GLIMS Update: GLIMS Mini-workshop, Dec 6/Fall AGU

[Jeff Kargel]

Dear colleagues,

Details for the next GLIMS Mini-workshop are developing.

Date/time: Tuesday, 6 September, 5:30 PM-9:30 PM, with "extended social
activity" afterward.

Venue:  Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf, 555 North Point Street, San Francisco.
Tel. 415 563 1234.  If you do not receive specific room number info in
advance, ask at the check-in desk where the "GLIMS" workshop is, or
alternatively, ask for Jeff Kargel's Conference Suite.

Presentation equipment: a projector and laptop will be provided.  Projection
will be onto the room's wall or a white sheet of shelving paper! (Hey,
nobody has ever claimed that GLIMS is wasting tax dollars!)

Room capacity: I am told that we can have 15 people fairly comfortably, if a
couple people don't mind the floor (Bruce R and I have volunteered).  If
numbers exceed that, we will manage somehow.

FYI, Hyatt hotel info can be obtained at:
http://fishermanswharf.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

Map and Directions:
http://fishermanswharf.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/services/maps/index.jsp;jsessi
onid=X1QWR1J2LI2N5TQSNWDVAFWOCJWYYUP4

The easiest and most fun way to get there is probably the cable car, which
terminates on Hyde St. just a few blocks away (see map).  Cable cars run
until midnight from that station.



MEETING AGENDA (PRELIMINARY-- additional topics/speakers can be inserted,
though the agenda is pretty tight):

   (i)  5:30-5:40.   Welcome.  Introductions.  Soft drinks and coffee
provided (small volumes of coffee at a time-- we'll keep the little pot
brewing).   
  
   (ii) 5:40-5:50.  ASTER imaging success and gaps over glacier areas.
(John Dwyer or Jeff Kargel)

   (ii) 5:50-6:30.  GLIMS Book. I will be submitting a revised draft outline
Soon as a GLIMS Update.  (sorry to be so slow on this.)  Get into detailed
discussion of outline, some preliminary chapter assignments, identify gaps
and such. Discuss technical editorship.  (Pressure is on to keep number of
editors way down, nixing my year-old ideas for numerous editors.  But we
want wide authorship.  I anticipate most of GLIMS' 110 people will be
somewhere an author.  Discuss editing, timeline, and publication details
with editors at Praxis.
       KARGEL will initiate the discussion, present a draft outline (10
min.).  
       HORWOOD and BLONDEL will respond with their recommendations as
publishing and science editors at Praxis (10 min.).
       The GROUP will discuss and offer their critiques and suggestions (20
min.).

   (iii) 6:30-7:00.  Dinner break with 20-minute special presentation by Bob
Bindschadler--DRAFTED after he volunteered to attend!  Pizza, beer, wine,
and soft drinks  (approx. $10 will be collected, cash only, on site for
pizza consumers; receipt can be provided).

   (iv) More glacier science (sorry our time is so brief and we can't
include much science this time)
        7:00-7:15. Michael P. Bishop and John F. Shroder, Jr., on
Satellite- and Field-based Observations of the Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram
Himalaya.  (Kargel: They saw some exciting things!)
        7:15-7:30.  Andrew Fountain on glacier mapping and monitoring in the
American West.
        7:30-7:45. Bruce Molnia, on Alaskan glaciers.


   (v)  7:45-8:30.  Classification tools.  Emphasize what methods CAN DO;
how FLEXIBLE they are and how much CONTROL the user has;  HOW HARD or SIMPLE
and TIME CONSUMING it will be for Deborah Lee Soltesz to implement in
GLIMSView; how much UNDERSTANDING the user has of how the image is being
manipulated or what added classification layers actually mean and how they
were derived.  First 20 minutes will be available for 3 people to make
presentations of 3 different methods, ~6 minutes each person to include a
brief methodological description, a brief presentation of sample results, a
brief summary of successes and limitations (no discussion except urgent
immediate issues needing clarification).  I suggest from simplest to most
sophisticated and complex methods developed by:
    Kargel  (with Ella Lee) on linear equation-based thresholding.
    Geissler (or presented by proxy) on statistical clustering/nearest
neighbor methodology.
    Bishop on neural net and DEM based approaches incorporating also various
radiometric corrections.
    Then Soltesz'? response as to complexity of implementation into
GLIMSView (10 minutes). (if Soltesz will not be there, we will have to do
without her-- we don't know how but will try)
    Then group discussion (15 minutes).
    Culminates in adoption of a timeline for implementation in GLIMSView.

   (vi) 8:30-9:00.  GLACE II (GLACE = Glacier Analysis Comparison
Experiment).  IIA AND IIB results from Tucson meeting (10 min.).  MAIN GLACE
II EXPERIMENT (10 min.).  Q/A (10 min.).  Don't give away clues to this
particular glacier being tested. (Don't bias the results.) To be led by Raup
or Singh Khalsa. 

   (vii) 9:00-9:30.  Open Forum: Continue with refreshments and group
discussion on any topics, or break into small-group discussions.

   (viii) 9:30-11:30.  Extended social activity.