REMOTE-SENSING - LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND USES

This paper considers currently available airborne and satellite-derive d data suitable for monitoring coastal and river zones, and the potent ial offered by geographical information systems to manage this informa tion. The main advantage of satellite data is the relatively low cost of acquisition over broad areas at regular intervals in time. Examples are (a) LANDSAT thematic mapper data and 'satellite pour l'observatio n de la terre' multispectral and panchromatic imagery which provide hi gh resolution imagery for land-use mapping and bathymetric analysis, ( b) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's advanced very hig h resolution radiometer which provides a synoptic view of sea surface temperature and meteorological conditions, and (c) European remote sen sing satellites whose array of sensors provide information on wave cha racteristics and wind speed and direction. In the field of geographica l information systems, the challenge is to create systems which can bo th store the large quantity of data available and incorporate models w hich can predict the effects of change to the environment.