Geography 336
Environmental Remote Sensing
Fall 2000

Instructor: Dr. Scott Robeson
Phone: 812-855-7722
Office: 212 Student Building
E-mail: srobeson@indiana.edu
Lectures: MW 10:10-11, 008 Woodburn Hall
Labs: F 10:10-11am, 138 Student Building
Office Hours: M 2:30-3:30, T 1-3
Prerequisite: An introductory course in science or consent of instructor.

This course introduces the theory and techniques of remote sensing and their application to environmental analysis. Remote sensing deals with the acquisition of information using techniques that do not require actual contact with the object or area being observed. Examples of remotely sensed data include aerial photography, infrared thermometry, and passive microwave sensing.

The first part of the course will cover the principles of remote sensing, including radiation theory; sensor systems; data acquisition, storage, and analysis; and spectral signatures of natural and human-made materials. The second part of the course will deal with the application of remote sensing principles and data to environmental science. Topics include weather and climate, hydrology, oceanography, vegetation, soils, and land cover.

Topics covered in class will be supplemented using lab meetings. The labs will include practical assignments, field exercises, and computer-based analysis of remotely-sensed images.


Text: Campbell, J.B. (1996) Introduction to Remote Sensing, 2nd edition. Guilford Press, New York.

Supplemental readings: The textbook provides a good introduction to the most important aspects of remote sensing; however, it is useful to refer to other sources. These other sources are beneficial for learning the basic concepts; but, they also contain a wealth of applications to a large number of environmental topics.

Barrett, E.C. and L.F. Curtis (1992) Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing, 3rd edition. Chapman and Hall, London. (G70.4 .B37 1992)
Harris, R. (1987) Satellite Remote Sensing: An Introduction. Routledge, London. (G70.4 .H38 1987)
Jensen, J.R. (1986) Introductory Digital Image Processing: A Remote Sensing Perspective. Prentice-Hall, New York. (G70.4 .J46 1986)
Lillesand, T.M. and R.W. Kiefer (1994) Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, 3rd edition. Wiley, New York. (G70.4 .L54 1994)
American Society of Photogrammetry (1983) Manual of Remote Sensing, 2nd ed. (G70.4 .M36 1983)

The following web sites have a variety of useful tutorials on remote sensing and image interpretation:

Remote Sensing Data and Information (lots of good links)
Remote Sensing Tutorials and Training Pages
Remote Sensing Core Curriculum (under development)
Remote Sensing Principles (an excellent overview)
Satellite Meteorology: An Online RS Guide (very good)
Landsat Images and Research Applications
TerraServer Online Satellite Images and Photos
Images from the Earth Scan Lab

Also, please take some time to peruse the following list of web sites and books:

Remote Sensing Images and Data

Gurney, R.J. et al. (1993) Atlas of Satellite Observations Related to Global Change. Cambridge University Press, New York. (QC981.8.C5 G87 1993)
Sheffield, C. (1981) Earthwatch. Macmillan, New York. (QB637 .S48 1981)
Short, N.M. et al. (1976) Mission to Earth: Landsat Views the World. U.S. Gov. Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (QB637 .M57)

There also are several journals that specialize in remote sensing. These are especially helpful in finding up-to-date information in areas that interest you. Have a look through some of the recent issues and bound volumes of Remote Sensing of Environment, International Journal of Remote Sensing, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, Geocarto International, and Remote Sensing Reviews.

Supplemental readings, journals, and the textbook are available on reserve in the Geography and Map Library, 015 Student Building.


Grading:
Lab Exercises (11) 25%
Lab Exam 15%
In-Class Presentation/Poster 10%
Mid-term Exam 20%
Final Exam 30%

Policies: Material covered in lectures, lab exercises, and readings will be fair game for the exams. Make-up exams are not available except in the case of illness that keeps you from attending the exam. It is your responsibility to inform me before the exam that you will be unable to attend. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. The policy on academic dishonesty included in the schedule of classes will be strictly followed.

Labs: Lab sections will meet each week to give practical experience with methods of remote sensing. Since many of the labs involve graphing and calculations, you will need to bring pencils, paper, an eraser, a ruler, a calculator, and your lecture notes to each lab section. At the end of the semester, a lab exam will be used to summarize the overall skills that you have learned.

All lab assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of the next week's lab period. Late labs will have 10% deducted per day.

G336 Lab Schedule

Lab 1: Problem-solving in remote sensing
Lab 2: Radiation physics
Lab 3: Radiation geometry
Lab 4: Infrared thermometry
Lab 5: Air photo analysis
Lab 6: Spectral response patterns
Lab 7: Image Analysis I
Lab 8: Image Analysis II
Lab 9: Image Analysis III
Lab 10: Image Analysis IV
Lab 11: Meteorological Image Analysis

Note: Some of the instrumentation-based material in these labs is derived from work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-9650878.

G336 Course Outline

Readings listed are for the second edition of the text (Campbell, 1996).

Week 1: Introduction to Remote Sensing (Chap 1). Overview of techniques and applications to environmental monitoring. Satellite orbital systems.

Weeks 2-5: Electromagnetic Radiation (Chaps 2 and 8, Appendix). Spectrum of radiation. radiation laws; emissivity; interaction of radiation with matter. Passive and active remote sensing systems.

Week 6: Sensors and Satellite Platforms (Chap 6). Satellite and aerial remote sensing; camera and scanning systems. Resolution, field of view, ground truth. Films and filters.

Week 7: Aerial Photo Analysis and Interpretation (Chaps 3 and 5). Patterns, identification, and classification. Measurement and mapping techniques.

Weeks 8-10: Image Processing (Chaps 4,10,11,12). Image and radiometric corrections. Calibration, noise reduction, storage. Image enhancement, analysis, and interpretation. Use of field data.

Weeks 11-12: Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere and Hydrosphere (Chaps 18 and 20; assigned readings). Water vapor, clouds, and precipitation. Global radiation balance. Wind, severe weather. Global biogeochemical cycles. Sea surface temperatures, ocean circulation, waves. Evaporation, soil moisture. Surface hydrology.

Week 13-14: Remote Sensing of Vegetation and Land Cover (Chap 16 and 19). Natural vegetation distributions and productivity. Agriculture and crop studies. Scale issues.

Week 15: The Future (Chaps 15 and 20). Global change, multidisciplinary studies, interfacing with GIS, ancillary data.

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