Remote Sensing And Climate Change

In this text international experts consider the potential value of data captured from remote sensing systems, in space and covering the whole earth, to yield evidence of climate change from extensive areas. The role of satellites and caliberation problems are considered.

Experts report the state of the art in the study of global climate change using remote sensing techniques. Topics covered include the principles of remote sensing, the management of data, data requirements in climatology, the principles of modelling, the input of data into models, and the application of remote sensing to the atmosphere, ice and snow, seas and land. The book is highly topical given the current great public and scientific awareness of possible man-made changes to the climate. It is essential reading for anyone new to the field, and invaluable as a reference work to those already working in it.

Remote Sensing plays a key role in monitoring the various manifestations of global climate change. It is used routinely in the assessment and mapping of biodiversity over large areas, in the monitoring of changes to the physical environment, in assessing threats to various components of natural systems, and in the identification of priority areas for conservation. This book presents the fundamentals of remote sensing technology, but rather than containing lengthy explanations of sensor specifications and operation, it concentrates instead on the application of the technology to key environmental systems. Each system forms the basis of a separate chapter, and each is illustrated by real world case studies and examples. Readership The book is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in earth science, environmental science, or physical geography taking a course in environmental remote sensing. It will also be an invaluable reference for environmental scientists and managers who require an overview of the use of remote sensing in monitoring and mapping environmental change at regional and global scales. Additional resources for this book can be found at: http://www.wiley.com/go/purkis/remote.

Beginning with an overview of data and concepts developed in the EU-project HABIT-CHANGE, this book addresses the need for sharing knowledge and experience in the field of biodiversity conservation and climate change. There is an urgent need to build capacity in protected areas to monitor, assess, manage and report the effects of climate change and their interaction with other pressures. The contributors identify barriers to the adaptation of conservation management, such as the mismatch between planning reality and the decision context at site level. Short and vivid descriptions of case studies, drawn from investigation areas all over Central and Eastern Europe, illustrate both the local impacts of climate change and their consequences for future management. These focus on ecosystems most vulnerable to changes in climatic conditions, including alpine areas, wetlands, forests, lowland grasslands and coastal areas. The case studies demonstrate the application of adaptation strategies in protected areas like National Parks, Biosphere Reserves and Natural Parks, and reflect the potential benefits as well as existing obstacles. A general section provides the necessary background information on climate trends and their effects on abiotic and biotic components. Often, the parties to policy change and conservation management, including managers, land users and stakeholders, lack both expertise and incentives to undertake adaptation activities. The authors recognise that achieving the needed changes in behavior – habit – is as much a social learning process as a matter of science-based procedure. They describe the implementation of modeling, impact assessment and monitoring of climate conditions, and show how the results can support efforts to increase stakeholder involvement in local adaptation strategies. The book concludes by pointing out the need for more work to communicate the cross-sectoral nature of biodiversity protection, the value of well-informed planning in the long-term process of adaptation, the definition of acceptable change, and the motivational value of exchanging experience and examples of good practice.

Thought provoking treatise that aims to answer questions about Earth’s environment based on research done through remote sensing techniques In Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing and Climate Change, the author addresses longstanding questions about a possible correlation between fluctuations in solar activity and changes in the Earth’s atmosphere and geosphere that have been observed during periods of extraterrestrial changes such as solar eclipses or solar storms. The author goes on to suggest possible mechanisms for anomalies seen in climate change and other environmental effects through a deep examination of interdisciplinary research. Core topics covered in the work include: Data from ground- based detectors and from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite, which monitor solar activity Key variables associated with sunspot eruption, such as Electron flux, Proton flux, X-ray flux, and Planetary indices Observable changes in other planets and their moons, as well as in cosmic radiation from beyond the sun Extraterrestrial effects on the Earth’s magnetic field and on seismic activity With its fresh and multidisciplinary approach, Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing and Climate Change is a thought-provoking treatise for students, researchers, and professionals in the fields of environmental science and climate science.

The authors of this monograph initially provide an assessment of the role of snow and ice in the global water balance, and methods of snow measurements are detailed. Periodical satellite snow-cover mapping enabling the regional distribution of snow and water equivalent is evaluated, enhancing runoff forecasts.