Remote Sensing (BIT436CO)
Electromagnetic radiation spectrum, sensor platforms and satellite orbits, Landsat/Sentinel imagery, digital image processing, and GIS-RS integration.
Unit 1: Concept and Scope of Remote Sensing8 hrs
- Definitions, process, and characteristics of Remote Sensing systems
- Types and components of Remote Sensing
- Advantages and limitations of satellite remote sensing
Unit 2: Concept of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)8 hrs
- Wavelength-frequency-energy relationship of EMR
- EMR spectrum and its properties across visible, infrared, and microwave bands
- EMR wavelength regions and their specific applications
- Atmospheric windows and atmospheric scattering (Rayleigh, Mie, Non-selective)
- Interactions of EMR with matter, energy interaction in the atmosphere, energy interactions with Earth surface features
- Spectral signatures of vegetation, soil, and water
Unit 3: Types and Characteristics of Sensor10 hrs
- Sensor materials and detector arrays
- Sensor systems: Framing and Scanning systems (Whiskbroom scanner, Push-broom scanner, Side-looking scanner)
- Imaging and non-imaging sensors; Active and passive sensors
- Resolutions of sensors: Spectral, Spatial, Radiometric, and Temporal resolution
- Scale, mapping unit, multi-band concepts, and False Color Composites (FCC)
Unit 4: Remote Sensor Platforms and Satellite Orbits8 hrs
- Ground, Airborne, and Space-borne platforms
- Orbital characteristics: Coverage, Passes, Pointing accuracy
- Geostationary orbits, Sun-synchronous orbits, Shuttle orbits, Semisynchronous orbits (Molniya orbit), and Quasi-zenith satellite orbits
Unit 5: Space Imaging Satellites7 hrs
- Early history of space imaging systems
- Multispectral and Hyperspectral sensors; RADAR and LiDAR systems
- Specifications of popular Earth resource satellites: IRS, LANDSAT, and SPOT series
- High resolution satellites: IKONOS, Cartosat, QuickBird, OrbView, WorldView
- Recent Earth observation satellite constellations (Sentinel, PlanetScope)
Unit 6: Integration of GIS and Remote Sensing2 hrs
- Mechanisms of integrating satellite imagery with GIS layers
- Data interchange formats and coordinate alignment
- Updating GIS databases using remote sensing imagery
Unit 7: Applications of Remote Sensing2 hrs
- Agricultural monitoring and crop yield estimation
- Forestry and land use / land cover (LULC) change detection
- Water resources, flood mapping, and glacial lake monitoring
- Urban planning and disaster impact assessment in Nepal
Reference books
- Joseph, George, Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Universities Press.
- Gupta, Ravi P., Remote Sensing Geology, Springer.
- Bhatta, Basudeb, Remote Sensing and GIS, Oxford University Press.
- Levin, Noam, Fundamental of Remote Sensing, Research Press.
- Sabins, Floyd F., Remote Sensing: Principles and Interpretation, W. H. Freeman & Co.
- Lillesand, Thomas M., Ralph W. Kiefer, and Jonathan W. Chipman, Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, John Wiley & Sons.