This course is taught in Olin 332 in which we have 8 identical computers, each equipped with image processing software, ENVI RT, courtesy of RSI, Inc. This is the program that we will use for nearly all of our labs. The computers are all set up the same way, so it does not matter which one you use. You will probably want to use the same computer for the duration of a project so that your files will stay in one place. Two computers (Esker and Basalt) in the map room (Olin 322) are also set up with ENVI, although the directories are different and the computers are not connected to the classroom. These two computers are on the right as you walk in the classroom.
You must keep a lab notebook for this course. It is very important when working with computers and data to keep track of what you know how to do and what you have done to manipulate different datasets. Often this is the only way to remind yourself what you learned, repeat your work systematically, or find an error.
Notebook expectations: Date each entry. Record steps you take to do normal tasks (until they become second nature, you will probably be using this as a personal reference) and then add to it as you learn to do new things. Record observations about the data-- what you observe in each band, scale, changes over time etc. Just as in field geology, your observations and careful recording of them are the basis of any conclusions you make. Notebooks are a good place for questions to yourself (or me) as you go along. I will collect (lab) notebooks a couple of times during the term. You may want to make yourself an electronic notebook -- a running log of what you do and learn.
Getting Data for Each Lab
The data that you will need will is stored on the college Course folder [Course\Geology\GEO23\]. You will need to copy it to the directory C:\Temp\RSData on the classroom computer. It is also stored on the RSData folder on Esker. (On Basalt, you can copy data from Esker).
Data and File Storage (and deletion!)
You should store any files that you create in C:\Temp\Student. They will not be deleted until they are 7 days old. However, they could be deleted by mistake at any time. You MUST have a BACK UP of your files at all times.
Because we will be moving on to new datasets each week, I will be changing which data are available each week. You must finish working with the lab materials before the end of the week, or you will not have access to them.
I will try to keep an active list on the course home page. These will probably grow during the term. Please keep a list of new and interesting sites that you find to add to this list.
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updated by JMR 01-01-02