GEO3512 – Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

This course covers the practical and theoretical principles of radiative transfer and remote sensing in Earth’s atmosphere. The focus of the course is on remote sensing of gases, aerosol particles and clouds in Earth’s atmosphere from satellites. The main parts of the course are (i) the physical principles behind radiative transfer and remote sensing, in particular electromagnetic radiation, (ii) sensors, platforms and orbital configurations used in Earth observation from Space, and (iii) methods for analyzing the data obtained.

This course is closely coordinated and partly overlaps with the course GEO3515 – Remote Sensing of the Earth surface, and the two courses can be combined for a total of 15 credits.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, you are able to

  • explain the properties of the visible, infrared and microwave parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
  • understand the principles of absorption and scattering of solar radiation, and of infrared radiative transfer in the atmosphere
  • compare various platforms for remote analysis and image sensors
  • analyze remotely sensed data of atmospheric properties and evaluate results from such data
  • communicate results from your own remote sensing project in oral and written form
  • reflect on which remote sensing techniques and analysis methods are suitable for different applications of environmental monitoring with a focus on atmospheric processes
  • write?a project report and adapt it to a given topic

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

The courses GEO3512 and GEO4512 have a joint admission with a joint capacity of 20 students.

If there are more than 20 applicants, the applicants will be ranked after the following categories:

  1. Students admitted to the following programme options (not prioritized order):

  2. Other programme students at the Department of Geosciences, UiO

  3. Exchange students at bachelor's and master's level and other bachelor's- and master's-level students at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, UiO

  4. Single-course students

Applicants will be ranked by the number of ECTS credits within each category: all applicants within category 1 are ranked before applicants in category 2. If there are space limitations in the course, available places will be given to students selected randomly among those with the same amount of ECTS credits.

Special admission requirements

In addition to fulfilling the?Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:

  • Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2)

And in addition one of these:

  • Mathematics R2
  • Physics (1+2)
  • Chemistry (1+2)
  • Biology (1+2)
  • Information technology (1+2)
  • Geosciences (1+2)
  • Technology and theories of research (1+2)

The special admission requirements may also be covered by?equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies?(in Norwegian).

Overlapping courses

Teaching

Teaching consists of 2 hours of lectures and 2 hours of computer exercises per week. There is a mandatory presentation of a project and submittal of a project report (approx. 5 pages) where the topic is given. The project report counts towards the final grade.

Lectures and computer labs of this course are closely coordinated with those of course GEO3515.

Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considere