CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES GEON: Education Components at the University of Texas at El Paso Ann Gates Department of Computer Science The University of Texas at El Paso
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Overview Geoinformatics: Geology seminar course Uncertainty and Knowledge Representation in Geoinformatics: Computer Science graduate course Software Engineering: Computer Science undergraduate senior project course
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Geoinformatics Graduate Seminar Offered fall 2003 by Randy Keller Attended by 22 graduate geology and computer science students Covered following topics: –Elements for creating Cyberinfrastructure –Existing database efforts –Software challenges and developments –Ontologies –Grid computing –Portals Guest speakers
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Uncertainty and Knowledge Representation in Geoinfomatics-1 Offered in spring 2004 by Vladik Kreinovich Attended by 13 graduate CS students Course objectives –apply and evaluate general techniques of representing and processing uncertainty and –apply these techniques in geoinformatics (using geospatial applications)
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Uncertainty and Knowledge Representation in Geoinfomatics-2 Topics –Motivation for estimating and processing uncertainty –Techniques for estimating uncertainty of the results of data processing –Techniques for representing and processing expert uncertainty –Geospatial applications in uncertainty: methods for detecting outliers and duplicates –Determination of geospatial characteristics based on measurement results
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Software Engineering Course: Goals Curriculum –Teach software engineering methods, tools, and techniques –Have students work in teams to: apply course material while developing an actual project work with an actual customer to elicit requirements and validate product prepare documentation in adherence to IEEE standards GEON –Prepare students who can work on cross-disciplinary projects in the geo-science domain –Contribute to the geo-science toolkit –Promote the field of geoinformatics
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Course Structure Required, two-semester (32-week) course ~ 30 seniors enrolled per course ~100 have been involved in GEON-related projects Instructor-selected teams consisting of 5 students Limited background in SE principles, methods, and process
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Master-Apprenticeship Learning Cycle
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Deliverables: SE1 Feasibility report Interview report Software Requirements Specification Interface prototype Analysis diagrams and models –Use cases and scenarios –Object model –Dataflow –State transition diagrams (Statecharts) –Activity diagrams
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Deliverables: SE2 Configuration management plan Design document Test plans “Contracted” software Funded students complete software development after the course completes
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Projects: Gravity Data Repository System (GDRP) Need for GDRP –Accumulated gravity measurements stored at numerous research centers around world –Effort seeks to establish a combined database Relevance of gravity data –Important source of geophysical and geological information –Geophysical models are designed to fit gravity measurement and used to generate models of lithospheric structure Participants are UTEP, USGS, NGA, NOAA. Participants are UTEP, USGS, NGA, NOAA.
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES GeoNet GDRP
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Projects: Seismic Waves Rock Correlation System (SWRoCS) Need for SWRoCS –Earthscope and Geoinformatics initiatives call for better access of data on physical properties of rocks and minerals –Understanding of how properties vary with temperature and pressure Relevance –Required to interpret geophysical data –Facilitates integrated analysis of different types of data
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES SWRoCS2
CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Questions