Guide to satellite remote sensing of the marine environment. 1992 [OBSOLETE]

Abstract

The purpose of this guide to review the present state-of-the-art of remote sensing of the earth's surface from orbiting satellites. The uniformity of satellite coverage is one of its greatest advantages over conventional surface measurements: another is the facility of a spacecraft to build up a series of reliable, repetitive measurements to reveal changing patterns of behavior. A satellite's view may be restricted to the sea surface but many details of the underlying deep-sea topography, coastal bathymetry, circulation patterns, ocean productivity and heat transport have been detected from space. Besides, the changes in the marine environment which most affect human activities, tides, waves, storm surges, pollution and weather patterns, are to be observed at the surface.