Remote sensing:
When it comes to observing the urban landscape, it is spatially complex. This is due to viewing multiple surfaces at once with little systematic orientation. As a result, sensors must meet the demands with high spectral resolution.
In addition to having spatial heterogeneity, urban landscapes are also spectrally complex. This means most objects that are being observed have multiple spectral signatures. It defines the number of contiguous or non-contiguous spectral bands that a sensor collecting data.
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Remote sensing is a great tool to track and analyze urban heat island patterns. The satellites that are orbiting around the earth carry certain sensors which has the ability to collect data of temperatures of different surfaces. When it comes to analyzing urban heat island effect, using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard both the Aqua and Terra Satellites and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) aboard the NOAA POES satellite are the best options . Both sensors examine the land surface temperature. To observe the impervious surface data, Landsat Thematic Mapper/Earth Thematic Mapper would be the best option. Impervious surface data shows how much building material is covered throughout the land surface. The data that is being analyzed is collect through the thermal infrared of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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Sensors:
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
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Advanced Very High Resoloution
MODIS is the main instrument that is aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites. Both satellites have different orbiting patterns (Terra orbits from north to south in the morning, Aqua orbits from south to north in the afternoon). MODIS has a total of 36 bands, making it hyper-spectral. Out of the 36 bands, bands 20-23 look at surface temperature .
For more information about the MODIS Sensor, Click on the buttons below to get a better understanding. It will take you a different website
AVHRR is a sensor that is being carried aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite. It has a total of 5 bands and it provides pole to pole coverage which collects data for all the bands. It also means AVHRR is mutlispectral. Bands 4-5 are thermal infrared and can collect land surface temperature while bands 1-2 are solar related.
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For more information about the AVHRR Sensor, Click on the buttons below to get a better understanding. It will take you a different website
Landsat Thematic Mapper/Earth Thematic Mapper
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Landsat TM and ETM are sensors that are in the Landsat Satellite. Both are mutispectral and focuses its bands in the visible and near infrared light. However the Landsat TM is an older model that is part of the landsat 4-5 programs while Landsat ETM is a newer model. Current programs are in Landsat 8. The sensors can pick up impervious surface using classification techniques to determine which surface is which such as vegetation vs roads.
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For more information about the Landsat programs, Click on the buttons below to get a better understanding. It will take you a different website
