Remote sensing observations from airborne and spaceborne platforms have become an essential tool in disaster management. They provide an immediate and large-area overview of evolving disaster situations, revealing important hazard information to disaster response personnel.
This course will introduce you to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a remote sensing technology that can see the ground even during darkness and through rain, clouds, or smoke. As a participant in this course, you will gain an intuitive understanding of the information contained in SAR observations and learn to use a range of analysis techniques to apply SAR data to disaster mapping and management. Specific topics will include:
The mathematical and physical principles of SAR remote sensing
How to access and visualize SAR data
Interpretation of SAR images in the context of disaster monitoring
Interferometric SAR (InSAR) concepts
Flood mapping and SAR change detection for hazard analysis
InSAR-based analysis of volcanoes and landslides
The learned concepts will be put into action in simulated disaster response exercises, in which class participants will analyze SAR data sets to create hazard information for several real-life disaster events from the recent past.
Learners registered for the verified track will additionally get the opportunity for hands-on lab exercises using Jupyter Notebooks. The verified track will also include peer discussions and a verified certificate upon successful completion.
(6-week course; Requires 4-6 hours of effort per week, self-paced)