Passive Remote Sensing: allocations, sensors, measurements and applications

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Passive Remote Sensing allocations, sensors,
measurements and applications

• Thomas.vonDeak_at_nasa.gov
• NASA HQ Spectrum Management Office

REMOTE SENSING WORKSHOP Geneva, Switzerland 11
December 2007
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Passive Sensing

• Radio Regulation No. 1.183 (definition)
• Passive Sensor A measuring instrument in the
  earth exploration-satellite service or in the
  space research service by means of which
  information is obtained by reception of radio
  waves of natural origin.

Radio waves of natural origin are emissions from
the ground, air, and water. All objects emit
radio waves and the emissions convey information
about those objects.
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Remote sensing is a layered system
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The complete remote sensing system addresses
societal concerns
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Use of the Passive Bands

• Passive sensors are designed to receive and
  measure natural emissions produced by the Earths
  surface and its atmosphere. The frequency and
  strength of these natural emissions characterize
  the type and status of many important
  geophysical, which describe the status of the
  Earth/Atmosphere/Oceans System
• Earth surface parameters such as soil moisture,
  sea surface temperature, ice extension and age,
  snow cover, rainfall over land, etc ... 
• Three-dimensional atmospheric parameters (low,
  medium, and upper atmosphere) such as wind
  circulation, temperature profiles, water vapour
  content and concentration profiles of radiatively
  and chemically important trace gazes (for
  instance O3, SO2 and ClO).

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Use of the Passive Bands

• Microwave observations at frequencies below 100
  GHz enable studies of the Earths surface and its
  atmosphere from spaceborne instruments even in
  the presence of clouds, because clouds are almost
  transparent at these frequencies. This
  "all-weather" observing capability has been very
  important for EESS in achieving the repetitive
  global coverage mandatory for meteorological,
  climatological, and environmental monitoring and
  surveying.
• The impressive progress made in recent years in
  weather analysis, warning and forecasts,
  especially for dangerous weather phenomena that
  affect all populations and economies is largely
  attributable to the spaceborne observations and
  their assimilation in numerical models.
• Play a major role in the prediction and detection
  of disasters.

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Use of the Passive Bands

• Typical bands and their main application
• ?1400-1427 MHz salinity (ocean), soil moisture
  (ground)
• ?10.6-10.7 MHz rain, snow, ice, sea state,
  ocean wind
• ?23.6-24 GHz total content of water vapour
• ?31.3-31.5 GHz the lowest cumulated effects due
  to oxygen and water vapour in the vicinity of the
  50 GHz band. Optimum window channel to see the
  Earths surface reference for the other
  channels.
• ?36-37 GHz cloud liquid water, vegetation
  structure, surface roughness
• ?50.2-50.4 GHz temperature profile

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Passive Sensors observe through the atmosphere
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Sensitivity of Brightness Temperature to
Geophysical Parameters over Land Surface
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Microwave and Millimeter-wave SpectrumSpectral
Sensitivity to Environmental Parameters Ocean
Scene
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Aqua Instruments AMSR-E

• Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS
• 12-Channels, 6 frequencies 6.9-89.0 GHz
• dual-polarization
• 5.4-56 km footprint at nadir
• All weather

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AMSR-E Products

• Precipitation Rate
• Cloud Water
• Surface wind speed over oceans
• Sea Surface Temperature
• Ice, Snow and Soil Moisture

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Aqua Instruments AMSU/A

• Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit
• 15 Microwave Channels 15-90 GHz
• 40 km footprint at nadir
• All-Weather

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Global composite of brightness temperature (K)
From AMSU-A Channel 3
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Radiation Measurements to Vertical Soundings

• AIRS and AMSU data combined to create vertical
  soundings of temperature and humidity
• Air and/or water vapor at various heights
  (pressures) contribute to the total radiation
  measurement viewed from space.
• The contribution peaks at different pressures for
  different wavelengths

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Improve Accuracy of Severe Weather Warnings
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Disaster Management
EARTH SYSTEM MODELS
Predictions

• Earthquake MMI, Quakesim
• Hurricane HURRSIM
• Flood SLOSH, WAVEwatch, STWAVE, HURSURGE
• Land GPS Network, SBEACH
• Building Cost Models ATC-13
• Building Structure Models EPEDAT

DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS

• HAZUS-MH (Hazards U.S. - Multi Hazard)

• Earthquake prediction
• Floods
• Hurricane Typhoons
• Land Surface Topography
• Global Precipitation
• Ocean Surface Winds
• Surface Deformation
• Motions of the Earths Interior

VALUE BENEFITS

• Disaster Recovery/ Mitigation
• Land use decision
• Potential economic loss
• Estimation of direct damage, induced damage,
  direct losses, and indirect losses
• Accurate risk prediction to communities
• Loss estimates of buildings, essential
  facilities, transportation utility lifelines,
  and population
• Social impacts

• Identify/ Prioritize high-risk communities
• Reduction in lives lost
• Reduction in damage cost
• Anticipate the scope of disaster-related damage
• Improve disaster response
• Community Planning

Supported Non-NASA Model
EARTH OBSERVATORIES

• Land Landsat, SRTM, GPS, SCIGN, Terra, Aqua
• Ocean QuickSCAT, Seawinds, IceSAT, GOES, POES,
  SSMI, JASON, TOPEX/POSEIDON
• Atmosphere TRMM, GOES, POES, GPM, NPP, NPOESS

Observations
Future Mission
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Disaster Related Remote Sensing Applications

• Weather Prediction a key input to numerical
  weather prediction models used globally for
  weather forecasting. (Microwave(passive))
• Global Warming concentrations and distributions
  of atmospheric gases, sea and land ice thickness
  and change, and ozone measurements are key
  components to studying and prediction of global
  warming. (Microwave(passive), Infrared)
• Severe Weather Events the prediction of severe
  weather events requires accurate measurements of
  rain rates in storms over the oceans which is
  only possible with remote sensing satellites.
  (Microwave(passive))
• Forest Fires detection of fires through smoke by
  their microwave radiation. (Infrared)

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Key Applications (continued)

• Management of Natural Resources measurements of
  biomass, deforestation, and water resources
  through systematic environmental monitoring.
  (Microwave (passive), Infrared, Optical)
• Volcanoes used to detect volcanic activity even
  before eruptions and to track and predict the
  volcanic fallout effects. (Optical, Microwave
  (active), Infrared, SubM)
• Shipping used to track sea ice, ice floes, and
  ocean storms to steer ships out of harms way.
  (Optical, MW(active))
• Long Range Climate Forecasts study of global
  atmospheric and oceanic events such as El Niño
  requires sea surface temperature, ocean winds,
  ocean wave height, and many other components used
  in the prediction of long range weather
  forecasting and climatic trends. (Microwave
  (active/passive))

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Remote Sensing Report

• ITU-D SG 2 Question 22/2 Utilization of ICT for
  disaster management, resources, and active and
  passive space-based sensing systems as they apply
  to disaster and emergency relief situations
• Work Item 2 Identification and examination of
  active and passive sensing system applications
  for their potential effect in enhancing disaster
  mitigation.
• Version 1 of the Report is complete and available
  upon request from the presenter.

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THANK YOU!

• Thomas vonDeak
• NASA HQ Spectrum Management Office

(VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE PRESENTER AND
DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF NASA.)
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Global Passive Sensor Systems
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Global Passive Sensor Systems
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Global Passive Sensor Systems
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit Three Understanding climate
variability and change.
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit Eight Improving terrestrial,
coastal, and marine ecosystems..
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit Eight Improving terrestrial,
coastal, and marine ecosystems..
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit Three Understanding climate
variability and change.
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit One Reducing loss of life and
property from disasters.. Prediction
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit One Reducing loss of life and
property from disasters.. Prediction
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Capabilities of Space-Based Sensing
Societal Benefit One Reducing loss of life and
property from disasters.. Prediction, Disaster
Event Assessment, Monitoring