Marine remote sensing toolkit

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# Multispectral and hyperspectral

Each pixel in a remote sensing image contains information on the spectral signature for a feature on the ground. This signature is a record of how much sunlight interacted with the feature and was reflected back to the sensor in an aircraft or satellite. Signatures are either multispectral or hyperspectral, depending on the type of sensor. A multispectral sensor records less than 10 types of reflected light and produces simple spectral signatures. A hyperspectral system can measure over 1000 types of light and produces highly detailed signatures. The advantage of hyperspectral systems is the production of more detailed spectral signature, which enable more detailed and accurate mapping of water column and benthic type attributes.

The following diagram shows the spectral signatures of benthic bottom types using different sensor types.

Hyperspectral sensor
Multispectral sensor