PrintQuick Facts
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Instructors: Brad Doorn and Brandi Gaertner
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Course Structure: Online, 12-15 hours a week for 10 weeks
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Class Size: Limited to 25 students on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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Prerequisite(s): 482 and 483 (or equivalent professional experience). It is expected that students are conversant in fundamental concepts of GIS and have hands-on experience with ArcGIS Pro. The following bullets are examples of knowledge and skills you should have before starting this course.
- explain the concept of map scale
- explain the concept of a map projection
- describe the difference between a vector and a raster data set
- explain the difference between an Esri SHP file and a feature class
- explain the difference between a 2D and 3D SHP file or feature class
- manage GIS data files in the Esri interface
- access data management, data conversion, and data analysis tools in the Esri interface
- add a vector data layer to a project file
- add a raster data layer to a project file
- create a new SHP file or feature class
- edit a SHP file or feature class using the Editor toolbar
- change symbols for a SHP file or feature dataset using Symbology Properties
- view and edit the attribute table for a SHP file, feature class, or raster layer
Course Description
GEOG 480, Exploring Imagery and Elevation Data in GIS Applications is an introductory-level course focusing on the use of remotely sensed imagery and elevation data in GIS applications. Students enrolling in GEOG 480 should have a solid conceptual foundation in geospatial information science and technology (equivalent to GEOG 482 and GEOG 483). GEOG 480 is appropriate for those who are already working in the geospatial profession and wish to use imagery and elevation data in visualization and spatial analysis.
The course is specifically designed for adult professionals and is offered exclusively through the World Campus and the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. GEOG 480 is the first required course in the Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing and Earth Observation. GEOG 480 also fulfills a remote sensing requirement for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in GEOINT Applications, and can be used as an elective in the Certificate of Geographic Information Systems, Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security - Geospatial Intelligence option or the Master of Geographic Information Systems. Students who register for the course for credit will complete eight lessons with corresponding hands-on assignments, online discussions, and an independent final project. Throughout the course, students confront realistic problem scenarios that incorporate such skills and concepts as definitions of data needs, metadata content standards, data formats and types, and analysis methods.
Topics of Study
An orientation is conducted during the first official week of class and includes graded assignments. There are eight subject lessons to be completed in sequence. The final project will be developed over the entire ten-week session, with the final 2 weeks of the course devoted entirely to completing the final project, written report, and presentation.
- Lesson 0: Orientation
- Lesson 1: Introduction to Remote Sensing
- Lesson 2: Remote Sensing Platforms and Sensors
- Lesson 3: Acquiring Remote Sensing Data
- Lesson 4: From RS Acquisition to Mapping: Principles of Map Projections/Geodesy
- Lesson 5: Case Study: Using Landsat to Evaluate Crop Health
- Lesson 6: Case Study: Wildfire Analysis
- Lesson 7: Case Study: Urban Sprawl Impacts in Atlanta, GA
- Lesson 8: Case Study: Climate Change
- Final 2 Weeks: Final Project
Course Objectives
- Show understanding of the basic principles of Earth observations using remote sensing;
- communicate the results and process of using remote sensing;
- apply remote sensing to practical spatial data science problems.
Course Overview Video (1:57)
KAREN SCHUCKMAN: Exploring imagery and elevation data is a very important course for those who desire to make effective use of imagery and DEMs in GIS analysis. Imagery has become widely available from so many sources from satellites such as Landsat and sentinel, to digital aerial photography to very detailed imagery from unmanned aerial systems.
The number and size of pixels, the spatial resolution, defines your ability to identify distinct features on the ground. Even casual users of imagery are aware of how this affects the utility of image data sets in real world applications. On the other hand, even many experienced GIS users are less aware of the finer points related to the positional accuracy of imagery pixels and how this positional accuracy is achieved.
It is quite possible, for example, for features within a high-resolution image to be in the wrong place in the world. For example, if lane markers on a highway that are clearly visible in an aerial photograph are not in the correct location due to hills and the terrain, the GPS location of a car traveling along that lane may not appear to be between the lane markers in map display.
Students in this course will learn how elevation models are created and how they are used to improve the positional accuracy of imagery by correcting for relief displacement. They'll also perform slope, aspect, and hydrologic analyzes and overlay imagery on elevation models to create realistic 3D visualizations. Many students comment that this class was one of the most immediately useful courses in the curriculum and that they were able to put what they learned to use right away at work or in their research.
Want to join us? Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback and earn academic credit. For more information, visit Penn State's Online Geospatial Education Program website. Official course descriptions and curricular details can be reviewed in the University Bulletin.
This course is offered as part of the Repository of Open and Affordable Materials at Penn State. You are welcome to use and reuse materials that appear on this site (other than those copyrighted by others) subject to the licensing agreement linked to the bottom of this and every page.