GEOSTAT 2007-2014

a brief history (+ our philosophy)

Tom Hengl <tom.hengl@wur.nl>

Welcome to GEOSTAT!

Not every GEOSTAT = Summer School

GEOSTAT 2009 Split

What is GEOSTAT?

GEOSTAT is a non-profit, specialized,

block course (summer school) run by
FOSS enthusiasts and developers.

GEOSTAT = hands-on FOSS training

The main idea of GEOSTAT is to promote

various aspects of statistical analysis of spatial
and spatio-temporal data using open source /
free GIS tools: R, SAGA GIS, GRASS GIS,
FWTools, Google Earth and similar.

GEOSTAT = Live R-sig-geo

GEOSTAT
physical

virtual

R-sig-geo

What is specific about GEOSTAT?

Open source GIS software often develops
independently from R packages -> there is a
need to connect the two societies...

"GEOSTAT is where Statistical computing

meets geographical computing"

Previous meetings

2007 Naples (IT)

2008 Amsterdam (NL)
2009 Split (HR)
2010 Plasencia (ES)
2011 Landau (DE)
2012 Muenster (DE)
2013 Quebec City (CA)

Local GEOSTAT:
Zagreb (2004), Ispra
(2007), Canberra (2011),
Belgrade (2011),

GEOSTAT is possible mainly thanks to:

About
GEOSTAT is an intensive course (a "crash
course")
It is really intended for people who pick up
new methods/tools quickly and have a high
motivation to learn (PhD students?)
... we can not promise that you will manage
to master these tools in such a short time

Main principles
The location is selected by the lecturers.
The course programme is largely shaped by the
participants.
Selection of candidates is based on solidarity,
academic output and contributions to open source
projects.
Participants come with their own laptop computers.
GEOSTAT makes no profit.

The six pillars of open geo-data

1.
2.
3.
4.

open data, in real-time

open source geospatial software
open, reproducible procedures
open, web-based, methods for data and processing
models (interoperability)
5. open and explicitly quantified significance and accuracy
levels of research findings
6. managed, open user and developer communities

by Edzer Pebesma

How does it work?

1. First, we collect applications for hosting.

2. Lecturers vote for the best candidate based on a
matrix (spatio-temporal optimum).
3. Registrations open 4-6 months before the beginning.
4. Candidates are selected based on 4 key criteria. The
rankings are published 3 months before the beginning.

Registrations Bergen

Lecturers at the GEOSTAT Bergen

Course programme

DAY 1 - Monday: introduction (crash course in R / Python)

DAY 2 - Tuesday: Tutorials
DAY 3 - Wednesday: Tutorials
DAY 4 - Thursday: Tutorials
DAY 5 - Friday: Open day
DAY 6 - Saturday: Excursion

Open day

You shape the programme by giving us

suggestions things will evolve you will see.
We will publish the programme before
Thursday afternoon.

Example

How was this map made?

Spatial Prediction Competition

Everybody (lecturers included) are invited to
produce predictions using calibration data and
for a number of validation points
By Friday 16:00
The winner will be announced shortly after.

G+ community

If you know R... only sky is the limit

Some of you need a gentle intro

R is a good time/effort investment?

The Popularity of Data Analysis Software

by Robert A. Muenchen

>4000 packages in 2014

JSS

Python crash course

Disclaimer
We can give you an overview of R+OSGeo in 5 days;
we can NOT teach you statistics, GIS, RS, computer
science... in 40 hours.
Lecturers are not responsible for WLAN, coffee
breaks, lunches, local logistics etc etc.
Local organizers (Roger / Felix) are not responsible
for the content of individual blocks.
We are not responsible for how you organize things
on your laptop.

Have fun!