Python and Remote Sensing

In this chapter, we will discuss remote sensing. Remote sensing is about gathering a collection of information about the Earth without making physical contact with it. Typically, this means having to use satellite or aerial imagery, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which measures laser pulses from an aircraft to the Earth, or synthetic aperture radar. Remote sensing can also refer to computer processing of data that’s been collected, which is how we’ll use the term in this chapter. Remote sensing grows in exciting new ways every day as more satellites are launched and the distribution of data becomes easier. The high availability of satellite and aerial images, as well as interesting new types of sensors launching each year, is changing the role that remote sensing plays in understanding our world.

In remote sensing, we step through each pixel in an image and perform some form of query or mathematical process. An image can be thought of...