Temporal Resolution

Temporal resolution in remote sensingRemote SensingRemote sensing is the science of collecting data about Earth's surface without direct physical contact, primarily usi... refers to the time interval between successive observations of the same point on Earth's surface by a satellite sensor. It is determined by the satellite's orbital parameters, swath widthSwath WidthSwath width is the ground strip width captured by a satellite or airborne sensor in a single pass. Wider swaths provi..., and whether it operates as a single platform or within a constellation. Temporal resolution directly controls the ability to monitor dynamic processes and detect changes. Revisit frequenciesIndividual satellites have fixed revisit periods based on their orbit: Landsat revisits every 16 days, Sentinel-2A/B combined every 5 days, and MODIS provides daily global coverage at moderate resolution. Commercial constellations like Planet LabsPlanet LabsPlanet Labs is a commercial satellite imagery provider that operates the largest constellation of Earth observation s... achieve daily sub-meter revisit by operating hundreds of small satellites. Geostationary weather satellites like GOES image the same hemisphere every 10-15 minutes. Trade-offs in sensor designTemporal resolution involves fundamental trade-offs with spatial resolutionSpatial ResolutionSpatial resolution defines the size of the smallest feature or ground area that can be distinguished in a spatial dat... and swath width. Sensors with narrow fields of view achieve high spatial resolution but cover less area per pass, requiring longer revisit periods. Wide-swath sensors sacrifice spatial resolution for more frequent coverage. Constellations of identical satellites overcome this trade-off by multiplying coverage frequency. Temporal resolution is a critical factor in selecting satellite data for any monitoring application. The rapid growth of small satellite constellations is dramatically improving revisit frequencies, enabling near-real-time observation of Earth's dynamic surface processes.