Spectral band analysis with satellite imagery of the drying of Lake Mead (UCLA Master's Coursework)
Since September 2021, this writer has been enrolled in the all-online Master of Applied Geospatial Information Systems and Technologies (MAGIST) program at UCLA. Geospatial information systems (GIS), essentially mapping and analysis of all data with a physical location attached, is a key field for understanding and influencing the changing world of the Anthropocene, with potential applications ranging from siting new renewable energy projects to researching temperature, moisture, and biodiversity shifts in ecosystems. As my coursework continues, one project in particular showcased key concepts from satellite imaging: spectral bands and spectral indices. Earth observation satellites (in this example, the latest in America's venerable Landsat program) host instruments that observe, record, and measure light from Earth in specific regions or "bands" of the electromagnetic spectrum. The schematic above shows several commonly observed bands: red, green, and blue in the visible spectrum.
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