Backgrounder: Government of Canada Partners With UVic On Remote Sensing Research

Remote sensing is the science of obtaining information on an object, area or phenomenon from a distance, typically by using aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, buoys or ships. University of Victoria geographers are using remote sensing to delve into the health of BC’s environment.

Hyperspectral remote sensing collects and measures reflected light using most of the light spectrum, notably in the visible and infrared areas. This technique gives more detailed imagery than conventional remote sensing systems. The unprecedented spatial and spectral detail provided by hyperspectral imaging has opened new doors in the assessment of the Earth’s surface.

UVic geographers use ground-based, airborne, and satellite-based hyperspectral imaging systems to reveal the condition of targets such as water surfaces or vegetation canopies. This information can be used for various applications such as mapping the health of coastal environments, or determining the risk factor for forest fires or the extent of pine beetle infestation.

UVic is the only academic institution in Canada to have an airborne hyperspectral scanner, flown in partnership with Terra Remote Sensing in Sidney, BC. The scanner is being combined with other remote sensing technologies to address important issues in resource exploration and management, and related environmental monitoring. The system is unique in North America and will provide researchers at UVic and other institutions and organizations with unparalleled data acquisition opportunities.