Going the Distance with Remote Sensing

The document describes remote sensing as the process of gathering information from a distance by detecting electromagnetic waves. It distinguishes between active sensing, which transmits signals to measure reflections, and passive sensing, which measures naturally emitted or reflected waves. Remote sensors can be space-based, aerial-based, or ground-based, though Climate TRACE primarily utilizes satellite-based sensors for their global coverage. The effectiveness of satellite remote sensing is determined by spectral resolution (wavelength bands), spatial resolution (pixel detail), and temporal resolution (revisit frequency). Climate TRACE integrates this data with satellite imagery and ground truth data to monitor greenhouse gas emissions from various sources and train AI/ML algorithms.

• Remote sensing is categorized into active sensing, which transmits a signal to measure the reflection (e.g., Doppler radar or measuring tree height), and passive sensing, which measures naturally emitted electromagnetic waves (e.g., heat from steel factories or power plants).
• Remote sensors are deployed via three primary platforms: space-based satellites for global coverage, aerial-based platforms like drones and airplanes for larger areas, and ground-based sensors for high-frequency, close-range measurements.
• Climate TRACE primarily relies on satellite-based remote sensing because it provides global coverage. The utility of these satellites is defined by spectral resolution (wavelength bands), spatial resolution (the real-world size of a pixel), and temporal resolution (the revisit frequency of the satellite).
• Remote sensing allows Climate TRACE to collect data over large areas, obtain direct measurements, monitor changes over time, fill information gaps where ground-truth data is missing, and provide training data for AI/ML algorithms.

APA

TRACE, B. C. (2023). Going the Distance with Remote Sensing. Climate TRACE. https://climatetrace.org/news/going-the-distance-with-remote-sensing

Chicago

TRACE, By Climate. Going the Distance with Remote Sensing. Climate TRACE, 2023. https://climatetrace.org/news/going-the-distance-with-remote-sensing.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=TRACE |first1=By Climate |title=Going the Distance with Remote Sensing |publisher=Climate TRACE |date=6 June 2023 |url=https://climatetrace.org/news/going-the-distance-with-remote-sensing |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trace2023going, author = {TRACE, By Climate}, title = {{Going the Distance with Remote Sensing}}, institution = {Climate TRACE}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://climatetrace.org/news/going-the-distance-with-remote-sensing}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }