GEO5120 - Geospatial Analytics

Course Description

This class introduces geospatial solutions to grand societal challenges. Emphasis is placed on the roles that location intelligence and geospatial technology play in scientific discovery. Discussion of emerging technologies to tackle grand challenges such as controlling the spread of infectious disease, providing access to clean water, human mobility and migration, and creating smart and connected cities.

Course Outline

• Methods of data collection - GPS, location sensors, social media, mobile devices, satellite imagery
• Spatial relationship between people and places
• Big data, data storage, and management and cloud computing
• Visualization of spatio-temporal trends and shifts
• Real-time location intelligence
• Geopolitics and natural resources
• Geospatial modeling and applications
  • Countering wildlife poaching
  • Mapping illicit drug networks
  • Mapping and control of global pandemic
  • Predicting business earnings from satellite remote sensing
  • Predicting social unrest and stability
  • Geospatial analysis of human mobility and migration
  • Water and infectious disease mapping
  • Smart and connected cities

Learner Outcomes

• To become familiar with emerging data collection techniques and tools
• To be able to apply big data analytics to identify patterns like hotspots, distance, proximity, contiguity and affiliation that are hidden in massive datasets
• To master the skills to visualize changes and patterns related to natural resources, human geography, and socio-economic data for informed decision making

Duration