Two days to master TopoToolbox

Chi-map of the Harz Mountains calculated as part of the course.

Every beginning is difficult, but every beginning also holds a magic within. When you start working with TopoToolbox, it may initially be quite tough. There are a plethora of functions, the purpose of which is not always immediately apparent. And who wants to read long software documentation anyway? At the same time, it is worth delving into TopoToolbox because it offers a “laboratory” where you can unleash your creativity. What is thus needed is a course that offers an easy entry point.

A while back, Dr. Richard Ott from the GFZ Potsdam offered a two-day course on TopoToolbox targeted at beginners and which provides a perfect entry point into digital terrain analysis using MATLAB. Taking the example of the Harz Mountains in Germany, Richard shows how to load data, to create swath profiles, to route flow across topography and to analyse river profiles. Finally, there is an extra section on creating maps.

You can download this self-paced course from git. For every practical you’ll find two files. The one without ‘key’ in the file is the actual practical, where you need to fill in all the gaps yourself to make the code run. The other is the practical ‘key’ where you can look up the potential solution.

So, if you have just started (or are more experienced), give this course a try. If you teach MATLAB and TopoToolbox yourself, you might even use it in your own classes.

Thanks, Richard, for creating this great course. I am sure it’ll be super-helpful to many.