ASD's spectrometers and spectroradiometers are ergonomic state-of-the-art instruments for quantitative measurement of radiant energy, from 350 nm - 2500 nm in radiance, irradiance, reflectance or transmission. Superior sensitivity combined with a 0.1 second scan time permits greater data collection in a shorter amount of time and faster movement between sites for researchers in the field. Extreme performance in extreme conditions — ASD's FieldSpec® products have gone the distance to provide laboratory quality data in the field.
Everyday, new and exciting applications for portable spectrometry are being explored. ASD is well known for its expertise and novel thinking in providing practical portable solutions for these new applications. At the core of each ASD instrument is the modular Goetz Spectrometer. This combined with the ability to interface with many different probes and sampling accessories, allows for maximum flexibility and customization to your specific application need. With ASD technology, one spectrometer and a few accessories are all you need for a world of unique applications!
Agriculture, Vegetation, and Forestry There are many applications of spectral field data in agriculture, ecology and forestry. In some cases, the spectral information is used as reference data for interpreting spectral imagery and in other cases, the information is used directly. These applications include delineation of species assemblages, mapping of ecosystem productivity, crop type or yield mapping, spatial distribution of induced stress, fertilizer and water application/scheduling, and harvest scheduling. Statistical analysis and regression techniques are used to develop relationships between the spectral information and the chemical and biophysical properties of the targets. The physics of optical energy interactions are also studied to determine variations as a function of geometry, illumination, and observation angle. The ASD FieldSpec® line includes a variety of optional accessories, illumination probes, fiberoptic extensions, foreoptics and calibrations for agriculture, vegetation, and forestry studies.
Airborne Measurements
At times, the observation area is too large or too inaccessible for practical on-foot, or on-vehicle (or boat) coverage within the required observation time limits. Also, some modeling techniques require spectral observations at various altitudes. An airborne spectrometer is often the only solution. ASD FieldSpec® spectrometers have the size, weight, ruggedness, and configuration flexibility to be used in an airborne platform.
Atmospheric Modeling Atmospheric correction is an essential step in the analysis of spectral imagery. Spectral atmospheric observations are also essential for climate and ecosystem energy balance studies. Studies of outdoor lighting, transportation safety lamps, and military illumination sources often require observations of long-path transmission through the atmosphere. Existing atmospheric models are sometimes sufficient, but in a universe of new observations, model enhancement or even new full model development are sometimes required. ASD FieldSpec® spectrometers are available as spectroradiometers and with the necessary optional calibrations and accessories for a variety of spectral atmospheric studies.
Fire Detection and Fire Fuel Mapping Forest fire detection and fuel load mapping are relatively new remote sensing applications. ASD's FieldSpec® has been used to observe smoke and burning gasses from forest fires to find key features for early detection. Field spectra of the various fuel types have been used to map fuel loads in hyperspectral imagery.
Ground Truthing Different multi-spectral and hyperspectral imaging sensors have different spectral band-widths and positions. In order for ground referencing spectral data, also known as ground truthing data, to be convolved, i.e. re-sampled, to all of these different sensor bands, it must be of sufficient spectral resolution and wavelength range. Ground truth data is essential for characterizing ground calibration targets and for interpreting unknown materials in multi-spectral and hyperspectral images. Obviously, sample removal for lab study is impractical for targets such as lake beds, fields, bodies of water, buildings, rock faces, tree canopies, hazardous materials, sensitive ecosystems, and targets that change significantly when moved. Lab measurements are also impractical for capturing the full range of illumination and environmental conditions. The battery powered, portable ASD FieldSpec® has the necessary spectral resolution, wavelength coverage options, and configurations for the demands of ground truthing data collection.
Minerals, Mining and Soils For decades, geologists have studied high-resolution reflectance spectra of minerals and soils to determine mining and soil potential. Very successful models have been, and are continuing to be, developed which facilitate the interpretation of these spectra. These studies overlap into hazardous waste environmental applications as well as agriculture, hydrology, and military troop movement planning. Observations are used for ground truthing as well as in more direct applications. ASD offers a variety of field spectrometer options, some tailored specifically for minerals and soils.
Spectroradiometry and Calibration ASD facilities include NIST traceable wavelength and radiometric calibration equipment. Certificates are provided for all wavelength calibrations and optional radiance and irradiance calibrations. ASD FieldSpec® models and optional foreoptic accessories are the expert's choice for portable spectroradiometric observations of natural and artificial light fields.
Snow and Ice One of the early pioneering applications for spectral observations was the study of snow and ice characteristics to better understand the Earth-atmosphere radiation balance. Concurrent directional-hemispherical and angular spectral reflectance studies have also shown correlations between snow reflectance and grain shape and size, hardness index, density, liquid water content, and snow temperature. Obvious applications include climatology, avalanche monitoring, and water management. Under-ice photo-biological studies are also of interest. Multi-spectral field validations have been critical in all of these applications and the ASD FieldSpec® line offers the configuration options for above-snow & ice and below-ice measurements.
Bodies of Water High spectral resolution observations of bodies of water have lead to a better understanding of natural water body absorption and transmission properties, phytoplankton ecologies, algae blooms, and heat flow layering. These quantities can in turn be used to determine underwater visibility and military laser limits, predict the status of fish/shellfish, manage sediment discharge, and develop climate models. In-situ measurements have been used for both field validation of spectral imagery and direct applications. The ASD FieldSpec® line includes optional calibrations, optional underwater foreoptics and optional fiberoptic extension jumper cables for a variety of water body studies.
FieldSpectroscopy.coma comprehensive resource and forum for the remote sensing community and field spectroscopy users of all levels and disciplines. The goal is to make this site the most inclusive clearing house of relevant information available, with links to organizations, journals, white papers and abstracts, conferences and exhibitions, funding resources, and much more.
