In the spirit of the Decadal Survey, HyspIRI is designed to address a number of
thematic topics and underlying science questions related to the observation, measurement, and analysis of land surface characteristics and ecosystem functioning.
Although the HyspIRI science questions, at least in part, all focus on land surface
issues, three overarching science questions in particular are of significance to
furthering and fostering data analysis and modeling with TIR data from a landscape
ecological perspective:
² How does urbanization affect the local, regional, and global environment? Can
we characterize this effect to help mitigate its impact on human health and
welfare?
² What is the composition and temperature of the exposed surface of Earth? How
do these factors change over time and affect land use and habitability?
² What is the composition of the exposed terrestrial surface of Earth, and how does
it respond to anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic drivers?
Correspondingly, each of these overarching science questions has underlying
science subquestions that elucidate issues associated with these larger questions. It is
anticipated that HyspIRI with its hyperspectral/multispectral capabilities and
improved revisit times will provide the VSWIR and TIR data needed for research
to help address these questions
In summary, we have presented here a synopsis and description of relevant
literature that has been published on thermal infrared remote sensing for analysis
of landscape ecological and land surface processes research, since the publication of
our article that appeared in Landscape Ecology in 1999, and which augments the
information presented in our Thermal Remote Sensing in Land Surfaced Processes
book, published in 2004. To this end, we believe that the review of the literature that is
presented here annunciates the overall premise of the importance of TIR data for
advancing the science of landscape ecological and land surface process research. TIR
data are now readily available from a number of NASA Earth-observing satellite
platforms at differing temporal, spectral, and spatial scales that lend themselves to the
overall analyses and modeling of a host of landscape characteristics and processes. In
actuality, the volume of TIR data that are now available is somewhat overwhelming,
and the specific types of TIR data and the spatial/spectral scales of these data must be
carefully matched with the landscape research in question. Dependent upon the
objectives of specific research, it may in fact be prudent to utilize and compare TIR
data collected at different spatial and spectral scales from different satellites to
develop a more complete understanding of the thermal characteristics, energy
balances, and fluxes that force or drive the landscape processes of interest. There
is more TIR data to come in the future with the launch of NASA missions such as
HyspIRI, as well as Earth-observing instruments launched by the European Space
Agency (ESA) and other national entities. Through increased use and analyses, the
science questions and research associated with developing a more comprehensive
visual, qualitative, and quantitative insight into landscape characteristics, functioning,
and processes that make the land surface, the” ‘landscape,” will be realized.
54
THERMAL INFRARED REMOTE SENSING FOR ANALYSIS OF LANDSCAPE
thematic topics and underlying science questions related to the observation, measurement, and analysis of land surface characteristics and ecosystem functioning.
Although the HyspIRI science questions, at least in part, all focus on land surface
issues, three overarching science questions in particular are of significance to
furthering and fostering data analysis and modeling with TIR data from a landscape
ecological perspective:
² How does urbanization affect the local, regional, and global environment? Can
we characterize this effect to help mitigate its impact on human health and
welfare?
² What is the composition and temperature of the exposed surface of Earth? How
do these factors change over time and affect land use and habitability?
² What is the composition of the exposed terrestrial surface of Earth, and how does
it respond to anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic drivers?
Correspondingly, each of these overarching science questions has underlying
science subquestions that elucidate issues associated with these larger questions. It is
anticipated that HyspIRI with its hyperspectral/multispectral capabilities and
improved revisit times will provide the VSWIR and TIR data needed for research
to help address these questions
In summary, we have presented here a synopsis and description of relevant
literature that has been published on thermal infrared remote sensing for analysis
of landscape ecological and land surface processes research, since the publication of
our article that appeared in Landscape Ecology in 1999, and which augments the
information presented in our Thermal Remote Sensing in Land Surfaced Processes
book, published in 2004. To this end, we believe that the review of the literature that is
presented here annunciates the overall premise of the importance of TIR data for
advancing the science of landscape ecological and land surface process research. TIR
data are now readily available from a number of NASA Earth-observing satellite
platforms at differing temporal, spectral, and spatial scales that lend themselves to the
overall analyses and modeling of a host of landscape characteristics and processes. In
actuality, the volume of TIR data that are now available is somewhat overwhelming,
and the specific types of TIR data and the spatial/spectral scales of these data must be
carefully matched with the landscape research in question. Dependent upon the
objectives of specific research, it may in fact be prudent to utilize and compare TIR
data collected at different spatial and spectral scales from different satellites to
develop a more complete understanding of the thermal characteristics, energy
balances, and fluxes that force or drive the landscape processes of interest. There
is more TIR data to come in the future with the launch of NASA missions such as
HyspIRI, as well as Earth-observing instruments launched by the European Space
Agency (ESA) and other national entities. Through increased use and analyses, the
science questions and research associated with developing a more comprehensive
visual, qualitative, and quantitative insight into landscape characteristics, functioning,
and processes that make the land surface, the” ‘landscape,” will be realized.
54
THERMAL INFRARED REMOTE SENSING FOR ANALYSIS OF LANDSCAPE