NFYK15010U Exploration from Space
M.Sc. Physics
The purpose of the course is to provide knowledge of satellite, spacecraft, and airborne based methods to explore conditions at the surface and the subsurface of Earth, Mars and other solar system objects, and to interpret the observations in relation to the physical or geological context. The course will focus on specific themes that are related to ongoing research at the Niels Bohr Institute, and the techniques may involve image analysis, analysis of gravity coefficients from GRACE using spherical harmonics functions, analysis of laser and radar altimetry, SAR and InSAR, optical measurements, depth-sounding radar from air and satellite, spectral observations, and others.
The course will provide knowledge of basic geodetic mapping coordinate systems. It will further provide knowledge of instruments, satellite observations, geodetic mapping, and methods to obtain in-situ data.
The course will be structured around three themes, which may vary and depend on current research activities. Within each theme, the students work on a computer-based exercise related to satellite, surface spacecraft, or airborne observations, and hand in a written report based on the exercise. The report includes a discussion of the relevant physical interpretation. Examples of themes: observations of gravity, sea level changes, ice sheet surface elevation changes, movements of ice streams, migration of dunes on Mars, ice thickness of Martian glaciers, visible, infrared and near infrared spectral analysis of geologic terrain on Mars.
Skills
After completing this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe instruments, and airborne satellite and space based observations for a range of current missions.
- Describe the value and limitations of the data, and describe how these data relate to in-situ observations.
- Use basic geodetic mapping coordinate systems.
- Identify relevant methods using data from satellite, spaceborne or airborne instrument for a given study of Earth, the planets or other solar system objects.
- Use programming tools from Matlab (or an equivalent language) to process and analyze observations from space.
- Present and discuss the results of the numerical model in a written report.
Knowledge
This course will present a range of air and space based
investigations of the Earth, the terrestrial planets or other solar
system objects. Emphasis will be placed upon how these data can be
identified, processed and interpreted to inform a particular
geophysical or physical study.
The course will provide knowledge of basic geodetic mapping coordinate systems. It will further provide knowledge of instruments, satellite observations, and methods to obtain in-situ data.
Competences
Through this course, the students will see how space based
observations can be processed and calibrated against in-situ data
to inform on particular features of the Earth, planets and other
solar system objects. They will further see how these observations
can be interpreted in relation to a particular physical or
geophysical context. They will further learn how numerical
processing can be used to investigate observations. The student
will be competent in using and extrapolation knowledge from the
observations. Development of numerical processing tools of
observations has application in a wide range of fields within
physics.
See the course page in Absalon.
- Category
- Hours
- Exercises
- 16
- Lectures
- 32
- Preparation
- 68
- Project work
- 90
- Total
- 206
As
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Continuing Education - click here!
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Continuous assessmentContinuous assessment. 3 larger computer exercises and accompanying reports. All three reports count with equal weight.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
more internal examiners
- Re-exam
Same as ordinary exam; 3 reports should be submitted.
Criteria for exam assesment
The highest grade, 12, is achieved if all skills are demonstrated with none or only few errors.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NFYK15010U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 2
- Schedule
- B
- Course capacity
- no restriction
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Physics, Chemistry and Nanoscience
Contracting department
- The Niels Bohr Institute
Course responsibles
- Aslak Grinsted (5-63756e636d4270646b306d7730666d)
Lecturers
Aslak Grinsted, Kjartan Kinch, Morten Bo Madsen