# `Geo+Code` UK

> This is a planning document and shared notes our event.
> **Feel free to make edits and leave comments below.**

## About

:::success
**What is this?** `Geo+Code UK` is a gathering of people in the intersection of geoscience, coding, education, and **open** source/data/science. The focus is on **doing** something together that can be the start of great collaborations going forward. This what we'll do:

* Gather into small group physically together for 1 day.
* Very short (1 slide) presentations on things each work on related to science/data/code/teaching.
* Before the event we brainstorm projects online and async.
* Pick 1 or more projects to work on together.
* **Get to work!**
* Finish off with dinner and optionally a pub.

**Projects** could be coding something, producing a video, joining teaching material, or anything generating **open stuff** really. See [Project Ideas](#Project-ideas) below :point_down:
:::

:::info
**Communication:** Join the [Software Underground Slack](https://softwareunderground.org/slack) channel `#uk-geo-code-meetup`

**When**: Monday, 28 November 2022

**Where:** [Blackburne House](https://www.blackburnehouse.co.uk/) in central Liverpool (in-person)

**Interested?** Join the Slack channel and put your name down below.
:::

:::warning
**Code of Conduct**: All participants in this event (in-person or virtually) are expected to follow the [SSI Code of Conduct](https://software.ac.uk/programmes-and-events/code-conduct) (in-person) and the [Software Underground Code of Conduct](https://softwareunderground.org/code-of-conduct) (online). Point of contact for reporting violations: [Leonardo Uieda](https://www.leouieda.com) and other named individuals in the Software Underground document.
:::

## Costs

* No registration fee.
* Coffee/tea and lunch are included.
* Participants will have to arrange their own travel and accommodation.
* Leo can sponsor a few extras from the [SSI](https://software.ac.uk/) fellowship:
* **Contact Leo if you need these ASAP**
* Travel and accommodation for some participants (funds are limited so please only request if no other source is available)
* Childcare during the event (again, same thing about limited funds)

## What to bring

* This will be a **doing** event and not just a *talking* event. All participants should **bring a laptop** at least (don't forget your charger).
* If you plan to work on audio/visual material, bring any equipment you may need (camera, microphone, etc).
* Leo will bring a good mic, webcam, USB-C to HDMI adapters, and 2 extension cords.
* Michael will bring flipchart and markers

## Participants

> Please feel free to add your name to the list and **notify us on Slack**.

These are the people who have confirmed participation (maximum 20 people):

1. Leo Uieda
1. Michael Tso
1. Maximilian Lowe
1. Sean Walker
1. Caitlin Chalk
1. Amy Gilligan
1. Gelson Souza Junior
1. Aline T. Melo
1. India Uppal
1. Julien Moreau
1. Michal Motylinski
1. Pablo Rodríguez Salgado
1. Milan Lazecky
1. Ben Edwards

## Planning and TODO

- [x] Michael: Call [Blackburne House](https://www.blackburnehouse.co.uk/) to ask about availability. Later in November is better, either Friday or Monday.
- [x] Leo & Michael: Confirm who is attending once we have a date.
- [x] Make a booking.
- [x] Leo: figure out how the payment through the SSI works.
- [x] Leo: Submit funding request to the SSI.
- [x] Look into childcare options.
- The official university provider: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/working/whyworkhere/familyfriendly/childcare/childrenscentre/
- Having a hard time finding a place that takes kids just for 1 day.
- Best option is looking like getting a baby sitter who can take care of the 2 kids at Julien's accommodation.
- Staff at the Blackburne House nursery suggested contacting Caring Services at 0151 924 2073 who usually provide people for them when they are understaffed. Said they've been working with them for 20 years.
- [x] Book a table for dinner
- [The Philharmonic Pub](https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/northwest/thephilharmonicdiningroomsliverpool#/) is close and pretty good. Pub food with veggie/vegan option and a nice setting. Takes reservations.
- Check how many plan to stay for this.
- [x] Include a section in this document about a Code of Conduct. We could use the [SSI code of conduct](https://software.ac.uk/programmes-and-events/code-conduct) and point to Leo and someone at the SSI for contacts.
- [x] Brainstorm a list of topics ahead of time to get things started.
- [x] Take photos!
- [x] Compile notes from the event into 3 blog posts for the SSI (requires 3 because of the amount of funding requested). Can be reposted on the SwUng blog as well.
- [x] Write invitation letters for:
- Aline

## Schedule

This is a tentative schedule for the event:

| Time | Activity |
|------|----------|
| 9:00-9:30 | Welcome and morning tea/coffee |
| 9:30-10:30 | Introduction presentations (2-5 min depending on number of participants) |
| 10:30-11:00 | Mid-morning coffee/tea |
| 11:00-12:00 | Project brainstorming |
| 12:00-13:00 | Lunch |
| 13:00-15:00 | Work on projects |
| 15:00-15:30 | Afternoon tea |
| 15:30-17:00 | Work on projects |
| 17:00-18:00 | Project showcase and wrap-up |
| 18:00- | (optional) Dinner & pub |

## Project ideas

> Write down your project ideas, random thoughts, pitches, etc. below.
>
> **Guidelines:**
> * Could be coding something, producing a video, making teaching material, or anything else you want.
> * The output **has to be open-source/FAIR**. This means MIT/BSD/GPL code, CC-BY materials/data, all publicly accessible on the internet.
> * Ideally keeping to a geoscience theme but some flexibility is allowed.
>
> **Examples:**
> * Working on a software package to get it ready for submission to [JOSS](https://joss.theoj.org/) (see [review criteria](https://joss.readthedocs.io/en/latest/review_criteria.html))
> * Create new software that solves a problem shared by multiple people.
> * Produce educational material, like a [JupyterBook](https://jupyterbook.org/en/stable/intro.html) or YouTube video.
> * Data analysis for a specific project that someone has, leading to a paper or future grant proposal.
>
> Type your ideas below :point_down:. Use the general format of the existing ones but don't be afraid to experiment and innovate.

### Online computational textbooks

**Proposed by:** Leo

**Idea:** Over the last few years, I've been gathering a lot of computational material for my classes ([remote sensing](https://github.com/leouieda/remote-sensing), [global geophysics](https://github.com/leouieda/lithosphere), [machine learning](https://github.com/leouieda/ml-intro)). I'm sure many others have as well. This idea would be to pull some of these together into online computational textbooks (using [JupyterBook](https://jupyterbook.org/)) that can be used across our lessons. Could be a single book or many, it'll depend on the subject and how much material we have.

**Tech**: Jupyter for the content and computational lessons. [JupyterBook](https://jupyterbook.org/) to make them into a book. GitHub to manage the source and contributions. GitHub Actions and Pages to automatically generate the HTML and publish it on the internet. The [Geophysics Library](https://github.com/GeophysicsLibrary) organisation can host (I have the geophysicslibrary.org domain for that as well). SciPy stack for actual lessons, including some geoscience packages.

**Outcomes:** One or more books hosted under geophysicslibrary.org. A [JOSE](https://jose.theoj.org/) or [Geoscience Communication](https://www.geoscience-communication.net/) paper about our work.

**Needs:** People who have material developed already or want to contribute to existing material (writing, making figures, proof-reading, writing some code, setting up infrastructure (Actions and Pages), etc).

### Using Raspberry Shakes to monitor traffic & engage communities

**Proposed by:** Dave H

**Idea:** I've been installing citizen science seismometers (Raspberry Shakes) around Greater Manchester and in North Wales/Anglesey. The main aims are 1) to explore if these devices can accurately measure traffic (compared to more expensive camera-based solutions) and simultaneously 2) help communities better understand geophysics in the solid earth.

**Tech:** I've just been using Python with Obspy, Numpy and matplotlib. There are 10 sesimometers already deployed across Greater Manchester and 4 in North Wales/Anglesey, all with publicly available data.

**Outcomes:** Analyses of the time-series data from the installed seismometers compared to local traffic cameras (also publicly available through manchester-i); and perhaps a comparison of the responses as a function of site specifics - proximity to road, underlying geology etc. Given the success of Lecocq et al. in Science charting the global quiescence due to COVID-19 lockdowns, there is scope for a community-style paper.

**Needs:** Folk with basic Python and experience with time-series, signal processing, statistics and/or seismology.

### Hack a temperature forecasting app

**Proposed by:** Julien M

**Idea:** I recently came across this [pedagogic Copernicus app](https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/software/app-c3s-global-temperature-trend-monitor?tab=app) that forecasts the year where we will reach the tipping point of 1.5 deg C using a projection of the temperature variations via a linear extrapolation. In the past I have been confronted with such problems and I believe we can push the signal analysis to offer something more sophisticated / meaningful using techniques of timeseries signal processing notably with the principle of pink noise. The idea behind is that using frequency analysis of the signal existing and the signal extrapolated together, we cannot distinguish one from another thus producing realistic scenarii from a spectral perspective.

**Tech:** Python Plotly/dash or similar with numpy and scipy signal analysis and methods.

**Outcome:** Analyse the frequency content of the temperature signal interactively in specific time-ranges and offer a forecast based on the characteristics of the signal itself rather than its bulk amplitudes. Eventually show how statistically the forecast distributes. We could then publish this simple app to illustrate the benefit of using geoscientific methods in other domains.

**Needs:** Some knowledge of python, signal analysis and interest in hacking an app.

### Update or create a SimPEG Tutorial

**Proposed by:** Sean

**Idea:** [SimPEG](https://simpeg.xyz/) is an open source inversion framework developed at UBC in Canada. I have used the codes for training/teaching and in one case for commercial work. Questions that come up on the SimPEG slack are usually issues surrounding tutorials (version icompatability). SimPEG is understaffed and the volunteer devs are working on a mountain of code improvements. The [tutorials](http://docs.simpeg.xyz/content/user_guide.html#tutorials) could use some TLC.

**Tech**: Jupyter for the content and computational lessons. GitHub to manage the source and contributions. [SimPEG](https://simpeg.xyz/) to do work through the examples. Sphinx.

**Outcomes:** Source material for a tutorial that would eventually become a pull request for the docs.

**Needs:** People who have used SimPEG or interested in learning.

### Create base foundations for JuPyGMT

**Proposed by:** Milan L

**Idea:** For a long time, research community is struggling finding an intuitive tool to investigate 4-D data. We already have standard datacubes ready and various tools for inversion problems that are being further developed, together with increasing bloating of both functionality and size and demands. What is being decreased is motivation of users to understand the theory behind used tools, often barely described.
Materials of GMT->pyGMT can be considered teaching materials due to their depth, and it should be considered necessary to keep the project active, i.e. used preferably within the community. To increase the preference, give researchers what they (will) want - an interactive ability, while keeping access to the favourite knowledge materials in a flashlight.

**Tech:** Python (matplotlib, pygmt, jupyter notebook, panel, xarray,..)

**Outcome:** Let's prepare concept of JuPyGMT starting by a simple interactive extension running on jupyter notebooks (or generally through ipython core for headless http server if widgets are done with 'panel') that would plot a map through GMT and interact with it (plotting time series of point from xr.DataArray at coordinates calculated upon click/rectangle to the matplotlib map figure, add zoom button etc.). We do not want to copy geoviews for full real-time interoperability, but rather keep a stable (slow-triggering/reacting) but accommodating (satisfying) tool for research use and behind.
Another great outcome could be a jupyter notebook using the interactive widgets to fine tune major parameters of the pyGMT map instance with hints leading to (py)GMT self-learning materials, e.g. selector of available projections with link (or preview) to the online help.

**Needs:** see 'Tech', but there are various ways for contribution (similar to pyGMT)

## Getting reimbursed for travel/accommodation/childcare

1. Contact Leo to let him know you will require this and how much (approximately)
1. All participants who will be claiming reimbursement must **save all VAT registered receipts/invoices and proofs of purchase (bank/card statements)** for the expense claims.
1. You'll need to follow the SSI guidelines for reimbursement here: https://software.ac.uk/SSI-expenses-guidelines

## SSI funding request

SSI form fields for funding request submited for this event:

> Justification for organising the event. Consider the following points: How will the event help your domain, how will the event help the Institute, how will the event help you.

My main fellowship goal was to connect with the UK-based network of geoscience and open-source/open-science enthusiasts. This event will bring together up to 20 people from around the UK and Ireland who are spread across the wider field of Earth Sciences but who share a passion for open science. It'll be an intimate event to build relationships and start projects that could lead to further funding, education material, and even future SSI fellowship applications. This will be my opportunity to connect with many of these peers whom I only met virtually (or not at all) because of the COVID pandemic.

> Successful outputs and outcomes. Please specify what outputs (what maybe be produced) and outcomes (what change it could lead to) are likely to be produced from your participation in this event. These can include learning goals being met, collaborations, reports etc.

The focus of this event is to brainstorm attainable projects that cut across Earth Sciences and get a meaningful start on fulfilling them. Outputs could include science collarations, applications of existing tools to industry, blog posts, video tutorials, open educational material, blog posts, and more. It will depend on the projects pitched by participants but there will be a strong push to work on the projects during the afternoon to make meaningful progress. I myself would love to generalise some of my teaching material and merge it with others' to build an open interactive textbook. We will also produce a blog post about the event for the SSI blog and cross-post to https://softwareunderground.org (which is helping coordinate the event).

> Additional information

The event will take place at Blackburne House in Liverpool. They provide the venue and catering. The amount requested for these items assumes 20 participants, which we are likely to get given the expressed interest. The costs of travel and subsistance are for sponsoring participants. These values are upper limits and we're likely to spend less. Exact values won't be known until we have confirmation. The amount placed in "other" refers to childcare for participants who would not be able to attend otherwise (see justification).

> Justification for requesting sponsorship of individuals.

I want this event to be as inclusive as possible, which is not only fair and equitable but would also avoid biasing our professional network to those have the priviledge of funding and the freedom to travel. To achieve that, I would like to eliminate the barrier to entry due to lack of external funding (affecting ECRs and self-employed) and childcare responsibilities (which tends to fall disproportionately on the shoulders of women). Therefore, I would like to fund travel and accommodation. With £1500 this could be done at at the rate of ~£300 per participant for 5 participants. Childcare options are still ongoing but £250 would cover up to 5 children at £50 per child per day (a standard rate in Liverpool).