Field methods play an important role in geological remote sensing studies for validation of remote sensing interpretations and characterization of rocks and geological environments.
This course introduces students to state-of-the-art methods for field validation and characterization of rock and outcrop. Methods include the acquisition of measurements of mineralogical and chemical rock composition and physical rock properties. Acquisition of field data is practiced with a variety of field instruments, including reflectance and gamma-ray spectrometers and portable XRF.
The preparation and execution of a field campaign is also practiced in this course. A remote sensing study is performed prior to field work and forms the basis for the preparation of detailed field data acquisition plans. Data collection using various sampling strategies and different instruments will be exercised in the field and includes assessment of data quality. Results of the field campaign are analysed, interpreted and integrated with the results of desk studies. Additional measurements may be performed in the ITC geoscience laboratory.