Book review

Citation

Bogue, R. (2008), "Book review", Sensor Review, Vol. 28 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2008.08728aae.001

Book review

Edited by Richard L. Miller, Carlos E. Del Castillo and Brent A. McKeeSpringer (www.springeronline.com)2005ISBN 1-4020-3099-1$129www.springer.com/west/home/geosciences?SGWID=4-10006-22-35893519-0

The stated aim of this work is to draw together in a single volume a comprehensive body of technical information on the key aspects of passive, optical remote sensing as applied to coastal waters. In so doing it succeeds in resolving a critical shortcoming in this field, namely the lack of any such resource. Whilst concentrating on visible and near-IR wavelengths, some consideration is also given to thermal IR, microwaves and radar techniques such as SAR. As such it covers virtually the entire remote sensing spectrum.

Running to 345 pages, the volume comprises 14 chapters and is the work of 35, mostly American authors, the majority of whom are from government institutions or universities. Through necessity, much of the text is of a highly technical nature. The book is loosely organised into three sections: following an introduction to radiative transfer in Chapter 1, which acts as a foundation by discussing phenomena such as absorption, fluorescence and scattering mechanisms, Chapters 2-4 cover remote sensing technologies, Chapters 5-10 consider techniques and Chapters 11-14 are devoted to applications. Each concludes with a list of references which are often extensive, running to well over 100 entries. The technologies considered include the familiar remote sensing platforms (satellites and aircraft) but an interesting chapter devoted to in- water instrumentation such as moored and towed devices and the role of underwater vehicles, is also included. The section on techniques is devoted to discussions of colour monitoring, the bio-optical properties of waters, monitoring organic matter and hyperspectral imaging, together with separate chapters on the important topics of computer-based data analysis and interpretation and computer modelling techniques. Whilst these six chapters discuss several applications, such as oil spill and phytoplankton detection, the specific applications considered in the final four chapters are monitoring suspended sediments, detecting harmful algal blooms, the assessment of coral reefs and real-time ocean colour monitoring. The editors have sensibly allowed a degree of overlap between some of the chapters which benefits the reader by providing differing perspectives on certain topics.

This book is clearly written and contains a wealth of technical and practical information. It will be of great value and interest to those starting out in this field and who are seeking an authoritative introduction to the topic. Established remote sensing practitioners will also benefit, as this text also serves as a comprehensive reference.

Rob Bogue