Abstract:
This book is designed to be primarily used in two ways: as a textbook in introductory courses in remote sensing and image interpretation and as a reference for
the burgeoning number of practitioners who use geospatial information and analysis in their work. Rapid advances in computational power and sensor design are
allowing remote sensing and its kindred technologies, such as geographic
information systems (GIS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS), to play an
increasingly important role in science, engineering, resource management, commerce, and other fields of human endeavor. Because of the wide range of academic
and professional settings in which this book might be used, we have made this discussion “discipline neutral.” That is, rather than writing a book heavily oriented
toward a single field such as business, ecology, engineering, forestry, geography,
geology, urban and regional planning, or water resource management, we approach
the subject in such a manner that students and practitioners in any discipline
should gain a clear understanding of remote sensing systems and their virtually
unlimited applications. In short, anyone involved in geospatial data acquisition and
analysis should find this book to be a valuable text and reference.
The world has changed dramatically since the first edition of this book was
published, nearly four decades ago. Students may read this new edition in an
ebook format on a tablet or laptop computer whose processing power and user
interface are beyond the dreams of the scientists and engineers who pioneered the
