Welcome! This forum is the central place to get help, share knowledge, and learn how to use GeoLab, EarthScope’s cloud-based JupyterHub environment for working with NSF NGF data and compute resources.
Whether you’re just getting started, adapting an existing workflow, or exploring cloud-based scientific computing for the first time, you’re in the right place.
New to GeoLab?
Start with the Getting Started category for guides on:
- Logging in to GeoLab
- Launching your first notebook
- Navigating the GeoLab environment
You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to quickly find answers to common questions.
Forum Categories
Here’s a quick overview of the main GeoLab categories:
Getting Started
Learn how to access GeoLab and get up and running.
Help & Troubleshooting
Ask questions and get help with using GeoLab, from notebook troubleshooting to workflow questions.
Workflows & Use Cases
Explore and share research workflows, examples, and practical applications in GeoLab.
Community & Cool Finds
Share interesting tools, articles, tutorials, datasets, and resources relevant to the GeoLab and geoscience computing community.
Announcements
Stay informed about maintenance windows, outages, software updates, new features, and upcoming events.
Feature Requests & Feedback
Suggest improvements, share ideas, and vote on feature requests that would improve GeoLab.
Where Should I Ask for Help?
Use the Community Forum for:
- Workflow questions
- Notebook troubleshooting
- Dataset discussions
- Cloud computing best practices
- Questions that may help other GeoLab users
- Community discussion and knowledge sharing
Contact the Help Desk for:
- Login or account issues
- Password problems
- Server launch failures
- Infrastructure outages requiring administrator intervention
Please check Announcements before reporting outages or technical issues — there may already be an active notice or discussion.
Asking Good Questions
When posting in Help & Troubleshooting, try to include:
- What you’re trying to do
- What you’ve already tried
- Any error messages or screenshots
- Relevant environment details
Adding tags (like python, error, or data-access) also helps others find and answer your question.
Chat & Real-Time Discussions
This forum may occasionally use chat channels for:
- Workshops
- Live training events
- Real-time group discussions
For most support questions and discussions, please use forum topics so information remains searchable and useful to future users.
GeoLab is Growing
GeoLab is an evolving platform, and community input helps shape future development, training resources, and support priorities.
We encourage you to:
- Share workflows and ideas
- Participate in discussions
- Vote on feature requests
- Provide feedback on your experience
Access & Accounts
- The forum is publicly readable
- Posting and participation require an EarthScope account
- Click the Log In button (upper right corner) to sign in using EarthScope Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Don’t have an EarthScope account? No problem! You can create one from the login page
Community Guidelines
Please help us maintain a welcoming, collaborative, and constructive environment:
- Be respectful
- Share knowledge generously
- Keep discussions on topic
- Assume good intent
This forum exists to support collaboration and learning across the geoscience community.
We’re excited to have you here — welcome to GeoLab!