Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evolution of Earth Observation

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of GIS

  • 135 Accesses

Synonyms

Digital image processing; Geospatial technology; Earth observation; LiDAR; RADAR; GPS; Surveillance; Remote sensing, satellite-based; Remote sensing, aerial; Intertial motion unit (IMU)

Definition

Remote Sensing dates back to ancient Napoleonic times when the French first employed hot-air balloons to assess “from above” enemy force and position prior to battle. Today, although not much has changed in terms of the mainstay application, military surveillance, certainly much has evolved in the acquiring and processing technologies, applications, and audience for image data. Earth Observation, in the context of this article, refers to the indirect, passive observation or “remote sensing” of the Earth from above. Remote sensors, satellite- and aerial-based platforms, usually record Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) from a target source, essentially creating a high-speed communications link between a sensor and a target being sensed. The information that can be derived from a target's...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Recommended Reading

  1. Avery, T.E., Berlin, G.L.: Interpretation of Aerial Photographs. 4th edn. Burgess Publishing, Minneapolis, MN (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Baker, J.C., O'Connell, K.M., Williamson, R.A. (eds.): Commercial Observation Satellites: At the Leading Edge of Global Transparency. RAND-ASPRS, Santa Monica, CA (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Jensen, J.R.: Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Stoney, W.E.: Markets and Opportunities. Earth Imag. J. 2(1), 10–14 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SummitPoint Management LLC, Issaquah, WA, USA

    Daniel J. Sarlitto

Authors
  1. Daniel J. Sarlitto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Shashi Shekhar (McKnight Distinguished University Professor) (McKnight Distinguished University Professor)

  2. Management Science and Information Systems Department, Rutgers Business School Newark and New Brunswick Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA

    Hui Xiong (Assistant Professor) (Assistant Professor)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer-Verlag

About this entry

Cite this entry

Sarlitto, D. (2008). Evolution of Earth Observation. In: Shekhar, S., Xiong, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of GIS. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35973-1_387

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation