Introduction to Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is one of a suite of tools available to land managers that provides up-to-date, detailed information about land condition. Remote sensing uses instruments mounted on satellites or in planes to produce images or 'scenes' of the Earth's surface.

Remotely sensed images can be used in many applications, for example for mineral exploration, monitoring ocean currents, land use planning, and monitoring the condition of forest and agricultural areas. The uniqueness of satellite remote sensing lies in its ability to show large land areas and to detect features at electromagnetic wavelengths which are not visible to the human eye. Data from satellite images can show larger areas than aerial survey data and, as a satellite regularly passes over the same plot of land capturing new data each time, changes in the land use and condition can be routinely monitored.

In the Land Monitor project, satellite images are being used to provide information on land condition and the changes in that condition through time, specifically salinity and the status of remnant vegetation, to help farmers, environmental managers and planners better manage the land. One of the outcomes of the Land Monitor project will be an archive of satellite images of the south-west agricultural region. To get additional information about land condition, the satellite images are combined with other data such as air photos, digital elevation maps (DEMs) and ground data.