Editorial for special issue: "Remote sensing of environmental changes in cold regions"

Cold regions, characterized by the presence of permafrost and extensive snow and ice cover, are significantly affected by changing climate. Of great importance is the ability to track abrupt and longer term changes to ice, snow, hydrology and terrestrial ecosystems that are occurring within these regions. Remote sensing allows for measurement of environmental variables at multiple spatial and temporal scales, providing key support for monitoring and interpreting the environmental changes occurring in cold regions. The recent advances in the application of remote sensing for the analysis of environmental changes in cold regions are documented in this Special Issue.