Quantitative Remote Sensing in the Earth SciencesAuthor(s): Ray HarrisSource: Area, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Sep., 1984), p. 264Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20002083 .

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264 Quantitative remote sensing

Quantitative Remote Sensing in the Earth Sciences

Report of a one-day meeting held at the University of Reading, 12 April 1984

The meeting was sponsored by four bodies: the Remote Sensing Society, the Quantitative Methods Study Group and the Biogeography Study Group of the Institute of British Geogra phers, and the British Geomorphological Research Group. The aim of the meeting was the explo ration of some of the issues, methods and pitfalls of using quantitative techniques in remote sensing of the land surface. The implications of the specifically spatial nature of much remote sensing data have yet to be explored extensively, so this meeting gave the opportunity for some of the issues to be raised.

The topics covered by the ten papers presented were grouped into three themes: 1) methods, including classification, context analysis, error assessment and regression; 2) applications in geo

morphology with examples drawn from Tunisia and Ethiopia; 3) applications in vegetation stud ies, including principal components analysis of vegetation change in Africa, vegetation dynamics at the Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia, salt marsh vegetation monitoring, and vegetation canopy

modelling. The morning and afternoon sessions were completed by discussions on the points raised in

the papers. The nature of regression estimation and prediction, the importance of spatial autocor relation, and the nature of remote sensing measurements were addressed, as well as the substan tive issues following the presented papers.

Some might argue that ten papers in 61 hours is too many, but it did give a flavour of the

problems which users are facing when trying to apply quantitative procedures correctly to remote sensing data analysis. Over 100 people attended what was essentially a geographical conference, and the interactions between the members of the different groups were useful in placing remote sensing in its environmental science context.

Ray Harris University of Durham

Study Group on Geography and Public Administration

It is hoped that such a study group will be established at the IGC meeting in Paris in August 1984. The proposal seeks to develop exchange of research output, foster inter-disciplinary links, and lay the basis for joint research proposals. Early areas of concentration are likely to be (i) studies of particular service delivery systems (e.g. recreation, planning, health, education and infrastructure) and (ii) relations between levels of government within the state (e.g. tax structures, division of responsibilities, economic development initiatives, planning, and reallocation programmes). The proposal already has the provisional support of the Adminis trative Science and Planning parent bodies and further links are being explored with political scientists. A preliminary meeting is scheduled to take place at either 8.30-10.30 or 10.30-12.30 on Wednesday 29 August at the Paris IGC. Anyone interested in participation in Paris or subse quently should contact either Bob Bennett (Chairman-designate), Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK; or Bill Berentsen (Secretary-designate), Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.

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