AGF-312 Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere (10 ECTS)

Grade:	Letter grade (A through F)
Course Cost:	None
Course Capacity Min/Max:	10/20 students
Language of instruction:	English
Examination support material:	Bilingual dictionary between English and mother tongue

How to apply

Eero Rinne

Associate professor, remote sensing

eeror@unis.no

Course requirements

Enrollment in a master program relevant to geophysics, arctic technology, cryosphere, remote sensing or space technology in general.

Academic content

The course provides a thorough grounding in the method of remote sensing and explains in detail the application of remote sensing to the measurement and monitoring of sea ice, snow cover, glaciers, and ice sheets. Remote sensing, especially by satellite, plays an ever increasing role in the gathering of geophysical data in a world subject to climate change. By virtue of its relative size and inaccessibility, understanding change in the cryosphere is particularly dependent on data collection by remote sensing.

The course will provide a theoretical understanding of the use of electromagnetic energy to sense elements of the cryosphere, a thorough training in the interpretation and processing of satellite data in a computer environment, and a detailed expert account of the role of remote sensing in understanding the significant and wide-ranging changes occurring in the cryosphere today.

Learning activities

The course extends over 5 weeks including compulsory safety training.

The effective learning of remote sensing has three essential components:

1. General background and theory in physical principles of electromagnetic radiation, satellite operation, instrumentation design and image processing
2. Practical experience in exploring and analysing satellite data and, where possible, comparing them to field measurements
3. Detailed explanation of application-specific concepts and methods, and key findings from contemporary research

These components will be delivered through four weeks of thematic teaching including both field excursions and computer-lab practical sessions. The students must in addition prepare a project assignment (3000 words plus key remote sensing-based figures) which will assess skills in:

• Research of a suitable topic, selection of aims and objectives, creativity and innovation.
• Data selection, management and image analysis. Relating findings to the research context in journal articles.
• Presentation skills, especially in images and image products.
• Academic writing.

Compulsory learning activities

All compulsory learning activities must be approved in order to sit the exam.

• Field excursions
• Computer-lab practical sessions
• Student-led seminars

Assessment

• All assessments must be passed in order to pass the course.
• Each assessment is graded, and subsequently combined into a single grade. Partial grades for each assessment will be available.