TERRA satellite

Orbits

•T=100 minutes

•Inclination

•Repeat time/track separation

•Off nadir allowed?

•Swath width

•Ascending/Descending, day/night

•Stereo possible?

http://landsat7.usgs.gov/updates/06-27-03-anomaly.jpg

http://landsat7.usgs.gov/updates/06-27-03-anomaly.jpg

Satellite Resolution

•Spatial

•Spectral

•Radiometric

•Temporal

Windows and absorption bands—who absorbs where

Whether noise is a nuisance or a signal may depend on whom you ask.

Physics Today, May 2003

S/N ratio

•Pixel size

•Part of spectrum

•Bandwidth

•Active/Passive

Energy at Satellite

• Reflected

• Emitted

Revisit Times

• ASTER: 4 to 16 days (only on Terra)

• MODIS: 2 days (Terra and Aqua)

MODIS

MODIS

MODIS

MODIS

ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS,MOPITT

Figure 1: The demise of Landsat 7. Partial image of Railroad Valley, NV (Path 40, Row 33) showing pre-anomaly (top), post-anomaly without interpolation (middle), and post-anomaly with interpolation (bottom).

SLAR—side looking airborne radar

Same principals as side scan sonar

Contrast

0-255 gray scale possible

~30 we can differentiate

Use them most effectively

IR “Best”

How show?

Color--Grayscale

• Normally amount of energy returned

• Exceptions– Thermal of clouds (weather satellites)– Side scan sonar imagery (history &

technology)