Special sessions
Special sessions
We are excited to invite abstract contributions from members of the imaging spectroscopy community for our special sessions listed below. These 18 topical sessions have been selected based on themes proposed by the community during summer 2025.
Progressing towards global-scale high resolution imaging spectroscopy from space
Organizers: Marco Celesti, Valentina Boccia, Anke Schickling
The use of imaging spectroscopy for studying and monitoring Earth surface processes has progressed immensely in the last years thanks to the growing availability of high-quality spaceborne imaging spectroscopy products from several mission, e.g., DESIS, PRISMA, EnMAP and EMIT. The first scientific products relying on time-series of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data have been generated, as well as the first regional and global thematic products. These critical advancements set the building blocks for the exploitation of future operational missions like the Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission for the Environment (CHIME). This session will focus on activities preparing for future global spectroscopy missions, in particular on the development of novel methods, products, and applications. Specific attention will be given to contributions with a regional-to-global reach and linked to agriculture, geology, forestry, coastal and inland waters, environmental degradation and hazards, and cryosphere. Large-scale campaigns and in-situ regional initiatives aimed at building concrete steps towards a generalised use of imaging spectroscopy data will be considered. Contributions on the ongoing international collaboration towards increasing synergies between current and future imaging spectroscopy missions are also welcome
Imaging spectroscopy for biodiversity monitoring
Organizers: Christian Rossi, Petteri Vihervaara, Maria J. Santos
Imaging spectroscopy (IS) has emerged as a transformative Earth Observation technology for biodiversity research, providing unprecedented capacity to characterize ecosystem diversity and function across spatial and temporal scales. By capturing high-resolution spectral information, IS enables the detection of biochemical, physiological, and morphological characteristics of vegetation that are directly linked to biodiversity, ecosystem health, and dynamics. This session aims to explore recent advances in the use of imaging spectroscopy for monitoring terrestrial ecosystems, with emphasis on its contribution to biodiversity assessment, ecosystem conservation, and restoration efforts. Topics of interest mainly include: 1) Detection of terrestrial biodiversity spatial patterns and their change using IS. 2) Use of IS for the characterization of functional and spectral diversity, including retrieval of ecosystem functional traits and ecosystem heterogeneity. 3) Multitemporal analysis of IS time series combined with in-situ data to assess biodiversity change. 4) Algorithm development for IS-enabled biodiversity metrics. 5) Use of IS-enabled biodiversity metrics to support models, for example, as predictor variables in species distribution models or for parameterizing process-based vegetation models. 6) Assessment of impacts of drivers of biodiversity change using IS. 7) Validation of biodiversity-relevant EO products derived from IS, including estimation of uncertainties.
Assessing forest health with imaging spectroscopy
Organizers: Roshanak Darvishzadeh, Maria J. Santos
Forests worldwide face increasing pressures from climate change, extreme weather events, deforestation, and the growing spread of pests and diseases. These challenges significantly strain forest ecosystems, where forest cover degradation and loss can have immediate and far-reaching ecological, social, and economic consequences. Timely detection, monitoring, and response to such pressures require reliable, up-to-date, and spatially and spectrally detailed data. This thematic session explores how imaging spectroscopy data is used to monitor forests under stress, focusing on forest health, pest and disease detection, and supporting resilient forest ecosystems. Satellite and airborne imaging spectroscopy data can detect early signs of vegetation stress through subtle changes in absorption features related to canopy physiological traits and leaf chemistry to study abnormal growth patterns and pest and disease outbreaks. When integrated with ground observations and predictive models, these analyses provide powerful early-warning tools for faster, more targeted interventions to safeguard forest health and ecosystem services. The session will showcase innovations in imaging spectroscopy for forest health and demonstrate how it enables smarter, faster, and more equitable responses to forest stress. Remote sensing-based monitoring of forest condition, health, and protection is a clear example of this mission in action, supporting SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG15 (Life on Land).
Imaging spectroscopy for peatland vegetation monitoring
Organizers: Christina Hellmann, Sebastian van der Linden
Peatlands cover only 3-4% of the global land, but they store up to a third of global soils carbon. Drained peatlands account for approximately 4% of the global GHG. To stop these emissions, drained peatlands must be rewetted and restored, and natural peatlands need to be protected. Furthermore, in the context of climate change, the risk of extreme events, such as droughts, is increasing, affecting both restored and intact peatlands. Peatland vegetation can give an indication on water level or ecosystem change; either the presence of specific species, their health stage or the changes in composition over time. Therefore, we want to highlight imaging spectroscopy studies using multidate or time series data to monitor natural, drained, rewetted, or cultivated peatlands, as multitemporal data can give an indication on shifts in vegetation patterns or phenology due to water-level changes. Further, we want to showcase studies using various spatial resolutions – from spectroscopic field measurements to airborne and spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data – given the heterogeneous vegetation patterns of peatlands.
Hyperspectral sensing of plant diversity in natural and semi-natural ecosystems
Organizers: Javier Pacheco-Labrador, Paolo Villa, Yuan Zeng, Zhaoju Zheng
Monitoring multiple dimensions of plant diversity (e.g. taxonomic, functional, phylogenetic) can advance our understanding of the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and is essential for informing biodiversity policies. By exploiting the link between spectra and phenotypes, spectral imaging enables the high-throughput investigation of plant variability in space and time. For example, it can be used to identify species and characterize traits, providing valuable insights across different scales and landscapes. However, the link between spectral characteristics and plant diversity must be fully elucidated. Most approaches are not yet mature, particularly in underexplored ecosystems (e.g. aquatic systems, peatlands, and transitional ecotones), and applications remain fragmented and ecosystem-specific. Therefore, efforts are needed to promote cross-sector experiments and unify frameworks for future research. We invite contributions investigating plant diversity in natural and semi-natural ecosystems (e.g. forests, grasslands, wetlands and marginal croplands), prioritizing works covering more than one ecosystem. Basic spectral data can be collected using platforms ranging from proximal to airborne (including drones) and spaceborne, or a combination thereof. We welcome presentations covering a range of scales (local to global), facets of diversity (e.g. taxonomic, functional) and approaches (e.g. empirical experiments, physically-based models, machine learning techniques).
Imaging spectroscopy for ecosystem contamination and soil analyses
Organizers: Sophie Fabre, Julien Parelle, Aurélien Bordenave
Over the past centuries, industrialization and population growth have resulted in widespread environmental contamination (e.g., pesticides, metals and metalloids, acids and hydrocarbon). Even long after these operations have ended, persistent pollutants continue to impact soil and water quality, with consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem. The behavior and impact of contaminants depend on their physico-chemical properties, such as persistence and toxicity, as well as the characteristics of the local substratum. The geological context influences contaminant distribution and mobility, affecting how pollution interacts with soils and ecosystems. Advances in remote sensing, especially imaging spectroscopy and hyperspectral systems, offer promising solutions to detect, monitor, and better understand soil contaminations and the relationships between substratum, soil, and biocenosis. This session aims to gather original research that explore the latest applications of spectroscopy and hyperspectral imagery in understanding and managing soil contamination. We invite studies based on various scale (field, airborne and satellite) methods, multi-temporal approaches, focusing on data acquisition, processing for detection, classification and characterization to understand and survey soil contaminations in various terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., forest, agricultural, urban, industrial, mining).
Innovations and applications in hyperspectral remote sensing for aquatic environments
Organizers: Mariana A. Soppa, Claudia Giardino
For many years, spaceborne hyperspectral remote sensing remained a longed-for capability for scientists and user community focusing on aquatic environments. Finally, this situation has changed, and we can now list several scientific satellite missions currently in orbit, including DESIS, PRISMA, EnMAP, and PACE. Additional hyperspectral missions are on the horizon, such as PRISMA-2G, FLEX, CHIME and SBG, alongside with the growing commercial sector. The development of hyperspectral sensor technology has gradually matured, enabling more precise and comprehensive observations from field, drone, airborne and spaceborne platforms, with an increasing number of studies and applications. This session aims to bring together the scientific community to discuss the strengths, limitations, and future directions in this research field. We invite contributions that showcase advances in hyperspectral applications, validation campaigns, as well as innovative methods and projects driving the future of hyperspectral aquatic remote sensing in inland waters, lagoons, coastal waters, seas, and oceans.
Urban sustainability through imaging spectroscopy
Organizers: Oz Kira, Arnon Karnieli
Urban environments are at the forefront of global sustainability challenges, facing rising temperatures, declining air quality, and increasing pressure on natural resources. Imaging spectroscopy offers a unique opportunity to monitor and understand these complex systems by providing high-resolution, information-rich data across urban landscapes. This session explores the role of hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing in assessing urban sustainability. We invite contributions on mapping urban vegetation and biodiversity, monitoring air and surface pollution, evaluating green infrastructure performance, and tracking indicators such as urban heat islands, water use, and ecosystem services. Studies using spaceborne, airborne, UAV-based, or ground-level imaging spectroscopy, alone or in combination with LiDAR, SAR, or in-situ observations, are welcome. We particularly encourage submissions that apply advanced data analysis methods, such as machine learning and data fusion, to extract meaningful insights from high-dimensional spectral data. Case studies demonstrating the integration of remote sensing into urban planning, policy support, or resilience assessment are of special interest. This session aims to bring together researchers working at the intersection of Earth observation and urban sustainability to foster dialogue, collaboration, and innovation in support of more livable and climate-resilient cities.
Hyperspectral data for critical minerals & petroleum exploration
Organizers: Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho, Ray Kokaly
The global transition to a green economy and the relentless demand for energy security have placed unprecedented focus on the discovery of new resources. Traditional exploration methods are often costly, time-consuming, and environmentally intrusive. This session delves into the transformative power of hyperspectral remote sensing as a game-changing technology for modern, efficient, and targeted exploration. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) moves beyond traditional remote sensing and creates a unique “spectral fingerprint” for every material on the Earth’s surface, allowing for the precise identification of minerals, alteration assemblages, hydrocarbon-induced alterations (invisible to the naked eye) and oil and hydrocarbon gas density and chemical properties. The session will explore methods and successful examples of the use of HSI (1) to map critical mineral signatures (clays like hectorite for Li; monazite, clays for REEs; and other technology-critical resources); (2) to detect hydrocarbon micro and macro seepages; and (3) to sense methane and other hydrocarbon gases, through their distinct spectral properties in the VNIR, SWIR, and TIR wavelengths.
Advancing thermal infrared remote sensing for Earth system monitoring and applications
Organizers: Elnaz Neinavaz, Martin Schlerf, Jennifer Susan Adams, Soszynska Agnieszka and Haidi Abdullah
Thermal Infrared (TIR) remote sensing plays a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of Earth system processes by facilitating the retrieval of key surface parameters—most notably Land Surface Temperature (LST) and surface emissivity. These parameters are essential for quantifying energy fluxes across the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere, and underpin a wide range of scientific investigations and operational applications. TIR-derived LST and emissivity data are instrumental in landscape classification and land cover change detection, surface energy balance estimation, and the detection and characterization of thermal anomalies such as urban heat islands, wildfires, volcanic activity, and industrial emissions. Moreover, long-term TIR observations contribute substantially to climate change monitoring and modelling efforts. With growing demand for higher-accuracy and higher-resolution surface thermal information, recent advancements in sensor technologies and the advent of next-generation satellite missions are opening new frontiers in TIR Earth observation. Of particular significance is the emergence of spaceborne multispectral TIR capabilities (e.g., THRISNA and LSTM), which offer enhanced potential for detailed analysis in diverse domains including vegetation stress monitoring, geologic and geothermal mapping, and refined land surface characterization. In addition, there is a need for airborne studies that come at very high spatial resolutions.
Novel approaches for the calibration and validation of spaceborne imaging spectrometers
Organizers: Philipp Reiners, Martin Bachmann
alibration and validation activities are essential for all Earth Observation activities in order to provide accurate measurements – best with known uncertainties – and to ensure a high data quality for all provided data products. These tasks are particular challenging for spaceborne hyperspectral sensors as all instrument characterization have to be conducted on ground, and system behavior changes during launch / gravity release and degrades during the mission lifetime. This special session is dedicated to novel approaches and corresponding results for the calibration and validation of current and future spaceborne imaging spectrometers, focusing on the radiometric and spectral characteristics. This includes vicarious approaches based on cross-mission calibration, usage of in-situ measurements (e.g., RadCalNet), pseudo-invariant calibration sites (PICS), Lunar observations, and also approaches using dedicated on-board calibration hardware. This Special Session is explicitly open for additional contributions from small-sat missions and New Space in addition to the established PRISMA, DESIS, EMIT and EnMAP missions.
Atmospheric correction of optical remote sensing data: performance and requirements
Organizers: Raquel De Los Reyes, Tobias Eckert, Christopher J. Crawford, Jerome Louis, David R. Thompson, Valentina Boccia
The implementation of atmospheric correction processors in the ground segment of multispectral and imaging spectroscopy Earth observation (EO) missions has become a widespread practice to generate and provide remote, science-grade data products. This approach enables to compensate for atmospheric effects and can be readily used in the analysis and interpretation of Earth’s material surface. These analyses typically involve multi-sensor time-series, which benefit from the coverage of BOA (Bottom-Of-Atmosphere) surface reflectance measurements acquired by different remote sensing missions. However, when combining these different data sets, it is essential to account for potential systematic biases and uncertainties that can propagate through the remote sensing data processing pipeline.
This session intends to bring together international expertise on the atmospheric correction processors to discuss the latest achievements among different missions, independently of their spectral resolution. The goal is facilitating discussions on the current state of knowledge on the objective to reduce the quantitative differences among terrestrial surface reflectance products that prioritizes uncertainty quantification as a cornerstone standard. This quantitative difference is often bounded formally by BOA surface reflectance mission requirements, which are also expected to be discussed during the session. A common reference for the products validation (CCVS, …) is of special interest.
Novel time-series applications enabled by spaceborne imaging spectrometry
Organizers: Akpona Okujeni, Sabine Chabrillat
Recent advances in spaceborne imaging spectroscopy are opening new frontiers for time series analysis in Earth observation. This special session will showcase emerging monitoring capabilities enabled by missions such as EnMAP, PRISMA, and EMIT, with a focus on innovative methods, multi-sensor data integration, and new possibilities in environmental applications. We invite contributions addressing topics such as multi-mission data harmonization, image compositing, enhanced temporal generalization of retrieval algorithms, and novel applications across terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric domains. Studies exploring synergies between hyperspectral and multispectral time series are particularly welcome. By bringing together developments across these areas, the session aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field, stimulate discussion on current challenges and future directions, and pave the way toward forthcoming operational missions, including ESA’s CHIME.
Physically-based methods in hyperspectral vegetation monitoring
Organizers: Olli Ihalainen
The special session focuses on the use of physically-based methods to improve the interpretation and application of hyperspectral data in vegetation monitoring. The session aims to bring together researchers working on forward and inverse modeling approaches, model–data integration, and the development of physically-based retrieval algorithms. Contributions are invited on methods that leverage radiative transfer theory such as 3D radiative transfer models, geometric-optical models, and spectral invariant theory.
Advances in the retrieval, modelling and interpretation of multiscale photosynthesis parameters
Organizers: Albert Porcar-Castell, Shari Van Wittenberghe
The dynamics of photosynthesis generate various optical signals that can be captured with hyperspectral reflectance and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, and used to assess plant health, productivity, and early responses to environmental stress. To this end, the upcoming 8th Earth Explorer mission FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) is tailored to accomplish the retrieval of actual photosynthesis from space. Covering the continuous spectral range between 500-800 nm at high resolution stands key to capture subtle changes in absorbance and fluorescence emission properties of vegetation associated to functional dynamics. Ultimately, FLEX offers unprecedented opportunities to investigate the dynamics of the photosynthetic light reactions and, by extension, those of the photosynthetic exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapor by vegetation. This session invites presentations that advance our capacity to retrieve, model and interpret hyperspectral data in terms of photosynthesis, supporting FLEX data applications. The session covers topics such as (1) multiscale laboratory and field protocols for the acquisition and analysis of hyperspectral data, (2) characterization of the spectral response of photosynthesis to different stressors (temperature, drought,..) , (3) optical/spectral assessment of photosynthetic energy partitioning between photochemical and non-photochemical quenching (4) process- and physically-based models to retrieve multiscale photosynthetic parameters.
CARMA – Multitemporal ESA Field Campaign in Bavaria, Germany in preparation of CHIME
Organizers: Kevin Kühl, Uta Heiden, Marco Celesti, Tobias Hank
From April to September 2025, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) collaborated with the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich and other research institutions to investigate soil status and soil health in the Puch region near Munich, Germany. This ESA funded field campaign is part of the preparations for the European Copernicus Earth observation missions ROSE-L and CHIME. For the optical/CHIME part of the campaign, field, UAV, airborne (e.g. HySPEX), multi- and hyperspectral (EnMAP, PRISMA, DESIS) sensors were used to collect data for analysing important biophysical parameters, in particular above-ground biomass, fractional vegetation cover and soil moisture. Parallel to the various airborne and spaceborne acquisitions, a team from LMU collected ground measurements of soil and vegetation parameters, such as soil moisture, surface roughness, plant water content and plant biomass. Thus, a unique data set has been developed to evaluate the robustness of L3 product methods for the upcoming CHIME satellite mission over time, an essential cornerstone for measuring Earth system processes. This session provides information on the CARMA campaign as well as the first results of the collaborative work between ESA, LMU, GFZ and DLR. This important campaign will help to advance environmental monitoring through the integration of ground measurements, airborne surveys and satellite data and the coordination of multiple sensors and platforms operating at different spatial and spectral scales. Within this session participants should provide results that enhances multi-scale and multi-sensor data remote sensing analysis and contributes to improved environmental assessment and research.
ROCX 2025: Community data collection
Organizers: John Kerekes, Trond Løke
ROCX (https://www.rit.edu/dirs/ROCX2025) 2025 gathered over 60 researchers from 23 organizations and 6 countries at RIT’s Tait Preserve near Rochester, New York, USA during September 8-19, 2025 for a remote sensing data collection coordinated with 20 different ground experiments. The primary objective of ROCX 2025 was to acquire well ground–truthed remote sensing data for distribution through an open access website for use by researchers and students. Data were acquired by multispectral, hyperspectral, polarimetric and lidar sensors on ground, UAS, aircraft, and satellite platforms. Ground experiments included sub-pixel target detection, humanitarian demining, and wetland characterization, among many others. This session will bring together participants to share details on the data acquired and include early results of analyses.
EnMAP after 4 years in orbit: Mission highlights and new science applications
Organizers: Sabine Chabrillat, Vera Krieger
This special session is dedicated to recent results and novel science products from current spaceborne imaging spectrometer missions with a focus on the EnMAP mission and its synergies with other current missions (PRISMA, EMIT, DESIS, HISUI, GF-5). After an overview of the EnMAP mission status and some highlights of the obtained results, the focus will be on novel approaches in a wide thematic range of application. Contributions concerning novel science developments at local, regional and global level are welcome, as well as novel science products for vegetation, mineralogical and soil resources applications, greenhouses gases emissions mapping, water and crop health, environmental mapping, forest degradation, snow and ice mapping and monitoring.
Results from the EMIT imaging spectroscopy mission on the International Space Station
Organizers: Niklas Bohn, Robert O. Green, David R. Thompson
The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) is a NASA mission that operates a Visible Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometer onboard the International Space Station (ISS). During its 2-year prime mission since launch in July 2022, EMIT’s aim was to improve our understanding of the Earth’s mineral dust cycle. EMIT has been mapping the surface mineralogy of dust-forming arid regions so that Earth System Models can better predict the composition of mineral dust entering the atmosphere and the resulting impacts on both local and planetary radiative forcing. EMIT has delivered hundreds of thousands of scenes that include radiance, reflectance, mineralogy, and trace gas products to NASA public archives in support of this objective. After successfully completing its prime mission, EMIT passed into an extended phase of operations to support additional data collection, the Research and Applications Team, and the user community in the coming years. For this purpose, EMIT’s acquisition mask has been broadened to all land surfaces and coastal regions within the orbit of the ISS, including more frequent and comprehensive observations of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, mountainous snow and ice cover, as well as urban areas. EMIT has also proven useful for a range of other objectives, with increasingly diverse product offerings being established. This session will present and discuss latest science results from EMIT’s extended mission operations.