[Geophysics] MATLAB in geophysics?

[Jackie Caplan-Auerbach]

Hi there,

I'm a geophysicist who was unfortunately unable to attend the NAGT 
workshop this summer (fieldwork got in the way), so I didn't have the 
opportunity to ask this question to everyone at that time.  Hopefully 
it's okay to use this listserv to do so now. 

I'm very curious whether other geophysics faculty are using MATLAB or 
other similar software in their undergraduate classes.  I teach at a 
university that is primary undergraduate, although we have a strong 
master's program in geology.  Our undergraduate students largely become 
licensed geologists or work in industry following graduation, although 
some do go on to graduate school.  Although our strengths have 
traditionally been in field geology we're working very hard to develop 
our geophysics and engineering geology.  However, there's no question 
that our students lack confidence and skill in quantitative areas. 

I'm a user of MATLAB, and have always wanted my students to have some 
familarity with it.   I know that it can be very helpful to those who go 
on to graduate school, and I suspect that at least some will see it in 
industry (although I'm not sure).  It also helps those students who want 
to do research with me (graduate or senior thesis), since all of my 
research is MATLAB based.  However, they really struggle with it, and I 
wonder if I'm beating my head against a wall for no reason.  Another 
member of our faculty is a user of MathCAD, which the students love, but 
I'm not aware that it gets much use elsewhere. 

I'd be very interested in learning what other schools are doing.  Do you 
use any software for quantitative analysis?  Excel?  Mathematica?  
MATLAB?  MatCAD?  Do you introduce it on the undergraduate level?  On 
the graduate level?  Do you use it in the classroom, or just for 
research?  Do other departments in your university use this software?  
Does anyone know how widely these software packages are used outside of 
academia or research?

Any thoughts would help enormously.

Aloha and thanks in advance,
Jackie

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Jackie Caplan-Auerbach
Geology Department
Western Washington University
516 High St., MS 9080
Bellingham, WA, 98225
360-650-4153