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Signatures spectrales des surfaces naturelles
BOOK REVIEWS
The book is systematically organized and well written. The numerous illustrations and examples assist the reader in understanding the various concepts, methods and procedures. A considerable collection of reference
183 literature is given for each chapter to enable interested readers to pursue topics in depth. W. Faig, New Brunswick-Canada
Gtrard Guyot: Signatures spectrales des surfaces naturelles. Paradigme, Caen 1989, 178 pp., ISBN 2-86878-032-6, ISSN 0760-937 X, price FF 113,-. The contribution of GCrard Guyot to the development of our understanding of spectral signatures cannot be adequately handled in a short review, nor is it fully reflected in the very useful introduction to the subject which is the subject of this review. He has immensely influenced the whole international community in the areas of remote sensing and environmental monitoring and has initiates science of a consistently high level on the subject over the past ten years. The proceedings of the Avignon, Bordeaux, Les Arcs and Aussois colloquia which he convened on behalf of Commission VII, Working Group 3, are a testament to his extraordinary contribution. (INRA 198 1, InRA 1983, ESA SP 247 1985, ESASP 287 1988.) His perspective is therefore a good one from which to define the essential basic physics of the environment relevant to the observation and recording of land surface spectral signatures. In the book he deals with the relevant features of the optical, infrared and thermal infrared wavelengths of the
electromagnetic spectrum but not with the microwave. Subsequent chapters deal with the properties of rock, soil, water and especially of vegetated surfaces. The section on vegetation is particularly useful as both the textual explanation and the illustrations are simple to grasp, although the absence of conventional feature space diagrams illustrating the positions taken up by different types of cover and by the same cover at different phenological stages are unusual omissions. The very important subject of the effects of the atmosphere are properly addressed and quantified and some simple systems of correction outlined. In this and the other subjects covered the approach is clear and the educational value of the publication high. The book will be popular with those responsible for teaching remove sensing courses and for those encountering for the first time the subject of the interaction of natural surfaces and electromagnetic energy. J.A. Allan, London-UK
Karl-Heinz Szekielda: Satellite Monitoring of the Earth. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Chichester, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore. 326 pp., over 200 diagrams, over 100 b&w images, 10 colour plates, index, 1988, ISBN o-471-6133-4, f34.85. For those of us who have thought to write an introductory text on remote sensing and have lived through the explosion of printed material on the subject over the past twenty years will sympathise with the dilemmas facing the author of this useful introductory text. There was a time when one had to teach the subject from a very ill-structured collection of articles, conference papers and other grey literature, and the foundation of the reference material for students was an offprint collection and occasional publications from
the major space agencies. In the past decade the gap has been filled by numerous authors who, at the stage of the publication of their books, were forgiven for not providing material which lived up to the titles on the spines. For example, the title of Sabin’s book indicated that it was about all aspects of remote sensing and in fact was almost wholly about geological applications and was especially strong on microwave techniques. By 1988, the date of this book, those teaching remote sensing had a wide range of introduc-
The book is systematically organized and well written. The numerous illustrations and examples assist the reader in understanding the various concepts, methods and procedures. A considerable collection of reference
183 literature is given for each chapter to enable interested readers to pursue topics in depth. W. Faig, New Brunswick-Canada
Gtrard Guyot: Signatures spectrales des surfaces naturelles. Paradigme, Caen 1989, 178 pp., ISBN 2-86878-032-6, ISSN 0760-937 X, price FF 113,-. The contribution of GCrard Guyot to the development of our understanding of spectral signatures cannot be adequately handled in a short review, nor is it fully reflected in the very useful introduction to the subject which is the subject of this review. He has immensely influenced the whole international community in the areas of remote sensing and environmental monitoring and has initiates science of a consistently high level on the subject over the past ten years. The proceedings of the Avignon, Bordeaux, Les Arcs and Aussois colloquia which he convened on behalf of Commission VII, Working Group 3, are a testament to his extraordinary contribution. (INRA 198 1, InRA 1983, ESA SP 247 1985, ESASP 287 1988.) His perspective is therefore a good one from which to define the essential basic physics of the environment relevant to the observation and recording of land surface spectral signatures. In the book he deals with the relevant features of the optical, infrared and thermal infrared wavelengths of the
electromagnetic spectrum but not with the microwave. Subsequent chapters deal with the properties of rock, soil, water and especially of vegetated surfaces. The section on vegetation is particularly useful as both the textual explanation and the illustrations are simple to grasp, although the absence of conventional feature space diagrams illustrating the positions taken up by different types of cover and by the same cover at different phenological stages are unusual omissions. The very important subject of the effects of the atmosphere are properly addressed and quantified and some simple systems of correction outlined. In this and the other subjects covered the approach is clear and the educational value of the publication high. The book will be popular with those responsible for teaching remove sensing courses and for those encountering for the first time the subject of the interaction of natural surfaces and electromagnetic energy. J.A. Allan, London-UK
Karl-Heinz Szekielda: Satellite Monitoring of the Earth. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Chichester, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore. 326 pp., over 200 diagrams, over 100 b&w images, 10 colour plates, index, 1988, ISBN o-471-6133-4, f34.85. For those of us who have thought to write an introductory text on remote sensing and have lived through the explosion of printed material on the subject over the past twenty years will sympathise with the dilemmas facing the author of this useful introductory text. There was a time when one had to teach the subject from a very ill-structured collection of articles, conference papers and other grey literature, and the foundation of the reference material for students was an offprint collection and occasional publications from
the major space agencies. In the past decade the gap has been filled by numerous authors who, at the stage of the publication of their books, were forgiven for not providing material which lived up to the titles on the spines. For example, the title of Sabin’s book indicated that it was about all aspects of remote sensing and in fact was almost wholly about geological applications and was especially strong on microwave techniques. By 1988, the date of this book, those teaching remote sensing had a wide range of introduc-