Syllabus
Basics of remote sensing
History of remote sensing, Sensors, Data visualisation, Basic data processing methods, Image transforms
Snow and ice
Snow mapping: Spectral properties of snow, Snow/cloud recognition, Snow mapping using passive microwave sensors
Monitoring of mountain glaciers: methods of glacier delineation, glacier inventories, mapping of equilibrium line altitude ELA, glacier velocity, mass balance
Dynamics Ice Sheets: Flow velocity, Mass balance
Geomorphology
Methods: sources of image data, image interpretation, stereo viewing, Hough transform
Areas of applications: Structural features, Volcanic forms, Arid environments, Glacier landforms,
Karst landscape, Erosion
Water quality
Spectral properties of water, Parameters of water quality (Chlorophyll a, Colored Dissolved Organic
Matter (CDOM), Turbidity and further parameters), Ground measurements, Retrievals based on
Sentinel-2
Groundwater survey by remote sensing & Water in deserts
Ground water (GW) storage by satellite altimetry, Land surface subsidence due to the GW depletion,
GW discharge, Vegetation response to GW
Oasis and lakes in desert, Fluvial activity in desert, Radar rivers - subsurface imaging, GW extraction and irrigation schemes, GW for refugee camps
Vegetation
Spectral properties of vegetation, Spectral indices (NDVI, SAVI, EVI) Biophysical parameters (LAI, NPP,
FAPAR), Use of SAR, Lidar and fluorescence
Geomorphology
Methods: Image interpretation, Stereo viewing, Hough transform, Applications: Structural landforms,
Tectonics, Desert environment, Glacial and periglacial landforms, Karst landscapes, Erosion
Natural hazards
Thematic areas: landslides, earthquakes, volcanic activity, floods and tsunami, forest fires, remote sensing services
Geology
Tectonic lineaments, Mapping of lithology by broad-band sensors, Spectral properties of minerals,
Mineral mapping
Soils
Spectral response and colour, Minerals (iron oxide, clay, non-clay and carbonate minerals), Soil organic matter, Salinity, Soil moisture, roughness and texture
Oceanography
Salinity, Sea surface temperature, Bathymetry, Sea level changes, Wind vectors, Sea ice monitoring,
Ocean colour and oil spill detection
Mars
Surface features, Early missions, Mars Global Surveyor, MOLA DEM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,
Mars Express Mission
Atmosphere
Methods of data acquisitions, Monitoring of precipitation: TRMM and GPM, Atmospheric composition from TIR data, Sentinel 5P/TROPOMI, Copernicus service
Annotation
Satellite images provide a unique record of landscape dynamics in the last half century. They represent spatially explicit periodic measurements of the physical properties of the Earth's surface.
However, they are also fascinating visual records, enabling a better understanding of the processes that shape out environment. In this one-semester course, we will discuss the basic methods of working with optical, microwave and altimetric data and their application in various fields of physical geography. Additionally, the use of historical data such as reconnaissance satellite photography from 1960s and 1970s, archived aerial photographs, and satellite altimetry is included.
These methos enable us to study snow distribution, glaciers and ice sheets, landforms on Earth and
Mars, geology, soils and natural hazards. Furthermore, they allow us to monitor surface water quality, detect groundwater and water in deserts and to monitor vegetation, oceans and atmosphere. A short theoretical background and major applications will be provided for each of the topics.