Data Everywhere

This week has been no more exciting than last week. However, we have enjoyed working more from the comfort of our dorm house. Let's just say that I can handle Igor much better with some Disney movies in the background. ;)

Here is a picture of the building we usually work in--Natural Sciences 1:

*SKIP THIS PART IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN HOW TO CORRECT DATA*

Okay, so, I guess I will bore you all with a little lesson on how to correct data in Igor (hey, I warned you). I'll go through the baseline correction for ozone because, let's face it, it's the easiest one to correct.

Baseline Correction:
Our raw data is not correct; the zeros are not where they are supposed to be, if that makes sense. We have to correct the baseline of all of our data to get our zeros to lie on the line where our y-axis equals zero, which is where they are supposed to lie.

1) With your experiment open & waves loaded in Igor, graph o3_conc versus timewave (our raw O3 data versus our corrected time). Remove the gaps so it's one connected line.
2) Hit ctrl + i to make the graph info/cursors show up at bottom of plot.
3) Expand over the zero of the calibration (the steps near the end of the data is the calibration; choose the last flat portion of the calibration).
4) Move your cursors to each end of the zero.
5) Go to Analysis > Wave Stats... > select the o3_conc wave (and make sure you click on "cursors" so the stats are made between the cursors). Then hit "Do It"--yes, it actually says that.
6) Look at the data in the command window, namely the V_avg value. Copy that number. It should be around -10.
7) In the command window, duplicate your o3_conc wave (I suggest naming the new wave "o3_base_cor").
8) In the command window, type this: o3_base_cor-=-10 (except copy in the exact value). This adds 10 (or subtracts -10, whichever way you want to think about it) to your duplicated wave.
9) Append o3_base_cor to your graph. Change the color and remove the gaps to see the difference. Your new wave should be above your old wave, and the zero should be along zero. If you append o3_ps_conc (the primary standard) to the graph, the calibrations of each wave should match up. That's how you know you did it right!

Wow, that was boring. Now you have a slight taste of what my week was like! :) Ha...

*BACK TO REGULAR BLOG*

Besides working night and day to correct the data, we also had to find time to write up our project proposals. Those were due yesterday. I settled on looking at how sea breezes affect the vertical distribution of ozone in the LA basin. It's not terribly exciting, and I feel as though ozone will be way overanalyzed this summer, but it involves meteorology and that's what I wanted. Hopefully I have meaningful results. I'd love to take this research to AGU this December and/or AMS next January!

In other news, the land group (Team Delicious) hosted the first dinner this past Tuesday. They wooed us all with their cooking skills. We had lasagna, baked macaroni, corn, grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, garlic bread, and chips and homemade dip (w/ beans, cheese, and avocado). Whoever has the next dinner definitely has their work cut out for them! Our dinner is the last one, so our goal is to knock everyone else out of the park. ;) ALSO, it RAINED here yesterday! It felt quite amazing. I was really holding out for a thunderstorm, though.

Not a whole lot is planned for this weekend. Some of us are going up to the Griffith Observatory tomorrow, which I am SUPER excited about! I need to invest in a nice telescope someday.

Happy Friday the 13th, and thanks for reading!