Michel M. Verstraete - Böcker

This volume contains a selection of scientific papers which were presented at an international workshop held in Wengen, Switzerland, in September 1998. A number of state-of-the-art papers are presented, which discuss scientific, technological and socio-economic issues related to large forest fires which occur both in the tropics and in the extra-tropical regions. The book comprises some of the most recent research conducted in the context of the large forest fires which occurred in South-East Asia, Australia, Brazil and Africa in late 1997 and early 1998; while essentially due to human interference, these particular fires appear to have been enhanced by the particularly strong El Nino episode which prevailed at that time. This interdisciplinary volume addresses a number of topics, in particular the contribution to climatic change by the greenhouse gases and aerosols emitted by large forest fires, the monitoring of fires both during and after combustion through satellite remote-sensing techniques, and numerical studies of the perturbation to the climate system using general circulation climate models.

This volume offers a broad overview of the science and technology of remote sensing, its policy implications, and the needs of operational users in the context of climate change and environmental degradation over land. The various chapters derive from presentations originally made at the first ENAMORS conference on Optical Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Surfaces: New Sensors, Advanced Algorithms, and the Opportunity for Novel Applications, held in Tuusula, Finland, in September 1997. This meeting assembled a panel of scientists, engineers, users, and policy makers, and provided a forum to debate scientific priorities, technological opportunities, and information requirements. Policy makers strive to take full advantage of investments in Earth Observation, scientists develop new and better algorithms to deliver more accurate characterizations of the environment, or propose innovative applications, while Space Agencies design observational systems better adapted to meet the requirements of a broad spectrum of scientific missions.

This work covers state-of-the-art research in two domains which are largely complementary, but which have until now not made optimum use of their complementarity: remote sensing techniques and climate models. The material presented in the book covers such diverse areas within satellite remote sensing techniques as aerosol loading of the atmosphere, characterization of the land surface (type and extent of vegetation, reflectivity of snow, land and vegetation), and soil moisture. Such parameters are important determinants of the climate system and its evolution, and are often poorly quantified in climate models; the advantage of remote sensing techniques, which have a global coverage, therefore becomes obvious for the climate modelling community. The book is primarily aimed at advanced academic research, at PhD or post-doctoral levels and beyond.

This volume contains a selection of scientific papers which were presented at an international workshop held in Wengen, Switzerland, in September 1998. A number of state-of-the-art papers are presented, which discuss scientific, technological and socio-economic issues related to large forest fires which occur both in the tropics and in the extra-tropical regions. The book comprises some of the most recent research conducted in the context of the large forest fires which occurred in South-East Asia, Australia, Brazil and Africa in late 1997 and early 1998; while essentially due to human interference, these particular fires appear to have been enhanced by the particularly strong El Nino episode which prevailed at that time. This interdisciplinary volume addresses a number of topics, in particular the contribution to climatic change by the greenhouse gases and aerosols emitted by large forest fires, the monitoring of fires both during and after combustion through satellite remote-sensing techniques, and numerical studies of the perturbation to the climate system using general circulation climate models.

This volume offers a broad overview of the science and technology of remote sensing, its policy implications, and the needs of operational users in the context of climate change and environmental degradation over land. The various chapters derive from presentations originally made at the first ENAMORS conference on Optical Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Surfaces: New Sensors, Advanced Algorithms, and the Opportunity for Novel Applications, held in Tuusula, Finland, in September 1997. This meeting assembled a distinguished panel of scientists, engineers, users, and policy makers, and provided a forum to debate scientific priorities, technological opportunities, and information requirements. Policy makers strive to take full advantage of investments in Earth Observation, scientists develop new and better algorithms to deliver more accurate characterizations of the environment, or propose innovative applications, while Space Agencies design observational systems better adapted to meet the requirements of a broad spectrum of scientific missions.