ABSTRACT
Remote sensing involves collecting and analyzing information about the characteristics or properties of objects or phenomena without being in physical contact with them. One aim of remote sensing of the environment is to understand the spatial order of the Earth’s surface properties from measurements of electromagnetic energy obtained from a distance above the surface. Much research in remote sensing is oriented toward understanding the Earth’s biophysical environment, with particular emphasis on its resources. Imaging remote sensors, such as the Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS), are devices which measure electromagnetic energy with varying wavelength sensitivity. They synoptically record a two-dimensional picture of the electromagnetic energy. The recorded energy is that which is reflected or emitted from the surface as a function of the magnitude of surface properties or type of materials.
