• Guest Users:  Access to 50 million points per job.  No access to the customized myLiDARjobs which allows you to view all previously submitted jobs, monitor jobs that are currently running, and resubmit jobs.
• Registered Users:  Access to 100 million points per job and myLiDARjobs.
• Power Users:  Access to 150 million points per job and myLiDARjobs.  Power User status requires completing a simple form to explain when you feel you need elevated data access privileges.

In order to make it clear what level of status users hold, and to simplify status increase requests, users will now see a myOpenTopo Authorization Status link on the myOpenTopo page when logged into OpenTopography.  Following this link will take you to a page which shows your current status and provides a form to fill out if you wish to request an increase from Registered to Power User.

New myOpenTopo Authorization Status page:

Questions or concerns can be addressed to: info@opentopography.org

Workshop organizers:
J Ramón Arrowsmith, Arizona State University
Christopher Crosby, San Diego Supercomputer Center / OpenTopography
Ken Hudnut, US Geological Survey
Susan Eriksson, UNAVCO

Workshop overview:
As a result of research in the Eastern California Shear Zone, the B4 project, and the recently completed GeoEarthScope data acquisition, most of Southern California’s active faults have now been scanned using LiDAR. These exciting new data powerfully depict the effect of repeated slip along these active faults as well as surface processes in a range of climatic regimes. These community datasets are of great interest to the SCEC and greater academic communities, the geologic consulting community, and educators.

We invite participants to a 2 day introductory training on LiDAR technology, data handling, digital elevation model (DEM) production, data analysis including fault trace and geomorphic mapping applications, integration with other geospatial data, and discussion of educational uses of these data. The course will be held at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UCSD.

This workshop will provide an overview of the hardware and software technologies associated with LiDAR topographic data acquisition and analysis, will highlight recent research results, and provide a forum for dialogue and discussion about anticipated technological and data gathering developments. Participants are welcome to bring their own laptops, but to make for a more satisfying learning experience, we will provide laptop computers with a variety of software pre-installed (ArcGIS, GlobalMapper, Matlab, and others).

How to apply:
Please send the following information to:
1. Contact information
2. Brief bio/curriculum vitae (1-2 pages maximum)
3. Short statement about your interests with respect to high-resolution topography, your overall research, and any relevant experience.
4. Brief statement on your computing experience, including preferred operating system, familiarity with GIS software, and comfort with command line-based tools.

There is funding available for partial travel and lodging support for the workshop; preference will be given to students.
The application deadline is October 22, 2009 Update: Deadline extended until Wed Nov. 4th

Workshop announcement in PDF format

Below:  1 meter bare earth digital elevation model shown with shaded relief (NW orientation) from the newly released southern Owens Valley Crater Mountain segment.

This feature of the OpenTopography Portal essentially presents the links to the DEM tiles hosted by OpenTopography in a manner that makes them more easily accessible in bulk.  We recommend using freely available download manager software to simplify the process of downloading.  The bulk download feature is designed for advanced users seeking to access large amounts of data quickly and who have the bandwidth, expertise, and software necessary to manage the gigabytes of data this method delivers. For most users we still recommend the Google Map-based tile download interface found under the Standard DEMs link located on the Data tab in the OpenTopography Portal.

We have produced a simple tutorial to guide users who wish to perform bulk downloads of data.  As always, questions, technical difficulties, and other issues can be posted to the OpenTopography discussion forum or sent to help@opentopography.org

The GeoEarthScope Intermountain Seismic Belt (ISB) LiDAR project includes high resolution LiDAR topography data collected in tectonically active regions of Utah and Wyoming, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the Nephi segment (southern strand) of the Wasatch fault. 

Teaching Earth Science With High-Resolution Topography
August 5-7, 2009
San Diego Supercomputer Center

Are you an earth science instructor interested in using real world scientific data to better communicate concepts to your students? This workshop is designed to introduce educators to the use of cutting-edge earth science data, web-based data access and processing tools, and data visualization to enhance their teaching of fundamental earth science concepts.

The GEON OpenTopography Portal provides access to high-resolution topographic data from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) that cover a variety of geologic features and landscapes. The Portal provides access to a suite of LiDAR data products and visualizations typically reserved for high-level research and presents an excellent opportunity to bring these exciting data into the classroom. These real world, cutting-edge, digital topographic data could be used in the classroom to allow students to explore geologic processes, landforms, and natural hazards. As a Teragrid Science Gateway, the OpenTopography Portal harnesses sophisticated cyberinfrastructure to manage and provide access to these exciting and challenging data.

Earth science educators at the community college and undergraduate level are invited to participate in a workshop to be held at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, August 5-7, 2009. This will be a small, focused, hands-on workshop where participants will have one-on-one access to expert geoscientists as well as experts in learning technology. During the course of the 3-day workshop, participants will be introduced to LiDAR topography and the OpenTopography Portal. They will then develop and demonstrate lesson plans and activities around OpenTopography and high-resolution LiDAR topography. Educators will be encouraged to brainstorm and develop ways that the Portal and data could be easily integrated into their standard curriculum using simple and freely available software such as Google Earth. Following the workshop, participants will be asked to use OpenTopography and the data it hosts in courses they teach at their home institutions and, we hope, share lessons learned as well as curriculum and teaching tools developed with the larger OpenTopography and earth science education communities.

For more information, including possible travel stipends, or to apply, please send an email of interest to Chris Crosby (ccrosby@sdsc.edu) or Margaret Smeekens (margaret@sdsc.edu).