Télédétection des variables climatiques et environnementales

Spatial observation is playing an increasingly important role in environmental sciences; it allows for monitoring of continental surfaces, oceans, and the atmosphere over increasingly diverse time and spatial scales.

The course is divided into several sections:

1. An introduction presenting spatial observation in the context of global change monitoring; it briefly describes how a space mission is developed, balancing societal needs and observational constraints.
2. The course then introduces the basics of radiation and the associated quantities (radiance intensity, flux, etc.).
3. Next, it addresses surface sensing, where various applications such as temperature monitoring (SST, LST), vegetation cover, and fires are reviewed.
4. Atmospheric radiative transfer is then presented to understand how spatial observation is used to track global atmospheric changes.
5. The course introduces inverse methods for environmental sciences.
6. Finally, the course covers the concepts of measurement errors, uncertainties, and validation.

By the end of the course, the student will have understood satellite measurement and how it is used for various applications in environmental sciences. They will also have gained insight into the main Earth observation space missions and their objectives.

The course consists of theoretical lectures as well as practical sessions (12 hours).

The theoretical lectures introduce the fundamental principles of remote sensing and Earth observation, as well as their applications to the monitoring of climate and environmental variables. They provide students with an understanding of the physical principles underlying satellite measurements, the main observation techniques, and the methods used to exploit data collected through space missions.

The practical sessions are dedicated to the exploitation and analysis of satellite data. They will enable students to become familiar with accessing, handling, and analysing large climate and environmental datasets derived from satellite observations. Students will apply the concepts covered during the theoretical lectures through concrete examples and applications related to environmental sciences.

These practical activities will also aim to develop a critical understanding of satellite data, including their characteristics, uncertainties, and limitations, as well as their use for studying and monitoring climate and environmental change.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

• A First Course in Atmospheric Radiation, G. Petty, Sundog Publishing, 2nd edition, 2006
• Remote Sensing and Global Environmental Change, S. Purkis and V. Klemas, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

• Lieven Clarisse; lieven.clarisse@ulb.be
• Simon Whitburn; simon.whitburn@ulb.be
• Sophie Bauduin; sophie.bauduin@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Oral examination

Oral examination

Oral exam

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

The note will be based on the exam.

Language(s) of evaluation

• english
• french