OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
Course Description, January 2024
INSTRUCTOR:
Chris Colton, MSc.
Instructor
Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry.
Room 2229, Forest Sciences Centre.
[email protected]
CREDIT HOURS: 3 credits
PREREQUISITES:
LEVEL: Open to all students.
• No background required. Interest in Earth Observations, Space imagery, Earth Systems and Spatial
Context
• No pre-requisites
Arts Students:
This course meets the UBC Arts Science Requirement: https://vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca/faculties-
colleges-and-schools/faculty-arts/bachelor-arts/degree-requirements-students-who-enter-program-
202324-or-earlier
Course Structure:
Classes will be held in person from 5-6:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays in the Centre for Interactive
Research on Sustainability (CIRS) room 1250. PDFs for each set of lecture slides will be available via
Canvas prior to the start of each class, and voice recordings of each lecture will be posted after class.
TA’s will join at the beginning or end of class to update you on what is due this week or what you should
be working on to stay on track, as well as to introduce assignment content and instructions. All class
exercises, including access to imagery and analysis tools, class blogs, assignment submission, and videos,
will be available through Canvas.
The mid-term will be held online on Tuesday, February 13th 2024 during class time. There will be 1.5
hours available to complete the mid-term. The final exam will be on the scheduled time and date that
UBC assigns us. Students will have 2 hours to complete their exam. Both the midterm and final will be
conducted online.
Please remember to be respectful of the teaching staff’s schedules. The teaching staff will not be
available outside normal working hours (9am-5pm Monday-Friday).
Course Description
In today's changing climate, there is an increasing need to comprehend and monitor evolving
ecosystems and environments. Recognizing the significance of understanding global changes, this course
focuses on innovative geospatial technologies and Earth observation methods to help solve global
challenges.
The curriculum encompasses a diverse array of space-based technologies, including remote sensing,
GPS, and web-based mapping, among others. We will delve into the scientific principles underpinning
these technologies and explore the valuable insights they provide about the environment. Special
attention will be given to applications of these technologies in the context of environmental change,
with a particular focus on the Canadian landscape.
Throughout the course, we will foster a sense of community and communal learning by encouraging
students to engage in open discussions and collaborative brainstorming sessions. Together, we will
explore practical scenarios, building a supportive environment for shared learning experiences.
Participants will not only acquire computer-based skills for spatial thinking, image interpretation, and
environmental decision-making, but will also have dedicated time for reflection on these images.
Reflections will allows students to relate class teachings to their personal perspectives and experiences,
fostering a deeper understanding of the environmental changes captured by remote sensing. Together,
we will explore how these technologies can be harnessed to promote awareness, inspire positive action,
and devise solutions for global challenges.
Course Learning Objectives
Through lectures, assignments and blog posts, students will meet the following learning objectives:
• Given access to Earth observation datasets, students will be able to identify how these
technologies are used to understand changes in the Earth’s environment at an introductory level
• Using hands on experience with online tools, students will be able to describe the foundational
principles of geo-positioning technologies to a non-specialist audience
• After an introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum, students will be able to explain how light
interacts with Earth surface materials, leading to the ability to sense color and surface
attributes, with various types of sensors
• Through the exploration of case studies, students will analyze the roles of emerging remote
sensing technologies in natural resource management applications, explaining the advantages,
limitations, and future directions of Earth observation
• In their own words and drawing on personal perspectives, students will evaluate and critique
the impact of location-based services, global positioning systems, remote sensing, virtual globes,
and web-based mapping on our perception of the Earth's environment
• Given real life scenarios, students will demonstrate basic knowledge of various geospatial
technologies by comparing and contrasting characteristics of different datasets, instruments and
sensors to solve pressing environmental and climate related issues
Lecture Schedule
This schedule is subject to change.
2023 Lecture
Where Am I? Monday, January 8th Introduction
Tuesday, January 9th Positioning
Monday, January 15th Projections & Scale
Tuesday, January 16th History of Positioning
Monday, January 22nd Space and Orbits
Tuesday, January 23rd GNSS
What Can I See? Monday, January 29th Earth Observation and Canada
Tuesday, January 30th Electromagnetic Spectrum
Monday, February 5th Spectral Signatures
Tuesday, February 6th Resolutions – pt 1
Monday, February 12th Midterm Review
Tuesday, February 13th MIDTERM
Monday, February 19th Reading Break (No Class)
Tuesday, February 20th Reading Break (No Class)
Monday, February 26th Resolutions – pt 2
Tuesday, February 27th Active Remote Sensing – pt 1
Monday, March 4th Active Remote Sensing – pt 2
How is it Changing? Tuesday, March 5th The Biosphere
Monday, March 11th The Cryosphere
Tuesday, March 12th Oceans
Monday, March 18th Wildlife
Tuesday, March 19th Human Footprint
Monday, March 25th Environmental Change – pt 1
Tuesday, March 26th Environmental Change – pt 2
Monday, April 1st Easter Monday (No Class)
Tuesday, April 2nd Canada from Space
Monday, April 8th The Future
Tuesday, April 9th Review
All class notes and labs are online in CANVAS
BREAKDOWN OF MARKS:
Participation on Blog Posts: 10%
Assignments: 30%
Mid-Term Exam [1.5 hour] 20% - Tuesday, February 13th
Final Exam Cumulative [2 hour] 40% - In scheduled exam period
Assignments Schedule
Late penalties on assignments are 20% per day, blogs will not be graded if late.
All Blog Posts and Assignments are due at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
2023 Assignment
Where Am I? Thursday, January 11th No Assignments due
Thursday, January 18th No Assignments due
Thursday, January 25th Blog Post 1 due
Week of Add/Drop Deadline Assignment 1 due
What Can I See? Thursday, February 1st Blog Post 2 due
Thursday, February 8th Blog Post 3 due
Assignment 2 due
Thursday, February 15th
Week of mid-term
Thursday, February 22nd Reading break – No assignments due
Thursday, February 29th Assignment 3 due
Blog Post 4 due
How is it Thursday, March 7th Assignment 4 due
Changing?
Thursday, March 14th Assignment 5 due
Thursday, March 21st Reading week – No assignment due
Thursday, March 28th Assignment 6 due
Thursday, April 4th Blog Post 5 due
Thursday, April 11th Assignment 7 due
Blog Post 6 due
