Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing

Image from TRMM website - http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/

GEOGRAPHY 474

Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing

Department of Geography, University of Delaware

Fall 1999

	Office	Hours	Email	Phone
Instructor Tracy DeLiberty	229 Pearson Hall	TR 11:00-Noon and by appt.	tracyd@udel.edu	831-4084 Fax: 831-6654
Teaching Assistant Dan Graybeal	212A Pearson Hall	M 1-3:30pm office, W 7-8:30pm Brew HaHa	warbler@udel.edu	831-8678

Course Description

Remote sensing can be defined as the science of observation from a distance. It departs from in situ data collection because the sensor is remote from the phenomenon collecting information. Electromagnetic radiation is transformed into information about the earth's resources to derive biophysical parameters to monitor and model natural (e.g., deforestation) and cultural (e.g., land use conversion at the urban fringe, population) processes.

This course is designed to introduce you to remote sensing of the environment through digital image processing of satellite data. The goal is to develop an understanding of inventorying, mapping, and monitoring earth resources through the measurement, analysis and interpretation of electromagnetic energy emanating from features of interest.

Class Meetings
Class will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 - 10:45am in Room 203 of Pearson Hall throughout the semester. Classes will also meet periodically in Pearson Hall Xterm and PC lab in Room 114 & 116 which will be announced prior in class.

Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites. However, prior familiarity with elementary statistical methods, windows and UNIX is useful.

Text and Readings

Jensen, John R.1996.Introductory Digital Image Processing. Prentice Hall, Inc. NJ. 316pp. (required)

Additional readings will be announced and included on the course schedule web page as the semester progresses.

Grading
Grading is based upon total points accumulated by the end of the semester. There will be no mechanism for establishing extra credit so you are encouraged to complete all required class assignments and exercises. Late assignments are accepted for credit as indicated below under the class policies' section.

Assignments	Total Points
2 In-class Exams (100 points each)	200
In-class and take-home Exercises	250
Class and Lab Participation	50
TOTAL Undergrads	500
Project - Graduate students only	150
TOTAL Grads	650

Class Policies
Exercises will be accepted late, however, a deduction of 5 points will be applied for each week the assignment is late. An exercise is considered late if it is not turned in within 24 hours after the due date. A maximum of only 50% will be deducted and exercises may be turned in on or before the last day of class on Wednesday, December 8. Exams may be rescheduled only if instructor is given prior notice and an additional time is arranged before the exam date. The makeup exam may be essay.

GEOG666-047 Special Problem - Environmental Remote Sensing (3 credits)
Graduate students are expected to complete all the requirements discussed above for Geog 474 with the addition of an individual or small group remote sensing project. The objective of the project is to develop a research proposal to design and implement a project monitoring a biophysical variable using remotely sensed image data (e.g., monitoring deforestation, estimating tropical precipitation, flood analysis, measuring urban heat island, estimating soil erosion). Project should include data acquisition considerations, necessary preprocessing techniques and/or integration of imagery with ancillary data, analysis to perform, and field verification.

Department of Geography

University of Delaware

Last revised on September 14, 1999 by Tracy DeLiberty.