Application of remote sensing to water environmental processes under a changing climate

Remote sensing, as a crucial method to obtain information on water environmental processes, has become a major source of data, particularly of water environment and water resources, which are sensitive to global climate change. The bibliometric analysis provided here shows the research characteristics and developments of remote sensing-based observations of water environmental processes under a changing climate from 2000 to 2018. Visualized knowledge mapping is introduced to investigate the development status, scientific collaboration, involved disciplines, research hotspots and emerging trends of this field. The breadth and depth of remote sensing application in water environmental process studies have improved significantly as the number of related publications rose at an average annual growth rate of 15.97% in the 21st century. The United States and China were the leading contributors with the largest number of publications and all of the top 15 most active institutions. In addition, this field is a highly interdisciplinary field that covers a wide range of interests, from water resources to environmental science, geology, engineering, ecology, and agriculture. The application of remote sensing technology has significantly promoted the estimation of evapotranspiration and soil moisture, thereby offering a more complete perspective to the understanding of the water cycle. Additionally, climate change and its complex interactions with water environmental processes, including the occurrence of drought events, are of great significance and require special attention.