Holbo, H. R. 1988. Resource management applications for remotely sensed thermal images. In: Buhyoff, Gregory J., ed. Resource technology 88: Proceedings of an international symposium on advanced technology in natural resource management; 1988 June 20-23; Fort Collins, CO. Falls Church, VA: American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing: 18-27.
Thermal imagery reveals surface features very differentlythan does conventional visible light or infrared imagery.
A thermal image is primarily due to energy emitted from allsurface elements in a scene by virtue of their individualtemperatures. Unlike most remote sensing data products, athermal image is not the result of sunlight reflecting fromthe surface elements. A thermal image is an instantaneousmeasure of the spatial distribution of surface
temperatures, exhibiting details about the microclimatewhich can then be utilized to address many resourcemanagement questions.
Thermal images acquired with SSC-ERL's TIMS (ThermalInfrared Multispectral Scanner) or CAMS (CalibratedAirborne Multispectral Scanner) provide important newopportunities for natural resource managers. Applicationsof remotely sensed thermal imagery which could be developedinclude: avoiding or managing stressful microclimates (hightemperature/low moisture) in plantation silviculture orcropland agriculture; frost protection planning fornurseries and orchards; watershed, crop, or forestevapotranspiration estimation; evaluation of thermalhabitats of fish and wildlife (buffer strip effectivenessalong mountain streams or in riparian zones); predictingnighttime airshed smoke impact regions during controlledburns; thermal recognition and classification of landscapetypes; predicting microclimatic change due to landscapetype conversion (fire, logging); detection and delineationof micro-topographic terrain features (soil erosion controlstructures, locating archeological sites); and, assessmentof vegetatively-moderated urban heat islands.