Introduction to Google Earth Engine (#maptimeDavis)

Description: In this introduction to Google Earth Engine (GEE), we’ll focus on the tasks you need to get started. You will learn the basics of scripting in GEE to visualize and manipulate spatial data. You will learn how to work with GEE's readily available datasets (such as Landsat, Sentinel, NAIP, and DEM), load your own data in GEE, and perform some basic spatial analysis. Google Earth Engine is a geospatial computing environment that runs on Google’s infrastructure (i.e., in the cloud).            

Learning Objectives: Participants will gain familiarity with the vast pool of data available in GEE (i.e., the entire Landsat archive), learn how to use GEE to visualize and manipulate huge amounts of data with ease, and gain an understanding of how to approach spatial analysis in this environment. Participants will also learn about resources for further learning and help.           

Prerequisites: Participants from all disciplines are welcome. Prior experience with any coding language will be helpful but is not required.        

Software: Sign up for a Google Earth Engine account at https://earthengine.google.com/            

Instructor: Luke Salvato

Instructor Biography: Luke Salvato is a PhD student in the Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group. He studies patterns of land use change in California’s Central Valley and their interaction with environmental factors.