MT4RS: Remote Sensing Methods and Applications

Module code: MT4RS

Module provider: Meteorology; School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Thorwald Stein , email: t.h.m.stein@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Christopher Merchant, email: c.j.merchant@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST ( TAKE MT1WCF AND TAKE MT2AP ) OR ( TAKE MT11D AND TAKE MT24B ) (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module shows how to obtain information about the atmosphere using electromagnetic waves. In the first half of the course, we will consider how absorption, scattering and emission processes can used to quantify various atmospheric properties using satellites and ground-based instruments. In the second half of the course, we will study how radar and lidar instruments provide information about precipitation and clouds. 

This module aims to review fundamentals of radiative transfer as applied to remote sensing, and to develop knowledge of the theory and practice of passive and active remote sensing of meteorological parameters from space and ground. 

The purpose of this module is to prepare students for the development and analysis of remote sensing data sets, which are essential to weather and climate science and services. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate an appreciation of the accuracy and sampling limitations of various satellite sounding systems; 
2. Demonstrate an understanding of which parts of the electromagnetic spectrum can be used for remote sensing of the atmosphere and land, whether from the ground or from space; 
3. Analyse the capability of ground and space-based radar and lidar systems for sensing precipitation, clouds and Aerosols. 
4. Develop and evaluate retrieval methods for sensing aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric profiles of temperature and humidity. 

Module content

• The radiative transfer equation. 
• Extinction and aerosols. 
• Emission of water vapour and cloud water. 
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• Satellite remote sensing of the earth surface. 
• Scattering and aerosols and clouds. 
• Active remote sensing (radar and lidar): basic principles. 
• Active remote sensing: Doppler and polarisation. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

There will be eleven 2 hour classroom sessions. The first will be an introductory lecture to the module and satellite orbits. The following 9 classes are of a tutorial style and are based around a problem sheet where we learn how specific physical processes help us to interpret remote sensing measurements, and where we work together on meteorological applications of the theory. The final session is scheduled for revision which will include working through mock exam questions.

Each tutorial comes with 2 hours of online lecture content in the form of screencasts, made available 1 week in advance, which include brief quizzes for reflection on the content. It is expected that you have viewed the video content prior to the tutorial so that you can attempt the weekly problem sheet in the tutorial.  

The lectures will be complemented by 5  2-hour computer labs, where we learn to handle with Python the various satellite and radar data sets and recreate widely used cloud and rainfall retrieval techniques.

Study hours

At least 32 hours of scheduled teaching and learning