Image processing and satellite imagery analysis in environments

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental studies are spanning from the small scale of local environments to the global scale of our planet, and even beyond. To understand the evolution of the Earth’s life and, in particular, to recognize how the human activities affected and are affecting it, we need to collect and analyze data concerning its huge complex system. Environments of smaller scales are, at the same time, subjected to any global change and to the local direct human actions. The extent of the local problems, which can appear due to the climate change for instance, needs to be carefully considered, in order to prevent any possible risk. Concurrently, human activities need to be planned, to reduce both local and global effects. All these studies and consequent human actions require data and models.

One of the tools that we have at our disposal to receive information for environmental studies is satellite technology. Earth remote sensing satellites are those specifically designed for the observation of our planet from orbit and are basically intended for environmental monitoring and meteorology, but also for map making. In environmental monitoring, the satellites give us information by means of a remote detection of any change of Earth's surface, that is, of its temperature, rainfall, vegetation, state of lakes, seas and oceans, state of the surface of ice fields, and so on. By recording vegetation changes, for instance, the health of vegetation can be measured and suffering caused by droughts monitored.

The Special Issue of Geosciences titled: “Image Processing and Satellite Imagery Analysis in Environments" is here proposed to stress the role of satellites in the analysis and monitoring of environments. However, satellite imagery needs to be processed to extract data from it. Many methods and algorithms exist and many can be developed which can properly enhance and extract information from satellite maps, in different ranges of frequencies, recorded at different scales, from local to global environments.

Let me suggest a few subjects which can be suitable for the Special Issue, keeping in mind that many more could be added to the list:

- Satellite imagery and the monitoring of polar ice and glaciers;

- Coastline erosion and deposition;

- Internal waves in oceans and atmospheres;

- Sand dunes and their motion seen from space;

- The vegetation indices and their monitoring from space;

- The study of life seen from pace; for instance, how animals interact with vegetation;

- The impact of urbanization on rural area; agriculture and deforestation;

- The impact of human activities on cultural heritage and natural sites.

In addition to the problems concerning the global scale, the Special Issue aims to collect works which are analyzing problems on a local scale. Applications involving reliable quantitative results, based on image processing algorithms, such as image segmentation, edge detection, filtering to enhance details, directional analyses, and attribute quantification, are welcome.

Of course, active research in image processing is not limited to the abovementioned methods, much like environmental studies are not limited to the list given above. Awaiting to receive cases and methods, I solicit your contribution to this Special Issue of Geosciences, devoted to the use of image processing in extracting information from satellite imagery, with the aim of helping any decision-making process, which can be devised in environmental monitoring.

Dr. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Environmental monitoring
• Image segmentation
• Edge detection
• Vegetation indices
• Deforestation
• Urbanization
• Hazard and risk management