Exclusive Events

To be led by Dr James D. P. Moore and Dr Eric O. Lindsey from Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University. Both Instructors have led coding workshops regionally and internationally.

We are entering a new era of “big data” geodesy, with a plethora of observations now available from dense GPS networks and rapid Synthetic Aperture Radar acquisitions (InSAR). Recent advances in modelling, inversion, and theory (Muto et. al. in review, Moore et. al. 2017, Barbot, Moore & Lambert 2017) allow us to exploit these spatially and temporally dense observations to explore complex physical models at greater speed and resolution than ever before.

In this hands-on workshop, we will cover how to build physical models of the lithosphere, either for forward modelling or inversions, using a set of modular libraries to make our lives easier as Earth Scientists. We can incorporate both on-fault and off-fault deformation mechanisms, consider topography, surface loading, gravitational effects, and pressure sources. We will describe from first principles how to simulate a range of real-world deformation data, in particular GPS and InSAR. We will examine several important cases including postseismic deformation, lake loading, and volcano deformation.

We start by discussing the rheological assumptions and our choice of deformation models (Elastic, Rate and State friction, Maxwell, Burgers, power law, or a combination). We will then demonstrate how to simulate geodetic time series based on the evolution of stress in the system governed by these rheological assumptions. We will also demonstrate how to create numerical simulations of earthquake cycles, allowing for off-fault ductile deformation, and spontaneous earthquake ruptures governed by rate and state friction. Finally, we will look at inversion methods for fault slip and distributed deformation.

This workshop is aimed at geologists, geodesists, and geophysicists interested in simulating lithospheric deformation and who may have limited experience with physics or programming. The simulations will be carried out using modular code libraries, and the workshop only requires a basic knowledge of computer programming.

Dave Heather is a Planetary Archive Specialist with over 15 years of experience working with various ESA planetary mission data sets. Pierre Henri is a Principal Investigator of the MIP instrument on the Rosetta mission, part of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium. Both are highly qualified to provide information on the subject matter. Matthew Taylor is the Rosetta project scientist and is very keen to encourage broader use of the mission data.

The aim of the session is to make the attendees familiar with and as autonomous as possible with Rosetta archive data, so that they can quickly carry out their own cometary science studies. The target audience is cometary and small body scientists, as well as members of the broader space physics and planetary community to make them aware of the data products available in the Rosetta archive, to promote usage of that data. The workshop will begin with a short presentation of the ESA Planetary Science Archive as a whole and on the Rosetta archive in particular. This will be followed by presentations from different instrument teams who will give a brief overview of their archive data, to provide instrument level insights into data access, as well as indicate the possible caveats when using the data. Following this, we aim to have a more interactive section that will focus on a published event, which will allow attendees to gain some practical experience in interacting with the archive data.

Dr Gupta leads air quality training team under NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) and have been providing online and in-person training workshops all around the world for the past 8 years. Dr Gupta has more than 15 years of experience in satellite aerosol retrieval and application for air quality and climate change research.

Dr Levy is the lead of the Dark-Target (DT) aerosol retrieval team at NASA. He has 20 years of experience with remote sensing on various satellite platforms, including interactions with end-users in both research and applied-science applications. He has led workshops and guest-lectured classes related to these subjects.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors aboard NASA’s Earth Observing Satellites (EOS) have been observing the earth-atmosphere system for nearly two decades. Atmospheric aerosols (particulate matter) play an important role in earth radiation budget and contribute to air pollution. Since its launch, the “dark-target” (DT) aerosol retrieval algorithm has been applied to MODIS to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD) and other aerosol properties on a global scale. The AOD data product has been extensively used for both climate and air quality applications. More recently, the DT algorithm is being applied to new generation of sensors such as Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi-NPP, and the Advanced Himawari and Baseline Imagers (AHI and ABI) on Himawari-8 and GOES-R. The application of consistent algorithm on multiple Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) and GEOstationary (GEO) sensors is key for observing aerosols with high temporal and spatial resolution.

The workshop will provide lectures and hands-on exercises. Lectures will be about fundamentals of satellite remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols, the dark target aerosol retrieval method, and best research practices. Hands-on exercises will be geared towards accessing data, reading and mapping the aerosol fields, and validating against ground measurements. All activities will use free or open-source software tools.

To be led by members of the Mangrove Lab, Department of Geography, National University of Singapore.

Description & Program
Be transported back in time to 1960s Singapore as you embark on a trip to the nearby island of Pulau Ubin. The name translates to “granite island” in Malay, and was the site of a number of quarries in the early 20th century and home to thousands of people in its heyday. While the industries have stopped, Ubin is now home to one of Singapore’s last villages or kampongs. This trip will visit the iconic Chek Jawa wetlands, home to granite cliffs and outcrops and a diverse set of ecosystems including mangroves, seagrasses, mudflats and coastal forests. This important ecological area was slated for reclamation in 2001, though its subsequent protection is credited with creating the modern environmental movement in Singapore.

*Timetable is subject to changes and actual may vary

For a history of Pulau Ubin, see: https://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/nature-wildlife/singapore-islands/pulau-ubin/

Terms & Conditions

• Only AOGS2019 conference participants are eligible to participate
  Please complete your conference registration early
• Confirmation of participation is subjected to payment being received
  You will receive an email confirmation within 24 hours of your payment
• There will be no refund for cancellation/withdrawal by registrants
  If there is a lack of numbers, the field trip will be cancelled. Conference will refund the paid fee
• Please note that insurance is not included in the field trips and participants are responsible for their own insurance
• Participants on field trips/tours agree to indemnify AOGS against any claims as arising from injury or loss sustained during the outings