Remote Sensing
Remote sensing involves the collection of data about an object from a distance. Humans and many other types of animals accomplish this task with aid of eyes or by the sense of smell or hearing.
Earth scientists use the technique of remote sensing to monitor or measure phenomena or processes found in the Earth's lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
Mechanical remote sensing devices have greatly improved the ability to receive and record information about an object without any physical contact. Often, these sensors are positioned away from the object of interest by using helicopters, planes, and satellites. These sensors may be either passive or active. Passive sensors detect energy when the naturally occurring energy is available such as sun energy. Active sensors provide their own energy source as radar waves and record its reflection on the target.
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Geophony, Biophony, and Anthrophony
What do these words mean? Biophony is the melodic sound created by such organisms as frogs and birds; geophony, the composition of non-biological sounds like wind, rain and... More »
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Microbial life in undersea volcanoes
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Remote sensing
Introduction Remote sensing can be defined as the collection of data about an object from a distance. Humans and many other types of animals accomplish this... More »
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Earth's Clouds Lowering
This image of clouds over the southern Indian Ocean was acquired by NASA’s polar-orbiting Terra spacecraft. The featured study revealed an overall trend of decreasing... More »
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Tracking Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris
Debris scatters in the Pacific Ocean, possibly heading to United States. Debris from the tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011 could reach the United States as early... More »
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National Ocean Policy Action Plan
National Ocean Policy Action Plan draft requests public comments on actions Federal agencies will take to improve the health of oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes.... More »
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Antarctic ice shelf rift: Pine Island Glacier
Watching the Birth of an Iceberg After discovering an emerging crack that cuts across the floating ice shelf of Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica, NASA's Operation... More »
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Human-caused climate change a factor in...
Human-caused climate change a major factor in more frequent Mediterranean droughts Winter precipitation trends in the Mediterranean region for the period 1902 - 2010. High... More »
Remote sensing
Last Updated on 2013-03-29 at 14:31
Introduction
Remote sensing can be defined as the collection of data about an object from a distance. Humans and many other types of animals accomplish this... More »
Unmanned Aircraft Study Atmospheric Rivers
Last Updated on 2012-08-22 at 14:54
?Main Image: NASA’s Global Hawk soars aloft from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on a functional check flight of the aircraft payload system and science... More »
Oil Spill Air Pollution
Last Updated on 2012-08-21 at 22:04
?Main Image: Deepwater Horizon oil spill as seen from a NOAA research airrcraft, June 2010. Credit: David Valentine, University of California Santa... More »
National Atlas of the United States of America
Last Updated on 2012-08-21 at 17:09
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a map is worth ten thousand.
This is not like any atlas you remember.
National Atlas of the United States of... More »
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