Remote sensing using aircraft and satellites has helped to open up to
intensified scientific scrutiny the cold and remote regions in which
snow and ice are prevalent. In this book, the utility of remote sensing
for identifying, mapping and analyzing surface and subsurface properties
of worldwide ice and snow features is described. Emphasis is placed on
the use of remote sensing for developing an improved understanding of
the physical properties of ice and snow and understanding the
interrelationships of cryospheric processes with atmospheric,
hydrospheric and oceanic processes. Current and potential applications
of remotely sensed data are also stressed. At present, all-weather, day
and night observations of the polar regions can be obtained from sensors
operating in different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because
the approaches for analysis of remotely sensed data are not
straightforward, Chapter 1 serves to introduce the reader to some of the
optical, thermal and electrical properties of ice and snow as they
pertain to remote sensing. In Chapter 2 we briefly describe many of the
sensors and platforms that are referred to in the rest of the book. The
remaining chapters deal with remote sensing of the seasonal snow cover,
lake and river ice, permafrost, glacier ice and sea ice.