digital imagery (continued)
Sunlight is made up of many colors, or wavelengths of light -- some visible to the eye and some invisible. Different materials reflect different wavelengths of light, creating a unique pattern called a spectrum. Digital images of the spectrum can be captured with special cameras and studied with computer programs. Hyperspectral instruments scan the ground beneath the airplane and pick up the characteristic light patterns of the plants, land, and objects below. Hyperspectral instruments detect at least 100 unique parts of the light spectrum, compared with the 7 to 15 parts detected by most satellite-based instruments.
Hyperspectral imaging is a way to quickly collect a large amount of scientific data, compared with traditional methods of ecology where scientists may labor for months or years on the ground. While remotely-sensed data is not as detailed as people on the ground could collect, the information covers a much larger area. With ground-truthing, scientists can get answers quickly over a very large study area using remote sensing.