In the next two lectures I'll review the fundamentals of remote sensing -- the remote sensing process, energy sources used by remote sensors, atmospheric interactions with electromagnetic energy, object interactions with electromagnetic energy, spectral signatures, and spectral 'banks' commonly used in remote sensing. Since everything that follows in this course relates to the material being presented in these two lectures, it is important that you become comfortable with / familiar with the concepts being presented (although you are not expected to memorize the formula or exact values).

Internet resources related to this lecture:

• The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation's (CBC) Landsat Spectral Band Information handout.
• The Biodiversity Infomatics Facility's Interactive demonstration of Band Combinations.
• The Biodiversity Infomatics Facility's Interactive demonstration of the effect of topography on images. (Why this happens: The relation between solar insolation and incidence angle.)
• The Biodiversity Infomatics Facility's Interactive demonstration of red, green and blue colour mixing.
• Why is the sky blue?
• Why rivers aren't always blue!
• The relation between latitude and solar insolation.
• A very clear introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum by NASA (includes a video).
• An active weather radar system for Abbotsford.
• After viewing this you'll never forget what EMR is! The Electromagnetic Spectrum Song.

Text: Chapter 2: Electromagnetic energy and remote sensing. The text covers the topic in more detail than is required for Geob 373 (as noted above, you are not expected to memorize the formula or exact values).

An interesting sensor that 'sounds' the atmosphere for temperature: NASA Aqua sensor AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder).