Courses

GRADUATE (see full list of UCSB geography courses)

Geog 202A: Remote Sensing and Environmental Optics, 5.0 - Roberts

Prerequisites: Geography 115A.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory 3 hours.

Principles of radiation emission; radiative transfer equation and some solution methods; surface interactions; instrumentation; applications to remote sensing and energy budgets in atmosphere, ocean, and other media.

Geog 214A: Advanced Remote Sensing: Passive, 5.0 - Roberts

Recommended preparation: At least one prior course in remote sensing advised.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

Passive remote sensing (VIS/NIR,Thermal microwave). Discussion of advanced sensors, techniques, modeling, and applications in each spectral region. Includes computer-based laboratory exercises. A final paper and oral presentation of a research project using remote sensing is required.

Geog 214B: Advanced Remote Sensing: Active, 5.0 - Roberts

Recommended preparation: At least one prior course in remote sensing advised.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

Discusses advanced sensors, techniques, modeling, and applications of active remote sensing including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). Includes computer-based laboratory exercises. Final paper and oral presentation of research project using remote sensing is required.

Geog 242: Land Use - Land Cover Change, 4.0 - McFadden

Notes: Seminar, 3 hours.

Examines land use-land cover changes across ecosystems. Theoretical and methodological challenges to linking biophysical, socio-economic, and remote sensing/GIS analysis. Seminar includes review of current literature focusing on detection and monitoring, driving forces, and impacts of land modifications.

Geog 261: Ocean Optics, 4.0 - Dickey, Siegel

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours.

An examination of the optical properties and radiative transfers in natural waters. Applications discussed include modeling of solar radiation penetration, reflectance and transmittance at the air-sea interface, and ocean color remote sensing.

Geog 277: Spatial Environmental Modeling, 4.0 - Roberts

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Notes: May be repeated for credit provided topics are different. Seminar, 3 hours.

Seminar covering topics in spatial environmental modeling. Integrates techniques such as remote sensing and GIS into modeling of spatial processes. Topics include biogeochemical cycles, hydrology, species distribution and habitat disturbance.

UNDERGRADUATE (see full list of UCSB geography courses)

Geog 102: Introduction to Environmental Optics in Physical Geography, 5.0 - Roberts

Prerequisites: Geography 3A-B and 115A.

Recommended preparation: high school trigonometry.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

Basic physical principles of electromagnetic radiation in the environment and their application to physical geography and remote sensing. Radiative transfer in atmosphere, oceans, snow and ice, inland waters, rock, soil, and vegetation. Spectral signatures in remote sensing.

Geog 115A: The Earth from Above, 5.0 - McFadden

Prerequisites: Geography 3A-B, 5.

Recommended preparation: Geography 12.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

Introduction to physical and cultural geographic phenomena as recorded by airborne and satellite remote sensing systems, with emphasis on photo interpretation skills. Lab involves analysis of current and historical aerial photographs and satellite images in hard copy and digital formats.

Geog 115B: Introduction to Remote Sensing, 5.0 - McFadden

Prerequisites: Geography 115A with a minimum grade of C.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours.

Acquisition and nature of satellite imagery and tools required to process data from remote sensing systems. Topics include spectral and spatial enhancement, image classification, geometric and radiometric correction, with emphasis on applications. Lab: Computer analysis of Landsat and SPOT data.

Geog 115C: Intermediate Remote Sensing Techniques, 5.0

Prerequisites: Geography 115B with a minimum grade of C.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours.

Examines information extraction and radiative transfer relevant to remote sensing, focusing on applications for environmental monitoring and natural resource management. Lab exercises develop skills for advanced processing of satellite data, including linear transforms, image correction, and change detection.

Geog 140: Environmental Impacts in Human History, 4.0 - Roberts

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor.

Recommended preparation: Geography 141A.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour.

Interactions between human history and the environment are explored. Example topics include early Earth history, long term climate change, the origin of agriculture, short term climate change, the origin of importance of disease and invasive species.

Geog 175: Environmental Data Analysis, 4.0 - Roberts

Prerequisites: Geography 3A, 3B, and 110.

Recommended preparation: Geography 102.

Notes: Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

Introduction to measurement and interpretation of physical-environmental data (temperature, humidity, precipitation) and integrated environmental measures (e.g. potential evapotranspiration). Working with micrometeorological towers deployed across an environmental gradient, students develop and test hypothesis using real-time tower data.