Using Remote Sensing to Map and Monitor Water Resources in Arid and Semiarid Regions

Life on Earth depends on water. Yet water resources are severely stressed by the rapid growth of the human population and activities. In arid environments the exploration and monitoring of water resources is a prerequisite for water accessibility and rational use and management. To survey large arid areas for water, conventional land-based techniques must be complemented by using satellite and airborne remote sensors. Surface water systems can be mapped using multispectral and radar sensors; soil moisture in the unsaturated zone can be remotely sensed with microwave radiometers using indirect indicators, such as microwave emissivity; freshwater wetlands can be mapped using multispectral cameras; and freshwater springs can be detected using thermal infrared radiometers. Satellite remote sensors and satellite gravitational surveys can be used in combination with ancillary data analysis to infer groundwater behavior from surface expressions and to estimate groundwater aquifer storage. This chapter provides an overview of satellite and airborne remote sensing techniques for managing water resources and monitoring drought in arid and semiarid regions.

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