An alternative approach to data fusion in remote sensing

The usage of various image data sources makes remote sensing a very effective tool in the monitoring of the environment. Remote sensing images can be described by three main dimensions: spatial resolution, spectral characteristics and temporal frequency. In monitoring tasks, it is usual to use several images of different kinds – multispectral and panchromatic satellite images, aerial photos and radar images. Image fusion aims to integrate the advantages of spatial, spectral and temporal characteristics of several images. In current applications, the most often used data fusion procedures improve the spatial characteristics of a multispectral image via “merging” it with a higher spatial resolution (usually panchromatic) image. This paper will describe another approach of image fusion. Operational – mainly agricultural – monitoring applications will be presented that heavily rely on the usage of different kinds of satellite images. In each of these applications the temporal dimension has a fundamental role.