Welcome to Google Earth Engine Training

Introduction

Google Earth Engine is a cloud-based platform that enables large-scale processing of satellite imagery to detect changes, map trends, and quantify differences on the Earth’s surface. This course covers the full range of topics in Earth Engine to give the participants practical skills to master the platform and implement their remote sensing projects.

Objectives

The main objective is to train GIS and Remote Sensing Experts on the SCAFS project in the basics of satellite image processing in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) Environment by leveraging on the Google Earth high-resolution imagery and the GEE cloud-based data processing capacities for land use mapping, spatiotemporal analysis on forest monitoring and cartographic visualization.

1. Introduce the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) model
2. Work through application examples
3. Facilitate a dissemination workshop on the map outputs

Sign-up for Google Earth Engine

• If you already have a Google Earth Engine account, you can skip this step.
• Visit https://signup.earthengine.google.com/ and sign-up with your Google account. You can use your existing gmail account to sign-up. It usually takes 1-2 days for approval. Hence do this step as soon as possible.

Tips to ensure smooth sign-up process:

• Use Google Chrome browser.
• When signing up for Earth Engine, please log out of all Google accounts and ensure you are logged into only 1 account which you want associated with Earth Engine.

Computer hardware and software

📌 Google Earth Engine runs from an internet browser. No specific software needs to be installed. For best performance the Chrome browser is recommended. Furthermore an internet connection is required, because all work is done online.

Prerequisites

• Fundamental understanding of basic remote sensing
• Prior understanding of the basic concepts of programming is not required but may be helpful

Workshop - Google Earth Engine Training

Day 1 Introduction to Google Earth Engine (GEE)

Module 1 - Basics to Earth Engine and Github

• Overview of GEE
• Introduction to JavaScript
• GEE objects, strings, lists ,Arrays
• Interaction to GitHub interface
• Hands-on exercises

Day 2 Data exploration using GEE

Module 2 - ImageCollections and FeatureCollections

• Introduction to the concept of image and feature collections in GEE
• Filtering, reducing, mosaicking, cloud masking,clipping and working with image collections
• Accessing and displaying satellite imagery through the GEE Code Editor
• Asset management (importing and exporting data)
• Hands-on exercises

Module 3 - Exploring Spatial Indices and GEE Products

• Exploring spectral indices (NDVI,NDBI,LSWI,TC-G,TC-B,TC-W)
• Forest/Deforestation monitoring with data exploration(Introduction to Global Forest Change datasets)
• Hands-on exercise

Day 3 Machine Learning and Image Classification

Module 4 - Machine Learning Classification Algorithms

• Introduction to Machine Learning and Classification
• Introduction to change detection
• Supervised classification and sampling
• Unsupervised Classification and segmentation
• Accuracy assessment in GEE
• Random Forest Classification for land change assessment
• Hands-on exercise

Day 4 Time Series and Customisation in GEE

Module 5 - Time Series

• Introduction to time series analysis
• Time-Series Charts
• Charting and creating custom UIs
• Publishing an App in GEE
• Hands-on exercises

Day 5 Land Use Land Cover Classification

Module 6 - Land Use Land Cover Change Analysis

• Land cover and land use cover change analysis
• Create 2018 and 2020 land cover maps of the emission reduction programme area
• Map generation in QGIS
• Wrap up

SCAFS Project Partners

We appreciate the partners below.