Remote Sensing
Spatial resolution
The ground area represented by a single pixel, which sets the smallest feature a sensor can distinguish.
A ten-metre sensor cannot see a five-metre gap in canopy. Resolution therefore determines which processes are observable at all: narrow logging roads, smallholder clearing and riverbank loss are invisible to coarse sensors.
Mixing resolutions in one analysis is a frequent source of error, because a coarse classification resampled to a fine grid suggests a precision that the original data never had.
Frequently asked questions
Is finer always better?
No. Finer data is noisier per pixel and costlier; the right choice depends on the question.
How does it interact with minimum mapping unit?
Resolution limits what can be seen; the mapping unit decides what is recorded.