Electronics Engineering

GENERAL The module aims to describe in depth the principles and related applications of remote sensing techniques (both passive and active) operating in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It reviews the technical characteristics of passive (radiometers) and active (radar) sensors. It illustrates the physical bases, and in particular, the electromagnetic models describing the emission, absorption and scattering of the radiation by natural media (atmosphere, sea, land). It illustrates the main applications and the methods to retrieve bio-geophysical parameters of the atmosphere, sea surface and land (soil and vegetation) from microwave remote sensing data, including interferometry and polarimetric methods. SPECIFIC  Knowledge and understanding: understand the interaction mechanisms between electromagnetic waves and natural media and the sensor principles in order to interpret the remotely sensed data in the microwave spectra.  Applying knowledge and understanding: develop simulation models predicting the response of microwave remote sensing sensors and retrieval algorithms to support the mission definition and system design and fulfil the final application requirements. Develop algorithms to retrieve bio- geophysical parameters of the atmosphere, ocean and land (bare soil and vegetation) by techniques of inversion of forward electromagnetic models, interferometry and polarimetry.  Critical and judgmental skills: understand the technical and scientific literature about microwave remote sensing and develop the capability to select methods and techniques suitable to fulfil the requirements of the system to be developed.  Communication skills: interact with other students and the teachers when carrying out simple exercises (data processing, quizzes) and presenting the results in order to check their comprehension and train the problem-solving capability.  Learning skills: understand the physical and mathematical bases of remote sensing to be able to learn new applications different from the ones described during the course.