Overview
This course will appeal to those students whose vocation or interests involve any aspect of the physical environment of the earth's surface or near-surface. Remote sensing involves gathering information about the earth's surface remotely, and generally encompasses acquiring this data from aircraft or satellites. Remote sensing is very much an interdisciplinary area of scientific investigation, and relies in large part on knowledge of physics, mathematics, chemistry, and geography.
Outline
The course consists of the following units.
- Unit 1: Basic Principles of Remote Sensing
- Unit 2: Optical Remote Sensing
- Unit 3: Optical Remote-Sensing Systems
- Unit 4: Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing
- Unit 5: Radar and Sonar Remote Sensing
- Unit 6: Digital Processing of Remote-Sensing Imagery
- Unit 7: Applications 1-Meteorology, Oceanography, and Environment
- Unit 8: Applications 2-General Land Use and Land Cover
- Unit 9: Applications 3-Geology
- Unit 10: Applications 4-Vegetation: Forestry and Agriculture
- Unit 11: Comparison of Sensors and Image Types
- Unit 12: Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
- Unit 13: Digital Image Processing and Geographic Information Systems
Evaluation
The weighting of each component of the final mark is shown below. Note that there is one mid-term examination, to be written after you have completed Unit 6, worth 15 percent of your final mark, and a final examination, worth 20 percent of your final mark. The Tutor-Marked Exercises are worth a total of 65 percent. To receive credit for GEOG 322, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 60 percent on both the mid-term and final examinations. All the assignments are required.
| Activity | Weight |
| Tutor-Marked Exercises 1 - 6 (5% each) | 30% |
| Mid-Term Exam | 15% |
| Tutor-Marked Exercises 7 - 13 (5% each) | 35% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Physical course materials
The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
Sabins, Floyd F. (1997) Remote Sensing Principles and Interpretation, Third Edition, W. H. Freeman and Company, NY.
Other Materials
The course materials also include study guide, course guide, reading file, laboratory manual.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the GEOG 322 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form