67 research outputs found
Gazing at the Solar System: Capturing the Evolution of Dunes, Faults, Volcanoes, and Ice from Space
Gazing imaging holds promise for improved understanding of surface
characteristics and processes of Earth and solar system bodies. Evolution of
earthquake fault zones, migration of
sand dunes, and retreat of ice masses
can be understood by observing
changing features over time.
To gaze or stare means to look
steadily, intently, and with fixed
attention, offering the ability to probe
the characteristics of a target deeply,
allowing retrieval of 3D structure and
changes on fine and coarse scales.
Observing surface reflectance and 3D
structure from multiple perspectives
allows for a more complete view of a
surface than conventional remote
imaging. A gaze from low Earth orbit
(LEO) could last several minutes
allowing for video capture of dynamic
processes. Repeat passes enable
monitoring time scales of days to years.
Numerous vantage points are available during a gaze (Figure 1). Features in
the scene are projected into each image frame enabling the recovery of dense
3D structure. The recovery is robust to errors in the spacecraft position and
attitude knowledge, because features are from different perspectives. The
combination of a varying look angle and the solar illumination allows recovering
texture and reflectance properties and permits the separation of atmospheric
effects. Applications are numerous and diverse, including, for example, glacier
and ice sheet flux, sand dune migration, geohazards from earthquakes,
volcanoes, landslides, rivers and floods, animal migrations, ecosystem changes,
geysers on Enceladus, or ice structure on Europa.
The Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) hosted a workshop in June of
2014 to explore opportunities and challenges of gazing imaging. The goals of the
workshop were to develop and discuss the broad scientific questions that can be
addressed using spaceborne gazing, specific types of targets and applications,
the resolution and spectral bands needed to achieve the science objectives, and
possible instrument configurations for future missions.
The workshop participants found that gazing imaging offers the ability to
measure morphology, composition, and reflectance simultaneously and to
measure their variability over time. Gazing imaging can be applied to better
understand the consequences of climate change and natural hazards processes,
through the study of continuous and episodic processes in both domains
- …