REMOTE SENSING Region Name Wavelength Comments THE EARTH and ITS

- Remote sensing –technique used to collect ATMOSPHERE

data about the earth (or any other object) Gamma Ray < 0.03 Entirely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere and not available for - Formed about 4.5 bya
without taking a physical sample of it. nanometers remote sensing. - first life appeared 3.5 bya
Radiometry: studies electromagnetic radiation X-ray 0.03 to 30 Entirely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere and not available for
- 70.8% H2O
Sensors mounted on satellites or aerial nanometers remote sensing
- Aix 23.5 degrees
equipment measure electromagnetic radiation Ultraviolet 0.03 to 0.4 Wavelengths from 0.03 to 0.3 micrometers absorbed by ozone in the - Has an atmosphere
2 types of sensors micrometers Earth's atmosphere - Organisms began changing
o Passive Photographic 0.3 to 0.4 Available for remote sensing the Earth. Can be imaged with the atmosphere because of
 Source of radiation from outside the Ultraviolet micrometers photographic film. photosynthetic organisms
Visible 0.4 to 0.7 Available for remote sensing the Earth. Can be imaged with
sensor (i.e. sunlight)
micrometers photographic film.
- Oxygen was created as a
 Record radiation reflected from byproduct and thus the
earth’s surface Infrared 0.7 to 100 Available for remote sensing the Earth. Can be imaged with atmosphere was born.
Can only record during daylight micrometers photographic film.
 3O2(plus UV)2O3
Reflected 0.7 to 3.0 Available for remote sensing the Earth. Near Infrared 0.7 to - Permanent gases – stable – N,
 i.e. Thematic Mapper (TM).
Infrared micrometers 0.9 micrometers. Can be imaged with photographic film. O, Ar, Ne, He, H, Xe
o Active
Thermal Infrared 3.0 to 14 Available for remote sensing the Earth. This wavelength cannot
 Energy source is from within the
micrometers be captured with photographic film. Instead, mechanical sensors - Variable gases – varies from
sensor
 Emits a beam with a known
- Land heats up faster than seas. Daytime temp.
range can be up to 100C or more. Temp range
over sea is typically
1-20C
- Sideways expansion of the air produces changes
in pressure which are transmitted sideways at
the speed of sound  creates sea breeze
- sea breeze caused by pressure gradient at low
levels <1500 ft.

ATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIES
- Pressure is the pull of gravity
- Relative humidity is the ratio of water (grams) in
vol. of air to the maximum amount of water the
air can hold.
o Desert ~3%
o Tropical rainforest ~88%
- Temperature – varies with location and time.
Dependent on angle of sun’s rays on earth.
SOLAR RADIATION
- rays perpendicular to the equator  most solar
energy. Sunlight passes through less
atmosphere and more heat to earth.
- At the poles, the angles of the sun’s rays to the
earth are small.
- approximately 100W/m2 hit the earth
-appx 700 w/m2 absorbed Stratosphere:
appx 300 w/m2
- less matter than troposphere
Thermosphere (Ionosphere) - water 1/1000 as much as tropos.
- Temp. inc. b/c of gamma rays, - Hadley Cells
- 3O22O3
X-rays, UV radiation
- Ozone made by UV radiation o Btw 30S  30 N
- molecules converted into ionsand lightening - Ferrel Cells and Polar Cells-
 aurora borealis and aurora Troposphere: do not affect temp as much
australis. as Hadley Cells
- Mostly N and O with smaller amounts of H2O and CO2 - Winds
Mesosphere:
- Coldest layer - chemical cycling of earth’s nutrients o Westerlies (From West to east)
As air moves from high to low pressure - in
Ice clouds.
the meteors
northern burn. - itrising
hemisphere, is deflected
and fallingto the
airright by the
currents andCoriolis
winds force. In theand
 weather southern hemisphere, air moving and trade winds (30N30S)
from high to low pressure is deflected to the left by the Coriolis force.climate The amountis. of deflection the air makes is directly related to both the speed at which the air is moving and its From east and blows west
latitude. Therefore, slowly blowing winds will be deflected only a small amount, while stronger winds will be deflected more. Likewise, winds blowing closer to the poles will be deflected more o Doldrum –no wind
than winds at the same speed closer to the equator. The Coriolis force is zero right at the equator. movement