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EMSC3025/6025: Remote Sensing of Water Resources
Remote Sensing of Water Resources
EMSC3025/6025
Dr. Sia Ghelichkhan
Welcome
Remote Sensing of Water Resources
Second time around
- I first ran this course in Semester 2, 2025; this is the second offering, Semester 2, 2026.
- Responding to your feedback, the remote sensing material is now taught inside the course, woven into each topic, rather than sitting apart from it.
- Groundwater is treated as one component of the water cycle that we simply spend more time on — not as a separate subject.
- From 2027 the course is renamed Global Water Resources. The content stays much the same, but the emphasis shifts: remote sensing as a tool for understanding and modelling water, rather than the topic itself.
Our Relationship to Water
What is water to you?
Our Relationship to Water
What is water to Sia Ghelichkhan?
- I am an Earth scientist with a strong interest in fluid dynamics and numerical modelling.
- My research is primarily focused on developing numerical methods to better understand Earth processes involving fluid flow.
- These processes include groundwater flow, glacial-isostatic adjustment of the Earth’s surface, and mantle convection—each of which can be described as fluid dynamics under the right conditions.
- My main area of expertise is in data assimilation, aiming to improve our understanding of complex Earth systems through the integration of models and observations.
Course Objectives
What is this course about
- Demonstrate an understanding of the different components of water in the landscape and how they interact.
- Undertake quantitative analysis and interpretation of actual data related to water in Australia.
- Understand the principles of groundwater and the physics of groundwater flow.
- Understand a variety of remote sensing satellite missions and how the observations inform water research.
- Critically evaluate technical reports and journal articles.
- Synthesise key concepts in hydrology to understand changes in water resources.
Structure of the course
Note: our pace may shift the content. Weeks 9—12 are new — last year’s case studies were US aquifers, courtesy of the USGS; this year, Australian ones.
| Week | Topic | What we cover |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction and the water cycle | The course; the global and catchment water cycle; observing water from space |
| 2 | Precipitation | Precipitation processes and measurement; satellite precipitation (GPM/TRMM) |
| 3 | Evapotranspiration | Physical controls on evaporation and transpiration; how we sense it from space |
| 4 | Runoff and streamflow | Hydrographs, catchments, gauging; satellite altimetry (SWOT) |
| 5 | Groundwater — principles | Porosity, occurrence and flow; total water storage from GRACE gravity |
| 6 | Groundwater — aquifers | Aquifer types, transmissivity and storativity |
| 7 | Theory of groundwater flow I | Darcy’s law, the flow equation, boundary conditions |
| 8 | Theory of groundwater flow II | Unsaturated zone and soil moisture (SMAP/SMOS); flow in fractures |
| 9 | Australian aquifers | Case studies — new material this year |
| 10—12 | Water, management and climate | Your paper critiques; groundwater management; synthesis and revision |
Course Materials
- Canvas will provide all the necessary resources for this course.
- watercourse.earth is the course website. It is part of me experimenting with new ways of delivering the course.
- Two textbooks carry most of the course:
- Davie & Quinn (2019), Fundamentals of Hydrology, 3rd ed., Routledge — water cycle, precipitation, evaporation, runoff.
- Schwartz & Zhang (2024), Fundamentals of Groundwater, 2nd ed., Wiley — soil moisture, aquifers, flow theory, management.
- I will add extra material as we go: (AI generated) podcasts, short-format videos that I hope to put online, and links to articles.
- Use Canvas to ask questions and discuss the course material.
- I am looking forward to your feedback on the course.
Assessment
How is the course going to be assessed?
pie showData
"Assignments" : 40
"Oral Critique" : 20
"Tutorial Participation" : 10
"Exam" : 30| Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assignments | 40% |
| Oral critique | 20% |
| Tutorial participation | 10% |
| Exam | 30% |
Assignments
Assignment I (10%)
- Precipitation.
- Out now, due Friday 21 August
- Analysing a precipitation record.
Assignment II (15%)
- Total water storage.
- Posted Week 5, due Friday 25 September
- Deriving soil moisture and groundwater change from GRACE space gravity.
Assignment III (15%)
- Groundwater.
- Posted Week 9, due Friday 23 October
- Analysing groundwater levels and storage.
Note
- Assignments are posted on Canvas; the first one is already there, so you can start before we cover the lecture material.
- The three assignments are worth 10%, 15% and 15% (40% in total).
Paper Critique
1. Oral Presentation
- Each student presents a selected paper (10-minute talk). (Chosen from a list of papers, first come first serve)
- Presentations take place in Week 10.
- Assessed by the instructor; worth 20% of the course.
2. Engagement
- Attend the presentations.
- Ask questions and take part in the discussion.
Schedule
EMSC3025 / EMSC6025 Timetable – Semester 2
| Time | Monday | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|
| 09–10 | Lecture, R1.02, J8 | Tutorial, R1.02, J8 |
| 10–11 | Lecture, R1.02, J8 | Tutorial, R1.02, J8 |
| 11–12 | Computer Lab, R1.02, J8 |
Note
Participation is assessed in the Wednesday tutorial.
Lecturers
Dr. Sia Ghelichkhan (he/him)
siavash.ghelichkhan@anu.edu.au
Building J4 room L18
All lectures
Liam Morrow (he/him)
liam.morrow@anu.edu.au
Wednesday tutorials
Sruthy Sajeev
Wednesday computer labs
Note
Some of the remote-sensing material draws on lectures given by Prof. Paul Tregoning in previous years.
Course Organisation
Tutorials
- Explanation/revision of maths techniques
- Sample exam-type questions
- Python examples
- Tutorials might explain how to do the assignments
- Participation is assessed here: have a go at the problems and take part in the discussion. It is engagement, not attendance — turn up and join in and you get the marks.
Comp Labs
- Drop-in sessions to work on assignments.
- Run by Sruthy Sajeev, who will be there to help you.
Class Representative
- The “voice” of the class
- Meets with Associate Director Education mid-semester and near the end of semester
- Provide feedback on arrangements and performance of lecturer/tutors
- AD Education passes feedback to us so that we can improve the course
Need a volunteer. Email me if interested.
Looking for more?
There are research opportunities!
There are opportunities to undertake research projects related to this course, particularly in numerical modeling of groundwater systems.
Please contact me if you are interested in pursuing these research opportunities!
Questions?
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