The movement of water across landscapes and the exchange of water between oceans and continents are some of the major geophysical processes occurring on Earth. These processes include the melting of polar ice sheets, increases in sea level, changes in soil moisture and groundwater and the exchanges of water between the land surface, oceans and atmosphere. Quantifying where and how water resources change is critical for understanding how our world is responding to changing climate. The course includes the study of what we can (and cannot) measure using data from a variety of remote sensing satellite missions, including quantification of total water storage (space gravity missions), melting polar ice sheets and sea level changes (space gravity, satellite altimetry), NDVI and NDWI (optical/IR sensors), water surface elevation (SWOT mission) and soil moisture missions.
Students will learn about these remote sensing satellite missions and gain an understanding of the technology aboard the satellites as well as how the recorded data are analysed. They will then learn how to derive and interpret results using data from these missions.
Laboratory: The practical component will include the analysis of actual observations related to water resources (precipitation, total water storage, mass balance change etc) through the development of python software.
Honours Pathway Option (HPO):
Honours Pathway students will be required to demonstrate greater depth of practice in analysis and reporting.
- Students taking this option will submit an additional research report, equivalent to 20% of overall assessment. The regular assessment will be scaled to 80%.
- Students undertaking the HPO will engage with LO1, LO3, and LO5 in greater depth
- The HPO is open to all students
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand the Earth's gravity field and the geophysical interpretation of temporal gravity changes;
- Explain the causes and magnitudes of sea level variations from remote sensing data, including exchanges of water between continents and oceans;
- Identify and quantify changes in water resources in the landscape,
- Understand the strengths and limitations of a variety of remote sensing techniques for quantifying water resources; and
- Communicate efficiently to a general and expert audience about remote sensing and the science of water resources
Indicative Assessment
- Computer programming assignments (4) (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Written critique of a scientific paper (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Oral critique of a journal paper (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Final exam (40) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 2 x 1 hour lectures, 1 x 2 hour computer lab plus 1 x 1 hour tutorial per week.
- Approximately 70 hours of self-directed study which will include preparation for lectures, practicals and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions and activities.
Inherent Requirements
No inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
None.
Preliminary Reading
None.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4211 | 22 Feb 2027 | 01 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | 28 May 2027 | In Person | N/A |