When this book was first published in 1984, the technique of remote
sounding was growing rapidly in importance as a means for studying the
structure, climate and weather of the atmospheres of the Earth and
planets. Measurements from Earth satellites and interplanetary
spacecraft proved particularly useful because they allowed good coverage
of atmospheric systems in space and time, often with high resolution.
This book describes how measurements can be made of the properties of
the Earth and planets using this method. It includes descriptions of the
scientific principles, technical implementation, mathematical methods
for analysing the measurements, a history of measurements that have been
made and discussions of the phenomena that have been discovered and
studied using remote sounding. The technique is important for
meteorology, climatology and an understanding of humankind's impact on
the Earth's atmosphere.