Environmental remote sensing is the measurement, from
a distance, of the spectral features of the Earth’s surface
and atmosphere. These measurements are normally
made by instruments carried by satellites or aircraft, and
are used to infer the nature and characteristics of the
land or sea surface, or of the atmosphere, at the time of
observation. The successful application of remote sensing
techniques to particular problems, whether they be
geographical, geological, oceanographic or cartographic,
requires knowledge and skills drawn from several areas of
science. An understanding of the way in which remotely
sensed data are acquired by a sensor mounted onboard an
aircraft or satellite needs a basic knowledge of the physics
involved, in particular environmental physics and optics.
The use of remotely-sensed data, which are inherently
digital, demands a degree of mathematical and statistical
skill plus some familiarity with digital computers and
their operation. A high level of competence in the field in
which the remotely-sensed data are to be used is essential
if full use of the information contained in those data is
to be made. The term ‘remote-sensing specialist’ is thus,
apparently, a contradiction in terms for a remote-sensing
scientist must possess a broad range of expertise across
a variety of disciplines. While it is, of course, possible
to specialise in some particular aspect of remote sensing,
it is difficult to cut oneself off from the essential
multidisciplinary nature of the subject.
This fourth and full colour edition updates and expands a widely-used textbook aimed at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in remote sensing and GIS in Geography, Geology and Earth/Environmental Science departments. Existing material has been brought up to date and new material has been added. In particular, a new chapter, exploring the two-way links between remote sensing and environmental GIS, has been added.
New and updated material includes:
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A website at www.wiley.com/go/mather4 that provides access to an updated and expanded version of the MIPS image processing software for Microsoft Windows, PowerPoint slideshows of the figures from each chapter, and case studies, including full data sets,
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Includes new chapter on Remote Sensing and Environmental GIS that provides insights into the ways in which remotely-sensed data can be used synergistically with other spatial data sets, including hydrogeological and archaeological applications,
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New section on image processing from a computer science perspective presented in a non-technical way, including some remarks on statistics,
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New material on image transforms, including the analysis of temporal change and data fusion techniques,
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New material on image classification including decision trees, support vector machines and independent components analysis, and
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Now in full colour throughout.
This book provides the material required for a single semester course in Environmental Remote Sensing plus additional, more advanced, reading for students specialising in some aspect of the subject. It is written largely in non-technical language yet it provides insights into more advanced topics that some may consider too difficult for a non-mathematician to understand. The case studies available from the website are fully-documented research projects complete with original data sets. For readers who do not have access to commercial image processing software, MIPS provides a licence-free, intuitive and comprehensive alternative.