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2025-2026 / GEOG0665-1

Earth observation by satellite

Duration

25h Th, 25h Pr

Number of credits

 Bachelor in geography : general5 crédits 

Lecturer

François Jonard

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course aims to provide students with both a theoretical understanding of the principles of Earth observation by satellite and practical skills for analyzing and utilizing satellite data. It combines lectures and practical exercises.

Theoretical topics covered include:

- A brief history of Remote Sensing

- The physical basis of remote sensing

- Satellites & sensors

- Images and their properties

- Image enhancements and corrections

- Georeferencing and Orthorectification

- Image interpretation and analyses

- Image Classification


Practical exercises enable students to apply theoretical concepts to concrete analyses, including:

- Composite images and classification

- Flood detection

- Time series analysis

- Radar interferometry

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the fundamental principles of satellite Earth observation and the properties of satellite images.

  • Process and analyze satellite images using specialized software tools.

  • Interpret and utilize the data to detect geographical or environmental phenomena.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

A good understanding of fundamental concepts in physics (optics, electromagnetic radiation) is necessary to facilitate the understanding of signal analysis methods.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course combines lectures and computer-based tutorials to provide students with both the fundamental knowledge and practical skills required for working with satellite data.

The teaching approach integrates instructor-led presentations, software demonstrations, supervised practical exercises, and interactive discussions, promoting active learning and the development of analytical skills.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Further information:

Theoretical and pratical lectures are face-to-face (every week).

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

The PowerPoint slides for the lectures are available on eCampus. At the end of each presentation (chapter), links to additional resources (videos, reference books, scientific articles) are also provided.

The slides and supplementary materials (videos, reference books, scientific articles, etc.) are in English, but the course is taught entirely in French.

Please note that the slides presented during the lectures serve as a concise course aid. They cover the essential points but do not include the full oral explanations; taking personal notes is strongly recommended.

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam


Further information:

Assessment is based on a written exam, which includes a theoretical part (paper-based questionnaire) and a practical part (computer-based).

For the practical part, each student must present the chosen methodology and the results obtained during an oral defense (10 minutes per student), which will take place immediately after the written exam.

The exam has a dual purpose: on the one hand, to verify students' understanding of the concepts covered in the lectures, and on the other hand, to assess their ability to reproduce and interpret the satellite image analyses carried out during the practical sessions.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Prof. François Jonard, francois.jonard@uliege.be

Earth Observation and Ecosystem Modelling Lab - EOSystM - www.eosystm.uliege.be

Office 2/48, Building B5a, Quartier Agora, Allée du six Août 19, 4000 Liège

Association of one or more MOOCs