Back to Index

Q


Qe: Standard symbol for radiant energy.

Qv: Standard symbol for luminous energy.

Q band: Radar bandwidth from 36-46 GHz.

Quantile: A statistic associated with a sample which indicates the probability of selecting another sample with a value less than or equal to the first (usually given as a percentage). A quantile-quantile (Q-Q) plot can be generated which expresses the percentage of actual data values less than a given value against the quantile for that value. The plot is used to test whether the data can be regarded as samples from the assumed probability distribution.

Quantisation: Process by which a grey value or a range of grey values in an image is assigned a new value from a given finite set of grey values.

Quantum: Smallest (indivisible) unit or 'packet' of energy. The term photon is often used with electromagnetic radiation.

Quick look image: Jargon term for a rough or small first image that is often used to assess spatial coverage and cloud cover.