GEOG 271: Earth from Space Using Remote Sensing
This course provides an introduction to the basic scientific principles involved in remote sensing, and some of the applications to studies of the Earth’s surface. It includes an examination of the basic physics of electromagnetic radiation and the interactions of radiation with natural surface materials and the atmosphere (i.e. spectral signatures). The theoretical concepts and examples covered in the lectures provide the basis for examining various remote sensing applications using data obtained in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The applications include uses of remote sensing data for mapping and monitoring vegetation, soils and minerals, snow and ice, water resources and quality, and urban landscapes. The laboratory section includes hands-on experience with the Geomatica© image analysis software package, the Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP), various satellite-image data sets, and some basic coding using Python within the Geomatica© environment.
GEOG 320: The Cryosphere
The cryosphere collectively describes elements of the earth system containing water in its frozen state and includes ice sheets, ice caps and glaciers, sea ice, snow cover, solid precipitation, freshwater (lake and river) ice, as well as seasonally frozen ground and permafrost. The cryosphere is an integral part of the global climate system with important linkages and feedbacks operating through its influence on energy, moisture and gas fluxes.
This course provides a physical introduction to the cryosphere and cryosphere-climate interactions. Topics covered include the material and thermodynamic properties of snow and ice, the role of the cryosphere in the climate system, and the response of the cryosphere to climate change (past, present and future). Students are introduced to, and get the opportunity to experiment with, snow and ice process models.
GEOG 602: Remote Sensing of Cold Regions
This seminar-type course focuses on recent advances in the retrieval of climatologically/hydrologically-relevant parameters from satellite remote sensing (optical to microwave based on physical and machine learning approaches) that are germane to cold regions, such as snow cover, permafrost and seasonally frozen ground, lake and river ice, surface water, sea ice, glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets.
