Land observation by remote sensing

The technique of remote sensing meets current demands for information about the changing world, for observing earth surface features and monitoring the processes concerning them. This textbook comprises contributions from twenty-six experts, providing a comprehensive introduction to remote sensing at university level. In part A. the principles of remote sensing are described, including remote sensing as a source of land information, object characteristics, physical aspects, instrumentation, data acquisition, modelling of object-sensor relationships, digital image processing, structural pattern recognition, image-matching techniques and geographical information systems. Part B focuses on the applications of remote sensing with special attention to land inventory and monitoring of land dynamics in the fields of agriculture, forestry, land evaluation, agrohydrology, irrigation, nature conservation and environmental pollution control. This book will be of value to those with a general interest in remote sensing, to undergraduate and postgraduate students and to professionals researching in fields of land application in which remote sensing is a tool. Offering the opportunity to gain insight into the potential of remote sensing, now and in the future, the editors hope that this book will appeal to and inspire potential managers and uses alike.