Scientific Photography and Applied Imaging

19 Remote sensing

19.1 Introduction

19.1.1 Principles

In principle, most forms of imaging are remote sensing in that there is no physical contact between subject and imaging system, so they are non-invasive, except for calibration marks or patches. But remote sensing generally is taken to mean the use of a range of methods to image, measure and evaluate natural phenomena associated with the Earth’s surface by observing these from aircraft and earth orbiting satellites (Thomson, 1984). Numerous optical and imaging systems are used from a variety of suitable aerial platforms, ranging from a camera crane (for ground truth studies) to balloons, aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft (including unmanned, high altitude and ‘stealth’ types), manned spacecraft ...