Basic Remote

Sensing and
Google Earth
Engine
Syllabus
Session 1 (Introduction to Remote Sensing and Google Earth Engine)
1. Definition and principle of remote sensing
2. Type of remote sensing ; Passive vs Active
3. Electromagnetic Spectrum to earth surface
4. Application of Remote Sensing
5. Overview of Earth Engine
6. Understanding Google Earth Engine Interface : Code Editor, Console, and Map
7. Exploring GEE Data Catalog
8. Basic Javascript Syntax
Session 2 (Vegetation, water, and moisture indices code along)
1. Understanding composite and multispectral indices
2. Code along on creating composite and formulating indices (vegetation, water,
moisture indices)
3. Comparative analytic on different time data, calculating NDVI difference.
4. Download and exporting images to drive
What is Remote
Sensing?

Figure 22: Animation of flood devastating

Bangladesh acquired on 4 May, 16 May,
28 May, 9 June and 21 June 2022. [Ref:
ESA
Remote sensing is the science of obtaining information about objects Copernicus Sentinel-1 maps Bangladesh
or areas from a distance, typically from aircraft or satellites, by
measuring electromagnetic radiation that is reflected or emitted from flood
the Earth's surface. Jensen, J. R. (2007)
Type of remote sensing sensors
Active Sensors Passive Sensors
● Relies on energy emitted or reflected from the ● Sends out its own energy (e.g., radar,
target (e.g., sunlight) lidar)
● Records and analyzes the reflected energy ● Receives and analyzes the reflected
● Requires sunlight energy
● Cannot penetrate clouds or dense vegetation ● Can operate day or night
● Examples: optical imagery (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel) ● Can penetrate clouds and vegetation
● Examples: radar, lidar, sonar
Optical Remote Sensing
● Each wavelength correspond to an earth object differently
● Not all object always stand out in every band/wavelength. Therefore the use of
band manipulation and compositing is useful to identify an object in earth
Data Resources & Processing
Imageries
Government Agencies:

1. Google Earth Engine: https://earthengine.google.com/

2. NASA Worldview: https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/

3. European Space Agency (ESA) Copernicus Open Access Hub:

https://scihub.copernicus.eu/

4. USGS EarthExplorer: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

5. Alaska Satellite Facility (SAR Datasets) https://asf.alaska.edu/datasets Processing Software :

Non-Government Organizations: - ENVI
- QGIS
1. Planet Labs*: https://www.planet.com/
- ArcGIS
2. Maxar Technologies*: https://www.maxar.com/ - ER Mapper
- SNAP
3. Sentinel Hub: https://www.sentinel-hub.com/
Why earth engine?
No Need High
End PC Specs!
Earth engine is a cloud based platform that
enables user to perform large scale
processing in satellite imageries.

PROS +

● Open Source (free)

● Massive Data Collection CONS -
● Cloud based platform (running in a
low-end computer)
● Powerful Image processing tools ● Internet connection
● Scalability dependency
● Reproducibility ● Steep learning curve
Application of Google Earth
Engine

Change detection NBR (burn ratio) Global Forest Watch

Flood Mapping Climate data Chart Analysis Carbon biomass

Registering To Earth Engine

1. Go To https://earthengine.google.com
2. Select Get Started on Top right corner
3. Register google cloud project
4. Create a new google cloud project
5. Alternatively access directly to
https://code.earthengine.google.com
Select Register a Noncommercial
or Commercial Cloud Project

Choose Unpaid Usage

Create a new Goolge Cloud Project
Confirmation
 Earth Engine GUI
1. Script Manager are place to store EE
repositories or scripts,
API Documentation for any Javascript
function availables,
Asset Manager for storing our assets like
AOI shapefiles and rasters
2. Code Editor for writing our scripts with
1 2 3 Javascript-based language.
3. Output windows containing Inspector tab,
Console, and task.
Inspector tab useful for inspecting our
4 data,
Console return the results of our scripting
and useful for debugging
Tasks for showing any jobs running and
export procedure
4. Map windows for visualize result in spatial
map, layering, and control tools
Earth Engine Code Editor | Google Earth
Engine | Google for Developers
Assets Manager
● Asset manager is a place to storing
our AOI in a shapefile or CSV, and
Image (GeoTiff)
● It support format zip and files
containing (.shp,.shx,.dbx,.prj)

Managing Assets | Google Earth Engine |

Google for Developers
 Earth Engine Data Catalog
● Contained all pre-processed satellite
dataset with open source access
● Containing dataset image properties,
bands information, date availability,
and pre-processing description

++ More Images
Landsat Sentinel SRTM

> 200 public datasets, Update Daily!

Link Earth Engine Data Catalog | Google for Developers

Basic Script in Earth Engine
Variables are a container for
storing any types of data (string,
float, integer, boolean, List,
Dictionary, and even a function
Function, a bunch of code that
uses to apply some step of code or
algorithm
Map(), a syntax to iterate function
over a collections
Data Types :
String is a text, Float storing
decimals number, Integer a
number without decimals, Boolean
is a true or false (0/1)
ee.Reducer
Reducing is the way to aggregate data over
time, space, bands, arrays and other data
structures in Earth Engine.
 2
Multispectral
Indices and
Code Along
 Composite and Spectral Indices?
composite combines different spectral
bands into a single image. Each band
represents specific wavelengths (e.g.,
visible, infrared), and together they
highlight various features like
vegetation, water, or urban areas. This
helps in analyzing specific
characteristics of Earth's surface by
using the unique information each
band provides.
Spectral indices are formulas that
combine reflectance data from two or
more spectral bands to highlight
specific features or conditions on the
Earth’s surface.

Landsat 8 Bands and Band Combinations -

GIS Geography
What is NDVI and NDMI?
NDVI is used to quantify vegetation NDMI is used to determine vegetation water
greenness and is useful in understanding content. It is calculated as a ratio between the
vegetation density and assessing changes in NIR and SWIR values in traditional fashion.
plant health. NDVI is calculated as a ratio
(NIR - SWIR) / (NIR + SWIR)
between the red (R) and near infrared (NIR)
values in traditional fashion:
In Landsat 4-7, NDMI = (Band 4 – Band 5) /
(Band 4 + Band 5).
(NIR - R) / (NIR + R)

In Landsat 8-9, NDMI = (Band 5 – Band 6) /

In Landsat 4-7, NDVI = (Band 4 – Band 3) /
(Band 5 + Band 6).
(Band 4 + Band 3).

In Landsat 8-9, NDVI = (Band 5 – Band 4) /

(Band 5 + Band 4).
What is NDWI?
NDWI are focusing on the presence and extent of surface water. It helps to identify
potential flooding and body of water

Equation :

NDWI = (GREEN - NIR)/(GREEN + NIR)

For Landsat 7 data:

NDWI = (Band 2 – Band 4)/(Band 2 + Band 4)

For Landsat 8 data:

NDWI = (Band 3 – Band 5)/(Band 3 + Band 5)
References
● Get Started with Earth Engine | Google Earth Engine | Google for Developers
● An Overview of Indices in Remote Sensing - Geoawesome
● What is Remote Sensing? | Earthdata (nasa.gov)
● Photos and videos show the severe flooding in Bangladesh and India - The Washington
Post
● NDVI, VARI, and Other Vegetation Index in Agriculture✔ (geopard.tech)
● Landsat 8 Bands and Band Combinations - GIS Geography