Microwave Remote Sensing for Land Hydrology Research and Applications: Introduction to the Special Issue

This special issue focuses on recent advances in microwave remote sensing for hydrologic research and applications. Papers in this special issue cover topics addressed at the International Workshop on Microwave Remote Sensing for Land Hydrology Research and Applications held in Oxnard, CA, on October 20-22, 2008. Current research in understanding and predicting phenomena related to the global water cycle has emphasized the need for: (1) better observations and characterizations of land surface parameters that govern water and energy exchanges between the surface and atmosphere, and (2) long-term measurements of these parameters over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Recent advances in active and passive microwave sensing have indicated the potential of spaceborne microwave sensors for measuring hydrologic variables of soil, vegetation, snow, and surface water. Using improved data assimilation techniques, it is now possible to integrate remotely sensed and in situ observations from multiple sources in a physically consistent framework for comprehensive assessments of the water status of the land hydrosphere and biosphere.