GEO-SCI426/626 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation

Department of Geosciences

University of Massachusetts - Amherst

3 cr, Spring 2012

Class schedule   Syllabus in PDF

Notes, lab and assignments will be updated on the Moodle.

Lecture                                 TuTh 9:30-10:45 pm, Morrill Sci. Ctr. II 126

Instructor                            

Qian Yu, Ph.D,                   Morrill 267,  qyu@geo.umass.edu

Office hour                          TuTh 10:45-12:00pm or by appointment

TA                                         

Changjiang Ye                   Morrill IV 264, cjye@geo.umass.edu,

Office hour                          MF 10:30-11:30am or by appointment

Required textbook for lectures 

Jensen, John R., 2007, Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective, Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2nd ed. ISBN 0-13-188950-8

Reference book for lectures

1.    Jensen, John R., 2005, Introductory Digital Image Processing: A Remote Sensing Perspective, Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 3rd ed. ISBN 0-13-145361-0

2.    Lillesand, Thomas M., 2007, Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, Wiley. ISBN-13: 978-0470052457, 6th edition

3.    Gong, Peng, Remote Sensing and Image Analysis http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~gong/textbook/

Prerequisites:  High school Algebra and Geometry

Course purpose

To provide you with an introduction to the principles and practices of photo interpretation and digital remote sensing for use in environmental monitoring, measurements of structural parameters, and natural resource management.

Course description

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of remote sensing. Class lectures will focus on a range of concepts and techniques key to understanding how remote sensing data are acquired, displayed, restored, enhanced, and analyzed. Topics include remote sensing principles, aerial photography, image interpretation, major remote sensing systems, image display and enhancement, information extraction, accuracy assessment, and remote sensing in environmental research and applications. Weekly exercises will provide you with ample opportunity to gain hands-on experience using the image processing software ITT ENVI. We will also explore a range of practical issues related to the application of remote sensing to solving real world problems. This class involves a heavy use of computer software and projects.

Course objectives

This class will insure students have knowledge on these aspects:

1.  the properties and characteristics of aerial photographs.

2.  remote sensing systems: a) how to define the type of remote sensing needed to fulfill the user's stated objectives, b) where existing remote sensing data which fulfills his/her objectives may be located, and c) how to obtain new aerial photography, if necessary.

3.  digital image processing: a) basic concepts on non-photographic remote sensing, b) general principles of digital image processing for remote sensing applications, and c) future applications of remote sensing to natural resource management and related fields.

4.  remote sensing information extraction: a) which characteristics of land cover types can be mapped/measured from remote sensing, b) different techniques available for mapping and measuring these land cover types, and c) how accurately these land cover characteristics can be mapped from remote sensing.

Grading and evaluation

Exams will cover key concepts from lecture, article and laboratory activities. All written assignments must be handed in on time.

Exercises and assignments

25%                        

Mid-Term Exam

30%

Final Exam/Project

30% 

Presentation       

10%

Class participation& Course portfolio

5%

626 students:      1. Present a journal paper about remote sensing application in your field;

2. Choose your own topic for final project.

Laboratory activities and assignments: We will work through some laboratory activities specified in additional documents to aid in understanding technical concepts taught in lectures. We will also explore some of the technical facets of ITT ENVI 4.8 software, which will help manipulate images. 

Policy on attendance and due-dates for assignments:

·      Attendance to both lecture and lab is required in the normal circumstances and forms a portion of your grade. Failure to meet course requirements due to illness will require documentation for alternate arrangements to be made. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain any materials (i.e. notes) from other students in the event the student cannot attend class for some reasons.   

·      All exercises must be turned in by the date the exercises are due.  Any late submission in one week without advance permission by the instructor will cause a grade deduction by half. No exercise will be accepted after one week following the due date.

·      No make-up exams will be given unless PRIOR arrangements have been made with instructor and documentation of an illness is provided.

·      During the semester, each student is expected to meet the instructor at least twice in the office hour. 

Prerequisites:  High school Algebra and Geometry

Class Schedule (subject to change according to the progress)

Week

Class

Arrangement

Topic

Reading

1 Jan 23

Tu

Lecture 1

Introduction

Jensen’s ch1

Th

Lecture 2.1

Physic basis of remote sensing: Electromagnetic radiation principles (1)

Jensen’s ch2 p37-47

2 Jan 30

Tu

Lecture 2.2

Physic basis of remote sensing: Light-atmosphere and light-terrain interaction(2)

Jensen’s ch2 p47-60

Th

Lecture 2.3

 

Lab 1

Physic basis of remote sensing: path radiance, atmosphere correction (3)

Hyperspectral curve, spectroradiometer

 

3 Feb 6

Tu

Lecture 3.1

Aerial photography: vantage point, cameras (1)

Jensen’s ch4

Skip p101-104, 116-122

Th

Lecture 3.2

Aerial photography: color theory, filter, and film development (2)

4 Feb 13

Tu

Lab 2

Stereo-airphoto interpretation

 Jensen’s ch6 p162-167

Th

Lecture 4.1

Multispectral remote sensing systems: concepts: digital images, resolution, orbits, platform, types of system

Jensen’s ch7

Skip 1) Indian Remote Sensing System p229 -231, 2) Digital frame cameras bases on Area Arrays p244-246

5 Feb 20

Tu

Lecture 4.1

Cont

Th

Lecture 4.2

Multispectral remote sensing systems: Landsat and SPOT

6 Feb 27

Tu

 

AAG, no class

Th

Lecture 4.2

Cont

7 Mar 5

Tu

Lecture 4.3

Multispectral remote sensing systems -AVHRR, EOS, High resolution

 

Th

Lecture 4.3

Cont

8 Mar 12

Tu

Lab 3 

Image display and multispectral remote sensing System

Th

Lab 3

Cont

9 Mar 19

Spring break

10 Mar 26

Tu

Lecture 5

Thermal infrared remote sensing

Jensen's ch8, Skip 1)250-252 (History of Thermal RS) 2) p260 (Thermal properties of terrain) 

Th

Lecture 5

Cont,

11 Apr 2

Tu

Lecture 5

Cont,

 

Th

Lab 4

Thermal infrared remote sensing interpretation

12 Apr 9

Tu

Lec6 & Lab5

Image enhancement: Concept and Practice

 

 

Th

 

Midterm

13 Apr 16

Tu

 

Monday schedule, no class

 

Th

Lecture 7

Microwave remote sensing

 

14 Apr 23

Tu

Lecture 8

Information extraction:  classification

 

Th

Graduate student paper presentation

 

15 Apr 30

Tu

 

Classification continue

 

May 10

 

 

Final project report due

 

 

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Final project report due

 

 

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