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G1. GIS & REMOTE SENSING IN WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING
(KUL-code: I998 (Th); I999 (Pr))
Lecturer: BATELAAN O.
ECTS-credit: 5 pts
Contact hours: 30 hrs. of theory/30 hrs. of practical
Prerequisites: Introductory hydrological knowledge
Time and place: 1 st semester, VUB
Course syllabus: Lecture notes
Evaluation: Quotation on exercise problems and an individual project
Comparable handbook: Maguire, D., M.F. Goodchild and D.W. Rhind (eds.), 1991. Geographical information
systems: principles and applications. Longman Scientific and Technical. London, UK.
Volume I (principles), 649 p and Volume II (applications): 447 p.
Schultz, G.A. and E.T. Engman, eds. Remote sensing in hydrology and water
management. 2000, Springer: Berlin. 483 p.
Additional information: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~batelaan/g1_course/g1_course.html
Learning objectives:
This course is instrumental in support of general objectives of the program such as (1) the modeling of process
and water systems, (2) planning, budgeting and exploitation of water systems, (3) evaluation, optimalisation and
management of water systems and (4) impact analyses and decision support systems. Its objective is to equip
the student with a set of spatial data management and analysis tools, which can be applied to different water
resources problems. The objective of the course is therefore not to concentrate on one specific water resources
aspect or analysis/modeling technique but to stimulate and allow the student to integrate different data sets,
analysis and modeling tools into a common environment from where he/she can tackle the water resources
problem in an integrated manner. Practical learning objective for the student at the end of the course will
therefore be that he/she independently is able to analyze a water resources problem with the help of GIS/RS.
Further objective of the course is the build up of a framework of notions and understanding for the student of
the diverse GIS and remote sensing technologies, systems and techniques in order that he/she will able to
communicate with experts in this field and can follow new trends and technologies.
Course description:
The course intends to give the state of the art of spatial information processing using GIS and earth observation
techniques and image processing methods, applied to water resources engineering problems. Student’s
acquisition of practical skills is promoted by computer exercises in GIS analyses and remote sensing processing
techniques with different GIS/RS packages.
1. GIS techniques:
- Basic principles of digital cartography, LIS and GIS: history and definitions;
- Spatial data models: vector models, tesselation models, raster, TIN, etc;
- Data input techniques: digitizing, scanning, and V/R en R/V conversion;
- Planimetric integration: map projections and coordinate transformations;
- Spatial interpolation techniques: trend surface analysis, local interpolation techniques;
- Accuracy of spatial data analyses: type of errors, error modeling, error propagation; and
- Cartographic modeling techniques: local, focal and zonal operations, model building.
2. Remote sensing techniques:
- Introduction to remote sensing: physical principles of earth observation, energy sources, radiation
principles, energy interactions, data acquisition and interpretation;
- Remote sensing scanning techniques: optical spectrum, multispectral, thermal, and hyperspectral;
- Microwave remote sensing: physics, platforms, sensors, image processing and interpretation; and
- Present and future observation platforms, sensors and their characteristics.
3. Image processing methods:
- Digital image processing: rectification, restoration, enhancement, multi-image manipulation;
24 / Course syllabi