TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

PASSIVE SENSOR [2 records]

Record 1 2007-01-31

English

Subject field(s)
  • Radar, Radio Guidance and Goniometry
  • Spacecraft
  • Remote Sensing
DEF

[A] sensor that observe weak microwave signals naturally radiated from the Earth's surface.

CONT

A passive sensor is a microwave instrument designed to receive and to measure natural emissions produced by the Earths surface and its atmosphere. The frequency and strength of these natural emissions characterize the type and the status of a large number of important geophysical, atmospheric and surface parameters of the land, sea, and ice caps, that describe the status of the Earth system (i.e., The Earth, its atmosphere, and the oceans) and its mechanisms.

CONT

Microwave energy recorded by a passive sensor can be emitted by the atmosphere, reflected from the surface, emitted from the surface, or transmitted from the subsurface.

OBS

Typically, microwave passive sensors are radiometers or scanners and are characterized by low spatial resolution.

OBS

passive sensor: term officially approved by the RADARSAT-2 Terminology Approval Group (RTAG).

French

Domaine(s)
  • Radar, radioguidage et radiogoniométrie
  • Engins spatiaux
  • Télédétection
DEF

Capteur qui reçoit une énergie émise sans que lui-même irradie la scène.

CONT

Les capteurs passifs sont uniquement récepteurs (ex. : radiomètres, caméras, spectroradiomètres, etc.), la source d'énergie est le plus souvent le Soleil ou la Terre.

OBS

capteur passif : terme uniformisé par le Groupe de travail de la terminologie de RADARSAT-2 (GTTR).

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Guía radárica, radioguía y radiogoniometría
  • Naves espaciales
  • Teledetección
Save record 1

Record 2 2002-03-28

English

Subject field(s)
  • Mathematical Geography
  • Scientific Instruments
  • Security Devices
DEF

[A device that] records emitted and/or reflected electromagnetic energy from sources other than itself.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Géographie mathématique
  • Instruments scientifiques
  • Dispositifs de sécurité
CONT

Il existe deux grands types de capteurs, les passifs et les actifs. Les premiers utilisent des films photographiques avec des caméras à objectifs et filtres multiples [...] Les capteurs à balayage ou scanners [...] captent des informations dans les différentes bandes spectrales du visible et de l'infra-rouge [...] cela recueille ce qui existe déjà en matière de rayonnements, d'où l'épithète "passif".

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Geografía matemática
  • Instrumentos científicos
  • Dispositivos de seguridad
Save record 2

Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank

© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2024
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau

Features

Language Portal of Canada

Access a collection of Canadian resources on all aspects of English and French, including quizzes.

Writing tools

The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.

Glossaries and vocabularies

Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.

Date Modified: