Remote sensing

Abstract

The benefits of a wealth of observational data, derived products and internal services from specially equipped and highly sophisticated environmental satellites have reached the meteorological sciences and associated environmental disciplines such as hydrology and oceanography. The same applies to agricultural meteorology (e.g. Milford 1994; Basso et al. 2010). There are two kinds of sensors used in remote sensing. Passive remote sensing sensors detect radiation that is emitted or reflected by the object or surrounding area being observed. Reflected sunlight is the most common source of radiation measured by passive sensors. Active sensors, on the other hand, emit energy in order to scan objects and areas and then detect and measure the radiation reflected or backscattered from the target using a passive sensor. Radar is an example of active remote sensing where the time delay between emission and return is measured and then the location, height, speed and direction of an object are established (Basso et al. 2010). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.