What are some of the applications and limitations of thermal infrared remote sensing?
Thermal infrared remote sensing is a technique that uses sensors to measure the emitted radiation from the surface of the earth and other objects in the electromagnetic spectrum. It can provide valuable information about the temperature, energy, and composition of different materials and phenomena. However, it also faces some challenges and limitations that affect its accuracy, reliability, and applicability. In this article, you will learn about some of the main applications and limitations of thermal infrared remote sensing in various fields and domains.
Land surface temperature (LST) is an important indicator of the thermal conditions and energy balance of the earth. Thermal infrared remote sensing can estimate LST by using sensors that detect the emitted radiation from the land surface in different wavelength bands. LST can be used to monitor and analyze various environmental and socio-economic processes, such as climate change, urban heat islands, soil moisture, vegetation stress, and land use change. However, estimating LST from thermal infrared remote sensing is not straightforward, as it requires accounting for atmospheric effects, emissivity variations, surface heterogeneity, and sensor calibration.
Fire is a natural and human-induced disturbance that affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and human activities. Thermal infrared remote sensing can detect and map fire events by using sensors that capture the high-temperature signatures of active fires and burned areas. Fire detection and mapping can help to assess the extent, severity, and impacts of fire on vegetation, soil, carbon, and air quality. However, thermal infrared remote sensing also has some limitations for fire detection and mapping, such as cloud cover, smoke interference, spatial resolution, and temporal frequency.
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Thermal data around Wildfires has proven itself to be very valuable in detecting new fires, monitoring active fire movement, identifying people at risk, finding flare up hot spots and post fire monitoring and ensure complete burnout. Like everything, applying the right tools to the task at hand is critical. Not all thermal imagers are equal and one needs to ensure the right tools and technologies are applied.
Volcanic eruptions are hazardous phenomena that pose threats to human lives, infrastructure, and environment. Thermal infrared remote sensing can monitor volcanic activity by using sensors that measure the thermal anomalies and gas emissions from volcanic vents, lava flows, and ash plumes. Volcanic monitoring can help to identify and track eruption patterns, evaluate eruption intensity and duration, and provide early warning and risk assessment. However, thermal infrared remote sensing also has some challenges for volcanic monitoring, such as sensor saturation, atmospheric attenuation, spectral mixing, and data availability.
Water quality and pollution are critical issues that affect the health and well-being of humans and ecosystems. Thermal infrared remote sensing can assess water quality and pollution by using sensors that detect the temperature and emissivity differences between water and pollutants. Water quality and pollution can be inferred from thermal infrared remote sensing by using indicators such as thermal stratification, thermal plumes, oil spills, and algal blooms. However, thermal infrared remote sensing also has some limitations for water quality and pollution assessment, such as surface roughness, water depth, sun glint, and spectral resolution.
Thermal infrared spectroscopy is a technique that uses sensors to measure the spectral characteristics of the emitted radiation from different materials and substances. It can provide information about the chemical composition, structure, and physical properties of various solid, liquid, and gaseous samples. Thermal infrared spectroscopy can be used for various applications, such as mineral exploration, soil characterization, vegetation analysis, and gas detection. However, thermal infrared spectroscopy also has some difficulties and drawbacks, such as signal noise, spectral interference, temperature effects, and sample preparation.