Remote Sensing of Soil and Land Surface Processes: Monitoring, Mapping, and Modeling

Remote Sensing of Soil and Land Surface Processes: Monitoring, Mapping, and Modeling couples artificial intelligence and remote sensing for mapping and modeling natural resources, thus expanding the applicability of AI and machine learning for soils and landscape studies and providing a hybridized approach that also increases the accuracy of image analysis. The book covers topics including digital soil mapping, satellite land surface imagery, assessment of land degradation, and deep learning networks and their applicability to land surface processes and natural hazards, including case studies and real life examples where appropriate.

This book offers postgraduates, researchers and academics the latest techniques in remote sensing and geoinformation technologies to monitor soil and surface processes.

• Introduces object-based concepts and applications, enhancing monitoring capabilities and increasing the accuracy of mapping
• Couples artificial intelligence and remote sensing for mapping and modeling natural resources, expanding the applicability of AI and machine learning for soils and sediment studies
• Includes the use of new sensors and their applications to soils and sediment characterization
• Includes case studies from a variety of geographical areas

Dr. Assefa M. Melesse is a Distinguished University Professor of Water Resources Engineering at Florida International University. He earned his ME (2000) and PhD (2002) from the University of Florida in Agricultural Engineering. His areas of research and experience include climate change impact modeling, watershed modeling, ecohydrology, sediment transport, surface and groundwater interactions modeling, water–energy–carbon fluxes coupling and simulations, remote sensing hydrology, river basin management, and land cover change detection and scaling. Dr. Melesse is a registered Professional Engineer (PE), Board Certified Enviromental Engineer (BCEE) and also a Board Certified Water Resources Engineer (BC.WRE) with over 30 years of teaching and research experience, and has authored/edited 11 books, over 230 journal articles, and over 100 book chapters.

Dr. Omid Rahmati is a geo-environmental researcher and Assistant Professor at the Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO) in Iran. His research focuses on applying machine learning models to natural hazard mitigation and watershed management. He has authored and co-authored over 70 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, as well as several books and book chapters. Dr. Rahmati’s publications have been cited more than 12,500 times (H-index: 56), and he has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher. He is ranked among the World’s Top 1% of Scientists by Web of Science (Clarivate, 2021–2022) and listed in Stanford University’s “World’s Top 2% Scientists” from 2021 to 2025. His publications over the past decade reflect a broad and significant influence in his field.

Dr. Khabat Khosravi is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Florida International University. His research areas are watershed hydrology, flood modeling, river engineering and bed-load sediment transport modeling, and the application of RS?GIS and machine learning models in water/soil science and natural hazard assessment. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, he was in the world’s top 2% scientists list based on Stanford University data. In addition, he is an Associate Editor in Natural Hazards, Acta Geophysica, and Earth Science Informatics journals.