NCL Workshops

NCL workshops are tailored to students and researchers in the earth sciences who are interesting in learning how to use NCL to analyze their data. [-- Sample NCL workshop schedule --]

See the list of prerequisites to see if the workshops will be useful for you.

Interested in hosting an NCL workshop?

Upcoming NCL workshops

May 21-24, 2013
University at Albany
Registration is closed because the class is full.

June 11-14, 2013
NCAR, Boulder, Colorado
CTTC, 3085 Center Green Drive (Building CG-2), Boulder, Colorado
Registration is closed because the class is full.

Background

  • The workshops are taught by both a scientist and a software engineer, and offer a combination of introductory lectures and hands-on labs. During the labs, the instructors work with students to help them write NCL programs for analyzing their own data.

  • Lecture topics:
    • Overview of NCL
    • Overview of NetCDF and other data formats
    • NCL language basics
    • File input/output
    • Data analysis
    • Graphics
    • NCL website tour

  • Workshops are generally 3.5 days, with the first three days being lectures in the morning and hands-on labs in the afternoon. The fourth day is an optional morning lab.

  • Local workshops are free. They're usually held at the Corporate Technical Training Center (CTTC) at the Center Green Campus in Boulder. This center provides a computer for every attendee. Space is limited to 16 students.

  • We may also be available to teach workshops at your site, if time and budget permits and there is an appropriate teaching lab available (projector for presentations, and LINUX/UNIX computers running NCL for the students). If you are interested in having us teach a workshop at your site, please email Mary Haley.

  • List of past workshops.

Prerequisites

In order to attend an NCL workshop, students must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Have a basic knowledge of UNIX (MacOSX, Linux, or X/Cygwin), like how to list the directory contents, how to move files from one directory to another, the concept of running programs, how to edit files, how to use ftp/sftp, etc.

  • Know how to edit files using UNIX editors like vi, emacs, or nedit.

  • Have written code using an interpreted (e.g. Python, IDL, MATLAB) or a non-interpreted (e.g. Fortran, C) computer language. Students who don't have knowledge of UNIX or at least one computer language will likely find the NCL workshop too advanced.

Should you be interested?

NCL is a supported general purpose data analysis and visualization tool. It facilitates accessing data in a variety of formats including netCDF, GRIB1, GRIB2, HDF, HDF-EOS 2, HDF-EOS 5, and shapefiles. Many unique analysis functions are built-in and users can readily use existing fortran/C codes. Flexible high quality graphics with many accessible examples are available.

Links for participants

Coming to a Boulder NCL workshop from off site?

Here are some helpful links: