SC 1 - An Introduction to Working with NASA Remote Sensing Data in the Cloud Using Open Source Software

Session Description
Powerful technology that provides the opportunity for open scientific insight at unparalleled scales is becoming more widely available. In order to seize these opportunities, ecologists will need to adopt new software and workflows. This short-course introduces ecologists (at all career levels) to working ‘next to the data’ from a hosted cloud environment in AWS managed by 2i2c. Jupyter notebooks will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of adjusting existing workflows to the cloud. Attendees will be introduced to cutting-edge cloud technologies and explore the drivers of vegetation productivity in a reproducible workflow. The course will be administered in both R and Python scripting languages and will introduce how discover a wide range of NASA remote sensing products in NASA’s Earthdata Cloud. By learning new skills within a familiar software framework while applying common ecological concepts, students will experience new technologies in a safe environment and ultimately gain familiarity and understanding about working with data in the cloud.