Remote sensing plays a crucial role in atmospheric studies, providing valuable data across various scales. It allows scientists to map atmospheric parameters and processes at different altitudes.
Key Applications of Atmospheric Remote Sensing:
- Cloud Properties: Remote sensing accurately measures cloud thickness and height, vital for weather forecasting and climate modeling.
- Rainfall Monitoring: Satellite-based sensors estimate rainfall amounts and distribution, improving flood prediction and water resource management.
- Gas and Aerosol Concentration Measurement: Remote sensing techniques quantify the concentration of atmospheric gases (like greenhouse gases) and aerosols (like pollutants), helping us understand air quality and climate change.
- Irradiance Measurement: Remote sensing measures both surface irradiance (solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface) and top-of-atmosphere irradiance (solar radiation entering the Earth's atmosphere), crucial for understanding energy balance and climate processes.
- Air Quality Monitoring: As highlighted by resources like the California Air Resources Board (https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/air-quality-research-using-satellite-remote-sensing), satellite remote sensing fills spatial gaps in ground-based air quality monitoring networks. NASA also offers training programs on using remote sensing for air quality applications (http://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/get-involved/training/english/arset-introduction-satellite-remote-sensing-air-quality-applications). China also leverages remote sensing for monitoring wildland fire hazards and, to a lesser degree, air quality emissions (https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/34264).
Active Sensing Techniques:
As detailed in Active Earth Remote Sensing for Atmospheric Applications (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/21729/chapter/4), active remote sensing, using ground-based and satellite-borne radars, contributes significantly to atmospheric research.
Broader Applications:
The applications extend beyond specific parameters. Journals like Remote Sensing of Environment (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/remote-sensing-of-environment) and Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/remote-sensing-applications-society-and-environment) showcase the wide range of environmental and societal applications, emphasizing both regional/local and global studies. A foundational text, Introduction to Satellite Remote Sensing (https://shop.elsevier.com/books/introduction-to-satellite-remote-sensing/emery/978-0-12-809254-5), highlights the importance of remote sensing in ocean, atmospheric, and land applications.
