Overview

The Indiana State University (ISU) partner of the greater Digital Earth Watch (DEW) group focused on developing two major modules that contain high levels of remote sensing. Spectral data (e.g. light) collected through remote sensing is used to extract important Earth feature information. This module is entitled “Exploring Light Energy Interactions with Earth Features” (or “Spectral Module”) and it focuses on use of satellite and airborne images that interpret through visual and/or computer-aided methods. This module uses visible light energy (blue/violet through red visible wavelengths) and near infrared invisible light from the sun that strikes and interacts Earth objects. The light that reflects from Earth objects and are collected by sensors such as cameras and other electronic instruments varies in amount, which when analyzed can identify Earth features. A key to extracting information using remotely sensed data products is by understanding aspects of light energy interactions with Earth features.

Different Earth features have different patterns of visible and invisible light reflectance, which when interpreted by students, either visually with their eyes or through the help of a computer, can be used to identify features on Earth important in applications such as environmental studies, resources assessment, and planning. This module has different levels of difficulty, with all levels having some hands-on computer and visual interpretation activities and exercises. The level of difficulty ranges from an introductory less complex summary overview requiring only a few class periods to complete to much longer, more complex exploration of “Exploring Light Energy Interactions with Earth Features”. If this module is used extensively, students will be able to develop their own science fair projects and other projects of value to address community needs.

A companion module entitled “Assessment of Environment Changes Following a Major Volcanic Eruption: A Mount Saint Helens (MSH) Example” or “Temporal Module” was also developed by the ISU DEW group. Biological and physical changes over time (1979-2000+) are explored by students visually interpreting pre-prepared satellite images, aerial photos, ground-based photos, and a variety of published maps/models of the environment through directed hands-on exercises and activities. The “Temporal Module” focuses most on using remote sensing and related materials to identify and understand changes that occurred over time following the major MSH volcanic eruption. The “Temporal Module” can be found at the web site ??????????????????? for those who want to explore a remote sensing/environmental application whose primary remote sensing focus is temporal and spectral rather than exclusively spectral. A third major module in this series entitled ????????????????????????????? was developed by the DEW partners at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The focus of the UNH module is a “Spatial Module” which views Earth features in various ways at different scales or levels of generalization, thus explores how remote sensing image scale affects the degree of interpretation and information that can be extracted from a remote sensing product. The web site address for the “Spatial Module” is: ?????????????????????????????.