From vegetation health to land-use changes, near-surface remote sensing offer a transformative lens to monitor the Earth's response to environmental changes at high spatial and temporal resolutions. This session explores the utility of diverse near-surface remote sensing, including PhenoCam, thermal infrared cameras, multi/hyperspectral and sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence spectrometers, microwave radiometers, and other emerging technologies in ecosystems ranging from tropics to the tundra. The session will focus on (1) Applications in analyzing vegetation dynamics, land-use change, and ecosystem processes; (2) Sensor capabilities and data acquisition strategies for near-surface environmental monitoring; (3) Advances in data processing and analysis techniques for extracting key environmental indicators; and (4) Synergistic approaches using multiple sensor types for comprehensive Earth observation. This session aims to foster collaborative discussion on the power and significant potential of near-surface remote sensing in advancing our understanding of environmental monitoring and identifying future directions for this rapidly evolving field.

• GC - Global Environmental Change
• H - Hydrology