Downscaling of Coarse Resolution Satellite Remote Sensing Thermal Data

Abstract

Satellite-based moderate to high resolution thermal imagery is absolutely important for various environmental applications. At present, the availability of high-spatial resolution thermal image (<250 m) is limited and the temporal resolution of such images is low. However, open-source coarser spatial resolution (1000 m) with high receptivity thermal image (~1 day) is freely available. To bridge this trade-off, the downscaling of coarse resolution thermal image is required. This chapter elaborates on different thermal image downscaling methods. It also touches upon the applicability of downscaled thermal images over various landscapes with an emphasis on agricultural drought mapping, soil moisture mapping, and urban center detection. Such data products can also be used for thematic mapping, geospatial modeling, and scenario generation including climate change. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive account of thermal Remote Sensing data downscale techniques. The authors anticipate wide usage and usefulness of these algorithms for understanding of thermal processes, and a step forward for agricultural, climate, and environmental studies.