Physical Principles of Remote Sensing of the Environment

The possibility of remote sensing of objects on the earth’s surface by space methods is based on objective, existing relations between the characteristics (parameters) of the environment and the radiation (reflected and natural) field of the earth’s surface. Measurements from earth’s artificial satellites of the intensity of this field also form the basis of obtaining space images of the earth. The process of formation of space images of the earth’s surface depends on many factors and is very complex. In view of this, the determination from the data of space survey of the characteristics of the environment, i.e. solution of the converse problem of remote sensing, is not always unique. Therefore, a study of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the earth’s surface and the atmosphere is a necessary stage in the development of space methods of studying the natural resources of the earth.