Thermal monitoring using an ASTER image

The research is focused on the study of the applicability of remote sensing techniques (specifically using ASTER data) for marine environmental analysis, relative to the determination of the surface temperatures. Using a multitemporal approach, two images (classified as level-1B), acquired in August 2000 and in 2005, were considered. The thermal maps were realized by means of the emissivity spectral normalization method, defining the thermal gradients in the area under investigation. The spatial and temporal anomalies related to the temperature distribution were highlighted; these anomalies represent an important parameter for the identification of probable groundwater pollution and soil contamination. To define the map of the surface temperature using thermal infrared ASTER channels, a numerical model dedicated to ASTER data was implemented during the experimentation. This model is based on the principle of interpolation of the type "least square interpolation (linear)," and it implies a reduction in the number of unknowns to obtain an acceptable solution to the problem. This experimental model has provided good results in the phase of implementation and in the tests on a synthetic image that were simulated in the laboratory. However, further verifications and modifications are necessary for the processing of real ASTER images.