GRY 551 (RPL) Remote Sensing. 3(2-2) S. Prerequisite: GRY 360 or GLG 351. Introduction to environmental studies through the application of remotely sensed imagery and geospatial technologies. The course covers principals of remote sensing, interactions of electromagnetic energy with the atmosphere and earth’s surface, satellite systems and sensors (electro-optical, thermal, radar and lidar). Emphasis is placed on regional and global monitoring, land cover mapping, forestry, agriculture, geology, planning and oceanography. Laboratory emphasizes interpretation of remotely sensed imagery and introduction to digital image processing including enhancements, corrections and classification routines.

Textbook:

Jensen, J. R., 2007, Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective, 2^nd ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 592 pages.

Other Required Course Materials:

§ Your ZIP CARD is the ‘key’ to the Lab (Temple 307) if you do not have a zip card you will need to acquire one from the Zip Card Office in the Plaster Student Union. Scan the card each time you enter the RS Lab. The door to the lab should not be propped opened.

§ You will need a data storage device such as a USB flash drive to archive your class work. Keep digital copies of all of your work till the end of the course.

Course Document:

All of the course materials (labs, lecture slides, homework, handouts, etc.) and assignments will be available on the website: http://faculty.missouristate.edu/x/XinMiao/class/GRY551.htm

Course Requirements and Evaluations:

Examinations:

You will be given two midterm exams worth 100 points and a final exam worth 200 points. The course schedule provides the dates of these exams. Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, calculations, and short answer questions.

Labs:

The labs are a crucial part of this course. You will have about 10 labs throughout the semester. Labs will consist of ENVI digital image processing or feature Analyst (ArcGIS) software, as well as a written answers section. Labs are due at the beginning of the next (new) lab assignment. Late labs will not be accepted. Acceptable latenesses include university-sanctioned activities, personal illness, or family emergencies. Written verification for your lab is mandatory.

Final project:

A class project will be required for this course and will be introduced during one of your last lab sessions. The project will comprise a portion of your final grade.

Instructional Goals

The aim of the course is to show students how to learn principles of remote sensing and image analysis. These include the ways in which remote sensing systems are used to acquire data, how these data may be analyzed and how information on our environment can be derived from such data for natural resources and human settlements, and how information derived from remotely sensed data can be integrated with other spatial data such as map data, census data and field survey data in a geographic information system.

At the end of the course, students should be capable of advising on the best types of imagery, scales and analysis procedures for information extraction. They should be capable of undertaking simple analyses using digital image analysis software (ENVI). They should also be able to transfer information between digital image analysis systems and GIS systems.

To insure everyone has a knowledge of physical basis for remote sensing (electromagnetic radiation principles); the properties and characteristics of aerial photographs; which characteristics of land cover types can be mapped/measured from remote sensing; the type of remote sensing needed to fulfill a user's objectives; general principles of digital image processing for remote sensing applications and future applications of remote sensing to geography and related fields.

Absence and Tardiness Policies:

Your success in this course is very heavily dependent on regular attendance. The university places responsibility for attendance policies in the hands of instructors (MSU Undergraduate Catalog 2003-2004, p. 50). Accordingly, attendance will be taken during each class meeting. Sometimes illnesses or family emergencies crop up, and there is no possible way to avoid being absent. I do not require an excused absence for such occasions but please let me know in advance if you will not be attending.

Tardiness disrupts the class, as does leaving early. This class meets from 6:00 pm to 9:50 pm; please be prepared for class, attend on time, and stay for the full duration. Attendance may be taken in the beginning, the middle, or toward the end of each class period; your signature is required on all sign-in sheets to show that you attended the full class period (excepting illness and participation in university-sponsored events). Otherwise, it will be regarded as an absence.

Drop Policy:

It is your responsibility to understand the University’s procedure for dropping a class. If you stop attending this class but do not follow proper procedure for dropping the class, you will receive a failing grade and will also be financially obligated to pay for the class. To drop a class anytime after the first week of classes, you must complete and turn in a drop slip at an authorized registration center. You do not need to obtain any signatures on the drop slip. It does not need to be signed by your instructor, your advisor, or a department head. If you wish to withdraw from the University (i.e., drop all your classes), contact the Registration Center, Carrington 320, 836-5522.

Summary of Grading:

Your final grade will be based on the total number of points, for the midterm and final exams, lab exercised, lab exam and ‘academic enthusiasm’.

Mid-term	100 pts
Final Exam:	200 pts
Homework:	100 pts
Labs:	200 pts
Final Class Project	200 pts
‘Academic Enthusiasm’	100 pts
Total	900 pts

Grading Scale:

701 – 900 cumulative points A

551 – 700 cumulative points B

401 – 550 cumulative points C

251 – 400 cumulative points D

< 250 cumulative points F

GRY 551 CLASS SCHEDULE AND OUTLINE (Spring 2007)

Week 1	01/16	Introduction and background (1) [Ch 1]
	01/18
	01/18
Week 2	01/23	Remote sensing physics (1) –Electromagnetic Radiation Principles [Ch 2]
	01/25
	01/25	Lab 1: Surfing the World-Wide Web in Search for Data
Week 3	01/30	History of Aerial Photography [Ch 3]
	02/01	Aerial photography [Ch 4]
	02/01	Lab 2: Introduction to ENVI
Week 4	02/06	Aerial photography (cont.) [Ch 4]
	02/08	Visual Image Interpretation [Ch 5]
	02/08	Lab 2: Introduction to ENVI (cont.)
Week 5	02/13	Photogrammetry [Ch 6]
	02/15	Photogrammetry (cont.) [Ch 6]
	02/15	Lab 3: ENVI lab for Interactive Display Functions
Week 6	02/20
	02/22
	02/22	Lab 4: Georegistration
Week 7	02/27	Review for Mid-term
	03/01	Multispectral remote sensing [Ch 7]
	03/01	Lab 4: Georegistration (cont.)
Week 8	03/06	Multispectral remote sensing (cont.) [Ch 7]
	03/08	Mid-term Exam
	03/08	Lab 5: Feature Analysis
Week 9	03/13	Remote sensing physics (2) -Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing [Ch8]
	03/15	Remote sensing physics (2) -Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing [Ch8]
	03/15	Lab 5: Feature Analysis (cont.)
Week 10	03/20	Spring Break
	03/22	Spring Break
	03/22	Spring Break
Week 11	03/27
	03/29	Active Microwave (RADAR) Remote Sensing [Ch9]
	03/29	Lab 6: Classification Methods
Week 12	04/03	Active Microwave (RADAR) Remote Sensing [Ch9]
	04/05	Spring Holiday
	04/05	Lab 6: Classification Methods (cont.)
Week 13	04/10	Active Microwave (RADAR) Remote Sensing [Ch9]
	04/12	Lidar Remote Sensing [Ch10]
	04/12	Lab 6: In Situ Reflectance measurement
Week 14	04/17	(AAG 17-21)
	04/19	(AAG 17-21)
	04/19
Week 15	04/24	Remote Sensing of Vegetation (cont.) [Ch 11]
	04/26	Remote Sensing of Water [Ch 12]
	04/26	Class project
Week 16	05/01	Remote Sensing the Urban Landscape [Ch 13]
	05/03	Remote Sensing for geology [Ch 14]
	05/03	Class project
Week 17	05/08	Review
	05/10
	05/10	Class project
Week 18	05/12-05/17	Final Exam

Major Journals

Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing

Cartographica

Cartography and Geographic Information Systems

Geographic Information Sciences

International Journal of Geographical Information Systems

International Journal of Remote Sensing

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing

Remote Sensing of Environment

IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing

Reference

Lillesand T. M. and Chipman J. W., 2005. Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation. Wiley, John & Sons.

Jensen J., 2000. Introductory Digital Image Processing: A Remote Sensing Perspective, Prentice Hall.

Resources

Web of Science: http://portal17.isiknowledge.com/

W.M.Keck Earth Sciences & Mining Research Information Center http://keck.library.unr.edu/

Association of American Geographers http://www.aag.org/

The Imaging & Geospatial Information Society http://www.asprs.org/

Google: http://scholar.google.com/

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov

A remote sensing tutorial for natural resource managers http://www.ag.unr.edu/serdp/tutorial/descriptive.htm