The applications of remote sensing are vast and diverse, spanning across environmental, agricultural, geological, and maritime domains. As technology continues to advance, remote sensing plays an increasingly crucial role in addressing global challenges, supporting sustainable development, and enhancing our understanding of Earth’s complex systems.
| Field | Application | Description | Data Type | Example Sensors | Benefits |
| Land Cover & Land Use | Land-use/Land-cover Change (LULC) | Tracks changes in urban growth, deforestation, etc., over time. | Optical, Lidar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, WorldView | Urban planning, environmental monitoring, deforestation tracking |
| Land-cover Mapping | Creates detailed maps of forests, water bodies, agriculture, etc., with high accuracy. | Optical, Radar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, TerraSAR-X | Land management, environmental planning, habitat mapping | |
| Agriculture | Crop Type Mapping | Identifies and maps different crop types with multispectral data. | Optical, Radar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, ASTER | Agricultural planning, yield monitoring, precision agriculture |
| Crop Monitoring & Damage Assessment | Monitors crop health, detects pests, diseases, and natural disaster impacts. | Optical, Hyperspectral, Thermal | Landsat, Sentinel-2, MODIS, UAVs | Improved crop management, yield prediction, disaster response | |
| Forestry | Clear-cut Mapping & Deforestation | Detects and maps areas of deforestation and illegal logging activities. | Optical, Radar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, ALOS PALSAR | Sustainable forestry management, carbon accounting, forest conservation |
| Species Identification & Typing | Identifies tree species based on spectral and structural characteristics. | Optical, Lidar, Hyperspectral | WorldView, IKONOS, ALS LiDAR | Biodiversity assessments, forest composition analysis, conservation planning | |
| Burn Mapping | Detects and maps areas affected by wildfires with high spatial and temporal resolution. | Optical, Thermal | MODIS, Sentinel-2, Landsat | Post-fire rehabilitation planning, wildfire risk assessment | |
| Geology | Structural Mapping & Terrain Analysis | Provides detailed maps of geological structures and terrain features for resource exploration. | Optical, Radar, Lidar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, ALOS PALSAR, airborne Lidar | Geological resource exploration, earthquake risk assessment, landslide hazard mapping |
| Lineament Extraction | Identifies lineaments (linear features) in the landscape to study potential faults and fractures. | Optical, Radar, Landsat | Landsat, Sentinel-2, Radarsat-2 | Earthquake risk assessment, mineral exploration, groundwater resource identification | |
| Geologic Unit Mapping | Maps different geological units like rock formations and soil types. | Optical, Hyperspectral, Radar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, ASTER, ALOS PALSAR | Understanding Earth’s subsurface composition, environmental studies, mineral exploration | |
| Geomorphology | Landform Analysis | Studies landforms and their evolution, including erosion patterns and geomorphological processes. | Optical, Lidar, SAR | Landsat, Sentinel-2, TerraSAR-X, ALS LiDAR | Understanding landscape development, environmental change, coastal zone management |
| Urban Applications | Urban Expansion & Infrastructure Development | Provides data on urban growth, infrastructure development, and population dynamics. | Optical, Radar, Lidar | Landsat, Sentinel-2, Radarsat-2, LiDAR | Sustainable urban planning, infrastructure management, transportation planning |
| Hydrology | Flood Delineation & Mapping | Maps flood-affected areas in near real-time for disaster response and mitigation. | Optical, Radar, SAR | Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X, Radarsat-2, UAVs | Improved disaster preparedness, flood damage assessment, flood risk mapping |
| Soil Moisture Monitoring | Monitors soil moisture levels for efficient irrigation planning and water resource management. | Optical, Microwave | Sentinel-1, SMAP, AMSR-E | Sustainable water management, drought monitoring, agricultural planning | |
| Groundwater Prospects & Recharge | Assesses groundwater potential and monitors recharge areas based on surface and subsurface data. | Optical, Radar, Lidar, Geophysical | Landsat, Sentinel-2, GRACE, airborne Lidar | Sustainable groundwater management, drought preparedness, agricultural irrigation |
