Optical Sensors

These sensors provide imagery in optical (visible light) wavelengths

Sentinel -2. There are two satellites hosting Sentinel-2 sensors, Sentinel 2A (2015) and 2B (2017). The goal of this mission is to support general land and water monitoring and mapping applications, such as forest monitoring, land cover changes detection, and natural disaster management. It also provides us with some of the most detailed imagery for sea-ice mapping when there is sufficient sunlight and clear skies. 

Operator: European Space Agency

Spatial resolution: 10 m, 20 m and 60 m

Radiometric resolution:

Temporal resolution: 

Spectral:

By Rama, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41020894

  1. Landsat 9
  2. MODIS

MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)

2330 km (cross track) by 10 km (along track at nadir)

1-2 days revisit

high radiometric sensitivity (12 bit) in 36 spectral bands ranging in wavelength from 0.4 µm to 14.4 µm

Bands we will use:

•Atmospheric, land, and ocean imaging in a single instrument

•1,000-m, 500-m, and 250-m resolution spectral bands

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