GEOM30009 Imaging the Environment Assignment 1 Brief 2026 | UOM Australia

GEOM30009 Assignment 1 Brief

Objective

The purpose of this exercise is to learn how to visually interpret satellite images and identify various features and land cover types. You will learn that using certain indicators will assist you in image interpretation and identification of different features.

Background

Aerial and satellite images are invaluable sources of information for understanding our natural and built environments. However, certain characteristics of aerial and satellite images makes their interpretation and understanding less straightforward. Specifically, the angle and altitude at which aerial and satellite images are taken are vastly different from the horizontal ground level views that we are used to, giving an unfamiliar perspective to what may otherwise be a normal image. Additionally, most airborne and spaceborne cameras can capture wavelengths of light beyond the visible spectrum, such as infrared. Consequently, different features and objects may not necessary appear in their natural colour.

Because of such issues, we use the following basic indicators to assist visual interpretation and feature identification while analysing aerial and satellite images:

1. Tone/Hue/Colour – the relative brightness/colour of features. For example, in a natural colour image dense healthy vegetation usually appears dark green, whereas grassland appears light green.
2. Texture what gives us the impression of smooth or rough texture. For example, water is characterised by a smooth texture, whereas sand dunes have a rough texture.
3. Shape regular geometries generally signify human influence (e.g. Buildings)
4. Size scale and shadows
5. Pattern consider how trees in a park may form no regular pattern, but trees along a roadside have a linear pattern.
6. Associations – features that belong and don’t belong together (e.g. Oil refineries will not be in a residential area).
7. Location knowledge about the location of the image can help identify its features (e.g. snow and ice in an image of polar regions).

Data

Five images, which have been uploaded in Canvas, will be used for this assignment. The dataset can be downloaded from Canvas under “Assignment

1: Image interpretation”.

Tasks

Your task is to visually analyse each of the five images and identify the main features using the above indicators, i.e., tone, texture, shape, size, pattern, location and association. Note that some images might be false-colour (i.e., not natural colour).
HINT: Each image has a .txt file next to it containing information about the sensor, spatial resolution, time and location. Please make sure you have downloaded both .jpg and .txt files.

Submission

This is a group assignment. Each group submits one group report. All group members are expected to contribute to the assignment and the report.

We expect you to write a 600 words scientific report and include the following content. You can add more words if necessary but please keep it below the word limit, which is 2000 words.

Your report should consist of seven sections as bellow:

a. Introduction
b. Image 001: Discussion
c. Image 002: Discussion
d. Image 003: Discussion
e. Image 004: Discussion
f. Image 005: Discussion
g. Conclusion

2. Provide a proper introduction to address the purpose of image interpretation and clearly state the aim of your report.

3. Provide one paragraph discussion for each image including the following content:
a. Describe the image features. Mention the indicators that help you identify those features. Your interpretation should be based on the following indicators: Tone/Hue/Colour, Texture, Shape, Size, Pattern, Associations and Location.
b. Explain how you distinguish features with similar appearances, e.g. ice, cloud, and smoke. If a feature appears in an unnatural (false) colour, explain why it appears that way.
C. When referring to a certain feature mention where it is in the image (e.g. top-left corner, the bottom-right corner).
d. If you explained a feature in an image you do not need to explain it again for another image using the same indicators. For example, if you explained a water body in an image, try to focus on other features in the next image (e.g. vegetation, roads, etc.) and explain those.
e. Your discussion should be based on visual interpretation. However, you can do an internet search (e.g., using the time and location of image capture) to support your interpretation.

4. In the conclusion section reflect on your findings and what you learned about image interpretation.

5. Provide a reference list if your text includes any information from other sources. You may use any of the referencing styles commonly used at the University, but be consistent (https://library.unimelb.edu.au/recite/referencing-styles).

Submit a digital version of your report via Canvas and in .pdf format only.

Evaluation

The assessment of group assignments consists of two parts: the group report mark, and the peer evaluation mark. Through the peer evaluation, each group member will anonymously rate the contribution of their other group members to the project. After the peer evaluation (PE), each group member receives an individual mark for the assignment calculated as:
Individual assignment mark = group report mark* (total PE mark/ average PE total)

Group report marking rubric

Peer evaluation (PE)

Peer evaluation ensures that your individual assignment mark reflects your contribution to the group report, whether it was average, below average, or above average. After the group report is submitted, each group member will provide feedback on the other members of their group. More details about the PE process and the rubric used can be found on LMS.

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