The online, shore-based Advanced Training on Ocean Synergy Remote Sensing course is designed to help students work with increasingly varied but complementary satellite data sets in synergy. The course will use a combination of standard and interactive lectures, together with the SEAScope synergy analysis tool (available free of charge for students to use after the course). There will be a focus on The Greater Agulhas Current Region, which will be used as an ocean laboratory to put what you learn in theory into practice. The interactive lectures are focused on specific areas of ocean synergy, and will help prepare you to bring your own ideas together for the course on board the ship.
The course objectives are to:
- Train the next generation of Earth Observation Ocean Scientists,
- Explain the theoretical principles and application of Ocean Colour Radiometry, Infrared and Passive Microwave Radiometry, Biogeochemical, Sea Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Salinity retrievals, Synthetic Aperture Radar and Radar Altimetry;
- Introduce different satellites and their payload instruments;
- Explore data through hands-on exercises using SAR, Optical, Infrared, Passive Microwave, and Altimeter data, tools/toolboxes and methods for the exploitation of EO satellite data in synergy over the ocean;
- Stimulate and support the exploitation of the ESA Earth Explorer and Copernicus Sentinel Missions.
- Apply knowledge of satellite measurements in synergy to understand the character and dynamics of the Greater Agulhas Current region
- Develop skills to interpret satellite ocean data together with in situ ocean measurements to characterize and understand the environmental and climate change of the oceans.
- Develop a network of international students participating in the training course
Structure of the course
The timetable for the course is included below, it could be subject to further changes. A student handbook is under development with further details about the course.
Date | Module | Theme | Webex video | Lecture A | Interactive A | Lecture B | Interactive B |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
05/09 |
1 |
Introduction |
Link to recording |
LA1: Introduction to the Training Course (Johnny Johannessen) |
ILA1: What we expect from you (Craig Donlon) |
LB1: Round Table Introduction from Students and Lecturer Team |
ILB1: Round Table Introduction from Students and Lecturer Team |
12/09 |
2 |
Students and student groups |
Link to recording |
LA2: Student projects and group work – working together. |
LB2: Thermal Imaging of the Ocean From Space |
ILB2: Measuring Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from Space |
|
19/09 | 3 | Mesoscale & sub-mesoscale structures
(Thermal imaging) |
Link to recording |
ILA3: Using Syntool and SEAscope Tools |
LB3: Mesoscale and Sub-mesoscale characteristics of the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
ILB3: Investigating Thermal features and their dynamics in the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
|
26/09 | 4 |
Mesoscale and sub-mesoscale Structures (OCR imaging) |
Link to recording |
ILA4: Measuring Chlorophyll-a using OCR from Space |
LB4: Bio-geo-chemical Measurements of the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
ILB4: Investigating biological features and dynamics in the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
|
03/10 | 5 |
Ocean Circulation: Sea Level from Altimetry |
Link to recording |
ILA5: Sea Level estimates from Satellite Altimetry |
LB5: Estimates of Ocean Circulation from Satellite Altimetry |
ILB5: Ocean Dynamics of the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
|
10/10 | 6 |
Mesoscale Salinity & SST from Microwave Radiometers |
Link to recording | LA6: Microwave Radiometry of the Ocean from Space |
ILA6: SST/SSS/wind observations from Microwave Radiometers |
LB6: Salinity and extreme wind speeds using Microwave Imaging |
ILB6: The Greater Agulhas Current Region from Microwave Imaging |
17/10 | 7 |
Ocean Circulation from Synergy (altimeters) |
Link to recording |
ILA7: Estimates of Ocean Surface Currents using Altimetry and SST |
ILB7: SST-Chlorophyll correlation in the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
||
24/10 | 8 |
Sea State measurements from Space (SAR+wave Scatterometry) |
Link to recording |
LA8: Estimating Sea State from Space using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) |
ILA8: Exploring Sea State using SAR |
ILB8: Waves in the Greater Agulhas Current Region (I) |
|
31/10 | 9 |
Wave-current interactions from Space (SAR, Glitter) |
Link to recording |
ILA9: Using Sun Glitter Imagery to study Sea State |
LB9: Ocean Sea State From Satellite Measurements in Synergy |
ILB9: Waves in the Greater Agulhas Current Region (II) |
|
07/11 | 10 |
Marine Inorganic Carbon |
LB10: Ocean Acidification from Space |
ILB10: Ocean Acidification in the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
|||
14/11 | 11 |
Climate Change and Polar Oceans |
Link to recording | LA11: The Southern Ocean from space |
ILA11: Investigating the Southern Ocean from Space |
ILB11: Earth's Ice Imbalance |
|
21/11 | 12 |
Air-sea interaction in the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
Link to recording |
ILA12: Understanding Regional Climatology and its application |
ILB12: Extreme Storm Events in the Southern Ocean |
||
28/11 | 13 |
Ocean modelling of the Greater Agulhas Current Region |
Link to recording |
ILA13: Comparing Ocean Model Output with Satellite Observations |
LB13: The Multi- Dimensional Structure of the Agulhas Current System |
ILB13: Estimating Indian Ocean Water Transport using Ocean Model Outputs |
|
05/12 | 14 |
Preparing for the At-sea course |
Link to recording |
LA14: Using in situ and Satellite data: Simulating the Voyage from Maputo to Cape Town |
ILA14: Demonstration of NRT data from St. Lehmkuhl |
Q&A |
Lecture: A formal lecture given to introduce the subject
Interactive Lecture: a more informal style using interactive tools to handle data in a laboratory environment
Timings:
- Sessions will be held every Monday between 16:00-19:00 CET.
- Sessions will be held via WebEx, a link will be sent.
- The first course session is planned on 5th September 5th 2022, then every week afterwards, with the final lecture on the 5th December.
- Lectures will be recorded and will be available online afterwards.
Software and Tools
The course makes use of the Syntool Visualization Platform. This portal allows for highly attractive display and overlay of near real time satellite data together with in-situ data and model fields. Key variables we are interested in include: sea surface temperature, ocean color, surface geostrophic current, near surface wind and ocean waves. The selection of variables to be displayed is controlled by the "Products" menu located to the left. The date and time of selection is controlled by the lower horizontal panel. The viewing options of the Visualization Platform range from global to regional and offers a wide span of variable collocations and overlaying possibilities. Here, the position of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl ship is visible on the portal, check under In Situ data to find it! Moreover, surface drifter trajectories can be displayed on top of the near coincident SST, ocean color, surface roughness and surface current maps, clearly demonstrating the strength of this visualization tool both for research and dedicated applications. The visualization portal will also routinely be used for planning and execution of data collection during the sail-voyage, including deployment of surface buoys. For the course, we will use the standalone training module of the platform, known as the SEAScope Viewer that each participant will need to download.
