Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

Module Identifier
EAM0020
Module Title
Living Earth: Environmental Monitoring
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Pre-Requisite
EAM4020 Part time students are required to have taken EAM4020 in the first year (Semester 1) of study.
Co-Requisite
EAM4020 This module needs to be taken Semester 1 as elements are critical for understanding of Living Earth. If part time, EAM4020 needs to be taken in Semester 1 (Year 1) followed by EAM0020 (Living Earth) in Semester 1 (Year 2)
Reading List

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Living Earth Storymap  2500 Words  50%
Semester Assessment Technical Report  2500 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Living Earth Storymap  2500 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Technical Report  2500 Words  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Identify Earth observation data relevant to land characterisation and monitoring.

Develop and apply algorithms for retrieving or classifying biophysical attributes from a diverse range of Earth observation data.

Evaluate approaches to classifying Earth observation data.

Demonstrate an understanding of land cover classifications from biophysical attributes according to globally applicable taxonomies.

Appropriately use mobile applications for interpreting high resolution datasets to support validation of thematic products.

Brief description

The module will introduce students to and build on well-defined components of the Living Earth concept, with focus on describing and differentiating the range of Earth observation data available for characterising, mapping and monitoring environments, methods for retrieving or classifying biophysical descriptors and combining these to construct maps of land cover and habitats, approaches to detecting and describing land cover change based on impacts and driving pressures, and techniques for collecting ground observations and using these to validate products generated from Earth observation data. The module also conveys and illustrates the benefits to multiple stakeholders (e.g., land managers, policy) and for supporting planetary restoration.

Aims

The module aims to provide students with capacity to follow a well-defined sequence of steps to generating thematic products from Earth observation data that address major environmental challenges, with particular focus on addressing human impacts and climate change.

Content

The module comprises10 lectures:
a) Earth observation data requirements
b) Data processing within big data platforms.
c) Retrieval or classification of biophysical descriptors
d) Constructing land cover and habitat maps.
e) Evidence-based change detection and description.
f) Validating thematic products.
g) Communication through Earth observations.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Critical and analytical thinking Students will be able to identify and apply appropriate algorhythms to address issues of land-use monitoring and change
Digital capability Students will be able to iddentify and apply appropriate software and data-sets relevant to land-use change and monitoring.
Professional communication Students will be able to articulate the relevance and role of monitoring processes as a basis for understanding land-use change, and communicate it appropriately to a wide range of audiences.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7