The Science and Technology of Remote Sensing in the Context of Archaeology
Particularly for the benefit of readers without a background in remote sensing, we review the fundamental concepts and terminology from this vast domain of remote sensing that are applicable in the context of archaeology.
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The Science and Technology of Remote Sensing in the Context of Archaeology
3.1 Imaging Sensors A schematic representation of the relation between an analyst who is interested in performing geospatial analysis using remote sensing imagery, the sensors which captures these images, and the process of creating raster images is shown in Fig. 3.1. Clearly, the analyst must have sufficient understanding of the science of imaging, the capabilities and associated terminology of sensors, and the steps involved in image processing to search for and acquire imagery suitable for their analysis. The purpose of this chapter is to help readers without expertise in remote sensing develop this understanding. Figure 3.2 categorizes sensors based on the information they provide specifically for applications to cultural heritage studies. The top-level categories are images of surface (and subsurface) and topography and 3D models. The former category of sensors is further split into three groups based on the wavelength ranges in which they operate: (1) wide bands in the visible and infrared regions, (2) narrow hyperspectral bands, and (3) microwave bands. Sensors within these groups offer different combinations of spatial resolution (which places a lower limit on the size of objects one can typically observe with such sensors) and spectral resolutions (the number of spectral bands that a sensor can detect and the width of the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum for each band). Sensors in the latter top-level category (topography and 3D models) are categorized based on their spatial resolutions, the type of data they produce, the kinds of sensors that provide such data, and sources for procuring such data. The number at the end of each arrow in Fig. 3.2 references a particular sensor, whose details are provided in Table 3.1. This table is not meant to be exhaustive—it is merely indicative of the kinds of sensors available today. As sensor technologies improve, the types of sensors and the categorization presented in Fig. 3.2 may change. Further, as the spatial resolution of sensors improves, analysts may be able to observe objects smaller than buildings. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. B. Rajani, Patterns in Past Settlements: Geospatial Analysis of Imprints of Cultural Heritage on Landscapes, Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7466-5_3
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Fig. 3.1 Systemic diagram showing the process of a image acquisition; b image preprocessing; c analysis
Fig. 3.2 Categories of sensors based on features of interest for cultural heritage studies. The arrows point to numbers indicating sensors listed in Table 3.1
Active and passive sensors: Passive sensors detect natural radiation, i.e. either reflected solar radiation or radiation emitted by the earth’s surface. In contrast, active sensors generate electromagnetic radiation (at specific wavelengths, or across a ba
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