Subject: AAG Abstract [19866]  Confirmation for Bobby  Braswell: 2008 Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts

Title:	Open Geoscience: Using Free and Open Source Software for Research and Education
Keywords: web mapping, information technology, open source, universities, research, remote sensing
Type:	Paper

Abstract:

Many open source geospatial tools such as UMN MapServer,
PostgreSQL/PostGIS, and OpenLayers have been developed over the last
few years. These tools provide the building blocks for developing a
wide variety of web applications for presenting and using geospatial
data. We present a framework for building web applications using these
open source tools in earth and environmental research, along with a
few case studies. This general framework has been used to build
several web applications for use on research projects, including
tracking ducks as part of an avian influenza study, monitoring ship
traffic in a harbor, mapping weather and climate data, and exploring
very large archives of remote sensing data. We will discuss the
challenges that we encountered while developing this framework and
benefits we have derived from using it. We also plan to incorporate
this framework in the classroom, particularly for laboratory and
project work in remote sensing, GIS, and data visualization. We would
like to assist fellow scientists and teachers by helping to reduce the
knowledge gradient from the centers of data and modeling to the larger
user community.

Authors:	Bobby Braswell, University of New Hampshire rob.braswell@unh.edu*
Kurt Schwehr, University of New Hampshire schwehr@ccom.unh.edu
Thomas Milliman, University of New Hampshire thomas.milliman@unh.edu
Justin Fisk, University of New Hampshire justin.fisk@unh.edu

Topics:	GIS
Applied Geography
Geography Education