GLOSSARY

For a Better Understanding of Remote Sensing terms

ALOS PRISM:

PRISM is the 3-line scanner panchromatic sensor carried on the ALOS satellite bus. Its principal use is for High-Accuracy Triplet DEM generation.

Exemple of a 2.5 m z accuracy DEM generated from PRISM triplet

ASTER:

ASTER stands for Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer. This is one of the sensors carried on the NASA Terra Satellite Platform shared by MODIS.

ASTER captures high spatial resolution data in 14 bands, from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelengths; and provides stereo viewing capability for digital elevation model creation.

As the "zoom lens" for Terra, ASTER data is used by other Terra and space-borne instruments for validation and calibration.

False Colour Imagery:
The term "false colour" is typically used to describe images whose colours represent measured intensities outside the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Usually False color composite imagery is used to describe a composite of Nir-Infrared, Red, Green visualised in a Red, Green, Blue composite. It is used to enhance vegetation characteristics.

NIR=R Red=G Green=B

Image processing:
Various operations that can be applied to a digital image. typical Image processing operations are used for feature detection, classification, enhancement, registration, conversion.

Incidence angle:
In radar, the angle formed between an imaginary line normal to the surface and another connecting the antenna and the target

Infra Red or IR:
Region of the electromagnetic spectrum that includes wavelengths from 0.7µm to 1 mm

LIDAR:
Light Detection and Ranging is an airborne mapping technique which uses a laser to measure the distance between the aircraft and the ground.

NDVI:

NDVI is the acronym for normalized difference vegetation index. It is a simple formula using two channels, one in the visible region and one in the near infrared. The NDVI is (NIR - VIS)/(NIR + VIS).

NDVI provides a crude estimate of vegetation health and a means of monitoring changes in vegetation over time.

NDVI over McLaren Vale vineyards. SA displaying stressed and healthy grapevines.