The latest comprehensive resource on Earth observation has been released, opening up the expertise of the scientific community to a wider audience.
Volume 1B of Earth Observation: Data, Processing and Applications is the second instalment in a suite of publications aimed at explaining the principles and products of satellite remote sensing in an Australian context and feature a wide range of local case studies.
This new sub-volume, entitled Volume 1B: Data—Image Interpretation, completes the first of three volumes in this series of publications. Volume 1A and Volume 1X were released in 2016 at the annual CRCSI conference in November.
Each text has been prepared by a diverse panel of Australian Earth Observation professionals, with production of the series being sponsored by the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Bushfires and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (BNHCRC). The series currently comprises three volumes: Volume 1: Data, Volume 2: Processing, Volume 3: Applications.
Volume 1B of Earth Observation: Data, Processing and Applications. Available here.
Together, Volume 1A and Volume 1B outline the basics of Earth Observation in terms of energy sources, data acquisition, sampling characteristics, and image availability. They also consider the interactions of electromagnetic radiation with various targets and media, as relevant to understanding optical, thermal, passive microwave and radar imagery. A complimentary folio, 1X—Appendices was also launched in 2016 at CRCSI Outlook Conference.
Volume 2: Processing will be released in six sub-volumes over the course of 2017. Together they will describes the various options involved with image representation, analysis, transformation, integration and modelling, including details of relevant algorithms, with emphasis on their underlying mathematical and statistical principles.
The six sub-volumes that will be released in 2017 include: 2A—Basic Image Operations, 2B—Image, 2C—Image Transformations, 2D—Image Integration, 2E—Image Classification, and 2X—Appendices.
The final phase Volume 3: Applications will cover the Australian environment in terms of topography, climate, ecoregions, land use and vegetation dynamics, then covers a broad range of application areas and case studies reliant on Earth Observation data. Currently under development, Volume 3 will comprise two sub-volumes: 3A—Terrestrial Vegetation and 3B—Surface Waters. Both are planned for release in 2018.
A print-on-demand version of Volume 1 will be available later this year. Volume 1A/1X and Volume 1B are currently available as downloadable PDF files.
Peter Woodgate, the CEO of CRCSI said that “These publications represent one of the most extensive and thorough bodies of work in Earth Observation produced in Australia.”
“All contributors are to be congratulated for their efforts and none more so than the Editor-In-Chief, architect, and designer, Barb Harrison,” he said.
