Remote Sensing of Mountain Environments

Logistical challenges of conducting field research in topographically complex alpine settings, combined with the multi-scale and multi-thematic informational needs of earth and landscape scientists and program managers, have contributed to the development and application of remote sensing data, methods, and approaches for the study of mountain environments. This article provides a brief introduction to remote sensing science; illustrates specific challenges unique to remote sensing applications in mountainous environments, along with corresponding solutions; provides several examples of remote sensing applications in the alpine treeline ecotone; and concludes by describing recent and anticipated remote sensing developments that have the potential to improve characterizations of alpine settings through satellite surveillance techniques linked to image processing and analysis.