Section: Classroom Preparation II: Software Tools and Installation | Using Gridded Satellite Data for Climate Services, Riga, 2018 | EUMETSAT

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  • Go to the CM SAF Community Site  

    Workshop on the Use of Gridded Satellite Data for Climate Services

    Online Phase: 16 April - 27 April 2018

           Classroom Phase: 14 - 18 May 2018, Riga, Latvia                            

    		                                

    • Welcome to the course "Using gridded Satellite Data for Climate Services"!

      This 2 weeks, online phase of this training course will introduce you to the use of satellite data in climate monitoring, to the software tools CM SAF R Toolbox and R-Instat and to the Climate Data Store (CDS) provided by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Further you will be guided through the installation of the software tools needed for the classroom phase of this course, as you will be working on your own laptops.

      The aims of this training course (both online and classroom phases) are to help you:

      • Understand why satellite data are important in Climate Monitoring;
      • Understand the difference between
        • Environmental Data Records
        • Fundamental Climate Data Records
        • Climate Data Records
        • Interim Climate Data Records
      • Learn what climate data and products the EUMETSAT's Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) provides (variables, timeliness, resolution, data formats);
      • Access/download data and products provided by the CM SAF and the Climate Data Store;
      • Investigate the potential of CM SAF data (and other satellite based climate data) for your own applications, using the CM SAF R Toolbox, R-Instat and/or other tools/languages. We will provide scripts in R, but you are welcome to use other languages during the classroom phase. However, we may only be able to provided limited support for other software. 

      This online phase of the training consists of 4 topic areas, containing essential overview material to read/watch, further optional material which you may choose to look at depending on your own interests, short quizzes, and activities such as downloading and installing software, and trying to access data. The final topic will focus on preparation for the classroom phase, where we will ask you to propose a short project that you would like to work on using the CM SAF data. For those without specific applications in mind, we can assist in defining projects you can work on, to learn more about the data and it's applications.

      Announcements about the classroom phase are available in the section "Classroom Phase Riga, 14 - 18 May 2018" below, and you will also be notified of these by email. Please note: For logistic reasons, this section and some other parts of this online phase are only available for those who will come to Riga. You are invited to use the course forum below to introduce yourself and share with us your expectations for this course as well as your questions / comments on the course content (what you are hoping to learn/use the CM SAF data and the Climate Data Store for).

      The instructor team will be glad to answer your questions as best as we can during the course. As new users of the EUMETSAT's Climate Data and the Climate Data Store, this is also a great opportunity for us to get feedback from you about the data, access to it, and how we can improve these services to help you to best use it for your climate applications. 

      We hope you enjoy the online phase, and look forward to working with you in person soon in Riga!

    • forum icon
      Forum
      Announcements Forum
    • forum icon
      Forum
      Course Forum

      Please use the forum to:

      • get in touch with your course mates and the instructors
      • raise your questions
      • discuss your ideas for the mini project you would like to work on during the classroom phase.

      Forum posts might not be answered immediately - however the instructors will attend the forum and answer your questions in "near real time" during the following times:

      • Monday, 16 April 2018, 12:00 - 14:00 UTC(!): Jörg from CM SAF (General questions about the course; EDR / FCDR / TCDR; CM SAF Data search and ordering; CM SAF R Toolbox)
      • Tuesday, 17 April 2018, 10:00 - 12:00 UTC(!): Danny / Roger from Stats4SD (R-Instat)
      • Wednesday, 18 April, 2018, 11:00 - 13:00 UTC(!): Christine from EUMETSAT (General questions about the course; EDR / IDR / FCDR / TCDR; CM SAF Data search and ordering)
      • Friday, 20 April 2018, 13:00 - 15:00 UTC(!): Angel from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (Climate Data Store)
      • Tuesday, 24 April 2018, 10:00 - 12:00 UTC(!): Danny / Roger from Stats4SD (R-Instat)
      • Wednesday, 25 April 2018,  8:00 - 10:00 UTC(!): Jörg from CM SAF (General questions about the course; EDR / FCDR / TCDR; CM SAF Data search and ordering; CM SAF R Toolbox)
      • Thursday, 26 April 2018, 11:00 - 13:00 UTC(!): Christine from EUMETSAT (General questions about the course; EDR / IDR / FCDR / TCDR; CM SAF Data search and ordering)
      • Friday, 27 April 2018, 13:00 - 15:00 UTC(!): Angel from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (Climate Data Store)

      You can post your contributions at any time and we will do our best to answer them also outside the time slots listed above!

    • folder icon
      Folder
      Content of this section as pdf to download Folder
Assess your konwledge on Satellite Based Climate Monitoring - Quiz
Classroom Preparation III: Your mini project

Classroom Preparation II: Software Tools and Installation

  • Classroom Preparation II: Software Tools and Installation

    You can help to reserve as much time for practical sessions in the classroom as possible, by getting an overview on the software tools we will work with in the classroom and by preparing you laptop following the instructions provided in this section!

    If you join the classroom phase, please answer the three questions below:

    • choice icon
      Choice
      Will you bring your laptop to Riga? Choice
      Not available unless: You belong to The Climate Monitoring SAF - Workshop Group
    • choice icon
      Choice
      Which operating system will be installed on the laptop you bring? Choice
      Not available unless: You belong to The Climate Monitoring SAF - Workshop Group
    • choice icon
      Choice
      Which statistical software, if any, have you used? Choice
      Not available unless: You belong to The Climate Monitoring SAF - Workshop Group

    • Data Formats and Software Tools used in the workshop

      Here you will find information on the software tools and data formats used during the workshop and descriptions on how to install the software.

      Please install R and R-Instat as well as one of the mentioned data viewers (ncBrowse and Panoply) in advance! Please use the forum if you have questions on the installation of the software. In case of issues with admin rights etc. regarding the laptop you will be using in Riga, please contact your local administrator.

      If you have trouble downloading the software, due to poor internet connection - don't worry, we will bring hard disks to the classroom with everything you need.

    • Introduction to the CM SAF R Toolbox

      This CM SAF R Toolbox tutorial video presents the steps to install the toolbox and the basic features from data preparation to data analysis and data visualization.   

      cmsaf-r-toolbox-tutorial.flv

      If you are unable to watch this presentation, download the PDF version below.

      CM SAF R Toolbox tutorial (pdf)

    • Introduction to R-Instat

      This presentation introduces R-Instat, showing its general features for organising and describing data, as well as the specific facilities for analysing historical climatic data and satellite based data. R-Instat was originally developed for users in Africa, however it can as well be used elsewhere.

      If you are unable to watch this presentation, download the PDF version below.

      Introduction to R-Instat Presentation (PDF)

    • Prepare your Laptop!

      To help us maximizing the time for practical hands-on-session in Riga, please prepare your laptop as far as you can by following the instructions provided in this book!

      Do not hesitate to use the forum or to contact CM SAF Training in case of questions.

      If you run into issues with admin rights during the software installation we strongly advice you to contact your local administrator well before the classroom phase! These issues cannot be solved in Pretoria!

    • page icon
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      Data Formats and Data Viewers Page
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      R: A software environment for statistical computing and graphics Page
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      CM SAF R TOOLBOX Page
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      Install R-Instat Page
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      R-Instat Tutorials Page
    • book icon
      Book
      Prepare your Laptop Book

      To help us maximizing the time for practical hands-on-session in Riga, please prepare your laptop as far as you can by following the instructions provided in this book!

      Do not hesitate to use the forum or to contact CM SAF Training in case of questions.

      If you run into issues with admin rights during the software installation we strongly advice you to contact your local administrator well before the classroom phase! These issues cannot be solved in Riga!

    • folder icon
      Folder
      Content of this section as pdf's to download Folder
Assess your konwledge on Satellite Based Climate Monitoring - Quiz
Classroom Preparation III: Your mini project