Satellite Earth observation

Sabrina Melchionna

How can we monitor deforestation in remote regions, track crop conditions over entire countries, or assess flood impacts in near real time? Earth Observation makes this possible by using satellite data to systematically observe the Earth’s surface, enabling repeated observations at a global scale, supporting applications in environmental monitoring, agriculture, and urban development. In this course, we will cover the basics of optical remote sensing from space, as well as introduce the fundamentals of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). You will learn how to use data from a range of satellite platforms to extract land cover maps and spectral indices, and to understand how SAR data can provide complementary information independent of daylight and weather conditions. These tools will allow you to monitor changes occurring on Earth, such as crop development, de-/reforestation, wildfire activity, urban expansion, droughts, flooding, and more. Although we will not gain practical hands-on experience, some time will be dedicated to exploring where to find open-access data, which software can be used to process them, and available online tutorials.