《IEEE應(yīng)用地球觀測(cè)和遙感選題雜志》論述了地球觀測(cè)和遙感應(yīng)用領(lǐng)域的日益擴(kuò)大，并為由IEEE地球科學(xué)和遙感協(xié)會(huì)贊助的迅速擴(kuò)大的特殊問題提供了一個(gè)場(chǎng)所。該雜志借鑒了“IEEE地球科學(xué)和遙感匯刊”的成功經(jīng)驗(yàn)，為應(yīng)用地球觀測(cè)的廣泛主題提供了補(bǔ)充媒介。“應(yīng)用”領(lǐng)域包括全球地球觀測(cè)系統(tǒng)（GEOS）項(xiàng)目的社會(huì)效益領(lǐng)域。通過兩年多的審議，來自50個(gè)國家的部長們同意確定9個(gè)地區(qū)，地球觀測(cè)可能對(duì)各自國家的生活質(zhì)量和健康產(chǎn)生積極影響。其中一些領(lǐng)域傳統(tǒng)上不是在IEEE環(huán)境中解決的。這些包括生物多樣性、健康和氣候。然而，在諸如觀測(cè)、通信、計(jì)算機(jī)、信號(hào)處理、標(biāo)準(zhǔn)和海洋工程等領(lǐng)域，是IEEE成員的技能集構(gòu)成了全球測(cè)地系統(tǒng)的技術(shù)基礎(chǔ)。因此，期刊吸引了廣泛的興趣，以新的方式服務(wù)于現(xiàn)有的會(huì)員，并擴(kuò)大了IEEE對(duì)新領(lǐng)域的了解。

The IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing addresses the growing field of applications in Earth observations and remote sensing, and also provides a venue for the rapidly expanding special issues that are being sponsored by the IEEE Geosciences and Remote Sensing Society. The journal draws upon the experience of the highly successful “IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing” and provide a complementary medium for the wide range of topics in applied earth observations. The ‘Applications’ areas encompasses the societal benefit areas of the Global Earth Observations Systems of Systems (GEOSS) program. Through deliberations over two years, ministers from 50 countries agreed to identify nine areas where Earth observation could positively impact the quality of life and health of their respective countries. Some of these are areas not traditionally addressed in the IEEE context. These include biodiversity, health and climate. Yet it is the skill sets of IEEE members, in areas such as observations, communications, computers, signal processing, standards and ocean engineering, that form the technical underpinnings of GEOSS. Thus, the Journal attracts a broad range of interests that serves both present members in new ways and expands the IEEE visibility into new areas.