Ten years ago the author, together with eight co-authors, edited a textbook Remote Sensing for Environmental Sciences within the series on Ecological Studies of Springer-Verlag. At that time there were not yet many books available on remote sensing. The decade that has elapsed was marked by a spectacular development in this field. This development took place in many directions: by widening the areas of application, by improvements of the methods and the sensors, by the introduction of new versatile platforms, but also by deepening the knowledge of the theoretical foundations. This evolution improved the ability to explain the interaction between electromagnetic radia tion and natural objects, which, in its turn, allowed for better modelization and for the creation of refined mathematical tools in the processing of remotely sensed data and in the determination of the physical status of remote objects. The community of research workers engaged in development and use of remote sensing methods changed accordingly from a modest group of scientists in the early 1970's to a considerable branch of specialized and interdisciplinary activity. The training of students had to be adapted to cope with the increasing number of people entering this new field and with the increasing quality of the material to be presented.

A quantitative yet accessible introduction to remote sensing techniques, this new edition covers a broad spectrum of Earth science applications.

This book presents the fundamental concepts covering various stages of remote sensing from data collection to end utilization, so that it can be appreciated irrespective of the discipline in which the reader has graduated. The physical principles on which remote sensing are based has been explained without getting into complicated mathematical equations.

Fundamentals of Satellite Remote Sensing: An Environmental Approach, Second Edition is a definitive guide to remote sensing systems that focuses on satellite-based remote sensing tools and methods for space-based Earth observation (EO). It presents the advantages of using remote sensing data for studying and monitoring the planet, and emphasizes co

Fundamentals of Satellite Remote Sensing: An Environmental Approach, Third Edition, is a definitive guide to remote sensing systems that focuses on satellite-based remote sensing tools and methods for space-based Earth observation (EO). It presents the advantages of using remote sensing data for studying and monitoring the planet, and emphasizes concepts that make the best use of satellite data. The book begins with an introduction to the basic processes that ensure the acquisition of space-borne imagery, and provides an overview of the main satellite observation systems. It then describes visual and digital image analysis, highlights various interpretation techniques, and outlines their applications to science and management. The latter part of the book covers the integration of remote sensing with Geographic Information System (GIS) for environmental analysis. This latest edition has been written to reflect a global audience and covers the most recent advances incorporated since the publication of the previous book, relating to the acquisition and interpretation of remotely sensed data. New in the Third Edition: Includes additional illustrations in full color. Uses sample images acquired from different ecosystems at different spatial resolutions to illustrate different interpretation techniques. Includes updated EO missions, such as the third generations of geostationary meteorological satellites, the new polar orbiting platforms (Suomi), the ESA Sentinels program, and high-resolution commercial systems. Includes extended coverage of radar and LIDAR processing methods. Includes all new information on near-ground missions, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Covers new ground sensors, as well as machine-learning approaches to classification. Adds more focus on land surface characterization, time series, change detection, and ecosystem processes. Extends the interactions of EO data and GIS that cover different environmental problems, with particular relevance to global observation. Fundamentals of Satellite Remote Sensing: An Environmental Approach, Third Edition, details the tools that provide global, recurrent, and comprehensive views of the processes affecting the Earth. As one of CRC’s Essential titles, this book and stands out as one of the best in its field and is a must-have for researchers, academics, students, and professionals involved in the field of environmental science, as well as for libraries developing collections on the forefront of this industry.

The science and engineering of remote sensing--theory and applications The Second Edition of this authoritative book offers readers the essential science and engineering foundation needed to understand remote sensing and apply it in real-world situations. Thoroughly updated to reflect the tremendous technological leaps made since the publication of the first edition, this book covers the gamut of knowledge and skills needed to work in this dynamic field, including: * Physics involved in wave-matter interaction, the building blocks for interpreting data * Techniques used to collect data * Remote sensing applications The authors have carefully structured and organized the book to introduce readers to the basics, and then move on to more advanced applications. Following an introduction, Chapter 2 sets forth the basic properties of electromagnetic waves and their interactions with matter. Chapters 3 through 7 cover the use of remote sensing in solid surface studies, including oceans. Each chapter covers one major part of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., visible/near infrared, thermal infrared, passive microwave, and active microwave). Chapters 8 through 12 then cover remote sensing in the study of atmospheres and ionospheres. Each chapter first presents the basic interaction mechanism, followed by techniques to acquire, measure, and study the information, or waves, emanating from the medium under investigation. In most cases, a specific advanced sensor is used for illustration. The book is generously illustrated with fifty percent new figures. Numerous illustrations are reproduced in a separate section of color plates. Examples of data acquired from spaceborne sensors are included throughout. Finally, a set of exercises, along with a solutions manual, is provided. This book is based on an upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate course taught by the authors at the California Institute of Technology. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of the field and its applications, it is appropriate for students in electrical engineering, applied physics, geology, planetary science, astronomy, and aeronautics. It is also recommended for any engineer or scientist interested in working in this exciting field.

The public's serious concern about the uncertainties and dangers of the conse quences of human activities on environmental quality demands policies to control the situation and to prevent its deterioration. But far-reaching decisions on the environmental policy are impaired or even made impossible as long as the relevant ecological relations are not sufficiently understood and large-scale quantitative information on the most important parameters is not available in sufficient quality and quantity. The techniques of remote sensing offer new ways of procuring data on natural phenomena with three main advantages - the large distance between sensor and object prevents interference with the environmental conditions to be measured, - the potentiality for large-scale and even global surveys yields a new dimension for the investigations of the environmental parameters, - the extremely wide, spectral range covered by the whole diversity of sensors discloses many properties of the environmental media not detectable within a single wave band (as e.g. the visible). These significant additions to the conventional methods of environmental studies and the particular qualification of several remote sensing methods for quantitative determination of the natural parameters makes this new investigation technique an important tool both to the scientists studying the ecological relationship and the administration in charge of the environmental planning and protection.