INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: (Sophomore standing and MATH 113 , 114 , or 171), graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness + Lab Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Summer 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate understanding of major theories, approaches, concepts, and methods in remote sensing science. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Apply knowledge of the nature and properties of electromagnetic radiation and how it is affected by interactions with the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Utilize the techniques, skills, and modern tools necessary for monitoring environmental phenomena with earth observation data. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Know and effectively apply image analysis, data extraction, and map-making using earth observation data. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Demonstrate how to analyze remote sensing data using photo-interpretation, digital image processing, and photogrammetric techniques using specialized software, within geographic information systems (GIS), and in conjunction with other data sources. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Demonstrate how to perform classification, change detection, data fusion, and radiometric and geometric correction techniques. Audience: Undergraduate 7. Identify and appropriately utilize data types from the optical, thermal, and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and from a wide range of airborne and satellite platforms, including high (>5 m), medium (10-30 m), and coarse (250-1000 m) spatial resolution imagery. Audience: Undergraduate 8. Demonstrate knowledge about environmental applications of remote sensing data, such as forest inventory, water resource management, agricultural assessment, land use planning, and global change science. Audience: Undergraduate 9. Write clear and concise laboratory reports (in scientific format) describing analytical results from image classification and change detection experiments. Audience: Undergraduate 10. Communicate effectively through discussion, small group work, hands-on lab activities, and written reports. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate understanding of major theories, approaches, concepts, and methods in remote sensing science. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Apply knowledge of the nature and properties of electromagnetic radiation and how it is affected by interactions with the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Utilize the techniques, skills, and modern tools necessary for monitoring environmental phenomena with earth observation data. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Know and effectively apply image analysis, data extraction, and map-making using earth observation data. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Demonstrate how to analyze remote sensing data using photo-interpretation, digital image processing, and photogrammetric techniques using specialized software, within geographic information systems (GIS), and in conjunction with other data sources. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Demonstrate how to perform classification, change detection, data fusion, and radiometric and geometric correction techniques. Audience: Undergraduate 7. Identify and appropriately utilize data types from the optical, thermal, and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and from a wide range of airborne and satellite platforms, including high (>5 m), medium (10-30 m), and coarse (250-1000 m) spatial resolution imagery. Audience: Undergraduate 8. Demonstrate knowledge about environmental applications of remote sensing data, such as forest inventory, water resource management, agricultural assessment, land use planning, and global change science. Audience: Undergraduate 9. Write clear and concise laboratory reports (in scientific format) describing analytical results from image classification and change detection experiments. Audience: Undergraduate 10. Communicate effectively through discussion, small group work, hands-on lab activities, and written reports. Audience: Undergraduate