Steve Wernke's Webspace

Space is the Place poster conference photos up

Steve — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:37:23 +0000

Great photos of great final projects by the students of the grad seminar GIS for Anthropological Research (Spring, 2011)

ArcGIS 10 – first impressions

Steve — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:56:01 +0000

Vandy has the new ArcGIS 10 suite available and ready for install–thanks Jacob! It seems this major revision was aimed at enhancing productivity by improving the GUI, and on that front, it is a huge improvement. The program finally feels, looks, and acts like something written after the early 90s, and is more intuitive on many fronts. The licensing system seems to have been much simplified as well, which was much needed (no more license manager nightmares?). Integrating ArcCatalog within ArcMap seems like a step in the right direction.

Things I wish had been addressed: instead of the dumb editor toolbar to “open” an editing session, we should just be able to right click on any layer and select it for editing. So we are still stuck trying to remember where each file is in a directory tree or geodatabase to edit it, etc. Also, why hasn’t this mega-resource intensive suite been written for 64 bit?

But overall this is a huge improvement.

Paleoenvironmental project photos

Steve — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:47:50 +0000

Here’s a photo gallery of our geological research expedition up into the high altitude, where Dan Morgan (Vanderbilt Earth and Environmental Studies) led research investigating evidence for Little Ice Age glacial advance. This is part of a larger interdisciplinary project on colonial settlement and land use that I direct. The project is funded by a . . . → Read More: Paleoenvironmental project photos

Moraine Hunting

Steve — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:56:40 +0000

With Dan Morgan on Vilcaya

We had a very productive research expedition in the high peaks above the Colca Valley, investigating evidence for glacial advance during the Little Ice Age. Dan Morgan (VU Earth and Environmental Studies) led the search for Little Ice Age moraines, which will be dated through a combination of cosmogenic isotope analysis and lichenometry.

Our camp was at 4725 m, and we reached a high point of 4917 m while reconnoitering for the moraines. All around us were huge moraines from the last glacial maximum (20-30k bpa). This was a pilot study that produced good preliminary data for further research in the seasons to come.

It was a pleasure to learn so much about glaciology and geomorphology from Dan. VU undergraduate Rebecca McCracken assisted ably throughout, and is one tough cookie. It is not easy camping above the elevation of the highest peaks of the continental U.S.!

Arequipa!

Steve — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:08:34 +0000

We have arrived in Arequipa and more or less settled in to the research house, which is in a beautiful spot in Cayma, out on the northern end of the city. Beautiful view out the back, with Mt. Misti towering above the city.