GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT FACILITIES

GIS Laboratory. Our lab has over 20 computers that are fully networked. The lab uses ESRI GIS software, including ArcGIS and ArcView.

Meteorology Laboratory. The Geography Department features a fully-equipped operational weather lab and forecast office with direct access to observational weather data, radar imagery, and weather maps and charts. The department maintains a complete second-order weather station and a satellite downlink to an Alden Electronics digital facsimile recorder for displaying weather maps and charts, along with microcomputer terminal for domestic data service product information. Direct dial-up access to the National Weather Service (NWS) Doppler Radar at Davenport, Iowa is also available, along with our own Sperry MK4016 Weather Radar with Denrad Colorizer housed on campus. Internet access provides any remaining weather information needed for preparing twice-daily forecasts for local radio stations and campus use, including satellite photos, surface and upper air observations, computer forecast models, and NWS forecasts. Micrometeorological instruments for teaching and research purposes are also available.

McDonough County GIS Center (homepage). The Center is a partnership between the City of Macomb, McDonough County, and Western Illinois University. Housed on the second floor of Tillman Hall, the Center is responsible for compiling, managing and storing GIS data layers. The department offers a limited number of graduate assistantships for work in the Center.

Remote Sensing Laboratory. The Remote Sensing Laboratory has a zoom transfer scope, Bausch and Lomb imagery interpretation system, mirror stereoscopes, and imagery light tables.