RADIOMETRIC RESOLUTION (color depth)

often called contrast

It describes the ability of the sensor to measure the signal strength (acoustic
reflectance) or brightness of objects
The more sensitive a sensor is to the reflectance of an object as compared to its
surroundings, the smaller an object that can be detected and identified.
specifies how well the differences in brightness in an image can be perceived; this is
measured through the number of the grey value levels
depends on the wavelengths and the type of the spectrometer
The finer or the higher the radiometric resolution is, the better small differences in
reflected or emitted radiation can be measured, and the larger the volume of measured
data will be.
The finer the radiometric resolution of a sensor, the more sensitive it is to detecting
small differences in reflected or emitted energy.

SPECTRAL RESOLUTION (what colors bands)

-

the sensitivity of a sensor to respond to a specific frequency range (mostly for satellite
and airborne sensors)
defined through the number of spectral bands and their width
The higher the spectral resolution, the narrower is the wavelength range for a specific
band, and therefore, the more bands there are.
With a higher spectral resolution single objects can be perceived better and
spectrally distinguished
High spectral resolution: - 220 bands
Medium spectral resolution: 3 - 15 bands
Low spectral resolution: - 3 bands

SPATIAL RESOLUTION (what area and how detailed)

-

describes the ability of a sensor to identify the smallest size detail of a pattern on an
image
specifies the pixel size of satellite images covering the earth surface
describes how much detail in a photographic image is visible to the human eye
the ability to resolve or separate small details
The higher the resolution and the finer the grid is, the larger is the degree of
recognizable details on the earth's surface.
As spatial resolution becomes finer, more details about objects in a scene become
available.
Low resolution: larger than 30 m
Medium resolution: 2 30 m
High resolution: under 2 m
High spatial resolution: 0.41 4 m
Low spatial resolution: 30 - > 1000 m

TEMPORAL RESOLUTION (time of day/season/year)

-

given as the time interval between two identical flights over the same area, also called
repetition rate
determined by altitude and orbit of the satellite as well as its sensor
characteristics (viewing angle)
specifies the revisiting frequency of a satellite sensor for a specific location
High temporal resolution: < 24 hours - 3 days
Medium temporal resolution: 4 - 16 days
Low temporal resolution: > 16 days
The temporal resolution is lower through clouds in case of sensors which detect visible
or infrared radiation that does not penetrate through clouds.
The repetition rate and the temporal resolution of earth observing satellites is 14-16
days (IKONOS: 14 days, LANDSAT 7: 16 days, SPOT: 26 days)
Images of an area taken at different times (monthly, yearly, and per decade) can be
used for multitemporal analysis
They allow analysis of the following, just to give a few examples:
- seasonal changes of vegetation,
- the expansion of cities over decades, or
- documentation of forest clearance in the tropical rainforest etc.