121-254 GIS and Remote Sensing in Geography

Note

All BSc students, except those enrolled in the BA/BSc combined course and the BASc course, can only receive 12.5 points science credit at the 200-level for this subject.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

None

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

GIS and remote sensing to analyse land uses, probability of land use changes, land suitability and rural-urban transition. The traditions of geographic cartography, animated cartography, visualisation of spatial data and geographical correlation. Remote sensing for capturing land use patterns; elementary image correction and the monitoring of bio-diversity, hazardous wastes, global warming, land degradation, pollution and energy extraction/usage. The role of GIS in sustainable development. The processes for making deductions from digital elevation models and multi-criteria decision making. Sources of GIS-compatible data and GIS-based mapping Census statistics for business and political purposes. Organisational and social consequences of the ability of GIS and remote sensing to distort information and to alter people's perceptions. By the end of the course students should have an introductory knowledge of the uses and misuses of GIS and remote sensing in geography and environmental studies, an appreciation of how such techniques differ from more traditional cartographic and analytical methods, an awareness of the directions in which GIS and remote sensing might develop, and comprehension of how GIS and remote sensing might alter people's perceptions within businesses, organisations and societies.

Assessment

A 2-hour end-of-semester examination; practical assignments totalling no more than 3000 words.