WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING?
Remote sensing is the collection or measurement of information about a target without being in physical contact with the object. Aircraft and satellites are the most common platforms for remote sensing observations. The term remote sensing is usually restricted to methods employing electromagnetic energy, such as light, heat, and radio waves, as the means of detecting and measuring target characteristics.
Remote sensing is the term used to describe techniques and tools that allow archaeologists (and others) to probe a site without physically disturbing it. These are called “non-invasive” ways of looking for sites. Special tools usually have a sensor that records anomalies that may exist below the soil. The most common recording methods are resistivity, magnetometry, and radar. In these techniques, signals sent from above ground penetrate the earth and record irregularities. In many cases these irregularities are human-created features. Remote sensing saves time and can cover a lot more surface area than traditional survey methods that rely on foot power and digging test pits.
