Future Perspectives (Way Forward)

Satellites in polar orbits, like Landsat, image the entire planet’s surface every day or every couple of weeks, depending on the swath of the satellite overpass; images with detailed spatial measurements (1–30 m) are usually only available once or twice a month—for example Landsat 5 and 7 (image every 16 days at 30 m resolution) while coarser resolution imagery (e.g., the MODIS sensor on Terra at 250 m or the SPOT satellites’ VGT sensor at 1 km) are provided nearly daily. Because the information is captured digitally, computers can be used to process, store, analyze, and distribute the data in a systematic manner. And because the same sensor on the same platform is gathering images for all points on the planet’s surface, these measurements are globally consistent and independent—a synoptic record of earth observations ready-made for monitoring, reporting, and verifi cation systems linked to multilateral environmental agreements as well as individual government policies.

BELWARD Alan;  ACHARD Frederic;  HANSEN Matthew C.;  ARINO Olivier; 

2013-01-08

CRC Press Taylor & Francis

JRC76078

9781466552012,   

http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781466552012/,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC76078,