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f

t CR^w 

REMOTE SENSING TRAINING FOR

CORPS OF ENGINEERS PERSONNEL

The University Training Module Concept 

}

James R. Croves and

Robert M. Ragan

Remote Sensing Systems. Laboratory

University of jaryland

College Park, R'p 207:2

Technical Report No. 6 ^'^ 

, , August 1982

Final Report for Period July 1981 July 1982

Prepared for

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 

Greenbelt, MD 20771

(NASA-C11-175204) REMOTE SENSING TRAINING N84-20154 

FOB CORPS OF ENGINEERING PE:RSCVNBL: THE

UNIVERSITY TRAINING MODULE CCNCEPT Final 

:Report, Jul. 1981 - Jul. 1982 (Maryland Unclas 

Univ.) 34_ p HC; A03/MF A01 CSCL 051 G3/53 12501
f ,

TECHNICAL REPORT SLANDARO TITLE PACE

. Report No,

76;1-

10tomont Aeeessian Awl 3. Recipient's Catalog Me.

Me end Sugfifle 3, Report Dote

MOTE SENSING TRAINING FOR CORPS OF ENGINEERS August 1 982

PERSONNEL: THE UNIVERSITY TRAINING MODULE 6. Perferning Organization COW

CONCEPT

7. Author(s) e. Performing Ocganisation Report He.

James R. Groves and Robert M. Ragan _

9. Performing Organisation Name and Address 10, Work Unit No.

Remote Sensing Systems Laboratory

t1. Contract or No. niversity of Maryland

allege Park, MD 20742 NASS-2665650

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Final Report for

oddard Space Flight Center JPulio198july 1981-

reenbelt, MD 20771

4. Sponsoring Agency Cade Technical Monitor: Janette C. Gervin

15. Supplementary Notes

Prepared as part of the joint Corps of Engineers/NASA Program in

ater Resources

16, Abstract This report describes a concept to permit Corps of Engineers

ersonnel to obtain and maintain an appropriate level of individual

roficiency in the application of remote sensing to water resource

anagement. Personnel will be trained at regional university training

enters. Recommendations are made for specific training courses and

nclude structure and staffing requirements, syllabi and methods of

Aeration, supporting materials, and procedures for integrating inforation systems management into the University Training Modules. The

o ncept described will provide initial, refresher, and update training

hat will have a number of advantages over the current course training

rogram of the Corps.

17. Key Words (S, lect *,4 by Author(s)) 18. Distribution Statement

Geographic Information System,

ROSPECT, Remote Sensing, Remote

ensing Symposium, University

raining Module

19. Security Clessif. (of this repert) 20. Security Clonif. (of this pogo) 21. Me. of Pogo& 22. Price*

Unclassified Unclassified

*For sale by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical information, Sprss6field, Virginia 22151. 
3

5

8

9

9

10

15

16

18

19

20

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. UNIVERSITY TRAINING MODULES

A. Remote Sensing Training and Activities within USACE

B. USACE Training Needs

C. The UTM Concept

D. Guidelines for UTM

1. Structure and Staffing Requirements for the

University

2. Syllabi and Conduct of Training

3. Supporting Materials

4. Integration of Data Analysis and Information

Systems Management

S. Costs

III. REMOTE SENSING SYMPOSIUM

IV. APPENDICES

V. REFERENCES

1
y I. INTRODUC'T'ION

R ,

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has long recognized the importance

of remote sensing and is firmly committed to the use of tlis growing technology

to supply information necessary to :accomplish their water resources mission.

As remote sening technology has evolved, the expertise of tho Corps has kept

pace, making use of aerial photography, in-situ sensors, ground and airborne

radars, and, most recently, satellite remote sensing platforms (Gay, 1982).

While the acceptance and use of some forms of remotely sensed data have 

become commonplace, the potential benefits of satellite based sensing have ,lot

yet been completely realized. There are technological issues to be addressed

and solved before the full potential can be achieved. There is also a need for

well designed and managed training programs that will provide field office

personnel with a sound understanding of the concepts and applications of remote 

sensing as related to their problems. Indeed, until field personnel have an 

understanding of and a confidence in remote sensing capabilities, they are

not going to fully adopt this new technology. Education, successful demonstratio

x

projects, and command emphasis will all be needed if the real benefits 

W

sensing are to be achieved.

Remote sensing technology is both new and dynamic. Skills are needed that 

were unknown when most practicing engineers received their formal education.

The pace of new developments is such that the technology of this year will be

inefficient or even obsolete within a few years.

The information acquired through remote sensing is usually most effectively

employed in combination with ancillary data such as that of soil surveys

records, topographic maps, and similar 7esources. Computer based spatial data 

management, or geographic information systems (GIS), construcied by ' coding and

referencing such data to locations on the !iarth's surface are extremely powerful 

tools when used in conjunction with digital
format remote sensing. The HEC-SAM system developed by the Hydrologic Engineering

b

Center (Davis, 1982) and the Hydrologic Analysis Program (HAP) developed at the

University of Maryland by Fellows and Ragan (1980) are two such systems. It is

essential that all training in remote sensing applications include GIS concepts

so that the data can be effectively and efficiently used (Weinstein, 1981;

Ragan, 1982).

This report describes an innovative concept which will permit Corps of

Engineers personnel to obtain and maintain an appropriate level of individual

proficiency in the application of remote sensing to water resource management.

Recommendations for staffing, syllabi and conduct of University Training Modules

are presented.

2

L
. ,

II. UNIVERSIT`: TRAINING MODULES

A. Remote Sensing Training and Activities Within USACE

The remote sensing program of the Corps consists of three phases: program

coordination, sensor selection and testing, and data integration (Jarman, 1982).

Program coordination seeks to identify the needs of the Corps in data collection.

Research programs at USACE laboratories and universities are involved in the

selection and testing of sensors. The data integration phase addresses both

technical and managerial problems of using the data.

Specific actions to facilitate more independent use of remote sensing

have included the appointment of Remote Sensing Coordinators (RSC) in each field

office, conduct of several short-course training programs, conduct of Remote

Sensing Symposia in 1979 and 1981, and sponsorship of a series of demonstration

projects with individual field offices. The Remote Sensing Application Guide

(RSAG), Engineer Pamphlet 70-1-1, was published as a comprehensive reference

for planning purposes and for conducting Corps-related remote sensing applications (USACE, 1979). The RSAG will be updated as required to provide users with

the latest information on all available technology.

The RSC at each Division, District, and Laboratory Office serve as a focus

for information and communciation exchange and facilitate remote sensing

technology transfer within the Corps. They usually have other organizational

responsibilities and their backgrounds in remote sensing vary widely. The RSAG

is designed to provide practical technical and management guidance to the RSC

and other personnel of the field offices.

The Corps has sponsored a number of short courses of training/instruction

for RSC and for other personnel participating in remote sensing demonstrations

and applications projects. Several such courses are listed and managed under

3
the Corps of Engineers Sponsored Short Course Technical Program (PROSPECT)

administered by the Huntsville District (Appendix A). The courses

have bern conducted on a need basis through one-time contracts with universities.

While these courses have been successful with respect to providing needed

material, scheduling has been p serious problem and frequently results in

underutilization of training spaces. Also, the contracting procedures used

have not been sufficiently flexible to provide opportunities for followup

interaction and updating of skills.

!Many Corps personnel have received equivalent training in similar courses

previously conducted by regional remote sensing application centers of the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA) (Weinstein, 1981). The

three NASA regional centers are located at Goddard Space Flight Center in

Greenbelt, Maryland; the Earth Resources Laboratory at NSTL Station, Mississippi;

and the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Califoniia. It appears that these

centers will continue to provide assistance to users of NASA satellite data

but may not be able to conduct training courses in the future because of

budgetary limitations.

The Corps conducted three-day Remote Sensing Symposia in 1979 at Reston,

Virginia, and in 1981 at Nashville, Tennessee. 1'he primary purpose of these

meetings was to prom.rste a better understanding of remote sensing technology and

its effective applications. These symposia included technical papers dealing

with new or innovative techniques and methodologies, advanced sensor and data

acquisition system design, and advanced data processing analysis capabilities.

There were also interdisciplinary poster sessions documenting the operational

use of the technology on discipline or mission - oriented projects. Although

primarily attended by USACE personnel, these meetings attracted a sizeable

4
meet the needs of their current and anticipated job responsibilities.

5

number of participants from other Federal agencies, universities, state and

local government, and industry. Section III of this report describes the 1981

Symposium.

The Water Resources Support Center (WRSC), USACE, has actively solicited

M the participation of the field offices of the Corps in demonstration projects

involving the operational use of remotely sensed data. When suitable ongoing

projects have been identified by the field offices, WRS y and NASA personnel,

the latter acting through their technology transfer program, have assisted in

the orientation of personnel of the field offices and in the actual integration

of the remote s.,nsing data into the project effort. These demonstration

projects have been highly visible and successful remote sensing applications.

The remote sensing program of the USACE was critically assessed by the

Panel on Remote Sensing for Water Resources, Space Applications Board, National

Research Council, in 1981. The panel concluded that extensive use of remotely

sensed data from satellites by the Corps reflects an effective process for

applying new technologies. Among a series of recommendations presented by the

panel is one specifically related to remote sensing training (NRC, 1981):

The Corps' work in demonstrating remote sensing to its field offices

and its assistance to Corps users in the field are very useful. It 

would be to the Corps' advantage to expand these demonstrations and

y training activities to Corps' contractors and to state, local and

regional governments.

B. USACE Training Needs

To be successful, training modules must meet the objectives of providing

the needed skills and, at the same time, being consistent with the character

of the organization and its established training programs. The training modules

must also be consistent with the background of the individual trainee and must
Profiles of prospective remote sensing trainees were generated by a

review of course evaluations of previous short courses, discussions with

personnel from several field offices, discussions with university personnel

with extensive experience in the field, and discussions with instructional

personnel of a major Corps teaching agency, the Hydrologic Engineering Center.

It was immediately apparent that the background and needs of individuals varied

` widely and that more than one course of instruction would be required.

Analysis of the needs of the Corps yields three general levels: managers

require general concepts and understanding; RSC and personnel involved in

designated projects required detailed knowledge; and project personnel who 

will be manipulating digital data or, more probably, supervising contractors

u

3

require specialized knowledge. Within these levels there will remain ranges of

training requirements resulting from differences in the background and exTerience

of individual trainees. It is believed, however, that instruction should be

designed and planned at these levels with an inherent requirement, as will be

described below, to tailor the individual courses to meet the background of

the trainees. Hill ( 1981) describes a pre-course questionnaire designed to

facilitate the tailoring.

The current PROSPECT training courses provide for a manager course of 

' 24 hours, a fundamentals course of 40 hours, and an advanced course, for which

i 

the fundamentals course is a prerequisite, of 40 hours. The manager course

requires no specific subject matter background and is intended for senior

(GS-13 and above) personnel who have management responsibility in the areas of 

planning, engineering, or regulatory functions. The other two courses are

designed'for mid- range (GS-07 thru 12) personnel who are, or will be, involved

a in the acquisition, interpretation, and applications of remote sensing data

! (USACE, 1979).

r

6
There is evidence of difficulty in achieving the objectives of the advanced

processing and analysis course. There are relatively few requirements for

this course and tho most recent class in May of 1981 only filled five of 17

available spaces. While the course is d. osigned to provide advanced training

and "hands-on" experience in processing and analyzing multispectral scanner

data, several of the trainees felt that it was unnecessarily duplicative of the

" fundamentals course. Trainees asked for data base management (HEC-SAM) coverage

and for more "hands-on" time.

In view of the limited requirement for the advanced course and the projectspecific requirements of personnel who would attend, such a course is not

included within the proposed University Training Module concept. Individuals

in that category of needs can best obtain the necessary hands-on experience

through supplementary periods associated with the fundamentals course. The

Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing (LARS), Purdue University, uses

such optional training periods in their regular short-course offerings (LARS, 1982)

With advanced coordination it should be possible to use project-specific data

in the supplementary training periods, further increasing the payoff for the

trainee.

As previously discussed, it is important that all modules include instruction

in the manipulation and use of remotely sensed data in a spatial data management

system. Such an integrated system is essential to obtain maximum benefits of

the large volumes of data that will be involved. The development of such systems

is described by Moore (1982).

The training needs and proposals reported herein can be expected to change

with time. The contents of the module for managers will eventually have to

be adjusted as individuals who have received specialized or short-course

7 
training rise to managerial positions. As universities incorporate remote

sensing instruction at the graduate and/or undergraduate level, there will be

changes in the fundamentals module. More emphasis will be placed on refresher

training and the dissemination of information on new technology and developments.

C. The University Training Module Concept

The University Training Module (UTM) proposal is based on the concept that

the USACE would select regional universities to provide state-of-the-art

training and instruction in remote sensing technology and applications. While

the training would be listed within the PROSPECT system, it is anticipated

that enrollment and final scheduling would be accomplished by the university on

a regional basis, thereby adding flexibility to the PROSPECT programming

process.

Other anticipated advantages to the UTM concept include the freeing of

USACE training assets for other in-house training and the inclusion of

up-to-date equipment, techniques, and applications. It is also anticipated that

the concept will encourage interaction on a regionalized basis between USACE

personnel and university based research scientists and educators. Such interaction, along with attendance at university seminars, participation in professiona

society meetings, etc., will permit RSC and other designated Corps personnel

to keep abreast of new developments in the field and to maintain their interest

and proficiency in remote sensing.

8
D. Guidelines for University Training Modules

1. Structure and Staiking Requirements for the University

Five universities would be identified as regional training centers by

USACE. Each would have strong,.well staffed, engineering based hydrology and

water resources instructional programs and an active, water resources oriented

remote sensing research program.

The participating universities must be able to dedicate qualified staff in

sufficient numbers if the modules are to be successful. Because the emphasis

is upon the application of remote sensing to water resoiArce problems it is

important that the staff involved in the workshop have recognized competence

in both of these areas. It may be that a particular university can meet this

requirement by using a team approach to teaching or by bringing in outside

consultants to supplement their staff.

Because instruction in the short course format is an extremely intense

effort, the participating university must allocate at least two professional

level personnel to the program. There must also be at least two fully trained

assistants, who might be advanced level graduate students, available to work with

the participants during the workshop sessions. There must be sufficient

hardware/software support personnel available to insure that all of the equipment

being used functions properly throughout the Course. Finally, sufficient

administrative support must be allocated to handle communications in advance of

the course and management of local arrangements.

When student capacity exceeds USACE needs, training will be offered to

personnel from other Federal agencies, contractors, and state/local governments

on a reimbursable basis. Such allocation follows the letter of the National

Research Counci "l recommendations previously cited.

9
2. SX11abi and Conduct of Training

Providing only vary general guidelines on material to be covered and the

conduct of training is an inherent aspect of the UIM concept. Over specification

of either subject matter or format would defeat the spirit of academic freedom

and innovation that is sought. On the other hand, there is a legitimate

requirement for some level of guidance to the designated universities avid there

must be a feedback mechanism to assess the effectiveness of training.

Overall guideline , enter on the inr=poration of state-of-the-art operational technology with emphasis on the interfacing of digital image analysis and

geographical information systems. Flexibility must remain to allow the tailoring

of each course to meet the needs and experience of the class. It must be

recognized that the allocated time will be insufficient for comprehensive treatment of the field. The instruction should be regarded as an indoctrination;

most will have to gain more experience before they can adequately apply

the Ui3 p iques covered. It is also not possible to cover all possible applications and the course should concentrate on a limited number (Rib, 1981). Providing a variety of application areas for hands - on training will maintain

interest and enthusiasm (Hill, 1981).

The material presented will be selected to allow Corps of Engineers personnel

} at the appropriate managerial / technical level, to determine:

- When digital format remote sensing and geographical information systems

would be advantageous in meeting the objectives of a particular project;

• What sensor systems and methods of interpretation would be required;

• What should be expected with respect to problems to be anticipated,

quality of information, time and cost requirements;

10
What should be included in the scope of work and performance specifications;

• What are the required tezlinical qualifications of personnel that would

• be invol=ved;

• What should one look for in the organizational and equipment qualifications

of the consultant; and

• What is involved in guiding and monitoring the work of the consultant.

The syllabi of the currently listed PROSPECT courses, the NASA training

program, and short courses conducted by numerous universities have been reviewed

to develop general guides for subject matter for two recommended UTM. Summaries

of the courses reviewed are included as Appendix B. Topical coverage

was found to be reasonably consistent among the courses considered and specific

topics can be fairly easily grouped into general subject areas:

• Physical foundations

• Spectral characteristics of earth surface features

• Sensors and platforms

• Digital aaza acquisition and processing

• Digital image analysis

• Geographic information systems

• Applications

• Data analysis workshops

Most courses designed as "fundamental" or "advanced topics" used five

training days. While the USACE RS-Manager course has three training days, the

University of Kansas reports good results from one day orientation courses

conducted under NASA sponsorsh-p in 1981 (Martinko ; an3 Williams,._1981).

11
The training needs of the Corps can be met by designating two training

modules, a Remote Sensing Manager course of two working days, and a Remote

Sensing Technology course of five working days. Both will include material from

each of the general subject areas previously cited. The two modules will, of

course, differ in the scope and depth of coverage, as well as the distribution

of time between the general subject areas. Specialized training for individuals

who will be manipulating digital data or supervising consultants retained for

image analysis will be provided through additional hands-on workshop activities

as a part of the Remote Sensing Technology module.

Assignment of specific topics under each general subject area is at the

discretion► of the host university. It must be remembered that these modules are

not for a broad audience; rather, they are to be specifically tailored for

water resources specialists who need information that can be applied directly

to their problems. Thus, the material presented must center on hydrologic/water

resource applications and, therefore, should include reviews of hydrologic models

with emphasis on the translation of remotely sensed data into quantitative

information required for water related decision making. Although individual

universities. must have the flexibility to design the details of the modules

to reflect their own strengths and particular situations, Tables 1 and 2 can

serve as a guide to the general topics required to meet the needs of water

resources specialists.

Consideration should be given to conducting a r.,dule near, but not at, the

location of a large number of trainees from the !,,ame field office (Rib, 1981).

It should be noted that the course could be conducted at a hotel or other training

oriented facility near enough to avoid per diem, travel and the need for

participants to stay overnight. However, it should not be conducted within the

12
TABLE 1. RECOMMENVED TOPICS FOR REMOTE SENSING MANAGER COURSE

DAY ONE

• Objective of course

• Overview of computer based remote sensing/GIS capabilities

for water resource analysis

• Digital format sensor systems and their interpretations through

computer aided techniques

• Demonstration of Color CRT based image processing system

• Trade-off among sensor accuracy, economics, sensitivity of analytical

tools and sesnitivity of final decisions to quality of information

DAY TWO

• Structure and applications of geographical information systems

with emphasis on current USACE systems

Demonstration of terminal accessed, mainframe-based USACE GIS

• Trade-offs between in-house and consultant Supplied remote sensing/GIS

services

• Summary

• Critique

13
TABLE 2. RECOMMENDED TOPICS FOR REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY COURSE

DAY ONE

• Objective of course

• Review of Remote Sensing compatible USACE hydrologic

models and water resource inventory

requirements

Overview of computer based remote sensing/GIS capabilities

for water resources analysis

• Foundations for digital format remote sensing

• Sensor systems

DAY TWO

• Spectral signatures

• Computer aided image analysis I

• Computer processing/analysis workshop I

DAY THREE

• Computer aided image analysis II

• Computer processing/anlaysis workshop II

• Translation of sensor data into water related information

• Computer processing/analysis workshop III

DAY FOUR

• Geographical Information Systems

• Computer processing/analysis workshop IV

• Remote sensing-ancillary data-GIS interfacing

• Computer processing/analysis workshop V

DAY FIVE

• Computer processing/analysis workshop VI - A comprehensive

exercise simulating the steps invovled in a USACE watershed

study

• Summary

• Critique

14
offices because of the risk of participants being called out for imagined

emergencies, conferences and advice. A concept of customizing courses has been

developed by Davis and Bartolucci (1981) and might prove advantageous and cost

efficient under the proper circumstances.

The UTM concept includes the use of advance study material, a selfadministered pre-course examination, and a personal experience questionnaire

to be completed and returned by all trainees. Lecture outlines and references

will be provided at the time of instruction. A self-administered examination

will concluOe each course, along with recognition of course contp)gtion in the

form of a traiW.ng certificato.

The use of pre-course reveiw assignments to be completed and mailed in

prior to the class has been effectively employed in many training programs at

the USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC). HEC uses such material to

avoid spending class time on basic concepts and to appraise instructors of

student backgrounds and comprehension of basic concepts (HEC, 1981).

The responsibility of the university does not end, however, with the

conclusion of the original formal training period, but extends for a finite

period, perhaps two or three years, to be determined by negotiation. During

this sustaining period, each trainee will receive update and refresher information through newsletters published by the university, will be invited to

attend seminars and scholarly meetings sponsored by the university, and can

call upon university personnel for a reasonable amount of technical assistance

with remote sensing applications.

3. Supporting Materials

In keeping with the themes of academic freedom and innovation, it is

inappropriate to specify mandatory textbooks or references for UTM. It is

is

_ .7 
anticipated, however, that the principal references used will be the Remote

Sensing Application Guide (USACE EP 70-1-1, 1979). The Landsat Tutorial

Workbook (NASA RP-1078, 1982), Remote Sensing: The _%Matitatiye Approach

(Swain and Davis, 1978), Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation (Lillesand

and Kiefer, 1979), Manual of Remote Sensing (American Society of Photogrammetry,

4

1983), and the Proceedings of the USACE Remote Sensing Symposia (USACE, 1979a

and 1982). Universities will quite properly choose to include the published

works of their own faculty and other general works published subsequent to this

writing„ An excellent source of audio visual materials is the remote sensing

minicourse series developed and distributed by LARS, Purdue University.

4. Integration of Data Analysis and Information Systems Management

All training will include instruction and some level of hands-on manipulation of digital data, pattern recognition or classification and use of a

geographic data base management system. Coverage in the manager module is

necessarily minimal, but that of the technology module is sufficient to provide a comprehensive indoctrination to the techniques involved. The individuals

who complete the optional additional data analysis workGhop periods will be

sufficiently trained to evaluate contractor work in classification and other

forms of data analysis.

The application of modern remote sensing technology is hardware/software

intensive. Thus, it is mandatory that the participating university have the

proper computer equipment and related software if the program is to be successful

These hardware/software systems must be state-of-the-art with respect to image

processing, GIS, and water resource applications.

Participants must have meaningful exposure to a minicomputer supported

Image Display and Processing System (IDPS) on which the image processing

16
centers around a color cathode ray tube. This IDPS would be representative

of the type of equipment that the participants might require of a consultant

who would be retained to conduct image processing on a particular project.

In other instances, the consultant or the USACE field office might elect

w

to conduct image processing through the use of a remote terminal accessing

software via telephone lines connected to a mainframe central processing unit.

Thus, the participating university must have state-of-the-art software available on a mainframe computer with at least one desktop terminal for every two

participants.

The ultimate objective in the use of remote sensing is to improve the

quality of information available for the decisionmaking process. The interfacing of remotely sensed data with geographical information systems is a key

element in improving the quality and the efficiency of the water resource

related decisions. The subsequent interfacing of the information developed

through the remote sensing/GIS operations with a hydrologic model significantly

increases the power of the approach. In order to demonstrate these capabilities

to the participants, the university must have the current USACE hydrologic

models available on their computers or 3e able to access these models in a.

time-sharing mode. It will also be necessary for the university to have

available the current version of at least one USACE geographical information

systim. Because these specialized packages may not be found in many university

computer libraries, the USACE Requests for Proposals should include provisions

that would support the implementation of these models and GIS. Naturally, the

university will have whatevor software is needed to insure the easy interfacing

among sensor outputs, GIS and hydrologic models.

17
The period of training is quite short and, therefore, must be optimized

toward the problems that the participants will be encountering. Thus, the

imagery that will be used should be current and from the region in which the

participants will be working. If all of the participants happen to be from

a single district, the imagery used must be from that district. The university

will insure that adequate; supporting photography, topographic maps, and other

resources necessary for ground truth will be available.

S. Costs

It is virtually impossible to estimate the dollar or man year costs

associated with the UTM concept. Both personnel and equipment costs will

vary widely depending upon the assets and experience of the individual

universities selected as regional training centers.

There is no doubt that the modules will require each university to commit

a significant amount of manpower and fiscal resources to professional planning

and iiizixring the availability of suitable hardware and software, and a minor

allocation of resources to support the sustaining phase of the concept. It is

anticipated, however, that the cost of each module will not be significantly

greater than the cost of the current PROSPECT training courses, as only the

sustaining phase is a completely new feature.

A cost savings will result from the recommended deletion of the advanced

processing course currently offered under PROSPECT. It is also anticipated

that regional coordination of the modules will result in improved training

utilization. These two factors may well result in lower training costs per

individual trained.

18
III. REMOTE SENSING SYMPOSIUM

The 1981 USACE Remote Sensing Symposium was held November 30 to December

2, 1981, at the Radisson Plaza Nashville, in Nashville, Tennessee. There were

169 registered participants from the USACE, other government agencies, the

academic community, and severalcommercial firms.

The University of Maryland was responsible for program support and

logistical arrangements for the meeting. A separate report (RS',,, 1981) has

provided details on all coordination, arrangements, and financial matters.

Recommendations for improvement of the next symposium are as follows:

1. Increase advance publicity and distribution of Announcement and Call

for Papers.

2. Conduct an optional, one-day (day prior) orientation course on

Fundamentals of Remote Sensing. Many participants indicated an

interest in such a course.

3. Expedite publishing of the Proceedings so as to distribute as soon

as possible after the meeting.

19
IV. APPENDICES

20
APPENDIX A

REMOTE SENSING - MANAGER

138/WRSC

Short Title - REMOTE SENSING - MANAGER No. M4MR

Course Length: 24 Sours; Location: Varied

PUkPOSE

The course is designed for managerial personnel who are or will be associated with t

applications of a relatively new technology, remote sensing, to problem areas where

they play a decision-making role. The manager will he able to converse in the

language of the technology and to understand the fundamental aspects of remote

sensing, sensors, and application techniques. Photogrammetry will not be included.

DESCRIPTION

Topics to be covered in this course include: Fundamentals of remote sensing; e.g.,

description of 1 •ight spectrum radiation, etc., a definition and description of sensor

currently used in aircraft and satellite programs, an introduction to the use 'of prob

ability and statistical functions in analyzing remotely sensed data, the need for

"ground verification of data and ground truth techniques", nomenclature used in remot

sensing work, and application of remotely sensed data. Visual aids and classroom

demonstration of applications will be used to illustrate principles. Demonstrations

will be based primarily on data from LANDSAT satellites.

PREREQUISITES

Nominees must be assigned:

a. Corps Stratification: Planning, *Environment b Studies (A-3); and Operations

*Resource Management (C-4).

b. Occupational Series: Selectee! 0400, 0800, and 1300.

c. Grade: GS-13 or above.

d. Other: Nominees should be assigned management responsibilities in areas of

planning, engineering, or regulatory functions. No specific subject matter backgroun

is required.

A-1
i

REMOTE SENSING - FUNDAMENTALS

196/

Short Title - REMOTE SENSING - FUNDAMENT No. 

Course Length: 40 Hours; Location: Varied

PURPOSE

This is a lecture-lab demonstration course designed to provide an understandind o

fundamentals of remote sensing technology as it is applied to environmental pheno

The course will stress the basic, of remote sensing= including information about 

nature of light and optics, the classical properties of electromagnetic waves and

their interaction with matter, and a review of radiation heat transfer. The work

principles of primary remote sensors will be discussed and will include an overvi

sensors and sensor platforms. An introduction to weather and earth resources sat

lites ioill be included. Photogrammetry will not be included in this course.

DESCRIPTION

The course will be broken down into three parts:

The first part will deal with energy and matter relationships: a. Concept of for

fields; b. geometrical optics; c. properties of oloctromagnetic waves; d. review 

black body radiation laws; and e. energy-matter interaction and atmospheric inter

tion.

c

The second with the technical aspects of the primary sensors in operation: Elect

optical systems (non-photographic) a. radar imagers; b. passive microwave imagers

c. infrared, visible, and ultraviolet imagers; d. thermal scanners; and e. sonar.

And the third with the demonstration-of data processing techniques, image interpr

tion, and techniques for optically enhancing, enlarging, and clarifying imagery.

Demonstration of remote sensing applications a. land use, forestry, geography,

geology, hydrology, meterology, oceanography, etc.; b. general discussion of COE

problem areas vith participants; and c. data bases.

PREREQUISITES

Nominees must be assigned:

ca. Corps Stratification: Planning, *Planning b Reports #(A-1), Environment 

Studies (A-3); and Operations, *Resource Management (C-4).

b. Occupational Series: Selected 0400, 0800, and'1300.

ce Grade: GS-07 thru 12.

d. Other: (1) Nominees are, or will be, involved in the acquisition interpre

tion and application of remotely sensed data. (2) This course is a prerequisite f

Remote Sensing - Advanced Digital Image Processing and Analysis.

A-2
t^

REMOTE SENSING - ADVANCED DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS

194/W

Short Title - ADV DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESS No. P4

Course Length: 40 Hours; Location: Varied

PURPOSE

This is a course designed to provide advanced training and "hands-on" experience 

processing and analyzing multispectral scanner data. The course provides consider

laboratory experience so that the students will acquire confidence in the use of 

tal data.

DESCRIPTION

The coursebriefly reviews the basic concepts of remote sensing and data handling

techniques as they apply to the analysis of digitally recorded multispectral scann

data. Systems hardware, software, and procedures for their use are studied in det

Problem analyses are demonstrated with preprocessed, scanned data sets., The pers

attending the course will be provided with the opportunity to work in a hands-on

environment with assistance from the instructors as necessary. Subjects to be

included in the Processing Laboratory are Landsat, NOAH (TIROS) and other Satelli

data processing techniques; the statistical analysis of Landsat data, including pa

tern recognition and image classification, image processing hardware and image pr

cessing , geograplJ c referencing, ground truth operations, data base development a

applications, and interactive analysis.

PREREQUISITES

Nominees must be assigned:

a. Corps Stratification: Planning, *Planning b Reports /(A-1); *Environment

A Studies (A-3); and Operations, *Resource Management (C-4).

b. Occupational Series: Selected 0400, 0800, and 1300.

c. Grade: GS-07 thru 12.

d. Other:

(1) Nominees are, or will be, involved in the acquisition, interpretation

and application of remotely sensed data.

(2) Atter♦ dance in a Remote Sensing Fundamentals Course or an equivalent

experience, is required for this course. Some knowledge of data processing techni

would be helpful but it is not mandatory.

A-3
APPENDIX B

George Washington University, School of Engineering and Applied Science

Five-day Short Course in Remote Sensing Fundamentals,

REMOTE SENSING FOR GLOBAL RESOURCE APPLICATIONS: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES,

Scheduled for October 1982 (GWU, 1982)

Topical Outline

Overview of Electomagnetic Remote Sensing

Physics of Electromagnetic Radiation

Remote Sensing Systems

Remote Sensing Data Availability

Principles of Remote Sensing Image Formation

Principles of Image Analysis and Interpretation

Principles of Digital Enhancement of Image Data

Principles of Digital Classification of Image Data

Forestry Applications

Agriculture and Range Applications

Geologic Applications

Hydrologic Applications

Geographic Applications

Geographical Coding of Land Use Data

Land Use Applications

Future Trends in Remote Sensing from Space

Future Trends for Applications of Remote Sensing Technology for Global Resource

Problems

B-1
Murray State {University, Mid-America Remote Sensing Center

Five-day short course in Remote Sensing Fundamentals conducted

in conjunction with NASA Earth Resources Laboratory,

October 5-9, 1981 (MSU, 1981)

Course Outline

First Day

Introduction and Course Overview

Remote Sensing/Manual Interpretation

USGS/EROS Data Center

Digital Image Concepts and Techniques

Applications of Remote Sensing

S.)cond Day

Pattern Recognition

Image Enhancement

Landsat Applications in Management and Planning

Soils Mapping Laboratory

Third Day

Introduction to Unsupervised Classification

Thresholds/Signatures/Point Cluster Analysis

Ground Truth/Training Sample Selection

Minerals Exploration Demonstration

Fourth Day

Refined Supervised Classification/Georeferencing

Classification Demonstration

Fifth Day

Geographic Information Systems

Grey-level Plots and Chromalin

Chromalin Demonstration

Digitzer/Plotter Demonstration

B-2
NASA, Eastern Regional Remote Sensing Applications Center

Five-day ERRSAC Remote Sensing Training Course

(ERRSAC, 1981)

Course Outline

First Day

Introduction and Overview

Major Principles of Remote Sensing

LANDSAT System Products, Image Interpretation

Image vs. Digital Image Processing

IDIMS Demonstration/Image Analysis

Second Day

Steps in LANDSAT Project

Spectral Reflectance Characteristics of Vegetation

TIC/Brouse Library 

Statistics fLr LANDSAT Data Analysis

Self-Teaching Aids

Hands-on ASTEP

Third Day

Ground Truth and Training Site Selection

ASTEP

Spectral Characteristic of Earth Surface Features

Applications (1)

Fourth Day

ASTEP

GIS

Applications (2)

Accuracy Assessment

Fifth Day

Other Image Processing Systems

Ground Truth Field Trip

Review

Optional Time

B-3
Purdue University, Laboratory for Application of Remote Sensing

Standard Five-day Course in Numerical. Analysis of Remote Sensing Data

(LABS, 1982)

Core Subject Areas

Introduction to and Background of Remote Sensing

Multispectr4l Sensors

Spectral Characteristi2s of Earth Surface Features

Pattern Recognition Applied to Remote Sensing

LANDSAT Data Analysis Workshop

Remote Sensing Applications (2)

Optional Units

Radiation Theory and Instrumentation

Photgraphic Systems

Remote Snsng Applications (Additional)

Data Processing

B-4 .
University of Georgia, Center for Continuing Education

Five-day short course in Remote Sensing Fundamentals

Conducted by the Department of Geography, University

of Georgia, and the Engineering Experiment Station,

Georgia Tech University, in cooperation witn the

NASA Earth Resources Laboratory

January 19-23, 1981 (UGA, 1980)

Course Outline

First Day

Introduction

1ANDSAT Program

Image Processing Concepts and Analysis Techniques

Digital Image Preprocessing and Enhancement, Classification and Data

Second Day

Applications in Earth Science

Supervised Classification of Land Cover/Use

Third Day

Supervised Classification (Continued)

Analysis of Accuracy and Reliability of Classifications

Fourth Day

Description, Demonstration and Hands-on Experience with Image Analysis

Hardware

Fifth Day

Data Display and Comparison with Photographs

Merits of Landsat Classification and Image Enhancement Techniques

Geographic Data Base

B-5
University of Kansas Applied Remote Sensing (KARS) Program

One-day and Five-day Short Courses in Remote Sensing Fundamentals

Conducted under NASA Contract in 1981

(Martinko and Williams, 1981)

One-Day Short Course Topics

Overview of Remote Fanning

• The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Remote Sensing Platforms

Remote Sensing Systems

Interpretation and Use of Remote 'Sensing Data

Manual Interpretations

Digital Interpretations

Collateral Data

Remote Sensing Applications

Planning

Agricultural

Sources of Remote Sensing Data

Five-Day Short Course Topics

Introduction to Remote Sensing

Physical Principles of Remote Sensing

Remote Sensing Systems and Platforms

LANDSAT

Manual Image Interpretation

Interpretation of Aerial Photography

Analysis of LANDSAT Imagery

Numerical Analysis of LANv"DSAT Data

Supervised Classification

Unsupervised Classification

Field Data Collection in Support of Remote Sensing

Applications of Remote Sensing

Geographic Data Bases

Acquisition of Remote Sensing-Data

B-6
R-1

V. REFERENCES

American Society of Photogrammetry, Manual of Remote Sensing, 2nd Edition,

Falls Church, VA, 1983.

Davis, D.W., "Corps Activities in Spatial Data Management," Proceedings of

the 1981 USACE Remote Sensing Symposium, USAGE, Washington, 1,982, pp. 8-23.

Davis, S.M. and Bartolucci, L.A., "Customized Remote Sensing Short Course,"

Proceedings of the 1981 Conference on Remote Sensing Education, Purdue

University, West Lafayette, IN, 1981, pp. 93-99.

Fellows, J.D. and Ragan, R.M., "A Data Base System for Real Time Hydrologic

Modeling," Proceedings of the Civil Engineering Application of Remote Sensing

Specialty Conference, ASCE, Madison, WI, August 1980.

Gay, F.T., "Keynote Address: Today's Challenge with Remote Sensing Technology,"

Proceedings of the 1981 USACE Remote Sensing Symposium, USACE, Washington,

'J82, pp. 3-10.

George Washington University (GWU), Announcement for Course 488DC, "Remote

Sensing for Global Resource Applications: Principles and Techniques,"

Course dates - October 18-22, 1982, School of Engineering and Applied Science,

Washington, DC, June 1982.

Hill, J.M., "Federal and State Short Courses Offered by RSIP at Louisiana

State University," Proceedings of the 1981 Conference on Remote Sensing

Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 1981; pp. 152-155.

Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), Course Notes for Short Course, "Hydrologic

Analysis of Floods," August 10-14, 1981, USACE, Davis, CA, 1981.

Jarman, J.W., "Program Overview," Proceedings of the 1981 USACE'Remote'Sensing

Symposium USACE, Washington, 1982, pp. 1..

Martinko, E.A. and Williams, T.H.L.,"RemoteSensing Short Courses in Kansas,"

Space Technology Center, University of Kansas, August, 1981.

Moore, G.K., "Processing Capabilities for Hydrologic-Information Systems,"

Proceedings of the 1981'USACE Remote'Sensina Symposium, USACE, Washington,

1982, pp. 114-130.

Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing (LABS), Course Notes for Short

Course, "Remote Sensing Fundamentals," March 23-27, 1981, Purdue University,

West Lafayette, IN, 1981.

, Course Notes for Short Course, "Remote Sensing -

Advanced Digital Image Processing and Analysis," May 4-8, 1981, Purdue

University, West Lafayette, IN, 1981a.
"

R-2

...

, Announcement for Course, "Numerical Analysis of Remote

Sensing Data," as amended by personal letter from Training Coordinator,

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 1982.

Lillesand, T. and Kiefer, R.N., Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation,

Wiley, NY, 1979. ---

Vurray State University (HSU), Announcement for Course, "Application and

Processing of Landsat Data," Course dates October S-9, 1981, Mid-America

Remo, :a Sensing Center, Murray, KY,'1981.

NASA, Course Notes for Short Course, '"ERRSAC Remote Sensing Training Course,"

June 8-12, 1981, NASA-GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, 1981.

Landsat Tutorial Workbook (NASA RP-1078), GPO, Washington,

1982.

National Research Council (NRC), "Remote Sensing for Water Resources and

Hydrology: An Assessment of the Corps of Engineers Program," Panel on

Remote Sensing for Water Resources, Space Application Board, National

Academy Press, Washington, 1981.

Ragan, R.M., "Use of Remotely Sensed Data in Hydrologic Models," Proceedings

of the 1981 USACE Remote Sensing Symposium, USACE, Washington, 1982, pp. 11-23.

Rib, H.T., "Experiences in Presenting Remote Sensing Short Courses in the

Transportation Fields," Proceedings of the 1981 Conference on Remote Sensing

Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 1981, pp. 146-151.

Remote Sensing Systems Laboratory (RSSL),"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Remote

Sensing Symposium: Final Report," University of Maryland, College Park, MD,

December 1981.

Swain, P.H. and Davis, S.M. (Eds.), Remote Sensing: The Quantitative Approach,

McGraw-Hill, New York, 1978.

University of Georgia (UGA), Announcement for Course,"Recent Advances in

Remote Sensing," Course dates January 19-23, 1981, Center for Continuing

Education, Athens, GA, 1980.

USACE, Remote Sensing Applications Guide (Engr. Pam 70-1-1), Department of

the Army, Washington, October 1979.

Proceedings of the 1979 USACE Remote Sensing Symposium, USACE,

Washington, 1979a.

Weinstein, R.H., "Remote Sensing Education in NASA's Technology Transfer

Program," Proceedings of the 1981 Conference on Remote Sensing Education,

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 1981, pp. 316-320.