Observing Land from Space Science, Customers and Technology

M. Verstraete (1) and M. Menenti (2, 3) (1) Space Applications Institute, Ispra, Italy, (2) The Winand Staring Centre for Integrated Land, Soil and Water Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands and (3) Université Louis Pasteur, Illkirch, France. The European Network for the development of Advanced Models to interpret Optical Remote Sensing data over terrestrial environments (ENAMORS) is a consortium of academic and research institutions involved in methodological research and in applications of remote sensing techniques for Earth Observation. It was supported initially through a Concerted Action from the Environment and Climate Research and Technology Development Program in the 4th Framework Program of the European Commission. Its activities include the organization of international scientific conferences, the first of which took place in Tuusula, Finland, from September 17 to 19, 1997. This book contains the proceedings of that conference and effectively summarizes the discussions and conclusions reached by the participants. The title of this meeting was ‘Optical Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Surfaces: New Sensors, Advanced Algorithms, and the Opportunity for Novel Applications’. It aimed at assembling representatives from the policy maker, remote sensing research and end-user communities, as well as from national and international space agencies and aerospace industries. Together, they discussed the need for R&D support, as well as the contents and priorities of such a program in this economic sector during the period covered by the 5th Framework Program (1999--2002).

Welcome Address.- Activities of the European Commission in Earth Observation.- The CEO Initiatives to Collect and Analyze User Requirements for Earth Observation.- National Strategy for Developing Earth Observation Applications in Finland.- Operationalization of Earth Observation.- Remote Sensing of Forest Fires.- Using Current and Future Remote Sensing Systems in Natural Hazards Management.- Examples of the Use of Satellite Data in Numerical Weather Prediction Models.- The Contribution of Remote Sensing Technologies and Algorithms to Land Surface Processes Studies.- Exploitation and Evaluation of Retrieval Algorithms for Geostationary Satellite Data Processing.- The Role of Remote Sensing in Land Surface Experiments within BAHC and ISLSCP.- Earth Observation Demands for Improved Water Resources Management.- A Biophysical Process-Based Estimate of Global Land Surface Evaporation Using Satellite and Ancillary Data.- Remote Sensing of Land Cover and Land Cover Change.- Land-Cover Categories Versus Biophysical Attributes to Monitor Land-Cover Change by Remote Sensing.- A New Approach to Characterize Global Land Surfaces.- Remote Sensing Requirements to Support Forest Inventories.- Some Research and Applications in the CSIRO (Australia) Earth Observation Centre on Scene Brightness Due to BRDF.- Remote Sensing of Albedo Using the BRDF in Relation to Land Surface Properties.- Experimental Study of Statistical Characteristics of Plant Canopy Radiation Regime.- Light Scattering Models and Reflectance Measurements in Remote Sensing of Snow.- Ray Optics Approximation for Random Clusters of Gaussian Spheres.- Backscattering of Light by Snow.- Australian Sites for the Validation of Satellite Retrievals of the Radiative Properties of Land Surfaces.- Instruments and Methods for the Ground-Level Reference Measurement of Solar Radiation, Albedo and Net Radiation.- The NASA Earth System Science Program in 21st Century.- ESA’s Plans and Strategy for Optical Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Surfaces in the Next Decade.- Early Results from Adeos and Future Earth Observation Missions.- Vegetation: An Earth Observation System to Monitor the Biosphere.- Hyperspectral Imager Survey and Developments for Scientific and Operational Land Processes Monitoring Applications.- Summary and Conclusions.