Basic Electromagnetic Concepts and Applications to Optical Sensors

This chapter first reviews the main radiometric terms, the basic equations of electromagnetism, and the main laws governing the passage of electromagnetic waves from one medium to another, as well as important concepts such as the Snell, Brewster, and critical angles, or the concept of wave polarization and its description. These concepts are then applied to Earth observation to understand the radiation emitted by the Sun and by the Earth, the behavior of the atmosphere, land, and sea.