Applications of Earth Observation

04-GEO-TB2

Lecturer

Jakob Schwalb-Willmann

ECTS

5 ECTS

 

Aim

In this lecture you will gain a broad overview of the applications of remote sensing. Examples from different disciplines and applied Earth Observation projects will provide your with a comprehensive understanding of if, where and how remote sensing can contribute to qualitative and quantitative assessments of the cryosphere, forest ecosystems, agro-ecosystems, the coastal zone and urban ecosystems; amongst others. We will evaluate the potential of passive and active sensor systems and adress the advantages and shortcomings of existing sensors in the optical / mutlsispectral, thermal and microwave domain.

Content

This lecture provides knowledge on applications of Earth Observation with a focus on remote sensing of the land surface. Which research questions of different disciplines can be answered by the means of Earth Observation? What are the main approaches? The module links up remote sensing measurements to geo- and biophysical parameters required for further geoanalysis. Commonly used methodological approaches for the derivation of the different parameters are presented. Examples include amongst others applications in geography, environmental planning, ecology, biology, oceanology, soil science, geology, atmospheric science, but also e.g. pollution control (monitoring) and natural resource management. In addition, the module outlines selected examples, how remote sensing technology can be transferred to the workplace of professionals also beyond science, e.g. via the use of geoinformation systems.

General Course News and Updates

MSc defense Malin Fischer

MSc defense Malin Fischer

Malin Fischer will present her MSc thesis "Remote sensing and machine learning for irrigation mapping in complex landscapes: a case study in Mozambique" on Wednesday, 10th of November at 9 am. From her abstract: "Analyzing the spatio-temporal distribution of irrigated...

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MSc thesis defense by Florian Baumgartner

MSc thesis defense by Florian Baumgartner

Floran Baumgartner will present his M.Sc. thesis "The potential of Sentinel-2 time series for yield estimation of a perennial wild plant mix-ture using machine learning" on Friday 29th of October at 10am. From the abstract: "Monocultures are generally accompanied by...

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MSc defense by Frederic Schwarzenbacher

MSc defense by Frederic Schwarzenbacher

Frederic Schwarzenbacher will defend his M.Sc. thesis on Monday 6th at 3pm. The title is "Habitat suitability modeling for Desert Locust in the Awash River basin: Estimation of the breeding probability based on remote sensing, climatology and environment data" and...

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MSc defense by Belen Villacis

MSc defense by Belen Villacis

Belen will defend her M.Sc. thesis “Spatio-temporal patterns of urban expansion among main biomes in Ecuador using LULC data from 1990-2018” on Wednesday 8th of September, 2pm. From the abstract: "Over the past decades, the world has experienced an accelerated...

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MSc defense by Ronja Lappe

MSc defense by Ronja Lappe

Ronja Lappe handed in her M.Sc. thesis "Assessing 30 years of coastline dynamics in Vietnam using the Landsat archive"from the abstract: "Almost half of the world’s human population lives in coastal regions, with 40 % less than ten meters above sea level. Due to...

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MSc defense by Martin Koenig

MSc defense by Martin Koenig

Martin König handed in his thesis with the title “Examining post-fire vegetation recovery with Landsat time series analysis in Olympic National Park (USA)”. Martin used remote sensing and ground collected data to make sense of vegetation recovery patterns for larger...

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