California Institute of Technology

Ge110 Course Syllabus

Geographic Information Systems for Geology and Planetary Sciences

GE 110, Fall 2011

 
 
Meeting Schedule
Organizational Meeting: Monday September 26, 2011
Time: 14:00 pm-14:55 pm
Location:   309 N. Mudd (GIS Lab)
Lecture: M 2:00 – 3:00 pm 
Lab: TH 1:00 – 2:30 pm
 
Contact Information 

Professor: Jean-Philippe Avouac 
Office: 301 N. Mudd
Email: avouac@gps.caltech.edu 
Office Hours: TBA 
 
TA: Jeff Prancevic

Office: 262 Arms Laboratory 

Email: jprancev@caltech.edu
Office Hours: TBA 
GIS Trainer: Lisa Christiansen 

Office: 302 N. Mudd

Email: lisac@gps.caltech.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Overview 

Ge 110  Geographic Information System for Geology and Planetary Sciences. 3 units (0-3-0) 

Summary
Organization

The class will meet on Monday from 2:00-3:00 pm and Thursdays from 1:00-2:30 pm. The classes will cover the GIS principles and the labs will take the form of practical lab exercises mainly using ArcGIS software developed by ESRI. There will also be a brief introduction to MATLAB, ENVI and Google Earth. The labs will incorporate a variety of data sets for Earth and Mars including Digital Elevation Models, geodetic measurements, satellite images, and geological maps. There will be a final GIS project of your choice due on December 1st (the last day of class for GE 110).   

Suggest Reading 

GIS Fundamentals: A First Text on Geographic Information Systems, 2nd Ed. (Paul Bolstad)  

Grading

50% Labs (labs will be due at the beginning of class the following Monday) 1 lab of your choice optional

50% Final GIS project (informal presentation the last week of class) 


 

This course is an introduction to the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Earth and planetary sciences. GIS is a computer-based system used for mapping and geospatial analysis. The goal of the course is to provide a solid foundation in the principles of GIS concentrating on how it is used as a research tool in Earth and planetary sciences.  

Class Schedule: The following schedule is tentative and subject to revision.


Week

Monday 2-3 pm

Thursdays 1-2:30 pm

GIS Lab Reserved 1-4 pm

Suggested Reading



WEEK 1 Sep 26 - 30

Organization Meeting Course Mechanics

Skills Assessment

Lecture: Introduction to GIS           

Introduction to ArcMap

Lab 1: Introduction to ArcGIS

1 - An Introduction (14-21)


WEEK 2 Oct 3-7

Lecture: Data Formats, Standards, Symbology                           GIS Project Management                        

Lab 2 : Project Management & Map Symbology

Lab 2 (cont): Project Management & Map Symbology

Lecture: Exploring ArcCatalog
Lab 3: Exploring ArcCatalog

2 - Data Models  

(25-44, 46-47)      

4 - Data Sources and Data Entry (111-135, 139-150)





WEEK 3 Oct 10-14

Lecture: Understanding Map Projections

Lab 4: Working with Map Projections & Coordinate Systems                            

Lab 5: Build a GIS Project using existing Data                               

Map Layout                         Working with Extensions             Setting Data Frame Coordinates                Multiple Data Frames             Working with Templates

Using ArcGIS Desktop Handout – Chapter 3: Data Compilation and Editing

(160-247)






WEEK 4 Oct 17-21

Lecture: Creating and Editing Spatial Data

Lab 6: Creating and Editing Data in ArcGIS                                       

Creating  a New Shapfile

Working in an Editing Environment

Digitizing Features

Editing Features

Lecture: Introduction to GPS

Lecture: Processing Raster Data

Lab 7: Processing Raster Data

3-Map Projections & Coordinate Systems (67-94,97-104)

5-The Global Positioning System






WEEK 5 Oct 24-28

Lecture: Remote Sensing    

Cells Defined                               Resolution                              Math (Spatial Analysis)            Grid

Lab 8: Remote Sensing

Introduction to ENVI             • Image Processing                        DEM Processing                               • ASTER DTM

6-Aerial and Satellite Images         

7-Digital Data






 

WEEK 6 Oct 31 - Nov 4

 
Lab 9: Analysis               
Spatial, Raster                             

Terrain Analysis

Search / Query / Select by Attribute
Join                                     
 

THERE WILL BE NO FORMAL INSTUCTION

DUE TO THE TO MEETING NOVEMBER 8TH AND 9th

 

9-Basic Spatial Analysis (295-335)

10-Topics in Raster Analysis(347-370)                                   
11-Terrain Analysis







WEEK 7 Nov 7-11

 THERE WILL BE NO FORMAL INSTUCTION DUE TO THE TO MEETING NOVEMBER 8TH AND 9th

Lab 10 : ArcScene vs ArcGlobe

3D Analyst     

12-Spatial Estimation                   13-Spatial Modeling 



WEEK 8 Nov 14-18

Lab 11: Extensions  & Scripts                   

Customizing ArcGIS

Lab 12: Introduction to Google Earth

14-Data Standards & Data Quality




WEEK 9 Nov 21-25

Prepare for the final project
Thanksgiving
 


WEEK 10 Nov 28 -

Dec 2

Final Projects Due                                                                                                                             

Should include:  • Rasters / DEM         • Existing Data w/ Spatial Analysis            • Images Processed / Rectified                       • Created Data with Attributes                                            

                              • Vectors                     • Use of New Script or Extension






 

Last updated November 29, 2011 11:13 by Lisa Christiansen
search > >