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| GEOG0263-1 | Geomatics applied to geomorphology
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| Duration : | 10h Th, 10h Pr |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Yves Cornet |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the first semester, examination in June |
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Course contents :
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| The course presents a series of topics related to geographical quantitative methods and, more specifically, geomorphometry. Some of these topics must be chosen by the students depending on the research field of their final project. A specific number of hours (lectures and exercises) are dedicated to each topic.
The total number of hours for the chosen classes must not exceed the number of hours for the course. The reported duration for each topic is a minimum estimate. At the beginning of the programme, the effective duration of the exercises can be twice as long as what is announced.
The list of the topics is as follows:
- Topic 1: Image segmentation (~4 hours)
- Topic 2: Skeletonisation and vectorisation (~2 hours)
- Topic 3: Extraction of the characteristics of the hydrographic network from a DEM (DTM or DSM) (~6 hours)
- Topic 4: Computation of watershed asymmetry index using a DEM (~3 hours)
- Topic 5: Computation of the linear density of a drainage network (~2 hours)
- Topic 6: Envelope surfaces - map of summits - from a DTM (~2 hours)
- Topic 7: Computation of morphometric indices from a DEM and morphological classification (~4 hours) |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| This course's main objective is to enable students, mainly within the framework of the Master theses in geomorphology, to use several professional software applications (Erdas Imagine, ArcGIS, Statistica and Matlab programming...). This course must promote the practical application of the theoretical knowledge acquired during previous years of study (remote sensing, spatial analysis, numeric analysis, statistics, mathematics, cartography, programming, geomorphology...).
At the end of the course, the students will have become independent enough to use these tools in order to develop their own methods of research and numerical experimentation by discovering by themselves the potential of these professional tools. During class, that potential is illustrated by applications related to spatial modelling and metrology (topometry) in various fields of geomorphology.
Close attention will be paid to how these tools fit together. Which tools to choose and combine to solve a specific problem? How to ensure, with these various tools, the flow of data and the results of each process?
Students should be able, on their own or by consulting online help resources and forums, to broaden their range of functionalities in order to answer to new research questions. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| The course essentially uses concepts and software tools that are presented during the cartography, remote sensing and spatial analysis courses. It also exploits various processes studied during the statistics courses. Moreover, it frequently refers to concepts studied during mathematics and physics courses, and offers brief reminders on these concepts during the classes where they are used.
Furthermore, the thought process and analytical rigour acquired during this course as well as other scientific Bachelor and Master courses (physics, numerical method, geodesy ...) are an undeniable asset to achieve the level of performance and independence required. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| Some standard protocols and algorithms are explained by the teacher, but students must broaden their knowledge of these methods on their own, exploiting online help resources, forums, articles and scientific textbooks, if necessary.
On the one hand, students apply these protocols and algorithms, under supervision, using the software tools at their disposal. The data sets are available to them or they must download them on the web and pre-process them (e.g. using SRTM).
On the other hand, students will perform an unexplained exercise without supervision, using the tools they have learned about or finding other ones if necessary. This exercise will, for instance, focus on one aspect of the geomorphology field trip done during the master programme. It will be subject to the certification evaluation.
Furthermore, students have free access to the Idrisi and other software licenses through the ULg's VPN. For information on this access, they can go to the following web address: http://www.gitan.ulg.ac.be/cms. This site also provides the schedule for the use of computer-equipped classrooms B5a/4/18 and B5a/2/35. If students wish to take this opportunity to practise and advance in their assignments, they can contact the Geomatics unit staff. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| Classes are held at the Institute of Physics (B5a/2/35, B5a/2/42 or B5a/4/18). The schedule is set each year by the secretaries of the Geography Department and is provided to students in a timely manner. Generally, classes are held as 4 to 6 half-days in October, November and possibly December. A brief theoretical lecture is given at the beginning of each exercise. The exercise is then carried out by the students under supervision. Exercises that do not require any assistance from the professor are carried out outside of the scheduled classes. |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| The material used during classes and exercises consists of a collection of slideshows, Word documents, book and journal excerpts, and datasets. A dataset on topics covered during the geomorphology field trip as well as during the course is available for the students.
However, we recommend that students read the scientific literature accessible via the UD tools, the grey literature available online, and online help resources forums for the specific software used.
We also recommend consulting the following book: Zhilin Li, Qing Zhu Christopher & Gold, 2005 Digital Terrain Modeling. Principles and Methodology. CRC Press, 323 pages. |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| Students carry out permanent non-certifying self-assessments during classes through a strong interaction between students and teachers.
The certifying evaluation consists in the analysis of a specific problem related to one of the topics studied during the geomorphology field trip, requiring students to formulate a solution using a series of software tools used during the classes, and possibly other applications. This analysis and the solution offered will be described in a report that will serve as the basis for a presentation and an oral exam. The work will be done individually.
Nevertheless, we reserve the right to change the evaluation process. These changes will of course be made in agreement with the students, who will therefore be kept informed.
The assessment criteria are as follows: Clarity, coherence, logic, meticulousness, precision, completeness, brevity, relevance, cross-cutting nature (within the course and between courses), quality of mathematical (mathematical meaning of the different coefficients of the equation, e.g.), physics (dimensions and units, order of magnitude - scaling, e.g.) and geographical (single and multivariate spacial and temporal interaction - type- and meaning of the variables e.g.) interpretations. Critical thinking with respect to the data used (qualification, nature, meaning, representativeness, standardization ...) and methodological choices (justification of the choice of methods, appropriate thresholds, ...) will also be taken into consideration in the evaluation. Furthermore, answers will also be evaluated based on the quality and the originality of the graphic illustration since graphic expression is the scientist's specificity. It further allows demonstrating a good understanding of the phenomenon. Finally, enriching an answer with a rich personal scientific culture will also be considered a factor of excellence in the assessment. |
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Work placement(s) :
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| None |
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Organizational remarks :
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| None |
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Contacts :
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| Yves CORNET, Professor
Geomatics Unit, Allée du 6 Août, 17 (B5a), 4000 Liège
Office #: +32 4 366 53 71
E-mail: ycornet@ulg.ac.be
Website: http://139.165.44.35/cms/index.php |
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| Items online : |
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| Course notes |
| Course materials can be downloaded on the ULg's eCampus site platform. |
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