewater. During maintenance of their 5-mile long outfall pipe, wastewater is diverted to a shorter outfall pipe that terminates 1-mile offshore and in shallower waters. Sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a (chl-a) fluorescence, remote sensing reflectance and particulate backscatter signatures were analyzed from MODIS. Terra-ASTER and Landsat-8 thermal infrared data were also obtained to determine SST anomalies associated with surfaced wastewater at a higher resolution than MODIS. SAR data from ALOS-2, and Sentinel-1 were used to identify surfaced wastewater plumes. In situ drifter, chl-a, SST, and hyperspectral water quality measurements from the diversion were also compared with those obtained by satellite sensors.

Applications of remote sensing to hydrologic planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loats, H., Jr.; Fowler, T.; Castruccio, P.

1978-01-01

The transfer of LANDSAT remote sensing technology from the research sector to user operational applications requires demonstration of the utility and accuracy of LANDSAT data in solving real problems. This report describes such a demonstration project in the area of water resources, specifically the estimation of non-point source pollutant loads. Non-point source pollutants were estimated from land cover data from LANDSAT images. Classification accuracies for three small watersheds were above 95%. Land cover was converted to pollutant loads for a fourth watershed through the use of coefficients relating significant pollutants to land use and storm runoff volume. These data were input into a simulator model which simulated runoff from average rainfall. The result was the estimation of monthly expected pollutant loads for the 17 subbasins comprising the Magothy watershed.

Appraisement of environment remote sensing method in mining area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fengjie; Zhen, Han; Jiang, Tao; Lei, Liqing; Gong, Cailan

1998-08-01

Coal mining is attached great importance by society as a key profession of environmental pollution. The monitor and protection of coal-mine environment is a developing profession in China. The sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other waste gases, which are put out by the spontaneous combustion or weathering of gangue are an important pollution resource of atmosphere. The stack of gangue held down many farmlands. Smoke, coal dust and powder coal ash pollute the environment of mining area and surroundings though the affection of monsoon. The pH value of water which coal mine drained off is low, and the drinking, farming and animal husbandry water where it flowed are affected. The surface subsidence which mining caused is a typical destruction of ground environment. The people pay attention to remote sensing as a method of rapidly, cheaply regional environment investigation. The paper tires making an appraisement of mining area environment monitor by many kind methods of remote sensing from the characteristic of mining area environment.

SIMULATION STUDY FOR GASEOUS FLUXES FROM AN AREA SOURCE USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING

EPA Science Inventory

The paper presents a new approach to quantifying emissions from fugitive gaseous air pollution sources. Computed tomography (CT) and path-integrated optical remote sensing (PI-ORS) concentration data are combined in a new field beam geometry. Path-integrated concentrations are ...

Remote Sensing of Earth--A New Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyer, Robert E.

1973-01-01

Photographs of the earth taken from space are used to illustrate the advantages and application of remote sensing. This technique may be used in such areas as the immediate appraisal of disasters, surveillance of the oceans, monitoring of land, food and water resources, detection of natural resources, and identification of pollution. (JR)

Oil pollution signatures by remote sensing.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Catoe, C. E.; Mclean, J. T.

1972-01-01

Study of the possibility of developing an effective remote sensing system for oil pollution monitoring which would be capable of detecting oil films on water, mapping the areal extent of oil slicks, measuring slick thickness, and identifying the oil types. In the spectral regions considered (ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, and radar), the signatures were sufficiently unique when compared to the background so that it was possible to detect and map oil slicks. Both microwave and radar techniques are capable of operating in adverse weather. Fluorescence techniques show promise in identifying oil types. A multispectral system will be required to detect oil, map its distribution, estimate film thickness, and characterize the oil pollutant.

Applications of remote sensing to estuarine management. [environmental surveys of the Chesapeake Bay (U.S.)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munday, J. C., Jr.; Gordon, H. H.; Welch, C. S.; Williams, G.

1976-01-01

Projects for sewage outfall siting for pollution control in the lower Chesapeake Bay wetlands are reported. A dye-buoy/photogrammetry and remote sensing technique was employed to gather circulation data used in outfall siting. This technique is greatly favored over alternate methods because it is inexpensive, produces results quickly, and reveals Lagrangian current paths which are preferred in making siting decisions. Wetlands data were obtained by interpretation of color and color infrared photographic imagery from several altitudes. Historical sequences of photographs are shown that were used to document wetlands changes. Sequential infrared photography of inlet basins was employed to determine tidal prisms, which were input to mathematical models to be used by state agencies in pollution control. A direct and crucial link between remote sensing and management decisions was demonstrated in the various projects.

Mobile lidar system for monitoring of gaseous pollutants in atmosphere over industrial and urban area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskalenko, Irina V.; Shecheglov, Djolinard A.; Rogachev, Aleksei P.; Avdonin, Aleksandr A.; Molodtsov, Nikolai A.

1999-01-01

The lidar remote sensing techniques are powerful for monitoring of gaseous toxic species in atmosphere over wide areas. The paper presented describes design, development and field testing of Mobile Lidar System (MLS) based on utilization of Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique. The activity is performed by Russian Research Center 'Kurchatov Institute' and Research Institute of Pulse Technique within the project 'Mobile Remote SEnsing System Based on Tunable Laser Transmitter for Environmental Monitoring' under funding of International Scientific and Technology Center Moscow. A brief description of MLS is presented including narrowband transmitter, receiver, system steering, data acquisition subsystem and software. MLS is housed in a mobile truck and is able to provide 3D mapping of gaseous species. Sulfur dioxide and elemental mercury were chosen as basic atmospheric pollutants for field test of MLS. The problem of anthropogenic ozone detection attracts attention due to increase traffic in Moscow. The experimental sites for field testing are located in Moscow Region. Examples of field DIAL measurements will be presented. Application of remote sensing to toxic species near-real time measurements is now under consideration. The objective is comparison of pollution level in working zone with maximum permissible concentration of hazardous pollutant.

Characterization of air pollution in Mexico City by remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grutter, Michel; Arellano, Josue; Bezanilla, Alejandro; Friedrich, Martina; Plaza, Eddy; Rivera, Claudia; Stremme, Wolfgang

2014-05-01

Megacities, like the Mexico City Metropolitan Area, are home to a large fraction of the population of the world and a consequence is that they are one of the biggest sources of contaminants and greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. The pollution is visible form space through remote sensing instruments, however, satellite observations like those with NADIR viewing geometries have decreased sensitivity near the Earth's surface and the analytical algorithms are in generally optimized to detect pollution plumes in the free troposphere or above. Ground-based observations are thus necessary in order to reduce uncertainties from satellite products. As we will show, Mexico City and its surroundings is well characterized by ground-based remote sensing measurements like from two stations with solar-absorption FTIR spectrometers and a newly formed network of MAX-DOAS and LIDAR instruments. Examples will be provided of how the evolution of the mixing-layer height is characterized and the vertical column densities and profiles of gases in and outside the urban area are continuously monitored. The combination of ground-based and space-borne measurements are used to improve the current knowledge in the spatial and temporal distribution of key pollutants from this megacity.

Has China been exporting less particulate air pollution over the past decade?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianglong; Reid, Jeffrey S.; Alfaro-Contreras, Ricardo; Xian, Peng

2017-03-01

Particulate matter (PM) pollution from China is transported eastward to Korea and Japan and has been suggested to influence surface air quality on the West Coast of the United States. However, remote sensing studies have been inconclusive as to recent trends in Chinese emissions and transport. We reconciled different passive remote sensing points of view and found that while aerosol optical thickness (AOT) as an indicator of particulate pollution has increased from the start of the observation period (2000) to 2006-2007 from the main Chinese coastal outflow regions, since then there has been a 10-20% decrease in AOT (with respect to 2007). Reductions were observed in spring, summer, and fall seasons. No improvement in exported PM pollution is found for the winter season.

The laser absorption spectrometer - A new remote sensing instrument for atmospheric pollution monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shumate, M. S.

1974-01-01

An instrument capable of remotely monitoring trace atmospheric constituents is described. The instrument, called a laser absorption spectrometer, can be operated from an aircraft or spacecraft to measure the concentration of selected gases in three dimensions. This device will be particularly useful for rapid determination of pollutant levels in urban areas.

The Use of Remote Sensing Data for Modeling Air Quality in the Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putrenko, V. V.; Pashynska, N. M.

2017-12-01

Monitoring of environmental pollution in the cities by the methods of remote sensing of the Earth is actual area of research for sustainable development. Ukraine has a poorly developed network of monitoring stations for air quality, the technical condition of which is deteriorating in recent years. Therefore, the possibility of obtaining data about the condition of air by remote sensing methods is of great importance. The paper considers the possibility of using the data about condition of atmosphere of the project AERONET to assess the air quality in Ukraine. The main pollution indicators were used data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) content in the atmosphere. The main indicator of air quality in Ukraine is the air pollution index (API). We have built regression models the relationship between indicators of NO2, which are measured by remote sensing methods and ground-based measurements of indicators. There have also been built regression models, the relationship between the data given to the land of NO2 and API. To simulate the relationship between the API and PM2.5 were used geographically weighted regression model, which allows to take into account the territorial differentiation between these indicators. As a result, the maps that show the distribution of the main types of pollution in the territory of Ukraine, were constructed. PM2.5 data modeling is complicated with using existing indicators, which requires a separate organization observation network for PM2.5 content in the atmosphere for sustainable development in cities of Ukraine.

LIDAR Remote Sensing of Particulate Matter Emissions from On-Road Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keislar, R. E.; Kuhns, H.; Mazzoleni, C.; Moosmuller, H.; Watson, J.

2002-12-01

DRI has developed a remote sensing method for on-road particulate matter emissions from gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles called the Vehicle Emissions Remote Sensing System (VERSS). Remote sensing of gaseous pollutants in vehicle exhaust is a well-established, economical way to determine on-road emissions for thousands of vehicles per day. The VERSS adds a particulate matter channel to complement gaseous pollutant measurements. The VERSS uses 266-nm ultraviolet laser light to achieve greater sensitivity than visible light to sub-micrometer particles, where the greatest mass fraction has been reported. The VERSS system integrates the lidar channel with a commercial remote sensing device (RSD) for gaseous pollutants, and the RSD CO2 measurement can be used to estimate fuel-based particle mass emissions. We describe the interpretation and processing of lidar returns from field measurements taken by the combined VERSS during the Southern Nevada Air Quality Study (SNAQS), conducted in the Las Vegas area. With suitable assumptions regarding size distribution and particle composition, the lidar backscatter signal and the RSD yield three basic measurements of particulate matter in the exhaust plume. For each passing vehicle, these three channels are: 1) Columnar extinction in the infrared (IR at 3.9 micrometers) 2) Columnar extinction in the ultraviolet (UV at 266 nm) 3) Range-resolved backscatter at 266 nm (horizontal spatial resolution of 20-25 cm) The 3.9-micrometer channel is a good surrogate for absorption by elemental carbon (EC) in tailpipe emissions and has been utilized in previous studies. Opacity measurements at 266 nm provide optical extinction due to scattering from tailpipe organic carbon (OC) and EC emissions.

[Spatiotemporal dynamic fuzzy evaluation of wetland environmental pollution risk in Dayang estuary of Liaoning Province, Northeast China based on remote sensing].

PubMed

Sun, Yong-Guang; Zhao, Dong-Zhi; Zhang, Feng-Shou; Wei, Bao-Quan; Chu, Jia-Lan; Su, Xiu

2012-11-01

Based on the aerial image data of Dayang estuary in 2008, and by virtue of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) , remote sensing technology, and GIS spatial analysis, a spatiotemporal evaluation was made on the comprehensive level of wetland environmental pollution risk in Dayang estuary, with the impacts of typical human activities on the dynamic variation of this comprehensive level discussed. From 1958 to 2008, the comprehensive level of the environmental pollution risk in study area presented an increasing trend. Spatially, this comprehensive level declined from land to ocean, and showed a zonal distribution. Tourism development activities unlikely led to the increase of the comprehensive level, while human inhabitation, transportation, and aquaculture would exacerbate the risk of environmental pollution. This study could provide reference for the sea area use planning, ecological function planning, and pollutants control of estuary region.

A parallel method of atmospheric correction for multispectral high spatial resolution remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Shaoshuai; Ni, Chen; Cao, Jing; Li, Zhengqiang; Chen, Xingfeng; Ma, Yan; Yang, Leiku; Hou, Weizhen; Qie, Lili; Ge, Bangyu; Liu, Li; Xing, Jin

2018-03-01

The remote sensing image is usually polluted by atmosphere components especially like aerosol particles. For the quantitative remote sensing applications, the radiative transfer model based atmospheric correction is used to get the reflectance with decoupling the atmosphere and surface by consuming a long computational time. The parallel computing is a solution method for the temporal acceleration. The parallel strategy which uses multi-CPU to work simultaneously is designed to do atmospheric correction for a multispectral remote sensing image. The parallel framework's flow and the main parallel body of atmospheric correction are described. Then, the multispectral remote sensing image of the Chinese Gaofen-2 satellite is used to test the acceleration efficiency. When the CPU number is increasing from 1 to 8, the computational speed is also increasing. The biggest acceleration rate is 6.5. Under the 8 CPU working mode, the whole image atmospheric correction costs 4 minutes.

On multidisciplinary research on the application of remote sensing to water resources problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

This research is directed toward development of a practical, operational remote sensing water quality monitoring system. To accomplish this, five fundamental aspects of the problem have been under investigation during the past three years. These are: (1) development of practical and economical methods of obtaining, handling and analyzing remote sensing data; (2) determination of the correlation between remote sensed imagery and actual water quality parameters; (3) determination of the optimum technique for monitoring specific water pollution parameters and for evaluating the reliability with which this can be accomplished; (4) determination of the extent of masking due to depth of penetration, bottom effects, film development effects, and angle falloff, and development of techniques to eliminate or minimize them; and (5) development of operational procedures which might be employed by a municipal, state or federal agency for the application of remote sensing to water quality monitoring, including space-generated data.

Remote sensing of on-road vehicle emissions: Mechanism, applications and a case study from Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yuhan; Organ, Bruce; Zhou, John L.; Surawski, Nic C.; Hong, Guang; Chan, Edward F. C.; Yam, Yat Shing

2018-06-01

Vehicle emissions are a major contributor to air pollution in cities and have serious health impacts to their inhabitants. On-road remote sensing is an effective and economic tool to monitor and control vehicle emissions. In this review, the mechanism, accuracy, advantages and limitations of remote sensing were introduced. Then the applications and major findings of remote sensing were critically reviewed. It was revealed that the emission distribution of on-road vehicles was highly skewed so that the dirtiest 10% vehicles accounted for over half of the total fleet emissions. Such findings highlighted the importance and effectiveness of using remote sensing for in situ identification of high-emitting vehicles for further inspection and maintenance programs. However, the accuracy and number of vehicles affected by screening programs were greatly dependent on the screening criteria. Remote sensing studies showed that the emissions of gasoline and diesel vehicles were significantly reduced in recent years, with the exception of NOx emissions of diesel vehicles in spite of greatly tightened automotive emission regulations. Thirdly, the experience and issues of using remote sensing for identifying high-emitting vehicles in Hong Kong (where remote sensing is a legislative instrument for enforcement purposes) were reported. That was followed by the first time ever identification and discussion of the issue of frequent false detection of diesel high-emitters using remote sensing. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of on-road remote sensing were elaborated.

A Review of Wetland Remote Sensing.

PubMed

Guo, Meng; Li, Jing; Sheng, Chunlei; Xu, Jiawei; Wu, Li

2017-04-05

Wetlands are some of the most important ecosystems on Earth. They play a key role in alleviating floods and filtering polluted water and also provide habitats for many plants and animals. Wetlands also interact with climate change. Over the past 50 years, wetlands have been polluted and declined dramatically as land cover has changed in some regions. Remote sensing has been the most useful tool to acquire spatial and temporal information about wetlands. In this paper, seven types of sensors were reviewed: aerial photos coarse-resolution, medium-resolution, high-resolution, hyperspectral imagery, radar, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. This study also discusses the advantage of each sensor for wetland research. Wetland research themes reviewed in this paper include wetland classification, habitat or biodiversity, biomass estimation, plant leaf chemistry, water quality, mangrove forest, and sea level rise. This study also gives an overview of the methods used in wetland research such as supervised and unsupervised classification and decision tree and object-based classification. Finally, this paper provides some advice on future wetland remote sensing. To our knowledge, this paper is the most comprehensive and detailed review of wetland remote sensing and it will be a good reference for wetland researchers.

A Review of Wetland Remote Sensing

PubMed Central

Guo, Meng; Li, Jing; Sheng, Chunlei; Xu, Jiawei; Wu, Li

2017-01-01

Wetlands are some of the most important ecosystems on Earth. They play a key role in alleviating floods and filtering polluted water and also provide habitats for many plants and animals. Wetlands also interact with climate change. Over the past 50 years, wetlands have been polluted and declined dramatically as land cover has changed in some regions. Remote sensing has been the most useful tool to acquire spatial and temporal information about wetlands. In this paper, seven types of sensors were reviewed: aerial photos coarse-resolution, medium-resolution, high-resolution, hyperspectral imagery, radar, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. This study also discusses the advantage of each sensor for wetland research. Wetland research themes reviewed in this paper include wetland classification, habitat or biodiversity, biomass estimation, plant leaf chemistry, water quality, mangrove forest, and sea level rise. This study also gives an overview of the methods used in wetland research such as supervised and unsupervised classification and decision tree and object-based classification. Finally, this paper provides some advice on future wetland remote sensing. To our knowledge, this paper is the most comprehensive and detailed review of wetland remote sensing and it will be a good reference for wetland researchers. PMID:28379174

Making Sense of Remotely Sensed Ultra-Spectral Infrared Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California, Earth Observing System (EOS) programs, the Deep Space Network (DSN), and various Department of Defense (DOD) technology demonstration programs, combined their technical expertise to develop SEASCRAPE, a software program that obtains data when thermal infrared radiation passes through the Earth's atmosphere and reaches a sensor. Licensed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), SEASCRAPE automatically inverts complex infrared data and makes it possible to obtain estimates of the state of the atmosphere along the ray path. Former JPL staff members created a small entrepreneurial firm, Remote Sensing Analysis Systems, Inc., of Altadena, California, to commercialize the product. The founders believed that a commercial version of the software was needed for future U.S. government missions and the commercial monitoring of pollution. With the inversion capability of this software and remote sensing instrumentation, it is possible to monitor pollution sources from safe and secure distances on a noninterfering, noncooperative basis. The software, now know as SEASCRAPE_Plus, allows the user to determine the presence of pollution products, their location and their abundance along the ray path. The technology has been cleared by the Department of Commerce for export, and is currently used by numerous research and engineering organizations around the world.

[Remote sensing of atmospheric trace gas by airborne passive FTIR].

PubMed

Gao, Min-quang; Liu, Wen-qing; Zhang, Tian-shu; Liu, Jian-guo; Lu, Yi-huai; Wang, Ya-ping; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Jun; Chen, Jun

2006-12-01

The present article describes the details of aviatic measurement for remote sensing trace gases in atmosphere under various surface backgrounds with airborne passive FTIR. The passive down viewing and remote sensing technique used in the experiment is discussed. The method of acquiring atmospheric trace gases infrared characteristic spectra in complicated background and the algorithm of concentration retrieval are discussed. The concentrations of CO and N2O of boundary-layer atmosphere in experimental region below 1000 m are analyzed quantitatively. This measurement technique and the data analysis method, which does not require a previously measured background spectrum, allow fast and mobile remote detection and identification of atmosphere trace gas in large area, and also can be used for urgent monitoring of pollution accidental breakout.

Interpretation of remotely sensed data and its applications in oceanography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Tanaka, K.; Inostroza, H. M.; Verdesio, J. J.

1982-01-01

The methodology of interpretation of remote sensing data and its oceanographic applications are described. The elements of image interpretation for different types of sensors are discussed. The sensors utilized are the multispectral scanner of LANDSAT, and the thermal infrared of NOAA and geostationary satellites. Visual and automatic data interpretation in studies of pollution, the Brazil current system, and upwelling along the southeastern Brazilian coast are compared.

Remote sensing detection of atmospheric pollutants using lidar, sodar and correlation with air quality data in an industrial area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steffens, Juliana; da Costa, Renata F.; Landulfo, Eduardo; Guardani, Roberto; Moreira, Paulo F., Jr.; Held, Gerhard

2011-11-01

Optical remote sensing techniques have obvious advantages for monitoring gas and aerosol emissions, since they enable the operation over large distances, far from hostile environments, and fast processing of the measured signal. In this study two remote sensing devices, namely a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) for monitoring the vertical profile of backscattered light intensity, and a Sodar (Acoustic Radar, Sound Detection and Ranging) for monitoring the vertical profile of the wind vector were operated during specific periods. The acquired data were processed and compared with data of air quality obtained from ground level monitoring stations, in order to verify the possibility of using the remote sensing techniques to monitor industrial emissions. The campaigns were carried out in the area of the Environmental Research Center (Cepema) of the University of Sao Paulo, in the city of Cubatao, Brazil, a large industrial site, where numerous different industries are located, including an oil refinery, a steel plant, as well as fertilizer, cement and chemical/petrochemical plants. The local environmental problems caused by the industrial activities are aggravated by the climate and topography of the site, unfavorable to pollutant dispersion. Results of a campaign are presented for a 24- hour period, showing data of a Lidar, an air quality monitoring station and a Sodar.

Air pollution measurements from satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ludwig, C. B.; Griggs, M.; Malkmus, W.; Bartle, E. R.

1973-01-01

A study is presented on the remote sensing of gaseous and particulate air pollutants which is an extension of a previous report. Pollutants can be observed by either active or passive remote sensing systems. Calculations discussed herein indicate that tropospheric CO, CO2, SO2, NO2, NH3, HCHO, and CH4 can be measured by means of nadir looking passive systems. Additional species such as NO, HNO3, O3, and H2O may be measured in the stratosphere through a horizon experiment. A brief theoretical overview of resonance Raman scattering and resonance fluorescence is given. It is found that radiance measurements are most promising for general global applications, and that stratospheric aerosols may be measured using a sun occultation technique. The instrumentation requirements for both active and passive systems are examined and various instruments now under development are described.

Detection of ocean waste in the New York Bight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philpot, W.; Klemas, V.

1979-01-01

The application of remote sensing to detection and monitoring of ocean waste disposal in the New York Bight is discussed. Attention is focused on the two major pollutants in this area--sewage sludge and iron-acid waste--and on detecting and identifying these pollutants. The emphasis is on the use of LANDSAT multispectral data in identifying these pollutants and distinguishing them from other substances. The analysis technique applied to the LANDSAT data is the eigenvector. This approach proved to be quite successful in detecting iron-acid waste of the coast of Delaware and is applied here with relatively minor modifications. The results of the New York Bight work are compared to the Delaware results. Finally, other remote sensing systems (Nimbus G, aircraft photography and multispectral scanner systems) are discussed as possible complements of or replacements for the Landsat observations.

[Application of hyper-spectral remote sensing technology in environmental protection].

PubMed

Zhao, Shao-Hua; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Qiao; Yao, Yun-Jun; Wang, Zhong-Ting; You, Dai-An

2013-12-01

Hyper-spectral remote sensing (RS) technology has been widely used in environmental protection. The present work introduces its recent application in the RS monitoring of pollution gas, green-house gas, algal bloom, water quality of catch water environment, safety of drinking water sources, biodiversity, vegetation classification, soil pollution, and so on. Finally, issues such as scarce hyper-spectral satellites, the limits of data processing and information extract are related. Some proposals are also presented, including developing subsequent satellites of HJ-1 satellite with differential optical absorption spectroscopy, greenhouse gas spectroscopy and hyper-spectral imager, strengthening the study of hyper-spectral data processing and information extraction, and promoting the construction of environmental application system.

Multiscale and Multitemporal Urban Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesev, V.

2012-07-01

The remote sensing of urban areas has received much attention from scientists conducting studies on measuring sprawl, congestion, pollution, poverty, and environmental encroachment. Yet much of the research is case and data-specific where results are greatly influenced by prevailing local conditions. There seems to be a lack of epistemological links between remote sensing and conventional theoretical urban geography; in other words, an oversight for the appreciation of how urban theory fuels urban change and how urban change is measured by remotely sensed data. This paper explores basic urban theories such as centrality, mobility, materiality, nature, public space, consumption, segregation and exclusion, and how they can be measured by remote sensing sources. In particular, the link between structure (tangible objects) and function (intangible or immaterial behavior) is addressed as the theory that supports the wellknow contrast between land cover and land use classification from remotely sensed data. The paper then couches these urban theories and contributions from urban remote sensing within two analytical fields. The first is the search for an "appropriate" spatial scale of analysis, which is conveniently divided between micro and macro urban remote sensing for measuring urban structure, understanding urban processes, and perhaps contributions to urban theory at a variety of scales of analysis. The second is on the existence of a temporal lag between materiality of urban objects and the planning process that approved their construction, specifically how time-dependence in urban structural-functional models produce temporal lags that alter the causal links between societal and political functional demands and structural ramifications.

Overview of the AgRISTARS research program. I. [AGgriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caudill, C. E.; Hatch, R. E.

1985-01-01

An account is given of the activities and accomplishments to date of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing (AgRISTARS) program, which is a cooperative venture with NASA and the Departments of the Interior and of Commerce. AgRISTARS research activities encompass early warning and crop condition assessment, inventory technology development for production forecasting, crop yield model development, soil moisture monitoring, domestic crops and land cover sensing, renewable resources inventory, and conservation and pollution assessment.

Remote sensing applications in evaluation of cadmium pollution effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozma-Bognar, Veronika; Martin, Gizella; Berke, Jozsef

2013-04-01

According to the 21st century developments in information technology the remote sensing applications open new perspectives to the data collection of our environment. Using the images in different spectral bands we get more reliable and accurate information about the condition, process and phenomena of the earth surface compared to the traditional aircraft image technologies (RGB images). The effects of particulate pollution originated from road traffic were analysed by the research team of Department of Meteorology and Water Management (University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty) with the application of visible, near infrared and thermal infrared remote sensing aircraft images. In the scope of our research was to detect and monitor the effects of heavy metal contamination in plant-atmosphere system under field experiments. The testing area was situated at Agro-meteorological Research Station in Keszthely (Hungary), where maize crops were polluted once a week (0,5 M concentration) by cadmium. In our study we simulated the effects of cadmium pollution because this element is one of the most common toxic heavy metals in our environment. During two growing seasons (2011, 2012) time-series analyses were carried out based on the remote sensing data and parallel collected variables of field measurement. In each phenological phases of plant we took aerial images, in order to follow the changes of the structure and intensity values of plots images. The spatial resolution of these images were under 10x10 cm, which allowed to use a plot-level evaluation. The structural and intensity based measurement evaluation methods were applied to examine cadmium polluted and control maize canopy after data pre-processing. Research activities also focused on the examination of the influence of the irrigation and the comparison of aerial and terrain parameters. As conclusion, it could be determined the quantification of cadmium pollution effects is possible on maize plants by using remote sensing technologies. The adverse effects on maize appear not immediately. During the growing season, the cadmium accumulation is plants caused slow changes and disorders that caused changes in structure and intensity values of the images. Consequently, the cadmium polluted and control plants could be differentiated by the average values of the intensity. According to our expectation the average intensity values showed decreasing tendency effect of cadmium pollution and the irrigation influences the effect of cadmium contamination. This research was realized in the frames of TÁMOP 4.2.4. A/1-11-1-2012-0001 "National Excellence Program - Elaborating and operating an inland student and researcher personal support system" The project was subsidized by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund. This article was made partly under the project TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0025. This project is supported by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Wide-area remote-sensing system of pollution and gas dispersal by near-infrared absorption based on low-loss optical fiber network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Inaba, H.

1986-01-01

An all optical remote sensing system utilizing long distance, ultralow loss optical fiber networks is studied and discussed for near infrared absorption measurements of combustible and/or explosive gases such as CH4 and C3H8 in our environment, including experimental results achieved in a diameter more than 20 km. The use of a near infrared wavelength range is emphasized.

Monitoring Mediterranean marine pollution using remote sensing and hydrodynamic modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Loggia, Goffredo; Capodici, Fulvio; Ciraolo, Giuseppe; Drago, Aldo; Maltese, Antonino

2011-11-01

Human activities contaminate both coastal areas and open seas, even though impacts are different in terms of pollutants, ecosystems and recovery time. In particular, Mediterranean offshore pollution is mainly related to maritime transport of oil, accounting for 25% of the global maritime traffic and, during the last 25 years, for nearly 7% of the world oil accidents, thus causing serious biological impacts on both open sea and coastal zone habitats. This paper provides a general review of maritime pollution monitoring using integrated approaches of remote sensing and hydrodynamic modeling; focusing on the main results of the MAPRES (Marine pollution monitoring and detection by aerial surveillance and satellite images) research project on the synergistic use of remote sensing, forecasting, cleanup measures and environmental consequences. The paper also investigates techniques of oil spill detection using SAR images, presenting the first results of "Monitoring of marine pollution due to oil slick", a COSMO-SkyMed funded research project where X-band SAR constellation images provided by the Italian Space Agency are used. Finally, the prospect of using real time observations of marine surface conditions is presented through CALYPSO project (CALYPSO-HF Radar Monitoring System and Response against Marine Oil Spills in the Malta Channel), partly financed by the EU under the Operational Programme Italia-Malta 2007-2013. The project concerns the setting up of a permanent and fully operational HF radar observing system, capable of recording surface currents (in real-time with hourly updates) in the stretch of sea between Malta and Sicily. A combined use of collected data and numerical models, aims to optimize intervention and response in the case of marine oil spills.

CO Seasonal Variability and Trend over Paris Megacity Using Ground-Based QualAir FTS and Satellite IASI-MetOp Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Te, Yao; Jeseck, Pascal; Hadji-Lazaro, Juliette

2012-11-01

In a growing world with more than 7 billion inhabitants and big emerging countries such as China, Brazil and India, emissions of anthropogenic pollutants are increasing continuously. Monitoring and control of atmospheric pollutants in megacities have become a major challenge for scientists and public health authorities in environmental research area. The QualAir platform at University Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), is an innovating experimental research platform dedicated to survey urban atmospheric pollution and air quality. A Bruker Optics IFS 125HR Fourier transform spectrometer belonged to the Laboratoire de Physique Moléculaire pour l'Atmosphère et l'Astrophysique (LPMAA), was adapted for ground-based atmospheric measurements. As one of the major instruments of the QualAir platform, this ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer (QualAir FTS) analyses the composition of the urban atmosphere of Paris, which is the third largest European megacity. The continuous monitoring of atmospheric pollutants is essential to improve the understanding of urban air pollution processes. Associated with a sun-tracker, the QualAir remote sensing FTS operates in solar infrared absorption and enables to monitor many trace gases, and to follow up their variability in the Ile-de-France region. Concentrations of atmospheric pollutants are retrieved by the radiative transfer model PROFFIT. These ground-based remote sensing measurements are compared to ground in-situ measurements and to satellite data from IASI-MetOp (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer). The remote sensing total column of the carbon monoxide (CO) obtained from January 2009 to June 2012, has a seasonal variability with a maximum in April and a minimum in October. While, after 2008, the mean CO level is quite stable (no significant decrease as before 2008).

The Use of Satellite Remote Sensing in Epidemiological Studies

PubMed Central

Sorek-Hamer, Meytar; Just, Allan C.; Kloog, Itai

2016-01-01

Purpose of review Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a ubiquitous exposure linked with multiple adverse health outcomes for children and across the life course. The recent development of satellite based remote sensing models for air pollution enables the quantification of these risks and addresses many limitations of previous air pollution research strategies. We review the recent literature on the applications of satellite remote sensing in air quality research, with a focus on their use in epidemiological studies. Recent findings Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is a focus of this review and a significant number of studies show that ground-level PM can be estimated from columnar AOD. Satellite measurements have been found to be an important source of data for PM model-based exposure estimates, and recently have been used in health studies to increase the spatial breadth and temporal resolution of these estimates. Summary It is suggested that satellite-based models improve our understanding of the spatial characteristics of air quality. Although the adoption of satellite-based measures of air quality in health studies is in its infancy, it is rapidly growing. Nevertheless, further investigation is still needed in order to have a better understanding of the AOD contribution to these prediction models in order to use them with higher accuracy in epidemiological studies. PMID:26859287

Satellite remote sensing in epidemiological studies.

PubMed

Sorek-Hamer, Meytar; Just, Allan C; Kloog, Itai

2016-04-01

Particulate matter air pollution is a ubiquitous exposure linked with multiple adverse health outcomes for children and across the life course. The recent development of satellite-based remote-sensing models for air pollution enables the quantification of these risks and addresses many limitations of previous air pollution research strategies. We review the recent literature on the applications of satellite remote sensing in air quality research, with a focus on their use in epidemiological studies. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is a focus of this review and a significant number of studies show that ground-level particulate matter can be estimated from columnar AOD. Satellite measurements have been found to be an important source of data for particulate matter model-based exposure estimates, and recently have been used in health studies to increase the spatial breadth and temporal resolution of these estimates. It is suggested that satellite-based models improve our understanding of the spatial characteristics of air quality. Although the adoption of satellite-based measures of air quality in health studies is in its infancy, it is rapidly growing. Nevertheless, further investigation is still needed in order to have a better understanding of the AOD contribution to these prediction models in order to use them with higher accuracy in epidemiological studies.

Coastal High-resolution Observations and Remote Sensing of Ecosystems (C-HORSE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guild, Liane

2016-01-01

Coastal benthic marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and kelp forests are highly productive as well as ecologically and commercially important resources. These systems are vulnerable to degraded water quality due to coastal development, terrestrial run-off, and harmful algal blooms. Measurements of these features are important for understanding linkages with land-based sources of pollution and impacts to coastal ecosystems. Challenges for accurate remote sensing of coastal benthic (shallow water) ecosystems and water quality are complicated by atmospheric scattering/absorption (approximately 80+% of the signal), sun glint from the sea surface, and water column scattering (e.g., turbidity). Further, sensor challenges related to signal to noise (SNR) over optically dark targets as well as insufficient radiometric calibration thwart the value of coastal remotely-sensed data. Atmospheric correction of satellite and airborne remotely-sensed radiance data is crucial for deriving accurate water-leaving radiance in coastal waters. C-HORSE seeks to optimize coastal remote sensing measurements by using a novel airborne instrument suite that will bridge calibration, validation, and research capabilities of bio-optical measurements from the sea to the high altitude remote sensing platform. The primary goal of C-HORSE is to facilitate enhanced optical observations of coastal ecosystems using state of the art portable microradiometers with 19 targeted spectral channels and flight planning to optimize measurements further supporting current and future remote sensing missions.

Remote Sensing of Air Pollution from Geo with GEMS and TEMPO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasnik, J.; Nicks, D. K., Jr.; Baker, B.; Canova, B.; Chance, K.; Liu, X.; Suleiman, R. M.; Pennington, W. F.; Flittner, D. E.; Al-Saadi, J. A.; Rosenbaum, D. M.

2017-12-01

The Geostationary Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) and Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instruments will provide a new capability for the understanding of air quality and pollution. Ball Aerospace is the instrument developer. The GEMS and TEMPO instruments use well-proven remote sensing techniques and take advantage of a geostationary orbit to take hourly measurements of the same geographical area. The high spatial and temporal resolution of these instruments will allow for measurements of the complex diurnal cycle of pollution driven by the combination of photochemistry, chemical composition and the dynamic nature of the atmosphere. Status of the manufacturing, test and calibration efforts will be presented.The GEMS instrument is being built for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and their customer the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER). The TEMPO instrument is being built for NASA under the Earth Venture Instrument EVI Program. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is the managing center and the Principle Investigator (PI) is Kelly Chance of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO).

Remote sensing observations for monitoring and mathematical simulations of transboundary air pollutants migration from Siberian mass wildfires to Kazakhstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaipov, I. V.

2017-03-01

Anthropogenic and natural factors have increased the power of wildfires in massive Siberian woodlands. As a consequence, the expansion of burned areas and increase in the duration of the forest fire season have led to the release of significant amounts of gases and aerosols. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact of wildland fires on air quality, atmospheric composition, climate and accurately describe the distribution of combustion products in time and space. The most effective research tool is the regional hydrodynamic model of the atmosphere, coupled with the model of pollutants transport and chemical interaction. Taking into account the meteorological parameters and processes of chemical interaction of impurities, complex use of remote sensing techniques for monitoring massive forest fires and mathematical modeling of long-range transport of pollutants in the atmosphere, allow to evaluate spatial and temporal scale of the phenomenon and calculate the quantitative characteristics of pollutants depending on the height and distance of migration.

International Conference on Environmental Sensing and Assessment, Las Vegas, Nev., September 14-19, 1975, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The papers deal with the detection of hazardous environmental pollutants, the development of emission control plans, and the design of compliance monitoring systems. Topics include remote sensing techniques in environmental pollution monitoring, monitoring of atmospheric particulate matter, air pollution due to sulfur dioxide and other inorganic compounds, marine pollution, atmospheric aerosols, industrial pollution, and legal aspects of pollution monitoring. Other papers examine the toxic effects of heavy metals and halogenated hydrocarbons, pollution associated with waste-disposal processes, pesticide residues in soil and groundwater, evaluations of groundwater quality, and monitoring of nuclear wastes. The interaction of climate and pollution is also discussed along with global pollutant transport, environmental modeling, ambient environmental air quality, aircraft and ground-vehicle emissions, and pollution associated with energy extraction and utilization processes. Individual items are announced in this issue.

A Spatial-Spectral Approach for Visualization of Vegetation Stress Resulting from Pipeline Leakage.

PubMed

Van derWerff, Harald; Van der Meijde, Mark; Jansma, Fokke; Van der Meer, Freek; Groothuis, Gert Jan

2008-06-04

Hydrocarbon leakage into the environment has large economic and environmental impact. Traditional methods for investigating seepages and their resulting pollution, such as drilling, are destructive, time consuming and expensive. Remote sensing is an efficient tool that offers a non-destructive investigation method. Optical remote sensing has been extensively tested for exploration of onshore hydrocarbon reservoirs and detection of hydrocarbons at the Earth's surface. In this research, we investigate indirect manifestations of pipeline leakage by way of visualizing vegetation anomalies in airborne hyperspectral imagery. Agricultural land-use causes a heterogeneous landcover; variation in red edge position between fields was much larger than infield red edge position variation that could be related to hydrocarbon pollution. A moving and growing kernel procedure was developed to normalzie red edge values relative to values of neighbouring pixels to enhance pollution related anomalies in the image. Comparison of the spatial distribution of anomalies with geochemical data obtained by drilling showed that 8 out of 10 polluted sites were predicted correctly while 2 out of 30 sites that were predicted clean were actually polluted.

A Spatial-Spectral Approach for Visualization of Vegetation Stress Resulting from Pipeline Leakage

PubMed Central

van der Werff, Harald; van der Meijde, Mark; Jansma, Fokke; van der Meer, Freek; Groothuis, Gert Jan

2008-01-01

Hydrocarbon leakage into the environment has large economic and environmental impact. Traditional methods for investigating seepages and their resulting pollution, such as drilling, are destructive, time consuming and expensive. Remote sensing is an efficient tool that offers a non-destructive investigation method. Optical remote sensing has been extensively tested for exploration of onshore hydrocarbon reservoirs and detection of hydrocarbons at the Earth's surface. In this research, we investigate indirect manifestations of pipeline leakage by way of visualizing vegetation anomalies in airborne hyperspectral imagery. Agricultural land-use causes a heterogeneous landcover; variation in red edge position between fields was much larger than infield red edge position variation that could be related to hydrocarbon pollution. A moving and growing kernel procedure was developed to normalzie red edge values relative to values of neighbouring pixels to enhance pollution related anomalies in the image. Comparison of the spatial distribution of anomalies with geochemical data obtained by drilling showed that 8 out of 10 polluted sites were predicted correctly while 2 out of 30 sites that were predicted clean were actually polluted. PMID:27879905

A method to analyze "source-sink" structure of non-point source pollution based on remote sensing technology.

PubMed

Jiang, Mengzhen; Chen, Haiying; Chen, Qinghui

2013-11-01

With the purpose of providing scientific basis for environmental planning about non-point source pollution prevention and control, and improving the pollution regulating efficiency, this paper established the Grid Landscape Contrast Index based on Location-weighted Landscape Contrast Index according to the "source-sink" theory. The spatial distribution of non-point source pollution caused by Jiulongjiang Estuary could be worked out by utilizing high resolution remote sensing images. The results showed that, the area of "source" of nitrogen and phosphorus in Jiulongjiang Estuary was 534.42 km(2) in 2008, and the "sink" was 172.06 km(2). The "source" of non-point source pollution was distributed mainly over Xiamen island, most of Haicang, east of Jiaomei and river bank of Gangwei and Shima; and the "sink" was distributed over southwest of Xiamen island and west of Shima. Generally speaking, the intensity of "source" gets weaker along with the distance from the seas boundary increase, while "sink" gets stronger. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International Symposium on Acoustic Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere and Oceans (2nd).

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-26

work to develop a model the volume wave to form the boundary which relates hydrodynamical features of 6 ~A the ocean-air interface to ambient noise...is my belief oscillating bubbles, splashing waves and that the sodar work is not well known in water droplets, bubble cavitation , the Navy acoustics...Temperature," in accumulate in the same locations. Major Proceedings, InternationaZ Symposi- pollutants include oil spills, drilling w on Remote Sensing of

Optical Remote Sensing Measurements of Air Pollution in Mexico City During MCMA- 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galle, B.; Mellqvist, J.; Johansson, M.; Rivera, C.; Samuelsson, J.; Zhang, Y.

2007-05-01

During March 2006 the Optical Remote sensing group at Chalmers University of Technology participated in the MCMA-2006 field campaign in Mexico City, performing measurements of air pollution using a set of different optical remote sensing instruments. This poster gives an overview of the techniques applied and results obtained. The techniques applied were: Solar Occultation FTIR and UV spectroscopy from fixed locations throughout the MCMA area, yielding total columns of CO, CH2O, SO2 and NO2. Long Path FTIR measurements from site T0 located in the north part of central Mexico City. With this instrument line-averaged concentration measurements of CO and CO2 was obtained in parallel with DOAS measurements performed by other partners. MAX-DOAS measurements from site T0, yielding total column and spatial distributions of SO2 and NO2. Mobile DOAS scattered Sunlight measurements of total columns of SO2 and NO2 in and around the MCMA area. Mobile and stationary DOAS measurements in the vicinity of Tula and Popocatépetl in order to quantify emissions from industry and volcano.

Theory of spectral radiance of pollutants at sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Remote measurement of soluble pollutants that change the color of the water in the sea is reported. The sensor is a spectral radiometer that flies over the polluted area and compares its spectral radiance to that of surrounding clean seawater. A quantitative analysis of the concentration of pollutants using the measured radiance of the sea compared to laboratory measurements of reflection and transmission spectra of the pollutants is presented. The quantities involved are defined and means for measuring them are described. The equations for remote sensing with a low-flying aircraft, in which case the absorption and radiance of intervening air is negligible are derived. High-flying aircraft and satellites, in which case the radiance of intervening air is the major problem are applied.

THE CHALLENGE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR EMISSION FLUX MEASUREMENTS OF LARGE AREA SOURCES BY OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING

EPA Science Inventory

The paper examines the quality assurance challenges associated with open path Fourier transform infrared (OPFTIR) measurements of large area pollution sources with plume reconstruction by computed tomography (CT) and how each challenge may be met. Traditionally, pollutant concent...

The NASA participation in the 1980 EPA PEPE/NEROS field measurements program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Remsberg, E.; Bendura, R.

1982-01-01

The Persistent Elevated Pollution Episode (PEPE)/Northeast Regional Oxidant Study (NEROS) Project consisted of a series of field measurements sponsored by the EPA during July and August, 1980. NASA participation in the Project had several purposes: (1) use remote sensing to help determine mixed layer height and ozone profiles regionally; and (2) provide opportunity for development, testing and evaluation of several NASA 'emerging' airborne remote sensing systems. NASA also provided information on the hazy pollution episodes throughout the summer of 1980 with satellite imagery. This paper describes findings on atmospheric aerosols, ozone profile and ozone column and discusses the instruments (airborne and ground-based sensors) and techniques used to obtain the relevant data. Associated archived data is also discussed.

DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS USING FIELD PORTABLE AND AIRBORNE REMOTE IMAGING SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Remote sensing technologies are a class of instrument and sensor systems that include laser imageries, imaging spectrometers, and visible to thermal infrared cameras. These systems have been successfully used for gas phase chemical compound identification in a variety of field e...

Recent Progress in the Remote Detection of Vapours and Gaseous Pollutants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moffat, A. J.; And Others

Work has been continuing on the correlation spectrometry techniques described at previous remote sensing symposiums. Advances in the techniques are described which enable accurate quantitative measurements of diffused atmospheric gases to be made using controlled light sources, accurate quantitative measurements of gas clouds relative to…

Study of the possible role of pollution in the prevalence of sea nettles in the Chesapeake Bay and the development of a census taking method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A study of the effect of pollutants on the sea nettle population of Chesapeake Bay was conducted. The effects of pollutants on the polyp stage of the nettle were stressed. Methods of detecting adult sea nettles by remote sensing are discussed. The effects of phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, and combinations of these pollutants were investigated.

Modelling of light pollution in suburban areas using remotely sensed imagery and GIS.

PubMed

Chalkias, C; Petrakis, M; Psiloglou, B; Lianou, M

2006-04-01

This paper describes a methodology for modelling light pollution using geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technology. The proposed approach attempts to address the issue of environmental assessment in sensitive suburban areas. The modern way of life in developing countries is conductive to environmental degradation in urban and suburban areas. One specific parameter for this degradation is light pollution due to intense artificial night lighting. This paper aims to assess this parameter for the Athens metropolitan area, using modern analytical and data capturing technologies. For this purpose, night-time satellite images and analogue maps have been used in order to create the spatial database of the GIS for the study area. Using GIS advanced analytical functionality, visibility analysis was implemented. The outputs for this analysis are a series of maps reflecting direct and indirect light pollution around the city of Athens. Direct light pollution corresponds to optical contact with artificial night light sources, while indirect light pollution corresponds to optical contact with the sky glow above the city. Additionally, the assessment of light pollution in different periods allows for dynamic evaluation of the phenomenon. The case study demonstrates high levels of light pollution in Athens suburban areas and its increase over the last decade.

Remotely sensed and laboratory spectral signatures of an ocean-dumped acid waste

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, B. W.; Collins, V. G.

1977-01-01

An ocean-dumped acid waste plume was studied by using a rapid scanning spectrometer to remotely measure ocean radiance from a helicopter. The results of these studies are presented and compared with results from sea truth samples and laboratory experiments. An ocean spectral reflectance signature and a laboratory spectral transmission signature were established for the iron-acid waste pollutant. The spectrally and chemically significant component of the acid waste pollutant was determined to be ferric iron.

Results from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration remote sensing experiments in the New York Bight, 7-17 April 1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, J. B., Jr. (Compiler); Pearson, A. O. (Compiler)

1977-01-01

A cooperative operation was conducted in the New York Bight to evaluate the role of remote sensing technology to monitor ocean dumping. Six NASA remote sensing experiments were flown on the C-54, U-2, and C-130 NASA aircraft, while NOAA obtained concurrent sea truth information using helicopters and surface platforms. The experiments included: (1) a Radiometer/Scatterometer (RADSCAT), (2) an Ocean Color Scanner (OCS), (3) a Multichannel Ocean Color Sensor (MOCS), (4) four Hasselblad cameras, (5) an Ebert spectrometer; and (6) a Reconafax IV infrared scanner and a Precision Radiation Thermometer (PRT-5). The results of these experiments relative to the use of remote sensors to detect, quantify, and determine the dispersion of pollutants dumped into the New York Bight are presented.

Remote sensing techniques applied to multispectral recognition of the Aranjuez pilot zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemos, G. L.; Salinas, J.; Rebollo, M.

1977-01-01

A rectangular (7 x 14 km) area 40 km S of Madrid was remote-sensed with a three-stage recognition process. Ground truth was established in the first phase, airborne sensing with a multispectral scanner and photographic cameras were used in the second phase, and Landsat satellite data were obtained in the third phase. Agronomic and hydrological photointerpretation problems are discussed. Color, black/white, and labeled areas are displayed for crop recognition in the land-use survey; turbidity, concentrations of pollutants and natural chemicals, and densitometry of the water are considered in the evaluation of water resources.

Biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems - Modeling, measurement, and remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, D. L.; Matson, P. A.; Lawless, J. G.; Aber, J. D.; Vitousek, P. M.

1985-01-01

The use of modeling, remote sensing, and measurements to characterize the pathways and to measure the rate of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems is described. The application of the process-level model to predict processes in intact forests and ecosystems response to disturbance is examined. The selection of research areas from contrasting climate regimes and sites having a fertility gradient in that regime is discussed, and the sites studied are listed. The use of remote sensing in determining leaf area index and canopy biochemistry is analyzed. Nitrous oxide emission is investigated by using a gas measurement instrument. Future research projects, which include studying the influence of changes on nutrient cycling in ecosystems and the effect of pollutants on the ecosystems, are discussed.

Development of data processing, interpretation and analysis system for the remote sensing of trace atmospheric gas species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casas, Joseph C.; Saylor, Mary S.; Kindle, Earl C.

1987-01-01

The major emphasis is on the advancement of remote sensing technology. In particular, the gas filter correlation radiometer (GFCR) technique was applied to the measurement of trace gas species, such as carbon monoxide (CO), from airborne and Earth orbiting platforms. Through a series of low altitude aircraft flights, high altitude aircraft flights, and orbiting space platform flights, data were collected and analyzed, culminating in the first global map of carbon monoxide concentration in the middle troposphere and stratosphere. The four major areas of this remote sensing program, known as the Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) experiment, are: (1) data acquisition, (2) data processing, analysis, and interpretation algorithms, (3) data display techniques, and (4) information processing.

Hi-Tech for Archeology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Remote sensing is the process of acquiring physical information from a distance, obtaining data on Earth features from a satellite or an airplane. Advanced remote sensing instruments detect radiations not visible to the ordinary camera or the human eye in several bands of the spectrum. These data are computer processed to produce multispectral images that can provide enormous amounts of information about Earth objects or phenomena. Since every object on Earth emits or reflects radiation in its own unique signature, remote sensing data can be interpreted to tell the difference between one type of vegetation and another, between densely populated urban areas and lightly populated farmland, between clear and polluted water or in the archeological application between rain forest and hidden man made structures.

CHARACTERIZATION OF NEAR-ROAD POLLUTANT GRADIENTS USING PATH-INTEGRATED OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding motor vehicle emissions, near roadway pollutant dispersion, and their potential impact to near roadway populations is an area of growing interest. A field study was conducted near 1-440 in Raleigh NC in July and August of 2006. This paper presents a subset of measur...

USE OF REMOTE SENSING AIR QUALITY INFORMATION IN REGIONAL SCALE AIR POLLUTION MODELING: CURRENT USE AND REQUIREMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

In recent years the applications of regional air quality models are continuously being extended to address atmospheric pollution phenomenon from local to hemispheric spatial scales over time scales ranging from episodic to annual. The need to represent interactions between physic...

Applications of remote sensing to estuarine problems. [estuaries of Chesapeake Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munday, J. C., Jr.

1975-01-01

A variety of siting problems for the estuaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay have been solved with cost beneficial remote sensing techniques. Principal techniques used were repetitive 1:30,000 color photography of dye emitting buoys to map circulation patterns, and investigation of water color boundaries via color and color infrared imagery to scales of 1:120,000. Problems solved included sewage outfall siting, shoreline preservation and enhancement, oil pollution risk assessment, and protection of shellfish beds from dredge operations.

Water resources by orbital remote sensing: Examples of applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martini, P. R. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

Selected applications of orbital remote sensing to water resources undertaken by INPE are described. General specifications of Earth application satellites and technical characteristics of LANDSAT 1, 2, 3, and 4 subsystems are described. Spatial, temporal and spectral image attributes of water as well as methods of image analysis for applications to water resources are discussed. Selected examples are referred to flood monitoring, analysis of water suspended sediments, spatial distribution of pollutants, inventory of surface water bodies and mapping of alluvial aquifers.

Some applications of remote sensing in atmospheric monitoring programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heller, A. N.; Bryson, J. C.; Vasuki, N. C.

1972-01-01

The applications of remote sensing in atmospheric monitoring programs are described. The organization, operations, and functions of an air quality monitoring network at New Castle County, Delaware is discussed. The data obtained by the air quality monitoring network ground stations and the equipment used to obtain atmospheric data are explained. It is concluded that correlation of the information obtained by the network will make it possible to anticipate air pollution problems in the Chesapeake Bay area before a crisis develops.

Preliminary data for the 20 May 1974, simultaneous evaluation of remote sensors experiment. [water pollution monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.; Batten, C. E.; Bowker, D. E.; Bressette, W. E.; Grew, G. W.

1975-01-01

Several remote sensors were simultaneously used to collect data over the tidal James River from Hopewell to Norfolk, Virginia. Sensors evaluated included the Multichannel-Ocean Color Sensor, multispectral scanners, and multispectral photography. Ground truth measurements and remotely sensed data are given. Preliminary analysis indicates that suspended sediment and concentrated industrial effluent are observable from all sensors.

Remote measurement of pollution from aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichle, H. G., Jr.

1976-01-01

This paper discusses the problem of the remote measurement of tropospheric air pollution from aircraft platforms. Following a discussion of the energy sources available for passive remote sensing and the location of the absorption bands of the gases, it describes the spectral resolution that would be required and the relative merits of the shorter and longer infrared wavelengths. It then traces the evolution of one instrument concept (the gas filter correlation radiometer) to its present state, and describes flight results that show the technique to be capable of measuring carbon monoxide over water. A new instrument is described that will allow the measurements to be extended to areas over land.

Detection, identification, and quantification techniques for spills of hazardous chemicals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washburn, J. F.; Sandness, G. A.

1977-01-01

The first 400 chemicals listed in the Coast Guard's Chemical Hazards Response Information System were evaluated with respect to their detectability, identifiability, and quantifiability by 12 generalized remote and in situ sensing techniques. Identification was also attempted for some key areas in water pollution sensing technology.

Theory of spectral radiance of pollutants at sea, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Remote measurement of pollutants dumped in the sea, not oil slicks, but soluble pollutants that change the color of the water, is addressed. The sensor is a spectral radiometer that flies over the polluted area and compares its spectral radiance (color) to that of surrounding clean seawater. The goal is to infer the concentration of pollutants using the measured radiance of the sea compared to laboratory measurements of reflection and transmission spectra of the pollutants. The subject is treated in three steps: (1) the quantities involved are defined and means for measuring them are described; (2) the equations for remote sensing with a low-flying aircraft are derived, in which wase the absorption and radiance of intervening air is negligible; and (3) high-flying aircraft and satellites are applied, in which case the radiance of intervening air is the major problem.

Simulating Local and Intercontinental Pollutant Effects of Biomass Burning: Integration of Several Remotely Sensed Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatfield, Robert B.; Vastano, John A.; Guild, Liane; Hlavka, Christine; Brass, James A.; Russell, Philip B. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Burning to clear land for crops and to destroy pests is an integral and largely unavoidable part of tropical agriculture. It is easy to note but difficult to quantify using remote sensing. This report describes our efforts to integrate remotely sensed data into our computer model of tropical chemical trace-gas emissions, weather, and reaction chemistry (using the MM5 mesoscale model and our own Global-Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Simulator). The effects of burning over the continents of Africa and South America have been noticed in observations from several satellites. Smoke plumes hundreds of kilometers long may be seen individually, or may merge into a large smoke pall over thousands of kilometers of these continents. These features are related to intense pollution in the much more confined regions with heavy burning. These emissions also translocate nitrogen thousands of kilometers in the tropical ecosystems, with large fixed-nitrogen losses balanced partially by locally intense fertilization downwind, where nitric acid is rained out. At a much larger scale, various satellite measurements have indicated the escape of carbon monoxide and ozone into large filaments which extend across the Tropical and Southern Atlantic Ocean. Our work relates the source emissions, estimated in part from remote sensing, in part from conventional surface reports, to the concentrations of these gases over these intercontinental regions. We will mention work in progress to use meteorological satellite data (AVHRR, GOES, and Meteosat) to estimate the surface temperature and extent and height of clouds, and explain why these uses are so important in our computer simulations of global biogeochemistry. We will compare our simulations and interpretation of remote observations to the international cooperation involving Brazil, South Africa, and the USA in the TRACE-A (Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator - Atlantic) and SAFARI (Southern Africa Fire Atmosphere Research Initiative) and remote-sensing /aircraft/ecosystem observational campaigns.

Remote sensing investigations at a hazardous-waste landfill

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohr, C.; Su, W.-J.; DuMontelle, P.B.; Griffin, R.A.

1987-01-01

In 1976 state licensed landfilling of industrial chemicals was begun above an abandoned, underground coal mine in Illinois. Five years later organic chemical pollutants were discovered in a monitoring well, suggesting migration 100 to 1000 times faster than predicted by laboratory tests. Remote sensing contributed to the determination of the causes of faster-than-predicted pollutant migration at the hazardous-waste landfill. Aerial and satellite imagery were employed to supplement field studies of local surface and groundwater hydrology, and to chronicle site history. Drainage impediments and depressions in the trench covers collected runoff, allowing rapid recharge of surface waters to some burial trenches. These features can be more effectively identified by photointerpretation than by conventional field reconnaissance. A ground-based, post-sunset survey of the trench covers that showed that a distinction between depressions which hold moisture at the surface from freely-draining depressions which permit rapid recharge to the burial trenches could be made using thermal infrared imagery.In 1976 state licensed landfilling of industrial chemicals was begun above an abandoned, underground coal mine in Illinois. Five years later organic chemical pollutants were discovered in a monitoring well, suggesting migration 100 to 1000 times faster than predicted by laboratory tests. Remote sensing contributed to the determination of the causes of faster-than-predicted pollutant migration at the hazardous-waste landfill. Aerial and satellite imagery were employed to supplement field studies of local surface and groundwater hydrology, and to chronicle site history. Drainage impediments and depressions in the trench covers collected runoff, allowing rapid recharge of surface waters to some burial trenches.

Remote sensing for environmental protection of the eastern Mediterranean rugged mountainous areas, Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khawlie, M.; Awad, M.; Shaban, A.; Bou Kheir, R.; Abdallah, C.

Lying along the eastern Mediterranean coast with elevated mountain chains higher than 2500 m straddling its terrain, Lebanon is a country of natural beauty and is thus attracting tourism. However, with a population density exceeding 800/km 2 and a rugged steep sloping land, problems abound in the country calling for holistic-approach studies. Only remote sensing, whose use is new in Lebanon can secure such needed studies within a scientific and pragmatic framework. The paper demonstrates for the concerned themes, the innovative use of remote sensing in such a difficult terrain, giving three examples of major environmental problems in the coastal mountains. Only few studies have so far focused on those mountains, notably application of remote sensing. The rugged mountainous terrain receives considerable rain, but the water is quickly lost running on the steep slopes, or infiltrating through fractures and the karstic conduits into the subsurface. Field investigations are difficult to achieve, therefore, remote sensing helps reveal various surface land features important in reflecting water feeding into the subsurface. Optical, radar and thermal infrared remotely sensed data cover a wide spectrum serving that purpose. A map of preferential groundwater accumulation potential is produced. It can serve for better water exploitation as well as protection. Because the terrain is karstic and rugged, the subsurface water flow is difficult to discern. Any pollution at a certain spot would certainly spread around. This constitutes the second example of environmental problems facing the mountainous areas in Lebanon. An integrated approach using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) gives good results in finding out the likelihood of how pollution, or contaminants, can selectively move in the subsurface. A diagnostic analysis with a GIS-type software acts as a guide producing indicative maps for the above purpose. The third example given deals with the problem of losing soil, which is a very vital source in such mountainous land. With steep slopes, torrential rain and improper human interference, run-off is high and water-soil erosion is continuously deteriorating the land cover. Remote sensing can facilitate studying the factors enhancing the process, such as soil type, slope gradient, drainage, geology and land cover. Digital elevation models created from SAR imagery contribute significantly to assessing vulnerability of hydric-soil erosion over such a difficult terrain. GIS layers of the above factors are integrated with erosional criteria to produce a risk map of soil erosion. Results indicate that 36% of the Lebanese terrain is under threat of high-level erosion, and 52% of that is concentrated in the rugged mountainous regions.

Pollutant tracking for 3 Western North Atlantic sea grasses by remote sensing: Preliminary diminishing white light responses of Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Zostera marina.

PubMed

Thorhaug, Anitra; Berlyn, Graeme P; Poulos, Helen M; Goodale, Uromi M

2015-08-15

Sea grasses are foundation species for estuarine ecosystems. The available light for sea grasses diminishes rapidly during pollutant spills, effluent releases, disturbances such as intense riverine input, and tidal changes. We studied how sea grasses' remote-sensing signatures and light-capturing ability respond to short term light alterations. In vivo responses were measured over the entire visible-light spectra to diminishing white-light on whole-living-plants' spectral reflectance, including 6h of full oceanic-light fluences from 10% to 100%. We analyzed differences by various reflectance indices. We compared the sea grasses species responses of tropical vs. temperate and intertidals (Halodule wrightii, and Zostera marina) vs. subtidal (Thalassia testudinum). Reflectance diminished with decreasing light intensity that coincided with greater accessory pigment stimulation (anthocyanin, carotenoids, xanthins). Chlorophyll a and Chlorophyll b differed significantly among species (Thalassia vs. Halodule). Photosynthetic efficiency diminished at high light intensities. The NDVI index was inadequate to perceive these differences. Our results demonstrate the leaf-level utility of data to remote sensing for mapping sea grass and sea grass stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The economic value of remote sensing of earth resources from space: An ERTS overview and the value of continuity of service. Volume 8: Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, R.; Fawkes, G.

1974-01-01

The economic value of an ERS system in the resource area of atmosphere is determined. Benefits which arise from air pollution and cloud observations correlated to ground stations are discussed along with cost savings associated with air pollution monitoring by satellite. Social benefits due to more precise knowledge of the effects of pollution are presented.

Atmospheric simulator and calibration system for remote sensing radiometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, J. A.

1983-01-01

A system for calibrating the MAPS (measurement of air pollution from satellites) instruments was developed. The design of the system provides a capability for simulating a broad range of radiant energy source temperatures and a broad range of atmospheric pressures, temperatures, and pollutant concentrations for a single slab atmosphere. The system design and the system operation are described.

Data processing technique for multiangle lidar sounding of poorly stratified polluted atmospheres: Theory and experiment

Treesearch

Cyle E. Wold; Vladimir A. Kovalev; Alexander P. Petkov; Wei Min Hao

2012-01-01

Scanning elastic lidar, which can operate in different slant directions, is the most appropriate remote sensing tool for investigating the optical properties of smoke-polluted atmospheres. However, the commonly used methodologies of multiangle measurements are based on the assumption of horizontal stratification of the searched atmosphere1,2. When working in real...

MISR Featured Articles

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2017-09-14

... change, and ultraviolet rays. Following the World Trade Center plume  - Remote sensing helps track the drift of harmful pollutants following the World Trade Center collapse. Cloudy with a chance of Drizzle  - By analyzing ...

Remote sensing applications of wildland fire and air quality in China

Treesearch

John J. Qu; Xianjun Hao; Yongqiang Liu; Allen R. Riebau; Haoruo Yi; Xianlin Qin

2009-01-01

As one of the most populous and geographically largest countries, China faces many problems including industrial growth, economic sustainability, food security, climate change, and air pollution. Interwoven with these challenges,...

Potentially efficient forest and range applications of remote sensing using earth orbital space craft, circa 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, R. C.

1970-01-01

Sixteen remote sensing applications or groups of related applications judged to be most important of any in the forestry and range disciplines were evaluated. In one application, major land classification, large amounts of useful data are anticipated to be contributed by space sensors in 1980. In four applications moderate amounts are anticipated to be so contributed. These are timber inventory, range inventory, fire weather forecasting, and monitoring snowfields. In the following seven applications small but significant amounts of data are anticipated to be contributed by space sensors: (1) detailed land classification; (2) inventory of wildlife habitat; (3) recreation resource inventory; (4) detecting stresses on the vegetation (5) monitoring air pollution caused by wildfires and prescribed burning; (6) monitoring water cycle, (7) pollution and erosion; and (8) evaluating damage to forests and ranges.

Underwater lidar system: design challenges and application in pollution detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Pradip; Sankolli, Swati; Chakraborty, A.

2016-05-01

The present remote sensing techniques have imposed limitations in the applications of LIDAR Technology. The fundamental sampling inadequacy of the remote sensing data obtained from satellites is that they cannot resolve in the third spatial dimension, the vertical. This limits our possibilities of measuring any vertical variability in the water column. Also the interaction between the physical and biological process in the oceans and their effects at subsequent depths cannot be modeled with present techniques. The idea behind this paper is to introduce underwater LIDAR measurement system by using a LIDAR mounted on an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The paper introduces working principles and design parameters for the LIDAR mounted AUV (AUV-LIDAR). Among several applications the papers discusses the possible use and advantages of AUV-LIDAR in water pollution detection through profiling of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in water bodies.

Field Tests of a Gas-Filter Imaging Radiometer for Methane, CH4,: A Prototype for Geostationary Remote Infrared Pollution Sounder, GRIPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickerson, R. R.; Fish, C. S.; Brent, L. C.; Burrows, J. P.; Fuentes, J. D.; Gordley, L. L.; Jacob, D. J.; Schoeberl, M. R.; Salawitch, R. J.; Ren, X.; Thompson, A. M.

2013-12-01

Gas filter radiometry is a powerful tool for measuring infrared active trace gases. Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas and is more potent molecule for molecule than carbon dioxide (CO2). Unconventional natural gas recovery has the potential to show great environmental benefits relative to coal, but only if fugitive leakage is held below 3% and leak rates remain highly uncertain. We present design specifications and initial field/aircraft test results for an imaging remote sensing device to measure column content of methane. The instrument is compared to in situ altitude profiles measured with cavity ring-down. This device is an airborne prototype for the Geostationary Remote Infrared Pollution Sounder, GRIPS, a satellite instrument designed to monitor CH4, CO2, CO, N2O and AOD from geostationary orbit, with capabilities for great advances in air quality and climate research. GRIPS: The Geostationary Remote Infrared Pollution Sounder

Satellite passive remote sensing of off-shore pollutants, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Satellite detection and monitoring of off-shore dumped pollutants, other than oil, are discussed. Summaries of satellite sensor performance in three spectral bands (visible, infrared, and microwave) are presented. The bulk of the report gives all the calculations, trade-offs and limitations of the three sensor systems. It is asserted that the problem of pollution monitoring is not a sensor problem but a problem of mathematical modeling and data processing.

Remote sensing program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, T.

1973-01-01

Research projects concerning the development and application of remote sensors are discussed. Some of the research projects conducted are as follows: (1) aerial photographic inventory of natural resources, (2) detection of buried river channels, (3) delineation of interconnected waterways, (4) plant indicators of atmospheric pollution, and (5) techniques for data transfer from photographs to base maps. On-going projects involving earth resources analyses are described.

Remote Sensing Application in Oil and Gas Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sizov, Oleg; Aloltsov, Alexander; Rubtsova, Natalia

2014-05-01

The main environmental problems of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (a federal subject of Russia) related to the activities of oil and gas industry (82 active companies which hold 77,000 oil wells). As on the 1st of January 2013 the subject produces more than 50% of all oil in Russia. The principle of environmental responsibility makes it necessary to minimize human impact and ecological impact. One of the most effective tools for environmental monitoring is remote sensing. The main advantages of such approach are: wide coverage of areas of interest, high temporal resolution, precise location, automatic processing, large set of extracted parameters, etc. Authorities of KhMAO are interested in regular detection of the impact on the environment by processing satellite data and plan to increase the coverage from 434.9 to 659.9 square kilometers with resolution not less than 10 m/pixel. Years of experience of our company shows the significant potential to expand the use of such remote sensing data in the solution of environmental problems. The main directions are: monitoring of rational use of associated petroleum gas (detection of all gas flares and volumes of burned gas), monitoring of soil pollution (detection of areas of oil pollution, assess of the extent of pollution, planning of reclamation activities and assessment of their efficiency, detection of potential areas of pipelines corrosion), monitoring of status of sludge pits (inventory of all sludge pits, assessment of their liquidation), monitoring of technogenic impact (detection of changes), upgrading of a geospatial database (topographic map of not less than 1:50000 scale). Implementation of modeling, extrapolation and remote analysis techniques based on satellite images will help to reduce unnecessary costs for instrumental methods. Thus, the introduction of effective remote monitoring technology to the activity of oil and gas companies promotes environmental responsibility of these companies.

Accelerating Commercial Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

Through the Visiting Investigator Program (VIP) at Stennis Space Center, Community Coffee was able to use satellites to forecast coffee crops in Guatemala. Using satellite imagery, the company can produce detailed maps that separate coffee cropland from wild vegetation and show information on the health of specific crops. The data can control coffee prices and eventually may be used to optimize application of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation. This would result in maximal crop yields, minimal pollution and lower production costs. VIP is a mechanism involving NASA funding designed to accelerate the growth of commercial remote sensing by promoting general awareness and basic training in the technology.

AgRISTARS: Agriculture and resources inventory surveys through aerospace remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The major objectives and FY 1980 accomplishments are described of a long term program designed to determine the usefulness, cost, and extent to which aerospace remote sensing data can be integrated into existing or future USDA systems to improve the objectivity, reliability, timeliness, and adequacy of information. A general overview, the primary and participating agencies, and the technical highlights of each of the following projects are presented: early warning/crop condition assessment; foreign commodity production forecasting; yield model development; supporting research; soil moisture; domestic crops and land cover; renewable resources inventory; and conservation and pollution.

Perceived and measured levels of environmental pollution: interdisciplinary research in the subarctic lowlands of northeast European Russia.

PubMed

Walker, Tony R; Habeck, Joachim Otto; Karjalainen, Timo P; Virtanen, Tarmo; Solovieva, Nadia; Jones, Viv; Kuhry, Peter; Ponomarev, Vasily I; Mikkola, Kari; Nikula, Ari; Patova, Elena; Crittenden, Peter D; Young, Scott D; Ingold, Tim

2006-08-01

Using interdisciplinary field research in the Usa Basin, northeast European Russia, we compared local inhabitants' perception of environmental problems with chemical and remote-sensing signatures of environmental pollution and their local impacts. Extensive coal mining since the 1930s around Inta and Vorkuta has left a legacy of pollution, detected by measuring snowpack, topsoil, and lichen chemistry, together with remote-sensing techniques and analysis of lake water and sediments. Vorkuta and its environs suffered the worst impacts, with significant metal loading and alkalization in lakes and topsoils, elevated metals and cations in terricolous (reindeer) lichens, and changes in vegetation communities. Although the coal industry has declined recently, the area boasts a booming oil and gas industry, based around Usinsk. Local perceptions and concerns of environmental pollution and protection were higher in Usinsk, as a result of increased awareness after a major oil spill in 1994, compared with Vorkuta's inhabitants, who perceived air pollution as the primary environmental threat. Our studies indicate that the principal sources of atmospheric emissions and local deposition within 25 to 40 km of Vorkuta were coal combustion from power and heating plants, coal mines, and a cement factory. Local people evaluated air pollution from direct observations and personal experiences, such as discoloration of snow and respiratory problems, whereas scientific knowledge played a minor role in shaping these perceptions.

MONITORING AIR POLLUTION TRASPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The Advancements in the remote sensing of environmental conditions over the past decade have been recognized by governments around the world and led to the development of the international Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 10- Year Implementation Plan.

MONITORING AIR POLLUTION TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The Advancements in the remote sensing of environmental conditions over the past decade have been recognized by governments around the world and led to the development of the international Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 10-Year Implementation Plan.

Application of remote sensing to thermal pollution analysis. [satellite sea surface temperature measurement assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hiser, H. W.; Lee, S. S.; Veziroglu, T. N.; Sengupta, S.

1975-01-01

A comprehensive numerical model development program for near-field thermal plume discharge and far field general circulation in coastal regions is being carried on at the University of Miami Clean Energy Research Institute. The objective of the program is to develop a generalized, three-dimensional, predictive model for thermal pollution studies. Two regions of specific application of the model are the power plants sites at the Biscayne Bay and Hutchinson Island area along the Florida coastline. Remote sensing from aircraft as well as satellites are used in parallel with in situ measurements to provide information needed for the development and verification of the mathematical model. This paper describes the efforts that have been made to identify problems and limitations of the presently available satellite data and to develop methods for enhancing and enlarging thermal infrared displays for mesoscale sea surface temperature measurements.

ATHENA: Remote Sensing Science Center for Cultural Heritage in Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Agapiou, Athos; Lysandrou, Vasiliki; Themistocleous, Kyriakos; Cuca, Branka; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Krauss, Thomas; Cerra, Daniele; Gessner, Ursula; Schreier, Gunter

2016-04-01

The Cultural Heritage (CH) sector, especially those of monuments and sites has always been facing a number of challenges from environmental pressure, pollution, human intervention from tourism to destruction by terrorism.Within this context, CH professionals are seeking to improve currently used methodologies, in order to better understand, protect and valorise the common European past and common identity. "ATHENA" H2020-TWINN-2015 project will seek to improve and expand the capabilities of the Cyprus University of Technology, involving professionals dealing with remote sensing technologies for supporting CH sector from the National Research Center of Italy (CNR) and German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The ATHENA centre will be devoted to the development, introduction and systematic use of advanced remote sensing science and technologies in the field of archaeology, built cultural heritage, their multi-temporal analysis and interpretation and the distant monitoring of their natural and anthropogenic environment in the area of Eastern Mediterranean.

Discrimination of fluoride and phosphate contamination in central Florida for analyses of environmental effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coker, A. E.; Marshall, R.; Thomson, F.

1972-01-01

A study was made of the spatial registration of fluoride and phosphate pollution parameters in central Florida by utilizing remote sensing techniques. Multispectral remote sensing data were collected over the area and processed to produce multispectral recognition maps. These processed data were used to map land areas and waters containing concentrations of fluoride and phosphate. Maps showing distribution of affected and unaffected vegetation were produced. In addition, the multispectral data were processed by single band radiometric slicing to produce radiometric maps used to delineate areas of high ultraviolet radiance, which indicates high fluoride concentrations. The multispectral parameter maps and radiometric maps in combination showed distinctive patterns, which are correlated with areas known to be affected by fluoride and phosphate contamination. These remote sensing techniques have the potential for regional use to assess the environmental impact of fluoride and phosphate wastes in central Florida.

Near real time water quality monitoring of Chivero and Manyame lakes of Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muchini, Ronald; Gumindoga, Webster; Togarepi, Sydney; Pinias Masarira, Tarirai; Dube, Timothy

2018-05-01

Zimbabwe's water resources are under pressure from both point and non-point sources of pollution hence the need for regular and synoptic assessment. In-situ and laboratory based methods of water quality monitoring are point based and do not provide a synoptic coverage of the lakes. This paper presents novel methods for retrieving water quality parameters in Chivero and Manyame lakes, Zimbabwe, from remotely sensed imagery. Remotely sensed derived water quality parameters are further validated using in-situ data. It also presents an application for automated retrieval of those parameters developed in VB6, as well as a web portal for disseminating the water quality information to relevant stakeholders. The web portal is developed, using Geoserver, open layers and HTML. Results show the spatial variation of water quality and an automated remote sensing and GIS system with a web front end to disseminate water quality information.

CYCLOPE remote sensing: a multipurpose optronic payload and the associated subsystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamon, Christian H.

1996-10-01

The SAGEM Group has been involved for more than 30 years in the field of remote sensing, especially via line-scanning sensors. Today, the SAGEM Group develops and manufactures optronic sensors with spectral bandwidths ranging from ultraviolet up to long-wave infrared (LWIR). Their name is CYCLOPE. Twenty five years ago, a four-channel infrared linescanner was delivered to the French Space Agency, CNES, for remote sensing evaluation and future specification of related spaceborne system. At the same time, a version was delivered to the French Administration for maritime oil pollution monitoring. This equipment is still in use and second-generation equipment was purchased in 1995 by the French Customs. The payload is described as well as the feasibility of such payload for spaceborne applications. Design-driving parameters and technologies are discussed. Emerging technologies make it possible now to propose such systems.

An airborne remote sensing system for urban air quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, L. J.; Friedman, E. J.; Keitz, E. L.; Ward, E. A.

1974-01-01

Several NASA sponsored remote sensors and possible airborne platforms were evaluated. Outputs of dispersion models for SO2 and CO pollution in the Washington, D.C. area were used with ground station data to establish the expected performance and limitations of the remote sensors. Aircraft/sensor support requirements are discussed. A method of optimum flight plan determination was made. Cost trade offs were performed. Conclusions about the implementation of various instrument packages as parts of a comprehensive air quality monitoring system in Washington are presented.

Remote sensing of air pollution over large European cities by lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koelsch, Hans J.; Kolenda, Juergen; Rairoux, Patrick; Stein, Bernhard; Weidauer, Dirk; Wolf, Jean-Pierre; Woeste, Ludger H.; Fritzsche, Klaus

1993-09-01

Progresses in remote sensing of the atmosphere using the Udar (Light detection and ranging) technique closely follows progresses in Laser technology. We developed a mobile DIAL (differential absorption Lidar) system, based on high repetition rate Excimerpumped dye lasers, for performing 2D and 3D-mappings of concentration of NO, N02, S02, and 03. The high sensitivity of the system has been used for numerous environmental studies and measurement campaigns, providing for the first time a direct correlation between emission and immission. Attractive results have been obtained under urban conditions, because of the presence of strong concentration gradients, and fast fluctuations due to traffic. A comparative study between Lyon, Stuttgart, Geneva and Berlin will be presented. In particular, the Berlin-campaign demonstrates the possibility of detecting unknown emitters and monitoring exportation-importation processes of atmospheric pollution. A new stationary DIAL system has been recently constructed and implemented on the top of a building in the center of the city Leipzig. It will routinely perform concentration mappings of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and ozone, giving access to long term evolution of pollution distributions.

Evaluation of Impacts of Landuse Changes on Air Quality in Hyderabad Metropolis Using Remote Sensing and GIS - A Case Study from Indian Sub-Continent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vuppala, P.; S. S, A.; Mareddy, A.

2004-12-01

Around the world cities in developing countries are rapidly growing as more and more people become urban dwellers resulting in increased level of air pollution caused by changes in transportation, energy production and industrial activities. Air quality is an issue of critical importance in view of the accumulating evidence showing the adverse effects of pollution on human health, agricultural crops, manmade environments and ecosystems. An integrated study for identification of appropriate sites for representative evaluation of air pollution, novel means of monitoring air quality, identifying the predominant sources of pollution, effective assessment of air quality and evaluation of different management strategies essential for the development of a healthy and livable region is carried out for Hyderabad metropolis in India using Remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) based assessment tools. Correlation studies between the concentration level of pollutants in urban air and urban land use are also dealt with. Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) is divided into eleven planning zones out of which the present study area i.e. Zone I & IIA comprises of industrial, highly commercial and densely populated areas, apart from medium and sparse residential areas making it environmentally sensitive. Sampling locations were identified based on the land use/ land cover of the region and air samples were collected from areas having varying land use patterns using a high volume air sampler. The samples were then analyzed for the presence of Sulphur oxides(SO--x), Oxides of Nitrogen(NO--x), Total Suspended Particulate Matter(TSPM) and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter(RSPM) using standard protocols and maps showing spatial distribution of SOx, NO--x, TSPM & RSPM were prepared using curve fitting technique of Arc/Info & ArcView GIS software. Air Quality Index (AQI), indicating the overall quality of air and extent of pollution is also calculated, based on which the entire study area is classified into severely, highly, moderately and lightly polluted areas. Concentration of SOx and NOx were observed to be within limits, while particulate pollutants exceeded the standards prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The major cause of pollution in the study area is attributed to the increasing vehicular movements and presence of commercial and public related activities such as shopping malls. It is observed for the category of severe air pollution that 42% of pollution is from dense residential areas, 19% from medium residential and 1% load of pollution from other public related activities. Based on the results obtained suitable remedial measures to combat the increasing urban air pollution are suggested in the study area. Key words: Air pollution, Remote sensing, Geographical Information System, Spatial distribution, Air quality index.

Six years of surface remote sensing of stratiform warm clouds in marine and continental air over Mace Head, Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preißler, Jana; Martucci, Giovanni; Saponaro, Giulia; Ovadnevaite, Jurgita; Vaishya, Aditya; Kolmonen, Pekka; Ceburnis, Darius; Sogacheva, Larisa; de Leeuw, Gerrit; O'Dowd, Colin

2016-12-01

A total of 118 stratiform water clouds were observed by ground-based remote sensing instruments at the Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station on the west coast of Ireland from 2009 to 2015. Microphysical and optical characteristics of these clouds were studied as well as the impact of aerosols on these properties. Microphysical and optical cloud properties were derived using the algorithm SYRSOC (SYnergistic Remote Sensing Of Clouds). Ground-based in situ measurements of aerosol concentrations and the transport path of air masses at cloud level were investigated as well. The cloud properties were studied in dependence of the prevailing air mass at cloud level and season. We found higher cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) and smaller effective radii (reff) with greater pollution. Median CDNC ranged from 60 cm-3 in marine air masses to 160 cm-3 in continental air. Median reff ranged from 8 μm in polluted conditions to 10 μm in marine air. Effective droplet size distributions were broader in marine than in continental cases. Cloud optical thickness (COT) and albedo were lower in cleaner air masses and higher in more polluted conditions, with medians ranging from 2.1 to 4.9 and 0.22 to 0.39, respectively. However, calculation of COT and albedo was strongly affected by liquid water path (LWP) and departure from adiabatic conditions. A comparison of SYRSOC results with MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) observations showed large differences for LWP and COT but good agreement for reff with a linear fit with slope near 1 and offset of -1 μm.

[Remote sensing monitoring and screening for urban black and odorous water body: A review.

PubMed

Shen, Qian; Zhu, Li; Cao, Hong Ye

2017-10-01

Continuous improvement of urban water environment and overall control of black and odorous water body are not merely national strategic needs with the action plan for prevention and treatment of water pollution, but also the hot issues attracting the attention of people. Most previous researches concentrated on the study of cause, evaluation and treatment measures of this phenomenon, and there are few researches on the monitoring using remote sensing, which is often a strain to meet the national needs of operational monitoring. This paper mainly summarized the urgent research problems, mainly including the identification and classification standard, research on the key technologies, and the frame of remote sensing screening systems for the urban black and odorous water body. The main key technologies were concluded too, including the high spatial resolution image preprocessing and extraction technique for black and odorous water body, the extraction of water information in city zones, the classification of the black and odorous water, and the identification and classification technique based on satellite-sky-ground remote sensing. This paper summarized the research progress and put forward research ideas of monitoring and screening urban black and odorous water body via high spatial resolution remote sensing technology, which would be beneficial to having an overall grasp of spatial distribution and improvement progress of black and odorous water body, and provide strong technical support for controlling urban black and odorous water body.

Monitoring of oil pollution in the Arabian Gulf based on medium resolution satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, J.; Ghedira, H.

2013-12-01

A large number of inland and offshore oil fields are located in the Arabian Gulf where about 25% of the world's oil is produced by the countries surrounding the Arabian Gulf region. Almost all of this oil production is shipped by sea worldwide through the Strait of Hormuz making the region vulnerable to environmental and ecological threats that might arise from accidental or intentional oil spills. Remote sensing technologies have the unique capability to detect and monitor oil pollutions over large temporal and spatial scales. Synoptic satellite imaging can date back to 1972 when Landsat-1 was launched. Landsat satellite missions provide long time series of imagery with a spatial resolution of 30 m. MODIS sensors onboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites provide a wide and frequent coverage at medium spatial resolution, i.e. 250 m and 500, twice a day. In this study, the capability of medium resolution MODIS and Landsat data in detecting and monitoring oil pollutions in the Arabian Gulf was tested. Oil spills and slicks show negative or positive contrasts in satellite derived RGB images compared with surrounding clean waters depending on the solar/viewing geometry, oil thickness and evolution, etc. Oil-contaminated areas show different spectral characteristics compared with surrounding waters. Rayleigh-corrected reflectance at the seven medium resolution bands of MODIS is lower in oil affected areas. This is caused by high light absorption of oil slicks. 30-m Landsat image indicated the occurrence of oil spill on May 26 2000 in the Arabian Gulf. The oil spill showed positive contrast and lower temperature than surrounding areas. Floating algae index (FAI) images are also used to detect oil pollution. Oil-contaminated areas were found to have lower FAI values. To track the movement of oil slicks found on October 21 2007, ocean circulations from a HYCOM model were examined and demonstrated that the oil slicks were advected toward the coastal areas of United Arab Emirates (UAE). This can help to enable an early alarm for oil pollution and minimize the potential adverse effects. Remote sensing provides an effective tool for monitoring oil pollution. Medium resolution MODIS and Landsat data have shown to be effective in detecting oil pollution over small areas. Combined with remote sensing imagery, ocean circulation models demonstrate their unique value for developing a warning and forecasting system for oil pollution management.

Profile and Remote Sensing Observation Datasets (Trace Gases and Aerosols) for Regional- Scale Model Evaluation under the Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII)- North American and European Perspectives

EPA Science Inventory

While the vast majority of operational air-pollution networks across the world are designed to measure relevant metrics at the surface, the air pollution problem is a three-dimensional phenomenon. The lack of adequate observations aloft to routinely characterize the nature of ai...

Methods Used in EnviroAtlas to Assess Urban Natural Infrastructure

EPA Science Inventory

Previous studies have positively correlated human exposures to natural features with health promoting outcomes such as increased physical activity, improved cognitive function, increased social engagement, and reduced ambient air pollution. When using remotely-sensed data to inve...

Evaluating nitrogen removal by vegetation uptake using satellite image time series in riparian catchments.

PubMed

Wang, Xuelei; Wang, Qiao; Yang, Shengtian; Zheng, Donghai; Wu, Chuanqing; Mannaerts, C M

2011-06-01

Nitrogen (N) removal by vegetation uptake is one of the most important functions of riparian buffer zones in preventing non-point source pollution (NSP), and many studies about N uptake at the river reach scale have proven the effectiveness of plants in controlling nutrient pollution. However, at the watershed level, the riparian zones form dendritic networks and, as such, may be the predominant spatially structured feature in catchments and landscapes. Thus, assessing the functions of riparian system at the basin scale is important. In this study, a new method coupling remote sensing and ecological models was used to assess the N removal by riparian vegetation on a large spatial scale. The study site is located around the Guanting reservoir in Beijing, China, which was abandoned as the source water system for Beijing due to serious NSP in 1997. SPOT 5 data was used to map the land cover, and Landsat-5 TM time series images were used to retrieve land surface parameters. A modified forest nutrient cycling and biomass model (ForNBM) was used to simulate N removal, and the modified net primary productivity (NPP) module was driven by remote sensing image time series. Besides the remote sensing data, the necessary database included meteorological data, soil chemical and physical data and plant nutrient data. Pot and plot experiments were used to calibrate and validate the simulations. Our study has proven that, by coupling remote sensing data and parameters retrieval techniques to plant growth process models, catchment scale estimations of nitrogen uptake rates can be improved by spatial pixel-based modelling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Airborne Particles: What We Have Learned About Their Role in Climate from Remote Sensing, and Prospects for Future Advances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, Ralph A.

2013-01-01

Desert dust, wildfire smoke, volcanic ash, biogenic and urban pollution particles, all affect the regional-scale climate of Earth in places and at times; some have global-scale impacts on the column radiation balance, cloud properties, atmospheric stability structure, and circulation patterns. Remote sensing has played a central role in identifying the sources and transports of airborne particles, mapping their three-dimensional distribution and variability, quantifying their amount, and constraining aerosol air mass type. The measurements obtained from remote sensing have strengths and limitations, and their value for characterizing Earths environment is enhanced immensely when they are combined with direct, in situ observations, and used to constrain aerosol transport and climate models. A similar approach has been taken to study the role particles play in determining the climate of Mars, though based on far fewer observations. This presentation will focus what we have learned from remote sensing about the impacts aerosol have on Earths climate; a few points about how aerosols affect the climate of Mars will also be introduced, in the context of how we might assess aerosol-climate impacts more generally on other worlds.

Dual use of distributed remote sensing satellites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Canavan, G.H.

1992-12-02

Satellites can serve both defense and the environment, simultaneously monitoring preparations for aggression, the environment, pollution, and natural disasters. These applications have been discussed extensively in international meetings, which have produced specific projects for cooperation and growing acceptance of dual-use concepts.

Dual use of distributed remote sensing satellites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Canavan, G.H.

1993-03-01

Satellites can serve both defense and the environment, simultaneously monitoring preparations for aggression, the environment, pollution, and natural disasters. These applications have been discussed extensively in international meetings, which have produced specific projects for cooperation and growing acceptance of dual-use concepts.

Dual use of distributed remote sensing satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canavan, G. H.

1992-12-01

Satellites can serve both defense and the environment, simultaneously monitoring preparations for aggression, the environment, pollution, and natural disasters. These applications have been discussed extensively in international meetings, which have produced specific projects for cooperation and growing acceptance of dual-use concepts.

Emerging solid-state laser technology by lidar/DIAL remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killinger, Dennis

1992-01-01

Significant progress has been made in recent years in the development of new, solid-state laser sources. This talk will present an overview of some of the new developments in solid-state lasers, and their application toward lidar/DIAL measurements of the atmosphere. Newly emerging lasers such as Ho:YAG, Tm:YAG, OPO, and Ti:Sapphire will be covered, along with the spectroscopic parameters required for differential operational modes of atmospheric remote sensing including Doppler-Windshear lidar, Tunable laser detection of water/CO2, and broad linewidth OPO's for open path detection of pollutant hydrocarbon gases. Additional considerations of emerging laser technology for lidar/DIAL will also be covered.

Next Generation Air Measurements for Fugitive, Area Source, and Fence Line Applications

EPA Science Inventory

Next generation air measurements (NGAM) is an EPA term for the advancing field of air pollutant sensor technologies, data integration concepts, and geospatial modeling strategies. Ranging from personal sensors to satellite remote sensing, NGAM systems may provide revolutionary n...

Application of thermal scanning to the study of transverse mixing in rivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eheart, J. W.

1975-01-01

Remote sensing has shown itself to be a valuable research tool in the study of transverse mixing in rivers. It is desirable, for a number of reasons, to study and predict the two-dimensional movement of pollutants in the region just downstream of a pollutant discharge point. While many of the more common pollutants do not exhibit a spectral signature, it was shown that the temperature difference between the pollutant and the receiving water could be successfully exploited by applying a mathematical model of mass transport processes to heat transport, and testing and calibrating it with thermal scanning data.

Possibilities of observing air pollution from orbital altitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barringer, A.

1972-01-01

Research carried out over a number of years has indicated the feasibility of monitoring global air pollution from orbiting satellites. Optical methods show considerable promise of measuring the burdens of pollution, both gaseous and particulates. Important pollution gases, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone, as well as some hydrocarbon vapors, appear amenable to optical remote sensing. Satellite platforms for carrying out this work would not compete with ground monitoring stations but rather supplement them with a different type of data which could be integrated with ground level measurements to provide an all-embracing picture of pollution buildup, mass migration, and dissipation.

Experiments with data assimilation in comprehensive air quality models: Impacts on model predictions and observation requirements (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathur, R.

2009-12-01

Emerging regional scale atmospheric simulation models must address the increasing complexity arising from new model applications that treat multi-pollutant interactions. Sophisticated air quality modeling systems are needed to develop effective abatement strategies that focus on simultaneously controlling multiple criteria pollutants as well as use in providing short term air quality forecasts. In recent years the applications of such models is continuously being extended to address atmospheric pollution phenomenon from local to hemispheric spatial scales over time scales ranging from episodic to annual. The need to represent interactions between physical and chemical atmospheric processes occurring at these disparate spatial and temporal scales requires the use of observation data beyond traditional in-situ networks so that the model simulations can be reasonably constrained. Preliminary applications of assimilation of remote sensing and aloft observations within a comprehensive regional scale atmospheric chemistry-transport modeling system will be presented: (1) A methodology is developed to assimilate MODIS aerosol optical depths in the model to represent the impacts long-range transport associated with the summer 2004 Alaskan fires on surface-level regional fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations across the Eastern U.S. The episodic impact of this pollution transport event on PM2.5 concentrations over the eastern U.S. during mid-July 2004, is quantified through the complementary use of the model with remotely-sensed, aloft, and surface measurements; (2) Simple nudging experiments with limited aloft measurements are performed to identify uncertainties in model representations of physical processes and assess the potential use of such measurements in improving the predictive capability of atmospheric chemistry-transport models. The results from these early applications will be discussed in context of uncertainties in the model and in the remote sensing data and needs for defining a future optimum observing strategy.

Agriculture and forestry: Identification, vigor, and disease

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, D. W.

1972-01-01

The agricultural and forestry areas which comprise the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay are described. Major problems of watershed creation and management with emphasis on the erosion problem are discussed. Remote sensing as it relates to the identification of plant species and vigor, pollution, disease, and insect infestation are examined. The application of infrared photography, multispectral sensing, and sequential survey is recommended to identify ecological changes and improve resources management.

Remote Sensing Applications with High Reliability in Changjiang Water Resource Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, L.; Gao, S.; Yang, A.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing technology has been widely used in many fields. But most of the applications cannot get the information with high reliability and high accuracy in large scale, especially for the applications using automatic interpretation methods. We have designed an application-oriented technology system (PIR) composed of a series of accurate interpretation techniques,which can get over 85 % correctness in Water Resource Management from the view of photogrammetry and expert knowledge. The techniques compose of the spatial positioning techniques from the view of photogrammetry, the feature interpretation techniques from the view of expert knowledge, and the rationality analysis techniques from the view of data mining. Each interpreted polygon is accurate enough to be applied to the accuracy sensitive projects, such as the Three Gorge Project and the South - to - North Water Diversion Project. In this paper, we present several remote sensing applications with high reliability in Changjiang Water Resource Management,including water pollution investigation, illegal construction inspection, and water conservation monitoring, etc.

Remote Sensing of Aerosol and Aerosol Radiative Forcing of Climate from EOS Terra MODIS Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, Yoram; Tanre, Didier; Remer, Lorraine; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The recent launch of EOS-Terra into polar orbit has begun to revolutionize remote sensing of aerosol and their effect on climate. Terra has five instruments, two of them,Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multiangle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) are designed to monitor global aerosol in two different complementary ways. Here we shall discuss the use of the multispectral measurements of MODIS to derive: (1) the global distribution of aerosol load (and optical thickness) over ocean and land; (2) to measure the impact of aerosol on reflection of sunlight to space; and (3) to measure the ability of aerosol to absorb solar radiation. These measurements have direct applications on the understanding of the effect of aerosol on climate, the ability to predict climate change, and on the monitoring of dust episodes and man-made pollution. Principles of remote sensing of aerosol from MODIS will be discussed and first examples of measurements from MODIS will be provided.

International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, 17th, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, May 9-13, 1983, Proceedings. Volumes 1, 2 & 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The collection, processing, and analysis of remote-sensing data from ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne instruments for application to the monitoring and management of the earth and environment and resources are examined in reviews and reports, some in summary form. Subject areas covered include US policy and directions on remote sensing (RS); the future of terrestrial RS from space; RS of land, oceans, and atmosphere from a global perspective; RS in hydrological modeling; microprocessing technology; array processors; geobased information systems; artificial intelligence; the Shuttle imaging radar; and current results from Landsat-4. Among the specific topics discussed are RS application to hydrocarbon exploration, airborne gamma-radiation assessment of snow water equivalent, surface-vegetation-biomass modeling from AVHRR and Landsat data, Landsat imagery of Mediterranean pollution, fast two-dimensional filtering of thermal-scanner data, RS of severe convective storms, registration of rotated images by invariant moments, and the geometric accuracy of Landsat-4 Thematic-Mapper P-tapes.

Remote sensing of air pollution over large European cities by lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koelsch, Hans J.; Kolenda, Juergen; Rairoux, Patrick; Stein, Bernhard; Weidauer, Dirk; Wolf, Jean-Pierre; Woeste, Ludger H.; Fritzsche, Klaus

1992-12-01

Progresses in remote sensing of the atmosphere using the light detection and ranging (lidar) technique closely follows progresses in laser technology. We developed a mobile differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system, based on high repetition rate excimer-pumped dye lasers, for performing 2-D and 3-D mappings of concentration of NO, NO2, SO2, and O3. The high sensitivity of the system has been used for numerous environmental studies and measurement campaigns, providing for the first time a direct correlation between emission and immission. Attractive results have been obtained under urban conditions, because of the presence of strong concentration gradients, and fast fluctuations due to traffic. A comparative study between Lyon, France; Stuttgart, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; and Berlin, Germany; is presented. In particular, the Berlin campaign demonstrates the possibility of detecting unknown emitters and monitoring exportation-importation processes of atmospheric pollution. A new stationary DIAL system has recently been constructed and implemented on the top of a building in the center of the city of Leipzig, Germany. It will routinely perform concentration mappings of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, giving access to long term evolution of pollution distributions.

NEAR ROAD NITRIC OXIDE AND HYDROCARBON MEASUREMENTS WITH DUV-DOAS

EPA Science Inventory

As part of the overall EPA effort to increase understanding of the distribution of air pollutants in near road environments, optical remote sensing techniques developed for area source measurement are being used to assess mobile source emissions and dispersion from roadway segmen...

Development of EPA OTM 10 for Landfill Applications

EPA Science Inventory

In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency posted a new test method on its website called OTM 10 which describes direct measurement of pollutant mass emission flux from area sources using ground-based optical remote sensing. The method has validated application to relative...

Application of remote sensing for prediction and detection of thermal pollution, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veziroglu, T. N.; Lee, S. S.

1975-01-01

The development of a predictive mathematical model for thermal pollution in connection with remote sensing measurements was continued. A rigid-lid model has been developed and its application to far-field study has been completed. The velocity and temperature fields have been computed for different atmospheric conditions and for different boundary currents produced by tidal effects. In connection with the theoretical work, six experimental studies of the two sites in question (Biscayne Bay site and Hutchinson Island site) have been carried out. The temperature fields obtained during the tests at the Biscayne Bay site have been compared with the predictions of the rigid-lid model and these results are encouraging. The rigid-lid model is also being applied to near-field study. Preliminary results for a simple case have been obtained and execution of more realistic cases has been initiated. The development of a free-surface model also been initiated. The governing equations have been formulated and the computer programs have been written.

A simulation of air pollution model parameter estimation using data from a ground-based LIDAR remote sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kibler, J. F.; Suttles, J. T.

1977-01-01

One way to obtain estimates of the unknown parameters in a pollution dispersion model is to compare the model predictions with remotely sensed air quality data. A ground-based LIDAR sensor provides relative pollution concentration measurements as a function of space and time. The measured sensor data are compared with the dispersion model output through a numerical estimation procedure to yield parameter estimates which best fit the data. This overall process is tested in a computer simulation to study the effects of various measurement strategies. Such a simulation is useful prior to a field measurement exercise to maximize the information content in the collected data. Parametric studies of simulated data matched to a Gaussian plume dispersion model indicate the trade offs available between estimation accuracy and data acquisition strategy.

Identifying Communities of Vulnerability: Using NASA's Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer to Enhance Public Health Tracking of Particle Exposure in Los Angeles - An Empirical Approach to Examining L1 MISR Radiance Measurements and PM2.5 Relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laygo, K.; Kontgis, C.; Hollins, A.

2011-12-01

Los Angeles is consistently ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the United States, exhibiting high levels of both ozone and particulate matter. Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microns or less, or PM2.5, is of special concern for health professionals, since it is fine enough to be inhaled into the lungs. Additionally, studies show that it is associated with respiratory disease risks such as asthma. Remote sensing technologies have the potential to be useful in air pollution health studies, but have so far been sparsely implemented. Satellite-derived measurements would be especially useful in air pollution studies, since the concentrations of interest can change by orders of magnitude over small distances. However, with current remote sensing technologies, it is difficult to predict pollution levels within small areas. This study utilizes remote sensing information in combination with a ground-based network of data to create a more comprehensive approach to tracking public health concerns. According to the 2007 NRC Decadal Survey, there is a continued need for research that establishes the relationship between remotely sensed data and predicting public health risks related to environmental factors. For this study, we conducted linear regression models using Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) L1 radiance data and ground-based PM2.5 measurements from 13 EPA stations within the Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Area. MISR senses in 4 bands (visible blue, green, red and near infrared) and 9 separate angles, producing a total of 36 bands. Using all 36 bands, we generated models for each station individually and for all stations combined. Two time periods were assessed: June, July and August from 2000 - 2009, and all months from 2009. Summer months were looked at specifically, since pollution levels tend to be higher than other parts of the year due to strong inversion layers and low rainfall levels. Generally, the models performed well, suggesting that MISR radiances are able to accurately predict levels of PM2.5. For 2009 data, all models had R-squared values over 0.93. For summer month data, the model R-square values were markedly lower and more varied than for the 2009 data, ranging from 0.33 - 0.92. When looking at the 2009 data, non-summer month models performed better than did summer-month models. A brief analysis of temperature data indicates that temperature and deviation from the norm are not associated with model predictability. All 36 MISR channels were plotted against their weights for each model, but no band combination obviously weighed more than other bands. Further research needs to be conducted to understand why models were able to predict 2009 PM2.5 levels, but were unable to accurately fit summer data from 2000 - 2009.

Comparison of Remote Sensing and Fixed-Site Monitoring Approaches for Examining Air Pollution and Health in a National Study Population

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prud'homme, Genevieve; Dobbin, Nina A.; Sun, Liu; Burnet, Richard T.; Martin, Randall V.; Davidson, Andrew; Cakmak, Sabit; Villeneuve, Paul J.; Lamsal, Lok N.; vanDonkelaar, Aaron;

Long-term monitoring on environmental disasters using multi-source remote sensing technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Y. C.; Chen, C. F.

2017-12-01

Environmental disasters are extreme events within the earth's system that cause deaths and injuries to humans, as well as causing damages and losses of valuable assets, such as buildings, communication systems, farmlands, forest and etc. In disaster management, a large amount of multi-temporal spatial data is required. Multi-source remote sensing data with different spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions is widely applied on environmental disaster monitoring. With multi-source and multi-temporal high resolution images, we conduct rapid, systematic and seriate observations regarding to economic damages and environmental disasters on earth. It is based on three monitoring platforms: remote sensing, UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) and ground investigation. The advantages of using UAS technology include great mobility and availability in real-time rapid and more flexible weather conditions. The system can produce long-term spatial distribution information from environmental disasters, obtaining high-resolution remote sensing data and field verification data in key monitoring areas. It also supports the prevention and control on ocean pollutions, illegally disposed wastes and pine pests in different scales. Meanwhile, digital photogrammetry can be applied on the camera inside and outside the position parameters to produce Digital Surface Model (DSM) data. The latest terrain environment information is simulated by using DSM data, and can be used as references in disaster recovery in the future.

"Using Satellite Remote Sensing to Derive Numeric Criteria in Coastal and Inland Waters of the United States"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, T. N.; Schaeffer, B. A.

2016-12-01

Anthropogenic nutrient pollution is a major stressor of aquatic ecosystems around the world. In the United States, states and tribes can adopt numeric water quality values (i.e. criteria) into their water quality management standards to protect aquatic life from eutrophication impacts. However, budget and resource constraints have limited the ability of many states and tribes to collect the water quality monitoring data needed to derive numeric criteria. Over the last few decades, satellite technology has provided water quality measurements on a global scale over long time periods. Water quality managers are finding the data provided by satellite technology useful in managing eutrophication impacts in coastal waters, estuaries, lakes, and reservoirs. In recent years EPA has worked with states and tribes to derive remotely sensed numeric Chl-a criteria for coastal waters with limited field-based data. This approach is now being expanded and used to derive Chl-a criteria in freshwater systems across the United States. This presentation will cover EPA's approach to derive numeric Chl-a criteria using satellite remote sensing, recommendations to improve satellite sensors to expand applications, potential areas of interest, and the challenges of using remote sensing to establish water quality management goals, as well as provide a case in which this approach has been applied.

Remote sensing study of Maumee River effects of Lake Erie

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svehla, R.; Raquet, C.; Shook, D.; Salzman, J.; Coney, T.; Wachter, D.; Gedney, R.

1975-01-01

The effects of river inputs on boundary waters were studied in partial support of the task to assess the significance of river inputs into receiving waters, dispersion of pollutants, and water quality. The effects of the spring runoff of the Maumee River on Lake Erie were assessed by a combination of ship survey and remote sensing techniques. The imagery obtained from a multispectral scanner of the west basin of Lake Erie is discussed: this clearly showed the distribution of particulates throughout the covered area. This synoptic view, in addition to its qualitative value, is very useful in selecting sampling stations for shipboard in situ measurements, and for extrapolating these quantitative results throughout the area of interest.

A regression technique for evaluation and quantification for water quality parameters from remote sensing data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, C. H.; Kuo, C. Y.

1979-01-01

The objective of this paper is to define optical physics and/or environmental conditions under which the linear multiple-regression should be applicable. An investigation of the signal-response equations is conducted and the concept is tested by application to actual remote sensing data from a laboratory experiment performed under controlled conditions. Investigation of the signal-response equations shows that the exact solution for a number of optical physics conditions is of the same form as a linearized multiple-regression equation, even if nonlinear contributions from surface reflections, atmospheric constituents, or other water pollutants are included. Limitations on achieving this type of solution are defined.

A computer software system for integration and analysis of grid-based remote sensing data with other natural resource data. Remote Sensing Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tilmann, S. E.; Enslin, W. R.; Hill-Rowley, R.

1977-01-01

A computer-based information system is described designed to assist in the integration of commonly available spatial data for regional planning and resource analysis. The Resource Analysis Program (RAP) provides a variety of analytical and mapping phases for single factor or multi-factor analyses. The unique analytical and graphic capabilities of RAP are demonstrated with a study conducted in Windsor Township, Eaton County, Michigan. Soil, land cover/use, topographic and geological maps were used as a data base to develope an eleven map portfolio. The major themes of the portfolio are land cover/use, non-point water pollution, waste disposal, and ground water recharge.

Atmospheric pollution measurement by optical cross correlation methods - A concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, M. J.; Krause, F. R.

1971-01-01

Method combines standard spectroscopy with statistical cross correlation analysis of two narrow light beams for remote sensing to detect foreign matter of given particulate size and consistency. Method is applicable in studies of generation and motion of clouds, nuclear debris, ozone, and radiation belts.

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES AND STREAMFLOW DISCHARGE: A HISTORICAL REMOTE SENSING PERSPECTIVE IN A NORTHERN VIRGINIA SUBWATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

Impervious surfaces are a leading contributor to non-point-source water pollution in urban watersheds. These surfaces include such features as roads, parking lots, rooftops and driveways. Aerial photography provides a historical vehicle for determining impervious surface growth a...

OPEN PATH TUNABLE DIODE LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY FOR ACQUISITION OF FUGITIVE EMISSION FLUX DATA

EPA Science Inventory

Air pollutant emission from unconfined sources is an increasingly important environmental issue. The U.S. EPA has developed a gorund-based optical remote sensing method that enables direct measurement of fugitive emission flux from large area sources. Open-path Fourier transfor...

Simplified and low cost optical remote sensing technology for fenceline monitoring of fugitive releases

EPA Science Inventory

Reducing fugitive emissions of hazardous air pollutants from industrial facilities is an ongoing priority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Unlike stack emissions, fugitive releases are difficult to detect due to their spatial extent and inherent temporal variab...

Remote sensing and extractable biological resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cronin, L. E.

1972-01-01

The nature and quantity of extractable biological resources available in the Chesapeake Bay are discussed. The application of miniaturized radio sensors to track the movement of fish and birds is described. The specific uses of remote sensors for detecting and mapping areas of algae, red tide, thermal pollution, and vegetation beds are presented. The necessity for obtaining information on the physical, chemical, and meteorological features of the entire bay in order to provide improved resources management is emphasized.

Development of tunable high pressure CO2 laser for lidar measurements of pollutants and wind velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, J. S.; Guerra, M.; Javan, A.

1980-01-01

The problem of laser energy extraction at a tunable monochromatic frequency from an energetic high pressure CO2 pulsed laser plasma, for application to remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants by Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and of wind velocities by Doppler Lidar, was investigated. The energy extraction principle analyzed is based on transient injection locking (TIL) at a tunable frequency. Several critical experiments for high gain power amplification by TIL are presented.

Observation of rocket pollution with overhead sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Annette

2011-12-01

The objective of this thesis is to study the dispersal of rocket pollution through remote sensing techniques. Substantial research with remote sensors has been dedicated to observation of volcanic plumes, particulate dispersion, and aircraft contrails with less emphasis on observing rocket launches and the effects on the surrounding environment. This research focuses on observation of rocket exhaust constituents, particularly carbon soot, alumina, and water vapor. The sensors utilized in this thesis have unique capabilities that provide measurements that are likely capable of detecting the rocket exhaust constituents. Methodology and analysis included choosing an appropriate launch vehicle with obtainable launch data and various booster combinations of liquid propellant only or a combination of liquid and solid propellant, prioritizing the data based on launch time versus sensor passing, processing the data, and applying known constituent properties to the data sets where key areas of work in this endeavor. Results of this work demonstrate a unique capability in monitoring man-made pollution and the extent the pollution can spread to surrounding areas.

Analysis of Human Activities in Nature Reserves Based on Nighttime Light Remote Sensing and Microblogging Data - by the Case of National Nature Reserves in Jiangxi Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, F.; Li, X.; Xu, H.

2017-09-01

The study used the mainstream social media in china - Sina microblogging data combined with nighttime light remote sensing and various geographical data to reveal the pattern of human activities and light pollution of the Jiangxi Provincial National Nature Reserves. Firstly, we performed statistical analysis based on both functional areas and km-grid from the perspective of space and time, and selected the key areas for in-depth study. Secondly, the relationship between microblogging data and nighttime light remote sensing, population, GDP, road coverage, road distance and road type in nature reserves was analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient method, so the distribution pattern and influencing factors of the microblogging data were explored. Thirdly, a region where the luminance value was greater than 0.2 was defined as a light region. We evaluated the management status by analyzing the distribution of microblogging data in both light area and non-light area. Final results showed that in all nature reserves, the top three were the Lushan Nature Reserve, the Jinggangshan Nature Reserve, the Taohongling National Nature Reserve of Sikas both on the total number and density of microblogging ; microblogging had a significant correlation with nighttime light remote sensing , the GDP, population, road and other factors; the distribution of microblogging near roads in protected area followed power laws; luminous radiance of Lushan Nature Reserve was the highest, with 43 percent of region was light at night; analysis combining nighttime light remote sensing with microblogging data reflected the status of management of nature reserves.

Satellites as Shared Resources for Caribbean Climate and Health Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2002-01-01

Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing climate and environment-related human health problems through increased capabilities for monitoring, risk mapping, and surveillance of parameters useful to such problems as vector-borne and infectious diseases, air and water quality, harmful algal blooms, UV (ultraviolet) radiation, contaminant and pathogen transport in air and water, and thermal stress. Remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), improved computational capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global health issues. Collaborative efforts among scientists from health and Earth sciences together with local decision-makers are enabling increased understanding of the relationships between changes in temperature, rainfall, wind, soil moisture, solar radiation, vegetation, and the patterns of extreme weather events and the occurrence and patterns of diseases (especially, infectious and vector-borne diseases) and other health problems. This increased understanding through improved information and data sharing, in turn, empowers local health and environmental officials to better predict health problems, take preventive measure, and improve response actions. This paper summarizes the remote sensing systems most useful for climate, environment and health studies of the Caribbean region and provides several examples of interdisciplinary research projects in the Caribbean currently using remote sensing technologies. These summaries include the use of remote sensing of algal blooms, pollution transport, coral reef monitoring, vectorborne disease studies, and potential health effects of African dust on Trinidad and Barbados.

Dynamics and ecological risk assessment of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the Yinma River Watershed: Rivers, reservoirs, and urban waters.

PubMed

Li, Sijia; Zhang, Jiquan; Guo, Enliang; Zhang, Feng; Ma, Qiyun; Mu, Guangyi

2017-10-01

The extensive use of a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing in ecological risk assessment from a spatiotemporal perspective complements ecological environment management. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), which is a complex mixture of organic matter that can be estimated via remote sensing, carries and produces carcinogenic disinfection by-products and organic pollutants in various aquatic environments. This paper reports the first ecological risk assessment, which was conducted in 2016, of CDOM in the Yinma River watershed including riverine waters, reservoir waters, and urban waters. Referring to the risk formation theory of natural disaster, the entropy evaluation method and DPSIR (driving force-pressure-state-impact-response) framework were coupled to establish a hazard and vulnerability index with multisource data, i.e., meteorological, remote sensing, experimental, and socioeconomic data, of this watershed. This ecological vulnerability assessment indicator system contains 23 indicators with respect to ecological sensitivity, ecological pressure, and self-resilience. The characteristics of CDOM absorption parameters from different waters showed higher aromatic content and molecular weights in May because of increased terrestrial inputs. The assessment results indicated that the overall ecosystem risk in the study area was focused in the extremely, heavily, and moderately vulnerable regions. The ecological risk assessment results objectively reflect the regional ecological environment and demonstrate the potential of ecological risk assessment of pollutants over traditional chemical measurements. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Damping of surface waves due to oil emulsions in application to ocean remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergievskaya, I.; Ermakov, S.; Lazareva, T.; Lavrova, O.

2017-10-01

Applications of different radar and optical methods for detection of oil pollutions based on the effect of damping of short wind waves by surface films have been extensively studied last decades. The main problem here is poor knowledge of physical characteristics of oil films, in particular, emulsified oil layers (EOL). The latter are ranged up to 70% of all pollutants. Physical characteristics of EOL which are responsible for wave damping and respectively for possibilities of their remote sensing depend on conditions of emulsification processes, e.g., mixing due to wave breaking, on percentage of water in the oil, etc. and are not well studied by now. In this paper results of laboratory studies of damping of gravity-capillary waves due to EOL on water are presented and compared to oil layers (OL). A laboratory method used previously for monomolecular films and OL, and based on measuring the damping coefficient and wavelength of parametrically generated standing waves has been applied for determination of EOL characteristics. Investigations of characteristics of crude oil, oil emulsions and crude OL and EOL have been carried out in a wide range of surface wave frequencies (from 10 to 25 Hz) and OL and EOL film thickness (from hundredths of millimeter to a few millimeters. The selected frequency range corresponds to Bragg waves for microwave, X- to Ka-band radars typically used for ocean remote sensing. An effect of enhanced wave damping due to EOL compared to non emulsified crude OL is revealed.

Utilizing 1-Meter Land Cover Data to Increase Sensitivity of Studies Exploring Relationships between Urban Natural Spaces and Health across Multiple Communities

EPA Science Inventory

Purpose: Previous studies have positively correlated human nature exposures with health promoting outcomes such as increased physical activity, improved cognitive function, increased social engagement, and reduced ambient air pollution. When using remotely-sensed data to investig...

Essentials of LIDAR multiangle data processing methodology for smoke polluted atmospheres

Treesearch

V. A. Kovalev; A. Petkov; C. Wold; S. Urbanski; W. M. Hao

2009-01-01

Mobile scanning lidar is the most appropriate tool for monitoring wildfire smoke-plume dynamics and optical properties. Lidar is the only remote sensing instrument capable of obtaining detailed three-dimensional range-resolved information for smoke distributions and optical properties over ranges of 10+ km at different wavelengths simultaneously.

MULTI-SCALE REMOTE SENSING MAPPING OF ANTHROPOGENIC IMPERVIOUS SURFACES: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SCALING ISSUES RELATED TO ECOLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL LANDSCAPE ANALYSES

EPA Science Inventory

Anthropogenic impervious surfaces are leading contributors to non-point-source water pollution in urban watersheds. These human-created surfaces include such features as roads, parking lots, rooftops, sideways, and driveways. Aerial photography provides a historical vehicle for...

Parameterization of gaseous constituencies concentration profiles in the planetary boundary layer as required in support of airborne and satellite borne sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kindle, E. C.; Condon, E.; Casas, J.

1976-01-01

The research to develop the capabilities for sensing air pollution constituencies using satellite or airborne remote sensors is reported. Sensor evaluation and calibration are analyzed including data reduction. The proposed follow-on research is presented.

FIELD EVALUATION OF A METHOD FOR ESTIMATING GASEOUS FLUXES FROM AREA SOURCES USING OPEN-PATH FTIR

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives preliminary results from a field evaluation of a new approach for quantifying gaseous fugitive emissions of area air pollution sources. The approach combines path-integrated concentration data acquired with any path-integrated optical remote sensing (PI-ORS) ...

Investigation of Environmental Change Pattern in Japan: Multidisciplinary Application of LANDSAT-2 Data to Marine Environment in Central Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maruyasu, T. (Principal Investigator); Ochiai, H.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The multidisciplinary application of multispectral scanner data acquired over central Japan revealed several coastal features including pollution, river effluent, shorelines, red tide, etc. Supporting data were obtained by airborne remote sensing.

The family of micro sensors for remote control the pollution in liquids and gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulaikova, Tamara; Kocharyun, Gevorg; Rogerson, Graham; Burmistrova, Ludmyla; Sychugov, Vladimir; Dorojkin, Peter

2005-10-01

There are the results for the 3 groups of fiber-optical sensors. First is the fiber-optical sensor with changed sensitive heads on the base on porous polymer with clamped activated dye. Vibration method for fiber-optical sensors provides more convenient output measurements of resonant frequency changes, in comparison with the first device. The self-focusing of the living sells into optical wave-guides in laser road in water will be considered as a new touch method for environment remote sensing.

Raman scattering studies of pollutant systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwiesow, R. L.

1971-01-01

Results and techniques for laboratory measurements of Raman scattering cross sections and depolarization ratios of atmospheric gases as a function of the incident photon energy are discussed. Referred to N2, the cross section of H2O changes by a factor of 2 as the incident photon energy is changed by 5%. Less striking results are obtained for SO2, NO and other atmospheric gases. Tentative results are given for spectral features of scattering from polluted air-water interfaces. Raman lidar is assessed as a potentially useful aid in remote sensing of atmospheric and water-borne pollution distributions at least in near-source concentrations.

Incorporating a constrained optimization algorithm into remote sensing/precision agriculture methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreenthaler, George W.; Khatib, Nader; Kim, Byoungsoo

2003-08-01

For two decades now, the use of Remote Sensing/Precision Agriculture to improve farm yields while reducing the use of polluting chemicals and the limited water supply has been a major goal. With world population growing exponentially, arable land being consumed by urbanization, and an unfavorable farm economy, farm efficiency must increase to meet future food requirements and to make farming a sustainable, profitable occupation. "Precision Agriculture" refers to a farming methodology that applies nutrients and moisture only where and when they are needed in the field. The real goal is to increase farm profitability by identifying the additional treatments of chemicals and water that increase revenues more than they increase costs and do no exceed pollution standards (constrained optimization). Even though the economic and environmental benefits appear to be great, Remote Sensing/Precision Agriculture has not grown as rapidly as early advocates envisioned. Technology for a successful Remote Sensing/Precision Agriculture system is now in place, but other needed factors have been missing. Commercial satellite systems can now image the Earth (multi-spectrally) with a resolution as fine as 2.5 m. Precision variable dispensing systems using GPS are now available and affordable. Crop models that predict yield as a function of soil, chemical, and irrigation parameter levels have been developed. Personal computers and internet access are now in place in most farm homes and can provide a mechanism for periodically disseminating advice on what quantities of water and chemicals are needed in specific regions of each field. Several processes have been selected that fuse the disparate sources of information on the current and historic states of the crop and soil, and the remaining resource levels available, with the critical decisions that farmers are required to make. These are done in a way that is easy for the farmer to understand and profitable to implement. A "Constrained Optimization Algorithm" to further improve these processes will be presented. The objective function of the model will used to maximize the farmer's profit via increasing yields while decreasing environmental damage and decreasing applications of costly treatments. This model will incorporate information from Remote Sensing, from in-situ weather sources, from soil history, and from tacit farmer knowledge of the relative productivity of selected "Management Zones" of the farm, to provide incremental advice throughout the growing season on the optimum usage of water and chemical treatments.

Pollution Detection Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Barringer Research, Inc.'s COSPEC IVB (correlation spectrometer) can sense from a considerable distance emissions from a volcanic eruption. Remote sensor is capable of measuring sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. An associated product, GASPEC, a compression of Non-dispersive Gas Filter Spectrometer, is an infrared/ultraviolet gas analyzer which can be used as either a ground based detector or in aircraft/spacecraft applications. Extremely sensitive, it is useful in air pollution investigations for detecting a variety of trace elements, vapors, which exist in the atmosphere in small amounts.

A Satellite-Based Multi-Pollutant Index of Global Air Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Mathew J.; Martin, Randall V.; vanDonkelaar, Aaron; Lamsal, Lok; Brauer, Michael; Brook, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

Air pollution is a major health hazard that is responsible formillions of annual excess deaths worldwide. Simpleindicators are useful for comparative studies and to asses strends over time. The development of global indicators hasbeen impeded by the lack of ground-based observations in vast regions of the world. Recognition is growing of the need for amultipollutant approach to air quality to better represent human exposure. Here we introduce the prospect of amultipollutant air quality indicator based on observations from satellite remote sensing.

The remote sensing of algae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorne, J. F.

1977-01-01

State agencies need rapid, synoptic and inexpensive methods for lake assessment to comply with the 1972 Amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Low altitude aerial photography may be useful in providing information on algal type and quantity. Photography must be calibrated properly to remove sources of error including airlight, surface reflectance and scene-to-scene illumination differences. A 550-nm narrow wavelength band black and white photographic exposure provided a better correlation to algal biomass than either red or infrared photographic exposure. Of all the biomass parameters tested, depth-integrated chlorophyll a concentration correlated best to remote sensing data. Laboratory-measured reflectance of selected algae indicate that different taxonomic classes of algae may be discriminated on the basis of their reflectance spectra.

Dual-use applications of laser remote sensing to the military battlefield and environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonelli, Joseph

1994-06-01

For the past 20 years, the Department of Defense has sponsored investigations and studies on the use of laser remote sensing techniques and light detection and ranging (lidar) methods for the detection, identification, and tracking of toxic and hazardous battlefield materials. The same lidar methods used by NASA, EPA, and several industry research groups to detect and measure the movement and concentration of air pollution near urban centers have been applied to the national security problem of detecting chemical and biological warfare agents that might be used on the modern battlefield. Significant government investment in the technology base and laser technology has resulted in advanced hardware configurations that are now available for demonstration and evaluation for industrial and environmental monitoring.

Urban environmental health applications of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, M.; Goldstein, J.; Hsi, B. P.; Olsen, C. B.

1974-01-01

An urban area was studied through the use of the inventory-by-surrogate method rather than by direct interpretation of photographic imagery. Prior uses of remote sensing in urban and public research are examined. The effects of crowding, poor housing conditions, air pollution, and street conditions on public health are considered. Color infrared photography was used to categorize land use features and the grid method was used in photo interpretation analysis. The incidence of shigella and salmonella, hepatitis, meningitis, tuberculosis, myocardial infarction and veneral disease were studied, together with mortality and morbidity rates. Sample census data were randomly collected and validated. The hypothesis that land use and residential quality are associated with and act as an influence upon health and physical well-being was studied and confirmed.

Satellites as Sentinels for Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.; Yland, Jan-Marcus

2001-01-01

Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing the human health aspects of sustainability by enabling improved understanding of the relationships and linkages between health-related environmental parameters and society as well as techniques for early warning of potential health problems. Remote sensing, geographic information systems, improved computational capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global health issues. This paper provides a number of recent examples of applications of these technologies to health issues related to the following: infectious and vector-borne diseases; urban, regional and global air pollution; heat stress; UV radiation; water-borne disease; extreme weather; contaminant pathways (ocean, atmosphere, ice).

Remote sensing applied to numerical modelling. [water resources pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengupta, S.; Lee, S. S.; Veziroglu, T. N.; Bland, R.

1975-01-01

Progress and remaining difficulties in the construction of predictive mathematical models of large bodies of water as ecosystems are reviewed. Surface temperature is at present the only variable than can be measured accurately and reliably by remote sensing techniques, but satellite infrared data are of sufficient resolution for macro-scale modeling of oceans and large lakes, and airborne radiometers are useful in meso-scale analysis (of lakes, bays, and thermal plumes). Finite-element and finite-difference techniques applied to the solution of relevant coupled time-dependent nonlinear partial differential equations are compared, and the specific problem of the Biscayne Bay and environs ecosystem is tackled in a finite-differences treatment using the rigid-lid model and a rigid-line grid system.

Overview of the NASA tropospheric environmental quality remote sensing program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allario, F.; Ayers, W. G.; Hoell, J. M.

1979-01-01

This paper will summarize the current NASA Tropospheric Environmental Quality Remote Sensing Program for studying the global and regional troposphere from space, airborne and ground-based platforms. As part of the program to develop remote sensors for utilization from space, NASA has developed a series of passive and active remote sensors which have undergone field test measurements from airborne and ground platforms. Recent measurements with active lidar and passive gas filter correlation and infrared heterodyne techniques will be summarized for measurements of atmospheric aerosols, CO, SO2, O3, and NH3. These measurements provide the data base required to assess the sensitivity of remote sensors for applications to urban and regional field measurement programs. Studies of Earth Observation Satellite Systems are currently being performed by the scientific community to assess the capability of satellite imagery to detect regions of elevated pollution in the troposphere. The status of NASA sponsored research efforts in interpreting satellite imagery for determining aerosol loadings over land and inland bodies of water will be presented, and comments on the potential of these measurements to supplement in situ and airborne remote sensors in detecting regional haze will be made.

Analysis of impacts of urban land use and land cover on air quality in the Las Vegas region using remote sensing information and ground observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xian, G.

2007-01-01

Urban development in the Las Vegas Valley of Nevada (USA) has expanded rapidly over the past 50 years. The air quality in the valley has suffered owing to increases from anthropogenic emissions of carbon monoxide, ozone and criteria pollutants of particular matter. Air quality observations show that pollutant concentrations have apparent heterogeneous characteristics in the urban area. Quantified urban land use and land cover information derived from satellite remote sensing data indicate an apparent local influence of urban development density on air pollutant distributions. Multi‐year observational data collected by a network of local air monitoring stations specify that ozone maximums develop in the May and June timeframe, whereas minimum concentrations generally occur from November to February. The fine particulate matter maximum occurs in July. Ozone concentrations are highest on the west and northwest sides of the valley. Night‐time ozone reduction contributes to the heterogeneous features of the spatial distribution for average ozone levels in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Decreased ozone levels associated with increased urban development density suggest that the highest ozone and lowest nitrogen oxides concentrations are associated with medium to low density urban development in Las Vegas.

Femtosecond Laser Filamentation for Atmospheric Sensing

PubMed Central

Xu, Huai Liang; Chin, See Leang

2011-01-01

Powerful femtosecond laser pulses propagating in transparent materials result in the formation of self-guided structures called filaments. Such filamentation in air can be controlled to occur at a distance as far as a few kilometers, making it ideally suited for remote sensing of pollutants in the atmosphere. On the one hand, the high intensity inside the filaments can induce the fragmentation of all matters in the path of filaments, resulting in the emission of characteristic fluorescence spectra (fingerprints) from the excited fragments, which can be used for the identification of various substances including chemical and biological species. On the other hand, along with the femtosecond laser filamentation, white-light supercontinuum emission in the infrared to UV range is generated, which can be used as an ideal light source for absorption Lidar. In this paper, we present an overview of recent progress concerning remote sensing of the atmosphere using femtosecond laser filamentation. PMID:22346566

Driving terrestrial ecosystem models from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waring, R. H.

1993-01-01

Regional air pollution, land-use conversion, and projected climate change all affect ecosystem processes at large scales. Changes in vegetation cover and growth dynamics can impact the functioning of ecosystems, carbon fluxes, and climate. As a result, there is a need to assess and monitor vegetation structure and function comprehensively at regional to global scales. To provide a test of our present understanding of how ecosystems operate at large scales we can compare model predictions of CO2, O2, and methane exchange with the atmosphere against regional measurements of interannual variation in the atmospheric concentration of these gases. Recent advances in remote sensing of the Earth's surface are beginning to provide methods for estimating important ecosystem variables at large scales. Ecologists attempting to generalize across landscapes have made extensive use of models and remote sensing technology. The success of such ventures is dependent on merging insights and expertise from two distinct fields. Ecologists must provide the understanding of how well models emulate important biological variables and their interactions; experts in remote sensing must provide the biophysical interpretation of complex optical reflectance and radar backscatter data.

A Comprehensive Review on Water Quality Parameters Estimation Using Remote Sensing Techniques.

PubMed

Gholizadeh, Mohammad Haji; Melesse, Assefa M; Reddi, Lakshmi

2016-08-16

Remotely sensed data can reinforce the abilities of water resources researchers and decision makers to monitor waterbodies more effectively. Remote sensing techniques have been widely used to measure the qualitative parameters of waterbodies (i.e., suspended sediments, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), chlorophyll-a, and pollutants). A large number of different sensors on board various satellites and other platforms, such as airplanes, are currently used to measure the amount of radiation at different wavelengths reflected from the water's surface. In this review paper, various properties (spectral, spatial and temporal, etc.) of the more commonly employed spaceborne and airborne sensors are tabulated to be used as a sensor selection guide. Furthermore, this paper investigates the commonly used approaches and sensors employed in evaluating and quantifying the eleven water quality parameters. The parameters include: chlorophyll-a (chl-a), colored dissolved organic matters (CDOM), Secchi disk depth (SDD), turbidity, total suspended sediments (TSS), water temperature (WT), total phosphorus (TP), sea surface salinity (SSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD).

Remote sensing based approach for monitoring urban growth in Mexico city, Mexico: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obade, Vincent

The world is experiencing a rapid rate of urban expansion, largely contributed by the population growth. Other factors supporting urban growth include the improved efficiency in the transportation sector and increasing dependence on cars as a means of transport. The problems attributed to the urban growth include: depletion of energy resources, water and air pollution; loss of landscapes and wildlife, loss of agricultural land, inadequate social security and lack of employment or underemployment. Aerial photography is one of the popular techniques for analyzing, planning and minimizing urbanization related problems. However, with the advances in space technology, satellite remote sensing is increasingly being utilized in the analysis and planning of the urban environment. This article outlines the strengths and limitations of potential remote sensing techniques for monitoring urban growth. The selected methods include: Principal component analysis, Maximum likelihood classification and "decision tree". The results indicate that the "classification tree" approach is the most promising for monitoring urban change, given the improved accuracy and smooth transition between the various land cover classes

A Comprehensive Review on Water Quality Parameters Estimation Using Remote Sensing Techniques

PubMed Central

Gholizadeh, Mohammad Haji; Melesse, Assefa M.; Reddi, Lakshmi

2016-01-01

Remotely sensed data can reinforce the abilities of water resources researchers and decision makers to monitor waterbodies more effectively. Remote sensing techniques have been widely used to measure the qualitative parameters of waterbodies (i.e., suspended sediments, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), chlorophyll-a, and pollutants). A large number of different sensors on board various satellites and other platforms, such as airplanes, are currently used to measure the amount of radiation at different wavelengths reflected from the water’s surface. In this review paper, various properties (spectral, spatial and temporal, etc.) of the more commonly employed spaceborne and airborne sensors are tabulated to be used as a sensor selection guide. Furthermore, this paper investigates the commonly used approaches and sensors employed in evaluating and quantifying the eleven water quality parameters. The parameters include: chlorophyll-a (chl-a), colored dissolved organic matters (CDOM), Secchi disk depth (SDD), turbidity, total suspended sediments (TSS), water temperature (WT), total phosphorus (TP), sea surface salinity (SSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). PMID:27537896

Satellites as Sentinels for Environment & Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2002-01-01

Satellites as Sentinels for Environment & Health Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing human and ecosystem health by enabling improved understanding of the relationships and linkages between health-related environmental parameters and society as well as techniques for early warning of potential health problems. NASA Office of Earth Science Applications Program has established a new initiative to utilize its data, expertise, and observations of the Earth for public health applications. In this initiative, lead by Goddard Space Flight Center, remote sensing, geographic information systems, improved computational capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global health issues. This presentation provides a number of recent examples of applications of advanced remote sensing and other technologies to health.and security issues related to the following: infectious and vector-borne diseases; urban, regional and global air pollution; African and Asian airborne dust; heat stress; UV radiation; water-borne disease; extreme weather; contaminant pathways (ocean, atmosphere, ice)

Progress in remote sensing (1972-1976)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, W. A.; Hemphill, W.R.; Kover, Allan

1976-01-01

This report concerns the progress in remote sensing during the period 1972–1976. Remote sensing has been variously defined but is basically the art or science of telling something about an object without touching it. During the past four years, the major research thrusts have been in three areas: (1) computer-assisted enhancement and interpretation systems; (2) earth science applications of Landsat data; (3) and investigations of the usefulness of observations of luminescence, thermal infrared, and microwave energies. Based on the data sales at the EROS Data Center, the largest users of the Landsat data are industrial companies, followed by government agencies (both national and foreign), and academic institutions. Thermal surveys from aircraft have become largely operational, however, significant research is being undertaken in the field of thermal modeling and analysis of high altitude images. Microwave research is increasing rapidly and programs are being developed for satellite observations. Microwave research is concentrating on oil spill detection, soil moisture measurement, and observations of ice distributions. Luminescence investigations offer promise for becoming a quantitative method of assessing vegetation stress and pollutant concentrations.

Applications of multi-season hyperspectral remote sensing for acid mine water characterization and mapping of secondary iron minerals associated with acid mine drainage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Gwendolyn E.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) resulting from the oxidation of sulfides in mine waste is a major environmental issue facing the mining industry today. Open pit mines, tailings ponds, ore stockpiles, and waste rock dumps can all be significant sources of pollution, primarily heavy metals. These large mining-induced footprints are often located across vast geographic expanses and are difficult to access. With the continuing advancement of imaging satellites, remote sensing may provide a useful monitoring tool for pit lake water quality and the rapid assessment of abandoned mine sites. This study explored the applications of laboratory spectroscopy and multi-season hyperspectral remote sensing for environmental monitoring of mine waste environments. Laboratory spectral experiments were first performed on acid mine waters and synthetic ferric iron solutions to identify and isolate the unique spectral properties of mine waters. These spectral characterizations were then applied to airborne hyperspectral imagery for identification of poor water quality in AMD ponds at the Leviathan Mine Superfund site, CA. Finally, imagery varying in temporal and spatial resolutions were used to identify changes in mineralogy over weathering overburden piles and on dry AMD pond liner surfaces at the Leviathan Mine. Results show the utility of hyperspectral remote sensing for monitoring a diverse range of surfaces associated with AMD.

Assessment of human health impact from exposure to multiple air pollutants in China based on satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Tao; Wang, Wen; Ciren, Pubu; Zhu, Yan

2016-10-01

Assessment of human health impact caused by air pollution is crucial for evaluating environmental hazards. In this paper, concentrations of six air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, O3, and CO) were first derived from satellite observations, and then the overall human health risks in China caused by multiple air pollutants were assessed using an aggregated health risks index. Unlike traditional approach for human health risks assessment, which relied on the in-situ air pollution measurements, the spatial distribution of aggregated human health risks in China were obtained using satellite observations in this research. It was indicated that the remote sensing data have advantages over in-situ data in accessing human health impact caused by air pollution.

Lagrangian Aerosol and Ozone Precursor Forecasts Utilizing NASA Aura OMI NO2 and NOAA GOES-GASP AOD Observations

EPA Science Inventory

Over the past decade, the remote sensing of trace gases and aerosols from space has dramatically improved. The emergence and application of these measurements adds a new dimension to air quality Management and forecasting by enabling consistent observations of pollutants over l...

INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR MEASURING AMMONIA AND METHANE FLUXES FROM A HOG FARM USING OPEN-PATH FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

EPA Science Inventory

The paper describes a new approach to quantify emissions from area air pollution sources. The approach combines path-integrated concentration data acquired with any path-integrated optical remote sensing (PI-ORS) technique and computed tomography (CT) technique. In this study, an...

Criteria for the use of regression analysis for remote sensing of sediment and pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, C. H.; Kuo, C. Y.; Lecroy, S. R. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Data analysis procedures for quantification of water quality parameters that are already identified and are known to exist within the water body are considered. The liner multiple-regression technique was examined as a procedure for defining and calibrating data analysis algorithms for such instruments as spectrometers and multispectral scanners.

Frequency agile optical parametric oscillator

DOEpatents

Velsko, Stephan P.

1998-01-01

The frequency agile OPO device converts a fixed wavelength pump laser beam to arbitrary wavelengths within a specified range with pulse to pulse agility, at a rate limited only by the repetition rate of the pump laser. Uses of this invention include Laser radar, LIDAR, active remote sensing of effluents/pollutants, environmental monitoring, antisensor lasers, and spectroscopy.

Water quality and shellfish sanitation. [Patuxent and Choptank River watersheds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eisenberg, M.

1978-01-01

The use of remote sensing techniques for collecting bacteriological, physical, and chemical water quality data, locating point and nonpoint sources of pollution, and developing hydrological data was found to be valuable to the Maryland program if it could be produced effectively and rapidly with a minimum amount of ground corroboration.

Optical thickness as related to pollutant episodes and the concentration of visibility degrading pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prospero, J. M.; Savoie, D.; Snowdon, T.; Ewbank, P.

1983-01-01

A network of six sun photometers was placed in the central and northeast United States during the months of July through October, 1931. The objective of the program was to obtain measurements of atmospheric turbidity which can be related to the concentration of visibility-degrading pollutants in the atmosphere. These measurements serve as ground truth for a program to develop remote sensing techniques for measuring the vertically integrated aerosol concentrations in pollution episodes. The sun photometers measure the direct solar radiation in four passbands: 380 nm, 500 nm, 875 nm and 940 nm. The first three passbands will be used for measuring the aerosol optical depth and the last for measuring precipitable water.

A Case Study of Ship Track Formation in a Polluted Marine Boundary Layer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noone, Kevin J.; Johnson, Doug W.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Ferek, Ronald J.; Garrett, Tim; Hobbs, Peter V.; Durkee, Philip A.; Nielsen, Kurt; Öström, Elisabeth; O'Dowd, Colin; Smith, Michael H.; Russell, Lynn M.; Flagan, Richard C.; Seinfeld, John H.; de Bock, Lieve; van Grieken, René E.; Hudson, James G.; Brooks, Ian;  Gasparovic, Richard F.;  Pockalny, Robert A.

2000-08-01

A case study of the effects of ship emissions on the microphysical, radiative, and chemical properties of polluted marine boundary layer clouds is presented. Two ship tracks are discussed in detail. In situ measurements of cloud drop size distributions, liquid water content, and cloud radiative properties, as well as aerosol size distributions (outside-cloud, interstitial, and cloud droplet residual particles) and aerosol chemistry, are presented. These are related to remotely sensed measurements of cloud radiative properties.The authors examine the processes behind ship track formation in a polluted marine boundary layer as an example of the effects of anthropogenic particulate pollution on the albedo of marine stratiform clouds.

Satellite Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Pollution: the Far-Reaching Impact of Burning in Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishman, Jack; Al-Saadi, Jassim A.; Neil, Doreen O.; Creilson, John K.; Severance, Kurt; Thomason, Larry W.; Edwards, David R.

2008-01-01

When the first observations of a tropospheric trace gas were obtained in the 1980s, carbon monoxide enhancements from tropical biomass burning dominated the observed features. In 2005, an active remote-sensing system to provide detailed information on the vertical distribution of aerosols and clouds was launched, and again, one of the most imposing features observed was the presence of emissions from tropical biomass burning. This paper presents a brief overview of space-borne observations of the distribution of trace gases and aerosols and how tropical biomass burning, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, has provided an initially surprising picture of the distribution of these species and how they have evolved from prevailing transport patterns in that hemisphere. We also show how interpretation of these observations has improved significantly as a result of the improved capability of trajectory modeling in recent years and how information from this capability has provided additional insight into previous measurements form satellites. Key words: pollution; biomass burning; aerosols; tropical trace gas emissions; Southern Hemisphere; carbon monoxide.

A feed-forward Hopfield neural network algorithm (FHNNA) with a colour satellite image for water quality mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asal Kzar, Ahmed; Mat Jafri, M. Z.; Hwee San, Lim; Al-Zuky, Ali A.; Mutter, Kussay N.; Hassan Al-Saleh, Anwar

2016-06-01

There are many techniques that have been given for water quality problem, but the remote sensing techniques have proven their success, especially when the artificial neural networks are used as mathematical models with these techniques. Hopfield neural network is one type of artificial neural networks which is common, fast, simple, and efficient, but it when it deals with images that have more than two colours such as remote sensing images. This work has attempted to solve this problem via modifying the network that deals with colour remote sensing images for water quality mapping. A Feed-forward Hopfield Neural Network Algorithm (FHNNA) was modified and used with a satellite colour image from type of Thailand earth observation system (THEOS) for TSS mapping in the Penang strait, Malaysia, through the classification of TSS concentrations. The new algorithm is based essentially on three modifications: using HNN as feed-forward network, considering the weights of bitplanes, and non-self-architecture or zero diagonal of weight matrix, in addition, it depends on a validation data. The achieved map was colour-coded for visual interpretation. The efficiency of the new algorithm has found out by the higher correlation coefficient (R=0.979) and the lower root mean square error (RMSE=4.301) between the validation data that were divided into two groups. One used for the algorithm and the other used for validating the results. The comparison was with the minimum distance classifier. Therefore, TSS mapping of polluted water in Penang strait, Malaysia, can be performed using FHNNA with remote sensing technique (THEOS). It is a new and useful application of HNN, so it is a new model with remote sensing techniques for water quality mapping which is considered important environmental problem.

Remote sensing of smokestack emissions using a mobile environmental laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosebach, Herbert W.; Eisenmann, T.; Schulz-Spahr, Y.; Neureither, I.; Bittner, Hermann; Rippel, Harald; Schaefer, Klaus; Wehner, Dieter; Haus, Rainer

1993-03-01

A mobile environmental laboratory has been developed. This laboratory consists of a van which is equipped with different environmental sensors. The FT-IR system K300 by Kayser- Threde is the key instrument. With this K300 the van can be used for remote measurements of the gaseous emissions from smoke stacks. In addition the laboratory is equipped with standard ambient air analyzers as well as meteorological sensors. A large battery system ensures current source free operation the whole day. Reloading of the batteries takes only one night. remote measurements with this van were carried out at different power plants. Several pollutants could be analyzed. First results are presented.

Combining active and passive remote sensing from research aircraft with atmospheric models to evaluate NOx emission fluxes and O3 formation in the Los Angeles Megacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baidar, Sunil; Oetjen, Hilke; Senff, Christoph; Alvarez, Raul, II; Hardesty, Michael; Langford, Andrew; Kim, Si-Wan; Trainer, Michael; Volkamer, Rainer

2013-04-01

Ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are two important components of air pollution. We have measured vertical column amounts of NO2, and vertical profiles of O3 and wind speed by means of measurements of solar stray light by CU Airborne MAX-DOAS, and active remote sensing using the NOAA TOPAZ lidar, and the University of Leeds Doppler lidar aboard the NOAA Twin Otter research aircraft. A total of 52 flights (up to 4 hours each) were carried out between May 19 and July 19 2010 during the CalNex and CARES field campaigns. These flights cover most of California. The boundary layer height was measured by TOPAZ lidar, and trace gas concentrations of NO2 and O3 were integrated over boundary layer height. These column integrated quantities are then combined with direct wind speed measurements to quantify directly the pollutant flux across the boundary, as defined by the flight track. By tracking the pollution fluxes during transects that are flown upwind and in various distances downwind of a NOx emission source, the NOx emission rate, and the ozone formation rate are quantified. These pollutant fluxes are calculated here for the first time exclusively based on measurements (i.e., without need to infer wind speed from a model). These fluxes provide constraints to quantify localized NOx emissions, and are being compared with WRF-Chem model simulations.

Mixed-spectrum generation mechanism analysis of dispersive hyperspectral imaging for improving environmental monitoring of coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Feng; Xiao, Gonghai; Qi, Hongxing; Shu, Rong; Wang, Jianyu; Xue, Yongqi

2010-11-01

At present, most part of coast zone in China belong to Case II waters with a large volume of shallow waters. Through theories and experiences of ocean water color remote sensing has a prominent improvement, there still exist many problems mainly as follows: (a) there is not a special sensor for heat pollution of coast water remote sensing up to now; (b) though many scholars have developed many water quality parameter retrieval models in the open ocean, there still exists a large gap from practical applications in turbid coastal waters. It is much more difficult due to the presence of high concentrations of suspended sediments and dissolved organic material, which overwhelm the spectral signal of sea water. Hyperspectral remote sensing allows a sensor on a moving platform to gather emitted radiation from the Earth's surface, which opens a way to reach a better analysis and understanding of coast water. Operative Modular Imaging Spectrometer (OMIS) is a type of representative imaging spectrometer developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. OMIS collects reflective and radiation light from ground by RC telescope with the scanning mirror cross track and flight of plane along track. In this paper, we explore the use of OMIS as the airborne sensor for the heat pollution monitoring in coast water, on the basis of an analysis on the mixed-spectrum arising from the image correcting process for geometric distortion. An airborne experiment was conducted in the winter of 2009 on the coast of the East Sea in China.

Soil TPH Concentration Estimation Using Vegetation Indices in an Oil Polluted Area of Eastern China

PubMed Central

Zhu, Linhai; Zhao, Xuechun; Lai, Liming; Wang, Jianjian; Jiang, Lianhe; Ding, Jinzhi; Liu, Nanxi; Yu, Yunjiang; Li, Junsheng; Xiao, Nengwen; Zheng, Yuanrun; Rimmington, Glyn M.

2013-01-01

Assessing oil pollution using traditional field-based methods over large areas is difficult and expensive. Remote sensing technologies with good spatial and temporal coverage might provide an alternative for monitoring oil pollution by recording the spectral signals of plants growing in polluted soils. Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations of soils and the hyperspectral canopy reflectance were measured in wetlands dominated by reeds (Phragmites australis) around oil wells that have been producing oil for approximately 10 years in the Yellow River Delta, eastern China to evaluate the potential of vegetation indices and red edge parameters to estimate soil oil pollution. The detrimental effect of oil pollution on reed communities was confirmed by the evidence that the aboveground biomass decreased from 1076.5 g m−2 to 5.3 g m−2 with increasing total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations ranging from 9.45 mg kg−1 to 652 mg kg−1. The modified chlorophyll absorption ratio index (MCARI) best estimated soil TPH concentration among 20 vegetation indices. The linear model involving MCARI had the highest coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.73) and accuracy of prediction (RMSE = 104.2 mg kg−1). For other vegetation indices and red edge parameters, the R2 and RMSE values ranged from 0.64 to 0.71 and from 120.2 mg kg−1 to 106.8 mg kg−1 respectively. The traditional broadband normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), one of the broadband multispectral vegetation indices (BMVIs), produced a prediction (R 2 = 0.70 and RMSE = 110.1 mg kg−1) similar to that of MCARI. These results corroborated the potential of remote sensing for assessing soil oil pollution in large areas. Traditional BMVIs are still of great value in monitoring soil oil pollution when hyperspectral data are unavailable. PMID:23342066

The atmospheric correction algorithm for HY-1B/COCTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xianqiang; Bai, Yan; Pan, Delu; Zhu, Qiankun

2008-10-01

China has launched her second ocean color satellite HY-1B on 11 Apr., 2007, which carried two remote sensors. The Chinese Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (COCTS) is the main sensor on HY-1B, and it has not only eight visible and near-infrared wavelength bands similar to the SeaWiFS, but also two more thermal infrared bands to measure the sea surface temperature. Therefore, COCTS has broad application potentiality, such as fishery resource protection and development, coastal monitoring and management and marine pollution monitoring. Atmospheric correction is the key of the quantitative ocean color remote sensing. In this paper, the operational atmospheric correction algorithm of HY-1B/COCTS has been developed. Firstly, based on the vector radiative transfer numerical model of coupled oceanatmosphere system- PCOART, the exact Rayleigh scattering look-up table (LUT), aerosol scattering LUT and atmosphere diffuse transmission LUT for HY-1B/COCTS have been generated. Secondly, using the generated LUTs, the exactly operational atmospheric correction algorithm for HY-1B/COCTS has been developed. The algorithm has been validated using the simulated spectral data generated by PCOART, and the result shows the error of the water-leaving reflectance retrieved by this algorithm is less than 0.0005, which meets the requirement of the exactly atmospheric correction of ocean color remote sensing. Finally, the algorithm has been applied to the HY-1B/COCTS remote sensing data, and the retrieved water-leaving radiances are consist with the Aqua/MODIS results, and the corresponding ocean color remote sensing products have been generated including the chlorophyll concentration and total suspended particle matter concentration.

Air pollution source identification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fordyce, J. S.

1975-01-01

Techniques for air pollution source identification are reviewed, and some results obtained with them are evaluated. Described techniques include remote sensing from satellites and aircraft, on-site monitoring, and the use of injected tracers and pollutants themselves as tracers. The use of a large number of trace elements in ambient airborne particulate matter as a practical means of identifying sources is discussed in detail. Sampling and analysis techniques are described, and it is shown that elemental constituents can be related to specific source types such as those found in the earth's crust and those associated with specific industries. Source identification sytems are noted which utilize charged particle X-ray fluorescence analysis of original field data.

Investigation of potential of differential absorption Lidar techniques for remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, C. F.; Shipley, S. T.; Allen, R. J.

1981-01-01

The NASA multipurpose differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system uses two high conversion efficiency dye lasers which are optically pumped by two frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers mounted rigidly on a supporting structure that also contains the transmitter, receiver, and data system. The DIAL system hardware design and data acquisition system are described. Timing diagrams, logic diagrams, and schematics, and the theory of operation of the control electronics are presented. Success in obtaining remote measurements of ozone profiles with an airborne systems is reported and results are analyzed.

Criteria for the use of regression analysis for remote sensing of sediment and pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, C. H.; Kuo, C. Y.; Lecroy, S. R.

1982-01-01

An examination of limitations, requirements, and precision of the linear multiple-regression technique for quantification of marine environmental parameters is conducted. Both environmental and optical physics conditions have been defined for which an exact solution to the signal response equations is of the same form as the multiple regression equation. Various statistical parameters are examined to define a criteria for selection of an unbiased fit when upwelled radiance values contain error and are correlated with each other. Field experimental data are examined to define data smoothing requirements in order to satisfy the criteria of Daniel and Wood (1971). Recommendations are made concerning improved selection of ground-truth locations to maximize variance and to minimize physical errors associated with the remote sensing experiment.

[Research on hyperspectral remote sensing in monitoring snow contamination concentration].

PubMed

Tang, Xu-guang; Liu, Dian-wei; Zhang, Bai; Du, Jia; Lei, Xiao-chun; Zeng, Li-hong; Wang, Yuan-dong; Song, Kai-shan

2011-05-01

Contaminants in the snow can be used to reflect regional and global environmental pollution caused by human activities. However, so far, the research on space-time monitoring of snow contamination concentration for a wide range or areas difficult for human to reach is very scarce. In the present paper, based on the simulated atmospheric deposition experiments, the spectroscopy technique method was applied to analyze the effect of different contamination concentration on the snow reflectance spectra. Then an evaluation of snow contamination concentration (SCC) retrieval methods was conducted using characteristic index method (SDI), principal component analysis (PCA), BP neural network and RBF neural network method, and the estimate effects of four methods were compared. The results showed that the neural network model combined with hyperspectral remote sensing data could estimate the SCC well.

The detection and mapping of oil on a marshy area by a remote luminescent sensor

USGS Publications Warehouse

McFarlane, C.; Watson, R.D.

2005-01-01

Airborne remote sensing can be a cost-effective method for monitoring pollutants in large areas such as occur in oil spills. An opportunity to test a particular method arose when a well ruptured and for 23 days spewed a 90-meter fountain of oil into the air, dispersing the oil over a wide area. The method tested was an airborne luminescence detector with a Fraunhofer Line Discriminator (FLD) which was flown over the affected area 41 days after the well was capped to obtain a map or the deposition pattern. To calibrate the system, samples of Spartina (wire grass) and Phragmites (common reed) were collected from the contaminated area and the oil residues were eluted in cyclohexane and quantitatively analyzed in a fluorescence photometer. Good correlation was observed between the remote sensor (FLD) and the laboratory analysis. Isopleths defining the deposition pattern of oil were drawn from the remote sensing information. A discussion will be presented on the feasibility of using this instrument for similar contamination incidents for cleanup and damage assessment.

Frequency agile optical parametric oscillator

DOEpatents

Velsko, S.P.

1998-11-24

The frequency agile OPO device converts a fixed wavelength pump laser beam to arbitrary wavelengths within a specified range with pulse to pulse agility, at a rate limited only by the repetition rate of the pump laser. Uses of this invention include Laser radar, LIDAR, active remote sensing of effluents/pollutants, environmental monitoring, antisensor lasers, and spectroscopy. 14 figs.

Water environmental management with the aid of remote sensing and GIS technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaoling; Yuan, Zhongzhi; Li, Yok-Sheung; Song, Hong; Hou, Yingzi; Xu, Zhanhua; Liu, Honghua; Wai, Onyx W.

2005-01-01

Water environment is associated with many disciplinary fields including sciences and management which makes it difficult to study. Timely observation, data getting and analysis on water environment are very important for decision makers who play an important role to maintain the sustainable development. This study focused on developing a plateform of water environment management based on remote sensing and GIS technology, and its main target is to provide with necessary information on water environment through spatial analysis and visual display in a suitable way. The work especially focused on three points, and the first one is related to technical issues of spatial data organization and communication with a combination of GIS and statistical software. A data-related model was proposed to solve the data communication between the mentioned systems. The second one is spatio-temporal analysis based on remote sensing and GIS. Water quality parameters of suspended sediment concentration and BOD5 were specially analyzed in this case, and the results suggested an obvious influence of land source pollution quantitatively in a spatial domain. The third one is 3D visualization of surface feature based on RS and GIS technology. The Pearl River estuary and HongKong's coastal waters in the South China Sea were taken as a case in this study. The software ARCGIS was taken as a basic platform to develop a water environmental management system. The sampling data of water quality in 76 monitoring stations of coastal water bodies and remote sensed images were selected in this study.

Remote sensing in the mixing zone. [water pollution in Wisconsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villemonte, J. R.; Hoopes, J. A.; Wu, D. S.; Lillesand, T. M.

1973-01-01

Characteristics of dispersion and diffusion as the mechanisms by which pollutants are transported in natural river courses were studied with the view of providing additional data for the establishment of water quality guidelines and effluent outfall design protocols. Work has been divided into four basic categories which are directed at the basic goal of developing relationships which will permit the estimation of the nature and extent of the mixing zone as a function of those variables which characterize the outfall structure, the effluent, and the river, as well as climatological conditions. The four basic categories of effort are: (1) the development of mathematical models; (2) laboratory studies of physical models; (3) field surveys involving ground and aerial sensing; and (4) correlation between aerial photographic imagery and mixing zone characteristics.

Assessing Cd-induced stress from plant spectral response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kancheva, Rumiana; Georgiev, Georgi

2014-10-01

Remote sensing plays a significant role in local, regional and global monitoring of land covers. Ecological concerns worldwide determine the importance of remote sensing applications for the assessment of soil conditions, vegetation health and identification of stress-induced changes. The extensive industrial growth and intensive agricultural land-use arise the serious ecological problem of environmental pollution associated with the increasing anthropogenic pressure on the environment. Soil contamination is a reason for degradation processes and temporary or permanent decrease of the productive capacity of land. Heavy metals are among the most dangerous pollutants because of their toxicity, persistent nature, easy up-take by plants and long biological half-life. This paper takes as its focus the study of crop species spectral response to Cd pollution. Ground-based experiments were performed, using alfalfa, spring barley and pea grown in Cd contaminated soils and in different hydroponic systems under varying concentrations of the heavy metal. Cd toxicity manifested itself by inhibition of plant growth and synthesis of photosynthetic pigments. Multispectral reflectance, absorbance and transmittance, as well as red and far red fluorescence were measured and examined for their suitability to detect differences in plant condition. Statistical analysis was performed and empirical relationships were established between Cd concentration, plant growth variables and spectral response Various spectral properties proved to be indicators of plant performance and quantitative estimators of the degree of the Cd-induced stress.

Dynamic monitoring of water petroleum substance using HJ-1/CCD remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Miaofen; Xing, Xufeng; Zhao, Zulong; Li, Zhanqiang

2014-03-01

The experiment data used in this paper include CDOM(Chromophoric dissolved organic matter) absorption coefficient, water apparent optical properties and petroleum pollution concentration, which were obtained in May 2008, August 2009 and June 2010 respectively at Liaohe Oilfield in Panjin city, Liaoning province of China. A model between CDOM absorption coefficient and petroleum pollution concentration was developed, and then was applied to eight HJ-1CCD remote sense images obtained from 2009 to 2011, to produce multi-period temporal and spatial distribution maps of petroleum concentration in costal waters. Based on these thematic maps, the dynamic monitoring of petroleum pollution concentration distribution was done. The results showed that (1)There was a decreasing trend of petroleum concentration from costal waters to open sea, which manifest itself as an approximately zonal distribution;(2) due to low precipitation in May and June every year, the concentration of petroleum keeps in a relatively high value state; (3) in September, the concentration of petroleum decreases dramatically as pre increases, most of the area below 0.29 mg/L; (4) compared with that in the same period, the concentration of petroleum in April 2010 is apparently higher than in April 2011, and among the images in September from 2009 to 2011,the highest concentration of petroleum appears in 2010, and the lowest in 2009.

Time-series MODIS satellite and in-situ data for spatio-temporal distribution of aerosol pollution assessment over Bucharest metropolitan area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoran, Maria A.; Savastru, Roxana S.; Savastru, Dan M.

2015-10-01

With the increasing industrialization and urbanization, especially in the metropolis regions, aerosol pollution has highly negative effects on environment. Urbanization is responsible of three major changes that may have impact on the urban atmosphere: replacement of the natural surfaces with buildings and impermeable pavements, heat of anthropogenic origin and air pollution. The importance of aerosols for radiative and atmospheric chemical processes is widely recognized. They can scatter and/or absorb solar radiation leading to changes of the radiation budget. Also, the so-called indirect effect of aerosols describes the cloud-aerosol interactions, which can modify the chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere. Their high spatial variability and short lifetime make spaceborne sensors especially well suited for their observation. Remote sensing is a key application in global-change science and urban climatology. Since the launch of the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) there is detailed global aerosol information available, both over land and oceans The aerosol parameters can be measured directly in situ or derived from satellite remote sensing observations. All these methods are important and complementary. The objective of this work was to document the seasonal and inter-annual patterns of the aerosol pollution particulate matter in two size fractions (PM10 and PM2.5) loading and air quality index (AQI) over Bucharest metropolitan area in Romania based on in-situ and MODIS (Terra-Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer) satellite time series data over 2010-2012 period. Accurate information of urban air pollution is required for environmental and health policy, but also to act as a basis for designing and stratifying future monitoring networks.

Detection of aerosol pollution sources during sandstorms in Northwestern China using remote sensed and model simulated data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filonchyk, Mikalai; Yan, Haowen; Yang, Shuwen; Lu, Xiaomin

2018-02-01

The present paper has used a comprehensive approach to study atmosphere pollution sources including the study of vertical distribution characteristics, the epicenters of occurrence and transport of atmospheric aerosol in North-West China under intensive dust storm registered in all cities of the region in April 2014. To achieve this goal, the remote sensing data using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite (MODIS) as well as model-simulated data, were used, which facilitate tracking the sources, routes, and spatial extent of dust storms. The results of the study have shown strong territory pollution with aerosol during sandstorm. According to ground-based air quality monitoring stations data, concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 exceeded 400 μg/m3 and 150 μg/m3, respectively, the ratio PM2.5/PM10 being within the range of 0.123-0.661. According to MODIS/Terra Collection 6 Level-2 aerosol products data and the Deep Blue algorithm data, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm in the pollution epicenter was within 0.75-1. The vertical distribution of aerosols indicates that the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) 532 nm total attenuates backscatter coefficient ranges from 0.01 to 0.0001 km-1 × sr-1 with the distribution of the main types of aerosols in the troposphere of the region within 0-12.5 km, where the most severe aerosol contamination is observed in the lower troposphere (at 3-6 km). According to satellite sounding and model-simulated data, the sources of pollution are the deserted regions of Northern and Northwestern China.

Linking local knowledge and satellite-derived land-use/land-cover change information in Krabi province, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peneva-Reed, Elitsa I.

This study was designed to gain an understanding of the linkage between development and sustainability of mangrove forest conversion in three coastal communities in Thailand. It presents a methodology that could potentially aid coastal communities in determining sustainable land use conversion approaches by considering the viewpoint of villagers. A remote sensing analysis of Landsat satellite images from 1989, 2001 and 2007 showed the results of a moderate, but sustained shrimp farming industry that only partially exploited mangrove forests. The three villages experienced a range of changes in mangrove forest area. The villagers' perceptions (collected through field surveys) did not match the results from the remote sensing analysis and varied significantly. A logit multiple regression model was utilized to study the factors influencing whether villagers' estimates agreed or disagreed with the remote sensing analysis. Results showed that the only variables statistically significant at the 0.10 level were age, occupation, and proximity to the mangrove resource. There is a widespread belief that one of the main negative effects of the development of shrimp farms is the pollution of water and, as a consequence, the reduction of wild catch. In this study, a majority of fishing households reported a reduction in wild catch, with nearly all attributing it to shrimp farms. A relatively small number of households noted positive effects from shrimp farming and listed these as an increase of income as a result of working at shrimp farms. The most common negative effects identified by the locals were water pollution, followed by a decrease in wild catch, and an increase in the number of mosquitoes. Although shrimp farm developers promised many benefits from this enterprise, very few were realized by the villagers. Integrating information from household surveys with data on land-cover change derived from remote sensing improves our understanding of the causes and processes of land cover change, and the perceptions of such changes. Integrating these two data sources illustrated that while shrimp farms did not have very many positive effects on the villagers, they were not as directly harmful to the mangrove forests as many believed.

Wearable system-on-a-chip radiometer for remote temperature sensing and its application to the safeguard of emergency operators.

PubMed

Fonte, A; Alimenti, F; Zito, D; Neri, B; De Rossi, D; Lanatà, A; Tognetti, A

2007-01-01

The remote sensing and the detection of events that may represent a danger for human beings have become more and more important thanks to the latest advances of the technology. A microwave radiometer is a sensor capable to detect a fire or an abnormal increase of the internal temperature of the human body (hyperthermia), or an onset of a cancer, or even meteorological phenomena (forest fires, pollution release, ice formation on road pavement). In this paper, the overview of a wearable low-cost low-power system-on-a-chip (SoaC) 13 GHz passive microwave radiometer in CMOS 90 nm technology is presented. In particular, we focused on its application to the fire detection for civil safeguard. In detail, this sensor has been thought to be inserted into the fireman jacket in order to help the fireman in the detection of a hidden fire behind a door or a wall. The simulation results obtained by Ptolemy system simulation have confirmed the feasibility of such a SoaC microwave radiometer in a low-cost standard silicon technology for temperature remote sensing and, in particular, for its application to the safeguard of emergency operators.

Surveillance system for air pollutants by combination of the decision support system COMPAS and optical remote sensing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flassak, Thomas; de Witt, Helmut; Hahnfeld, Peter; Knaup, Andreas; Kramer, Lothar

1995-09-01

COMPAS is a decision support system designed to assist in the assessment of the consequences of accidental releases of toxic and flammable substances. One of the key elements of COMPAS is a feedback algorithm which allows us to calculate the source term with the aid of concentration measurements. Up to now the feedback technique is applied to concentration measurements done with test tubes or conventional point sensors. In this paper the extension of the actual method is presented which is the combination of COMPAS and an optical remote sensing system like the KAYSER-THREDE K300 FTIR system. Active remote sensing methods based on FTIR are, among other applications, ideal for the so-called fence line monitoring of the diffuse emissions and accidental releases from industrial facilities, since from the FTIR spectra averaged concentration levels along the measurement path can be achieved. The line-averaged concentrations are ideally suited as on-line input for COMPAS' feedback technique. Uncertainties in the assessment of the source term related with both shortcomings of the dispersion model itself and also problems of a feedback strategy based on point measurements are reduced.

Multiscale observations of CO2, 13CO2, and pollutants at Four Corners for emission verification and attribution

PubMed Central

Lindenmaier, Rodica; Dubey, Manvendra K.; Henderson, Bradley G.; Butterfield, Zachary T.; Herman, Jay R.; Rahn, Thom; Lee, Sang-Hyun

2014-01-01

There is a pressing need to verify air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic fossil energy sources to enforce current and future regulations. We demonstrate the feasibility of using simultaneous remote sensing observations of column abundances of CO2, CO, and NO2 to inform and verify emission inventories. We report, to our knowledge, the first ever simultaneous column enhancements in CO2 (3–10 ppm) and NO2 (1–3 Dobson Units), and evidence of δ13CO2 depletion in an urban region with two large coal-fired power plants with distinct scrubbing technologies that have resulted in ∆NOx/∆CO2 emission ratios that differ by a factor of two. Ground-based total atmospheric column trace gas abundances change synchronously and correlate well with simultaneous in situ point measurements during plume interceptions. Emission ratios of ∆NOx/∆CO2 and ∆SO2/∆CO2 derived from in situ atmospheric observations agree with those reported by in-stack monitors. Forward simulations using in-stack emissions agree with remote column CO2 and NO2 plume observations after fine scale adjustments. Both observed and simulated column ∆NO2/∆CO2 ratios indicate that a large fraction (70–75%) of the region is polluted. We demonstrate that the column emission ratios of ∆NO2/∆CO2 can resolve changes from day-to-day variation in sources with distinct emission factors (clean and dirty power plants, urban, and fires). We apportion these sources by using NO2, SO2, and CO as signatures. Our high-frequency remote sensing observations of CO2 and coemitted pollutants offer promise for the verification of power plant emission factors and abatement technologies from ground and space. PMID:24843169

Multi- and hyperspectral remote sensing of tropical marine benthic habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Deepak R.

Tropical marine benthic habitats such as coral reef and associated environments are severely endangered because of the environmental degradation coupled with hurricanes, El Nino events, coastal pollution and runoff, tourism, and economic development. To monitor and protect this diverse environment it is important to not only develop baseline maps depicting their spatial distribution but also to document their changing conditions over time. Remote sensing offers an important means of delineating and monitoring coral reef ecosystems. Over the last twenty years the scientific community has been investigating the use and potential of remote sensing techniques to determine the conditions of the coral reefs by analyzing their spectral characteristics from space. One of the problems in monitoring coral reefs from space is the effect of the water column on the remotely sensed signal. When light penetrates water its intensity decreases exponentially with increasing depth. This process, known as water column attenuation, exerts a profound effect on remotely sensed data collected over water bodies. The approach presented in this research focuses on the development of semi-analytical models that resolves the confounding influence water column attenuation on substrate reflectance to characterize benthic habitats from high resolution remotely sensed imagery on a per-pixel basis. High spatial resolution satellite and airborne imagery were used as inputs in the models to derive water depth and water column optical properties (e.g., absorption and backscattering coefficients). These parameters were subsequently used in various bio-optical algorithms to deduce bottom albedo and then to classify the benthos, generating a detailed map of benthic habitats. IKONOS and QuickBird multispectral satellite data and AISA Eagle hyperspectral airborne data were used in this research for benthic habitat mapping along the north shore of Roatan Island, Honduras. The AISA Eagle classification was consistently more accurate (84%) including finer definition of geomorphological features than the satellite sensors. IKONOS (81%) and QuickBird (81%) sensors showed similar accuracy to AISA, however, such similarity was only reached at the coarse classification levels of 5 and 6 habitats. These results confirm the potential of an effective combination of high spectral and spatial resolution sensor, for accurate benthic habitat mapping.

Propagation Limitations in Remote Sensing.

DTIC Science & Technology

Contents: Multi-sensors and systems in remote sensing ; Radar sensing systems over land; Remote sensing techniques in oceanography; Influence of...propagation media and background; Infrared techniques in remote sensing ; Photography in remote sensing ; Analytical studies in remote sensing .

City-Level Adult Stroke Prevalence in Relation to Remote Sensing Derived PM2.5 Adjusting for Unhealthy Behaviors and Medical Risk Factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Z.

2018-04-01

This research explores the use of PM2.5 gird derived from remote sensing for assessing the effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 (ambient air pollution of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less) on stroke, adjusting for unhealthy behaviors and medical risk factors. Health data was obtained from the newly published CDC "500 Cities Project" which provides city- and census tract-level small area estimates for chronic disease risk factors, and clinical preventive service use for the largest 500 cities in the United States. PM2.5 data was acquired from the "The Global Annual PM2.5 Grids from MODIS, MISR and SeaWiFS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), V1 (1998-2012)" datasets. Average PM2.5 were calculated for each city using a GIS zonal statistics function. Map data visualization and pattern comparison, univariate linear regression, and a multivariate linear regression model fitted using a generalized linear model via penalized maximum likelihood found that long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 may increase the risk of stroke. Increasing physical activity, reducing smoking and body weight, enough sleeping, controlling diseases such as blood pressure, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cholesterol, may mitigate the effect. PM2.5 grids derived from moderate resolution satellite remote sensing imagery may offer a unique opportunity to fill the data gap due to limited ground monitoring at broader scales. The evidence of raised stroke prevalence risk in high PM2.5 areas would support targeting of policy interventions on such areas to reduce pollution levels and protect human health.

Urban heat island research from 1991 to 2015: a bibliometric analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Qunfang; Lu, Yuqi

2018-02-01

A bibliometric analysis based on the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-Expanded) database from the Web of Science was performed to review urban heat island (UHI) research from 1991 to 2015 and statistically assess its developments, trends, and directions. In total, 1822 papers published in 352 journals over the past 25 years were analyzed for scientific output; citations; subject categories; major journals; outstanding keywords; and leading countries, institutions, authors, and research collaborations. The number of UHI-related publications has continuously increased since 1991. Meteorology atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, and construction building technology were the three most frequent subject categories. Building and Environment, International Journal of Climatology, and Theoretical and Applied Climatology were the three most popular publishing journals. The USA and China were the two leading countries in UHI research, contributing 49.56% of the total articles. Chinese Academy of Science, Arizona State University, and China Meteorological Administration published the most UHI articles. Weng QH and Santamouris M were the two most prolific authors. Author keywords were classified into four major groups: (1) research methods and indicators, e.g., remote sensing, field measurement, and models; (2) generation factors, e.g., impervious urban surfaces, urban geometry, waste heat, vegetation, and pollutants; (3) environmental effects, e.g., urban climate, heat wave, ecology, and pollution; and (4) mitigation and adaption strategies, e.g., roof technology cooling, reflective cooling, vegetation cooling, and urban geometry cooling. A comparative analysis of popular issues revealed that UHI determination (intensity, heat source, supporting techniques) remains the central topic, whereas UHI impacts and mitigation strategies are becoming the popular issues that will receive increasing scientific attention in the future. Modeling will continue to be the leading research method, and remote sensing will be used more widely. Additionally, a combination of remote sensing and field measurements with models is expected.

Assessment of forest quality in southwestern Poland with the use of remotely sensed data

Treesearch

Zbigniew Bochenek; Andrzej Ciolkosz; Maria Iracka

1998-01-01

A three-stage approach was applied to assess the quality of forests in southwestern Poland, which are heavily affected with air pollution and insect infestations. In the first stage a ground evaluation of spruce stands was done within the selected test areas. Three main characteristics of forest quality were determined as a result of these works: defoliation,...

AgRISTARS: Agriculture and resources inventory surveys through aerospace remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The rationale, objectives, participants, and approach of the AgRISTARS program are described. Progress is reported in activities related to early warning and crop condition assessment; inventory technology development (formerly foreign commodity production forecasting); yield model development; supporting research; soil moisture; renewable resources inventory; domestic crops and land cover; and conservation and pollution. Emphasis is on technological highlights.

Non-Point Source Pollutant Load Variation in Rapid Urbanization Areas by Remote Sensing, Gis and the L-THIA Model: A Case in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China.

PubMed

Li, Tianhong; Bai, Fengjiao; Han, Peng; Zhang, Yuanyan

2016-11-01

Urban sprawl is a major driving force that alters local and regional hydrology and increases non-point source pollution. Using the Bao'an District in Shenzhen, China, a typical rapid urbanization area, as the study area and land-use change maps from 1988 to 2014 that were obtained by remote sensing, the contributions of different land-use types to NPS pollutant production were assessed with a localized long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model. The results show that the non-point source pollution load changed significantly both in terms of magnitude and spatial distribution. The loads of chemical oxygen demand, total suspended substances, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were affected by the interactions between event mean concentration and the magnitude of changes in land-use acreages and the spatial distribution. From 1988 to 2014, the loads of chemical oxygen demand, suspended substances and total phosphorus showed clearly increasing trends with rates of 132.48 %, 32.52 % and 38.76 %, respectively, while the load of total nitrogen decreased by 71.52 %. The immigrant population ratio was selected as an indicator to represent the level of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the study area, and a comparison analysis of the indicator with the four non-point source loads demonstrated that the chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads are linearly related to the immigrant population ratio. The results provide useful information for environmental improvement and city management in the study area.

Trade cumulus clouds embedded in a deep regional haze: Results from Indian Ocean CARDEX experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, E. M.; Thomas, R. M.; Praveen, P. S.; Pistone, K.; Bender, F.; Feng, Y.; Ramanathan, V.

2013-12-01

During the winter monsoon, trade cumulus clouds over the North Indian Ocean are embedded within a deep regional haze described as an atmospheric brown cloud. While the trade-cu clouds are largely confined to the marine boundary layer, the sooty brown cloud extends from the boundary layer to as high as 3 km; well above the tops of the cumulus. The boundary layer pollution is persistent and limits drizzle in the cumulus over a period of greater than a month at the Maldives Climate Observatory located at Hanimaadhoo Island. The elevated haze from 1 to 3 km altitude is episodic and strongly modulated by synoptic variability in the 700 hPa flow. The elevated plume enhances heating above the marine boundary layer through daytime absorption of sunlight by the haze particles. The interplay between the microphysical modification of clouds by boundary layer pollution and the episodic elevated heating by the atmospheric brown cloud are explored in in-situ observations from UAVs and surface remote sensing during the CARDEX field campaign of winter 2012 and supported by multi-year analysis of satellite remote sensing observations. These observations document the variability in pollution at the surface and above the marine boundary layer and the effects of pollution on the microphysics of the trade-cu clouds, the depth of the marine boundary layer, the liquid water path of trade-cu clouds, and the profile of turbulent moisture flux through the boundary layer. The consequences of these effects for the radiative forcing of regional climate will be discussed.

Non-Point Source Pollutant Load Variation in Rapid Urbanization Areas by Remote Sensing, Gis and the L-THIA Model: A Case in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianhong; Bai, Fengjiao; Han, Peng; Zhang, Yuanyan

2016-11-01

Urban sprawl is a major driving force that alters local and regional hydrology and increases non-point source pollution. Using the Bao'an District in Shenzhen, China, a typical rapid urbanization area, as the study area and land-use change maps from 1988 to 2014 that were obtained by remote sensing, the contributions of different land-use types to NPS pollutant production were assessed with a localized long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model. The results show that the non-point source pollution load changed significantly both in terms of magnitude and spatial distribution. The loads of chemical oxygen demand, total suspended substances, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were affected by the interactions between event mean concentration and the magnitude of changes in land-use acreages and the spatial distribution. From 1988 to 2014, the loads of chemical oxygen demand, suspended substances and total phosphorus showed clearly increasing trends with rates of 132.48 %, 32.52 % and 38.76 %, respectively, while the load of total nitrogen decreased by 71.52 %. The immigrant population ratio was selected as an indicator to represent the level of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the study area, and a comparison analysis of the indicator with the four non-point source loads demonstrated that the chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads are linearly related to the immigrant population ratio. The results provide useful information for environmental improvement and city management in the study area.

[Detection of oil spills on water by differential polarization FTIR spectrometry].

PubMed

Yuan, Yue-ming; Xiong, Wei; Fang, Yong-hua; Lan, Tian-ge; Li, Da-cheng

2010-08-01

Detection of oil spills on water, by traditional thermal remote sensing, is based on the radiance contrast between the large area of clean water and the polluted area of water. And the categories of oil spills can not be identified by analysing the thermal infrared image. In order to find out the extent of pollution and identify the oil contaminants, an approach to the passive detection of oil spills on water by differential polarization FTIR spectrometry is proposed. This approach can detect the contaminants by obtaining and analysing the subtracted spectrum of horizontal and vertical polarization intensity spectrum. In the present article, the radiance model of differential polarization FTIR spectrometry is analysed, and an experiment about detection of No. O diesel and SF96 film on water by this method is presented. The results of this experiment indicate that this method can detect the oil contaminants on water without radiance contrast with clean water, and it also can identify oil spills by analysing the spectral characteristic of differential polarization FTIR spectrum. So it well makes up for the shortage of traditional thermal remote sensing on detecting oil spills on water.

Lidar Remote Sensing for Industry and Environment Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Upendra N. (Editor); Itabe, Toshikazu (Editor); Sugimoto, Nobuo (Editor)

2000-01-01

Contents include the following: 1. Keynote paper: Overview of lidar technology for industrial and environmental monitoring in Japan. 2. lidar technology I: NASA's future active remote sensing mission for earth science. Geometrical detector consideration s in laser sensing application (invited paper). 3. Lidar technology II: High-power femtosecond light strings as novel atmospheric probes (invited paper). Design of a compact high-sensitivity aerosol profiling lidar. 4. Lasers for lidars: High-energy 2 microns laser for multiple lidar applications. New submount requirement of conductively cooled laser diodes for lidar applications. 5. Tropospheric aerosols and clouds I: Lidar monitoring of clouds and aerosols at the facility for atmospheric remote sensing (invited paper). Measurement of asian dust by using multiwavelength lidar. Global monitoring of clouds and aerosols using a network of micropulse lidar systems. 6. Troposphere aerosols and clouds II: Scanning lidar measurements of marine aerosol fields at a coastal site in Hawaii. 7. Tropospheric aerosols and clouds III: Formation of ice cloud from asian dust particles in the upper troposphere. Atmospheric boundary layer observation by ground-based lidar at KMITL, Thailand (13 deg N, 100 deg. E). 8. Boundary layer, urban pollution: Studies of the spatial correlation between urban aerosols and local traffic congestion using a slant angle scanning on the research vessel Mirai. 9. Middle atmosphere: Lidar-observed arctic PSC's over Svalbard (invited paper). Sodium temperature lidar measurements of the mesopause region over Syowa Station. 10. Differential absorption lidar (dIAL) and DOAS: Airborne UV DIAL measurements of ozone and aerosols (invited paper). Measurement of water vapor, surface ozone, and ethylene using differential absorption lidar. 12. Space lidar I: Lightweight lidar telescopes for space applications (invited paper). Coherent lidar development for Doppler wind measurement from the International Space Station. 13. Space lidar II: Using coherent Doppler lidar to estimate river discharge. 14. Poster session: Lidar technology, optics for lidar. Laser for lidar. Middle atmosphere observations. Tropospheric observations (aerosols, clouds). Boundary layer, urban pollution. Differential absorption lidar. Doppler lidar. and Space lidar.

Applications of aerospace technology in the public interest: Pollution measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heins, C. F.; Johnson, F. D.

1974-01-01

This study of selected NASA contributions to the improvement of pollution measurement examines the pervasiveness and complexity of the economic, political, and social issues in the environmental field; provides a perspective on the relationship between the conduct of aerospace R and D and specific improvements in on site air pollution monitoring equipment now in use; describes the basic relationship between the development of satellite-based monitoring systems and their influence on long-term progress in improving environmental quality; and comments on how both instrumentation and satellite remote sensing are contributing to an improved environment. Examples of specific gains that have been made in applying aerospace R and D to environmental problem-solving are included.

Assessing the Interdisciplinary Use of Socioeconomic and Remote Sensing Data in the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; Downs, R. R.; Schumacher, J.

2013-12-01

Remotely sensed data are widely used in Earth science research and applications not just to improve understanding of natural systems but also to elucidate interactions between natural and human systems and to model and predict human impacts on the environment, whether planned or unplanned. It is therefore often necessary for both remote sensing and socioeconomic data to be used together in both Earth science and social science research, for example in modeling past, present, and future land cover change, in assessing societal vulnerability to geophysical and climatological hazards, in measuring the human health impacts of air and water pollution, or in developing improved approaches to managing water, ecological, and other resources. The NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) was established as part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) to facilitate access to and use of socioeconomic data in conjunction with remote sensing data in both research and applications. SEDAC provides access both to socioeconomic data that have been transformed into forms more readily usable by Earth scientists and other users, and to integrated datasets that incorporate both socioeconomic and remote sensing data. SEDAC data have been cited in at least 2,000 scientific papers covering a wide range of scientific disciplines and problem areas. In many cases, SEDAC data are cited in these papers along with other remote sensing datasets available from NASA or other sources. However, such citations do not necessarily indicate significant, integrated use of SEDAC and remote sensing data. To assess the level and type of integrated data use, we analyze a selection of recent SEDAC data citations in Earth science journals to characterize the ways in which SEDAC data have been used in the underlying research project and the paper itself. Papers were selected based on the presence of a SEDAC data citation and one or more keywords related to a remote sensing instrument or dataset. We assess if and how the SEDAC and remote sensing data are used together, e.g., in an empirical analysis, model, and/or visualization. We also ascertain the multidisciplinary backgrounds of the author or authors, as well as the Web of Science category and impact factor associated with the journal, to help characterize the user community and the overall scientific impact of the data use. Another issue is whether or not authors are formally citing SEDAC data and remote sensing in reference sections as opposed to referring to data informally, e.g., in figure captions. A key challenge in promoting the cross-disciplinary use of scientific data is the identification of ways in which scientists and other users not only access data from other disciplines but also use these data in their research. Objective assessment of scientific outputs such as the peer-reviewed scientific literature provides important insight into how individual scientists and scientific teams are taking advantage of the ongoing explosion in the variety and quantity of digital data from multiple disciplines to address pressing research problems and applications.

Geoinformation modeling system for analysis of atmosphere pollution impact on vegetable biosystems using space images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polichtchouk, Yuri; Ryukhko, Viatcheslav; Tokareva, Olga; Alexeeva, Mary

2002-02-01

Geoinformation modeling system structure for assessment of the environmental impact of atmospheric pollution on forest- swamp ecosystems of West Siberia is considered. Complex approach to the assessment of man-caused impact based on the combination of sanitary-hygienic and landscape-geochemical approaches is reported. Methodical problems of analysis of atmosphere pollution impact on vegetable biosystems using geoinformation systems and remote sensing data are developed. Landscape structure of oil production territories in southern part of West Siberia are determined on base of processing of space images from spaceborn Resource-O. Particularities of atmosphere pollution zones modeling caused by gas burning in torches in territories of oil fields are considered. For instance, a pollution zones were revealed modeling of contaminants dispersal in atmosphere by standard model. Polluted landscapes areas are calculated depending on oil production volume. It is shown calculated data is well approximated by polynomial models.

Using remote sensing imagery to monitoring sea surface pollution cause by abandoned gold-copper mine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kao, H. M.; Ren, H.; Lee, Y. T.

2010-08-01

The Chinkuashih Benshen mine was the largest gold-copper mine in Taiwan before the owner had abandoned the mine in 1987. However, even the mine had been closed, the mineral still interacts with rain and underground water and flowed into the sea. The polluted sea surface had appeared yellow, green and even white color, and the pollutants had carried by the coast current. In this study, we used the optical satellite images to monitoring the sea surface. Several image processing algorithms are employed especial the subpixel technique and linear mixture model to estimate the concentration of pollutants. The change detection approach is also applied to track them. We also conduct the chemical analysis of the polluted water to provide the ground truth validation. By the correlation analysis between the satellite observation and the ground truth chemical analysis, an effective approach to monitoring water pollution could be established.

Vegetation fires and air pollution in Vietnam.

PubMed

Le, Thanh Ha; Thanh Nguyen, Thi Nhat; Lasko, Kristofer; Ilavajhala, Shriram; Vadrevu, Krishna Prasad; Justice, Chris

2014-12-01

Forest fires are a significant source of air pollution in Asia. In this study, we integrate satellite remote sensing data and ground-based measurements to infer fire-air pollution relationships in selected regions of Vietnam. We first characterized the active fires and burnt areas at a regional scale from MODIS satellite data. We then used satellite-derived active fire data to correlate the resulting atmospheric pollution. Further, we analyzed the relationship between satellite atmospheric variables and ground-based air pollutant parameters. Our results show peak fire activity during March in Vietnam, with hotspots in the Northwest and Central Highlands. Active fires were significantly correlated with UV Aerosol Index (UVAI), aerosol extinction absorption optical depth (AAOD), and Carbon Monoxide. The use of satellite aerosol optical thickness improved the prediction of Particulate Matter (PM) concentration significantly. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AgRISTARS - Plans and first-year achievements. [Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, F. G.; Hogg, R. C.; Caudill, C. E.

1981-01-01

The results of the agriculture and resources inventory surveys through aerospace remote sensing (AgRISTARS) program managed by the USDA for exploring the use of satellite data for domestic and global commodity information needs are discussed. The program was intended to gather early warning of changes affecting production and quality of commodities and renewable resources, for predicting commodity production, land use classification and quantification, for inventories and assessments of renewable resources, land productivity measurements, assessment of conservation practices, and for pollution detection and impact evaluation. Up to 20 crop/region combinations in 7 countries were covered by the experiments, which comprised NOAA 6 and Landsat data analyses. Attempts to reduce variances through improved machine classification techniques are reported, together with soil moisture profiling, and the use of airborne sensors for providing comparative data.

Remote Sensing of Spatial Distributions of Greenhouse Gases in the Los Angles Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, Dejian; Pongetti, Thomas J.; Sander, Stanley P.; Cheung, Ross; Stutz, Jochen; Park, Chang Hyoun; Li, Qinbin

2011-01-01

The Los Angeles air basin is a significant anthropogenic source of greenhouse gases and pollutants including CO2, CH4, N2O, and CO, contributing significantly to regional and global climate change. Recent legislation in California, the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32), established a statewide cap for greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 based on 1990 emissions. Verifying the effectiveness of regional greenhouse gas emissions controls requires high-precision, regional-scale measurement methods combined with models that capture the principal anthropogenic and biogenic sources and sinks. We present a novel approach for monitoring the spatial distributions of greenhouse gases in the Los Angeles basin using high resolution remote sensing spectroscopy. We participated in the CalNex 2010 campaign to provide greenhouse gas distributions for comparison between top-down and bottom-up emission estimates.

Remote Sensing of Spatial Distributions of Greenhouse Gases in the Los Angeles Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, Dejian; Sander, Stanley P.; Pongetti, Thomas J.; Cheung, Ross; Stutz, Jochen

2010-01-01

The Los Angeles air basin is a significant anthropogenic source of greenhouse gasses and pollutants including CO2, CH4, N2O, and CO, contributing significantly to regional and global climate change. Recent legislation in California, the California Global Warning Solutions Act (AB32), established a statewide cap for greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 based on 1990 emissions. Verifying the effectiveness of regional greenhouse gas emissions controls requires high-precision, regional-scale measurement methods combined with models that capture the principal anthropogenic and biogenic sources and sinks. We present a novel approach for monitoring the spatial distribution of greenhouse gases in the Los Angeles basin using high resolution remote sensing spectroscopy. We participated in the CalNex 2010 campaign to provide greenhouse gas distributions for comparison between top-down and bottom-up emission estimates.

Spatiotemporal evolution of the remotely sensed global continental PM2.5 concentration from 2000-2014 based on Bayesian statistics.

PubMed

Li, Junming; Wang, Nannan; Wang, Jinfeng; Li, Honglin

2018-07-01

PM 2.5 pollution is threatening human health and quality of life, especially in some densely populated regions of Asia and Africa. This paper used remotely sensed annual mean PM 2.5 concentrations to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of global continental PM 2.5 pollution from 2000 to 2014. The work employed an improved Bayesian space-time hierarchy model combined with a multiscale homogeneous subdivision method. The statistical results quantitatively demonstrated a 'high-value increasing and low-value decreasing' trend. Areas with annual PM 2.5 concentrations of more than 70μg/m 3 and less than 10μg/m 3 expanded, while areas with of an annual PM 2.5 concentrations of 10-25μg/m 3 shrank. The most heavily PM 2.5 -polluted areas were located in northwest Africa, where the PM 2.5 pollution level was 12.0 times higher than the average global continental level; parts of China represented the second most PM 2.5 -polluted areas, followed by northern India and Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the Middle East region. Nearly all (96.50%) of the highly PM 2.5 -polluted area (hot spots) had an increasing local trend, while 68.98% of the lightly PM 2.5 -polluted areas (cold spots) had a decreasing local trend. In contrast, 22.82% of the cold spot areas exhibited an increasing local trend. Moreover, the spatiotemporal variation in the health risk from exposure to PM 2.5 over the global continents was also investigated. Four areas, India, eastern and southern China, western Africa and central Europe, had high health risks from PM 2.5 exposure. Northern India, northeastern Pakistan, and mid-eastern China had not only the highest risk but also a significant increasing trend; the areas of high PM 2.5 pollution risk are thus expanding, and the number of affected people is increasing. Northern and central Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, western Russia and central Europe also exhibited increasing PM 2.5 pollution health risks. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of spectral signatures of substances in natural waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klemas, V.; Philpot, W. D.; Davis, G.

1978-01-01

Optical remote sensing of water pollution offers the possibility of fast, large scale coverage at a relatively low cost. The possibility of using the spectral characteristics of the upwelling light from water for the purpose of ocean water quality monitoring was explained. The work was broken into several broad tasks as follows: (1) definition of a remotely measured spectral signature of water, (2) collection of field data and testing of the signature analysis, and (3) the possibility of using LANDSAT data for the identification of substances in water. An attempt to extract spectral signatures of acid waste and sediment was successful.

Earth view: A business guide to orbital remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Peter C.

1990-01-01

The following subject areas are covered: Earth view - a guide to orbital remote sensing; current orbital remote sensing systems (LANDSAT, SPOT image, MOS-1, Soviet remote sensing systems); remote sensing satellite; and remote sensing organizations.

Application possibilities of aerial and terrain data evaluation in particulate pollution effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozma-Bognar, V.; Berke, J.; Martin, G.

2012-04-01

Recently, remote sensing has become a widely used technology in order to acquire information about our environment. Data collected using remote sensing technology indispensible criteria to recognise and monitor environmental problems caused by contamination from various human activities. According to great technological change and development in the previous decade high spectral and geometric resolution sensors are more often used. The higher resolution technology allows getting more accurate and reliable results in the research processes of the environmental pollution impacts. At University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty (Hungary) plant-soil-atmosphere system analyses are carried out for detecting the potential harmful effects of heavy metal pollution originated from vehicle industry. Related to this research at the Department of Meteorology and Water Management, black carbon and cadmium pollution effects are being analysed on maize crops. Testing area is situated at Agro-meteorological Research Station in Keszthely, where the first time in 2011 aerial imaging technology was used in parallel with field analyses. The experiment aims to analyses correlation of the field data with aerial data. During aerial photography were taken in different spectral bands (Visible, Near Infrared, Far Infrared). High intensity, spectral and spatial resolution data was an important part of the multitemporal imagine sensing and evaluating technology, therefore original technical solutions were applied. These resolutions served accurate plot-level evaluation. Fractal structure and intensity measurement evaluation methods were applied to examine black carbon and cadmium polluted and control maize canopy after data pre-processing. Research also focused on the examination of potential negative or positive effects of irrigation so that differences between irrigated and non-irrigated maize was investigated. For the period of growing season of 2011 time-series analyses were carried out in various phonological phases of maize. Finally, valued aerial and terrain parameters - including e.g. micro-climatic conditions, relative humidity, albedo, etc. - were compared. This article was made under the project TÁMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KONV-2010-0003 and TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0025. These projects are supported by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Primary analysis of the ocean color remote sensing data of the HY-1B/COCTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xianqiang; Bai, Yan; Pan, Delu; Zhu, Qiankun; Gong, Fang

2009-01-01

China had successfully launched her second ocean color satellite HY-1B on 11 Apr., 2007, which was the successor of the HY-1A satellite launched on 15 May, 2002. There were two sensors onboard HY-1B, named the Chinese Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (COCTS) and the Coastal Zone Imager (CZI) respectively, and COCTS was the main sensor. COCTS had not only eight visible and near-infrared wave bands similar to the SeaWiFS, but also two more thermal infrared wave bands to measure the sea surface temperature. Therefore, COCTS had broad application potentiality, such as fishery resource protection and development, coastal monitoring and management and marine pollution monitoring. In this paper, the main characteristics of COCTS were described firstly. Then, using the crosscalibration method, the vicarious calibration of COCTS was carried out by the synchronous remote sensing data of SeaWiFS, and the results showed that COCTS had well linear responses for the visible light bands with the correlation coefficients more than 0.98, however, the performances of the near infrared wavelength bands were not good as visible light bands. Using the vicarious calibration result, the operational atmospheric correction (AC) algorithm of COCTS was developed based on the exact Rayleigh scattering look-up table (LUT), aerosol scattering LUT and atmosphere diffuse transmission LUT generated by the coupled ocean-atmospheric vector radiative transfer numerical model named PCOART. The AC algorithm had been validated by the simulated radiance data at the top-of-atmosphere, and the results showed the errors of the water-leaving reflectance retrieved by the AC algorithm were less than 0.0005, which met the requirement of the exactly atmospheric correction of ocean color remote sensing. Finally, the AC algorithm was applied to the HY-1B/COCTS remote sensing data, and the corresponding ocean color remote sensing products have been generated.

Pb isotopes as an indicator of the Asian contribution to particulate air pollution in urban California.

PubMed

Ewing, Stephanie A; Christensen, John N; Brown, Shaun T; Vancuren, Richard A; Cliff, Steven S; Depaolo, Donald J

2010-12-01

During the last two decades, expanding industrial activity in east Asia has led to increased production of airborne pollutants that can be transported to North America. Previous efforts to detect this trans-Pacific pollution have relied upon remote sensing and remote sample locations. We tested whether Pb isotope ratios in airborne particles can be used to directly evaluate the Asian contribution to airborne particles of anthropogenic origin in western North America, using a time series of samples from a pair of sites upwind and downwind of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our results for airborne Pb at these sites indicate a median value of 29% Asian origin, based on mixing relations between distinct regional sample groups. This trans-Pacific Pb is present in small quantities but serves as a tracer for airborne particles within the growing Asian industrial plume. We then applied this analysis to archived samples from urban sites in central California. Taken together, our results suggest that the analysis of Pb isotopes can reveal the distribution of airborne particles affected by Asian industrial pollution at urban sites in northern California. Under suitable circumstances, this analysis can improve understanding of the global transport of pollution, independent of transport models.

Pb Isotopes as an Indicator of the Asian Contribution to Particulate Air Pollution in Urban California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ewing, Stephanie A.; Christensen, John N.; Brown, Shaun T.

2010-10-25

During the last two decades, expanding industrial activity in east Asia has led to increased production of airborne pollutants that can be transported to North America. Previous efforts to detect this trans-Pacific pollution have relied upon remote sensing and remote sample locations. We tested whether Pb isotope ratios in airborne particles can be used to directly evaluate the Asian contribution to airborne particles of anthropogenic origin in western North America, using a time series of samples from a pair of sites upwind and downwind of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our results for airborne Pb at these sites indicate amore » median value of 29 Asian origin, based on mixing relations between distinct regional sample groups. This trans-Pacific Pb is present in small quantities but serves as a tracer for airborne particles within the growing Asian industrial plume. We then applied this analysis to archived samples from urban sites in central California. Taken together, our results suggest that the analysis of Pb isotopes can reveal the distribution of airborne particles affected by Asian industrial pollution at urban sites in northern California. Under suitable circumstances, this analysis can improve understanding of the global transport of pollution, independent of transport models.« less

Remote Sensing of Suspended Sediment Dynamics in the Mississippi Sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merritt, D. N.; Skarke, A. D.; Silwal, S.; Dash, P.

2016-02-01

The Mississippi Sound is a semi-enclosed estuary between the coast of Mississippi and a chain of offshore barrier islands with relatively shallow water depths and high marine biodiversity that is wildly utilized for commercial fishing and public recreation. The discharge of sediment-laden rivers into the Mississippi Sound and the adjacent Northern Gulf of Mexico creates turbid plumes that can extend hundreds of square kilometers along the coast and persist for multiple days. The concentration of suspended sediment in these coastal waters is an important parameter in the calculation of regional sediment budgets as well as analysis of water-quality factors such as primary productivity, nutrient dynamics, and the transport of pollutants as well as pathogens. The spectral resolution, sampling frequency, and regional scale spatial domain associated with satellite based sensors makes remote sensing an ideal tool to monitor suspended sediment dynamics in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Accordingly, the presented research evaluates the validity of published models that relate remote sensing reflectance with suspended sediment concentrations (SSC), for similar environmental settings, with 51 in situ observations of SSC from the Mississippi Sound. Additionally, regression analysis is used to correlate additional in situ observations of SSC in Mississippi Sound with coincident observations of visible and near-infrared band reflectance collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Aqua satellite, in order to develop a site-specific empirical predictive model for SSC. Finally, specific parameters of the sampled suspended sediment such as grain size and mineralogy are analyzed in order to quantify their respective contributions to total remotely sensed reflectance.

Remote sensing of estuarine fronts and their effects on pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klemas, V. (Principal Investigator); Polis, D. F.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Imagery from LANDSAT 1 and 2 proved valuable in determining the location, type, and extent of estuarine fronts under different tidal conditions. Neither ships nor aircraft alone could provide as complete, synoptic, and repetitive an overview as did the satellites. Since estuarine fronts influence the movement of oil slicks and dispersion of other pollutants, cleanup operations depending on real time use of oil slick movement prediction models will benefit not only from aircraft tracking the actual slicks but also from real time satellite observations of surface currents and the location of frontal systems.

Technology study of quantum remote sensing imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Siwen; Lin, Xuling; Yang, Song; Wu, Zhiqiang

2016-02-01

According to remote sensing science and technology development and application requirements, quantum remote sensing is proposed. First on the background of quantum remote sensing, quantum remote sensing theory, information mechanism, imaging experiments and prototype principle prototype research situation, related research at home and abroad are briefly introduced. Then we expounds compress operator of the quantum remote sensing radiation field and the basic principles of single-mode compression operator, quantum quantum light field of remote sensing image compression experiment preparation and optical imaging, the quantum remote sensing imaging principle prototype, Quantum remote sensing spaceborne active imaging technology is brought forward, mainly including quantum remote sensing spaceborne active imaging system composition and working principle, preparation and injection compression light active imaging device and quantum noise amplification device. Finally, the summary of quantum remote sensing research in the past 15 years work and future development are introduced.

Application of remote sensing data to monitoring of oil pollution as part of the environmental expert system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shagarova, Lyudmila; Muratova, Mira; Abuova, Sholpan

2016-07-01

The impact of oil-producing facilities on the environment is caused by toxicity of hydrocarbons and by-products, a variety of chemicals used in industrial processes, as well as specificity of production, treatment, transportation and storage of oil and oil products. To predict the state of the geological environment, scientists carry out investigations, which help to choose the optimal strategy for creation of the expert system taking into account simulations and to provide efficient use of available environmentally relevant information related to the current state of the geological environment. The expert system is a complex of interconnected blocks, one of which is the information on the presence of oil pollution, which can be identified using satellite imagery. The satellite imagery has practical application in monitoring of oil pollution, as it allows specialists to identify oil spills remotely and to determine their characteristics based on the differentiation of the surface reflectance spectra. Snapshots are used to estimate the area of oil-contamination and location of spills. To detect contaminants it is necessary to perform the following steps in processing of the remote sensing data: - Identify and isolate all the dark deformations in the satellite images, as a result of processing of segmentation and threshold processing; - Calculate statistical parameters of dark deformations, i.e., signs similar to areas prone to contamination. These signs are related to the geometry of formation, their physical changes (backscattering value) and the image context; - Classify the selected spectral anomalies as oil pollution and oil sludge. On the basis of classification of satellite imagery, the objects of oil pollution are detected and deciphering signs are analyzed in order to refer classified objects to implicit or explicit contaminations. To detect oil pollution, pixels are classified into categories with learning on the given areas with creation of the corresponding signature for each of them, i.e. the area with a given class, which is used to determine centers of classes in further supervised classification. The classification process compares the luminance of pixels with the training sample, as a result, each pixel is referred to the most appropriate class of objects. The development of an expert system using digital space information will extend the circle of problems solved in the environmental protection, creation of complex schemes of intensive development of hydrocarbon production regions in view of environmental risks.

Red River chloride remote sensing study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Side looking radar, infrared thermal imagery and color photography, together with a few examples of black and white panoramic photos, are used to supplement information on the natural saline pollution problem that is hydrologically and geologically oriented. The study area was explored concurrently by ground methods and a reasonably good understanding of hydrogeological conditions has been achieved. Examples of the products acquired, their interpretation, and use techniques are included.

Comparison of remote sensing and fixed-site monitoring approaches for examining air pollution and health in a national study population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prud'homme, Genevieve; Dobbin, Nina A.; Sun, Liu; Burnett, Richard T.; Martin, Randall V.; Davidson, Andrew; Cakmak, Sabit; Villeneuve, Paul J.; Lamsal, Lok N.; van Donkelaar, Aaron; Peters, Paul A.; Johnson, Markey

2013-12-01

Satellite remote sensing (RS) has emerged as a cutting edge approach for estimating ground level ambient air pollution. Previous studies have reported a high correlation between ground level PM2.5 and NO2 estimated by RS and measurements collected at regulatory monitoring sites. The current study examined associations between air pollution and adverse respiratory and allergic health outcomes using multi-year averages of NO2 and PM2.5 from RS and from regulatory monitoring. RS estimates were derived using satellite measurements from OMI, MODIS, and MISR instruments. Regulatory monitoring data were obtained from Canada's National Air Pollution Surveillance Network. Self-reported prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma, current asthma, allergies, and chronic bronchitis were obtained from the Canadian Community Health Survey (a national sample of individuals 12 years of age and older). Multi-year ambient pollutant averages were assigned to each study participant based on their six digit postal code at the time of health survey, and were used as a marker for long-term exposure to air pollution. RS derived estimates of NO2 and PM2.5 were associated with 6-10% increases in respiratory and allergic health outcomes per interquartile range (3.97 μg m-3 for PM2.5 and 1.03 ppb for NO2) among adults (aged 20-64) in the national study population. Risk estimates for air pollution and respiratory/allergic health outcomes based on RS were similar to risk estimates based on regulatory monitoring for areas where regulatory monitoring data were available (within 40 km of a regulatory monitoring station). RS derived estimates of air pollution were also associated with adverse health outcomes among participants residing outside the catchment area of the regulatory monitoring network (p < 0.05). The consistency between risk estimates based on RS and regulatory monitoring as well as the associations between air pollution and health among participants living outside the catchment area for regulatory monitoring suggest that RS can provide useful estimates of long-term ambient air pollution in epidemiologic studies. This is particularly important in rural communities and other areas where monitoring and modeled air pollution data are limited or unavailable.

[Observation study on aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing using the ground-based and satellite remote sensing at background station during the regional pollution episodes].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Ling; Xia, Xiang-Ao; Che, Hui-Zheng; Tang, Jie; Tang, Yi-Xi; Meng, Wei; Dong, Fan

2014-07-01

The significant effect of anthropogenic pollutants transportation on the physical and optical properties of regional background atmospheric aerosol was studied by using ground-based and satellite remote sensing data obtained at the atmospheric background station (Shangdianzi, Beijing) of North China during October 1 to 15 in 2011. The aerosol mass concentration and reactive gases concentration increased obviously during periods of October 4-5, October 7-9, and October 11-12. Comparing with the background period of October 1-3, volume concentration increased by a factor of 3-6 for reactive gases such as NO(x), and CO, and a factor of 10-20 for SO2. Mass concentration of PM2.5 was about 200 microg x m(-3) on October 9. During haze period, the AOD at 500 nm varied between 0.60 to 1.00. The single scattering albedo (SSA) was lower than 0.88. And the black carbon concentration increased 4-8 times, which suggested the aerosol absorption was very strong during this pollution episode. The absorption of aerosol particles could cause 100-400 W x m(-2) increase of atmospheric radiation. The surface radiation decreased by about 100-300 W x m(-2) due to the aerosol scattering and absorption. This could cause higher stability of atmosphere, which will significantly affect the cloud and precipitation, and thus the regional weather and climate.

A high throughput geocomputing system for remote sensing quantitative retrieval and a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Yong; Chen, Ziqiang; Xu, Hui; Ai, Jianwen; Jiang, Shuzheng; Li, Yingjie; Wang, Ying; Guang, Jie; Mei, Linlu; Jiao, Xijuan; He, Xingwei; Hou, Tingting

2011-12-01

The quality and accuracy of remote sensing instruments have been improved significantly, however, rapid processing of large-scale remote sensing data becomes the bottleneck for remote sensing quantitative retrieval applications. The remote sensing quantitative retrieval is a data-intensive computation application, which is one of the research issues of high throughput computation. The remote sensing quantitative retrieval Grid workflow is a high-level core component of remote sensing Grid, which is used to support the modeling, reconstruction and implementation of large-scale complex applications of remote sensing science. In this paper, we intend to study middleware components of the remote sensing Grid - the dynamic Grid workflow based on the remote sensing quantitative retrieval application on Grid platform. We designed a novel architecture for the remote sensing Grid workflow. According to this architecture, we constructed the Remote Sensing Information Service Grid Node (RSSN) with Condor. We developed a graphic user interface (GUI) tools to compose remote sensing processing Grid workflows, and took the aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval as an example. The case study showed that significant improvement in the system performance could be achieved with this implementation. The results also give a perspective on the potential of applying Grid workflow practices to remote sensing quantitative retrieval problems using commodity class PCs.

Severe Storms Branch research report (April 1984 April 1985)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dubach, L. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Research Program is a program of integrated studies which are to achieve an improved understanding of the basic behavior of the atmosphere through the use of remotely sensed data and space technology. The program consist of four elements: (1) special observations and analysis of mesoscale systems; (20 the development of quanitative algorithms to use remotely sensed observations; (3) the development of new observing systems; and (4) numerical modeling. The Severe Storms Branch objectives are the improvement of the understanding, diagnosis, and prediction of a wide range of atmospheric storms, which includes severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flash floods, tropical cyclones, and winter snowstorms. The research often shed light upon various aspects of local weather, such as fog, sea breezes, air pollution, showers, and other products of nonsevere cumulus cloud clusters. The part of the program devoted to boundary layer processes, gust front interactions, and soil moisture detection from satellites gives insights into storm growth and behavior.

Remote Sensing from Geostationary Orbit: GEO TROPSAT, A New Concept for Atmospheric Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Little, Alan D.; Neil, Doreen O.; Sachse, Glen W.; Fishman, Jack; Krueger, Arlin J.

1997-01-01

The Geostationary Tropospheric Pollution Satellite (GEO TROPSAT) mission is a new approach to measuring the critical constituents of tropospheric ozone chemistry: ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and aerosols. The GEO TROPSAT mission comprises a constellation of three instruments flying as secondary payloads on geostationary communications satellites around the world. This proposed approach can significantly reduce the cost of getting a science payload to geostationary orbit and also generates revenue for the satellite owners. The geostationary vantage point enables simultaneous high temporal and spatial resolution measurement of tropospheric trace gases, leading to greatly improved atmospheric ozone chemistry knowledge. The science data processing, conducted as a research (not operational) activity, will provide atmospheric trace gas data many times per day over the same region at better than 25 km ground footprint. The high temporal resolution identifies short time scale processes, diurnal variations, seasonal trends, and interannual variation.

Ten years research activities in Earth observation at the Cyprus University of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Themistocleous, Kyriacos; Agapiou, Athos; Mamouri, Rodanthi; Nisantzi, Argyro; Papoutsa, Christiana; Tzouvaras, Marios; Neoclous, Kyriacos; Mettas, Christodoulos; Michaelides, Silas

2017-09-01

This paper presents the achievements for the last 10 years of the Remote Sensing and Geo-Environment Laboratory of the Cyprus University of Technology in the Earth observation through the ERATOSTHENES Research Centre. Over the past 10 years, the Centre has secured competitive research funding from various sources, such as the European Commission, the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation, as well as industrial partners, having participated either as a coordinator or as a partner in more than 60 research projects. The research activities of the Centre encompass remote sensing and GIS applications in the fields of Cultural Heritage, Agriculture, Water Resource Management, Environment, Infrastructure, Marine Spatial Planning, Atmospheric, Air Pollution and Coastal Applications, Natural Resource Management and Hazard Assessment. The aim of this paper is to map the existing activities and identify the future trends and goals of the Eratosthenes Research Centre for the next 15 years.

Multispectral Photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Model II Multispectral Camera is an advanced aerial camera that provides optimum enhancement of a scene by recording spectral signatures of ground objects only in narrow, preselected bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its photos have applications in such areas as agriculture, forestry, water pollution investigations, soil analysis, geologic exploration, water depth studies and camouflage detection. The target scene is simultaneously photographed in four separate spectral bands. Using a multispectral viewer, such as their Model 75 Spectral Data creates a color image from the black and white positives taken by the camera. With this optical image analysis unit, all four bands are superimposed in accurate registration and illuminated with combinations of blue green, red, and white light. Best color combination for displaying the target object is selected and printed. Spectral Data Corporation produces several types of remote sensing equipment and also provides aerial survey, image processing and analysis and number of other remote sensing services.

Quantitative analysis of aircraft multispectral-scanner data and mapping of water-quality parameters in the James River in Virginia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.; Bahn, G. S.

1977-01-01

Statistical analysis techniques were applied to develop quantitative relationships between in situ river measurements and the remotely sensed data that were obtained over the James River in Virginia on 28 May 1974. The remotely sensed data were collected with a multispectral scanner and with photographs taken from an aircraft platform. Concentration differences among water quality parameters such as suspended sediment, chlorophyll a, and nutrients indicated significant spectral variations. Calibrated equations from the multiple regression analysis were used to develop maps that indicated the quantitative distributions of water quality parameters and the dispersion characteristics of a pollutant plume entering the turbid river system. Results from further analyses that use only three preselected multispectral scanner bands of data indicated that regression coefficients and standard errors of estimate were not appreciably degraded compared with results from the 10-band analysis.

Applications of tunable high energy/pressure pulsed lasers to atmospheric transmission and remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, R. V.; Seals, R. K.

1974-01-01

Atmospheric transmission of high energy C12 O2(16) lasers were improved by pulsed high pressure operation which, due to pressure broadening of laser lines, permits tuning the laser 'off' atmospheric C12 O2(16) absorption lines. Pronounced improvement is shown for horizontal transmission at altitudes above several kilometers, and for vertical transmission through the entire atmosphere. The atmospheric transmission of tuned C12 O2(16) lasers compares favorably with C12 O2(18) isotope lasers and CO lasers. The advantages of tunable, high energy, high pressure pulsed lasers over tunable diode lasers and waveguide lasers, in combining high energies with a large tuning range, are evaluated for certain applications to remote sensing of atmospheric constituents and pollutants. Pulsed operation considerably increases the signal to noise ratio without seriously affecting the high spectral resolution of signal detection obtained with laser heterodyning.

Remote sensing and spectral analysis of plumes from ocean dumping in the New York Bight Apex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.

1980-01-01

The application of the remote sensing techniques of aerial photography and multispectral scanning in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of plumes from ocean dumping of waste materials is investigated in the New York Bight Apex. Plumes resulting from the dumping of acid waste and sewage sludge were observed by Ocean Color Scanner at an altitude of 19.7 km and by Modular Multispectral Scanner and mapping camera at an altitude of 3.0 km. Results of the qualitative analysis of multispectral and photographic data for the mapping, location, and identification of pollution features without concurrent sea truth measurements are presented which demonstrate the usefulness of in-scene calibration. Quantitative distributions of the suspended solids in sewage sludge released in spot and line dumps are also determined by a multiple regression analysis of multispectral and sea truth data.

Sediment fluxes and the littoral drift along northeast Andhra Pradesh Coast, India: estimation by remote sensing.

PubMed

Kunte, Pravin D; Alagarsamy, R; Hursthouse, A S

2013-06-01

The littoral drift regime along the northeastern coast of India was investigated by analyzing coastal drift indicators and shoreline changes based on multitemporal satellite images. The study of offshore turbidity patterns and quantitative estimation of suspended sediments was undertaken to understand the magnitude and direction of movement of sediment fluxes. The study revealed that: (1) the character of coastal landforms and sedimentation processes indicate that the sediment transport is bidirectional and monsoon dependent; (2) multidate, multitemporal analysis of satellite images helps to show the nature of sediment transport along the coast. The dominant net sediment transport is in a NE direction along the eastern coast of India. Finally, this assessment demonstrates the potential of remote sensing technology in understanding the coastal morphometric changes, long-term sediment transport, shoreline changes, and offshore turbidity distribution pattern and the implications for the transport of sediment-associated pollutants.

Shared Knowledge for Decision-making on Environment and Health Issues in the Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2003-01-01

This paper will describe a remote sensing and GIs-based system to bring indigenous traditional knowledge together with contemporary scientific knowledge to address impacts resulting from changes in climate, environment, weather and pollution in the Arctic. As scientists and policy-makers from both indigenous and non-indigenous communities continue to build closer partnerships to address common sustainability issues such as the health impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities, it becomes increasingly important to create shared information management systems which integrate all relevant factors for optimal information sharing and decision-making. This system is being designed to bring together remotely sensed, indigenous and other data and observations for analysis, measuring, and monitoring parameters of interest (e.g., snow cover, rainfall, temperature, ice conditions, vegetation, infrastructure, fires). A description of the system and its components as well as a preliminary application of the system in the Arctic will be presented.

Remote sensing techniques in monitoring areas affected by forest fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagianni, Aikaterini Ch.; Lazaridou, Maria A.

2017-09-01

Forest fire is a part of nature playing a key role in shaping ecosystems. However, fire's environmental impacts can be significant, affecting wildlife habitat and timber, human settlements, man-made technical constructions and various networks (road, power networks) and polluting the air with emissions harmful to human health. Furthermore, fire's effect on the landscape may be long-lasting. Monitoring the development of a fire occurs as an important aspect at the management of natural hazards in general. Among the used methods for monitoring, satellite data and remote sensing techniques can be proven of particular importance. Satellite remote sensing offers a useful tool for forest fire detection, monitoring, management and damage assessment. Especially for fire scars detection and monitoring, satellite data derived from Landsat 8 can be a useful research tool. This paper includes critical considerations of the above and concerns in particular an example of the Greek area (Thasos Island). This specific area was hit by fires several times in the past and recently as well (September 2016). Landsat 8 satellite data are being used (pre and post fire imagery) and digital image processing techniques are applied (enhancement techniques, calculation of various indices) for fire scars detection. Visual interpretation of the example area affected by the fires is also being done, contributing to the overall study.

Trends in exhaust emissions from in-use Mexico City vehicles, 2000-2006. A remote sensing study.

PubMed

Schifter, I; Díaz, L; Rodríguez, R; Durán, J; Chávez, O

2008-02-01

A remote sensing study was conducted in year 2006 in four locations of the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City (MAMC). Two of the sites were the same studied back by us in year 2000 and by others in year 1994. A database was compiled containing 11,289 valid measurements for the carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), and nitric oxide (NO) exhaust vehicles emissions. Valid measurements were binned for each pollutant by the vehicle specific power (between -5 and 20 kW tonne(-1)) for the 2000 and 2006 databases. The mean average CO, THC, and NO emissions for year 2006 were determined to be 1.10 +/- 0.18 vol.%, 299 +/- 88.4 ppm, and 610 +/- 115.0 ppm, respectively. Matching the vehicle driving patterns of the fleet measured in year 2000 with the emissions factors obtained in this work, allows estimating the trends in the exhaust emissions of vehicles in the MAMC. The adjusted results of the remote sensing study performed in year 2006 shows that the fleet has decrease 22% in CO and 17% in NO emissions, with small change in total hydrocarbons emissions. The improvements could be related with the introduction in year 2001 of vehicles that met tighter emissions standards, particularly for nitrogen oxides.

Remote sensing of atmospheric NO2 by employing the continuous-wave differential absorption lidar technique.

PubMed

Mei, Liang; Guan, Peng; Kong, Zheng

2017-10-02

Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique employed for remote sensing has been so far based on the sophisticated narrow-band pulsed laser sources, which require intensive maintenance during operation. In this work, a continuous-wave (CW) NO 2 DIAL system based on the Scheimpflug principle has been developed by employing a compact high-power CW multimode 450 nm laser diode as the light source. Laser emissions at the on-line and off-line wavelengths of the NO 2 absorption spectrum are implemented by tuning the injection current of the laser diode. Lidar signals are detected by a 45° tilted area CCD image sensor satisfying the Scheimpflug principle. Range-resolved NO 2 concentrations on a near-horizontal path are obtained by the NO 2 DIAL system in the range of 0.3-3 km and show good agreement with those measured by a conventional air pollution monitoring station. A detection sensitivity of ± 0.9 ppbv at 95% confidence level in the region of 0.3-1 km is achieved with 15-minute averaging and 700 m range resolution during hours of darkness, which allows accurate concentration measurement of ambient NO 2 . The low-cost and robust DIAL system demonstrated in this work opens up many possibilities for field NO 2 remote sensing applications.

Integration of Remote Sensing Technology Using Sentinel-2A Satellite images For Fertilization and Water Pollution Analysis in Estuaries Inlet of Semarang Eastern Flood Canal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subiyanto, Sawitri; Ramadhanis, Zainab; Baktiar, Aditya Hafidh

2018-02-01

One of the waters that has been contaminated by industrial waste and domestic waste is the waters in estuaries inlet of Semarang Eastern Flood Canal which is the estuary of the river system, which passes through the eastern city of Semarang which is dense with residential and industrial. So it is necessary to have information about the assessment of water quality in Estuaries Inlet of Semarang Eastern Flood Canal. Remote sensing technology can analyze the results of recording the spectral characteristics of water with water quality parameters. One of the parameters for assessing water quality is Chlorophyll-a and Total Suspended Solid, can be estimated through remote sensing technology using multispectral Sentinel-2A Satellite images. In this research there are 3 algorithms that will be used in determining the content of chlorophyll a, and for determining TSS. Image accuracy test is done to find out how far the image can give information about Chlorophyll-a and TSS in the waters. The results of the image accuracy test will be compared with the value of chlorophyll-a and TSS that have been tested through laboratory analysis. The result of this research is the distribution map of chlorophyll-a and TSS content in the waters.

Applications of Remote Sensing to Emergency Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-02-15

Contents: Foundations of Remote Sensing : Data Acquisition and Interpretation; Availability of Remote Sensing Technology for Disaster Response...Imaging Systems, Current and Near Future Satellite and Aircraft Remote Sensing Systems; Utilization of Remote Sensing in Disaster Response: Categories of...Disasters, Phases of Monitoring Activities; Recommendations for Utilization of Remote Sensing Technology in Disaster Response; Selected Reading List.

Investigating of spatial variations of PM2.5 concentration in Suzhou using remote sensing imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shanzheng; Li, Bailiang

2017-04-01

Suzhou is located at the center of Yangtze Delta, suffering the air pollution from construction of mega city, industrial emission and traffic development. Particulate matter not greater than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) is now considered as the most important pollutants in the air in East China. For Suzhou city, some studies on PM2.5 temporal variations based on ground measurements have been conducted. However, until now, there is limited remote sensing based research to investigate the spatial pattern of PM2.5 in Suzhou. MODIS is often used to evaluate the spatial variabiilty of air quality, however, due to its low spatial resolution (250m), we have adopted China launched HJ-1 satellite with 30 m resolution of CCD sensor. Following the solar radiation S6 model and dark object atmospheric correction method (Kaufman,et al., 2000), atmospheric optical depth (AOD) was estimated. A statistical relationship has been built up between AOD and PM2.5. We have retrieved the spatial distribution of PM2.5 across Suzhou city in the winter of 2014. Results indicate that PM2.5 has the highest value in Kunshan (East of Suzhou) and Changshu and Taicang (NE of Suzhou) due to the heavy-polluted industry, while in the island of the Taihu Lake, the PM2.5 is significantly lower than other places maybe because of high deposition rate of PM2.5 over water and forest surfaces. The spatial variation also shows that traffic has less contribution to the PM2.5 generation than the industry. We believe this study will be very useful to identify the causes of local PM2.5 pollution. The findings could also benefit local management and policy making.

Integration of Rs/gis for Surface Water Pollution Risk Modeling. Case Study: Al-Abrash Syrian Coastal Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaghi, Y.; Salim, H.

2017-09-01

Recently the topic of the quality of surface water (rivers - lakes) and the sea is an important topics at different levels. It is known that there are two major groups of pollutants: Point Source Pollution (PSP) and non-point Source pollution (NPSP). Historically most of the surface water pollution protection programs dealing with the first set of pollutants which comes from sewage pipes and factories drainage. With the growing need for current and future water security must stand on the current reality of the coastal rivers basin in terms of freshness and cleanliness and condition of water pollution. This research aims to assign the NPS pollutants that reach Al Abrash River and preparation of databases and producing of risk Pollution map for NPS pollutants in order to put the basin management plan to ensure the reduction of pollutants that reach the river. This research resulted of establishing of Databases of NPSP (Like pesticides and fertilizers) and producing of thematic maps for pollution severity and pollution risk based on the pollution models designed in GIS environment and utilizing from remote sensing data. Preliminary recommendations for managing these pollutants were put.

The remote sensing image segmentation mean shift algorithm parallel processing based on MapReduce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xi; Zhou, Liqing

2015-12-01

With the development of satellite remote sensing technology and the remote sensing image data, traditional remote sensing image segmentation technology cannot meet the massive remote sensing image processing and storage requirements. This article put cloud computing and parallel computing technology in remote sensing image segmentation process, and build a cheap and efficient computer cluster system that uses parallel processing to achieve MeanShift algorithm of remote sensing image segmentation based on the MapReduce model, not only to ensure the quality of remote sensing image segmentation, improved split speed, and better meet the real-time requirements. The remote sensing image segmentation MeanShift algorithm parallel processing algorithm based on MapReduce shows certain significance and a realization of value.

REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGIES APPLICATIONS RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

Remote sensing technologies applications research supports the ORD Landscape Sciences Program (LSP) in two separate areas: operational remote sensing, and remote sensing research and development. Operational remote sensing is provided to the LSP through the use of current and t...

Integrating Indigenous Traditional, Local and Scientific Knowledge for Improved Management, Policy and Decision-Making in Reindeer Husbandry in the Russian Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.; Yurchak, Boris; Turi, Johan Mathis; Mathiesen, Svein D.; Aissi-Wespi, Rita L.

2004-01-01

As scientists and policy-makers from both indigenous and non-indigenous communities begin to build closer partnerships to address common sustainability issues such as the health impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities, it becomes increasingly important to create shared information management systems which integrate all relevant factors for optimal information sharing and decision-making. This paper describes a new GIs-based system being designed to bring local and indigenous traditional knowledge together with scientific data and information, remote sensing, and information technologies to address health-related environment, weather, climate, pollution and land use change issues for improved decision/policy-making for reindeer husbandry. The system is building an easily-accessible archive of relevant current and historical, traditional, local and remotely-sensed and other data and observations for shared analysis, measuring, and monitoring parameters of interest. Protection of indigenous culturally sensitive information will be respected through appropriate data protocols. A mechanism which enables easy information sharing among all participants, which is real time and geo-referenced and which allows interconnectivity with remote sites is also being designed into the system for maximum communication among partners. A preliminary version of our system will be described for a Russian reindeer test site, which will include a combination of indigenous knowledge about local conditions and issues, remote sensing and ground-based data on such parameters as the vegetation state and distribution, snow cover, temperature, ice condition, and infrastructure.

Getting the Lowdown on Airborne Pollutants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. was founded in 1991 specifically to take advantage of the emergence of a new technology field related to spectral imaging. The technology has applications in diverse areas such as Earth remote sensing, agriculture, geology, medical diagnosis, manufacturing, forensics, and more. Under the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center STTR project, OKSI developed several major aspects to further the state of the art, resulting in several commercial products.

Remote sensing validation through SOOP technology: implementation of Spectra system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piermattei, Viviana; Madonia, Alice; Bonamano, Simone; Consalvi, Natalizia; Caligiore, Aurelio; Falcone, Daniela; Puri, Pio; Sarti, Fabio; Spaccavento, Giovanni; Lucarini, Diego; Pacci, Giacomo; Amitrano, Luigi; Iacullo, Salvatore; D'Andrea, Salvatore; Marcelli, Marco

2017-04-01

The development of low-cost instrumentation plays a key role in marine environmental studies and represents one of the most innovative aspects of marine research. The availability of low-cost technologies allows the realization of extended observatory networks for the study of marine phenomena through an integrated approach merging observations, remote sensing and operational oceanography. Marine services and practical applications critically depends on the availability of large amount of data collected with sufficiently dense spatial and temporal sampling. This issue directly influences the robustness both of ocean forecasting models and remote sensing observations through data assimilation and validation processes, particularly in the biological domain. For this reason it is necessary the development of cheap, small and integrated smart sensors, which could be functional both for satellite data validation and forecasting models data assimilation as well as to support early warning systems for environmental pollution control and prevention. This is particularly true in coastal areas, which are subjected to multiple anthropic pressures. Moreover, coastal waters can be classified like case 2 waters, where the optical properties of inorganic suspended matter and chromophoric dissolved organic matter must be considered and separated by the chlorophyll a contribution. Due to the high costs of mooring systems, research vessels, measure platforms and instrumentation a big effort was dedicated to the design, development and realization of a new low cost mini-FerryBox system: Spectra. Thanks to the modularity and user-friendly employment of the system, Spectra allows to acquire continuous in situ measures of temperature, conductivity, turbidity, chlorophyll a and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescences from voluntary vessels, even by non specialized operators (Marcelli et al., 2014; 2016). This work shows the preliminary application of this technology to remote sensing data validation.

Radar and optical remote sensing in offshore domain to detect, characterize, and quantify ocean surface oil slicks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelliaume, S.; Ceamanos, X.; Viallefont-Robinet, F.; Baqué, R.; Déliot, Ph.; Miegebielle, V.

2017-10-01

Radar and optical sensors are operationally used by authorities or petroleum companies for detecting and characterizing maritime pollution. The interest lies not only in exploration but also in the monitoring of the maritime environment. Occurrence of natural seeps on the sea surface is a key indicator of the presence of mature source rock in the subsurface. These natural seeps, as well as the oil slicks, are commonly detected using radar sensors but the addition of optical imagery can deliver extra information such as the oil real fraction, which is critical for both exploration purposes and efficient cleanup operations. Today state-of-the-art approaches combine multiple data collected by optical and radar sensors embedded on-board different airborne and spaceborne platforms, to ensure wide spatial coverage and high frequency revisit time. Multi-wavelength imaging system may create a breakthrough in remote sensing applications, but it requires adapted processing techniques that need to be developed. To explore performances offered by multi-wavelength radar and optical sensors for oil slick monitoring, remote sensing data have been collected by SETHI, the airborne system developed by ONERA, during an oil spill cleanup exercise carried out in 2015 in the North Sea, Europe. The uniqueness of this data set lies in its high spatial resolution, low noise level and quasi-simultaneous acquisitions of different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Specific processing techniques have been developed in order to extract meaningful information associated with oil-covered sea surface. Analysis of this unique and rich dataset demonstrates that remote sensing imagery, collected in both optical and microwave domains, allows to estimate slick surface properties such as the spatial abundance of oil and the relative concentration of hydrocarbons on the sea surface.

Strategic positioning of the ERATOSTHENES Research Centre for atmospheric remote sensing research in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamouri, Rodanthi-Elisavet; Ansmann, Albert; Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Nisantzi, Argyro; Bühl, Johannes; Michaelides, Silas; Seifert, Patric; Engelmann, Ronny; Wandinger, Ulla; Kontoes, Charalampos; Schreier, Gunter; Komodromos, Georgios; Themistocleous, Kyriacos

2017-10-01

The aim of this article is to present the importance of a permanent state-of-the-art atmospheric remote sensing ground based station in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME). The ERATOSTHENES Research Centre (ERC) with the vision to become a Centre of Excellence for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment (EXCELSIOR H2020: Teaming project) already operates (within Phase 1) a fully established EARLINETt-Cloudnet supersite at Limassol, Cyprus, for a period of 2 years, in close collaboration with the German Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), The scientific aspects of this prototype-like field campaign CyCARE (Cyprus Cloud Aerosol and Rain Experiment) - a common initiative between the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Limassol and TROPOS- are presented in this paper. Cy-CARE has been designed by TROPOS and CUT to fill a gap in the understanding of aerosol-cloud interaction in one of the key regions of climate change and how precipitation formation is influenced by varying aerosol/pollution and meteorological conditions The guiding questions are: How may rain patterns change in future and what may be the consequences of climate change in arid regions such as EMME. EXCELSIOR is a team effort between CUT (acting as the coordinator), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics Space Applications and Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), TROPOS and the Cyprus Department of Electronic Communications of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works (DEC-MTCW) who will work together to improve the network structures significantly, resulting in Cyprus being regarded as a cornerstone of a European Network of active remote sensing of the atmosphere.

Study of landscape patterns of variation and optimization based on non-point source pollution control in an estuary.

PubMed

Jiang, Mengzhen; Chen, Haiying; Chen, Qinghui; Wu, Haiyan

2014-10-15

Appropriate increases in the "sink" of a landscape can reduce the risk of non-point source pollution (NPSP) to the sea at relatively lower costs and at a higher efficiency. Based on high-resolution remote sensing image data taken between 2003 and 2008, we analyzed the "source" and "sink" landscape pattern variations of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in the Jiulongjiang estuary region. The contribution to the sea and distribution of each pollutant in the region was calculated using the LCI and mGLCI models. The results indicated that an increased amount of pollutants was contributed to the sea, and the "source" area of the nitrogen NPSP in the study area increased by 32.75 km(2). We also propose a landscape pattern optimization to reduce pollution in the Jiulongjiang estuary in 2008 through the conversion of cultivated land with slopes greater than 15° and paddy fields near rivers, and an increase in mangrove areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tunnel-Site Selection by Remote Sensing Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

A study of the role of remote sensing for geologic reconnaissance for tunnel-site selection was commenced. For this study, remote sensing was defined...conventional remote sensing . Future research directions are suggested, and the extension of remote sensing to include airborne passive microwave

Application of selected methods of remote sensing for detecting carbonaceous water pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, E. M.; Fosbury, W. J.

1972-01-01

The use of aerial photography to determine the nature and extent of water pollution from carbonaceous materials is discussed. Flights were conducted over the Galveston Bay estuarine complex. Ground truth data were developed from field sampling of the waters in a region near the Houston Ship Channel. Tests conducted in the field were those for the following physical and chemical factors: (1) ph, (2) dissolved oxygen, (3) temperature, and (4) light penetration. Laboratory analyses to determine various properties of the water are described and the types of instruments used are identified. Results of the analyses are presented as charts and graphs.

System and method for evaluating wind flow fields using remote sensing devices

DOEpatents

Schroeder, John; Hirth, Brian; Guynes, Jerry

2016-12-13

The present invention provides a system and method for obtaining data to determine one or more characteristics of a wind field using a first remote sensing device and a second remote sensing device. Coordinated data is collected from the first and second remote sensing devices and analyzed to determine the one or more characteristics of the wind field. The first remote sensing device is positioned to have a portion of the wind field within a first scanning sector of the first remote sensing device. The second remote sensing device is positioned to have the portion of the wind field disposed within a second scanning sector of the second remote sensing device.

A preliminary study of air-pollution measurement by active remote-sensing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, M. L.; Proctor, E. K.; Gasiorek, L. S.; Liston, E. M.

1975-01-01

Air pollutants are identified, and the needs for their measurement from satellites and aircraft are discussed. An assessment is made of the properties of these pollutants and of the normal atmosphere, including interactions with light of various wavelengths and the resulting effects on transmission and scattering of optical signals. The possible methods for active remote measurement are described; the relative performance capabilities of double-ended and single-ended systems are compared qualitatively; and the capabilities of the several single-ended or backscattering techniques are compared quantitatively. The differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) technique is shown to be superior to the other backscattering techniques. The lidar system parameters and their relationships to the environmental factors and the properties of pollutants are examined in detail. A computer program that models both the atmosphere (including pollutants) and the lidar system is described. The performance capabilities of present and future lidar components are assessed, and projections are made of prospective measurement capabilities for future lidar systems. Following a discussion of some important operational factors that affect both the design and measurement capabilities of airborne and satellite-based lidar systems, the extensive analytical results obtained through more than 1000 individual cases analyzed with the aid of the computer program are summarized and discussed. The conclusions are presented. Recommendations are also made for additional studies to investigate cases that could not be explored adequately during this study.

Exploring Models and Data for Remote Sensing Image Caption Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xiaoqiang; Wang, Binqiang; Zheng, Xiangtao; Li, Xuelong

2018-04-01

Inspired by recent development of artificial satellite, remote sensing images have attracted extensive attention. Recently, noticeable progress has been made in scene classification and target detection.However, it is still not clear how to describe the remote sensing image content with accurate and concise sentences. In this paper, we investigate to describe the remote sensing images with accurate and flexible sentences. First, some annotated instructions are presented to better describe the remote sensing images considering the special characteristics of remote sensing images. Second, in order to exhaustively exploit the contents of remote sensing images, a large-scale aerial image data set is constructed for remote sensing image caption. Finally, a comprehensive review is presented on the proposed data set to fully advance the task of remote sensing caption. Extensive experiments on the proposed data set demonstrate that the content of the remote sensing image can be completely described by generating language descriptions. The data set is available at https://github.com/201528014227051/RSICD_optimal

Research on active imaging information transmission technology of satellite borne quantum remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Siwen; Zhen, Ming; Yang, Song; Lin, Xuling; Wu, Zhiqiang

2017-08-01

According to the development and application needs of Remote Sensing Science and technology, Prof. Siwen Bi proposed quantum remote sensing. Firstly, the paper gives a brief introduction of the background of quantum remote sensing, the research status and related researches at home and abroad on the theory, information mechanism and imaging experiments of quantum remote sensing and the production of principle prototype.Then, the quantization of pure remote sensing radiation field, the state function and squeezing effect of quantum remote sensing radiation field are emphasized. It also describes the squeezing optical operator of quantum light field in active imaging information transmission experiment and imaging experiments, achieving 2-3 times higher resolution than that of coherent light detection imaging and completing the production of quantum remote sensing imaging prototype. The application of quantum remote sensing technology can significantly improve both the signal-to-noise ratio of information transmission imaging and the spatial resolution of quantum remote sensing .On the above basis, Prof.Bi proposed the technical solution of active imaging information transmission technology of satellite borne quantum remote sensing, launched researches on its system composition and operation principle and on quantum noiseless amplifying devices, providing solutions and technical basis for implementing active imaging information technology of satellite borne Quantum Remote Sensing.

Introduction to the physics and techniques of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elachi, Charles

1987-01-01

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the basics behind remote-sensing physics, techniques, and technology. The physics of wave/matter interactions, techniques of remote sensing across the electromagnetic spectrum, and the concepts behind remote sensing techniques now established and future ones under development are discussed. Applications of remote sensing are described for a wide variety of earth and planetary atmosphere and surface sciences. Solid surface sensing across the electromagnetic spectrum, ocean surface sensing, basic principles of atmospheric sensing and radiative transfer, and atmospheric remote sensing in the microwave, millimeter, submillimeter, and infrared regions are examined.

[Thematic Issue: Remote Sensing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howkins, John, Ed.

1978-01-01

Four of the articles in this publication discuss the remote sensing of the Earth and its resources by satellites. Among the topics dealt with are the development and management of remote sensing systems, types of satellites used for remote sensing, the uses of remote sensing, and issues involved in using information obtained through remote…

75 FR 65304 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) was... Atmosphere, on matters relating to the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry and NOAA's activities to carry...

Air pollution source identification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fordyce, J. S.

1975-01-01

The techniques available for source identification are reviewed: remote sensing, injected tracers, and pollutants themselves as tracers. The use of the large number of trace elements in the ambient airborne particulate matter as a practical means of identifying sources is discussed. Trace constituents are determined by sensitive, inexpensive, nondestructive, multielement analytical methods such as instrumental neutron activation and charged particle X-ray fluorescence. The application to a large data set of pairwise correlation, the more advanced pattern recognition-cluster analysis approach with and without training sets, enrichment factors, and pollutant concentration rose displays for each element is described. It is shown that elemental constituents are related to specific source types: earth crustal, automotive, metallurgical, and more specific industries. A field-ready source identification system based on time and wind direction resolved sampling is described.

Study on MMW radiation characteristics and imaging of aquatic plants for environmental application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Luyan; Zhang, Guangfeng; Liu, Jing

2017-02-01

Working all-day and all-weather, the passive millimeter wave radiometer is widely used in remote sensing, guidance and other fields. In order to solve the increasingly serious problem of water pollution, especially the pollution caused by the rapidly breed of the aquatic plants, a simple and effective method to monitor the water environment is proposed. Aquatic plants can be distinguished through millimeter wave system, as they have high bright temperature compared to Water. The 8mm radiometer is used to measure the radiation characteristics of aquatic plants and image. The simulation results and radiation imaging experiments prove the feasibility and effectively of monitoring aquatic plants by millimeter wave radiometer. This study will contribute to monitoring the aquatic plants growth and decreasing the pollution.

Geochemical mapping of polluted soils and environmental risk assessment associated to mining activities: a comparison case study in El Campillo (Huelva, Spain) and the Zambales (Luzon Island,The Philippines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuluaga, Maria Clara; Albanese, Stefano; de Vivo, Benedetto; Nieto, Jose Miguel; David, Carlos Primo C.; Norini, Gianluca

2014-05-01

The soil is one of the environmental systems which could be most affected by the dispersion of pollutant, also because of the close relationship with the atmosphere and meteoric waters. The distribution and type of contamination depends closely on the climate, precipitations, drainage, vegetation, lithology and human activities. As a matter of fact, soil contamination due to heavy metals and metalloids, such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, represents the source of a severe potential hazard for the ecosystem equilibrium and the health of living beings. This study is carried out in two abandoned mining zones near to populated areas, which underwent similar mining history, but in very different climatic and environmental conditions. The aim of the research is to analyze the influence of precipitation amounts, soil thickness, drainage density and vegetation cover on pollutant distribution. The first zone is in El Campillo, a town at the Rio Tinto mining district and belongs to the Iberic Pyritic Belt of the southwest Iberian peninsula. This mining site is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with low precipitation (700 mm/year), low vegetation cover and poor soil development. The second case study is the Zambales Mountain Range, a mining district in the Luzon Island of the Philippines dominated by a tropical weather, forests, intense rainfalls (2350 mm/year) and good soil development. The wide spectrum of climatic variables in the case studies requires to develop a single flexible methodology for the mapping and monitoring of the environmental degradation in both semi-arid and tropical environments, allowing comparative studies. The methodological approach comprises remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), spatial statistical analysis, field sampling, ICP analysis and isotopic geochemical analysis. The presentation illustrates the first stage of the project. The processing of multispectral (Aster) and hyperspectral (Hyperion) images, in comparison with available geological and geochemical data, is used to search for spectral indicators of specific pollutant or anomalies in the vegetation cover related to soil contamination. Then, digital elevation models (DEMs) are used to delineate the drainage and superficial flow and to find potential correlations with the remobilization and dispersion of the pollutant in the soils, sediments and water bodies. These results allow a first comparison between the case studies, and delineate the different behavior of pollutants dispersion in the two climatic end-members. Also the remote sensing and GIS analysis form the basis to plan the future soil and sediment sampling campaign, according to the specific characteristics of the areas. The field, remote sensing and ICP data will be integrated in a GIS database for spatial geostatistical analysis. Those analysis will be complemented with the lead isotopic analysis of soil samples and human hair samples collected from the people who lives close to the mining zones, in order to determine the origin of the lead from the isotopic composition.

Harvest season, high polluted season in East China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xin; Song, Yu; Li, Mengmeng; Li, Jianfeng; Zhu, Tong

2012-12-01

East China, a major agricultural zone with a dense population, suffers from severe air pollution during June, the agricultural harvest season, every year. Crop burning emits tremendous amounts of combustion products into the atmosphere, not only rapidly degrading the local air quality but also affecting the tropospheric chemistry, threatening public health and affecting climate change. Recently, in mid-June 2012, crop fires left a thick pall of haze over East China. We evaluated the PM10, PM2.5 (particulates less than 10 and 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) and BC (black carbon) emissions by analyzing detailed census data and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing images and then simulated the consequent pollution using meteorological and dispersion models. The results show that the crop fires sweeping from the south to the north are responsible for the intensive air pollution during harvest season. It is necessary for scientists and governments to pay more attention to this issue.

a Study for Remote Detection of Industrial Effluents' Effect on Rice Using Thermal Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehnavi, S.; Abkar, A. A.; Maghsoudi, Y.; Dehnavi, E.

2015-12-01

Rice is one of the most important nutritious grains all over the world, so that only in some parts of Asia more than 300 million acres allocated for cultivating this product. Therefore, qualitative and quantitative management of this product is of great importance in commercial, political and financial viewpoints. Rice plant is very influenced by physical and chemical characteristics of irrigation water, due to its specific kind of planting method. Hence, chemically-polluted waters which received by plant can change in live plants and their products. Thus, a very high degree of treatment will be required if the effluent discharges to rice plants. Current waters receive a variety of land-based water pollutants ranging from industrial wastes to excess sediments. One of the most hazardous wastes are chemicals that are toxic. Some factories discharge their effluents directly into a water body. So, what would happen for rice plant or its product if this polluted water flow to paddies? Is there any remotely-based method to study for this effect? Are surface temperature distributions (thermal images) useful in this context? The first goal in this research is thus to investigate the effect of a simulated textile factory's effluent sample on the rice product. The second goal is to investigate whether the polluted plant can be identified by means of thermal remote sensing or not. The results of this laboratory research have proven that the presence of industrial wastewater cause a decrease in plant's product and its f-cover value, also some changes in radiant temperature.

Investigation of Pearl River data collection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The reliability of employing NASA developed remote sensing for in situ near real time monitoring of water quality in the Pearl River is evaluated. The placement, operation and maintenance of a number of NASA developed data collection platforms (DCP's) on the Pearl River are described. The reception, processing, and retransmission of water quality data from an ERTS satellite to the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Commission (MAWPCC) via computer linkup are assessed.

A Modified Hopfield Neural Network Algorithm (MHNNA) Using ALOS Image for Water Quality Mapping

PubMed Central

Kzar, Ahmed Asal; Mat Jafri, Mohd Zubir; Mutter, Kussay N.; Syahreza, Saumi

2015-01-01

Decreasing water pollution is a big problem in coastal waters. Coastal health of ecosystems can be affected by high concentrations of suspended sediment. In this work, a Modified Hopfield Neural Network Algorithm (MHNNA) was used with remote sensing imagery to classify the total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations in the waters of coastal Langkawi Island, Malaysia. The adopted remote sensing image is the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) image acquired on 18 January 2010. Our modification allows the Hopfield neural network to convert and classify color satellite images. The samples were collected from the study area simultaneously with the acquiring of satellite imagery. The sample locations were determined using a handheld global positioning system (GPS). The TSS concentration measurements were conducted in a lab and used for validation (real data), classification, and accuracy assessments. Mapping was achieved by using the MHNNA to classify the concentrations according to their reflectance values in band 1, band 2, and band 3. The TSS map was color-coded for visual interpretation. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm was investigated by dividing the validation data into two groups. The first group was used as source samples for supervisor classification via the MHNNA. The second group was used to test the MHNNA efficiency. After mapping, the locations of the second group in the produced classes were detected. Next, the correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE) were calculated between the two groups, according to their corresponding locations in the classes. The MHNNA exhibited a higher R (0.977) and lower RMSE (2.887). In addition, we test the MHNNA with noise, where it proves its accuracy with noisy images over a range of noise levels. All results have been compared with a minimum distance classifier (Min-Dis). Therefore, TSS mapping of polluted water in the coastal Langkawi Island, Malaysia can be performed using the adopted MHNNA with remote sensing techniques (as based on ALOS images). PMID:26729148

Literature relevant to remote sensing of water quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Middleton, E. M.; Marcell, R. F.

1983-01-01

References relevant to remote sensing of water quality were compiled, organized, and cross-referenced. The following general categories were included: (1) optical properties and measurement of water characteristics; (2) interpretation of water characteristics by remote sensing, including color, transparency, suspended or dissolved inorganic matter, biological materials, and temperature; (3) application of remote sensing for water quality monitoring; (4) application of remote sensing according to water body type; and (5) manipulation, processing and interpretation of remote sensing digital water data.

Learning Methods of Remote Sensing In the 2013 Curriculum of Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lili Somantri, Nandi

2016-11-01

The new remote sensing material included in the subjects of geography in the curriculum of 1994. For geography teachers generation of 90s and over who in college do not get the material remote sensing, for teaching is a tough matter. Most teachers only give a theoretical matter, and do not carry out practical reasons in the lack of facilities and infrastructure of computer laboratories. Therefore, in this paper studies the importance about the method or manner of teaching remote sensing material in schools. The purpose of this paper is 1) to explain the position of remote sensing material in the study of geography, 2) analyze the Geography Curriculum 2013 Subjects related to remote sensing material, 3) describes a method of teaching remote sensing material in schools. The method used in this paper is a descriptive analytical study supported by the literature. The conclusion of this paper that the position of remote sensing in the study of geography is a method or a way to obtain spatial data earth's surface. In the 2013 curriculum remote sensing material has been applied to the study of land use and transportation. Remote sensing methods of teaching must go through a practicum, which starts from the introduction of the theory of remote sensing, data extraction phase of remote sensing imagery to produce maps, both visually and digitally, field surveys, interpretation of test accuracy, and improved maps.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China, Remote Sensing Systems, Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-17

Partial Contents: Short Introduction to Nation’s Remote Sensing Units, Domestic Airborne Remote - Sensing System, Applications in Monitoring Natural...Disasters, Applications of Imagery From Experimental Satellites Launched in 1985, 1986, Current Status, Future Prospects for Domestic Remote - Sensing -Satellite...Ground Station, and Radar Remote - Sensing Technology Used to Monitor Yellow River Delta,

[A review on polarization information in the remote sensing detection].

PubMed

Gong, Jie-Qiong; Zhan, Hai-Gang; Liu, Da-Zhao

2010-04-01

Polarization is one of the inherent characteristics. Because the surface of the target structure, internal structure, and the angle of incident light are different, the earth's surface and any target in atmosphere under optical interaction process will have their own characteristic nature of polarization. Polarimetric characteristics of radiation energy from the targets are used in polarization remote sensing detection as detective information. Polarization remote sensing detection can get the seven-dimensional information of targets in complicated backgrounds, detect well-resolved outline of targets and low-reflectance region of objectives, and resolve the problems of atmospheric detection and identification camouflage detection which the traditional remote sensing detection can not solve, having good foreground in applications. This paper introduces the development of polarization information in the remote sensing detection from the following four aspects. The rationale of polarization remote sensing detection is the base of polarization remote sensing detection, so it is firstly introduced. Secondly, the present researches on equipments that are used in polarization remote sensing detection are particularly and completely expatiated. Thirdly, the present exploration of theoretical simulation of polarization remote sensing detection is well detailed. Finally, the authors present the applications research home and abroad of the polarization remote sensing detection technique in the fields of remote sensing, atmospheric sounding, sea surface and underwater detection, biology and medical diagnosis, astronomical observation and military, summing up the current problems in polarization remote sensing detection. The development trend of polarization remote sensing detection technology in the future is pointed out in order to provide a reference for similar studies.

Relations Between Cloud Condensation Nuclei And Aerosol Optical Properties Relevant to Remote Sensing: Airborne Measurements in Biomass Burning, Pollution and Dust Aerosol Over North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinozuka, Y.; Clarke, A.; Howell, S.; Kapustin, V.; McNaughton, C.; Zhou, J.; Decarlo, P.; Jimenez, J.; Roberts, G.; Tomlinson, J.; Collins, D.

2008-12-01

Remote sensing of the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) would help investigate the indirect effect of tropospheric aerosols on clouds and climate. In order to assess its feasibility, this paper evaluates the spectral-based retrieval technique for aerosol number and seeks one for aerosol solubility, using in-situ aircraft measurements of aerosol size distribution, chemical composition, hygroscopicity, CCN activity and optical properties. Our statistical analysis reveals that the CCN concentration over Mexico can be optically determined to a relative error of <20%, smaller than that for the mainland US and the surrounding oceans (~a factor of 2). Mexico's advantage is four-fold. Firstly, many particles originating from the lightly regulated industrial combustion and biomass burning are large enough to significantly affect light extinction, elevating the correlation between extinction and CCN number in absence of substantial dust. Secondly, the generally low ambient humidity near the major aerosol sources limits the error in the estimated response of particle extinction to humidity changes. Thirdly, because many CCN contain black carbon, light absorption also provides a measure of the CCN concentration. Fourthly, the organic fraction of volatile mass of submicron particles (OMF) is anti-correlated with the wavelength dependence of extinction due to preferential anion uptake by coarse dust, which provides a potential tool for remote-sensing OMF and the particle solubility.

Evaluation of SPOT imagery for the estimation of grassland biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusseux, P.; Hubert-Moy, L.; Corpetti, T.; Vertès, F.

2015-06-01

In many regions, a decrease in grasslands and change in their management, which are associated with agricultural intensification, have been observed in the last half-century. Such changes in agricultural practices have caused negative environmental effects that include water pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. Moreover, climate-driven changes in grassland productivity could have serious consequences for the profitability of agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of remotely sensed data with high spatial resolution to estimate grassland biomass in agricultural areas. A vegetation index, namely the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and two biophysical variables, the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the fraction of Vegetation Cover (fCOVER) were computed using five SPOT images acquired during the growing season. In parallel, ground-based information on grassland growth was collected to calculate biomass values. The analysis of the relationship between the variables derived from the remotely sensed data and the biomass observed in the field shows that LAI outperforms NDVI and fCOVER to estimate biomass (R2 values of 0.68 against 0.30 and 0.50, respectively). The squared Pearson correlation coefficient between observed and estimated biomass using LAI derived from SPOT images reached 0.73. Biomass maps generated from remotely sensed data were then used to estimate grass reserves at the farm scale in the perspective of operational monitoring and forecasting.

Cybernetic Basis and System Practice of Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, X.; Jing, X.; Chen, R.; Ming, Z.; He, L.; Sun, Y.; Sun, X.; Yan, L.

2017-09-01

Cybernetics provides a new set of ideas and methods for the study of modern science, and it has been fully applied in many areas. However, few people have introduced cybernetics into the field of remote sensing. The paper is based on the imaging process of remote sensing system, introducing cybernetics into the field of remote sensing, establishing a space-time closed-loop control theory for the actual operation of remote sensing. The paper made the process of spatial information coherently, and improved the comprehensive efficiency of the space information from acquisition, procession, transformation to application. We not only describes the application of cybernetics in remote sensing platform control, sensor control, data processing control, but also in whole system of remote sensing imaging process control. We achieve the information of output back to the input to control the efficient operation of the entire system. This breakthrough combination of cybernetics science and remote sensing science will improve remote sensing science to a higher level.

In-situ and Remote-Sensing Data Fusion Using Machine Learning Techniques to Infer Urban and Fire Related Pollution Plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segal-Rosenhaimer, M.; Russell, P. B.; Schmid, B.; Redemann, J.; Livingston, J. M.; Flynn, C. J.; Johnson, R. R.; Dunagan, S. E.; Shinozuka, Y.; Kacenelenbogen, M. S.; Chatfield, R. B.

2014-12-01

Airmass type characterization is key in understanding the relative contribution of various emission sources to atmospheric composition and air quality and can be useful in bottom-up model validation and emission inventories. However, classification of pollution plumes from space is often not trivial. Sub-orbital campaigns, such as SEAC4RS (Studies of Emissions, Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys) give us a unique opportunity to study atmospheric composition in detail, by using a vast suite of in-situ instruments for the detection of trace gases and aerosols. These measurements allow identification of spatial and temporal atmospheric composition changes due to various pollution plumes resulting from urban, biogenic and smoke emissions. Nevertheless, to transfer the knowledge gathered from such campaigns into a global spatial and temporal context, there is a need to develop workflow that can be applicable to measurements from space. In this work we rely on sub-orbital in-situ and total column remote sensing measurements of various pollution plumes taken aboard the NASA DC-8 during 2013 SEAC4RS campaign, linking them through a neural-network (NN) algorithm to allow inference of pollution plume types by input of columnar aerosol and trace-gas measurements. In particular, we use the 4STAR (Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research) airborne measurements of wavelength dependent aerosol optical depth (AOD), particle size proxies, O3, NO2 and water vapor to classify different pollution plumes. Our method relies on assigning a-priori "ground-truth" labeling to the various plumes, which include urban pollution, different fire types (i.e. forest and agriculture) and fire stage (i.e. fresh and aged) using cluster analysis of aerosol and trace-gases in-situ and expert input and the training of a NN scheme to fit the best prediction parameters using 4STAR measurements as input. We explore our misclassification rates as related to our "ground-truth" labels, and with multi-layered pollution plume cases. The next step in our analysis is to optimize parameter selection for a scheme that can be applied to space-borne aerosol and trace-gas observation platforms such as OMI, and future geostationary satellites such as TEMPO and GEO-CAPE.

In-Situ and Remote-Sensing Data Fusion Using Machine Learning Techniques to Infer Urban and Fire Related Pollution Plumes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, P. B.; Segal-Rozenhaimer, M.; Schmid, B.; Redemann, J.; Livingston, J. M.; Flynn, C.J.; Johnson, R. R.; Dunagan, S. E.; Shinozuka, Y.; Kacenelenbogen, M.;

Potential for remote sensing of agriculture from the international space station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgenthaler, George W.; Khatib, Nader

1999-01-01

Today's spatial resolution of orbital sensing systems is too coarse to economically serve the yield-improvement/contamination-reduction needs of the small to mid-size farm enterprise. Remote sensing from aircraft is being pressed into service. However, satellite remote sensing constellations with greater resolution and more spectral bands, i.e., with resolutions of 1 m in the panchromatic, 4 m in the multi-spectral, and 8 m in the hyper-spectral are expected to be in orbit by the year 2000. Such systems coupled with Global Positioning System (GPS) capability will make ``precision agriculture,'' i.e., the identification of specific and timely fertilizer, irrigation, herbicide, and insecticide needs on an acre-by-acre basis and the ability to meet these needs with precision delivery systems at affordable costs, is what is needed and can be achieved. Current plans for remote sensing systems on the International Space Station (ISS) include externally attached payloads and a window observation platform. The planned orbit of the Space Station will result in overflight of a specific latitude and longitude at the same clock time every 3 months. However, a pass over a specific latitude and longitude during ``daylight hours'' could occur much more frequently. The ISS might thus be a space platform for experimental and developmental testing of future commercial space remote sensing precision agriculture systems. There is also a need for agricultural ``truth'' sites so that predictive crop yield and pollution models can be devised and corrective suggestions delivered to farmers at affordable costs. In Summer 1998, the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Center for the Study of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres (CSTEA) at Howard University, under NASA Goddard Space Flight Center funding, established an agricultural ``truth'' site in eastern Colorado. The ``truth'' site was highly instrumented for measuring trace gas concentrations (NOx, SOx, CO2, O3, organics, and aerosols), ground water contamination via drain-tile catch from the fields, and Leaf Area Index (LAI). Also, a tethered balloon flight sampled the site's vertical air column and both aerial infrared photography and satellite imagery were acquired. This paper summarizes the 1998 activities in establishing and operating the ``truth'' site. The goal of such a ``truth'' site is to develop and validate precision agriculture predictive models to improve farming practices. ISS sensor testing can greatly accelerate development of such systems.

Near-earth orbital guidance and remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powers, W. F.

1972-01-01

The curriculum of a short course in remote sensing and parameter optimization is presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) basics of remote sensing and the user community, (2) multivariant spectral analysis, (3) advanced mathematics and physics of remote sensing, (4) the atmospheric environment, (5) imaging sensing, and (6)nonimaging sensing. Mathematical models of optimization techniques are developed.

Assessment of Light Pollution Impact on Protected Areas in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, W.; He, G.; Ni, Y.

2017-09-01

The Protected Areas (PAs) with natural, ecological and cultural value play important role in biological processes, biodiversity and ecosystem service. During the past years of rapid urban expansion in China, the spatial range and intensity of light pollution unprecedented increase. Historically, optical remote sensing and field survey data had been used to reveal that human activities impacted on PAs for individual areas and few papers documented the issue of light pollution impact on PAs at national scale. Here, time series night-time light satellite images of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) were selected to assess the light pollution impacted on PAs in China. The method we proposed can be effectively applied to assess the impact of light pollution on PAs and the percent of dark PAs decreased by 35.38 % from 1992 to 2012 at nationwide. The trend of light pollution of most PAs in stable, however, light pollution of the local area is increase significantly, especially in northern Xinjiang, Gansu, Xizang, Yunnan, Jiangsu and Shandong. Considering the current status of light pollution encroach into PAs, two strategies of appropriate buffer zone and wide measured for light pollution are also recommend.

Aerosol Remote Sensing from AERONET, the Ground-Based Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holben, Brent N.

2012-01-01

Atmospheric particles including mineral dust, biomass burning smoke, pollution from carbonaceous aerosols and sulfates, sea salt, impact air quality and climate. The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) program, established in the early 1990s, is a federation of ground-based remote sensing aerosol networks of Sun/sky radiometers distributed around the world, which provides a long-term, continuous and readily accessible public domain database of aerosol optical (e.g., aerosol optical depth) and microphysical (e.g., aerosol volume size distribution) properties for aerosol characterization, validation of satellite retrievals, and synergism with Earth science databases. Climatological aerosol properties will be presented at key worldwide locations exhibiting discrete dominant aerosol types. Further, AERONET's temporary mesoscale network campaign (e.g., UAE2, TIGERZ, DRAGON-USA.) results that attempt to quantify spatial and temporal variability of aerosol properties, establish validation of ground-based aerosol retrievals using aircraft profile measurements, and measure aerosol properties on compatible spatial scales with satellite retrievals and aerosol transport models allowing for more robust validation will be discussed.

Observation of increases in emission from modern vehicles over time in Hong Kong using remote sensing.

PubMed

Lau, Jason; Hung, W T; Cheung, C S

2012-04-01

In this study on-road gaseous emissions of vehicles are investigated using remote sensing measurements collected over three different periods. The results show that a high percentage of gaseous pollutants were emitted from a small percentage of vehicles. Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) vehicles generally have higher gaseous emissions compared to other vehicles, particularly among higher-emitting vehicles. Vehicles with high vehicle specific power (VSP) tend to have lower CO and HC emissions while petrol and LPG vehicles tend to have higher NO emissions when engine load is high. It can be observed that gaseous emission factors of petrol and LPG vehicles increase greatly within 2 years of being introduced to the vehicle fleet, suggesting that engine and catalyst performance deteriorate rapidly. It can be observed that LPG vehicles have higher levels of gaseous emissions than petrol vehicles, suggesting that proper maintenance of LPG vehicles is essential in reducing gaseous emissions from vehicles. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrieval and Validation of Aerosol Optical Depth by using the GF-1 Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Xu, S.; Wang, L.; Cai, K.; Ge, Q.

2017-05-01

Based on the characteristics of GF-1 remote sensing data, the method and data processing procedure to retrieve the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) are developed in this study. The surface contribution over dense vegetation and urban bright target areas are respectively removed by using the dark target and deep blue algorithms. Our method is applied for the three serious polluted Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions. The retrieved AOD are validated by ground-based AERONET data from Beijing, Hangzhou, Hong Kong sites. Our results show that, 1) the heavy aerosol loadings are usually distributed in high industrial emission and dense populated cities, with the AOD value near 1. 2) There is a good agreement between satellite-retrievals and in-site observations, with the coefficient factors of 0.71 (BTH), 0.55 (YRD) and 0.54(PRD). 3) The GF-1 retrieval uncertainties are mainly from the impact of cloud contamination, high surface reflectance and assumed aerosol model.

Dispersal forcing of a southern California river plumes, based on field and remote sensing observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warrick, Jonathan A.; Mertes, Leal A.K.; Washburn, Libe; Siegel, David A.

2004-01-01

River plumes are important pathways of terrestrial materials entering the sea. In southern California, rivers are known to be the dominant source of littoral, shelf and basin sediment and coastal pollution, although a basic understanding of the dynamics of these river inputs does not exist. Here we evaluate forcing parameters of a southern California river plume using ship-based hydrographic surveys and satellite remote sensing measurements to provide the first insights of river dispersal dynamics in southern California. Our results suggest that plumes of the Santa Clara River are strongly influenced by river inertia, producing jet-like structures ~10 km offshore during annual recurrence (~two-year) flood events and ~30 km during exceptional (~10-year recurrence) floods. Upwelling-favorable winds may be strong following stormwater events and can alter dispersal pathways of thse plumes. Due to similar runoff relationships and other reported satellite observations, we hypothesize that interia-dominated dispersal may be an important characteristic of the small, mountainous rivers throughout southern California.

A strategy for detecting derelict fishing gear at sea.

PubMed

McElwee, Kris; Donohue, Mary J; Courtney, Catherine A; Morishige, Carey; Rivera-Vicente, Ariel

2012-01-01

Derelict fishing gear (DFG) is a highly persistent form of marine pollution known to cause environmental and economic damage. At-sea detection of DFG would support pelagic removal of this gear to prevent and minimize impacts on marine environments and species. In 2008, experts in marine debris, oceanography, remote sensing, and marine policy outlined a strategy to develop the capability to detect and ultimately remove DFG from the open ocean. The strategy includes three interrelated components: understanding the characteristics of the targeted DFG, indirectly detecting DFG by modeling likely locations, and directly detecting pelagic DFG using remote sensing. Together, these components aim to refine the search area, increase the likelihood of detection, and decrease mitigation response time, thereby providing guidance for removal operations. Here, we present this at-sea detection strategy, relate it to relevant extant research and technology, and identify gaps that currently prevent successful at-sea detection and removal of DFG. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trace gas detection in hyperspectral imagery using the wavelet packet subspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvador, Mark A. Z.

This dissertation describes research into a new remote sensing method to detect trace gases in hyperspectral and ultra-spectral data. This new method is based on the wavelet packet transform. It attempts to improve both the computational tractability and the detection of trace gases in airborne and spaceborne spectral imagery. Atmospheric trace gas research supports various Earth science disciplines to include climatology, vulcanology, pollution monitoring, natural disasters, and intelligence and military applications. Hyperspectral and ultra-spectral data significantly increases the data glut of existing Earth science data sets. Spaceborne spectral data in particular significantly increases spectral resolution while performing daily global collections of the earth. Application of the wavelet packet transform to the spectral space of hyperspectral and ultra-spectral imagery data potentially improves remote sensing detection algorithms. It also facilities the parallelization of these methods for high performance computing. This research seeks two science goals, (1) developing a new spectral imagery detection algorithm, and (2) facilitating the parallelization of trace gas detection in spectral imagery data.

Operational programs in forest management and priority in the utilization of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglass, R. W.

1978-01-01

A speech is given on operational remote sensing programs in forest management and the importance of remote sensing in forestry is emphasized. Forest service priorities in using remote sensing are outlined.

Remote sensing, land use, and demography - A look at people through their effects on the land

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, C. K.; Landini, A. J.

1976-01-01

Relevant causes of failure by the remote sensing community in the urban scene are analyzed. The reasons for the insignificant role of remote sensing in urban land use data collection are called the law of realism, the incompatibility of remote sensing and urban management system data formats is termed the law of nominal/ordinal systems compatibility, and the land use/population correlation dilemma is referred to as the law of missing persons. The study summarizes the three laws of urban land use information for which violations, avoidance, or ignorance have caused the decline of present remote sensing research. Particular attention is given to the rationale for urban land use information and for remote sensing. It is shown that remote sensing of urban land uses compatible with the three laws can be effectively developed by realizing the 10 percent contribution of remote sensing to urban land use planning data collection.

Thematic Conference on Geologic Remote Sensing, 8th, Denver, CO, Apr. 29-May 2, 1991, Proceedings. Vols. 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The proceedings contain papers discussing the state-of-the-art exploration, engineering, and environmental applications of geologic remote sensing, along with the research and development activities aimed at increasing the future capabilities of this technology. The following topics are addressed: spectral geology, U.S. and international hydrocarbon exporation, radar and thermal infrared remote sensing, engineering geology and hydrogeology, mineral exploration, remote sensing for marine and environmental applications, image processing and analysis, geobotanical remote sensing, and data integration and geographic information systems. Particular attention is given to spectral alteration mapping with imaging spectrometers, mapping the coastal plain of the Congo with airborne digital radar, applications of remote sensing techniques to the assessment of dam safety, remote sensing of ferric iron minerals as guides for gold exploration, principal component analysis for alteration mappping, and the application of remote sensing techniques for gold prospecting in the north Fujian province.

Methods of training the graduate level and professional geologist in remote sensing technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolm, K. E.

1981-01-01

Requirements for a basic course in remote sensing to accommodate the needs of the graduate level and professional geologist are described. The course should stress the general topics of basic remote sensing theory, the theory and data types relating to different remote sensing systems, an introduction to the basic concepts of computer image processing and analysis, the characteristics of different data types, the development of methods for geological interpretations, the integration of all scales and data types of remote sensing in a given study, the integration of other data bases (geophysical and geochemical) into a remote sensing study, and geological remote sensing applications. The laboratories should stress hands on experience to reinforce the concepts and procedures presented in the lecture. The geologist should then be encouraged to pursue a second course in computer image processing and analysis of remotely sensed data.

Remote sensing of Earth terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, J. A.

1993-01-01

Progress report on remote sensing of Earth terrain covering the period from Jan. to June 1993 is presented. Areas of research include: radiative transfer model for active and passive remote sensing of vegetation canopy; polarimetric thermal emission from rough ocean surfaces; polarimetric passive remote sensing of ocean wind vectors; polarimetric thermal emission from periodic water surfaces; layer model with tandom spheriodal scatterers for remote sensing of vegetation canopy; application of theoretical models to active and passive remote sensing of saline ice; radiative transfer theory for polarimetric remote sensing of pine forest; scattering of electromagnetic waves from a dense medium consisting of correlated mie scatterers with size distributions and applications to dry snow; variance of phase fluctuations of waves propagating through a random medium; polarimetric signatures of a canopy of dielectric cylinders based on first and second order vector radiative transfer theory; branching model for vegetation; polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces; composite volume and surface scattering model; and radar image classification.

Leaf reflectance variation along a vertical crown gradient of two deciduous tree species in a Belgian industrial habitat.

PubMed

Khavaninzadeh, Ali Reza; Veroustraete, Frank; Van Wittenberghe, Shari; Verrelst, Jochem; Samson, Roeland

2015-09-01

The reflectometry of leaf asymmetry is a novel approach in the bio-monitoring of tree health in urban or industrial habitats. Leaf asymmetry responds to the degree of environmental pollution and reflects structural changes in a leaf due to environmental pollution. This paper describes the boundary conditions to scale up from leaf to canopy level reflectance, by describing the variability of adaxial and abaxial leaf reflectance, hence leaf asymmetry, along the crown height gradients of two tree species. Our findings open a research pathway towards bio-monitoring based on the airborne remote sensing of tree canopies and their leaf asymmetric properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of near-infrared photography for biodegradable pollution monitoring of tidal rivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bressette, W. E.; Lear, D. E., Jr.

1973-01-01

On October 2, 1972, a pattern of chlorophyll a containing phytoplankton (algae) was detected from 3-km altitude in a series of near-infrared photographs of the Potomac River 'Salt Wedge Area.' Densitometer traces over the film images, related to in situ measurements of chlorophyll a concentrations that varied from 4 to more than 3000 micrograms/liter, revealed a phytoplankton 'bloom' threshold in the near infrared between the concentration of 34 and 51 micrograms/liter. The photography also revealed bottom features through two meters of water and made it possible to integrate chlorophyll a concentrations over a 16 sq km area to demonstrate this remote sensing technique for biodegradable pollution monitoring.

Remote sensing by satellite - Technical and operational implications for international cooperation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, S. E.

1976-01-01

International cooperation in the U.S. Space Program is discussed and related to the NASA program for remote sensing of the earth. Satellite remote sensing techniques are considered along with the selection of the best sensors and wavelength bands. The technology of remote sensing satellites is considered with emphasis on the Landsat system configuration. Future aspects of remote sensing satellites are considered.

Hurricane Katrina flooding and oil slicks mapped with satellite imagery: Chapter 3F in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rykhus, Russell P.; Lu, Zhong

2007-01-01

A multiple-database approach that combined remotely sensed data from Radarsat-1 and Landsat Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) imagery was used to map Hurricane Katrinainduced flooding and to identify offshore oil slicks. Maps depicting the areal extent of flooding, oil slicks, and floating debris provide vital information to emergency managers for directing floodrelief efforts and the clean-up of polluted waters.

Testing Extensions of Our Quantitative Daily of San Joaquin Wintertime Aerosols Using MAIAC and Meteorology Without Transport/Transformation Assumptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatfield, Robert B.; Sorek Hamer, Meytar; Esswein, Robert F.

2017-01-01

The Western US and many regions globally present daunting difficulties in understanding and mapping PM2.5 episodes. We evaluate extensions of a method independent of source-description and transport/transformation. These regions suffer frequent few-day episodes due to shallow mixing; low satellite AOT and bright surfaces complicate the description. Nevertheless, we expect residual errors in our maps of less than 8 ug/m^3 in episodes reaching 60-100 ug/m^3; maps which detail pollution from Interstate 5. Our current success is due to use of physically meaningful functions of MODIS-MAIAC-derived AOD, afternoon mixed-layer height, and relative humidity for a basin in which the latter are correlated. A mixed-effects model then describes a daily AOT-to-PM2.5 relationship. (Note: in other published mixed-effects models, AOT contributes minimally. We seek to extend on these to develop useful estimation methods for similar situations. We evaluate existing but more spotty information on size distribution (AERONET, MISR, MAIA, CALIPSO, other remote sensing). We also describe the usefulness of an equivalent mixing depth for water vapor vs meteorological boundary layer height. Each has virtues and limitations. Finally, we begin to evaluate methods for removing the complications due to detached but polluted layers (which don't mix to the surface) using geographical, meteorological, and remotely sensed data.

MEDUSA: an airborne multispectral oil spill detection and characterization system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Peter; Hengstermann, Theo; Zielinski, Oliver

2000-12-01

MEDUSA is a sensor network, consisting of and effectively combining a variety of different remote sensing instruments. Installed in 1998 it is operationally used in a maritime surveillance aircraft maintained by the German Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing. On one hand routine oil pollution monitoring with remote sensing equipment like Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR), Infrared/Ultraviolet Line Scanner (IR/UV line scanner), Microwave Radiometer (MWR), Imaging Airborne Laserfluorosensor (IALFS) and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) requires a complex network and communication structure to be operated by a single operator. On the other hand the operation of such a variety of sensors on board of one aircraft provides an excellent opportunity to establish new concepts of integrated sensor fusion and data evaluation. In this work a general survey of the German surveillance aircraft instrumentation is given and major features of the sensor package as well as advantages of the design and architecture are presented. Results from routine operation over North and Baltic Sea are shown to illustrate the successful application of MEDUSA in maritime patrol of oil slicks and polluters. Recently the combination of the different sensor results towards one multispectral information has met with increasing interest. Thus new application fields and parameter sets could be derived, like oceanography or river flood management. The basic concepts and first results in the fusion of sensoric information will conclude the paper.

Optical remote sensing of atmospheric compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazquez, Gabriel J.

1996-02-01

Human activities are altering the earth system at the local, regional, and global scales. It is therefore of the utmost importance to track the workings of mother earth in order to detect any changes at their early stages so that appropriate actions are taken to understand, assess, control or prevent the adverse effects. A number of deleterious effects to the environment can, at least in part, be ascribed to air pollution, namely, the thinning of the ozone layer, the related increase in the occurrence of skin cancer, the warming of the earth system, photochemical smog, acid rain/fog, acidification of soils and waters, forest decline, etc. It is therefore necessary to monitor the most relevant processes of the earth's atmosphere, namely, the energy input, the dynamics and the chemistry. In this contribution I mainly focus on the latter, specifically, on the measurement/monitoring of atmospheric compounds. To understand atmospheric chemistry and air pollution it is necessary to have reliable and accurate values of the mixing ratios of the numerous atmospheric gases and of their diurnal/seasonal variations and long-term trends. In this contribution I present an overview of the most relevant optical remote sensing techniques that are rapidly becoming the methods of choice to probe the chemical composition and physical state of the atmosphere, especially when high selectivity, sensitivity and fast-time response are required.

On-line dynamic monitoring automotive exhausts: using BP-ANN for distinguishing multi-components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yudi; Wei, Ruyi; Liu, Xuebin

2017-10-01

Remote sensing-Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (RS-FTIR) is one of the most important technologies in atmospheric pollutant monitoring. It is very appropriate for on-line dynamic remote sensing monitoring of air pollutants, especially for the automotive exhausts. However, their absorption spectra are often seriously overlapped in the atmospheric infrared window bands, i.e. MWIR (3 5μm). Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is an algorithm based on the theory of the biological neural network, which simplifies the partial differential equation with complex construction. For its preferable performance in nonlinear mapping and fitting, in this paper we utilize Back Propagation-Artificial Neural Network (BP-ANN) to quantitatively analyze the concentrations of four typical industrial automotive exhausts, including CO, NO, NO2 and SO2. We extracted the original data of these automotive exhausts from the HITRAN database, most of which virtually overlapped, and established a mixed multi-component simulation environment. Based on Beer-Lambert Law, concentrations can be retrieved from the absorbance of spectra. Parameters including learning rate, momentum factor, the number of hidden nodes and iterations were obtained when the BP network was trained with 80 groups of input data. By improving these parameters, the network can be optimized to produce necessarily higher precision for the retrieved concentrations. This BP-ANN method proves to be an effective and promising algorithm on dealing with multi-components analysis of automotive exhausts.

Remote sensing in operational range management programs in Western Canada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, M. D.

1977-01-01

A pilot program carried out in Western Canada to test remote sensing under semi-operational conditions and display its applicability to operational range management programs was described. Four agencies were involved in the program, two in Alberta and two in Manitoba. Each had different objectives and needs for remote sensing within its range management programs, and each was generally unfamiliar with remote sensing techniques and their applications. Personnel with experience and expertise in the remote sensing and range management fields worked with the agency personnel through every phase of the pilot program. Results indicate that these agencies have found remote sensing to be a cost effective tool and will begin to utilize remote sensing in their operational work during ensuing seasons.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOURTH SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT; 12, 13, 14 APRIL 1966.

DTIC Science & Technology

The symposium was conducted as part of a continuing program investigating the field of remote sensing , its potential in scientific research and...information on all aspects of remote sensing , with special emphasis on such topics as needs for remotely sensed data, data management, and the special... remote sensing programs, data acquisition, data analysis and application, and equipment design, were presented. (Author)

Remote sensing and image interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lillesand, T. M.; Kiefer, R. W. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

A textbook prepared primarily for use in introductory courses in remote sensing is presented. Topics covered include concepts and foundations of remote sensing; elements of photographic systems; introduction to airphoto interpretation; airphoto interpretation for terrain evaluation; photogrammetry; radiometric characteristics of aerial photographs; aerial thermography; multispectral scanning and spectral pattern recognition; microwave sensing; and remote sensing from space.

Remote Measurement of Pollution - A 40-Year Langley Retrospective. Part 1; Temperature and Gaseous Species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Remsberg, Ellis E.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) phased down its Apollo Moon Program after 1970 in favor of a partly reusable Space Shuttle vehicle that could be used to construct and supply a manned, Earth-orbiting Space Station. Applications programs were emphasized in response to the growing public concern about Earth's finite natural resources and the degradation of its environment. Shortly thereafter, a workshop was convened in Norfolk, Virginia, on Remote Measurement of Pollution (or RMOP), and its findings are in a NASA Special Publication (NASA SP-285). The three primary workshop panels and their chairmen were focused on trace gas species (Will Kellogg), atmospheric particulates or aerosols (Verner Suomi), and water pollution (Gifford Ewing). Many of the workshop participants were specialists in the techniques that might be employed for the regional to global-scale, remote measurements from an Earth-orbiting satellite. The findings and recommendations of the RMOP Report represent the genesis of and a blueprint for the satellite, atmospheric sensing programs within NASA for nearly two decades. This paper is a brief, 40-year retrospective of those instrument developments that were an outgrowth of the RMOP activity. Its focus is on satellite measurement capabilities for temperature and gaseous species that were demonstrated by atmospheric technologists at the Langley Research Center. Limb absorption by solar occultation, limb infrared radiometry, and gas filter correlation radiometry techniques provided significant science data, so they are emphasized in this review.

The Fraunhofer line discriminator: An airborne fluorometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoertz, G. E.

1969-01-01

An experimental Fraunhofer Line Discriminator (FLD) can differentiate and measure solar-stimulated luminescence when viewed against a background of reflected light. Key elements are two extremely sensitive photomultipliers, two glass-spaced Fabry-Perot filters having a bandwidth less than 1 A, and an analog computer. As in conventional fluorometers, concentration of a fluorescent substance is measured by comparison with standards. Quantitative use is probably accurate only at low altitudes but detection of luminescent substances should be possible from any altitude. Applications of the present FLD include remote sensing of fluorescent dyes used in studies of current dynamics. The basic technique is applicable to detection of oil spills, monitoring of pollutants, and sensing over land areas.

Geotechnical applications of remote sensing and remote data transmission; Proceedings of the Symposium, Cocoa Beach, FL, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, A.I.; Pettersson, C.B.

1988-01-01

Papers and discussions concerning the geotechnical applications of remote sensing and remote data transmission, sources of remotely sensed data, and glossaries of remote sensing and remote data transmission terms, acronyms, and abbreviations are presented. Aspects of remote sensing use covered include the significance of lineaments and their effects on ground-water systems, waste-site use and geotechnical characterization, the estimation of reservoir submerging losses using CIR aerial photographs, and satellite-based investigation of the significance of surficial deposits for surface mining operations. Other topics presented include the location of potential ground subsidence and collapse features in soluble carbonate rock, optical Fourier analysis ofmore » surface features of interest in geotechnical engineering, geotechnical applications of U.S. Government remote sensing programs, updating the data base for a Geographic Information System, the joint NASA/Geosat Test Case Project, the selection of remote data telemetry methods for geotechnical applications, the standardization of remote sensing data collection and transmission, and a comparison of airborne Goodyear electronic mapping system/SAR with satelliteborne Seasat/SAR radar imagery.« less

Education in Environmental Remote Sensing: Potentials and Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiefer, Ralph W.; Lillesand, Thomas M.

1983-01-01

Discusses remote sensing principles and applications and the status and needs of remote sensing education in the United States. A summary of the fundamental policy issues that will determine remote sensing's future role in environmental and resource managements is included. (Author/BC)

THE EPA REMOTE SENSING ARCHIVE

EPA Science Inventory

What would you do if you were faced with organizing 30 years of remote sensing projects that had been haphazardly stored at two separate locations for years then combined? The EPA Remote Sensing Archive, currently located in Las Vegas, Nevada. contains the remote sensing data and...

Using remotely sensed imagery to estimate potential annual pollutant loads in river basins.

PubMed

He, Bin; Oki, Kazuo; Wang, Yi; Oki, Taikan

2009-01-01

Land cover changes around river basins have caused serious environmental degradation in global surface water areas, in which the direct monitoring and numerical modeling is inherently difficult. Prediction of pollutant loads is therefore crucial to river environmental management under the impact of climate change and intensified human activities. This research analyzed the relationship between land cover types estimated from NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery and the potential annual pollutant loads of river basins in Japan. Then an empirical approach, which estimates annual pollutant loads directly from satellite imagery and hydrological data, was investigated. Six water quality indicators were examined, including total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), suspended sediment (SS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Dissolved Oxygen (DO). The pollutant loads of TN, TP, SS, BOD, COD, and DO were then estimated for 30 river basins in Japan. Results show that the proposed simulation technique can be used to predict the pollutant loads of river basins in Japan. These results may be useful in establishing total maximum annual pollutant loads and developing best management strategies for surface water pollution at river basin scale.

Research on remote sensing image pixel attribute data acquisition method in AutoCAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaoyang; Sun, Guangtong; Liu, Jun; Liu, Hui

2013-07-01

The remote sensing image has been widely used in AutoCAD, but AutoCAD lack of the function of remote sensing image processing. In the paper, ObjectARX was used for the secondary development tool, combined with the Image Engine SDK to realize remote sensing image pixel attribute data acquisition in AutoCAD, which provides critical technical support for AutoCAD environment remote sensing image processing algorithms.

Bibliography of Remote Sensing Techniques Used in Wetland Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

remote sensing technology for detecting changes in wetland environments. This report documents a bibliographic search conducted as part of that work unit on applications of remote sensing techniques in wetland research. Results were used to guide research efforts on the use of remote sensing technology for wetland change detection and assessment. The citations are presented in three appendixes, organized by wetland type, sensor type, and author.... Change detection, Wetland assessment, Remote sensing ,

Kite Aerial Photography as a Tool for Remote Sensing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sallee, Jeff; Meier, Lesley R.

2010-01-01

As humans, we perform remote sensing nearly all the time. This is because we acquire most of our information about our surroundings through the senses of sight and hearing. Whether viewed by the unenhanced eye or a military satellite, remote sensing is observing objects from a distance. With our current technology, remote sensing has become a part…

Remote sensing for detecting and mapping whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) infestations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote sensing technology has long been used for detecting insect infestations on agricultural crops. With recent advances in remote sensing sensors and other spatial information technologies such as Global Position Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing is finding mo...

Reflections on Earth--Remote-Sensing Research from Your Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Bruce A.

2001-01-01

Points out the uses of remote sensing in different areas, and introduces the program "Reflections on Earth" which provides access to basic and instructional information on remote sensing to students and teachers. Introduces students to concepts related to remote sensing and measuring distances. (YDS)

Remote-Sensing Practice and Potential

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-05-01

Six essential processes that must be accomplished if use of a remote - sensing system is to result in useful information are defined as problem...to be useful in remote - sensing projects are described. An overview of the current state-of-the-art of remote sensing is presented.

History and future of remote sensing technology and education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N.

1980-01-01

A historical overview of the discovery and development of photography, related sciences, and remote sensing technology is presented. The role of education to date in the development of remote sensing is discussed. The probable future and potential of remote sensing and training is described.

Merging Air Quality and Public Health Decision Support Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudspeth, W. B.; Bales, C. L.

2003-12-01

The New Mexico Air Quality Mapper (NMAQM) is a Web-based, open source GIS prototype application that Earth Data Analysis Center is developing under a NASA Cooperative Agreement. NMAQM enhances and extends existing data and imagery delivery systems with an existing Public Health system called the Rapid Syndrome Validation Project (RSVP). RSVP is a decision support system operating in several medical and public health arenas. It is evolving to ingest remote sensing data as input to provide early warning of human health threats, especially those related to anthropogenic atmospheric pollutants and airborne pathogens. The NMAQM project applies measurements of these atmospheric pollutants, derived from both remotely sensed data as well as from in-situ air quality networks, to both forecasting and retrospective analyses that influence human respiratory health. NMAQM provides a user-friendly interface for visualizing and interpreting environmentally-linked epidemiological phenomena. The results, and the systems made to provide the information, will be applicable not only to decision-makers in the public health realm, but also to air quality organizations, demographers, community planners, and other professionals in information technology, and social and engineering sciences. As an accessible and interactive mapping and analysis application, it allows environment and health personnel to study historic data for hypothesis generation and trend analysis, and then, potentially, to predict air quality conditions from daily data acquisitions. Additional spin off benefits to such users include the identification of gaps in the distribution of in-situ monitoring stations, the dissemination of air quality data to the public, and the discrimination of local vs. more regional sources of air pollutants that may bear on decisions relating to public health and public policy.

Remote sensing of GHG over Paris megacity and Orléans forest using ground-based QualAir FTS and TCCON-Orléans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Te, Y.; Jeseck, P.; Da Costa, J.; Deutscher, N. M.; Warneke, T.; Notholt, J.

2012-04-01

In a growing world with more than 7 billion inhabitants and big emerging countries such as China, Brazil and India, emissions of anthropogenic pollutants are increasing continuously. Monitoring and control of atmospheric pollutants in megacities have become a major challenge for scientists and public health authorities in environmental research area. The QualAir platform at University Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), is an innovating experimental research platform dedicated to survey greenhouse gases (GHGs) and urban air quality. As one of the major instruments of the QualAir platform, the ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer (QualAir FTS, IFS 125HR model) analyses the composition of the urban atmosphere of Paris, which is the third European megacity. The continuous monitoring of atmospheric pollutants is essential to improve the understanding of urban air pollution processes. Associated with a sun-tracker, the QualAir remote sensing FTS operates in solar infrared absorption and enables to monitor many trace gases, and to follow up their variability in the Ile-de-France region. A description of the QualAir FTS will be given. Concentrations of atmospheric GHG, especially CO2 and CH4, are retrieved by the radiative transfer model PROFFIT. Located in the centre of Paris, the QualAir FTS can provide new and complementary urban measurements as compared to unpolluted ground-based stations of existing networks (NDACC and TCCON). The work made by LPMAA to join the TCCON network will also be presented. TCCON-Orléans is a ground-based FTS of the TCCON network located in the forest of Orléans (100 km south of Paris). Preliminary comparisons of GHGs measurements from both sites will be shown. Such ground-based information will help to better characterize regional GHGs, especially regarding anthropogenic emissions and trends.

Utilizing NASA DISCOVER-AQ Data to Examine Spatial Gradients in Complex Emission Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzanowicz, M. E.; Moore, W.; Crawford, J. H.; Schroeder, J.

2017-12-01

Although many regulations have been enacted with the goal of improving air quality, many parts of the US are still classified as `non-attainment areas' because they frequently violate federal air quality standards. Adequately monitoring the spatial distribution of pollutants both within and outside of non-attainment areas has been an ongoing challenge for regulators. Observations of near-surface pollution from space-based platforms would provide an unprecedented view of the spatial distribution of pollution, but this goal has not yet been realized due to fundamental limitations of satellites, specifically because the footprint size of satellite measurements may not be sufficiently small enough to capture true gradients in pollution, and rather represents an average over a large area. NASA's DISCOVER-AQ was a multi-year field campaign aimed at improving our understanding of the role that remote sensing, including satellite-based remote sensing, could play in air quality monitoring systems. DISCOVER-AQ data will be utilized to create a metric to examine spatial gradients and how satellites can capture those gradients in areas with complex emission environments. Examining horizontal variability within a vertical column is critical to understanding mixing within the atmosphere. Aircraft spirals conducted during DISCOVER-AQ were divided into octants, and averages of a given a species were calculated, with certain points receiving a flag. These flags were determined by calculating gradients between subsequent octants. Initial calculations have shown that over areas with large point source emissions, such as Platteville and Denver-La Casa in Colorado, and Essex, Maryland, satellite retrievals may not adequately capture spatial variability in the atmosphere, thus complicating satellite inversion techniques and limiting our ability to understand human exposure on sub-grid scales. Further calculations at other locations and for other trace gases are necessary to determine the effects of vertical variability within the atmosphere.

Assessing community exposure to hazardous air pollutants by combining optical remote sensing and "low-cost" sensor technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikelnaya, O.; Polidori, A.; Wimmer, R.; Mellqvist, J.; Samuelsson, J.; Marianne, E.; Andersson, P.; Brohede, S.; Izos, O.

2017-12-01

Industrial facilities such as refineries and oil processing facilities can be sources of chemicals adversely affecting human health, for example aromatic hydrocarbons and formaldehyde. In an urban setting, such as the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB), exposure to harmful air pollutants (HAP's) for residents of communities neighboring such facilities is of serious concern. Traditionally, exposure assessments are performed by modeling a community exposure using emission inventories and data collected at fixed air monitoring sites. However, recent field measurements found that emission inventories may underestimate HAP emissions from refineries; and HAP measurements data from fixed sites is lacking spatial resolution; as a result, the impact of HAP emissions on communities is highly uncertain. The next generation air monitoring technologies can help address these challenges. For example, dense "low-cost" sensors allow continuous monitoring of concentrations of pollutants within communities with high temporal- and spatial- resolution, and optical remote sensing (ORS) technologies offer measurements of emission fluxes and real-time ground-concentration mapping of HAPs. South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is currently conducting a multi-year study using ORS methods and "low-cost" Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) sensors to monitor HAP emissions from selected industrial facilities in the SCAB and their ambient concentrations in neighboring communities. For this purpose, quarterly mobile ORS surveys are conducted to quantify facility-wide emissions for VOCs, aromatic hydrocarbons and HCHO, and to collect ground-concentration profiles of these pollutants inside neighboring communities. Additionally, "low-cost" sensor nodes for deployment in neighborhood(s) downwind of the facilities have been developed in order to obtain long-term, granular data on neighborhood VOC concentrations, During this presentation we will discuss initial results of quarterly ORS surveys and pilot "low-cost" sensor deployments. We will also outline benefits of using a combination of mobile ORS surveys and "low-cost" sensor networks for community exposure monitoring.

Air quality in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games observed by satellites and ground monitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Q.; Liu, Y.; He, K.; Chen, L.; Wang, Z.; Koutrakis, P.; Christiani, D.

2008-12-01

Beijing's severe air pollution has been a major concern for hosting the 29th Olympic Games and Special Olympic Games from August 8 to August 24, 2008. It was generally expected that its air quality in 2008, at least around the period of Olympic Games, would be significantly improved through aggressive government control measures However, it is also expected that the improvement of air quality will not be sustainable due to high economic costs. Thus, the massive temporary improvement of air quality in Beijing metropolitan area induced by direct government intervention will serve as an extremely rare "natural experiment", generating a great contrast in air pollution levels in a short period of time. A ground measurement campaign was conducted to evaluate the variation of airborne particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10) levels in Beijing from late July to early September of 2008. Satellite aerosol remote sensing data from MISR, MODIS, and OMI during this period were also analyzed to evaluate the spatial distribution of particles in Beijing and surrounding areas. Preliminary analysis indicated that city-wide ground PM10 level in August was 30% lower than that in 2007. During the Olympic Games, PM10 level was nearly 50% lower than the same period in 2007. There are a total of 14 days with daily PM10 concentrations below 50 micrograms per cubic meter, longest since the ground monitoring network was established in 2001. PM2.5 concentrations measured from three research sites showed a similar reduction. Satellite remote sensing data are limited during the Games due to extensive cloud cover. However, existing data in August and September show a substantial regional reduction of aerosol optical depth. In conclusion, the pollution control measures effectively improved the air quality in Beijing and provided insight on how the Chinese government may mitigate air pollution in many of its large cities.

Satellite view of the extreme haze clouds over China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minghui, T.; Chen, L.; Wang, Z.

2013-12-01

Minghui Tao*, Liangfu Chen, Zifeng Wang State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Jointly Sponsored by Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100101, China *Email: tmh1985@163.com ABSTRACT: In the past decades, great increases in anthropogenic emissions have caused dramatic changes in air quality and regional climate in China, which are further complicated by the natural processes such as dust events and atmospheric dynamics such as variations in intensity of the Asian monsoon. The common urban photochemistry smog, haze, and fog-haze pollution lead to poor air quality in major cities in eastern and middle parts of China. On the other hand, the heavy aerosol loading exerts marked influences on radiation, clouds, and precipitation over China. Satellites usually observed widespread haze clouds over eastern China. In most of previous studies, the dense haze clouds were directly connected with accumulation of anthropogenic emissions. However, satellite observations show that formation processes of haze clouds and local pollution near surface were different. Understanding the connections and interactions between haze clouds and local anthropogenic emissions is essential in chemistry and climate modeling of the aerosols over China. In January 2013, durative haze clouds covered most parts of eastern China, leading to extreme pollution events in many cities. With integrated A-train satellite observations and ground measurements, we investigated variations, optical properties, vertical structures as well as formation process of the extreme haze clouds over eastern China. Satellite-surface results were compared to analyze relations between the haze clouds and surface pollution. Different from traditional views, our results reveal that variation and formation of the haze clouds were driven by large-scale natural processes rather than local anthropogenic emissions. Figure 1. Aqua MODIS true color images of the haze clouds over eastern China on Jan 10, 2013.

Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Robert A.; Byler, Dirck; Eastman, J. Ron; Fleishman, Erica; Geller, Gary; Goetz, Scott; Guild, Liane; Hamilton, Healy; Hansen, Matt; Headley, Rachel; Hewson, Jennifer; Horning, Ned; Kaplin, Beth A.; Laporte, Nadine; Leidner, Allison K.; Leimgruber, Peter; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Musinsky, John; Pintea, Lilian; Prados, Ana; Radeloff, Volker C.; Rowen, Mary; Saatchi, Sassan; Schill, Steve; Tabor, Karyn; Turner, Woody; Vodacek, Anthony; Vogelmann, James; Wegmann, Martin; Wilkie, David; Wilson, Cara

2014-01-01

In an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed data and analyses of those data. Our goals were to increase conservation practitioners’ use of remote sensing to support their work, increase collaboration between the conservation science and remote sensing communities, identify and develop new and innovative uses of remote sensing for advancing conservation science, provide guidance to space agencies on how future satellite missions can support conservation science, and generate support from the public and private sector in the use of remote sensing data to address the 10 conservation questions. We identified a broad initial list of questions on the basis of an email chain-referral survey. We then used a workshop-based iterative and collaborative approach to whittle the list down to these final questions (which represent 10 major themes in conservation): How can global Earth observation data be used to model species distributions and abundances? How can remote sensing improve the understanding of animal movements? How can remotely sensed ecosystem variables be used to understand, monitor, and predict ecosystem response and resilience to multiple stressors? How can remote sensing be used to monitor the effects of climate on ecosystems? How can near real-time ecosystem monitoring catalyze threat reduction, governance and regulation compliance, and resource management decisions? How can remote sensing inform configuration of protected area networks at spatial extents relevant to populations of target species and ecosystem services? How can remote sensing-derived products be used to value and monitor changes in ecosystem services? How can remote sensing be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts? How does the expansion and intensification of agriculture and aquaculture alter ecosystems and the services they provide? How can remote sensing be used to determine the degree to which ecosystems are being disturbed or degraded and the effects of these changes on species and ecosystem functions?

Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation.

PubMed

Rose, Robert A; Byler, Dirck; Eastman, J Ron; Fleishman, Erica; Geller, Gary; Goetz, Scott; Guild, Liane; Hamilton, Healy; Hansen, Matt; Headley, Rachel; Hewson, Jennifer; Horning, Ned; Kaplin, Beth A; Laporte, Nadine; Leidner, Allison; Leimgruber, Peter; Morisette, Jeffrey; Musinsky, John; Pintea, Lilian; Prados, Ana; Radeloff, Volker C; Rowen, Mary; Saatchi, Sassan; Schill, Steve; Tabor, Karyn; Turner, Woody; Vodacek, Anthony; Vogelmann, James; Wegmann, Martin; Wilkie, David; Wilson, Cara

2015-04-01

In an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed data and analyses of those data. Our goals were to increase conservation practitioners' use of remote sensing to support their work, increase collaboration between the conservation science and remote sensing communities, identify and develop new and innovative uses of remote sensing for advancing conservation science, provide guidance to space agencies on how future satellite missions can support conservation science, and generate support from the public and private sector in the use of remote sensing data to address the 10 conservation questions. We identified a broad initial list of questions on the basis of an email chain-referral survey. We then used a workshop-based iterative and collaborative approach to whittle the list down to these final questions (which represent 10 major themes in conservation): How can global Earth observation data be used to model species distributions and abundances? How can remote sensing improve the understanding of animal movements? How can remotely sensed ecosystem variables be used to understand, monitor, and predict ecosystem response and resilience to multiple stressors? How can remote sensing be used to monitor the effects of climate on ecosystems? How can near real-time ecosystem monitoring catalyze threat reduction, governance and regulation compliance, and resource management decisions? How can remote sensing inform configuration of protected area networks at spatial extents relevant to populations of target species and ecosystem services? How can remote sensing-derived products be used to value and monitor changes in ecosystem services? How can remote sensing be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts? How does the expansion and intensification of agriculture and aquaculture alter ecosystems and the services they provide? How can remote sensing be used to determine the degree to which ecosystems are being disturbed or degraded and the effects of these changes on species and ecosystem functions? © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Role of remote sensing in documenting living resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, P. E.; Anderson, R. R.; Brun, B.; Eisenberg, M.; Genys, J. B.; Lear, D. W., Jr.; Miller, M. H.

1978-01-01

Specific cases of known or potentially useful applications of remote sensing in assessing biological resources are discussed. It is concluded that the more usable remote sensing techniques relate to the measurement of population fluctuations in aquatic systems. Sensing of the flora and the fauna of the Bay is considered with emphasis on direct sensing of aquatic plant populations and of water quality. Recommendations for remote sensing projects are given.

Commercial future: making remote sensing a media event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lurie, Ian

1999-12-01

The rapid growth of commercial remote sensing has made high quality digital sensing data widely available -- now, remote sensing must become and remain a strong, commercially viable industry. However, this new industry cannot survive without an educated consumer base. To access markets, remote sensing providers must make their product more accessible, both literally and figuratively: Potential customers must be able to find the data they require, when they require it, and they must understand the utility of the information available to them. The Internet and the World Wide Web offer the perfect medium to educate potential customers and to sell remote sensing data to those customers. A well-designed web presence can provide both an information center and a market place for companies offering their data for sale. A very high potential web-based market for remote sensing lies in media. News agencies, web sites, and a host of other visual media services can use remote sensing data to provide current, relevant information regarding news around the world. This paper will provide a model for promotion and sale of remote sensing data via the Internet.

77 FR 39220 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Charter Renewal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Charter Renewal AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration... Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) was renewed on March 14, 2012. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties...

76 FR 66042 - Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

... Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES); Request for Nominations ACTION: Notice requesting nominations for the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) was established to advise the Secretary of Commerce, through the Under Secretary...

An introduction to quantitative remote sensing. [data processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindenlaub, J. C.; Russell, J.

1974-01-01

The quantitative approach to remote sensing is discussed along with the analysis of remote sensing data. Emphasis is placed on the application of pattern recognition in numerically oriented remote sensing systems. A common background and orientation for users of the LARS computer software system is provided.

Remote Sensing of Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation: A Review from the Perspective of Remote Sensing Specialists

PubMed Central

Wang, Kai; Franklin, Steven E.; Guo, Xulin; Cattet, Marc

2010-01-01

Remote sensing, the science of obtaining information via noncontact recording, has swept the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation (EBC). Several quality review papers have contributed to this field. However, these papers often discuss the issues from the standpoint of an ecologist or a biodiversity specialist. This review focuses on the spaceborne remote sensing of EBC from the perspective of remote sensing specialists, i.e., it is organized in the context of state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, including instruments and techniques. Herein, the instruments to be discussed consist of high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, thermal infrared, small-satellite constellation, and LIDAR sensors; and the techniques refer to image classification, vegetation index (VI), inversion algorithm, data fusion, and the integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). PMID:22163432

Remote sensing of ecology, biodiversity and conservation: a review from the perspective of remote sensing specialists.

PubMed

Wang, Kai; Franklin, Steven E; Guo, Xulin; Cattet, Marc

2010-01-01

Remote sensing, the science of obtaining information via noncontact recording, has swept the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation (EBC). Several quality review papers have contributed to this field. However, these papers often discuss the issues from the standpoint of an ecologist or a biodiversity specialist. This review focuses on the spaceborne remote sensing of EBC from the perspective of remote sensing specialists, i.e., it is organized in the context of state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, including instruments and techniques. Herein, the instruments to be discussed consist of high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, thermal infrared, small-satellite constellation, and LIDAR sensors; and the techniques refer to image classification, vegetation index (VI), inversion algorithm, data fusion, and the integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS).

Remote Sensing and Reflectance Profiling in Entomology.

PubMed

Nansen, Christian; Elliott, Norman

2016-01-01

Remote sensing describes the characterization of the status of objects and/or the classification of their identity based on a combination of spectral features extracted from reflectance or transmission profiles of radiometric energy. Remote sensing can be benchtop based, and therefore acquired at a high spatial resolution, or airborne at lower spatial resolution to cover large areas. Despite important challenges, airborne remote sensing technologies will undoubtedly be of major importance in optimized management of agricultural systems in the twenty-first century. Benchtop remote sensing applications are becoming important in insect systematics and in phenomics studies of insect behavior and physiology. This review highlights how remote sensing influences entomological research by enabling scientists to nondestructively monitor how individual insects respond to treatments and ambient conditions. Furthermore, novel remote sensing technologies are creating intriguing interdisciplinary bridges between entomology and disciplines such as informatics and electrical engineering.

Remote Sensing in Geography in the New Millennium: Prospects, Challenges, and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Jensen, John R.; Morain, Stanley A.; Walsh, Stephen J.; Ridd, Merrill K.

1999-01-01

Remote sensing science contributes greatly to our understanding of the Earth's ecosystems and cultural landscapes. Almost all the natural and social sciences, including geography, rely heavily on remote sensing to provide quantitative, and indispensable spatial information. Many geographers have made significant contributions to remote sensing science since the 1970s, including the specification of advanced remote sensing systems, improvements in analog and digital image analysis, biophysical modeling, and terrain analysis. In fact, the Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) is one of the largest specialty groups within the AAG with over 500 members. Remote sensing in concert with a geographic information systems, offers much value to geography as both an incisive spatial-analytical tool and as a scholarly pursuit that adds to the body of geographic knowledge on the whole. The "power" of remote sensing as a research endeavor in geography lies in its capabilities for obtaining synoptic, near-real time data at many spatial and temporal scales, and in many regions of the electromagnetic spectrum - from microwave, to RADAR, to visible, and reflective and thermal infrared. In turn, these data present a vast compendium of information for assessing Earth attributes and characte6stics that are at the very core of geography. Here we revisit how remote sensing has become a fundamental and important tool for geographical research, and how with the advent of new and improved sensing systems to be launched in the near future, remote sensing will further advance geographical analysis in the approaching New Millennium.

A theoretical/experimental program to develop active optical pollution sensors, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poultney, S. K.

1975-01-01

Progress is reported on experimental investigations of Lidar and the application of Lidar to environmental and atmospheric science. Specifically the following programs are considered: calibration and application of the LaRC 48-inch Lidar; efficient and certain detection of SO2 and other gases in the calibration tank using the Raman Stack Monitor Lidar; the potential of Lidar remote sensing from the space shuttle; and the planning and mounting of efforts to realize the promise of backscatter differential absorption Lidar.

War Damage Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

During and after the Persian Gulf war, hundreds of "oil lakes" were created in Kuwait by oil released from damaged wells. The lakes are a hazard to the Kuwait atmosphere, soil and ground water and must be carefully monitored. Boston University Center for Remote Sensing, assisted by other organizations, has accurately mapped the lakes using Landsat and Spot imagery. The war damage included the formation of over 300 oil lakes, oil pollution and sand dune movement. Total damage area is over 5,400 square kilometers - 30 percent of Kuwait's total surface area.

Remote sensing applications to hydrology in Minnesota. [Rice Creek watershed and St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, D.; Skaggs, R.

1975-01-01

Development of low lying southeastern shore of Pike Lake is described as part of the Rice Creek watershed study. Several small wetlands in Arden Hills, Minnesota were incorporated into the drainage plans as pollutant and nutrient sinks rather than being infilled. Lake water quality in the St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area was analyzed using Landsat images. In the same urban area, the inventory and seasonal change of the open water were also studied.

State of the Art Satellite and Airborne Marine Oil Spill Remote Sensing: Application to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

numerical oil spill model validation showing the need for improvedmodel param- eterizations of basic oil spill processes (Cheng et al., 2010). 3.1.2...2004). Modelling the bidirectional reflectance distribution function ( BRDF ) of seawater polluted by an oil film. Optics Express, 12, 1671–1676. Pilon...display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 2012 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2012 to 00-00-2012 4. TITLE AND

The economic value of remote sensing of earth resources from space: An ERTS overview and the value of continuity of service. Volume 10: Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lietzke, K. R.

1974-01-01

The economic benefits of an ERS system in the area of industrial resources are discussed. Contributions of ERTS imagery to the improvement of shipping routes, detection of previously unknown and potentially active faults in construction areas, and monitoring industrial pollution are described. Due to lack of economic research concerning the subject of ERS applications in this resource area the benefit estimations reported are regarded as tentative and preliminary.

Lake water quality mapping from Landsat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherz, J. P.

1977-01-01

In the project described remote sensing was used to check the quality of lake waters. The lakes of three Landsat scenes were mapped with the Bendix MDAS multispectral analysis system. From the MDAS color coded maps, the lake with the worst algae problem was easily located. The lake was closely checked, and the presence of 100 cows in the springs which fed the lake could be identified as the pollution source. The laboratory and field work involved in the lake classification project is described.

Agricultural Production Monitoring in the Sahel Using Remote Sensing: Present Possibilities and Research Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

during the agricultural season. Satellite remote sensing can contribute significantly to such a system by collecting information on crops and on...well as techniques to derive biophysical variables from remotely-sensed data. Finally, the integration of these remote - sensing techniques with crop

Estimation of surface temperature in remote pollution measurement experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, S. K.; Tiwari, S. N.

1978-01-01

A simple algorithm has been developed for estimating the actual surface temperature by applying corrections to the effective brightness temperature measured by radiometers mounted on remote sensing platforms. Corrections to effective brightness temperature are computed using an accurate radiative transfer model for the 'basic atmosphere' and several modifications of this caused by deviations of the various atmospheric and surface parameters from their base model values. Model calculations are employed to establish simple analytical relations between the deviations of these parameters and the additional temperature corrections required to compensate for them. Effects of simultaneous variation of two parameters are also examined. Use of these analytical relations instead of detailed radiative transfer calculations for routine data analysis results in a severalfold reduction in computation costs.

Computerized data reduction techniques for nadir viewing remote sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, S. N.; Gormsen, Barbara B.

1985-01-01

Computer resources have been developed for the analysis and reduction of MAPS experimental data from the OSTA-1 payload. The MAPS Research Project is concerned with the measurement of the global distribution of mid-tropospheric carbon monoxide. The measurement technique for the MAPS instrument is based on non-dispersive gas filter radiometer operating in the nadir viewing mode. The MAPS experiment has two passive remote sensing instruments, the prototype instrument which is used to measure tropospheric air pollution from aircraft platforms and the third generation (OSTA) instrument which is used to measure carbon monoxide in the mid and upper troposphere from space platforms. Extensive effort was also expended in support of the MAPS/OSTA-3 shuttle flight. Specific capabilities and resources developed are discussed.

Antennas Lower Cost of Satellite Access

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Whether for scientific inquiry, weather forecasting, or public safety, the world relies upon the data gathered by satellite remote sensing. Some of NASA s most valuable work is in its remote sensing capabilities - the ability to retrieve data acquired at great distances - affording a height and scope not available from the ground. NASA satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) monitor ocean health by taking large-scale pictures of phytoplankton blooms and measuring surface temperatures; snap photographs of full hurricanes from above, teaching researchers about how these giant storms form; and capture images of cloud formation and air pollution, all allowing researchers to further develop understanding of the planet s health. NASA remote sensing satellites also monitor shifts in the Earth s crust, analyze wind patterns around the world to develop efficient wind energy, help people around the world recover from natural disasters, and monitor diminishing sea ice levels. Just as researchers are more heavily relying on this data from space to conduct their work, the instruments carried on satellites are getting more sophisticated and capable of capturing increasingly complex and accurate measurements. The satellites are covering larger areas, from farther away, and generating more and more valuable data. The ground-based receivers for this wealth of satellite data have grown increasingly capable of handling greater bandwidth and higher power levels. They have also become less expensive, through a NASA research partnership, with the creation of a high-rate X-band data receiver system that is now in widespread use around the globe.

Advances in Remote Sensing for Oil Spill Disaster Management: State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology for Oil Spill Surveillance

PubMed Central

Jha, Maya Nand; Levy, Jason; Gao, Yang

2008-01-01

Reducing the risk of oil spill disasters is essential for protecting the environment and reducing economic losses. Oil spill surveillance constitutes an important component of oil spill disaster management. Advances in remote sensing technologies can help to identify parties potentially responsible for pollution and to identify minor spills before they cause widespread damage. Due to the large number of sensors currently available for oil spill surveillance, there is a need for a comprehensive overview and comparison of existing sensors. Specifically, this paper examines the characteristics and applications of different sensors. A better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of oil spill surveillance sensors will improve the operational use of these sensors for oil spill response and contingency planning. Laser fluorosensors were found to be the best available sensor for oil spill detection since they not only detect and classify oil on all surfaces but also operate in either the day or night. For example, the Scanning Laser Environmental Airborne Fluorosensor (SLEAF) sensor was identified to be a valuable tool for oil spill surveillance. However, no single sensor was able to provide all information required for oil spill contingency planning. Hence, combinations of sensors are currently used for oil spill surveillance. Specifically, satellite sensors are used for preliminary oil spill assessment while airborne sensors are used for detailed oil spill analysis. While satellite remote sensing is not suitable for tactical oil spill planning it can provide a synoptic coverage of the affected area. PMID:27879706

Concept of an advanced hyperspectral remote sensing system for pipeline monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keskin, Göksu; Teutsch, Caroline D.; Lenz, Andreas; Middelmann, Wolfgang

2015-10-01

Areas occupied by oil pipelines and storage facilities are prone to severe contamination due to leaks caused by natural forces, poor maintenance or third parties. These threats have to be detected as quickly as possible in order to prevent serious environmental damage. Periodical and emergency monitoring activities need to be carried out for successful disaster management and pollution minimization. Airborne remote sensing stands out as an appropriate choice to operate either in an emergency or periodically. Hydrocarbon Index (HI) and Hydrocarbon Detection Index (HDI) utilize the unique absorption features of hydrocarbon based materials at SWIR spectral region. These band ratio based methods require no a priori knowledge of the reference spectrum and can be calculated in real time. This work introduces a flexible airborne pipeline monitoring system based on the online quasi-operational hyperspectral remote sensing system developed at Fraunhofer IOSB, utilizing HI and HDI for oil leak detection on the data acquired by an SWIR imaging sensor. Robustness of HI and HDI compared to state of the art detection algorithms is evaluated in an experimental setup using a synthetic dataset, which was prepared in a systematic way to simulate linear mixtures of selected background and oil spectra consisting of gradually decreasing percentages of oil content. Real airborne measurements in Ettlingen, Germany are used to gather background data while the crude oil spectrum was measured with a field spectrometer. The results indicate that the system can be utilized for online and offline monitoring activities.

Preliminary results of BTDF calibration of transmissive solar diffusers for remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2016-09-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflected solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the optical properties of their diffusers used in pre-flight and post-flight calibrations. The majority of recent and current space instruments use reflective diffusers. As a result, numerous Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) calibration comparisons have been conducted between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other industry and university-based metrology laboratories. However, based on literature searches and communications with NIST and other laboratories, no Bidirectional Transmittance Distribution Function (BTDF) measurement comparisons have been conducted between National Measurement Laboratories (NMLs) and other metrology laboratories. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the use of transmissive diffusers in the calibration of satellite, air-borne, and ground-based remote sensing instruments. Current remote sensing instruments employing transmissive diffusers include the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite instrument (OMPS) Limb instrument on the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) platform,, the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) on the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's (KARI) Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura platform, the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument and the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS).. This ensemble of instruments requires validated BTDF measurements of their onboard transmissive diffusers from the ultraviolet through the near infrared. This paper presents the preliminary results of a BTDF comparison between the NASA Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCL) and NIST on quartz and thin Spectralon samples.

Development of a Land Use Mapping and Monitoring Protocol for the High Plains Region: A Multitemporal Remote Sensing Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, Kevin P.; Nellis, M. Duane

1996-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a practical protocol that employs multitemporal remotely sensed imagery, integrated with environmental parameters to model and monitor agricultural and natural resources in the High Plains Region of the United States. The value of this project would be extended throughout the region via workshops targeted at carefully selected audiences and designed to transfer remote sensing technology and the methods and applications developed. Implementation of such a protocol using remotely sensed satellite imagery is critical for addressing many issues of regional importance, including: (1) Prediction of rural land use/land cover (LULC) categories within a region; (2) Use of rural LULC maps for successive years to monitor change; (3) Crop types derived from LULC maps as important inputs to water consumption models; (4) Early prediction of crop yields; (5) Multi-date maps of crop types to monitor patterns related to crop change; (6) Knowledge of crop types to monitor condition and improve prediction of crop yield; (7) More precise models of crop types and conditions to improve agricultural economic forecasts; (8;) Prediction of biomass for estimating vegetation production, soil protection from erosion forces, nonpoint source pollution, wildlife habitat quality and other related factors; (9) Crop type and condition information to more accurately predict production of biogeochemicals such as CO2, CH4, and other greenhouse gases that are inputs to global climate models; (10) Provide information regarding limiting factors (i.e., economic constraints of pumping, fertilizing, etc.) used in conjunction with other factors, such as changes in climate for predicting changes in rural LULC; (11) Accurate prediction of rural LULC used to assess the effectiveness of government programs such as the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Conservation Reserve Program; and (12) Prediction of water demand based on rural LULC that can be related to rates of draw-down of underground water supplies.

Integration of Remote Sensing and Geophysical Applications for Delineation of Geological Structures: Implication for Water Resources in Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, L.; Farag, A. Z. A.

2017-12-01

North African countries struggle with insufficient, polluted, oversubscribed, and increasingly expensive water. This natural water shortage, in addition to the lack of a comprehensive scheme for the identification of new water resources challenge the political settings in north Africa. Groundwater is one of the main water resources and its occurrence is controlled by the structural elements which are still poorly understood. Integration of remote sensing images and geophysical tools enable us to delineate the surface and subsurface structures (i.e. faults, joints and shear zones), identify the role of these structures on groundwater flow and then to define the proper locations for groundwater wells. This approach were applied to three different areas in Egypt; southern Sinai, north eastern Sinai and the Eastern Desert using remote sensing, geophysical and hydrogeological datasets as follows: (1) identification of the spatial and temporal rainfall events using meteorological station data and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data; (2) delineation of major faults and shear zones using ALOS Palsar, Landsat 8 and ASTER images, geological maps and field investigation; (3) generation of a normalized difference ratio image using Envisat radar images before and after the rain events to identify preferential water-channeling discontinuities in the crystalline terrain; (4) analysis of well data and derivations of hydrological parameters; (5) validation of the water-channeling discontinuities using Very Low Frequency, testing the structural elements (pre-delineated by remote sensing data) and their depth using gravity, magnetic and Vertical Electrical Sounding methods; (6) generation of regional groundwater flow and isotopic (18O and 2H) distribution maps for the sedimentary aquifer and an approximation flow map for the crystalline aquifer. The outputs include: (1) a conceptual/physical model for the groundwater flow in fractured crystalline and sedimentary aquifers; (2) locations of suggested new wells in light of the findings.

Method of determining forest production from remotely sensed forest parameters

DOEpatents

Corey, J.C.; Mackey, H.E. Jr.

1987-08-31

A method of determining forest production entirely from remotely sensed data in which remotely sensed multispectral scanner (MSS) data on forest 5 composition is combined with remotely sensed radar imaging data on forest stand biophysical parameters to provide a measure of forest production. A high correlation has been found to exist between the remotely sensed radar imaging data and on site measurements of biophysical 10 parameters such as stand height, diameter at breast height, total tree height, mean area per tree, and timber stand volume.

Removal of Surface-Reflected Light for the Measurement of Remote-Sensing Reflectance from an Above-Surface Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

remote - sensing reflectance) can be highly inaccurate if a spectrally constant value is applied (although errors can be reduced by carefully filtering measured raw data). To remove surface-reflected light in field measurements of remote sensing reflectance, a spectral optimization approach was applied, with results compared with those from remote sensing models and from direct measurements. The agreement from different determinations suggests that reasonable results for remote sensing reflectance of clear

Removal of Surface-Reflected Light for the Measurement of Remote-Sensing Reflectance from an Above-Surface Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-06

remote - sensing reflectance) can be highly inaccurate if a spectrally constant value is applied (although errors can be reduced by carefully filtering measured raw data). To remove surface-reflected light in field measurements of remote sensing reflectance, a spectral optimization approach was applied, with results compared with those from remote sensing models and from direct measurements. The agreement from different determinations suggests that reasonable results for remote sensing reflectance of clear

Coral Reef Color: Remote and In-Situ Imaging Spectroscopy of Reef Structure and Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochberg, E. J.

2016-02-01

Coral reefs are threatened at local to global scales by a litany of anthropogenic impacts, including overfishing, coastal development, marine and watershed pollution, rising ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification. However, available data for the primary indicator of coral reef condition — proportional cover of living coral — are surprisingly sparse and show patterns that contradict the prevailing understanding of how environment impacts reef condition. Remote sensing is the only available tool for acquiring synoptic, uniform data on reef condition at regional to global scales. Discrimination between coral and other reef benthos relies on narrow wavebands afforded by imaging spectroscopy. The same spectral information allows non-invasive quantification of photosynthetic pigment composition, which shows unexpected phenological trends. There is also potential to link biodiversity with optical diversity, though there has been no effort in that direction. Imaging spectroscopy underlies the light-use efficiency model for reef primary production by quantifying light capture, which in turn indicates biochemical capacity for CO2 assimilation. Reef calcification is strongly correlated with primary production, suggesting the possibility for an optics-based model of that aspect of reef function, as well. By scaling these spectral models for use with remote sensing, we can vastly improve our understanding of reef structure, function, and overall condition across regional to global scales. By analyzing those remote sensing products against ancillary environmental data, we can construct secondary models to predict reef futures in the era of global change. This final point is the objective of CORAL (COral Reef Airborne Laboratory), a three-year project funded under NASA's Earth Venture Suborbital-2 program to investigate the relationship between coral reef condition at the ecosystem scale and various nominal biogeophysical forcing parameters.

Coral Reef Color: Remote and In-Situ Imaging Spectroscopy of Reef Structure and Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochberg, E. J.

2015-12-01

Coral reefs are threatened at local to global scales by a litany of anthropogenic impacts, including overfishing, coastal development, marine and watershed pollution, rising ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification. However, available data for the primary indicator of coral reef condition — proportional cover of living coral — are surprisingly sparse and show patterns that contradict the prevailing understanding of how environment impacts reef condition. Remote sensing is the only available tool for acquiring synoptic, uniform data on reef condition at regional to global scales. Discrimination between coral and other reef benthos relies on narrow wavebands afforded by imaging spectroscopy. The same spectral information allows non-invasive quantification of photosynthetic pigment composition, which shows unexpected phenological trends. There is also potential to link biodiversity with optical diversity, though there has been no effort in that direction. Imaging spectroscopy underlies the light-use efficiency model for reef primary production by quantifying light capture, which in turn indicates biochemical capacity for CO2 assimilation. Reef calcification is strongly correlated with primary production, suggesting the possibility for an optics-based model of that aspect of reef function, as well. By scaling these spectral models for use with remote sensing, we can vastly improve our understanding of reef structure, function, and overall condition across regional to global scales. By analyzing those remote sensing products against ancillary environmental data, we can construct secondary models to predict reef futures in the era of global change. This final point is the objective of CORAL (COral Reef Airborne Laboratory), a three-year project funded under NASA's Earth Venture Suborbital-2 program to investigate the relationship between coral reef condition at the ecosystem scale and various nominal biogeophysical forcing parameters.

Toward understanding atmospheric physics impacting the relationship between columnar aerosol optical depth and near-surface PM2.5 mass concentrations in Nevada and California, U.S.A., during 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loría-Salazar, S. Marcela; Panorska, Anna; Arnott, W. Patrick; Barnard, James C.; Boehmler, Jayne M.; Holmes, Heather A.

2017-12-01

Determining the relationship between columnar aerosol optical depth (τext) and surface particulate matter concentrations (PM2.5) is desired to estimate surface aerosol concentrations over broad spatial and temporal scales using satellite remote sensing. However, remote sensing studies incur challenges when surface aerosol pollution (i.e. PM2.5) is not correlated with columnar conditions (i.e., τext). PM2.5 data fusion models that rely on satellite data and statistical relationships of τext and PM2.5 may not be able to capture the physical conditions impacting the relationships that cause columnar and surface aerosols to not be correlated in the western U.S. Therefore, an extensive examination of the atmospheric conditions is required to improve surface estimates of PM2.5 that rely on columnar aerosol measurements. This investigation uses datasets from both routine monitoring networks and models of meteorological variables and aerosol physical parameters to understand the atmospheric conditions under which surface aerosol pollution can be explained by column measurements in California and Nevada during 2013. A novel quadrant method, that utilizes statistical analysis, was developed to investigate the relationship between τext and PM2.5. The results from this investigation show that τext and PM2.5 had a positive association (τext and PM2.5 increase together) when local sources of pollution or wildfires dominated aerosol pollution in the presence of a deep and well-mixed planetary boundary layer (PBL). Moreover, τext and PM2.5 had no association (where the variables are not related) when stable conditions, long-range transport, or entrainment of air from above the PBL were observed. It was found that seasonal categorization of the relationship between τext and PM2.5, an approach commonly used in statistical models to estimate surface concentrations with satellite remote sensing, may not be enough to account for the atmospheric conditions that drive the relationships between τext and PM2.5. For all stations, winter showed the maximum average PM2.5 concentrations (14.1 μg m-3, σ = 11.6 μg m-3) meanwhile, τext reached minimum values (0.06 μg m-3, σ = 0.04) during the same season. Conversely, spring presented the minimum average PM2.5 concentrations (9.4 μg m-3, σ = 6.9 μg m-3) and the average values of τext during spring had the second highest values (0.11, σ = 0.06) averaged for all stations.

Field Data Collection: an Essential Element in Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettinger, L. R.

1971-01-01

Field data collected in support of remote sensing projects are generally used for the following purposes: (1) calibration of remote sensing systems, (2) evaluation of experimental applications of remote sensing imagery on small test sites, and (3) designing and evaluating operational regional resource studies and inventories which are conducted using the remote sensing imagery obtained. Field data may be used to help develop a technique for a particular application, or to aid in the application of that technique to a resource evaluation or inventory problem for a large area. Scientists at the Forestry Remote Sensing Laboratory have utilized field data for both purposes. How meaningful field data has been collected in each case is discussed.

Remote sensing and eLearning 2.0 for school education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, Kerstin; Goetzke, Roland; Hodam, Henryk

2010-10-01

The "Remote Sensing in Schools" project aims at improving the integration of "Satellite remote sensing" into school teaching. Therefore, it is the project's overall objective to teach students in primary and secondary schools the basics and fields of application of remote sensing. Existing results show that many teachers are interested in remote sensing and at same time motivated to integrate it into their teaching. Despite the good intention, in the end, the implementation often fails due to the complexity and poor set-up of the information provided. Therefore, a comprehensive and well-structured learning platform on the topic of remote sensing is developed. The platform shall allow a structured introduction to the topic.

Change Detection Analysis of Water Pollution in Coimbatore Region using Different Color Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiji, G. Wiselin; Devi, R. Naveena

2017-12-01

The data acquired through remote sensing satellites furnish facts about the land and water at varying resolutions and has been widely used for several change detection studies. Apart from the existence of many change detection methodologies and techniques, emergence of new ones continues to subsist. Existing change detection techniques exploit images that are either in gray scale or RGB color model. In this paper we introduced color models for performing change detection for water pollution. Here the polluted lakes are classified and post-classification change detection techniques are applied to RGB images and results obtained are analysed for changes to exist or not. Furthermore RGB images obtained after classification when converted to any of the two color models YCbCr and YIQ is found to produce the same results as that of the RGB model images. Thus it can be concluded that other color models like YCbCr, YIQ can be used as substitution to RGB color model for analysing change detection with regard to water pollution.

Remote sensing programs and courses in engineering and water resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiefer, R. W.

1981-01-01

The content of typical basic and advanced remote sensing and image interpretation courses are described and typical remote sensing graduate programs of study in civil engineering and in interdisciplinary environmental remote sensing and water resources management programs are outlined. Ideally, graduate programs with an emphasis on remote sensing and image interpretation should be built around a core of five courses: (1) a basic course in fundamentals of remote sensing upon which the more specialized advanced remote sensing courses can build; (2) a course dealing with visual image interpretation; (3) a course dealing with quantitative (computer-based) image interpretation; (4) a basic photogrammetry course; and (5) a basic surveying course. These five courses comprise up to one-half of the course work required for the M.S. degree. The nature of other course work and thesis requirements vary greatly, depending on the department in which the degree is being awarded.

Remote sensing research in geographic education: An alternative view

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, H.; Cary, T. K.; Goward, S. N.

1981-01-01

It is noted that within many geography departments remote sensing is viewed as a mere technique a student should learn in order to carry out true geographic research. This view inhibits both students and faculty from investigation of remotely sensed data as a new source of geographic knowledge that may alter our understanding of the Earth. The tendency is for geographers to accept these new data and analysis techniques from engineers and mathematicians without questioning the accompanying premises. This black-box approach hinders geographic applications of the new remotely sensed data and limits the geographer's contribution to further development of remote sensing observation systems. It is suggested that geographers contribute to the development of remote sensing through pursuit of basic research. This research can be encouraged, particularly among students, by demonstrating the links between geographic theory and remotely sensed observations, encouraging a healthy skepticism concerning the current understanding of these data.

Research on assessment and improvement method of remote sensing image reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Li; Hua, Nian; Yu, Yanbo; Zhao, Zhanping

2018-01-01

Remote sensing image quality assessment and improvement is an important part of image processing. Generally, the use of compressive sampling theory in remote sensing imaging system can compress images while sampling which can improve efficiency. A method of two-dimensional principal component analysis (2DPCA) is proposed to reconstruct the remote sensing image to improve the quality of the compressed image in this paper, which contain the useful information of image and can restrain the noise. Then, remote sensing image quality influence factors are analyzed, and the evaluation parameters for quantitative evaluation are introduced. On this basis, the quality of the reconstructed images is evaluated and the different factors influence on the reconstruction is analyzed, providing meaningful referential data for enhancing the quality of remote sensing images. The experiment results show that evaluation results fit human visual feature, and the method proposed have good application value in the field of remote sensing image processing.

Unmanned aerial vehicle: A unique platform for low-altitude remote sensing for crop management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provide a unique platform for remote sensing to monitor crop fields that complements remote sensing from satellite, aircraft and ground-based platforms. The UAV-based remote sensing is versatile at ultra-low altitude to be able to provide an ultra-high-resolution imag...

Application of the remote-sensing communication model to a time-sensitive wildfire remote-sensing system

Treesearch

Christopher D. Lippitt; Douglas A. Stow; Philip J. Riggan

2016-01-01

Remote sensing for hazard response requires a priori identification of sensor, transmission, processing, and distribution methods to permit the extraction of relevant information in timescales sufficient to allow managers to make a given time-sensitive decision. This study applies and demonstrates the utility of the Remote Sensing Communication...

75 FR 32360 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

... Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems AGENCY: National Oceanic and.... Abstract NOAA has established requirements for the licensing of private operators of remote-sensing space... Land Remote- Sensing Policy Act of 1992 and with the national security and international obligations of...

78 FR 44536 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

... Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems AGENCY: National Oceanic and... for the licensing of private operators of remote-sensing space systems. The information in applications and subsequent reports is needed to ensure compliance with the Land Remote- Sensing Policy Act of...

Advancement of China’s Visible Light Remote Sensing Technology In Aerospace,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-03-19

Aerospace visible light film systems were among the earliest space remote sensing systems to be developed in China. They have been applied very well...makes China the third nation in the world to master space remote sensing technology, it also puts recoverable remote sensing satellites among the first

Polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veysoglu, Murat E.; Yueh, H. A.; Shin, R. T.; Kong, J. A.

1991-01-01

The concept of polarimetry in active remote sensing is extended to passive remote sensing. The potential use of the third and fourth Stokes parameters U and V, which play an important role in polarimetric active remote sensing, is demonstrated for passive remote sensing. It is shown that, by the use of the reciprocity principle, the polarimetric parameters of passive remote sensing can be obtained through the solution of the associated direct scattering problem. These ideas are applied to study polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces. The solution of the direct scattering problem is obtained by an integral equation formulation which involves evaluation of periodic Green's functions and normal derivative of those on the surface. Rapid evaluation of the slowly convergent series associated with these functions is observed to be critical for the feasibility of the method. New formulas, which are rapidly convergent, are derived for the calculation of these series. The study has shown that the brightness temperature of the Stokes parameter U can be significant in passive remote sensing. Values as high as 50 K are observed for certain configurations.

From planets to crops and back: Remote sensing makes sense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustard, John F.

2017-04-01

Remotely sensed data and the instruments that acquire them are core parts of Earth and planetary observation systems. They are used to quantify the Earth's interconnected systems, and remote sensing is the only way to get a daily, or more frequent, snapshot of the status of the Earth. It really is the Earth's stethoscope. In a similar manner remote sensing is the rock hammer of the planetary scientist and the only way comprehensive data sets can be acquired. To risk offending many remotely sensed data acquired across the electromagnetic spectrum, it is the tricorder to explore known and unknown planets. Arriving where we are today in the use of remotely sensed data in the solar system has been a continually evolving synergy between Earth observation, planetary exploration, and fundamental laboratory work.

Remote sensing of rice fields and sea pollution by SIR-B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fugono, N.; Furuhama, Y.; Takasugi, T.; Okamoto, K.; Fujita, M.; Yoshikado, S.; Masuko, H.; Shinozuka, T.; Inomata, H.; Shiro, I.

1984-01-01

Sensor calibration, rice fields, and sea pollution are to be investigated with respect to shuttle imaging radar-B (SIR-B). It is planned that the resolution characteristics of the SIR-B be evaluated, the sidelobe characteristics of the SIR-B be investigated, and the relationship between backscatter cross section and image intensity be established. The microwave-scattering characteristics of rice fields are to be studied using SIR-B data. The possibility of classifying crops from SIR-B data is to be explored. The characteristics of the radar image of oil-like surface films under several sea surface conditions are to be determined. The absolute measurement capability of the sea surface scattering cross section is to be estimated using the SIR.

Environmental benefits of chemical propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, Joyce A.; Goldberg, Benjamin E.; Anderson, David M.

1995-01-01

This paper identifies the necessity of chemical propulsion to satellite usage and some of the benefits accrued through monitoring global resources and patterns, including the Global Climate Change Model (GCM). The paper also summarized how the satellite observations are used to affect national and international policies. Chemical propulsion, like all environmentally conscious industries, does provide limited, controlled pollutant sources through its manufacture and usage. However, chemical propulsion is the sole source which enables mankind to launch spacecraft and monitor the Earth. The information provided by remote sensing directly affects national and international policies designed to protect the environment and enhance the overall quality of life on Earth. The resultant of chemical propulsion is the capability to reduce overall pollutant emissions to the benefit of mankind.

Study of air pollutant signatures for remote sensing. [of the spectral reflectivity of leaves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowak, W. B.

1974-01-01

Experimental results are presented for a possible new, indirect signature for air pollutants: the spectral reflectivity of plant leaves. Sub-visual changes (up to 160%) in the spectral reflectivity of bean and tobacco leaves were observed over the range 475nm to 750nm in response to SO2 exposures such as 2ppm/4hrs or 4ppm/16hrs, or to O3 exposures such as 90pphm/21hrs or 7.5pphm/292hrs. Such changes might be observed from a satellite using either laser or sunlight as the illumination source. Inasmuch as the plants appear to become acclimated to some of these exposure doses, environmental changes may be most important for this type of plant-response.

Extending the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Modeling System to Hemispheric Scales: Overview of Process Considerations and Initial Applications

PubMed Central

Mathur, Rohit; Xing, Jia; Gilliam, Robert; Sarwar, Golam; Hogrefe, Christian; Pleim, Jonathan; Pouliot, George; Roselle, Shawn; Spero, Tanya L.; Wong, David C.; Young, Jeffrey

2018-01-01

The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system is extended to simulate ozone, particulate matter, and related precursor distributions throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Modelled processes were examined and enhanced to suitably represent the extended space and time scales for such applications. Hemispheric scale simulations with CMAQ and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are performed for multiple years. Model capabilities for a range of applications including episodic long-range pollutant transport, long-term trends in air pollution across the Northern Hemisphere, and air pollution-climate interactions are evaluated through detailed comparison with available surface, aloft, and remotely sensed observations. The expansion of CMAQ to simulate the hemispheric scales provides a framework to examine interactions between atmospheric processes occurring at various spatial and temporal scales with physical, chemical, and dynamical consistency. PMID:29681922

Environmental monitoring using autonomous vehicles: a survey of recent searching techniques.

PubMed

Bayat, Behzad; Crasta, Naveena; Crespi, Alessandro; Pascoal, António M; Ijspeert, Auke

2017-06-01

Autonomous vehicles are becoming an essential tool in a wide range of environmental applications that include ambient data acquisition, remote sensing, and mapping of the spatial extent of pollutant spills. Among these applications, pollution source localization has drawn increasing interest due to its scientific and commercial interest and the emergence of a new breed of robotic vehicles capable of operating in harsh environments without human supervision. The aim is to find the location of a region that is the source of a given substance of interest (e.g. a chemical pollutant at sea or a gas leakage in air) using a group of cooperative autonomous vehicles. Motivated by fast paced advances in this challenging area, this paper surveys recent advances in searching techniques that are at the core of environmental monitoring strategies using autonomous vehicles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurements and models of CO2 and CH4 Flux in the Baltimore/Washington area.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickerson, R. R.; Ren, X.; Salawitch, R. J.; Ahn, D.; Karion, A.; Shepson, P. B.; Whetstone, J. R.; Martin, C.

2017-12-01

Direct measurements of concentrations of pollutants such as CO2 and CH4 can be combined with wind fields to determine the flux of these species and to evaluate emissions inventories or models. The mass balance approach, assumng linear flow into and out of a volume set over a city, works best where wind fields are simplest. Over typical American east coast cities, upwind sources and complex circulation (e.g., the sea breeze) complicate such analyses. We will present findings from a coupled measurement and modeling project involving a network of surface-based tower measurements, aircraft observations, and remote sensing that constrain model calculations. Summer and winter scenarios are contrasted, and results help evaluate the emissions of short-lived pollutants. Determinations are compared to several emissions inventories and are being used to help States evaluate evaluate plans for pollution control.

Remote sensing of natural resources: Quarterly literature review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

A quarterly review of technical literature concerning remote sensing techniques is presented. The format contains indexed and abstracted materials with emphasis on data gathering techniques performed or obtained remotely from space, aircraft, or ground-based stations. Remote sensor applications including the remote sensing of natural resources are presented.

Time Series Remote Sensing in Monitoring the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Plant Invasions: A Study of Invasive Saltcedar (Tamarix Spp.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Chunyuan

In today's big data era, the increasing availability of satellite and airborne platforms at various spatial and temporal scales creates unprecedented opportunities to understand the complex and dynamic systems (e.g., plant invasion). Time series remote sensing is becoming more and more important to monitor the earth system dynamics and interactions. To date, most of the time series remote sensing studies have been conducted with the images acquired at coarse spatial scale, due to their relatively high temporal resolution. The construction of time series at fine spatial scale, however, is limited to few or discrete images acquired within or across years. The objective of this research is to advance the time series remote sensing at fine spatial scale, particularly to shift from discrete time series remote sensing to continuous time series remote sensing. The objective will be achieved through the following aims: 1) Advance intra-annual time series remote sensing under the pure-pixel assumption; 2) Advance intra-annual time series remote sensing under the mixed-pixel assumption; 3) Advance inter-annual time series remote sensing in monitoring the land surface dynamics; and 4) Advance the species distribution model with time series remote sensing. Taking invasive saltcedar as an example, four methods (i.e., phenological time series remote sensing model, temporal partial unmixing method, multiyear spectral angle clustering model, and time series remote sensing-based spatially explicit species distribution model) were developed to achieve the objectives. Results indicated that the phenological time series remote sensing model could effectively map saltcedar distributions through characterizing the seasonal phenological dynamics of plant species throughout the year. The proposed temporal partial unmixing method, compared to conventional unmixing methods, could more accurately estimate saltcedar abundance within a pixel by exploiting the adequate temporal signatures of saltcedar. The multiyear spectral angle clustering model could guide the selection of the most representative remotely sensed image for repetitive saltcedar mapping over space and time. Through incorporating spatial autocorrelation, the species distribution model developed in the study could identify the suitable habitats of saltcedar at a fine spatial scale and locate appropriate areas at high risk of saltcedar infestation. Among 10 environmental variables, the distance to the river and the phenological attributes summarized by the time series remote sensing were regarded as the most important. These methods developed in the study provide new perspectives on how the continuous time series can be leveraged under various conditions to investigate the plant invasion dynamics.

Forest mensuration with remote sensing: A retrospective and a vision for the future

Treesearch

Randolph H. Wynne

2004-01-01

Remote sensing, while occasionally oversold, has clear potential to reduce the overall cost of traditional forest inventories. Perhaps most important, some of the information needed for more intensive, rather than extensive, forest management is available from remote sensing. These new information needs may justify increased use and the increased cost of remote sensing...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

Remote Sensing: Analyzing Satellite Images to Create Higher Order Thinking Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Steven K.; And Others

1996-01-01

Presents a unit that uses remote-sensing images from satellites and other spacecraft to provide new perspectives of the earth and generate greater global awareness. Relates the levels of Bloom's hierarchy to different aspects of the remote sensing unit to confirm that the concepts and principles of remote sensing and related images belong in…

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

15 CFR 960.12 - Data policy for remote sensing space systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Data policy for remote sensing space... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS Licenses § 960.12 Data policy for remote sensing space systems. (a) In accordance with the Act, if the U.S. Government...

Annotated bibliography of remote sensing methods for monitoring desertification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, A.S.; Robinove, Charles J.

1981-01-01

Remote sensing techniques are valuable for locating, assessing, and monitoring desertification. Remotely sensed data provide a permanent record of the condition of the land in a format that allows changes in land features and condition to be measured. The annotated bibliography of 118 items discusses remote sensing methods that may be applied to desertification studies.

Applied Remote Sensing Program (ARSP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. D.; Foster, K. E.; Mouat, D. A.; Miller, D. A.; Conn, J. S.

1976-01-01

The activities and accomplishments of the Applied Remote Sensing Program during FY 1975-1976 are reported. The principal objective of the Applied Remote Sensing Program continues to be designed projects having specific decision-making impacts as a principal goal. These projects are carried out in cooperation and collaboration with local, state and federal agencies whose responsibilities lie with planning, zoning and environmental monitoring and/or assessment in the application of remote sensing techniques. The end result of the projects is the use by the involved agencies of remote sensing techniques in problem solving.

Communicating remote sensing concepts in an interdisciplinary environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, R.

1981-01-01

Although remote sensing is currently multidisciplinary in its applications, many of its terms come from the engineering sciences, particularly from the field of pattern recognition. Scholars from fields such as the social sciences, botany, and biology, may experience initial difficulty with remote sensing terminology, even though parallel concepts exist in their own fields. Some parallel concepts and terminologies from nonengineering fields, which might enhance the understanding of remote sensing concepts in an interdisciplinary situation are identified. Feedbacks which this analogue strategy might have on remote sensing itself are explored.

People, Places and Pixels: Remote Sensing in the Service of Society

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lulla, Kamlesh

2003-01-01

What is the role of Earth remote sensing and other geospatial technologies in our society? Recent global events have brought into focus the role of geospatial science and technology such as remote sensing, GIS, GPS in assisting the professionals who are responsible for operations such as rescue and recovery of sites after a disaster or a terrorist act. This paper reviews the use of recent remote sensing products from satellites such as IKONOS in these efforts. Aerial and satellite imagery used in land mine detection has been evaluated and the results of this evaluation will be discussed. Synopsis of current and future ISS Earth Remote Sensing capabilities will be provided. The role of future missions in humanitarian use of remote sensing will be explored.

Linking Asthma Exacerbation and Air Pollution Data: A Step Toward Public Health and Environmental Data Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faruque, Fazlay; Finley, Richard; Marshall, Gailen; Brackin, Bruce; Li, Hui; Williams, Worth; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad; Luvall, Jeffrey; Rickman, Doug; Crosson, Bill

2006-01-01

Studies have shown that reducing exposure to triggers such as air pollutants can reduce symptoms and the need for medication in asthma patients. However, systems that track asthma are generally not integrated with those that track environmental hazards related to asthma. Tlvs lack of integration hinders public health awareness and responsiveness to these environmental triggers. The current study is a collaboration between health and environmental professionals to utilize NASA-derived environmental data to develop a decision support system (DSS) for asthma prediction, surveillance, and intervention. The investigators link asthma morbidity data from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and Mississippi Department of Health (MDH) with air quality data from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and remote sensing data from NASA. Daily ambient environmental hazard data for PM2.5 and ozone are obtained from the MDEQ air quality monitoring locations and are combined with remotely sensed data from NASA to develop a state-wide spatial and time series profile of environmental air quality. These data are then used to study the correlation of these measures of air quality variation with the asthma exacerbation incidence throughout the state over time. The goal is to utilize these readily available measures to allow real-time risk assessment for asthma exacerbations. GeoMedStat, a DSS previously developed for biosurveillance, will integrate these measures to monitor, analyze and report the real-time risk assessment for asthma exacerbation throughout the state.

Radiometric Cross-Calibration of the HJ-1B IRS in the Thermal Infrared Spectral Band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, K.

2012-12-01

The natural calamities occur continually, environment pollution and destruction in a severe position on the earth presently, which restricts societal and economic development. The satellite remote sensing technology has an important effect on improving surveillance ability of environment pollution and natural calamities. The radiometric calibration is precondition of quantitative remote sensing; which accuracy decides quality of the retrieval parameters. Since the China Environment Satellite (HJ-1A/B) has been launched successfully on September 6th, 2008, it has made an important role in the economic development of China. The satellite has four infrared bands; and one of it is thermal infrared. With application fields of quantitative remote sensing in china, finding appropriate calibration method becomes more and more important. Many kinds of independent methods can be used to do the absolute radiometric calibration. In this paper, according to the characteristic of thermal infrared channel of HJ-1B thermal infrared multi-spectral camera, the thermal infrared spectral band of HJ-1B IRS was calibrated using cross-calibration methods based on MODIS data. Firstly, the corresponding bands of the two sensors were obtained. Secondly, the MONDTRAN was run to analyze the influences of different spectral response, satellite view zenith angle, atmosphere condition and temperature on the match factor. In the end, their band match factor was calculated in different temperature, considering the dissimilar band response of the match bands. Seven images of Lake Qinghai in different time were chosen as the calibration data. On the basis of radiance of MODIS and match factor, the IRS radiance was calculated. And then the calibration coefficients were obtained by linearly regressing the radiance and the DN value. We compared the result of this cross-calibration with that of the onboard blackbody calibration, which consistency was good.The maximum difference of brightness temperature between HJ-1B IRS band4 and MODIS band 31 is less than 1 K. Therefore cross-calibration is a rapid and financial way to get calibration coefficients of HJ-1B, however, the matched factor calculation method need further research in order to further improve cross-calibration precision.

Optical remote sensing of oil in the marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byfield, Valborg

1998-11-01

Remote sensing has played an increasing role in the routine monitoring of oil pollution and in support of the operational response to major oil pollution incidents. This study develops the technique of optical measurement for the detection of oil in the Marine Environment. A theoretical model is proposed, which relates upwelling radiance from surface oil to the optical properties of the oil in question, to the thickness of the oil layer, and to a number of ancillary environmental parameters. It is used to interpret the results of laboratory experiments in artificial and natural light, and ultimately as a tool in the analysis of airborne optical data of surface oil in the field, including the Sea Empress oil spill. Laboratory experiments showed that the thickness of surface oil may be determined using spectral ratios, and the results compared well with the predictions made by the theoretical model. Using the peak to near-infrared ratio, relative thickness estimates can be made from remote sensing data, without extensive data processing. Absolute thickness measurements are more complex, and require the knowledge of a number of environmental parameters. Both the laboratory and airborne data show that classification of oils into broad groups is possible using spectral analysis. However, the number of environmental parameters that must be considered makes this a complex task for field data. The model predicts that sheen detection will be most reliable in regions of the spectrum where the sub-surface signal is low, such as the violet to deep blue and the near-infrared. This is confirmed by the laboratory experiments in natural light, and by the airborne data from the field experiments. When water-leaving radiance is high in the near-infrared, sheen detection may be more difficult, although it should still be possible in the violet to deep blue. The theoretical model and the field data suggest that dispersed oil may be detected if concentrations are sufficiently high. The presence of suspended sediment or high concentrations of planktonic algae will, however, make this task more difficult, and success depends on a good knowledge of the background conditions.

The application of remote sensing techniques to the study of ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Shuhab D.; Mahmood, Khalid

2008-08-01

Satellite remote sensing methods are a powerful tool for detailed geologic analysis, especially in inaccessible regions of the earth's surface. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands are shown to provide spectral information bearing on the lithologic, structural, and geochemical character of rock bodies such as ophiolites, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of the lithologies present, their stratigraphic relationships, and geochemical character. Most remote sensing data are widely available for little or no cost, along with user-friendly software for non-specialists. In this paper we review common remote sensing systems and methods that allow for the discrimination of solid rock (lithologic) components of ophiolite complexes and their structural relationships. Ophiolites are enigmatic rock bodies which associated with most, if not all, plate collision sutures. Ophiolites are ideal for remote sensing given their widely recognized diversity of lithologic types and structural relationships. Accordingly, as a basis for demonstrating the utility of remote sensing techniques, we briefly review typical ophiolites in the Tethyan tectonic belt. As a case study, we apply integrated remote sensing studies of a well-studied example, the Muslim Bagh ophiolite, located in Balochistan, western Pakistan. On this basis, we attempt to demonstrate how remote sensing data can validate and reconcile existing information obtained from field studies. The lithologic and geochemical diversity of Muslim Bagh are representative of Tethyan ophiolites. Despite it's remote location it has been extensively mapped and characterized by structural and geochemical studies, and is virtually free of vegetative cover. Moreover, integrating the remote sensing data with 'ground truth' information thus offers the potential of an improved template for interpreting remote sensing data sets of other ophiolites for which little or no field information is available.

[Monitoring the thermal plume from coastal nuclear power plant using satellite remote sensing data: modeling, and validation].

PubMed

Zhu, Li; Zhao, Li-Min; Wang, Qiao; Zhang, Ai-Ling; Wu, Chuan-Qing; Li, Jia-Guo; Shi, Ji-Xiang

2014-11-01

Thermal plume from coastal nuclear power plant is a small-scale human activity, mornitoring of which requires high-frequency and high-spatial remote sensing data. The infrared scanner (IRS), on board of HJ-1B, has an infrared channel IRS4 with 300 m and 4-days as its spatial and temporal resolution. Remote sensing data aquired using IRS4 is an available source for mornitoring thermal plume. Retrieval pattern for coastal sea surface temperature (SST) was built to monitor the thermal plume from nuclear power plant. The research area is located near Guangdong Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station (GNPS), where synchronized validations were also implemented. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) data was interpolated spatially and temporally. The interpolated data as well as surface weather conditions were subsequently employed into radiative transfer model for the atmospheric correction of IRS4 thermal image. A look-up-table (LUT) was built for the inversion between IRS4 channel radiance and radiometric temperature, and a fitted function was also built from the LUT data for the same purpose. The SST was finally retrieved based on those preprocessing procedures mentioned above. The bulk temperature (BT) of 84 samples distributed near GNPS was shipboard collected synchronically using salinity-temperature-deepness (CTD) instruments. The discrete sample data was surface interpolated and compared with the satellite retrieved SST. Results show that the average BT over the study area is 0.47 degrees C higher than the retrieved skin temperature (ST). For areas far away from outfall, the ST is higher than BT, with differences less than 1.0 degrees C. The main driving force for temperature variations in these regions is solar radiation. For areas near outfall, on the contrary, the retrieved ST is lower than BT, and greater differences between the two (meaning > 1.0 degrees C) happen when it gets closer to the outfall. Unlike the former case, the convective heat transfer resulting from the thermal plume is the primary reason leading to the temperature variations. Temperature rising (TR) distributions obtained from remote sensing data and in-situ measurements are consistent, except that the interpolated BT shows more level details (> 5 levels) than that of the ST (up to 4 levels). The areas with higher TR levels (> 2) are larger on BT maps, while for lower TR levels (≤ 2), the two methods perform with no obvious differences. Minimal errors for satellite-derived SST occur regularly around local time 10 a. m. This makes the remote sensing results to be substitutes for in-situ measurements. Therefore, for operational applications of HJ-1B IRS4, remote sensing technique can be a practical approach to monitoring the nuclear plant thermal pollution around this time period.

Interinstrument comparison of remote-sensing devices and a new method for calculating on-road nitrogen oxides emissions and validation of vehicle-specific power.

PubMed

Rushton, Christopher E; Tate, James E; Shepherd, Simon P; Carslaw, David C

2018-02-01

Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by vehicles in real driving environments are only partially understood. This has been brought to the attention of the world with recent revelations of the cheating of the type of approval tests exposed in the dieselgate scandal. Remote-sensing devices offer investigators an opportunity to directly measure in situ real driving emissions of tens of thousands of vehicles. Remote-sensing NO 2 measurements are not as widely available as would be desirable. The aim of this study is to improve the ability of investigators to estimate the NO 2 emissions and to improve the confidence of the total NOx results calculated from standard remote-sensing device (RSD) measurements. The accuracy of the RSD speed and acceleration module was also validated using state-of-the-art onboard global positioning system (GPS) tracking. Two RSDs used in roadside vehicle emissions surveys were tested side by side under off-carriageway conditions away from transient pollution sources to ascertain the consistency of their measurements. The speed correlation was consistent across the range of measurements at 95% confidence and the acceleration correlation was consistent at 95% confidence intervals for all but the most extreme acceleration cases. VSP was consistent at 95% confidence across all measurements except for those at VSP ≥ 15 kW t -1 , which show a small underestimate. The controlled distribution gas nitric oxide measurements follow a normal distribution with 2σ equal to 18.9% of the mean, compared to 15% observed during factory calibration indicative of additional error introduced into the system. Systematic errors of +84 ppm were observed but within the tolerance of the control gas. Interinstrument correlation was performed, with the relationship between the FEAT and the RSD4600 being linear with a gradient of 0.93 and an R 2 of 0.85, indicating good correlation. A new method to calculate NOx emissions using fractional NO 2 combined with NO measurements made by the RSD4600 was constructed, validated, and shown to be more accurate than previous methods. Synchronized remote-sensing measurements of NO were taken using two different remote-sensing devices in an off-road study. It was found that the measurements taken by both instruments were well correlated. Fractional NO 2 measurements from a prior study, measurable on only one device, were used to create new NO x emission factors for the device that could not be measured by the second device. These estimates were validated against direct measurement of total NO x emission factors and shown to be an improvement on previous methodologies. Validation of vehicle-specific power was performed with good correlation observed.

Remote Sensing and Remote Control Activities in Europe and America: Part 2--Remote Sensing Ground Stations in Europe,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-04-08

Development tasks and products of remote sensing ground stations in Europe are represented by the In-Sec Corporation and the Schlumberger Industries Corporation. The article presents the main products of these two corporations.

[Estimation of desert vegetation coverage based on multi-source remote sensing data].

PubMed

Wan, Hong-Mei; Li, Xia; Dong, Dao-Rui

2012-12-01

Taking the lower reaches of Tarim River in Xinjiang of Northwest China as study areaAbstract: Taking the lower reaches of Tarim River in Xinjiang of Northwest China as study area and based on the ground investigation and the multi-source remote sensing data of different resolutions, the estimation models for desert vegetation coverage were built, with the precisions of different estimation methods and models compared. The results showed that with the increasing spatial resolution of remote sensing data, the precisions of the estimation models increased. The estimation precision of the models based on the high, middle-high, and middle-low resolution remote sensing data was 89.5%, 87.0%, and 84.56%, respectively, and the precisions of the remote sensing models were higher than that of vegetation index method. This study revealed the change patterns of the estimation precision of desert vegetation coverage based on different spatial resolution remote sensing data, and realized the quantitative conversion of the parameters and scales among the high, middle, and low spatial resolution remote sensing data of desert vegetation coverage, which would provide direct evidence for establishing and implementing comprehensive remote sensing monitoring scheme for the ecological restoration in the study area.

Grid workflow validation using ontology-based tacit knowledge: A case study for quantitative remote sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jia; Liu, Longli; Xue, Yong; Dong, Jing; Hu, Yingcui; Hill, Richard; Guang, Jie; Li, Chi

2017-01-01

Workflow for remote sensing quantitative retrieval is the ;bridge; between Grid services and Grid-enabled application of remote sensing quantitative retrieval. Workflow averts low-level implementation details of the Grid and hence enables users to focus on higher levels of application. The workflow for remote sensing quantitative retrieval plays an important role in remote sensing Grid and Cloud computing services, which can support the modelling, construction and implementation of large-scale complicated applications of remote sensing science. The validation of workflow is important in order to support the large-scale sophisticated scientific computation processes with enhanced performance and to minimize potential waste of time and resources. To research the semantic correctness of user-defined workflows, in this paper, we propose a workflow validation method based on tacit knowledge research in the remote sensing domain. We first discuss the remote sensing model and metadata. Through detailed analysis, we then discuss the method of extracting the domain tacit knowledge and expressing the knowledge with ontology. Additionally, we construct the domain ontology with Protégé. Through our experimental study, we verify the validity of this method in two ways, namely data source consistency error validation and parameters matching error validation.

Air quality remote sensing over alpine regions with METEOSAT SEVIRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emili, E.; Popp, C.; Petitta, M.; Riffler, M.; Wunderle, S.

2009-04-01

It is well demonstrated that small aerosol particles or particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) affect air quality and can have severe effects on human's health. Hence, it is of great interest for public institutions to have an efficient PM monitoring network. In the last decades this data has been provided from ground-based instruments. Moreover, due to the fast development of space-borne remote sensing instruments, we can now be able to take advantage of air pollution measurements from space, which bears the potential to fill up the gap of spatial coverage from ground-based networks. This also improves the capability to assess air pollutants transport properties together with a better implementation in forecasting data assimilation procedures. In this study we examine the possibility of using data from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI), on-board of the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) platform, to provide PM concentrations values over Switzerland. SEVIRI's high temporal resolution (15 minutes) could be very useful in investigating the daily behaviour of air pollutants and therefore be a good complement to measurements from polar orbiting sensors (e.g. MODIS). Switzerland is of particular interest because of its mountainous orography that hampers pollutants dispersion. Further, major transalpine connection routes, often characterised by high traffic load, act as a significant air pollution source. The south of Switzerland is also occasionally influenced by pollutants transported from the highly industrialised Po Valley in northern Italy. We investigate the existence of a linear relation between the SEVIRI retrieved AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) and the PM concentration obtained from the ground-based air quality network NABEL (Nationales Beobachtungsnetz fuer Luftfremdstoffe). The temporal trend of this two quantities shows a significant relationship over various locations. The correlation coefficient is in some cases higher than 0.6, indicating the possibility of estimating PM concentrations from SEVIRI AOD with a reasonable uncertainty using a statistical empirical linear model. The quality of this approach is highly influenced by the seasonal variability and by the meteorological conditions. We also include meteorological data in order to investigate the observed correlation and to improve the statistical empirical model. Finally, the possible sources of errors for this approach are examined.

An Approach of Registration between Remote Sensing Image and Electronic Chart Based on Coastal Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying; Yu, Shuiming; Li, Chuanlong

Remote sensing plays an important role marine oil spill emergency. In order to implement a timely and effective countermeasure, it is important to provide exact position of oil spills. Therefore it is necessary to match remote sensing image and electronic chart properly. Variance ordinarily exists between oil spill image and electronic chart, although geometric correction is applied to remote sensing image. It is difficult to find the steady control points on sea to make exact rectification of remote sensing image. An improved relaxation algorithm was developed for finding the control points along the coastline since oil spills occurs generally near the coast. A conversion function is created with the least square, and remote sensing image can be registered with the vector map based on this function. SAR image was used as the remote sensing data and shape format map as the electronic chart data. The results show that this approach can guarantee the precision of the registration, which is essential for oil spill monitoring.

The U.S. Geological Survey land remote sensing program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saunders, T.; Feuquay, J.; Kelmelis, J.A.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has been a provider of remotely sensed information for decades. As the availability and use of satellite data has grown, USGS has placed increasing emphasis on expanding the knowledge about the science of remote sensing and on making remotely sensed data more accessible. USGS encourages widespread availability and distribution of these data and through its programs, encourages and enables a variety of research activities and the development of useful applications of the data. The science of remote sensing has great potential for assisting in the monitoring and assessment of the impacts of natural disasters, management and analysis of environmental, biological, energy, and mineral investigations, and supporting informed public policy decisions. By establishing the Land Remote Sensing Program (LRS) as a major unit of the USGS Geography Program, USGS has taken the next step to further increase support for the accessibility, understanding, and use of remotely sensed data. This article describes the LRS Program, its mission and objectives, and how the program has been structured to accomplish its goals.

Microwave Remote Sensing Modeling of Ocean Surface Salinity and Winds Using an Empirical Sea Surface Spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yueh, Simon H.

2004-01-01

Active and passive microwave remote sensing techniques have been investigated for the remote sensing of ocean surface wind and salinity. We revised an ocean surface spectrum using the CMOD-5 geophysical model function (GMF) for the European Remote Sensing (ERS) C-band scatterometer and the Ku-band GMF for the NASA SeaWinds scatterometer. The predictions of microwave brightness temperatures from this model agree well with satellite, aircraft and tower-based microwave radiometer data. This suggests that the impact of surface roughness on microwave brightness temperatures and radar scattering coefficients of sea surfaces can be consistently characterized by a roughness spectrum, providing physical basis for using combined active and passive remote sensing techniques for ocean surface wind and salinity remote sensing.

Online catalog access and distribution of remotely sensed information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutton, Stephen M.

1997-09-01

Remote sensing is providing voluminous data and value added information products. Electronic sensors, communication electronics, computer software, hardware, and network communications technology have matured to the point where a distributed infrastructure for remotely sensed information is a reality. The amount of remotely sensed data and information is making distributed infrastructure almost a necessity. This infrastructure provides data collection, archiving, cataloging, browsing, processing, and viewing for applications from scientific research to economic, legal, and national security decision making. The remote sensing field is entering a new exciting stage of commercial growth and expansion into the mainstream of government and business decision making. This paper overviews this new distributed infrastructure and then focuses on describing a software system for on-line catalog access and distribution of remotely sensed information.

Remote Sensing and the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osmers, Karl

1991-01-01

Suggests using remote sensing technology to help students make sense of the natural world. Explains that satellite information allows observation of environmental changes over time. Identifies possible student projects based on remotely sensed data. Recommends obtaining the assistance of experts and seeking funding through effective project…

High-Resolution Spectroscopic Database for the NASA Earth Observing System Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothman, Laurence

2003-01-01

The purpose of this project is to develop and enhance the HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database and associated software to support the observational programs of the Earth Observing System (EOS). In particular, the focus is on the EOS projects: the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS), Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT), the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III). The HITRAN program is also involved in the Ozone Monitoring Experiment (OMI). The data requirements of these programs in terms of spectroscopy are varied with respect to constituents being observed, required remote-sensing parameters, and spectral coverage. A general requisite is for additional spectral parameters and improvements to existing molecular bands sufficient for the simulation of the observations leading to retrieval of the atmospheric state. In addition, cross-section data for heavier molecular species must be expanded and made amenable to modeling in remote sensing. The effort in the project also includes developing software and distribution to make access, manipulation, and use of HITRAN functional to the EOS program.

High Resolution Spectroscopic Database for the NASA Earth Observing System Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothman, Laurence

2004-01-01

The purpose of this project has been to develop and enhance the HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database and associated software to support the observational programs of the Earth Observing System (EOS). Emphasis has been on the EOS projects: the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS), Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT), the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III). The HITRAN program is also involved in the Ozone Monitoring Experiment (OMI). The data requirements of these programs in terms of spectroscopy are varied with respect to constituents being observed, required remote-sensing parameters, and spectral coverage. A general requisite is for additional spectral parameters and improvements to existing molecular bands sufficient for the simulation of the observations leading to retrieval of the atmospheric state. In addition, cross-section data for heavier molecular species must be expanded and made amenable to modeling in remote sensing. The effort in the project also includes developing software and distribution to make access, manipulation, and use of HITRAN functional to the EOS program.

High-Resolution Spectroscopic Database for the NASA Earth Observing System Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothman, Laurence S.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this project is to develop and enhance the HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database and associated - software to support the observational programs of the Earth observing System (EOS). In particular, the focus is on the EOS projects: the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS), Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT), the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III). The HITRAN program is also involved in the Ozone Monitoring Experiment (OMI). The data requirements of these programs in terms of spectroscopy are varied with respect to constituents being observed, required remote-sensing parameters, and spectral coverage. A general requisite is for additional spectral parameters and improvements to existing molecular bands sufficient for the simulation of the observations leading to retrieval of the atmospheric state. In addition cross-section data for heavier molecular species must be expanded and made amenable to modeling in remote sensing. The effort in the project also includes developing software and distribution to make access, manipulation, and use HITRAN functional to the EOS program.

Estimation of urban runoff and water quality using remote sensing and artificial intelligence.

PubMed

Ha, S R; Park, S Y; Park, D H

2003-01-01

Water quality and quantity of runoff are strongly dependent on the landuse and landcover (LULC) criteria. In this study, we developed a more improved parameter estimation procedure for the environmental model using remote sensing (RS) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Landsat TM multi-band (7bands) and Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT) panchromatic data were selected for input data processing. We employed two kinds of artificial intelligence techniques, RBF-NN (radial-basis-function neural network) and ANN (artificial neural network), to classify LULC of the study area. A bootstrap resampling method, a statistical technique, was employed to generate the confidence intervals and distribution of the unit load. SWMM was used to simulate the urban runoff and water quality and applied to the study watershed. The condition of urban flow and non-point contaminations was simulated with rainfall-runoff and measured water quality data. The estimated total runoff, peak time, and pollutant generation varied considerably according to the classification accuracy and percentile unit load applied. The proposed procedure would efficiently be applied to water quality and runoff simulation in a rapidly changing urban area.

Assessment of Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture Content Across Different Scales of Observation

PubMed Central

Verstraeten, Willem W.; Veroustraete, Frank; Feyen, Jan

2008-01-01

The proper assessment of evapotranspiration and soil moisture content are fundamental in food security research, land management, pollution detection, nutrient flows, (wild-) fire detection, (desert) locust, carbon balance as well as hydrological modelling; etc. This paper takes an extensive, though not exhaustive sample of international scientific literature to discuss different approaches to estimate land surface and ecosystem related evapotranspiration and soil moisture content. This review presents: (i)a summary of the generally accepted cohesion theory of plant water uptake and transport including a shortlist of meteorological and plant factors influencing plant transpiration;(ii)a summary on evapotranspiration assessment at different scales of observation (sap-flow, porometer, lysimeter, field and catchment water balance, Bowen ratio, scintillometer, eddy correlation, Penman-Monteith and related approaches);(iii)a summary on data assimilation schemes conceived to estimate evapotranspiration using optical and thermal remote sensing; and(iv)for soil moisture content, a summary on soil moisture retrieval techniques at different spatial and temporal scales is presented. Concluding remarks on the best available approaches to assess evapotranspiration and soil moisture content with and emphasis on remote sensing data assimilation, are provided. PMID:27879697

Assessment of Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture Content Across Different Scales of Observation.

PubMed

Verstraeten, Willem W; Veroustraete, Frank; Feyen, Jan

2008-01-09

The proper assessment of evapotranspiration and soil moisture content arefundamental in food security research, land management, pollution detection, nutrient flows,(wild-) fire detection, (desert) locust, carbon balance as well as hydrological modelling; etc.This paper takes an extensive, though not exhaustive sample of international scientificliterature to discuss different approaches to estimate land surface and ecosystem relatedevapotranspiration and soil moisture content. This review presents:(i) a summary of the generally accepted cohesion theory of plant water uptake andtransport including a shortlist of meteorological and plant factors influencing planttranspiration;(ii) a summary on evapotranspiration assessment at different scales of observation (sapflow,porometer, lysimeter, field and catchment water balance, Bowen ratio,scintillometer, eddy correlation, Penman-Monteith and related approaches);(iii) a summary on data assimilation schemes conceived to estimate evapotranspirationusing optical and thermal remote sensing; and(iv) for soil moisture content, a summary on soil moisture retrieval techniques atdifferent spatial and temporal scales is presented.Concluding remarks on the best available approaches to assess evapotranspiration and soilmoisture content with and emphasis on remote sensing data assimilation, are provided.

Lagrangian drifter design for the determination of surface currents by remote sensing. [for pollution trajectory determination in estuaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, H. H.; Munday, J. C., Jr.

1977-01-01

In estuaries, the interaction of wind, tidal current, and mixing of fresh and saline water produces a variable depth profile of current, with foam lines and convergence zones between water types. Careful measurement of surface currents via Lagrangian drifters requires a drifter design appropriate to both the depth of current to be measured and the tide and wind conditions of interest. The use of remote sensing to track drifters contributes additional constraints on drifter design. Several designs of biodegradable drifters which emit uranine dye plumes, resolvable in aerial imagery to 1:60,000 scale, were tested for wind drag in field conditions against data from calibrated current meters. A 20 cm-vaned wooden drifter and a window shade drifter set to 1.5 m depth had negligible wind drag in winds to 8 m/sec. Prediction of oil slick trajectories using surface current data and a wind factor should be approached cautiously, as surface current data may be wind-contaminated, while the usual 3.5% wind factor is appropriate only for currents measured at depth.

Use of remote sensing in agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettry, D. E.; Powell, N. L.; Newhouse, M. E.

1974-01-01

Remote sensing studies in Virginia and Chesapeake Bay areas to investigate soil and plant conditions via remote sensing technology are reported ant the results given. Remote sensing techniques and interactions are also discussed. Specific studies on the effects of soil moisture and organic matter on energy reflection of extensively occurring Sassafras soils are discussed. Greenhouse and field studies investigating the effects of chlorophyll content of Irish potatoes on infrared reflection are presented. Selected ground truth and environmental monitoring data are shown in summary form. Practical demonstrations of remote sensing technology in agriculture are depicted and future use areas are delineated.

Applications of remote sensing to watershed management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.

1975-01-01

Aircraft and satellite remote sensing systems which are capable of contributing to watershed management are described and include: the multispectral scanner subsystem on LANDSAT and the basic multispectral camera array flown on high altitude aircraft such as the U-2. Various aspects of watershed management investigated by remote sensing systems are discussed. Major areas included are: snow mapping, surface water inventories, flood management, hydrologic land use monitoring, and watershed modeling. It is indicated that technological advances in remote sensing of hydrological data must be coupled with an expansion of awareness and training in remote sensing techniques of the watershed management community.

NASA Glenn OHIOVIEW FY01/02 Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The results of the research performed by the university principal investigators are herein compiled. OhioView's general goals were: 1) To increase remote sensing education for Ohio s undergraduate and graduate students, and also enhancing curriculum in the mathematics and science for K-12 students using the capabilities of remote sensing; 2) To conduct advanced research to develop novel remote sensing applications, i.e. to turn data into information for more applications; 3) To maximize the use of remote sensing technology by the general public through outreach and the development of tools for more user-friendly access to remote sensing data.

The availability of conventional forms of remotely sensed data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturdevant, James A.; Holm, Thomas M.

1982-01-01

For decades Federal and State agencies have been collecting aerial photographs of various film types and scales over parts of the United States. More recently, worldwide Earth resources data acquired by orbiting satellites have inundated the remote sensing community. Determining the types of remotely sensed data that are publicly available can be confusing to the land-resource manager, planner, and scientist. This paper is a summary of the more commonly used types of remotely sensed data (aircraft and satellite) and their public availability. Special emphasis is placed on the National High-Altitude Photography (NHAP) program and future remote-sensing satellites.

NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Webinar Series

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-07-12

NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Webinar Series Tuesday, July 12, 2016 ... you of a free training opportunity: Introduction to Remote Sensing for Air Quality Applications Webinar Series Beginning in ...

Tropospheric Passive Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keafer, L. S., Jr. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The long term role of airborne/spaceborne passive remote sensing systems for tropospheric air quality research and the identification of technology advances required to improve the performance of passive remote sensing systems were discussed.

Remote Sensing as a Demonstration of Applied Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colwell, Robert N.

1980-01-01

Provides information about the field of remote sensing, including discussions of geo-synchronous and sun-synchronous remote-sensing platforms, the actual physical processes and equipment involved in sensing, the analysis of images by humans and machines, and inexpensive, small scale methods, including aerial photography. (CS)

Opportunities and problems in introducing or expanding the teaching of remote sensing in universities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, E. L.

1980-01-01

The need for degree programs in remote sensing is considered. Any education program which claims to train remote sensing specialists must include expertise in the physical principles upon which remote sensing is based. These principles dictate the limits of engineering and design, computer analysis, photogrammetry, and photointerpretation. Faculty members must be hired to provide emphasis in those five areas.

Remote sensing of vegetation fires and its contribution to a fire management information system

Treesearch

Stephane P. Flasse; Simon N. Trigg; Pietro N. Ceccato; Anita H. Perryman; Andrew T. Hudak; Mark W. Thompson; Bruce H. Brockett; Moussa Drame; Tim Ntabeni; Philip E. Frost; Tobias Landmann; Johan L. le Roux

2004-01-01

In the last decade, research has proven that remote sensing can provide very useful support to fire managers. This chapter provides an overview of the types of information remote sensing can provide to the fire community. First, it considers fire management information needs in the context of a fire management information system. An introduction to remote sensing then...

Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-15

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2016-0068 Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing Hean-Teik...SUBTITLE Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER... electromagnetics to the application in microwave remote sensing as well as extension of modelling capability with computational flexibility to study

Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-15

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2016-0068 Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing Hean-Teik...SUBTITLE Multi-scale Computational Electromagnetics for Phenomenology and Saliency Characterization in Remote Sensing 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER...electromagnetics to the application in microwave remote sensing as well as extension of modelling capability with computational flexibility to study

Basic Remote Sensing Investigations for Beach Reconnaissance.

DTIC Science & Technology

Progress is reported on three tasks designed to develop remote sensing beach reconnaissance techniques applicable to the benthic, beach intertidal...and beach upland zones. Task 1 is designed to develop remote sensing indicators of important beach composition and physical parameters which will...ultimately prove useful in models to predict beach conditions. Task 2 is designed to develop remote sensing techniques for survey of bottom features in

Bridging the Scales from Field to Region with Practical Tools to Couple Time- and Space-Synchronized Data from Flux Towers and Networks with Proximal and Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burba, G. G.; Avenson, T.; Burkart, A.; Gamon, J. A.; Guan, K.; Julitta, T.; Pastorello, G.; Sakowska, K.

2017-12-01

Many hundreds of flux towers are presently operational as standalone projects and as parts of regional networks. However, the vast majority of these towers do not allow straightforward coupling with remote sensing (drone, aircraft, satellite, etc.) data, and even fewer have optical sensors for validation of remote sensing products, and upscaling from field to regional levels. In 2016-2017, new tools to collect, process, and share time-synchronized flux data from multiple towers were developed and deployed globally. Originally designed to automate site and data management, and to streamline flux data analysis, these tools allow relatively easy matching of tower data with remote sensing data: GPS-driven PTP time protocol synchronizes instrumentation within the station, different stations with each other, and all of these to remote sensing data to precisely align remote sensing and flux data in time Footprint size and coordinates computed and stored with flux data help correctly align tower flux footprints and drone, aircraft or satellite motion to precisely align optical and flux data in space Full snapshot of the remote sensing pixel can then be constructed, including leaf-level, ground optical sensor, and flux tower measurements from the same footprint area, closely coupled with the remote sensing measurements to help interpret remote sensing data, validate models, and improve upscaling Additionally, current flux towers can be augmented with advanced ground optical sensors and can use standard routines to deliver continuous products (e.g. SIF, PRI, NDVI, etc.) based on automated field spectrometers (e.g., FloX and RoX, etc.) and other optical systems. Several dozens of new towers already operational globally can be readily used for the proposed workflow. Over 500 active traditional flux towers can be updated to synchronize their data with remote sensing measurements. This presentation will show how the new tools are used by major networks, and describe how this approach can be utilized for matching remote sensing and tower data to aid in ground truthing, improve scientific interactions, and promote joint grant writing and other forms of collaboration between the flux and remote sensing communities.

Monitoring Crop Phenology and Growth Stages from Space: Opportunities and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, F.; Anderson, M. C.; Mladenova, I. E.; Kustas, W. P.; Alfieri, J. G.

2014-12-01

Crop growth stages in concert with weather and soil moisture conditions can have a significant impact on crop yields. In the U.S., crop growth stages and conditions are reported by farmers at the county level. These reports are somewhat subjective and fluctuate between different reporters, locations and times. Remote sensing data provide an alternative approach to monitoring crop growth over large areas in a more consistent and quantitative way. In the recent years, remote sensing data have been used to detect vegetation phenology at 1-km spatial resolution globally. However, agricultural applications at field scale require finer spatial resolution remote sensing data. Landsat (30-m) data have been successfully used for agricultural applications. There are many medium resolution sensors available today or in near future. These include Landsat, SPOT, RapidEye, ASTER and future Sentinel-2 etc. Approaches have been developed in the past several years to integrate remote sensing data from different sensors which may have different sensor characteristics, and spatial and temporal resolutions. This allows us opportunities today to map crop growth stages and conditions using dense time-series remote sensing at field scales. However, remotely sensed phenology (or phenological metrics) is normally derived based on the mathematical functions of the time-series data. The phenological metrics are determined by either identifying inflection (curvature) points or some pre-defined thresholds in the remote sensing phenology algorithms. Furthermore, physiological crop growth stages may not be directly correlated to the remotely sensed phenology. The relationship between remotely sensed phenology and crop growth stages is likely to vary for specific crop types and varieties, growing stages, conditions and even locations. In this presentation, we will examine the relationship between remotely sensed phenology and crop growth stages using in-situ measurements from Fluxnet sites and crop progress reports from USDA NASS. We will present remote sensing approaches and focus on: 1) integrating multiple sources of remote sensing data; and 2) extracting crop phenology at field scales. An example in the U.S. Corn Belt area will be presented and analyzed. Future directions for mapping crop growth stages will be discussed.

Remote Sensing: A Film Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, David J.

1986-01-01

Reviews the content of 19 films on remote sensing published between 1973 and 1980. Concludes that they are overly simplistic, notably outdated, and generally too optimistic about the potential of remote sensing from space for resource exploration and environmental problem-solving. Provides names and addresses of more current remote sensing…

Remote detection of forest damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rock, B. N.; Vogelmann, J. E.; Vogelmann, A. F.; Hoshizaki, T.; Williams, D. L.

1986-01-01

The use of remote sensing to discriminate, measure, and map forest damage is evaluated. TM spectal coverage, a helicopter-mounted radiometer, and ground-based surveys were utilized to examine the responses of the spruces and firs of Camels Hump Mountain, Vermont to stresses, such as pollution and trace metals. The basic spectral properties of vegetation are described. Forest damage at the site was estimated as 11.8-76.0 percent for the spruces and 19-43.8 percent for the balsam firs. Shifts in the spectra of the conifers in particular in the near IR region are analyzed, and variations in the mesophyll cell anatomy and pigment content of the spruces and firs are investigated. The relations between canopy moisture and damage is studied. The TM data are compared to aircraft data and found to be well correlated.

Educational activities of remote sensing archaeology (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Agapiou, Athos; Lysandrou, Vasilki; Themistocleous, Kyriacos; Cuca, Branka; Nisantzi, Argyro; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Krauss, Thomas; Cerra, Daniele; Gessner, Ursula; Schreier, Gunter

2016-10-01

Remote sensing science is increasingly being used to support archaeological and cultural heritage research in various ways. Satellite sensors either passive or active are currently used in a systematic basis to detect buried archaeological remains and to systematic monitor tangible heritage. In addition, airborne and low altitude systems are being used for documentation purposes. Ground surveys using remote sensing tools such as spectroradiometers and ground penetrating radars can detect variations of vegetation and soil respectively, which are linked to the presence of underground archaeological features. Education activities and training of remote sensing archaeology to young people is characterized of highly importance. Specific remote sensing tools relevant for archaeological research can be developed including web tools, small libraries, interactive learning games etc. These tools can be then combined and aligned with archaeology and cultural heritage. This can be achieved by presenting historical and pre-historical records, excavated sites or even artifacts under a "remote sensing" approach. Using such non-form educational approach, the students can be involved, ask, read, and seek to learn more about remote sensing and of course to learn about history. The paper aims to present a modern didactical concept and some examples of practical implementation of remote sensing archaeology in secondary schools in Cyprus. The idea was built upon an ongoing project (ATHENA) focused on the sue of remote sensing for archaeological research in Cyprus. Through H2020 ATHENA project, the Remote Sensing Science and Geo-Environment Research Laboratory at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), with the support of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) aims to enhance its performance in all these new technologies.

Remote Sensing and the Earth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brosius, Craig A.; And Others

This document is designed to help senior high school students study remote sensing technology and techniques in relation to the environmental sciences. It discusses the acquisition, analysis, and use of ecological remote data. Material is divided into three sections and an appendix. Section One is an overview of the basics of remote sensing.…

Microwave remote sensing of snowpack properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Topic concerning remote sensing capabilities for providing reliable snow cover data and measurement of snow water equivalents are discussed. Specific remote sensing technqiues discussed include those in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Commerical Remote Sensing Data Contract

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

The U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Commercial Remote Sensing Data Contracts (CRSDCs) provide government agencies with access to a broad range of commercially available remotely sensed airborne and satellite data. These contracts were established to support The National Map partners, other Federal Civilian agency programs, and Department of Defense programs that require data for the United States and its territories. Experience shows that centralized procurement of remotely sensed data leads to considerable cost savings to the Federal government through volume discounts, reduction of redundant contract administrative costs, and avoidance of duplicate purchases. These contracts directly support the President's Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy, signed in 2003, by providing a centralized mechanism for civil agencies to acquire commercial remote sensing products to support their mission needs in an efficient and coordinated way. CRSDC administration is provided by the USGS Mid-Continent Mapping Center in Rolla, Missouri.

Object-oriented recognition of high-resolution remote sensing image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongyan; Li, Haitao; Chen, Hong; Xu, Yuannan

2016-01-01

With the development of remote sensing imaging technology and the improvement of multi-source image's resolution in satellite visible light, multi-spectral and hyper spectral , the high resolution remote sensing image has been widely used in various fields, for example military field, surveying and mapping, geophysical prospecting, environment and so forth. In remote sensing image, the segmentation of ground targets, feature extraction and the technology of automatic recognition are the hotspot and difficulty in the research of modern information technology. This paper also presents an object-oriented remote sensing image scene classification method. The method is consist of vehicles typical objects classification generation, nonparametric density estimation theory, mean shift segmentation theory, multi-scale corner detection algorithm, local shape matching algorithm based on template. Remote sensing vehicles image classification software system is designed and implemented to meet the requirements .

Experimental Sea Slicks in the Marsen (Maritime Remote Sensing) Exercise.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-30

Experimental slicks with various surface properties were generated in the North Sea as part of the MARSEN (Maritime Remote Sensing ) exercise. The one...with remote sensing instrumentation. Because of the numerous effects of surface films on air-sea interfacial processes, these experiments were designed...information was obtained on the influence of sea surface films on the interpretation of signals received by remote sensing systems. Criteria for the

SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING IN THE POLAR REGIONS

DTIC Science & Technology

The Arctic Institute of North America long has been interested in encouraging full and specific attention to applications of remote sensing to polar...research problems. The major purpose of the symposium was to acquaint scientists and technicians concerned with remote sensing with some of the...special problems of the polar areas and, in turn, to acquaint polar scientists with the potential of the use of remote sensing . The Symposium therefore was

REMOTE SENSING IN OCEANOGRAPHY.

DTIC Science & Technology

remote sensing from satellites. Sensing of oceanographic variables from aircraft began with the photographing of waves and ice. Since then remote measurement of sea surface temperatures and wave heights have become routine. Sensors tested for oceanographic applications include multi-band color cameras, radar scatterometers, infrared spectrometers and scanners, passive microwave radiometers, and radar imagers. Remote sensing has found its greatest application in providing rapid coverage of large oceanographic areas for synoptic and analysis and

Methods of Determining Playa Surface Conditions Using Remote Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-08

NO. 11. TITLE (include Security Classification) METHODS OF DETERMINING PLAYA SURFACE CONDITIONS USING REMOTE SENSING 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) J. PONDER...PLAYA SURFACE CONDITIONS USING REMOTE SENSING J. Ponder Henley U. S. Army Engineer Topographic Laboratories Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060-5546 "ABSTRACT...geochemistry, hydrology and remote sensing but all of these are important to the understanding of these unique geomorphic features. There is a large body

Needs Assessment for the Use of NASA Remote Sensing Data in the Development and Implementation of Estuarine and Coastal Water Quality Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiering, Bruce; Underwood, Lauren; Ellis, Chris; Lehrter, John; Hagy, Jim; Schaeffer, Blake

2010-01-01

The goals of the project are to provide information from satellite remote sensing to support numeric nutrient criteria development and to determine data processing methods and data quality requirements to support nutrient criteria development and implementation. The approach is to identify water quality indicators that are used by decision makers to assess water quality and that are related to optical properties of the water; to develop remotely sensed data products based on algorithms relating remote sensing imagery to field-based observations of indicator values; to develop methods to assess estuarine water quality, including trends, spatial and temporal variability, and seasonality; and to develop tools to assist in the development and implementation of estuarine and coastal nutrient criteria. Additional slides present process, criteria development, typical data sources and analyses for criteria process, the power of remote sensing data for the process, examples from Pensacola Bay, spatial and temporal variability, pixel matchups, remote sensing validation, remote sensing in coastal waters, requirements for remotely sensed data products, and needs assessment. An additional presentation examines group engagement and information collection. Topics include needs assessment purpose and objectives, understanding water quality decision making, determining information requirements, and next steps.

Commercial use of remote sensing in agriculture: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnauck, Gary E.

1999-12-01

Over 25 years of research have clearly shown that an analysis of remote sensing imagery can provide information on agricultural crops. Most of this research has been funded by and directed toward the needs of government agencies. Commercial use of agricultural remote sensing has been limited to very small-scale operations supplying remote sensing services to a few selected customers. Datron/Transco Inc. undertook an internally funded remote sensing program directed toward the California cash crop industry (strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, other fresh vegetables and cotton). The objectives of this program were twofold: (1) to assess the need and readiness of agricultural land managers to adopt remote sensing as a management tool, and (2) determine what technical barriers exist to large-scale implementation of this technology on a commercial basis. The program was divided into three phases: Planning, Engineering Test and Evaluation, and Commercial Operations. Findings: Remote sensing technology can deliver high resolution multispectral imagery with rapid turnaround, that can provide information on crop stress insects, disease and various soil parameters. The limiting factors to the use of remote sensing in agriculture are a lack of familiarization by the land managers, difficulty in translating 'information' into increased revenue or reduced cost for the land manager, and the large economies of scale needed to make the venture commercially viable.

Remote Sensing of Aerosol and Non-Aerosol Absorption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, Y. J.; Dubovik, O.; Holben, B. N.; Remer, L. A.; Tanre, D.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Remote sensing of aerosol from the new satellite instruments (e.g. MODIS from Terra) and ground based radiometers (e.g. the AERONET) provides the opportunity to measure the absorption characteristics of the ambient undisturbed aerosol in the entire atmospheric column. For example Landsat and AERONET data are used to measure spectral absorption of sunlight by dust from West Africa. Both Application of the Landsat and AERONET data demonstrate that Saharan dust absorption of solar radiation is several times smaller than the current international standards. This is due to difficulties of measuring dust absorption in situ, and due to the often contamination of dust properties by the presence of air pollution or smoke. We use the remotely sensed aerosol absorption properties described by the spectral sin le scattering albedo, together with statistics of the monthly optical thickness for the fine and coarse aerosol derived from the MODIS data. The result is an estimate of the flux of solar radiation absorbed by the aerosol layer in different regions around the globe where aerosol is prevalent. If this aerosol forcing through absorption is not included in global circulation models, it may be interpreted as anomalous absorption in these regions. In a preliminary exercise we also use the absorption measurements by AERONET, to derive the non-aerosol absorption of the atmosphere in cloud free conditions. The results are obtained for the atmospheric windows: 0.44 microns, 0.66 microns, 0.86 microns and 1.05 microns. In all the locations over the land and ocean that were tested no anomalous absorption in these wavelengths, was found within absorption optical thickness of +/- 0.005.

Integrationof Remote Sensing and Geographic information system in Ground Water Quality Assessment and Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakak, N.

2015-04-01

Spatial variations in ground water quality in the Khartoum state, Sudan, have been studied using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technique. Gegraphical informtion system a tool which is used for storing, analyzing and displaying spatial data is also used for investigating ground water quality information. Khartoum landsat mosac image aquired in 2013was used, Arc/Gis software applied to extract the boundary of the study area, the image was classified to create land use/land cover map. The land use map,geological and soil map are used for correlation between land use , geological formations, and soil types to understand the source of natural pollution that can lower the ground water quality. For this study, the global positioning system (GPS), used in the field to identify the borehole location in a three dimentional coordinate (Latitude, longitude, and altitude), water samples were collected from 156 borehole wells, and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters like electrical conductivity, Total dissolved solid,Chloride, Nitrate, Sodium, Magnisium, Calcium,and Flouride, using standard techniques in the laboratory and compared with the standards.The ground water quality maps of the entire study area have been prepared using spatial interpolation technique for all the above parameters.then the created maps used to visualize, analyze, and understand the relationship among the measured points. Mapping was coded for potable zones, non-potable zones in the study area, in terms of water quality sutability for drinking water and sutability for irrigation. In general satellite remote sensing in conjunction with geographical information system (GIS) offers great potential for water resource development and management.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF BTDF CALIBRATION OF TRANSMISSIVE SOLAR DIFFUSERS FOR REMOTE SENSING.

PubMed

Georgiev, Georgi T; Butler, James J; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2016-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflected solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the optical properties of their diffusers used in pre-flight and post-flight calibrations. The majority of recent and current space instruments use reflective diffusers. As a result, numerous Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) calibration comparisons have been conducted between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other industry and university-based metrology laboratories. However, based on literature searches and communications with NIST and other laboratories, no Bidirectional Transmittance Distribution Function (BTDF) measurement comparisons have been conducted between National Measurement Laboratories (NMLs) and other metrology laboratories. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the use of transmissive diffusers in the calibration of satellite, air-borne, and ground-based remote sensing instruments. Current remote sensing instruments employing transmissive diffusers include the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite instrument (OMPS) Limb instrument on the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) platform,, the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) on the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's (KARI) Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura platform, the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument and the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS).. This ensemble of instruments requires validated BTDF measurements of their on-board transmissive diffusers from the ultraviolet through the near infrared. This paper presents the preliminary results of a BTDF comparison between the NASA Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCL) and NIST on quartz and thin Spectralon samples.

Preliminary Results of BTDF Calibration of Transmissive Solar Diffusers for Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2016-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflected solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the optical properties of their diffusers used in pre-flight and post-flight calibrations. The majority of recent and current space instruments use reflective diffusers. As a result, numerous Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) calibration comparisons have been conducted between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other industry and university-based metrology laboratories. However, based on literature searches and communications with NIST and other laboratories, no Bidirectional Transmittance Distribution Function (BTDF) measurement comparisons have been conducted between National Measurement Laboratories (NMLs) and other metrology laboratories. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the use of transmissive diffusers in the calibration of satellite, air-borne, and ground-based remote sensing instruments. Current remote sensing instruments employing transmissive diffusers include the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite instrument (OMPS) Limb instrument on the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) platform,, the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) on the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's (KARI) Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura platform, the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument and the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS).. This ensemble of instruments requires validated BTDF measurements of their on-board transmissive diffusers from the ultraviolet through the near infrared. This paper presents the preliminary results of a BTDF comparison between the NASA Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCL) and NIST on quartz and thin Spectralon samples.

The Atlanta Urban Heat Island Mitigation and Air Quality Modeling Project: How High-Resoution Remote Sensing Data Can Improve Air Quality Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Estes, Maurice G., Jr.; Crosson, William L.; Khan, Maudood N.

2006-01-01

The Atlanta Urban Heat Island and Air Quality Project had its genesis in Project ATLANTA (ATlanta Land use Analysis: Temperature and Air quality) that began in 1996. Project ATLANTA examined how high-spatial resolution thermal remote sensing data could be used to derive better measurements of the Urban Heat Island effect over Atlanta. We have explored how these thermal remote sensing, as well as other imaged datasets, can be used to better characterize the urban landscape for improved air quality modeling over the Atlanta area. For the air quality modeling project, the National Land Cover Dataset and the local scale Landpro99 dataset at 30m spatial resolutions have been used to derive land use/land cover characteristics for input into the MM5 mesoscale meteorological model that is one of the foundations for the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to assess how these data can improve output from CMAQ. Additionally, land use changes to 2030 have been predicted using a Spatial Growth Model (SGM). SGM simulates growth around a region using population, employment and travel demand forecasts. Air quality modeling simulations were conducted using both current and future land cover. Meteorological modeling simulations indicate a 0.5 C increase in daily maximum air temperatures by 2030. Air quality modeling simulations show substantial differences in relative contributions of individual atmospheric pollutant constituents as a result of land cover change. Enhanced boundary layer mixing over the city tends to offset the increase in ozone concentration expected due to higher surface temperatures as a result of urbanization.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF BTDF CALIBRATION OF TRANSMISSIVE SOLAR DIFFUSERS FOR REMOTE SENSING

PubMed Central

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2016-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflected solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the optical properties of their diffusers used in pre-flight and post-flight calibrations. The majority of recent and current space instruments use reflective diffusers. As a result, numerous Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) calibration comparisons have been conducted between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other industry and university-based metrology laboratories. However, based on literature searches and communications with NIST and other laboratories, no Bidirectional Transmittance Distribution Function (BTDF) measurement comparisons have been conducted between National Measurement Laboratories (NMLs) and other metrology laboratories. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the use of transmissive diffusers in the calibration of satellite, air-borne, and ground-based remote sensing instruments. Current remote sensing instruments employing transmissive diffusers include the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite instrument (OMPS) Limb instrument on the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) platform,, the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) on the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s (KARI) Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura platform, the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument and the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS).. This ensemble of instruments requires validated BTDF measurements of their on-board transmissive diffusers from the ultraviolet through the near infrared. This paper presents the preliminary results of a BTDF comparison between the NASA Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCL) and NIST on quartz and thin Spectralon samples. PMID:28003712

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq...

15 CFR 960.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... LICENSING OF PRIVATE REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS General § 960.1 Purpose. (a) The regulations in this part set... sensing space system under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq... remote sensing satellite industry. (Available from NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and...

Advanced Remote Sensing Research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slonecker, Terrence; Jones, John W.; Price, Susan D.; Hogan, Dianna

2008-01-01

'Remote sensing' is a generic term for monitoring techniques that collect information without being in physical contact with the object of study. Overhead imagery from aircraft and satellite sensors provides the most common form of remotely sensed data and records the interaction of electromagnetic energy (usually visible light) with matter, such as the Earth's surface. Remotely sensed data are fundamental to geographic science. The Eastern Geographic Science Center (EGSC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently conducting and promoting the research and development of three different aspects of remote sensing science: spectral analysis, automated orthorectification of historical imagery, and long wave infrared (LWIR) polarimetric imagery (PI).

Remote sensing in the coastal and marine environment. Proceedings of the US North Atlantic Regional Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaitzeff, J. B. (Editor); Cornillon, P. (Editor); Aubrey, D. A. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Presentations were grouped in the following categories: (1) a technical orientation of Earth resources remote sensing including data sources and processing; (2) a review of the present status of remote sensing technology applicable to the coastal and marine environment; (3) a description of data and information needs of selected coastal and marine activities; and (4) an outline of plans for marine monitoring systems for the east coast and a concept for an east coast remote sensing facility. Also discussed were user needs and remote sensing potentials in the areas of coastal processes and management, commercial and recreational fisheries, and marine physical processes.

Remote sensing of Earth terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, J. A.

1992-01-01

Research findings are summarized for projects dealing with the following: application of theoretical models to active and passive remote sensing of saline ice; radiative transfer theory for polarimetric remote sensing of pine forest; scattering of electromagnetic waves from a dense medium consisting of correlated Mie scatterers with size distribution and applications to dry snow; variance of phase fluctuations of waves propagating through a random medium; theoretical modeling for passive microwave remote sensing of earth terrain; polarimetric signatures of a canopy of dielectric cylinders based on first and second order vector radiative transfer theory; branching model for vegetation; polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces; composite volume and surface scattering model; and radar image classification.

Brazil's remote sensing activities in the Eighties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raupp, M. A.; Pereiradacunha, R.; Novaes, R. A.

1985-01-01

Most of the remote sensing activities in Brazil have been conducted by the Institute for Space Research (INPE). This report describes briefly INPE's activities in remote sensing in the last years. INPE has been engaged in research (e.g., radiance studies), development (e.g., CCD-scanners, image processing devices) and applications (e.g., crop survey, land use, mineral resources, etc.) of remote sensing. INPE is also responsible for the operation (data reception and processing) of the LANDSATs and meteorological satellites. Data acquisition activities include the development of CCD-Camera to be deployed on board the space shuttle and the construction of a remote sensing satellite.

Application of remote sensing to state and regional problems. [for Mississippi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. F.; Bouchillon, C. W.; Harris, J. C.; Carter, B.; Whisler, F. D.; Robinette, R.

1974-01-01

The primary purpose of the remote sensing applications program is for various members of the university community to participate in activities that improve the effective communication between the scientific community engaged in remote sensing research and development and the potential users of modern remote sensing technology. Activities of this program are assisting the State of Mississippi in recognizing and solving its environmental, resource and socio-economic problems through inventory, analysis, and monitoring by appropriate remote sensing systems. Objectives, accomplishments, and current status of the following individual projects are reported: (1) bark beetle project; (2) state park location planning; and (3) waste source location and stream channel geometry monitoring.

Physics teaching by infrared remote sensing of vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schüttler, Tobias; Maman, Shimrit; Girwidz, Raimund

2018-05-01

Context- and project-based teaching has proven to foster different affective and cognitive aspects of learning. As a versatile and multidisciplinary scientific research area with diverse applications for everyday life, satellite remote sensing is an interesting context for physics education. In this paper we give a brief overview of satellite remote sensing of vegetation and how to obtain your own, individual infrared remote sensing data with affordable converted digital cameras. This novel technique provides the opportunity to conduct individual remote sensing measurement projects with students in their respective environment. The data can be compared to real satellite data and is of sufficient accuracy for educational purposes.

Application of remote sensing to water resources problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, J. L.

1972-01-01

The following conclusions were reached concerning the applications of remote sensing to water resources problems: (1) Remote sensing methods provide the most practical method of obtaining data for many water resources problems; (2) the multi-disciplinary approach is essential to the effective application of remote sensing to water resource problems; (3) there is a correlation between the amount of suspended solids in an effluent discharged into a water body and reflected energy; (4) remote sensing provides for more effective and accurate monitoring, discovery and characterization of the mixing zone of effluent discharged into a receiving water body; and (5) it is possible to differentiate between blue and blue-green algae.

Combined ground-based and satellite remote sensing of atmospheric aerosol and Earth surface in the Antarctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaikovsky, Anatoli; Korol, Michail; Malinka, A.; Zege, E.; Katsev, I.; Prikhach, A.; Denisov, S.; Dick, V.; Goloub, P.; Blarel, L.; Chaikovskaya, L.; Lapyonok, A.; Podvin, T.; Denishchik-Nelubina, N.; Fedarenka, A.; Svidinsky, V.

2016-01-01

The paper presents lecture materials given at the Nineteenth International Conference and School on Quantum Electronics "Laser Physics and Applications" (19th ICSQE) in 2016, Sozopol, Bulgaria and contains the results of the 10-year research of Belarusian Antarctic expeditions to study the atmospheric aerosol and Earth surface in Antarctica. The works focus on the studying variability and trends of aerosol, cloud and snow characteristics in the Antarctic and the links of these processes with the long range transport of atmospheric pollutants and climate changes.

Tracking atmospheric boundary layer in tehran using combined lidar remote sensing and ground base measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panahifar, Hossein; Khalesifard, Hamid

2018-04-01

The vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) has been studied by use of a depolarized LiDAR over Tehran, Iran. The boundary layer height (BLH) remains under 1km, and its retrieval from LiDAR have been compared with sonding measurements and meteorological model outputs. It is also shown that the wind speed and direction as well as topography lead to the persistence of air pollution in Tehran. The situation aggravate in fall and winter due to temperature inversion.

SUPERFUND REMOTE SENSING SUPPORT

EPA Science Inventory

This task provides remote sensing technical support to the Superfund program. Support includes the collection, processing, and analysis of remote sensing data to characterize hazardous waste disposal sites and their history. Image analysis reports, aerial photographs, and assoc...

Remote Sensing and the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brosius, C. A.; Gervin, J. C.; Ragusa, J. M.

1977-01-01

A text book on remote sensing, as part of the earth resources Skylab programs, is presented. The fundamentals of remote sensing and its application to agriculture, land use, geology, water and marine resources, and environmental monitoring are summarized.

Operational Use of Remote Sensing within USDA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bethel, Glenn R.

2007-01-01

A viewgraph presentation of remote sensing imagery within the USDA is shown. USDA Aerial Photography, Digital Sensors, Hurricane imagery, Remote Sensing Sources, Satellites used by Foreign Agricultural Service, Landsat Acquisitions, and Aerial Acquisitions are also shown.

Investigation related to multispectral imaging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nalepka, R. F.; Erickson, J. D.

1974-01-01

A summary of technical progress made during a five year research program directed toward the development of operational information systems based on multispectral sensing and the use of these systems in earth-resource survey applications is presented. Efforts were undertaken during this program to: (1) improve the basic understanding of the many facets of multispectral remote sensing, (2) develop methods for improving the accuracy of information generated by remote sensing systems, (3) improve the efficiency of data processing and information extraction techniques to enhance the cost-effectiveness of remote sensing systems, (4) investigate additional problems having potential remote sensing solutions, and (5) apply the existing and developing technology for specific users and document and transfer that technology to the remote sensing community.

An object-based storage model for distributed remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhanwu; Li, Zhongmin; Zheng, Sheng

2006-10-01

It is very difficult to design an integrated storage solution for distributed remote sensing images to offer high performance network storage services and secure data sharing across platforms using current network storage models such as direct attached storage, network attached storage and storage area network. Object-based storage, as new generation network storage technology emerged recently, separates the data path, the control path and the management path, which solves the bottleneck problem of metadata existed in traditional storage models, and has the characteristics of parallel data access, data sharing across platforms, intelligence of storage devices and security of data access. We use the object-based storage in the storage management of remote sensing images to construct an object-based storage model for distributed remote sensing images. In the storage model, remote sensing images are organized as remote sensing objects stored in the object-based storage devices. According to the storage model, we present the architecture of a distributed remote sensing images application system based on object-based storage, and give some test results about the write performance comparison of traditional network storage model and object-based storage model.

Fuzzy Classification of High Resolution Remote Sensing Scenes Using Visual Attention Features.

PubMed

Li, Linyi; Xu, Tingbao; Chen, Yun

2017-01-01

In recent years the spatial resolutions of remote sensing images have been improved greatly. However, a higher spatial resolution image does not always lead to a better result of automatic scene classification. Visual attention is an important characteristic of the human visual system, which can effectively help to classify remote sensing scenes. In this study, a novel visual attention feature extraction algorithm was proposed, which extracted visual attention features through a multiscale process. And a fuzzy classification method using visual attention features (FC-VAF) was developed to perform high resolution remote sensing scene classification. FC-VAF was evaluated by using remote sensing scenes from widely used high resolution remote sensing images, including IKONOS, QuickBird, and ZY-3 images. FC-VAF achieved more accurate classification results than the others according to the quantitative accuracy evaluation indices. We also discussed the role and impacts of different decomposition levels and different wavelets on the classification accuracy. FC-VAF improves the accuracy of high resolution scene classification and therefore advances the research of digital image analysis and the applications of high resolution remote sensing images.