Taking the first steps towards data analysis
Programming is comparable to the learning of a new language. Without practice you will lose the vocabulary and grammar. After nearly 6 month (and the loss of a lot of information) I´m starting to analyze the first data of my project. Using the field work information (especially photos) I mapped the mass movements around the Lago Buenos Aires. Separating between rotational landslides, earthflows, complex landslides, landslides without a further categorization and flows without a further categorization. All in all I could detect nearly 290 landslides around the Meseta del Lago Buenos Aires. By combining the shape data with a SRTM DEM with a 30 m resolution I could calculate the slope and roughness of each polygon. The easiest way for me was to use Matlab and especially the Matlab Toolbox TopoToolbox from my colleague Dr. Wolfgang Schwanghart.
My goal is to find evidences for the considered multi-stage hypothesis. Meaning that the landslides (especially the rotational landslides) were not developing during one rupture but multiple ones. This is important for the understanding the evolution of the landscape and the evaluation of the natural risk for this area. By using the roughness (higher roughness for younger landslides and lower roughness for older ones) I hope to find these different steps of the evolution.
So I started by creating different histograms and plotting the roughness of the different types.
It is interesting to see, that the distribution is not typical a ‘normal’ one, but we see these steps as well in the roughness.
But I have to admit that it took me a long time to figure out the commands. Although it makes fun to play around a bit!
Preparing for the field trip
Field trips are one of the most exciting parts of our scientific life. This is it what apart us from other sciences. Going into the field, seeing what we study, feeling the air (or not if you are in a mine or caving) and speaking with the local population. Field trips have a great intrinsic motivation and afterwards you are usually fired up. Of course it depends strongly on the outcome of the field trip. That´s why preparation is a keystone for a prosperous and successful field trip.
The last two weeks were kind of stressful. Before Christmas organizing anything was difficult because of the closed funding. Indeed not even the flights were booked. Within one week I managed to book the flights (though the funding was not clear and is to this point not clear) – the double funding with Strategy and CUAA (Cotutelle de tésis) inhibits the problem of unclear competencies. The administration board tells us different things than our organizations board. It feels like every PhD student has made a different travel expanses report. I just hope that the account won´t be this difficult and that we are in the future better prepared. I also managed to get a car for us which is not as expansive as the last time with AVIS. Unfortunately, AVIS wasn´t providing any four-wheel car, which forced me to find alternatives. Now a have a receipt and everything should be set. The equipment was another big point which is up until now not fully organized. Though I´m just waiting for the financial board to respond to the last documents I had to hand in. Delays were, in my opinion, avoidable. Because the projects runs for more than three years now and somebody should know what to keep in mind while ordering big equipment. I just hope that the remaining month is enough time to solve the problems and to get the equipment to Argentina sound and safe. What´s definitely left is the booking of the apartments – I have to set this next week. Looking at my to-do-list sheet a lot of check marks are already set. It´s good to know that most of the points are clear. And I hope to have a nice field trip.
Unfortunately, my German supervisor is not joining. Nevertheless, I have out Czech team joining us. I´m really looking forward to learn more and I´m interested how they are working. We have discussed a few spots – which in my opinion contain a few spots which are definitely not manageable. But we will see!
