AVHRR	Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
AEZ	Agro-Ecological Zoning
AMSR	Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer. New, soil moisture @ 1 km resolution
ASTER	Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (10-30 m resolution)
AVHRR	Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. 8 km, global NDVI coverage (free)
CEOS	Committee on Earth Observing Satellites
CIESIN	Center for International Earth Science Information, Columbia University
CORINE	Co-ordination of Information on the Environment
CSIRO	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia
CRTS	Centre Royal de Télédétection Spatiale
DAAC	Distributed Active Archive Centers
DEM	Digital elevation model (digital topographic map)
ENVISAT	Environmental Satellite
EOS	NASA Earth Observing System
EROS	Earth Resources Observation System data cente (USGS)
ERS	European Remote Sensing
ESA	European Space Agency
ETM+	Enhanced Thematic Mapper
EU	European Union
EUROSTAT	Statistical Office of the European Communities
FAO	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FGDC	US Federal Geographic Data Committee
GCOS	Global Climate Observing System
GEMS	Global Environmental Monitoring System of the UN
GEOSS	Global Earth Observation System of Systems
GIS	Geographical Information System
GLCN	Global land Cover Network
GMES	Global Monitoring for Environment and Security
GOES	Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
GOFC	Global Observation of Forest Cover
GOLD	Global Observation Land Cover Dynamics
GOOS	Global Ocean Observing System
GRID	Global Resource Information Database
GTOS	Global Terrestrial Observing System
ICSU	International Council for Science (ICSU)
IGBP	International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
IGSNRR	Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS
IGOS-P	Integrated Global Observing Strategy-Partnership
IKONOS	Space Imaging's satellite; 1 m panchromatic and 4 m multispectral images
IOC	Intergovernmental Oceanographic Organization
JAXA	Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
JERS	Japanese Earth Resources Satellite
JRC	Joint Research Centre
LADA	Land Degradation Assessment in drylands
LANDSAT	NASA satellite series first launced in 1972
LCCS	Land Cover Classification System
LCCS	Land Cover Classification System
LIDAR	Light detection and ranging. Very high-resolution (<< 1 m) active laser system
LUCC	Land Use and land Cover Change Project (IGBP and IHDP)
MASTER	MODIS/ASTER
MEDA	Medium Resolution Data-Base for Africa
MODIS	Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer of NASA (resolution from 250 m to 8 km)
MOST	Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology
MRLC	Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics consortium
MSS	Multispectral Sensor - on early LandSat satellites
NASA	US National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NDVI	Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (vegetation greenness)
NIMA	National Imagery and Mapping Agency (US)
NLCD	National Land Cover Database. Product from MRLC
NOAA	US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NRSCC	National Remote Sensing Center of China
NSF	US National Science Foundation
QuickBird	Digital Globe's imagery; 0.6 m pan; 2.4. multispectral
RADAR	Radiation Detection and Ranging
SAR	Synthetic Aperture Radar
SAR	Synthetic Aperature Radar
SMMR	Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer
SPOT	Satellite Earth Observation System by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales
SRTM	Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
TEMS	Terrestrial Environmental Monitoring System
TM	Thematic Mapper instrument on Landsat satellites
UNEP	United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP WCMC	World Conservation Monitoring Centre
UNESCO	U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
USDA	United States Department of Agriculture
USGS	United States Geological Service
WMO	World Meteorological Organization