Remote Sensing Applications in Hydrology

Dr. Manuela Girotto; Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Viviana Maggioni; Associate Professor of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at George Mason University.

Supporting Author: Emad Habib; Professor; University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Civil Engineering

Author Profile

This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection (view details)

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection

Resources in this top level collection a) must have scored Exemplary or Very Good in all five review categories, and must also rate as "Exemplary" in at least three of the five categories. The five categories included in the peer review process are

Scientific Accuracy
Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
Pedagogic Effectiveness
Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page

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Initial Publication Date: October 20, 2020 | Reviewed: March 12, 2023 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

The module offers background content on the fundamentals of remote sensing, but also integrates a set of existing online tools for visualization and analysis of satellite observations. Specifically, students are introduced to a variety of satellite products and techniques that can be used to monitor and analyze changes in the hydrological cycle. The module includes Matlab-based activities that cover data and statistical analysis.

This is a learning module developed and deployed on the HydroLearn Platform. The full module is available at https://edx.hydrolearn.org/courses/course-v1:GeorgeMasonUniversity+CEIE742+Fall2020/about

The authors of this module are Dr. Manuela Girotto (mgirotto@berkeley.edu) and Dr. Viviana Maggioni (vmaggion@gmu.edu)

Geoscience, Environmental Science, Engineering | College Upper (15-16), Graduate/Professional

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Learning Goals

The module includes several data-based activities that can be accomplished using MATLAB. Examples of such activities include time-series analysis, linear regression, statistical tests, analysis of spatial data, and uncertainty and error assessment.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course students will be able to display, map, process and develop analytical workflows to identify remote sensing products from which they can extract information for a broad range of hydrological applications. This will be accomplished through activities within each section.

Topics Covered:

Fundamentals of Satellite Remote Sensing for Hydrology
The Temporal Dimension of Satellite Data
The Spatial Dimension of Satellite Data
Uncertainty and Error Assessment

At completion of the module, students will be able to visualize remote sensing data (both in terms of time series and spatial maps), detect temporal trends, interpret satellite images, and assess errors and uncertainties in a remote sensing product. Students are given the opportunity to check their understanding as they progress through the module and also tackle complex real-life problems using satellite-based Earth observations that professionals and scientists commonly use in practice.

Context for Use

Target Audience:
Senior Undergraduate and Graduate Hydrology & Environmental Science Courses.

Prerequisites:
Some background in statistics is required and basic Matlab programming skills.

Tools Needed:
Computer with access to Internet, Excel, and MATLAB

Required knowledge of Matlab:
Basic programming knowledge of MATLAB

Supporting Matlab resources for this module are available on HydroShare:
Girotto, M., V. Maggioni, E. Habib (2020). Analysis of Vegetation Damage Caused by an Hurricane using Matlab, HydroShare, http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/3662c29eae504928840df49ca4451822

Description and Teaching Materials

This is a learning module developed and deployed on the HydroLearn Platform. The full module is available at https://edx.hydrolearn.org/courses/course-v1:GeorgeMasonUniversity+CEIE742+Fall2020/about

The authors of this module are Dr. Manuela Girotto (mgirotto@berkeley.edu) and Dr. Viviana Maggioni (vmaggion@gmu.edu)

Girotto M., Maggioni V. (2020). Remote Sensing Applications in Hydrology. HydroLearn. https://edx.hydrolearn.org/courses/course-v1:GeorgeMasonUniversity+CEIE742+Fall2020/about

The reader can also consult the following paper:

Maggioni, V.; Girotto, M.; Habib, E.; Gallagher, M.A. Building an Online Learning Module for Satellite Remote Sensing Applications in Hydrologic Science. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 3009.

Teaching Notes and Tips

The module can be implemented as student-driven, stand-alone learning activity that can be done by the students. The module is sufficient and contains all the background information that the students may need, as well as rubrics on how their work will be evaluated by the instructor. Solution keys, or examples of these, can be requested from the primary module authors (Dr. Manuela Girotto; mgirotto@berkeley.edu) and (Dr. Viviana Maggioni; vmaggion@gmu.edu)

Supporting Matlab resources for this module are available on HydroShare:
http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/3662c29eae504928840df49ca44518

Share your modifications and improvements to this activity through the Community Contribution Tool »

Assessment

Each section in the module contains specific information on what the students need to submit, and also a set of rubrics on how the instructor can evaluate the student work