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Among the advantages of satellite imagery for geographical research is the ability to capture in an instant a synoptic view of a large part of the Earth’s surface and to acquire repeated measurements of the same area on a regular basis. It is precisely these properties that make satellite remote sensing such an important source of data for studies of the dynamics of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. International research programmes such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the World Climate Research Program and the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) make extensive use of satellite observations because it is possible to derive quantitative measurements of the dynamics of many atmospheric, oceanographic and land surface characteristics. Humans are changing the natural …