Notes
Slide Show
Outline
1
Infrared Remote Sensing
  • Nick Faust
  • GTRI/EOSL
  • 404-894-0021
  • Nick.faust@gtri.gatech.edu
  • http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect9/Sect9_1.html
2
Basic Theory
  • All objects warmer than Absolute Zero emit energy
    • Sun approximates 6000 Degree K Black Body
    • Earth approximates a 300 Degree K Black Body
    • Amount of energy emitted by an Object is proportional to its Temperature
      • M(wavelength)  =  sigma* T**4
        • Sigma = Stefan-Boltzmann const (5.6697 x 10**(-8)Watts)
3
Black Body Definition
  • Black Body
    • Absorbs all incident radiation focused on it
    • Radiates energy at maximum possible rate/unit area at each wavelength for any given temperature ( Mulligan 1980)
    • No objects are perfect Black Bodies (approximations)
4
 
5
 
6
Emissivity
  • Physical Characterstic of Objects
  • E = Mo(radiant flux of object)/Mb (radiant flux of blackbody)
  • Emissivity nearly independent of Temperature
7
Sources of Thermal Energy
  • Solar Thermal energy
  • Solar Visible/NearIR (absorbed and reradiated at thermal wavelengths)
  • Radioactive decay (earth – uranium, etc)
  • Fires
  • Manmade sources (Power plants, engines, etc)
8
Diurnal Thermal Effects
9
Thermal Diurnal Effects
10
Atlanta day/night
11
Kilauea Volcano Lava Flow
12
Urban Heat Loss
13
Geologic Discrimination
14
Lava Flow Discrimination
15
Obstacles to Interpretation of Thermal Imagery
  • Changes radically throughout the day
  • Unknown emissivity of subject
  • Different set of detectors that often require cooling near absolute zero (nitrogen, etc)
16
 
17