A review of Canadian remote sensing applications in hydrology, 1995-1999

The potential of remote sensing for providing information to hydrologists and water resources practitioners has been recognized since the 1970s. The variety of satellite and airborne platforms and the greater ease of access to imagery now make it possible to evaluate and quantify an increasingly large number of watershed physical characteristics and state variables. Canadian scientists have been very active over the last 5 years creating algorithms to extract hydrological information from remotely sensed data and to develop new, or adapt existing, hydrological methods capable of making efficient use of this new information. Over the years, research and applications of remote sensing in Canadian hydrology have embraced a variety of topics and recent research has placed significant emphasis on radar remote sensing as the Canadian RADARSAT satellite was launched successfully on 4 November 1995. This paper reviews recent (1995-99) remote sensing contributions in hydrology by Canadians, specifically focusing on the usefulness and applicability of current remote sensing technology for water management purposes. A very brief description of the theory underlying each application as well as relevant sensors is presented. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.