544
radiometer detected the oil slicks under calm sea conditions.
The experimental values of brightness temperature increment
compared with the background seawater indicated that it was
about 1 OK to 30K for thick crude-slicks.(11)
CONCLUSIONS
To sum up, the MICRAD imagery with coarse resolution can
potentially provide statistically more meaningful data on
the average characteristics of areas viewed. In respect of
the remote sensing of environmental assessment and resource
surveys, it may be used in surveying the distribution of
microwave signatures over large areas, delineating the land/
water boundary, detecting soil moisture and phenomena concer
ned, in addition, inverstigations of coast zone, sea state
and monitoring marine oil pollution. It must be admitted,
however, that there are a great deal of work to do in order
to increase the application value of this imagery. For exam
ple, everything possible must be done to increase the spati
al resolution and temperature sensitivity, to adopt new
techniques such as multi-frequency and multi-polarization
as well as computerized imagery processing, moreover, to
make a thorough study for microwave radiation mechanism in
varieties of the terrestrial environment so as to throrize
about various practical models.
ACKNOWUEDGMENTS
The author wishes to thank Associate Scientist Zhang Junrong,
Mr. Shi Changqing and all scientific and technological work
ers of Microwave Remote Sensing Group, Changchun Institute
of Physics, for their contributions in developing the micro -
wave radiometer and test of flight, Mr. Xiao Jinkai, Shun
Yuanfu, Zheng Quanan and Ms. Zhu Wenman for their advice
and assistance.
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(3) . Vogel, M. 1972, Microwave Radiometry at the DFVLR, Ober
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(4) . Schanda, E., G. Schaerer, and M. Wuthrich, 1972, Radio-
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