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Overview

OVERVIEW

The Autonomous Modular Sensor (AMS) is an airborne scanning spectrometer that acquires high spatial resolution imagery of the Earth's features from its vantage point on-board low and medium altitude research aircraft. Data acquired by AMS is helping to define, develop, and test algorithms for use in a variety of scientific programs that emphasize the use of remotely sensed data to monitor variation in environmental conditions, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.

Missions are collected, processed, and maintained by the Airborne Science & Technology Laboratory located at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. The ASTL is operated under contract by the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Image Gallery

IMAGE GALLERY

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Monterey Bay & Elkhorn Slough
A selection of images from various flights in the Monterey Bay area.
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Hunter-Liggett Fire
A series of flight lines capturing a small brush fire on the central coast of California.
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San Francisco Bay & Sacramento River Delta
A selection of images acquired after the region was inundated with a month of heavy rain.

Sensor Configurations

SENSOR CONFIGURATIONS

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Wild Fire / Land Surface Scanner
IFOV: 1.25 or 2.5 mrad
FOV: 42.5 or 85.9 degrees
Resolution: 3 - 50 meters
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Water Vapor Imager
IFOV: 2.5 mrad
FOV: 85.9 degrees
Resolution: 50 meters (variable)
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Atmospheric Mapping Sensor
IFOV: 2.5 mrad
FOV: 85.9 degrees
Resolution: 50 meters (variable)
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Ocean Color Imager
IFOV: 2.5 mrad
FOV: 85.9 degrees
Resolution: 3 - 50 meters

RELATED INSTRUMENTS

MAS
A multispectral scanner which collects 50 meter imagery from 65,000 feet above the Earth.
MASTER
The sister instrument to MAS which can be flown much closer to Earth's surface.

RELATED MULTIMEDIA

A scene of Mount Saint Helens draped over an elevation model.
Mount St. Helens
A three dimensional  animation of MASTER imagery collected over the active volcano.
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AMS Home

Hunter-Liggett Fire

Hunter-Liggett brush fire animation

This time sequence of a wildfire imaged by AMS shows a smoldering region as bright orange; the yellow and white represents an area of active burning.

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