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Light Detection and Ranging - A remote sensing method used to examine the surface of the Earth, using light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure distances to the Earth.

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer - A key instrument aboard NASA's Earth Observing System satellites, designed to measure large-scale global dynamics including changes in Earth’s cloud cover, radiation budget, and processes occurring in the oceans, on land, and in the lower atmosphere.

Field of View - The extent of the observable area that an instrument, such as a camera or sensor, can capture at any given moment, important for planning remote sensing applications.

Red, Green, Blue - The primary colors of light used in additive color systems and digital color imaging, and in remote sensing to produce true color images.

Remote Sensing - The process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance.

Normalized Difference Water Index - An index used for monitoring changes in water content of leaves and also useful for water body mapping, based on the near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths.

Degree of Polarization - A measurement of the extent to which light or other electromagnetic radiation is polarized, often used in remote sensing to analyze surface properties.

Infrared - A type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light but shorter than radio waves, used in remote sensing to detect heat and thermal radiation.

Panchromatic - A sensor that records all colors of light in a single channel, producing imagery in black and white, which is often used for achieving higher spatial resolution in remote sensing.

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission - An international research effort that obtained digital elevation models on a near-global scale from 56°S to 60°N to generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of Earth.

Shortwave Infrared - A part of the infrared spectrum of light that captures wavelengths typically from 1.4 to 3 micrometers, beneficial for its ability to penetrate atmospheric haze and for material characterization in remote sensing.

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - A simple graphical indicator used to analyze remote sensing measurements and assess whether the target area contains live green vegetation or not.

Multispectral Scanner - A sensor used in remote sensing that acquires data within several specific wavelength bands across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Geographic Information System - A framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing spatial and geographic data.

Synthetic Aperture Radar - A form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes.

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer - A space-borne sensor aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) family of satellites, used for remote sensing of environmental conditions such as cloud cover, sea surface temperature, ice, and vegetation.

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite - An advanced instrument that collects visible and infrared imagery and radiometric measurements of the land, atmosphere, cryosphere, and oceans at day and night, part of the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite.

Land Surface Temperature - The radiative skin temperature of the land surface, as measured from satellites, an important parameter in the physics of land-surface processes on a global scale.

Electromagnetic Radiation - A form of energy that is all around us and takes many forms, such as radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, and gamma rays, commonly used in remote sensing to capture data.

Ground Control Point - A physical marker on the ground that is used to help align and correctly geo-reference remote sensing imagery to known geographic coordinates.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio - A measure used in science and engineering to quantify how much a signal has been corrupted by noise. In remote sensing, it helps in assessing the quality of the data captured by the sensor.

Global Navigation Satellite System - A constellation of satellites providing signals from space that transmit positioning and timing data to GNSS receivers, used to enable mobile phones, in-car navigation, and more.

Digital Elevation Model - A 3D representation of a terrain's surface created from terrain elevation data, useful in geographic information systems for analysis and simulation.

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer - A cooperative effort between NASA and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) aboard the Terra satellite that is used to obtain detailed maps of land surface temperature, emissivity, reflectance, and elevation.