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A significant step forward in the world of earth observation was made with the development of imaging spectrometry. Imaging spectrometers measure reflected solar radiance from the earth in many narrow spectral bands. Such a spectroscopical imaging system is capable of detecting subtle absorption bands in the reflectance spectra and measure the reflectance spectra of various objects with a very high accuracy. As a result, imaging spectrometry enables a better identification of objects at the earth surface and a better quantification of the object properties than can be achieved by traditional earth observation sensors such as Landsat TM and SPOT. The various chapters in the book present the c...
CLEO publications in Frontiers in Marine Science Foreword Josef Aschbacher, Director of ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes Satellite data have drastically changed the view we have of the oceans. Covering about 70% of Earth’s surface, oceans play a unique role for our planet and for our life – but large areas remain unexplored and are difficult to reach. Since the 1980s, Earth-orbiting satellites have helped to observe what is happening at the ocean surface. Sensors like CZCS, AVHRR, SeaWifs and MODIS provided the first ocean colour data from space. Starting in 2002, ESA's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on-board the environmental satellite Envisat, provided detailed info...
Marine ecosystems are open and dissipative systems that rely on an external energy source – light – for their sustenance. The magnitude of the light flux and the spectral quality of the light field (which determines colour) determine the rate of marine photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the ocean, and the types of phytoplankton communities that flourish in different parts of the ocean and in different seasons. Ocean colour – determined by the spectral quality of light scattered out of the sea and back into the atmosphere – can be monitored using satellite sensors, and used to map the distribution of the major phytoplankton pigment, chlorophyll-a, at global scales. Remote sensing of o...
An exciting foray into Earth's inland waters, the remarkable species they contain, and the conservation challenges of protecting them. When we call Earth "the blue planet" we immediately envision the vast oceans that cover most of its surface. But seas aren't the only bodies of water that make Earth special. Millions of diverse inland waters rush, meander, and seep throughout the planet, teeming with life. These streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwaters are home to thousands of species, many of which are extraordinary and some of which are critically endangered. In Beyond the Sea, ecologist David Strayer introduces readers to the world's most remarkable and varied inland waters, including m...
This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Water Optics and Water Colour Remote Sensing" that was published in Remote Sensing
“Oceans and Society: Blue Planet” (www.oceansandsociety.org) is a global initiative bringing together many ocean-observing programmes with a societal benefit focus. It was created in 2011 as a Task within the Work Plan of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). The Geneva-based GEO is a voluntary partnership of some 90 governments and 77 intergovernmental, international, and regional organisations. It is committed to integrating global observations through strengthened cooperation and coordination among global observing systems and research programmes. Blue Planet held its inaugural Symposium in Ilhabela, Brazil, in November 2012. Participants from some 25 countries, representing a divers...
This collection of symposium papers covers such topics as: environmental change; desertification; rainfall; erosion and geomorphological hazards; and land degradation and marine pollution. Other presentations dealt with practical applications of remote sensing and geographic information systems.
A radical new approach to tackling the growing threat of water scarcity Water is essential to life, yet humankind's relationship with water is complex. For millennia, we have perceived it as abundant and easily accessible. But water shortages are fast becoming a persistent reality for all nations, rich and poor. With demand outstripping supply, a global water crisis is imminent. In this trenchant critique of current water policies and practices, Edward Barbier argues that our water crisis is as much a failure of water management as it is a result of scarcity. Outdated governance structures and institutions, combined with continual underpricing, have perpetuated the overuse and undervaluation of water and disincentivized much-needed technological innovation. As a result "water grabbing" is on the rise, and cooperation to resolve these disputes is increasingly fraught. Barbier draws on evidence from countries across the globe to show the scale of the problem, and outlines the policy and management solutions needed to avert this crisis.