2nd Edition

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume VI Droughts, Disasters, Pollution, and Urban Mapping

Edited By Prasad S. Thenkabail Copyright 2025
510 Pages 148 Color & 18 B/W Illustrations
by CRC Press

510 Pages 148 Color & 18 B/W Illustrations
by CRC Press

Volume VI of the Six Volume  Remote Sensing Handbook , Second Edition, is focused on the use of remote sensing in the assessment and monitoring of droughts, dry lands, biomass burning, disasters such as volcanoes and fires, and urban studies and nightlights. It discusses land degradation assessment and monitoring, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and pollution from nightlights in megacities.... Read more

Part I: Droughts and Drylands

1. Drought Monitoring Using Vegetation Health Indices

Felix Kogan and Wei Guo

2. Studies using Space-derived Vegetation and Biophysical Products: A Global Perspective

F. Rembold, M. Meroni, O. Rojas, et al.

3. Remote Sensing of Drought: Satellite-Based Monitoring Tools for the United States

Brian D. Wardlow, Martha A. Anderson, Tsegaye Tadesse, et al.

4. Regional Drought Monitoring Based on Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing

Jinyoung Rhee, Jungho Im, and Seonyoung Park

5. Land Degradation Assessment and Monitoring of Drylands

Marion Stellmes, Ruth Sonnenschein, Achim Röder, et al. 

Part II: Disasters

6. Disasters: Risk Assessment, Management and Post-Disaster Studies Using Remote Sensing

Norman Kerle

7. Humanitarian Emergencies: Causes, Traits and Impacts as Observed by Remote Sensing

Stefan Lang, Petra Füreder, Olaf Kranz, et al.

Part III: Volcanoes

8. Remote Sensing of Volcanoes

Robert Wright

Part IV: Fires

9. Satellite-derived Nitrogen Dioxide Variations from Biomass Burning in a Subtropical Evergreen Forest, Northeast India

Krishna Prasad Vadrevu and Kristofer Lasko

10. Remote Sensing-Based Mapping and Monitoring of Coal Fires

Anupma Prakash, Claudia Kuenzer, Santosh K. Panda, et al. 

Part V: Urban

11. Urban Growth and Climatic Mapping of Mega Cities: Multi-Sensor Approach

Hasi Bagana, Chaomin Chen, and Yoshiki Yamagata

12. High-Resolution Remote Sensing and Visibility Analysis Method for Smart Environment Design

Yoshiki Yamagata, Daisuke Murakami, Hajime Seya, et al.

Part VI: Nightlights

13. Nighttime Light Remote Sensing -- Monitoring Human Societies from Outer Space

Qingling Zhang, Noam Levin, Christos Chalkias, et al. 

Part VII: Summary and Synthesis for Volume VI

14. Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume VI: Droughts, Disasters, Pollution, and Urban Mapping

Prasad S. Thenkabail

Biography

Dr. Prasad S. Thenkabail, Senior Scientist (ST), United States Geological Survey (USGS), is a world-recognized expert in remote sensing science with major contributions in the field for nearly 40 years. He has made the list of the world’s top 1% of scientists across 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. Dr. Thenkabail has conducted pioneering research in hyperspectral remote sensing of vegetation, global croplands, and their water use for food security. He obtained his PhD from the Ohio State University in 1992 and has 168 peer-reviewed publications including 15 books, including this six-volume set, and over 15 major data releases such as the Landsat-derived global cropland extent product @ 30m and Landsat-derived rainfed and irrigated cropland area product @ 30 m (LGRIP30). He was recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) in 2023. His scientific papers have won several awards for demonstrating world-class, highest-quality research. He was a Landsat Science Team Member (2007-2011).

The chapters in Remote Sensing Handbook are written by leading remote sensing scientists of the world and ably edited by Prasad S. Thenkabail, Senior Scientist, at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Flagstaff, Arizona.  The importance and the value of the Remote Sensing Handbook is clearly demonstrated by the need for a second edition. The Remote Sensing Handbook (First Edition, Volumes I-III) was published in 2014 and now after 10 years Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, (Volumes I-VI) with 91 Chapters and nearly 3500 pages will be published.  It is certainly monumental work in remote sensing science and for this I want to compliment Dr. Prasad Thenkabail. Remote sensing is now important to a large number of scientific disciplines beyond our community, and I recommend the Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, Six Volume Set, to not only remote sensers but to the entire scientific community.

Dr. Compton Jim Tucker, Senior Scientist, Hydrospheric and Biospheric Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), USA

 

It is not often that a Remote Sensing ‘Handbook’ containing rich and diverse contributions from some of the best researchers worldwide is compiled and published. So please take note that The Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, edited by Dr Prasad S. Thenkabail has landed. This book contains everything you need to know to become a remote sensing scientist. The principles, the different wavelengths, the considerations to take into account for cloud processing, calibration and validation considerations and all the domain application areas you can possibly consider; some of which I was not even aware of, are all in there. Chapters of the book delve into topics such as space law and data for policy applications. Thank you to the authors for their contributions and commitment to ensure that this book becomes a very useful resource for researchers and students as the subject of Remote Sensing moves ahead with great pace into the 2nd quarter of the 21st Century.

Prof. Kevin J. Tansey, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Remote Sensing and Professor of Remote Sensing, University of Leicester, UK

 

This six-volume, Second Edition of the Remote Sensing Handbook provides a collection of chapters covering the gamut of remote sensing topics and applications. The chapters are written by many well-known members of the international remote sensing community, offering diverse perspectives on this rapidly developing discipline. The Handbook will be useful for students and practitioners alike. This compilation is a major undertaking and I congratulate Dr. Prasad Thenkabail on its completion.

Prof. Chris Justice, University of Maryland College Park, USA

 

Dr. Thenkabail and his colleagues do a brilliant job of condensing nearly 60 years of research and developments in remote sensing into a six-volume compendium. Interested in remote sensing, invest in this handbook!

Dr. Ramakrishna Nemani, Senior Earth scientist with the Advanced Supercomputing division at NASA Ames Research Center (retired), and Chief Developed of NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) platform

 

The second edition of the Remote Sensing Handbook is an impressive collection of 91 chapters in 6 volumes written by some of the best known and most active remote sensing scientists of our time. It is a vast expansion from its first edition of 3 volumes in 2015 and comprehensively covers all the major fields of remote sensing science, including sensors, image processing, information retrieval and a wide range of applications to ecology, agriculture, forestry, urban environment, water resources, climate change, etc. It allows students, scientists, professionals and practitioners to catch up with the rapid development in remote sensing technology, methodology and applications over the past decade. Dr. Prasad S. Thenkabail, a world-renowned remote sensing scientist, is highly commended for undertaking the daunting task of formulating and editing this large collection as the sole editor-in-chief. His 40-year experience in various remote sensing fields makes him well suited for this task.

Dr. Jing M. Chen, Editors-in-Chief of Remote Sensing of Environment, Professor, CRC, FRSC, University of Toronto, Canada