Hey everyone, here’s just a quick update on our progress as we begin week 4. Our goal of learning some basic QGIS is coming along nicely. Every week we’ve worked with some new features and become more accustomed to the software. This past week, we were able to try some different interpolation methods to create a smooth layer. We then used the terrain profiling tool to extract some data on complete Bouguer anomalies along a route. A Bouguer anomaly is a gravity anomaly which is corrected for the gravitational attractions due to elevation, latitude, the material between sea-level and the point of measurement, and terrain. We plan on using this data with a software called GravMag. From what I understand, GravMag will allow us to model and analyze this Bouguer anomaly data.
As we are in the last two weeks of our program for the summer, Blakley and I have gotten a better idea of what our goals will be as we move into the Fall. Once we are more familiar with GravMag, we’ll begin using it to analyze models from previously collected data. It will be interesting to see how this remote research will work along with our online classes next semester. Although I am accustomed to spending quite a bit of time working at my desk, it is usually in addition to having some time out and about at practice and class. I’ll have to think of some new ways to intermittently keep myself active and not confined to my computer as the workload starts to pick up in September. But despite this, I am excited to get started on the “planetary” part of my physics major this semester. I think my courses supplemented with this research will do for some interesting learning. And as always, I’ll be looking forward to eventually planning for some field work, although right now, it may be a ways away in the future.
(I figured we could all use a break from pictures of maps so here's two cool pics I snagged last week)
Caught this on my run at the Manasquan Reservoir and this one during work at the farm.