Advances in GIS and Remote Sensing for the Environmental Sciences

Code

GEOG3038

School

Environmental & Geographical Sciences

Level

3

Credits

10

Semesters

Autumn Malaysia

Summary

This module will introduce students to new advanced technologies and methods for applying GIS and remote sensing to environmental science. The module will build on foundational knowledge taught in the level 1 module Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS). This module complements the second year Earth observation module, covering new information and it is not necessary to attend that module. Rapid growth in the availability of spatial data, technologies for capturing spatial data and the ease of analysing spatial data mean GIS analysis is becoming common place in the environmental sciences. Methods for capturing spatial data such Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and smart phones are becoming cheaper and the technology to process such data have become more user friendly. This module explores such recent advances in GIS and remote sensing including freely available cloud-based processing of data using Google Earth engine to the application of remote sensing using UAVs. The module will include lectures and a series of hands-on in-depth practical classes where students will focus on specific technologies and methods for supporting environmental management such as for forestry, conservation, urban planning and water management. The project will be an online interactive web mapping report.

Target Students

Students registered on the Environmental Science programme at The University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus. Module is available to mobility students who have previously studied Earth Observation.

Classes

• One 3-hour practicum each week for 4 weeks
• One 1-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks

Project work, reading and revision hours.

Assessment

• 50% Coursework 1: 1000 word online report
• 50% Exam 1 (1-hour-30-minute): Individual Assessment (2 Essay Type Questions)

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

A. Knowledge and understanding.

The student will be able to:

1. Distinguish the basic properties of digital images and how they may be manipulated to reveal geographic information.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of novel image processing, remote sensing platforms and GIS analysis techniques.
3. Justify the relative merits of different image analysis, remote sensing platforms and GIS analysis procedures for applications in environmental science.
4. Report on how remote sensing and GIS may be used in a variety of application domains and the research frontier for the discipline.

B. Intellectual skills.

The student will be able to:

5. Appraise the benefits and shortcomings of using GIS for addressing a specific environmental problem.
6. Critically evaluate the outputs of image processing and GIS analyses in the context of environmental applications.
7. Critically evaluate the impact of data quality on a GIS investigation.
8. Justify methods underpinning a complex spatial analysis.

C. Professional practical skills.

The student will be able to:

1. Manipulate remotely sensed imagery and GIS data for environmental applications.
2. Demonstrate a working knowledge of at least one digital image processing and/or GIS software package.
3. Review and synthesise spatial data from a range of sources using a broad range of vector based analysis tasks.
4. Review and synthesise spatial data from a range of sources using a broad range of raster based analysis tasks.
5. Publish GIS data on an online web-based mapping system.

 D. Transferable skills.

The student will be able to:

1. Organize and analyse data.
2. Design well-presented and effective maps.
3. Demonstrate skills in information technology.
4. Justify and assess the results of image analyses in written documentation.

Conveners

• Dr Cedric Kai Wei Tan