Announcements

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal last year.

We are honored to present the winners in the subject areas of “Environmental & Earth Sciences”, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Geosciences:

• “Distinguishing between Deep-Water Sediment Facies: Turbidites, Contourites and Hemipelagites”
  by Dorrik Stow and Zeinab Smillie
  Geosciences 2020, 10(2), 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10020068
• “Review of Explosive Hydrovolcanism”
  by Károly Németh and Szabolcs Kósiks
  Geosciences 2020, 10(2), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10020044

Remote Sensing:

• “A Review on Deep Learning Techniques for 3D Sensed Data Classification”
  by David Griffiths and Jan Boehm
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(12), 1499. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121499
• “Satellite Remote Sensing of Precipitation and the Terrestrial Water Cycle in a Changing Climate”
  by Vincenzo Levizzani and Elsa Cattani
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(19), 2301. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11192301
• “Evaluation of Different Machine Learning Methods and Deep-Learning Convolutional Neural Networks for Landslide Detection”
  by Omid Ghorbanzadeh, Thomas Blaschke, Khalil Gholamnia, Sansar Raj Meena, Dirk Tiede and Jagannath Aryal
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(2), 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11020196
• “An Integrated View of Greenland Ice Sheet Mass Changes Based on Models and Satellite Observations”
  by Ruth Mottram, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Synne Høyer Svendsen, Valentina R. Barletta, Louise Sandberg Sørensen, Thomas Nagler, Jan Wuite, Andreas Groh, Martin Horwath, Job Rosier, Anne Solgaard, Christine S. Hvidberg and Rene Forsberg
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(12), 1407. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121407
• “UAV-Based High Resolution Thermal Imaging for Vegetation Monitoring, and Plant Phenotyping Using ICI 8640 P, FLIR Vue Pro R 640, and thermoMap Cameras”
  by Vasit Sagan, Maitiniyazi Maimaitijiang, Paheding Sidike, Kevin Eblimit, Kyle T. Peterson, Sean Hartling, Flavio Esposito, Kapil Khanal, Maria Newcomb, Duke Pauli, Rick Ward, Felix Fritschi, Nadia Shakoor and Todd Mockler
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(3), 330. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11030330

Toxics:

• “A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures”
  by Wang, Yu, Hongkai Zhu and Kurunthachalam Kannan
  Toxics 2019, 7(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7020021
• “Trace Element Uptake by Herbaceous Plants from the Soils at a Multiple Trace Element-Contaminated Site”
  by Nworie, Obinna E., Junhao Qin and Chuxia Lin
  Toxics 2019, 7(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7010003

Water:

• “Water Quality Indices: Challenges and Application Limits in the Literature”
  by Moez Kachroud, Fabienne Trolard, Mohamed Kefi, Sihem Jebari and Guilhem Bourrié
  Water 2019, 11(2), 361. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020361
• “A Brief Review of Random Forests for Water Scientists and Practitioners and Their Recent History in Water Resources”
  by Hristos Tyralis, Georgia Papacharalampous and Andreas Langousis
  Water 2019, 11(5), 910. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11050910
• “The Use of Non-Conventional Water Resources as a Means of Adaptation to Drought and Climate Change in Semi-Arid Regions: South-Eastern Spain”
  by Álvaro-Francisco Morote, Jorge Olcina and María Hernández
  Water 2019, 11(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11010093
• “Hydrological Effectiveness of an Extensive Green Roof in Mediterranean Climate” 
  by Stefania Anna Palermo, Michele Turco, Francesca Principato and Patrizia Piro
  Water 2019, 11(7), 1378. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071378
• “Forecasting Groundwater Table in a Flood Prone Coastal City with Long Short-term Memory and Recurrent Neural Networks”
  by Benjamin D. Bowes, Jeffrey M. Sadler, Mohamed M. Morsy, Madhur Behl and Jonathan L. Goodall
  Water 2019, 11(5), 1098. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11051098
• “Effectiveness of Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Flood Reduction in Residential Urban Areas”
  by Gabriele Frenib and Lorena Liuzzo
  Water 2019, 11(7), 1389. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071389

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

We are pleased to announce that we have established a partnership with the Remote Sensing Society of Japan (RSSJ) that organizes the International Symposium on Remote Sensing (ISRS) 2022, a virtual conference to be held from 16 to 18 May 2022 on our Sciforum platform.

ISRS was first organized in 1994 by the Standing Committee of Environmental Monitoring from Space of East Asia (EMSEA). Since 2012, ISRS has been co-organized annually by three major societies—RSSJ, the Chinese Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (CSPRS), and the Korean Society of Remote Sensing (KSRS)—and has become a leading symposium in the field of remote sensing in East Asia.

There are eight sessions at this conference:

• Sensors and Platforms;
• Remote Sensing Applications;
• Method Development and Image Processing;
• New Technology;
• Geographical Information Sciences (GIS);
• Mapping;
• Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS);
• Education.

If you are interested in participating, please register at: https://isrs2022.sciforum.net/. Many thanks for your support.

Peer review constitutes an essential part of the publication process, ensuring that Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) maintains its high standards for the quality of its published papers. We are looking to recruit expert reviewers to help uphold the quality and efficiency of Remote Sensing.

To qualify as a reviewer, applicants must have published around 8 papers related to remote sensing in the last 5 years and hold a Ph.D. degree.

We will extend the following benefits to reviewers:

• Reviewers will receive a discount voucher code based on the review quality;
• Reviewers will be included in the journal’s annual acknowledgment of reviewers; more details can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/3/673;
• Reviewers will be considered for the journal’s outstanding reviewer award; details can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/awards;
• Reviewers may be invited to join the Reviewer Board; see https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/submission_reviewers for more information;
• Reviewers can build their profile on Publons and have their reviewing activity automatically added for participating journals. Publons profiles can also be integrated into ORCID.

For more information about the role, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application at https://susy.mdpi.com/volunteer/journals/review. We hope you will join us on our team of reviewers.

After your registration has been approved, you will be able to see a list of manuscripts for which reviewers are needed. 

If you have any other questions, please contact the Remote Sensing Editorial Office (remotesensing@mdpi.com). We look forward to hearing from you.

The journal Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292) is launching a new position: Topical Advisory Panel Member. The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to provide support to Guest Editors and Section Board Members regularly. For more details, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Remote Sensing is a peer-reviewed, open access journal concerned with the science and application of remote sensing technology, and is published semimonthly online by MDPI. The Remote Sensing Society of Japan (RSSJ) and the Japan Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (JSPRS) are affiliated with Remote Sensing. The aims and scope of the journal can be found at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/about.

Each year, the members’ performance is evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

• Have expertise and experience in a field related to the journal;
• Be within approximately 10 years of receiving a Ph.D.;
• Have at least 6–8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this position, please apply here, or send an email to remotesensing@mdpi.com with your academic CV.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We are glad to announce that we have established a new Section "Earth Observation Data" in Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292). The Section is currently recruiting a Section Editor-in-Chief. 

This Section, “Earth Observation Data”, aims to publish articles on original research based on Earth observation datasets; descriptions of valuable/reference datasets used to classify or validate current products; and methods for collecting, processing, managing, and analyzing these data. The main aim of “Earth Observation Data” is to facilitate the sharing and reuse of high-quality datasets, furthering the cognition revolution of Earth observation and remote sensing. Further information about the Section may be found at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/sections/earth_observation_data. 

The Section Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the following:

• Defining the aims and scope of the Section;
• Advising on the strategic development of the Section;
• Ensuring the high quality of published content;
• Nominating/inviting Guest Editors and optionally providing them with the authority to make final acceptance decisions about submitted articles;
• Nominating/inviting contributors;
• Nominating and leading the Section Editorial Board;
• Promoting the journal at scientific conferences or through other venues;
• Conducting preliminary checks of submissions and making the final decision as to whether a paper can be accepted for publication following peer review and author revisions (when it suits your schedule). 

The Section Editor-in-Chief is entitled to publish one paper free of charge in Remote Sensing each year. 

To apply for this position, please contact the Remote Sensing Editorial Office (remotesensing@mdpi.com) with the two files below attached.

• A full academic CV;
• A short cover letter that details your interest and enthusiasm for the position.

Remote Sensing Editorial Office

Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292) is a leading international, peer-reviewed, open access journal covering the science and the application of remote sensing technology. Its 2020 impact factor is 4.848. The website of Remote Sensing can be accessed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing.

We are currently recruiting prestigious scholars from around the world to join our Editorial Board for the following 17 Sections:

• Atmosphere Remote Sensing;
• Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology;
• Ocean Remote Sensing;
• Forest Remote Sensing;
• Remote Sensing in Agriculture and Vegetation;
• Remote Sensing Image Processing;
• Biogeosciences Remote Sensing;
• Urban Remote Sensing;
• Environmental Remote Sensing;
• Coral Reefs Remote Sensing;
• Engineering Remote Sensing;
• Remote Sensing Letter;
• AI Remote Sensing;
• Satellite Missions for Earth and Planetary Exploration;
• Ecological Remote Sensing;
• Earth Observation Data;
• Earth Observation for Emergency Management.

The main responsibilities of Editorial Board Members are as follows:

• Pre-checking and making decisions for several manuscripts, based on your area of expertise;
• Acting as, or recommending, a Guest Editor for a Special Issue on a topic related to your research interests;
• Promoting Remote Sensing and increasing its visibility on related academic social media. 

The benefits of becoming an Editorial Board Member (EBM) include the following:

• The opportunity to publish one paper free of charge per year in Remote Sensing, as well as certain discounts for papers invited from your scientific network;
• A certificate recognizing you as an Editorial Board Member of Remote Sensing;
• Remote Sensing may offer sponsorship for conferences organized by you;
• Remote Sensing may offer travel grants of CHF 300–500 per year for conferences that you attend or organize. 

To apply for this position (in one of our Sections), recommend potential candidates, or request further information, please contact the Remote Sensing Editorial Office (remotesensing@mdpi.com) with the following two files attached:

• A full academic CV;
• A short cover letter that details your interest and enthusiasm for the position. 

Remote Sensing Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative, the Remote Sensing Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program intends to provide an opportunity for early career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills and to work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience. Early career scientists who have novel ideas for new Remote Sensing Special Issues will act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist; this mentor could be a member of the Editorial Board of Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292), from other well-established research institutes or laboratories, etc.

Early Career Scientist’s Responsibilities:

• Providing a CV, including a list of publications;
• Proposing a Special Issue title and a short introduction;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue;
• Reviewing and making decisions for submissions under the mentorship of our Editorial Board Members.

Mentor’s Responsibilities:

• Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
• Co-editing the Special Issue with younger scholars and performing quality control of the publications in the SI;
• Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Organizing video calls with young scholars and the office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue.

Certificates and Awards:

When the Special Issue is closed, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors. The younger scholars will be prioritized as candidates for Remote Sensing Young Investigator Awards in future editions.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Remote Sensing Editorial Office (remotesensing@mdpi.com), and we will discuss the process (mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, Remote Sensing will continually welcome all Special Issue proposals based on hot research topics as usual.

Remote Sensing Editorial Office

Conference name: 9th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2022)

Conference website: https://i3s2022warsaw.sciforum.net/

Date: 20–22 June 2022

Place: Warsaw, Poland

It is with great pleasure that we announce the 9th International Symposium on Sensor Science, to be held in Warsaw, Poland, from 20 to 22 June 2022.

Sensor technology has been shown to be suitable for applications in many important fields, including industrial applications, security medical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring. This international conference, supported by the Photonics Society of Poland, Warsaw University of Technology, as well as MDPI’s Sensors (ISSN: 1424-8220), will bring together scientists from different areas to discuss important recent developments in sensor technology. It will represent a great opportunity for an in-person meeting of an interdisciplinary community aiming to discuss important breakthroughs in sensor technology and its related fields.

The main topics of the conference include:

• Chemical sensors;
• Biosensors;
• Physical sensors;
• Optical/photonic sensors;
• Sensor applications;
• Specialty optical fibers for sensing;
• Materials, microfluidics, configurations and strategies for sensing;
• Distributed sensing in optical fibers;
• Amorphous materials for sensor applications.

We look forward to your participation in this exciting event.

Dr. Piotr Lesiak, Prof. Tomasz Woliński and Prof. Leszek Jaroszewicz
I3S 2022 Conference Chairs

Follow the conversation on Twitter with #I3S2022

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Fumio Yamazaki has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Earth Observation for Emergency Management” in Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292).

Prof. Dr. Fumio Yamazaki holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering, both obtained at the University of Tokyo in 1978 and 1987, respectively. From 2003 to 2019, he was a professor in the Graduate School of Engineering at Chiba University. At present, he is the professor emeritus of Chiba University and a research fellow of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. He is a co-author of more than 200 papers published in technical journals and conference proceedings.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Fumio Yamazaki, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role of Section Editor-in-Chief?

I have been working on the use of remote sensing technology for natural hazards and disaster mitigation for more than twenty years. The Remote Sensing journal is one of the best opportunities to present our research outcomes worldwide. To promote the remote sensing applications to disaster management, I decided to take the role of the Section Editor-in-Chief.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

Remote sensing is the research field which aims to acquire spatial data from various sensors and to utilize them to solve environmental/social problems. In this regard, Remote Sensing should accept not only methodology oriented papers but also application oriented papers, especially those with ground truth data. The value of validation data is crucial especially for natural hazards and emergency management.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

Remote sensing is one of the most promising interdisciplinary research fields in science and engineering. From various remote sensing technologies, people can get information on the earth’s surface, atmosphere, ocean, and human settlements without visiting those places, and without time constraints. The development of new sensors and platforms will help us to acquire spatial data, aiming to make the earth and our society more sustainable.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in publishing?

Open access is good for almost everybody even though the article processing charge (APC) is rather high. If you do not belong to large research institutes or universities, it is not so easy to access electronic journals in a timely manner. I believe that open access publishing is becoming more and more important and popular.