Application of optical and infrared remote sensing to the retrieval of selected land and sea features

Abstract

This thesis discusses two main areas of remote sensing research and thus is divided into two parts. The first part deals with novel methods for sea surface temperature (SST) retrieval using measurements of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on-board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) series of satellites.

The basis for this work is the Dynamic Water Vapour method developed by Steyn-Ross et al. [1993], Smith [1993]. Two new methods are proposed in this thesis: The Dynamic Water Vapour or Atmospheric Temperature (DWVT) and the Simultaneous Water Vapour and Atmospheric Temperature (SimWVT).

The second part of the thesis is a feasibility study on the potential applicability of airborne multispectral remote sensing technology to pasture biomass prediction in New Zealand. This was a pilot project, done in collaboration with AgResearch Ltd. and Dexcel Ltd. Charles Sturt University’s four-band airborne multispectral imaging system was used to acquire images of 65 test pasture plots.

Biomass of the test plots is predicted using a selection of vegetation indices, and multispectral reflectances. The results confirm the widely-held view that vegetation indices are not applicable to New Zealand pastures. Noticeably better results are achieved using the multispectral test plot reflectance in linear multiple regression-type equations.