Remote Sensing of the Ocean and Atmosphere - Fall 2011

11:670:451 / 16:712:552      3 Credits, Course Index #49952, 49953

Class website  http://marine.rutgers.edu/dmcs/ms552

Lecture schedule Fall 2011 and links to lecture notes

Time: Tuesday and Thursday 2:15 pm to 3:35 pm  

Place: Class will meet in ENR 223

Instructors:

Mark Miller, Room 233,ENR, m.miller@envsci.rutgers.edu

John Wilkin, Room 214C, IMCS, ph. 848-932-3366 or 609-630-0559 (g-voice)   wilkin@marine.rutgers.edu

Jim Miller, Room 111D, IMCS, ph. 848-932-3349 miller@marine.rutgers.edu

Grader:

Previous Term Project Presentations: 2005 2006 Spring 2008

Previous Course websites:        2005 2006 2007 Spring 2008 2009

Useful (but not required) texts:

• Martin, S., An Introduction to Ocean Remote Sensing, Cambridge University Press, 2004, 454 pp. (ISBN-10: 0521802806)
• Robinson, Ian S., Measuring the Oceans from Space: The principles and methods of satellite oceanography, Springer Praxis, 2004, 669pp. (ISBN-10: 3540426477)

Supplemental reading assignments and other course materials will be identified by its URL in the online lecture notes, handed out in class, and/or available on electronic reserve at the Chang Library in Foran Hall. Please check regularly as this material will be updated.

Grading and assessment information and policies:

Final averages will be calculated from grades on homework, 2 mid-term exams, and the student term project: Homework 35%; Exams 40%; Term Project 25%

• Homework (35% of grade): Homework must be handed in at the beginning of class on the appropriate due date listed on the assignment for full credit.

• Exams (40% of grade): Two exams will be given in class and will be closed book.

• Term Project (25% of grade): Students will pursue a topic related to remote sensing, either individually or in small groups. Your project might be an in-depth review, a case study, or actual analysis of data. Results of your investigation should emphasize the role of remote sensing and not the phenomenon (e.g., if you choose to study hurricanes your presentation should focus on how remote sensing is used to observe them, not the anatomy or behavior of the storm). Your presentation will be put on the web and presented orally in class.

Term Project Requirements and Guidelines 

The format of your presentation might include the following sections: abstract, introduction, remote sensing theory and application, results, discussion/conclusions, suggestions for future study, and references.

• Abstract. One or two paragraph summary of your project. Include brief description of sensors, algorithms, and results.
• Introduction. Why is your topic important? Explain concepts that are key to understanding your project (e.g., what is Lifted Index? What are western boundary currents? What is graupel?) Make sure to add links to other related or more in-depth studies.
• Remote sensing theory/application -- Description of sensor(s) you used in your study and give links to further information. Describe algorithms used to retrieve geophysical information from remote sensing data and give links to sources of further info. Cite sources of information, data, algorithms, etc. What did you do with the information -- did you do further processing? Statistical analysis? Subsetting/plotting?
• Results. Demonstrate how your data and/or analysis elucidate your topic of interest. Which specific phenomena are shown by your data/analysis?
• Discussion/conclusions. Explain and interpret your results. What did you learn?
• Future work. If you were to continue this study, what would your future efforts entail?
• References. Literature cited in your study. Include complete Author/Title/Journal references in a typical earth sciences journal format.
• In-class presentation. Teams of 3 will have 30 minutes, 2-person teams will have 20 minutes, and individuals will have 15 minutes to present your projects. You should rehearse your presentation to be sure to stay within time limits. Allow 5 minutes at the end of your time period for questions from the audience and discussion.
• Grading. Both the web-based projects and the presentations will be evaluated by the professor(s) and by your peers. The final grade will be a combination of all evaluations. 

In addition to making an oral presentation on the date scheduled for you during the last 3 class periods, you must submit your final individual or group PowerPoint presentation (or pdf or Keynote) to the course Instructors, preferably by email, by Friday Dec 10, 2011. You are welcome, and encouraged, to make changes to the version presented orally, before final submission.