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During the 30 years since Landsat has been in operation the variety applications has multipied, so that now almost no field of earth science has been left untouched. The use of Landsat and similar technology such as ASTER has spread beyond earth science into such diverse fields as agriculture, forestry, and epidemiology, involving biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology, entymology, and medicine. Public administration has benefitted from Landsat and similar technology in urban and regional planning, environmental monitoring, and hazard mitigation in such fields as flood control, water pollution, soil erosion, forest and bush fires, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
Scope of the ProjectThis project focuses on a few simple examples of the kind of information that can be extracted from Landsat and ASTER imagery and ends with a comment describing the potential of such imagery for teaching science and mathematics.
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Kedah - VegetationStudies in rice-producing countries have demonstrated the usefulness of Landsat imagery for monitoring irrigation.(Assessing Irrigation Performance of Rice-Based Bhadra Project in India). The importance of rice for Malaysia arises in part from the fact that over 75% of the total rice consumed in the country is produced domestically. (Crop Diversification in Malaysia). This page illustrates a method for analyzing vegetation in a rice growing area.Langkawi - GeologyThe Langkawi Development Authority of the State of Kedah has designated part of the Langkawi Islands as an "ecopark" and in cooperation with the Geological Heritage Group is promoting tourism based on the geological diversity of the islands. This page illustrates a method for analyzing the geological divisions of Langkawi.Penang - LandformsPenang Island was once numbered among the Pearls of the Orient, and in the opinion of some retains many of its charms. But the island lacks sedimentary rocks. As the sedimentary rocks were eroded two granitic plutons emerged from far beneath the surface. The geological structure is therefore simpler than what is found elsewhere. This makes it easier to study the development of landforms. This page shows how ASTER images can be used to study tropical geomorphology.EducationSo many branches of physical and social science impinge upon the applications of remote-sensing that opportunities arise for "learning by doing". Remote-sensing has great potential as a tool for teaching and learning science and mathematics. Unfortunately, demonstration of this idea is beyond the scope of this project. |
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