International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII Part 7C2, UNISPACE ID, Vienna, 1999 
159 
UNISPACE III - ISPRS/NASA Seminar on 
I5PR5 
v^y 
“Environment and Remote Sensing for Sustainable Development” 
9:00 am -12:00 pin, 23 July 1999, VIC Room A 
Vienna, Austria 
infrared MIR, thermal infrared IR) of the electromagnetic 
spectrum. 
The most recent systems such as ROSIS (from 
DLR/MBB/GKSS, Germany) [1,2], HYDICE (from the Naval 
Research Lab., USA), WIS (from Hughes SBRC - USA), 
TRWIS (TRW - USA) combine the latest achievements in the 
fields of microelectronics, optic-electronics, informatics, and 
materials technology. They belong to the type of push-broom 
scanners and have high spectral and spatial resolutions^]. 
The advantages of the new systems are: a higher accuracy and 
sensitivity; a huger speed; a capacity to be easily adapted and 
integrated; a lower weight and size; and a lower energy 
consumption and lower costs. This is a serious advantage to 
transform the remote sensing of the Earth from a high cost 
scientific activity into an efficient and cost-effective technology 
for obtaining vital information on the state of the environment. 
A prototype of such a modular system for ecological monitoring 
is in a process of development in Bulgaria. Some of the modules 
are fully developed and field tested, while others are in a 
development stage nearing completion and laboratoiy testing. 
This project is developed with the support of the general 
department of Scientific and Application Studies of the 
Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Sciences. The system is 
currently available for use in projects to be proposed under the 
Fifth Framework Programme of co-operation of the European 
Union EU. 
The recent events in Yugoslavia firmly demonstrate the necessity 
of the availability of an appropriate system for providing 
urgently needed information on the environment affected by 
calamities and large technological accidents and man-made 
hazards. In this context it is suggested that the Bulgarian system 
might perhaps be usefully engaged to help solve some of the 
environmental problems encountered, taking into consideration 
the geographical position of Bulgaria and the absence of any 
other such air-borne laboratory for ecological monitoring in the 
region. Under these particular circumstances a pilot project on 
the assessment of the environmental repercussions of the events 
in Yugoslavia might perhaps be taken into consideration. 2 
2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 
2.1. Aims 
The aims of this project are to develop a modular system for the 
acquisition and recording of data within a wide range of the 
electromagnetic spectrum with high spatial and spectral 
resolution. The idea is to combine observations within a wide 
spectral range including the ultraviolet, visible, near and middle 
infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum and a high 
spatial resolution in order to achieve a high accuracy in 
geographical referencing and data location identification. The 
air-based version of the system envisages the on-board 
implementation of a preliminary data correction and express 
analysis of the data in real time followed by a preliminary 
assessment and an archiving of the data for a more detailed 
analysis and recording data at ground-based monitoring stations. 
2.2. Objectives of the study 
Within the framework of the current project it is foreseen to use 
the system on board of an AN-30 aircraft to implement studies 
and analyses of water basins, soils and vegetation over selected 
geographical sites in Bulgaria specified in accordance with 
technogenic pressures and strongly damaged environments. The 
following main components and parameters will be studied. 
1. Research on water 
- Pigmentation; 
- Organic matter content; 
- Yellow substance and classes of algae; 
- Chlorophyll 
2. Research on soils 
- Soil salinity estimation 
- Dehydration and pH + 
- Heavy metals identification (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Fe) 
- Determination of organic compound 
3. Vegetation monitoring 
- Distribution of individual vegetation associations over the earth 
surface (mapping) 
- Determination and forecast of productivity and yield in forestry 
and agriculture 
- Determination of the degree of damage over large vegetation 
areas caused by anthropogenic or natural factors 
- Monitoring the development and change of vegetation both 
during the different seasons and over larger periods of time 
through regular observations 
4. Geo-ecoloeical studies and regions with geological risks 
- mapping of waste ponds and depositing sumps from 
exploration of non-ferrous metals, uranium, etc. 
- digital elevation model (DEM) of the relief and the 
determination of regional and local structural characteristics - 
faults, folding, bedding; 
- Monitoring and solving problems related to geological risks 
such as landslides, earth subsidence, floods, etc. 
5. Natural calamities and industrial accidents