NCSU GIS/MEA582:
Geospatial Modeling and Analysis

This is an unmaintained course material, please see current material at:

Schedule and links to material for the Distance Education section

Schedule will be adjusted as needed during the semester. Assignments, which are due at the same date, should be delivered in a single report.

Date Topic Tasks Assignment due date
Aug 18 Introduction to the course
Aug 22-26 Data acquisition and integration Aug 30
Aug 29-Sep 02 Data: Geospatial data models Sep 06
Sep 06-09 Data: Display and visualization Sep 13
Sep 12-16 Geospatial Analysis: Global, zonal and focal operations, map algebra
  • Lecture, Assignment 3, part A
  • Feb 02: Submit on Moodle site 1 page project pre-proposal (PDF file named LastnameFirstname_Preproposal.pdf)
 Sep 20
Sep 19-23 Geospatial Analysis: Buffers, cost surfaces, least cost path Sep 27
Sep 26-30 Spatial interpolation and approximation: methods
  • Lecture, Assignment 4, part A
  • Feb 16: Post on Moodle site: 2 page full project proposal (PDF file named LastnameFirstname_Proposal.pdf)
 Oct 04
Oct 03-05 Spatial interpolation and approximation: splines
  • Lecture, Assignment 4, part B
  • Project: acquire data, process into consistent data set (common coord. system, spatial extent, resolution, etc.)
 Oct 11
Oct 06-09 Fall Break
Oct 10-14 Geomorphometry: Terrain modeling Oct 18
Oct 17-21 Geomorphometry: Spatial and temporal terrain analysis
  • Lecture, Assignment 5, part B
  • Project: Develop and test workflow for your analysis/modeling, identify missing data or tools
  • Heads up: interim project report will be part of Midterm due Mar 31: Include research question, data, methods and tools, preliminary results: what have you done and what is holding you back.
  • Project titles
  • Project requirements
 Oct 25
Oct 24-28 Viewshed, solar energy potential analysis Nov 01
Nov 03-Nov 05 Midterm and progress report
  • both on-campus and DE section handled by Moodle, no on-campus presence needed
  • Questions are made available on Mar 29 around 8 am, answers and project progress report are due Mar 31 at 11.45 pm, uploaded to Moodle site as a single PDF file named LastnameFirstname_Exam.pdf
  • don't forget to post on Moodle site paper for the Assignment 6 (viewsheds and solar radiation)
Nov 07-11 Flow routing, watershed analysis Nov 15
Nov 14-18 Introduction to GIS-based Modeling of Geospatial Processes, Hydrologic and Erosion modeling Nov 22
Nov 21-Dec 02 Finish project and record project presentation
  • Project presentation and paper requirements
  • Project titles – final
  • DE section:
    • To record your presentation, use Open Broadcaster Software (tutorial), MS Powerpoint, Libre Office, Jing or any other software with similar recording functionality.
    • Post the presentation on Moodle site, or, if the file is too big, upload your file to Google drive and share it with the instructors. Alternatively, you can upload it to velocity.ncsu.edu (see instructions below). Please keep the presentation to 10 minutes and name your file LastnameFirstname_Presentation.avi, LastnameFirstname_Presentation.pptx (or whatever format you use).
    • Recorded presentations are due Dec 02.
Dec 02 for DE
Dec 06 Papers due by 11pm
  • post it on Moodle site as LastnameFirstname_Paper.pdf
Dec 09 Last day to submit a complete course work in a ZIP file, due by 11pm
  • the ZIP file should include: project paper, presentation slides and all homework papers
  • Upload your work as a single ZIP file LastnameFirstname.zip to the Google drive and share it with the instructors (HM, AP, VP). If Google drive does not work, please upload the file to velocity.ncsu.edu
    1. Create new session and name appropriately.
    2. Click "Upload via browser"
    3. Select file and upload.
    4. Click box next to file in session and use drop down box to select "send via email" to deliver the portfolio to the course instructors (HM, AP, VP)