Scientists use remote sensing to obtain information about land, water, or other parts of the environment without actually touching what is being studied. Today, remote sensing is usually carried out by satellites or with airplanes. Remote sensing is used to measure and map the Earth, and to ensure that the Earth's resources are  being used responsibly.  Remote sensing can even be used to help farmers and their crops. Farmers use this kind of technology so that they won't have to waste money on fertilizing fields that do not need it.

Understanding how the Earth is changing over time can be very difficult because the Earth is so large.  Satellites allow scientists to look at large parts of the world at one time, and to compare newer pictures to older ones.  Satellites can also "see" with sensors the things that we normally couldn't see, like infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Satellite remote sensing is a very reliable way to get information about the Earth's oceans and landforms, as well as its atmosphere and weather.  By using the data that they collect from space, scientists can figure out how environmental change will affect people, animals and plants.   

The benefits of environmental remote sensing:

• see large areas of the world at one time

• see types of light and energy that we normally can't see

• track change over time

Here are some pictures taken from space:

References:

http://www.ciesin.org/TG/RS/satimprt.html

http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/rsd/images/andrew.html

http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/navassa/images/ndvi_image.jpg

http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/nasa_brochure/image03.gif

http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/islands/images/aldabra.jpg

http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/