Department of Geosciences University of Massachusetts - Amherst GEO-SCI591Q Introduction to Remote Sensing 3 cr, Fall 2007 Poster Class Schedule Notes, lab and assignments will be updated on the WebCT. Course Location:       Morrill II 225 Lecture Time:             Tu Th 9:30-10:45 am Instructor:                 Dr. Qian Yu (qyu@geo.umass.edu) Office:                         Morrill IV South 267 Office Telephone:     413-545-2095 Office Hours:            TuTh11-12:00 or by appointment Teaching Assistants Weining Zhu (zhuwn@geo.umass.edu), Morrill IV South 264, Office hours: Friday 9-11 am 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 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 Lillesand, Thomas M., 2004, Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, Wiley. ISBN 0-471-15227-7 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                              20%x2 Final Project                                     25% Presentation and class participation10% Total                                                 100% 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 4.3 software. We will be working through a computer lab tutorial, which will help prepare people for manipulating 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 or documentation of an illness is provided. Class Schedule (subject to change according to progress)