Remote Sensing
GeoSynoptics processes LiDAR data on a regular basis and is extremely skilled at working with large quantities of point data. The above DEM was used for flood studies and has a horizontal resolution of about 1 m.
Remote Sensing techniques complement GIS and geophysical techniques and can be broken into two categories:
Passive remote sensing techniques rely primarily on the incident energy from the sun to view the earth. Examples of passive remote sensing satellite imagery include LandSat, QuickBird, and Airphotos. Passive remote sensing techniques that are dependent on the sun are hindered by cloud cover and the time of day, however, these applications have the advantage that the sun emits a broad spectrum of light which different objects on the surface reflect differently. These differences in reflectance can be used to classify objects.
Active remote sensing applications include Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). Both of these techniques can be used at any time. SAR can penetrate tree cover and is useful for land cover classification; LiDAR can be used to create extremely high resolution digital elevation models that can be used for flood modelling.
A small subset of the Remote Sensing services that GeoSynoptics provide include:
- Image classification
- LiDAR processing
- Change detection
- Image mosaicking
- Flood risk modelling including:
- Hydrological modelling using the US Army Corp of Engineers HEC-HMS
- Hydraulic modelling using the US Army Corp of Engineers HEC-RAS
- Loss calculations using GIS overlays
- Archaeology investigations
- Rapid Response disaster mapping