Dr. Ben Watson | Associate Professor | Dept. of Computer Science | NC State University Abstract: Finding our way has always been necessary, and we have always tried to make it easier. Yet today, wayfinding is changing so rapidly that it makes our heads spin. What have we lost? What might we gain? I will use…
GRASS GIS is a powerful open-source tool for performing geospatial analyses across a range of disciplines. Take your first steps in GRASS GIS by attending the Geospatial Studio and learning how to use this free software. After the introduction, there will be time to try your own data in GRASS GIS. Attendees are encouraged to…
Dr. Paul Byrne | Assistant Professor | Dept. of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences | NC State University Abstract: Until 2008 Mercury was a poorly understood planet, with less than half of it imaged by visiting spacecraft. NASA's MESSENGER mission to Mercury returned global image and topographic data and – together with gravity, spectral, and compositional…
Dr. James Wickham | Senior Research Biologist | US Environmental Protection Agency Abstract: Preserving and restoring the world’s forests is regarded as having a positive (cooling) effect on a warming climate. However, some have cautioned against reforestation and afforestation as a climate-warming-mitigation strategy outside of tropical regions, without considering the potentially counteracting biophysical effects (albedo, transpiration)…
Nate Irwin | Lead Developer | Trailhead Labs, San Francisco, CA Abstract: For a number of reasons, the relevance of GIS, as we know it, is waning. Geography, on the other hand, is alive and well. In fact, it’s so pervasive that you’d be hard-pressed to find a tech company whose portfolio doesn’t include it in…
Blender is a powerful open-source 3D modelling, simulation, and game-engine platform with the ability to integrate and visualize georeferenced information. With Blender you can easily import and intuitively interact with GIS data, and turn them into lifelike renderings of natural and urban landscapes. This Geospatial Studio will introduce you to the main features of Blender and…
Dr. Budhendra Bhaduri | Geographic Information Science and Technology Group | Oak Ridge National Laboratory Abstract: Increasing resolutions of geographic data provides a compelling motivation for spatiotemporal analysis of dynamic data streams. The challenge in processing large volumes of high resolution earth observation and simulation data by traditional GIS has been compounded by the drive…
QGIS is a free and open source software for analyzing and visualizing your geo data, also known as GPS, georeferenced, geocoded, or GIS/Geographic Information System data. QGIS can be installed on multiple operating systems and has greater analytical capabilities than online mapping sites. We'll learn some GIS fundamentals, how QGIS compares with other GIS software,…
Dr. Susan Ustin | Professor of Environmental and Resource Sciences in the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources | Director of the Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing (CSTARS) | University of California Davis Abstract: The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California is the largest estuary on the west coast of North and South America and…