Near-Surface Geophysics and Remote Sensing for Observing Coupled Surface and Subsurface Processes and Their Interactions
A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 706
Special Issue Editors
Interests: near-surface geophysics; ground-penetrating radar
Interests: geodetic sensors for hydrology; earth system; groundwater; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, understanding the coupling and interaction between surface and subsurface processes has become increasingly critical for interpreting dynamic Earth systems and supporting sustainable management. This Special Issue focuses on integrating near-surface geophysics with remote sensing (RS) to advance the observation and interpretation of these coupled processes. Instead of providing a broad summary of potential elements, we prioritize a generic framework for studying surface-subsurface interactions.
Time-lapse shallow geophysical techniques have emerged as powerful tools for monitoring subsurface changes with high spatial and temporal resolution, including seismic surveys, electromagnetic methods, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and ground-penetrating radar (GPR). These subsurface-focused methods are complemented by diverse remote sensing platforms and tools, such as satellite-borne sensors, aerial remote sensing, and UAV-based imaging, which deliver comprehensive, synoptic observations of surface processes (e.g., land cover change, surface water dynamics, vegetation status).
The integration of these two approaches enables holistic monitoring of coupled surface-subsurface processes, covering a wide range of critical research directions: Surface and groundwater dynamics, including aquifer recharge, soil moisture variation, and groundwater–surface water interactions; changes in surface and subsurface sediment states, such as erosion, deposition, compaction, and liquefaction; urban land use and subsurface space utilization, including infrastructure stability, utility mapping, and underground construction impacts; and additional critical processes such as permafrost thaw and thermokarst development, coastal and riverbank erosion, landslide and subsidence hazards, contaminant plume migration, soil–vegetation–water interactions in critical zones, archaeological and paleohydrological feature detection, and geothermal system monitoring. This generic framework accommodates these diverse research areas, providing a flexible foundation for multidisciplinary research.
This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for discussing advances in monitoring coupled surface and subsurface processes through the integration of remote sensing and near-surface geophysical approaches. Through multidisciplinary case studies and methodological innovations, we seek to facilitate knowledge exchange among geophysicists, remote sensing scientists, hydrologists, geotechnical engineers, urban planners, and environmental researchers. The issue will highlight emerging trends, such as artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced data fusion, multi-sensor integration, and real-time monitoring networks. Ultimately, we aim to promote disciplinary development and pave the way for more effective, sustainable, and innovative approaches to observing and interpreting the changing Earth—from the surface to the shallow subsurface.
Dr. Wenke Zhao
Prof. Dr. Vagner Ferreira
Guest Editors
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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.
Keywords
- remote sensing (RS)
- satellite remote sensing
- UAV remote sensing
- aerial remote sensing
- near-surface geophysics
- electromagnetic method
- electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)
- ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
- coupled surface-subsurface processes
- hydrogeophysics
- time-lapse monitoring
- artificial intelligence (AI)
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