IMAGING SPECTROMETRY

A basic aim of remote sensing is to identify and characterize objects on the Earth's surface by means of radiation that has interacted with that surface. In the optical region of the spectrum this could best be achieved using an imaging spectrometer that records a finely sampled and continuous spectrum of radiation over the entire 400 nm to 2400 nm wavelength range. This article outlines the airborne imaging spectrometers of today and the space-borne imaging spectrometers of tomorrow, the techniques for processing data from imaging spectrometers and the roles that imaging spectrometry is finding in those areas of geological, aquatic, ecological and atmospheric research which are of interest to physical geographers.