CONS 127: Observing the Earth From Space - Course Introduction Notes

Course Overview: CONS 127 - Observing the Earth From Space

Introduction

  • The course, CONS 127, is titled "Observing the Earth From Space."
  • This is an introductory section to the course.

Course Structure

  • The course includes introductions to the TAs and the instructor.
  • The course structure and learning objectives will be outlined.
  • Tips and tricks for succeeding in the course will be shared.

Teaching Assistants

Lucas Tanner (General Course TA)
  • From Kitchener, Ontario.
  • Undergraduate degree: BES from the University of Waterloo.
  • Program: TRANSFOR-M (MF).
  • Role:
    • Primary point of contact for the course.
    • Weekly course updates.
    • Blog posts.
    • Coordinating assignment-specific TAs.
    • Monitoring discussion boards and answering questions.
  • Students with accessibility requirements should send Lucas their CfA letters.
Eliceo Ruiz Guzman
  • From Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
  • Undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Guadalajara.
  • MS in Environmental Observation and Informatics at UW–Madison.
  • Currently a PhD student in Forestry at UBC in the IRSS Lab.
  • Research focus: Modeling wildfire fuels across different ecoregions in the Pacific Northwest (Canada and the U.S.) and their impact on power grid infrastructure.
  • TA instructor for:
    • Assignment 1: Introduction to Geospatial Concepts through Google Earth.
    • Assignment 5: Visualizing Landscapes in Space and Time.
Hiroto Goto
  • IRSS (Integrated Remote Sensing Studio) – MSc Student.
  • CONS127: GTA.
  • Assignments 2 / 3.
  • Research: Automated Detection and Counting of Moose in Drone Imagery using Deep Learning.
James Maltman
  • Undergraduate: University of Washington.
  • Masters: University of Edinburgh in Environmental Protection and Management.
    • Dissertation: 3D modelling cliff faces for biodiversity assessment.
  • PhD Student: UBC Forestry.
  • PhD Research:
    • Canada-wide forest age estimation at 30m scale using Landsat satellite imagery.
    • Determining ideal locations for tree planting to maximize both carbon sequestration and caribou habitat using Landsat imagery.
  • Assignments 4 & 6.
  • Email: james.maltman@ubc.ca
Hollis Kinnard
  • MSc Student in the Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Lab.
  • Studying the impacts of flood control infrastructure on juvenile salmon.
  • Originally from Richmond, Virginia, USA.
  • BSc at UBC in Forestry.
  • General helper for discussion boards, Canvas troubleshooting, etc.
Fei (Sophy) Wu
  • 4th Year Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation - Science & Management + Dual Degree with Bachelor of Education.
  • Passionate about Ecosystem Services, Public Education & Dance!
Teaching Assistants Summary
  • Lucas: Contact for general course inquiries, blog posts, and exam/mid-term questions.
  • James: In charge of Assignment 4 & 6.
  • Hiroto: In charge of Assignment 2 & 3.
  • Eliceo: In charge of Assignment 1 & 5.
  • Sophy & Hollis: General utility TAs for various issues.

Instructor

  • Chris Colton, MSc.
  • Lecturer, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Resources Management.
  • Office: FSC 2040.
  • Email: Chris.colton@ubc.ca
  • MSc. and BSc. in Forestry.
  • Specializing in natural resource management, wildlife ecology, and geomatics.
  • Teaching experience: 3 years.

Course Materials and Access

  • The course is 100% online.
  • All course content is available on the Canvas course page:
    • Pre-recorded asynchronous lectures.
    • Associated slides as PDFs.
    • Assignments.
    • Blog posts.
    • Exams (mid-term and final).
    • Discussion boards.
    • Zoom links for TA office hours.

Assignments and Blogs

  • Six assignments in total.
  • Each assignment will be introduced by the respective TA with a pre-recorded video.
  • An assignment is due each week.
  • The first one is due Thursday, May 15th.
  • Six blog posts are required.
  • Graded for participation.
  • Lucas will review them to ensure instructions are followed and sufficient effort is demonstrated.

Exams

  • Administered through Canvas.
  • Final and mid-term are 100% online and open book.
  • Mid-term exam:
    • Thursday, May 29th.
    • 60 minutes to complete.
  • Final exam:
    • Thursday, June 19th.
    • 70 minutes to complete.

Grading Breakdown

  • Blog posts – 10%
  • Assignments – 30%
  • Mid-term exam – 20%
  • Final exam – 40%

Learning Objectives

  • Given access to Earth observation datasets, students will be able to identify how these technologies are used to understand changes in the Earth’s environment at an introductory level.
  • Using hands-on experience with online tools, students will be able to describe the foundational principles of geo-positioning technologies to a non-specialist audience.
  • After an introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum, students will be able to explain how light interacts with Earth surface materials, leading to the ability to sense color and surface attributes, with various types of sensors.
  • Through the exploration of case studies, students will analyze the roles of emerging remote sensing technologies in natural resource management applications, explaining the advantages, limitations, and future directions of Earth observation.
  • In their own words and drawing on personal perspectives, students will evaluate and critique the impact of location-based services, global positioning systems, remote sensing, virtual globes, and web-based mapping on our perception of the Earth's environment.
  • Given real-life scenarios, students will demonstrate basic knowledge of various geospatial technologies by comparing and contrasting characteristics of different datasets, instruments, and sensors to solve pressing environmental and climate-related issues.

Lecture Schedule

  • Week 1 (May 12-16):
    • Introduction
    • Positioning
  • Week 2 (May 19-23):
    • Projections & Scale
    • History of Positioning
    • Space and Orbits
    • GNSS
  • Week 3 (May 26-30):
    • Earth Observation & Canada
    • Electromagnetic Spectrum
    • Spectral Signatures
    • Midterm Review- Tuesday, May 27th
    • Midterm-Thursday, May 29th, 2025 9am-9pm (Pacific Time)
  • Week 4 (June 2-6):
    • Resolutions
    • Active Remote Sensing
    • The Biosphere
  • Week 5 (June 9-13):
    • The Cryosphere
    • Oceans
    • Environmental Change
  • Week 6 (June 16-19):
    • Food Security
    • Wildlife
    • Human Footprint
    • The Future
    • Final Review - Tuesday, June 17th
    • Final - Thursday, June 19th, 2025 9am-9pm (Pacific Time)

Earth Observation Images

  • Earthrise photograph taken on December 24th, 1968, from the Apollo 8 mission.
    • Considered “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken”.
  • Pale Blue Dot photo taken in 1990 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft from 4 billion miles away.
    • Shows Earth as a pale streak due to sunlight scattering in the camera's optics.
    • Inspired the quote “the pale blue dot”.

Tips for Success

  • Ask questions on the appropriate discussion boards.
    • This is the #1 way to ensure understanding of lecture content.
    • Lucas and I will be constantly monitoring and replying.
  • Do the assignments.
    • Ask/post questions for your TA.
  • Do the blog posts.
    • Participation marks.
  • Do the practice questions provided for the mid-term and final.