Imagery analysis
Encyclopedia
Imagery analysis is the extraction of useful information from bi-dimensional graphic formats, including screen shots. This includes color and black-and-white photograph
s, infra-red photographs and video, radar
screens and synthetic aperture radar
formats, ultrasound
, EKG, EEG
, MRI, echo cardiograms
, seismographs and others. In short, any type of sensor-related data projected in 2- and 3-D formats qualifies as imagery.
commanders depended on scouts that would survey or recon
enemy activity, depending on simple eyesight and human memory. Once photography became available, tactical information became frozen in time, details could be preserved, enhancing the quality of available information.
World War I
saw the start of ground-based and aerial photographic collection. For the first time commanders were able to access timely and accurate intelligence. Such was the value of this type of information that observers in tethered balloons and scout plane
s were attacked, first with crude weapons and later escalating to machine gun
s and the development of the fighter aircraft
.
Frank Luke
, an American pilot procured incendiary ammunition and used it to destroy numerous enemy observation balloons, gaining the title of Balloon Buster. The end of the war resulted in the scaling down of tactical and strategic capabilities, resulting in an almost dormant state in the development of photographic analysis. The perceived threat from Germany
and Japan
revived the collection and analytical capabilities of the major powers and helped military planners including U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
prepare for the next war.
In the 1930s experiments with film media and its processing resulted in the introduction of film that could now detect non-visible wavelengths in the infra-red spectrum. One of the first applications was the use by those associated with rare art collections. Previously invisible details made it possible to detect and deter forgeries.
Radar made its appearance during World War II
, primarily in its early warning capability. In the early days of the Cold War
, Soviet troops would use a directional radar beacon to lure surveillance aircraft toward their airspace in order to shoot them down. By this time radar scopes became available in larger aircraft monitoring Soviet-controlled border areas. Having these scopes made early radar navigation possible, indeed, in photos released by the Soviet air force, pictures were taken of the screens, documenting this use.
The importance of tactical information is shown in the case of Operation Market-Garden, the aerial invasion of the Netherlands
on Sep 17, 1944. Photo missions revealed the presence of two Panzer Division
s in the city of Arnhem
, a bridgehead
at the farthest reach of those airborne troops assigned.
British intelligence Major Brian Urquhart
warned his commander of the threat, but an overpowering optimism cause by the recent collapse of the Western front
overruled any possibility of an objective threat assessment, resulting in a night-time river crossing in which out of 10,000 members of the British 1st Airborne Division that jumped into Arnhem, only 2,600 survivors would reach the southern shore 9 days later. In spite of the introduction of color film, photo interpreters to this day continue to use black and white because of the greater detail available. The early Cold War era also saw the introduction of strategic collection. In tactical collection, analysts count guns; strategic collection includes butter. The categories of collection is, of course, classified.
The post-Vietnam
era saw the introduction of airborne infra-red sensors. Differences in temperatures between objects and their surroundings made it possible to detect targets on the ground. These early systems would record data which would be accessed once the aerial platform would land. Later developments in transmission technology would provide periodic data dumps and would further evolve into real-time collection.
Synthetic aperture radar would soon be developed in the later part of the Cold War. The concept of an optical camera aperture affecting the image acquisition process would be emulated with radar waves, providing an undisclosed amount of detail. One clue would be the NASA
photo released in the late 1980s showing a previously hidden African dry riverbed.
This is also about the time when ultrasound would make its appearance. For the first time it was possible to view variations in tissue density which made it possible to detect possible tissue and organ anomalies. Another application was that of detecting material flaws in manufacturing.
Another technology introduced roughly at this time would be that of the echo-cardiogram, which could show heart movements and the actual blood-flow through its chambers.
One of the more recent developments has been that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where tissue and blood-flow anomalies could be detected. Evidence of spinal cord injuries
and even complex neurochemical
reactions in the brain could now be detected and documented. Scientists have also explored the possibilities of multi-spectral imaging
such as the 1970s LandSat
, and yet more parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
such as astronomical gamma-ray imaging.
The first use of tactical imagery obtained during the first World War readily revealed the straight man-made lines of roads, cites, airfields and trenches. Finding concealed high-value targets like artillery, ammo dumps, and other logistical sites was quite another matter.
This was a process that was strictly by trial and error, with the resulting body of knowledge transmitted to new recruits and officers. Terrain and the proximity to supported units would dictate probable locations of logistical routes, ammo dumps, supply depots and assembly areas. Being that the military by definition embraces uniformity, patterns of emplacement and concealment, once discovered would result in widespread targeting by artillery and air strikes. The size, shape, and surroundings of items frequently gave away the location of military assets, with shadows only making it that much easier to identify targets. The development of analytical techniques is really a part of the evaluation of the new technology itself. The first photograph to be taken was that of a French neighborhood. It was crude, yet it clearly showed the outline of the houses. Immediately it was apparent how the new technology, the chemical film
plate, was of immediate usefulness.
In the case of infra-red photography, the new details made available were puzzling at first, and took some time to explain. In the pictures taken of works of art, the strange images would eventually be interpreted as showing a feature being painted over and finished. Simultaneous aerial coverage by photo and IR of a given target would reveal how a warm vehicle would warm up the ground and once moved, the warmed plot would stay warm for some time, giving the illusion of more vehicles. Just as in the case of an experienced scientist, once a new observation is made, it must then be explained.
In the case of the application of radar, all there was at the beginning was a variation of the cathode ray tube
which would show only the distance to a single target. Only with the introduction of the more familiar round-screen format would radar reach its full potential. So, there were the raw data, but without the use of a readable 2- or 3-D format no-one can make that much use of this information. One thing to remember about radar is that when it comes to illuminating aircraft, most of the energy is deflected. Only the existence of corners, air intakes
and flat surfaces that face the radar makes it possible to detect these aircraft. What is actually seen by traffic controllers is the return beep from the aircraft's IFF
. As in the case of 9/11, once the hijacked aircraft's IFF was turned off, there wasn't much to see. This can also be seen in the use of radar reflectors that are routinely added to power lines in order to avoid crashes by low-flying aircraft. The actual characteristics of synthetic aperture radar is of course, classified, so one can only speculate on what is actually observable.
For the development of CAT scans, computer-aided design
(CAD) had to come first. Pictures were publicized in the 1960s showing design engineers using light pen peripherals to draw proposed design features to be evaluated for fit and aerodynamics before costly manufacturing jigs had to be built. In the case of CAT scans, the information from x-rays is useless without 3-D capability.
For the development of ultrasound, the use of anatomical studies, dissections, and autopsies would have been necessary to provide insight and confirmation of what was now visible. It would have taken some time to establish average dimensions for organs and, in the case of pre-natal scans, body dimensions and growth rates.
The development of MRI would have been a question of comparing their data with that of CAT scans and ultrasound. As far as how they established the visibility of neurochemical reactions, that would have been dependent on current knowledge of neurological and physiological processes. Now a situation exists where a new technology that is based on previous understanding actually increases those fields of knowledge that made it possible.
The current emphasis of multi-spectral imaging is really a question of maximizing the amount of data available for geological, agricultural, and environmental research. This means that a given area would only have to be covered once, making global coverage a more economical proposition.
The latest imaging technologies are driven by nuclear physics
and astronomic research. This can be seen in the evaluation of particle acceleration
, where theoretical physics helps to make sense of the collected data. As in the case of particle physics, multi-spectral orbital
imaging is driven by theoretical research, only to be confirmed by other sources.
The United States Border Patrol
have the use of imaging technology, determining transit routes and the detection of illegal aliens trying to escape into the interior, beyond the reach of the agents. Their only real problem is that there are far too many routes to cover with the manning and technology only able to do so much.
Highway departments make use of stereo and terrain analysis techniques to determine potential highway routes. As in the case of currently available programs, imagery is included with other types of information to create detailed maps useful for commerce, taxation, city planning, and infrastructure.
The most important application has been for medical and research purposes. Many advances in diagnostics and monitoring have contributed to the ever-increasing body of knowledge and treatment options. The only problem is that with the increase in diagnostic capability, the aspect of accountability and malpractice has made necessary the costly regimen of multiple-discipline testing. This is not about to change. The positive side of developing new imaging technologies is that enhanced observation and understanding will result in better diagnostics and treatments.
The introduction of LandSat in the mid '70s made possible new applications in the fields of agriculture, geology, mining, and the environment. The actual resolution would not be great, but sufficient for these types of applications. The raw data would include the grey scale, and information from a variety of sensors. The designers would find it necessary to assign colors for each type of return, creating a multicolored map.
Meteorological imagery since the '60s has made it possible to detect and monitor severe weather well in advance of its arrival, saving numerous lives.
In the case of Ancient Egypt
, IR would reveal water sources that would have supported communities in the desert. Terrain analysis reveals that in order to access the Sinai copper mines, one had to access the shallow eastward valley north of present-day Cairo
and reach the Red Sea
just south of Port Said
. From there it would have been a question of sailing east toward the western coast of the Sinai and turn southward toward Ras Abu Rudeis, a small coastal plain just east of the two copper mines. The reason for this is that an overland route would have required the costly logistical support of garrisons through territory held by hostile desert tribes.
In the case of the biblical Exodus
, terrain analysis excludes the traditional sites as being too far and not being accessible to such a large group of people. Advancing through mountainous terrain would have exposed them to ambushes. The only confirmed location within Egypt or the Sinai is that of Baal Zephon. Ancient papyri describe this location as being close to Ramses, Tahpanhes
and present-day Lake Menzaleh.
Being that Biblical Archaeology
is almost devoid of independent confirmation, one has to use what little confirmed information is available. Following terrain, they would have set out eastward along the Mediterranean
coast, reaching the Wadi of Egypt (Al-Arish), and turning southward, following the wadi towards the interior. There are numerous dams crossing the wadi, easily seen from above. Travel would have depended on the use of scouts who would survey water sources, grazing areas and topography that would permit travel for such a large group of people.
Imagery would also benefit exploration in greater Palestine
. Radar would readily detect tells (mounds indicative of multiple layers of ruins) in the plains. In mountainous terrain, it would be a question of branching out from confirmed locations and establishing a 10-mile radius, the idea being that cities depend on smaller, surrounding communities. Terrain would dictate probable trade routes, water sources, grazing, farming, and supporting infrastructure.
Surveying jungles would require terrain analysis and radar to detect stone cities and temple complexes.
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s, infra-red photographs and video, radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
screens and synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
formats, ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
, EKG, EEG
EEG
EEG commonly refers to electroencephalography, a measurement of the electrical activity of the brain.EEG may also refer to:* Emperor Entertainment Group, a Hong Kong-based entertainment company...
, MRI, echo cardiograms
Echocardiography
An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart . Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart...
, seismographs and others. In short, any type of sensor-related data projected in 2- and 3-D formats qualifies as imagery.
Origins
Prior to the invention of early photography, militaryMilitary
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
commanders depended on scouts that would survey or recon
Recon
Recon may refer to:*Re-Con, alias of Mike Di Scala, a UK dance music producer*RECON , the River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network*Reconnaissance, a military term for gathering information...
enemy activity, depending on simple eyesight and human memory. Once photography became available, tactical information became frozen in time, details could be preserved, enhancing the quality of available information.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
saw the start of ground-based and aerial photographic collection. For the first time commanders were able to access timely and accurate intelligence. Such was the value of this type of information that observers in tethered balloons and scout plane
Scout plane
The term scout plane refers to a type of surveillance aircraft, usually of single-engined, two/three seats, shipborne type, and used for the purpose of discovering an enemy position and directing artillery...
s were attacked, first with crude weapons and later escalating to machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s and the development of the fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
.
Frank Luke
Frank Luke
Frank Luke Jr. was an American fighter ace, ranking second among U.S. Army Air Service pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in number of aerial victories during World War I . Frank Luke was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor...
, an American pilot procured incendiary ammunition and used it to destroy numerous enemy observation balloons, gaining the title of Balloon Buster. The end of the war resulted in the scaling down of tactical and strategic capabilities, resulting in an almost dormant state in the development of photographic analysis. The perceived threat from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
revived the collection and analytical capabilities of the major powers and helped military planners including U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
prepare for the next war.
In the 1930s experiments with film media and its processing resulted in the introduction of film that could now detect non-visible wavelengths in the infra-red spectrum. One of the first applications was the use by those associated with rare art collections. Previously invisible details made it possible to detect and deter forgeries.
Radar made its appearance during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, primarily in its early warning capability. In the early days of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Soviet troops would use a directional radar beacon to lure surveillance aircraft toward their airspace in order to shoot them down. By this time radar scopes became available in larger aircraft monitoring Soviet-controlled border areas. Having these scopes made early radar navigation possible, indeed, in photos released by the Soviet air force, pictures were taken of the screens, documenting this use.
The importance of tactical information is shown in the case of Operation Market-Garden, the aerial invasion of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
on Sep 17, 1944. Photo missions revealed the presence of two Panzer Division
Panzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
s in the city of Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, a bridgehead
Bridgehead
A bridgehead is a High Middle Ages military term, which antedating the invention of cannons was in the original meaning expressly a referent term to the military fortification that protects the end of a bridge...
at the farthest reach of those airborne troops assigned.
British intelligence Major Brian Urquhart
Brian Urquhart
Sir Brian Urquhart, KCMG, MBE is a former Undersecretary-General of the United Nations. He is also a World War II veteran and an author.-Early life:...
warned his commander of the threat, but an overpowering optimism cause by the recent collapse of the Western front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
overruled any possibility of an objective threat assessment, resulting in a night-time river crossing in which out of 10,000 members of the British 1st Airborne Division that jumped into Arnhem, only 2,600 survivors would reach the southern shore 9 days later. In spite of the introduction of color film, photo interpreters to this day continue to use black and white because of the greater detail available. The early Cold War era also saw the introduction of strategic collection. In tactical collection, analysts count guns; strategic collection includes butter. The categories of collection is, of course, classified.
The post-Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era saw the introduction of airborne infra-red sensors. Differences in temperatures between objects and their surroundings made it possible to detect targets on the ground. These early systems would record data which would be accessed once the aerial platform would land. Later developments in transmission technology would provide periodic data dumps and would further evolve into real-time collection.
Synthetic aperture radar would soon be developed in the later part of the Cold War. The concept of an optical camera aperture affecting the image acquisition process would be emulated with radar waves, providing an undisclosed amount of detail. One clue would be the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
photo released in the late 1980s showing a previously hidden African dry riverbed.
This is also about the time when ultrasound would make its appearance. For the first time it was possible to view variations in tissue density which made it possible to detect possible tissue and organ anomalies. Another application was that of detecting material flaws in manufacturing.
Computer analysis
Experimentation with monochromatic imagery (black and white) revealed the potential of exploiting the hundreds of shades of grey available in this medium. The next step would be to digitally manipulate the greyscale to enhance the acquisition of usable information. The first applications of this new technology would be by the intelligence community and by medical researchers who would refine and further develop the technology, resulting in the introduction of the CAT Scan.Another technology introduced roughly at this time would be that of the echo-cardiogram, which could show heart movements and the actual blood-flow through its chambers.
One of the more recent developments has been that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where tissue and blood-flow anomalies could be detected. Evidence of spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
and even complex neurochemical
Neurochemistry
Neurochemistry is the specific study of neurochemicals, which include neurotransmitters and other molecules such as neuro-active drugs that influence neuron function. This principle closely examines the manner in which these neurochemicals influence the network of neural operation...
reactions in the brain could now be detected and documented. Scientists have also explored the possibilities of multi-spectral imaging
Multi-spectral image
A multispectral image is one that captures image data at specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters or by the use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, including light from frequencies beyond the visible light range,...
such as the 1970s LandSat
Landsat program
The Landsat program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. On July 26, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat. The most recent, Landsat 7, was launched on April 15, 1999. The instruments on the...
, and yet more parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
such as astronomical gamma-ray imaging.
Analytical techniques
The first use of tactical imagery obtained during the first World War readily revealed the straight man-made lines of roads, cites, airfields and trenches. Finding concealed high-value targets like artillery, ammo dumps, and other logistical sites was quite another matter.
This was a process that was strictly by trial and error, with the resulting body of knowledge transmitted to new recruits and officers. Terrain and the proximity to supported units would dictate probable locations of logistical routes, ammo dumps, supply depots and assembly areas. Being that the military by definition embraces uniformity, patterns of emplacement and concealment, once discovered would result in widespread targeting by artillery and air strikes. The size, shape, and surroundings of items frequently gave away the location of military assets, with shadows only making it that much easier to identify targets. The development of analytical techniques is really a part of the evaluation of the new technology itself. The first photograph to be taken was that of a French neighborhood. It was crude, yet it clearly showed the outline of the houses. Immediately it was apparent how the new technology, the chemical film
Chemical imaging
Chemical imaging is the analytical capability to create a visual image of components distribution from simultaneous measurement of spectra and spatial, time informations....
plate, was of immediate usefulness.
In the case of infra-red photography, the new details made available were puzzling at first, and took some time to explain. In the pictures taken of works of art, the strange images would eventually be interpreted as showing a feature being painted over and finished. Simultaneous aerial coverage by photo and IR of a given target would reveal how a warm vehicle would warm up the ground and once moved, the warmed plot would stay warm for some time, giving the illusion of more vehicles. Just as in the case of an experienced scientist, once a new observation is made, it must then be explained.
In the case of the application of radar, all there was at the beginning was a variation of the cathode ray tube
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
which would show only the distance to a single target. Only with the introduction of the more familiar round-screen format would radar reach its full potential. So, there were the raw data, but without the use of a readable 2- or 3-D format no-one can make that much use of this information. One thing to remember about radar is that when it comes to illuminating aircraft, most of the energy is deflected. Only the existence of corners, air intakes
Intake
An intake , or especially for aircraft inlet, is an air intake for an engine. Because the modern internal combustion engine is in essence a powerful air pump, like the exhaust system on an engine, the intake must be carefully engineered and tuned to provide the greatest efficiency and power...
and flat surfaces that face the radar makes it possible to detect these aircraft. What is actually seen by traffic controllers is the return beep from the aircraft's IFF
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
. As in the case of 9/11, once the hijacked aircraft's IFF was turned off, there wasn't much to see. This can also be seen in the use of radar reflectors that are routinely added to power lines in order to avoid crashes by low-flying aircraft. The actual characteristics of synthetic aperture radar is of course, classified, so one can only speculate on what is actually observable.
For the development of CAT scans, computer-aided design
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
(CAD) had to come first. Pictures were publicized in the 1960s showing design engineers using light pen peripherals to draw proposed design features to be evaluated for fit and aerodynamics before costly manufacturing jigs had to be built. In the case of CAT scans, the information from x-rays is useless without 3-D capability.
For the development of ultrasound, the use of anatomical studies, dissections, and autopsies would have been necessary to provide insight and confirmation of what was now visible. It would have taken some time to establish average dimensions for organs and, in the case of pre-natal scans, body dimensions and growth rates.
The development of MRI would have been a question of comparing their data with that of CAT scans and ultrasound. As far as how they established the visibility of neurochemical reactions, that would have been dependent on current knowledge of neurological and physiological processes. Now a situation exists where a new technology that is based on previous understanding actually increases those fields of knowledge that made it possible.
The current emphasis of multi-spectral imaging is really a question of maximizing the amount of data available for geological, agricultural, and environmental research. This means that a given area would only have to be covered once, making global coverage a more economical proposition.
The latest imaging technologies are driven by nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
and astronomic research. This can be seen in the evaluation of particle acceleration
Particle acceleration
In a compressible sound transmission medium - mainly air - air particles get an accelerated motion: the particle acceleration or sound acceleration with the symbol a in metre/second². In acoustics or physics, acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. It is thus a vector...
, where theoretical physics helps to make sense of the collected data. As in the case of particle physics, multi-spectral orbital
Atomic orbital
An atomic orbital is a mathematical function that describes the wave-like behavior of either one electron or a pair of electrons in an atom. This function can be used to calculate the probability of finding any electron of an atom in any specific region around the atom's nucleus...
imaging is driven by theoretical research, only to be confirmed by other sources.
Current applications
Besides the traditional tactical and strategic use by civilian and military intelligence, other entities have made extensive use of this discipline. Law enforcement has made use of imagery in forensic crime scene documentation in order to determine how crimes were committed to include how the assailant approached and left the crime scene. Also, bullet trajectories can be detected in order to determine the location of a sharpshooter.The United States Border Patrol
United States Border Patrol
The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection , a component of the Department of Homeland Security . It is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to...
have the use of imaging technology, determining transit routes and the detection of illegal aliens trying to escape into the interior, beyond the reach of the agents. Their only real problem is that there are far too many routes to cover with the manning and technology only able to do so much.
Highway departments make use of stereo and terrain analysis techniques to determine potential highway routes. As in the case of currently available programs, imagery is included with other types of information to create detailed maps useful for commerce, taxation, city planning, and infrastructure.
The most important application has been for medical and research purposes. Many advances in diagnostics and monitoring have contributed to the ever-increasing body of knowledge and treatment options. The only problem is that with the increase in diagnostic capability, the aspect of accountability and malpractice has made necessary the costly regimen of multiple-discipline testing. This is not about to change. The positive side of developing new imaging technologies is that enhanced observation and understanding will result in better diagnostics and treatments.
The introduction of LandSat in the mid '70s made possible new applications in the fields of agriculture, geology, mining, and the environment. The actual resolution would not be great, but sufficient for these types of applications. The raw data would include the grey scale, and information from a variety of sensors. The designers would find it necessary to assign colors for each type of return, creating a multicolored map.
Meteorological imagery since the '60s has made it possible to detect and monitor severe weather well in advance of its arrival, saving numerous lives.
Future applications
One promising application would be in the field of archaeology. Terrain analysis would show trade routes, lines of communication, cities, forts, farming, grazing, water sources, supporting communities that surround cities and service trade routes, ancient borders, and more.In the case of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, IR would reveal water sources that would have supported communities in the desert. Terrain analysis reveals that in order to access the Sinai copper mines, one had to access the shallow eastward valley north of present-day Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and reach the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
just south of Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
. From there it would have been a question of sailing east toward the western coast of the Sinai and turn southward toward Ras Abu Rudeis, a small coastal plain just east of the two copper mines. The reason for this is that an overland route would have required the costly logistical support of garrisons through territory held by hostile desert tribes.
In the case of the biblical Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
, terrain analysis excludes the traditional sites as being too far and not being accessible to such a large group of people. Advancing through mountainous terrain would have exposed them to ambushes. The only confirmed location within Egypt or the Sinai is that of Baal Zephon. Ancient papyri describe this location as being close to Ramses, Tahpanhes
Tahpanhes
Tahpanhes was a city in Ancient Egypt. It was located on Lake Manzala on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, about 16 miles from Pelusium...
and present-day Lake Menzaleh.
Being that Biblical Archaeology
Biblical archaeology
For the movement associated with William F. Albright and also known as biblical archaeology, see Biblical archaeology school. For the interpretation of biblical archaeology in relation to biblical historicity, see The Bible and history....
is almost devoid of independent confirmation, one has to use what little confirmed information is available. Following terrain, they would have set out eastward along the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast, reaching the Wadi of Egypt (Al-Arish), and turning southward, following the wadi towards the interior. There are numerous dams crossing the wadi, easily seen from above. Travel would have depended on the use of scouts who would survey water sources, grazing areas and topography that would permit travel for such a large group of people.
Imagery would also benefit exploration in greater Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Radar would readily detect tells (mounds indicative of multiple layers of ruins) in the plains. In mountainous terrain, it would be a question of branching out from confirmed locations and establishing a 10-mile radius, the idea being that cities depend on smaller, surrounding communities. Terrain would dictate probable trade routes, water sources, grazing, farming, and supporting infrastructure.
Surveying jungles would require terrain analysis and radar to detect stone cities and temple complexes.
See also
- Archeological imageryArcheological imageryArcheological imagery is the integration of imaging technology, imagery analytical techniques and the formalized tasking and collection from a variety of sources and multispectral analysis. The concept follows the example of the intelligence community from World War I and onward...
- Imaging technologies
- Military intelligenceMilitary intelligenceMilitary intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
- Military historyMilitary historyMilitary history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
- Remote sensingRemote sensingRemote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...