Introduction

From time immemorial, man has had the urge to see the unseen, to peer beneath the earth, and to see distant bodies in the heavens. This primordial curiosity embedded deep in the psyche of humankind, led to the birth of satellites and space programs. Satellite images, due to their synoptic view, map like format, and repetitive coverage are a viable source of gathering extensive information. In recent years, the extraordinary developments in satellite remote sensing have transformed this science from an experimental application into a technology for studying many aspects of earth sciences. These sensing systems provide us with data critical to weather prediction, agricultural forecasting, resource exploration, land cover mapping and environmental monitoring, to name a few. In fact, no segment of society has remained untouched by this technology.