Week 8.1

Vocabulary flashcards from the Geography 280 lecture notes covering key concepts in remote sensing and electromagnetic radiation.

EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation)

Forms of energy emitted by atoms as waves or discrete packets (photons), observed in various wavelengths.

Active Remote Sensing

Remote sensing that uses its own energy source, allowing data collection at any time.

Passive Remote Sensing

Remote sensing that relies on naturally occurring energy, typically from the sun, for data collection.

Reflectance

The fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation that is reflected off a surface.

Spectral Signature

An object’s unique pattern of reflectance across different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.

Landsat Program

A collective earth observation program involving various satellite missions focused on continuous earth imaging.

Wavelength

The distance measured from crest to crest of a wave, typically expressed in micrometers (µm) or nanometers (nm).

True Color Image

An image that accurately represents colors as they appear in natural light by mapping the correct band to the appropriate color channel.

False Color Image

An image that uses specific bands mapped to different color channels to highlight features not easily visible in true color.

Scattering

The unpredictable process of EMR being deflected from its original path upon interacting with particles in the atmosphere.

Transmission

The process by which electromagnetic radiation passes through a target without being absorbed or reflected.