PhD Assistantship in remote sensing, carbon cycling and forest ecosystems

Available: PhD Assistantship in remote sensing, carbon cycling and forest ecosystems

The Terrestrial Ecosystems Lab at UNH’s Earth Systems Research Center seeks a graduate student (PhD-level preferred) to conduct research on spatial patterns of carbon cycling and ecosystem processes in northeastern U.S. forests.  The student will join a dynamic and collaborative group of researchers and fellow grad students who seek to understand landscape to regional scale patterns of forest growth, carbon cycling and terrestrial-aquatic linkages, as well as how they’re affected by stressors such as invasive pests, land use, and climate change.  Working under the supervision of Dr. Scott Ollinger, the student will develop research to explore one or more of these topics using some combination of remote sensing (potentially including lidar, hyperspectral and/or broad band sensors), ecosystem modeling, field measurements and eddy flux data.

Qualifications:  Applicants should have a degree in ecology, forestry, environmental science, earth science, geography, or a related field.  Strong communication skills (written and verbal) are a must.  The ideal candidates will have one or more of the following skills: solid understanding of carbon or nitrogen cycling, forest ecology, soil science, or ecophysiology, and experience with remote sensing, modeling/code writing, field data collection or analysis of large data sets. Applicants seeking a PhD are preferred, but all well-qualified applicants will be considered.

Location:  UNH is located in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, near the city of Portsmouth, approximately an hour from Boston or Portland, Maine and within easy proximity of lakes, mountains, and the ocean.  Information about the Terrestrial Ecosystems Lab and the Earth, Systems Research Center can be found here: https://eos.unh.edu/earth-systems-research-center. Information about the Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science PhD program is available here: https://gradschool.unh.edu/natural-resources-earth-systems-science-phd

Start Date:  Position available starting Fall Semester 2020.

To Apply:  Please send a cover letter stating your research interests, curriculum vitae, copies of academic transcripts, and contact information for three references by email to Dr. Scott Ollinger (scott.ollinger@unh.edu) using the subject heading: Grad assistantship in ecosystem ecology.  Please attach application materials as word documents or PDFs with the candidate’s name included in the file names.

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Landsat 9 Satellite To Launch in 2023 To Continue Land Imaging Legacy

NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have started work on Landsat 9, planned to launch in 2023, which will extend the Earth-observing program’s record of land images to half a century.

The Landsat program has provided accurate measurements of Earth’s land cover since 1972. With data from Landsat satellites, ecologists have tracked deforestation in South America, water managers have monitored irrigation of farmland in the American West, and researchers have watched the growth of cities worldwide. With the help of the program’s open archive, firefighters have assessed the severity of wildfires and scientists have mapped the retreat of mountain glaciers.

The President’s fiscal year 2016 budget calls for initiation of a Landsat 9 spacecraft as an upgraded rebuild of Landsat 8, as well as development of a low-cost thermal infrared (TIR) free-flying satellite for launch in 2019 to reduce the risk of a data gap in this important measurement. The TIR free flyer will ensure data continuity by flying in formation with Landsat 8. The budget also calls for the exploration of technology and systems innovations to provide more cost effective and advanced capabilities in future land-imaging missions beyond Landsat 9, such as finding ways to miniaturize instruments to be launched on smaller, less expensive satellites.

“Moving out on Landsat 9 is a high priority for NASA and USGS as part of a sustainable land imaging program that will serve the nation into the future as the current Landsat program has done for decades,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “Continuing the critical observations made by the Landsat satellites is important now and their value will only grow in the future, given the long term environmental changes we are seeing on planet Earth.”

Because an important part of the land imaging program is to provide consistent long-term observations, this mission will largely replicate its predecessor Landsat 8. The mission will carry two instruments, one that captures views of the planet in visible, near infrared and shortwave-infrared light, and another that measures the thermal infrared radiation, or heat, of Earth’s surfaces. These instruments have sensors with moderate resolution and the ability to detect more variation in intensity than the first seven satellites in the Landsat program.

The Landsat 9 mission is a partnership between NASA and the USGS. NASA will build, launch, perform the initial check-out and commissioning of the satellite; USGS will operate Landsat 9 and process, archive, and freely distribute the mission’s data.

"Landsat is a remarkably successful partnership," said Sarah Ryker, USGS deputy associate director for climate and land use change, Reston, Virginia. "Last year the White House found that GPS, weather satellites, and Landsat are the three most critical types of Earth-orbiting assets for civil applications, because they're used by many economic sectors and fields of research. Having Landsat 9 in progress, and a long-term commitment to sustainable land imaging, is great for natural resource science and for data-driven industries such as precision agriculture and insurance."

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will lead development of the Landsat 9 flight segment. Goddard will also build the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), which will be similar to the TIRS that the center built for Landsat 8. The new improved TIRS will have a five-year design lifetime, compared to the three-year design lifetime of the sensor on Landsat 8.

"This is good news for Goddard, and it’s great news for the Landsat community to get the next mission going," said Del Jenstrom, the Landsat 9 project manager at NASA Goddard. "It will provide data consistent with, or better than, Landsat 8."

With decades of observations, scientists can tease out subtle changes in ecosystems, the effects of climate change on permafrost, changes in farming technologies, and many other activities that alter the landscape.

“With a launch in 2023, Landsat 9 would propel the program past 50 years of collecting global land cover data,” said Jeffrey Masek, Landsat 9 Project Scientist at Goddard. "That’s the hallmark of Landsat: the longer the satellites view the Earth, the more phenomena you can observe and understand. We see changing areas of irrigated agriculture worldwide, systemic conversion of forest to pasture – activities where either human pressures or natural environmental pressures are causing the shifts in land use over decades.”

"We have recognized for the first time that we’re not just going to do one more, then stop, but that Landsat is actually a long-term monitoring activity, like the weather satellites, that should go on in perpetuity," Masek said.

NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing.

For more information on the Landsat program, visit: http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA, Landsat

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Multiple Satellites to Track Algal Threat to U.S. Freshwater

Four federal agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey have joined forces in an effort to transform satellite data into vital information to protect the American public from freshwater contaminated by harmful algal blooms.

The $3.6 million research project is a collaborative effort among NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and USGS. Using methods and technology established to analyze ocean color satellite data, scientists from the four agencies will work to develop an early warning indicator for toxic and nuisance algal blooms in freshwater systems and build an information distribution system to expedite public health advisories.

Algal blooms are a worldwide environmental problem causing human and animal health risks, fish kills, and noxious taste and odor in drinking water. In the United States, the cost of freshwater degraded by harmful algal blooms is estimated at $64 million annually. In August 2014, officials in Toledo, Ohio, banned the use of drinking water supplied to more than 400,000 residents after it was contaminated by an algal bloom in Lake Erie.

“Harmful algal blooms have emerged as a significant public health and economic issue that requires extensive scientific investigation,” said Suzette Kimball, acting USGS Director. “USGS uses converging lines of evidence from ground to space to assess changes in water quantity and quality, ecosystems, natural hazards, and environmental health issues important to the nation.”

Ocean color satellite data are currently available to scientists, but are not routinely processed and produced in formats that help state and local environmental and water quality managers. Through this project, satellite data on harmful algal blooms developed by the partner agencies will be converted to a format that stakeholders can use through mobile devices and web portals.

“The vantage point of space not only contributes to a better understanding of our home planet, it helps improve lives around the world,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “We’re excited to be putting NASA’s expertise in space and scientific exploration to work protecting public health and safety.”

The new network builds on previous NASA ocean satellite sensor technologies created to study the global ocean’s microscopic algal communities, which play a major role in ocean ecology, the movement of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and ocean, and climate change. These sensors detect the color of the sunlit upper layer of the ocean and are used to create indicators that can help identify harmful algal blooms.

NOAA and NASA pioneered the use of satellite data to monitor and forecast harmful algal blooms. Satellites allow for more frequent observations over broader areas than water sampling. Satellite data support NOAA’s existing forecasting systems in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

“Observing harmful algae is critical to understanding, managing, and forecasting these blooms. This collaboration will assure that NOAA’s efforts will assist the coastal and inland public health officials and managers across the country to distribute this information to the community in an easily understandable fashion,” said Holly Bamford, acting NOAA Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management and Deputy Administrator in Washington.

Under certain environmental conditions, algae naturally present in marine and fresh waters rapidly multiply to create a bloom. Some species of algae called cyanobacteria produce toxins that can kill wildlife and domestic animals and cause illness in humans through exposure to contaminated freshwater or by the consumption of contaminated drinking water, fish, or shellfish. Cyanobacteria blooms are a particular concern because of their dense biomass, toxins, taste, and odor.

“EPA researchers are developing important scientific tools to help local communities respond quickly and efficiently to real-time water quality issues and protect drinking water for their residents,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Working with other federal agencies, we are leveraging our scientific expertise, technology and data to create a mobile app to help water quality managers make important decisions to reduce negative impacts related to harmful algal blooms, which have been increasingly affecting our water bodies due to climate change.”

The project also includes a research component to improve understanding of the environmental causes and health impacts of cyanobacteria and phytoplankton blooms across the United States. Blooms in lakes and estuaries are produced when aquatic plants receive excess nutrients under suitable environmental conditions. Various land uses, such as urbanization and agricultural practices, change the amount of nutrients and sediment delivered in watersheds, which can influence cyanobacterial growth.

Researchers will compare the new freshwater algal blooms data with satellite records of land cover changes over time to identify specific land-use activities that may have caused environmental changes linked to the frequency and intensity of blooms. The results will help to develop better forecasts of bloom events.

“Algal blooms pose an expensive, unpredictable public health threat that can affect millions of people,” said Sarah Ryker, USGS Deputy Associate Director for Climate and Land Use Change. “By using satellite-based science instruments to assess conditions in water and on adjacent land, we hope to improve detection of these blooms and to better understand the conditions under which they occur.” 

The Landsat satellite series, a joint effort of USGS and NASA, has provided a continuous dataset of land use and land cover conditions since 1972. The latest satellite, Landsat 8, has demonstrated promising new capabilities for water quality assessment.

SOURCE USGS

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Join The Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop (CPASW) 2015

Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop (CPASW)
March 24-26, 2015
Las Cruces, New Mexico
New Mexico State University
Background

The annual Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop (CPASW), initiated in 2002 by the NOAA National Weather Service Climate Services Division, brings together a diverse group of climate researchers, climate product producers, and climate information users to share developments in research and applications of climate predictions for societal decision-making. A unique planning team, consisting of several NOAA climate services partners, organizes and hosts CPASW at a different location each year to ensure varying climate application focuses, and both regional and national perspectives.

2015 CPASW
The 13th Annual CPASW will bring together climate researchers, information producers, and users to share developments in research and applications of climate predictions for societal decision-making. The 2015 CPASW will be hosted by the New Mexico State University and the USDA Southwest Climate Hub and co-hosted by the NOAA National Weather Service Climate Services Division. Please see full list of organizers as several agencies help to organize the workshop logistics and agenda. From March 24-26, 2015, the 13th Annual CPASW will convene in Las Cruces, New Mexico, at the New Mexico State University, with a workshop theme of "Climate and Drought Information for Food Resilience, Agriculture, and Water Resources." This theme will integrate broad national, international, and global aspects of climate and drought information applications in various decisions related to food resilience including agriculture, ranching, food processing, water availability and water rights, among others. Climate is a cross-cutting concern for all of these areas and provides a link for critical decisions in building resilient communities such as planning, allocating resources, sustaining development and management, as well as preserving livestock, cropland, and rangelands. Special emphasis will be given to climate and drought information systems in support of the President's Climate Action Plan and the White House Climate Data Initiative, including the Climate Resilience Toolkit. Additionally, the 2015 CPASW will foster the coordination of climate services provided by government agencies, research institutions, and private enterprises, as well as build partnerships with professional societies to expand and sustain climate services development.

The Workshop format will include a combination of symposium-style sessions and breakout discussions that address the workshop theme. We invite abstracts that address the use of climate data, monitoring, predictions and projections in all of the focus areas listed above. We also invite papers on specific decisions and challenges associated with using seasonal climate predictions; heat, drought, and other climatic extreme products; and best practices in climate information use and communication.

Who Should Attend the 13th Annual CPASW:

    Agriculture, Rangeland, Ecological and Water Management Specialists
    Climate and Agro-weather data providers
    International organizations
    Applied climatologists and scientists who use climate information
    Decision-makers who utilize climate predictions, products, and services
    Developers and providers of climate data, forecasts, applications, and tools
    Climate extension specialists and communicators of climate information
    Social Scientists who work with climate information users and stakeholders

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Position Available: Postdoctoral Remote Sensing Scientist

A Postdoctoral Remote Sensing Scientist with research interests in quantitative remote sensing is sought to work on the NASA funded Web-enabled Landsat Data (WELD) project (http://weld.cr.usgs.gov/). The research will focus over the next 5 years on the expansion of the WELD products to global scale and development of Landsat 5, 7 and 8 time series processing algorithms in a Linux environment. The position will involve liaison with the Landsat Science Team (http://landsat.usgs.gov/Landsat_Science_Team_2012-2017.php) and with NASA AMES supercomputer researchers (https://c3.nasa.gov/nex/). The Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence is a dynamic internationally recognized research center located in a small university town in South Dakota which was recently ranked the state with the 5th highest quality of life in the US. The GIScCE is a friendly research environment that has excellent research infrastructure and computing support: (http://globalmonitoring.sdstate.edu/files/GIScCE_Triennial_Report.pdf).

Please send a curriculum vitae, brief statement of research experiences and goals, and contact information for three references to Prof. David Roy, Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence, South Dakota State University, Wecota Hall, Box 506B, Brookings, SD 57007-3510, USA (or via email to: david.roy@sdstate.edu).

South Dakota State University is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its faculty, staff and students. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Non-US citizens may apply.

SDSU is an AA/EEO employer.

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Chinese Remote Sensing Satellite Yaogan-21 Launched Into Orbit

China has launched two satellites into orbit -- Yaogan-21 remote sensing satellite and the Tiantuo-2 satellite -- from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, in north China’s Shanxi Province.

The Yaogan-21 will be used for scientific experiments, surveying natural resources and crop yields and helping with disaster relief. The Tiantuo-2 is designed for small satellite experiments.

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SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing 2014 - Abstracts Due 14 April

Present and publish your research on sensing technologies for environmental monitoring.

The 2014 SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing Symposium in Beijing, China will focus on remote sensing for Earth system science and environmental health monitoring. Submit your abstract and participate in this important event.

Where: Beijing International Convention Center, Beijing, China
When: 13 - 17 October 2014

Abstracts due 14 April. Submit the abstracts here.

Conference Topics

• Remote sensing of the atmosphere, clouds, and precipitation
• Land surface remote sensing
• Remote sensing of the ocean environment
• Lidar remote sensing for environmental monitoring
• Multispectral, hyperspectral, and ultraspectral remote sensing technology, techniques, and applications
• Earth-observing missions and sensors: development, implementation, and characterization
• Remote sensing and modeling of the atmosphere, oceans, and interactions

Important Dates

Abstracts Date: 14 April 2014
Author Notification: 13 June 2014
Manuscripts Due: 15 September 2014

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Satellite Image of Rome Delivered in Near Real Time

DMCii and long-term partner Spacemetric, have successfully delivered an image from satellite to end-user in just 11 minutes, as part of a demonstration at the European Space Agency’s ‘Big Data from Space’ conference, where industry experts discuss how to distribute large volumes of data from space to the people that need it.

An image of Rome (where the event is being held) was acquired at 09:17 UTC on Wednesday the 5th June and it was processed and made available by 09:28 UTC the same morning.

Adina Gillespie, DMCii’s Product Development Manager said: “Delivering images from space to users usually takes at least a day, so demonstrating that it’s possible to capture Rome, download the image and process it in just 11 minutes is hugely exciting and proves that an age where civil users can tap into near real time data from space is just around the corner.”

DMCii specialises in the fast delivery of images for time-critical applications such as monitoring crop growth and monitoring disasters where imagery has a shelf life of about 24 hours, after which it ceases to be useful. Operating a multi-satellite constellation means that DMCii has more “eyes in the sky”, acquiring huge volumes of data every day. The company has already increased the speed of delivery with its direct downlink service that downlinks data directly to the user, and is planning an ‘always on’ service will cut delivery times for satellite imaging by continuously imaging the Earth without the need to command the satellite and wait for the image to be acquired.

The live demonstration of rapid image access is using the latest capabilities developed within the NGI project (Near Real-Time Geo-annotated Imagery) for the European Space Agency by Spacemetric.

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ASTER Satellite Image Download Links

Due to some inquiries, here we summarize the posts we had so far regarding ASTER satellite image download. 

1. You can download for free MODIS and ASTER Data Products via MODIS Data Products from the Land Processes (LP) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

2. Get ASTER Data from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

3. The Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) provides ASTER images. You can use their tool for download.

4. The University of Nevada Reno has an interactive map to download the Aster Images.

Please follow GIS in Education on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

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SPIE Remote Sensing Call for Papers 2013

SPIE Remote Sensing Call for Papers 2013. This premier European meeting focuses on recent breakthroughs in atmospheric and earth-surface sensing, next-generation satellites, SAR image analysis and techniques, image and signal processing, and more.

Papers are being accepted in these areas:

•     Sensors, Systems, and Next-generation Satellites
•     Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere
•     Lidar Technologies, Techniques, and Measurements for Atmospheric Remote Sensing
•     Optics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems
•     SAR Image Analysis, Modeling, and Techniques
•     Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications
•     Adapting to the Challenges of Climate Change: Remote Sensing 2013
•     High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing
•     Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology
•     Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions
•     Image and Signal Processing for Remote Sensing

Abstracts Due:  1 April 2013
Read the submission guidelines for more. 

Conference Details:
23 - 26 September 2013
Internationales Congress Center
Dresden, Germany

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ESA Seventh Earth Explorer To Be Selected In March

This March marks an important milestone in the Earth observation calendar. Scientists from all over Europe will be gathering in Graz, Austria, to scrutinise three innovative satellite concepts. One will then be chosen as ESA’s seventh Earth Explorer.

Using breakthrough technology, the series of Earth Explorer satellites is designed to advance science by exploring different aspects of Earth. Together, these missions are improving our understanding of the complex interactions between Earth’s different components and how human activity is affecting natural processes.

With three missions already in orbit and another three on the road to launch, the next User Consultation Meeting will be held on 5–6 March.

This meeting provides the opportunity for the scientific community to debate the merits of three new mission concepts – each of which promises to deliver novel information on how our planet works.

The philosophy of developing Earth Explorer missions centres on the involvement of the scientific community from the very beginning of a mission’s life. Being proposed by the scientific community and realised through the user-driven selection process ensures that this series of state-of-the-art missions addresses the most urgent Earth science questions of our time.

The success of this approach is borne out by the advances that the GOCE gravity mission, the SMOS water mission and the CryoSat ice mission are already making to science. The Swarm magnetic field mission, to be launched this year, followed by the ADM-Aeolus and EarthCARE missions are set to improve our knowledge even further.

The three new concepts, Biomass, CoReH₂O and PREMIER, have already undergone extensive feasibility studies to demonstrate their value to science and their technical viability. This phase culminated in the release of three in-depth reports for mission selection that form the basis for choice of the next mission.

Moreover, the latest analyses of the three missions performed in the past months are gathered in addendum reports which can be downloaded from the right-hand bar.

The meeting now provides the opportunity for the community to put forward their views, which are considered by ESA’s Earth Science Advisory Committee before recommending which mission should be selected.

Registration for the meeting can be made via the User Consultation Meeting website.

SOURCE ESA

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Galileo Launches Two More Satellites (VIDEO)

The third and fourth satellites of Europe’s Galileo global navigation satellite system were lofted into orbit on 12 October from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. They join the first pair of satellites launched a year ago to complete the validation phase of the Galileo programme.

Video:

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Venezuelan Remote Sensing Satellite Launched

Venezuela launched its second remote sensing satellite called "Francisco de Miranda."

China has launched a second satellite built for Venezuela's government.

The remote sensing satellite soared into orbit atop a rocket from the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu.

The launch was shown live on Venezuelan TV on Friday night. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez applauded as he watched alongside aides in Caracas, congratulating those who worked on the project.

Officials have said the satellite cost $140 million and will provide images for tasks such as mapping croplands, counter-drug efforts and monitoring floods.

The launch came more than a week ahead of Venezuela's Oct. 7 presidential election, in which Chavez is seeking another six-year term.

The satellite is named after Venezuelan independence hero Francisco de Miranda.

Venezuela's first satellite was named after independence leader Simon Bolivar. It was launched from China in 2008.

SOURCE

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ASPRS 2013 Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland

Join the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) for the 2013 Annual Conference as we return to Baltimore, Maryland, March 24 - 28, 2013. The conference theme: Confluence by the Bay - A Gathering of Geospatial Insights, refers to the "coming together" of researchers and practitioners for the purpose of open dialogue with respect to the most recent advances in geospatial analysis. The term "confluence" also has meaning in the assessment of the three earth's spheres (hydrologic, terrestrial, and atmospheric) via remote sensing; very apropos for our confernece location on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Year 2013 promises to be an encouraging period due to the successful launch (fingers crossed!) of the LDCM Earth observing satellite (January 2013). We anticipate first look imagery from Landsat 8 will be presented at our conference!

Check out the registration fees and how to register for the event.

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SPOT 6 First Satellite Image!

Below is the a SPOT 6 satellite image acquired 3 days after the launch on September 9. It is an image from Bora Bora French Polynesia.

Title : SPOT 6 Satellite Image - Bora Bora French Polynesia
Location: Society Islands - Pacific Ocean
Image Type: Optical
Resolution: 1m - 5m
Date: 09/12/2012
Copyright: 2012 Astrium Services

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ASPRS Recertification Requirements (UPDATES)

The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Evaluation for Certification Committee has recently updated the ASPRS Recertification requirements and revised the related Certification Guidelines. These changes were made as a result of the Committee’s ongoing interaction with the Council of Engineering & Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) as ASPRS moves toward accreditation of the ASPRS Certification Program by CESB. One of the key recommendations CESB made was for ASPRS to base its recertification requirements on standardized Professional Development Hours (PDH) or Continuing Education Units (CEUs), rather than the internally designed point system ASPRS had been using.

Mike Renslow, chair of the ASPRS Evaluation for Certification Committee, explained, “Basing recertification on Professional Development Hours clarifies the types and levels of activities that applicants must document, and provides a standardized framework for evaluation by the review committees. This improvement strengthens the ASPRS Certification Program and implements a process used by many other scientific/technical certifying bodies.” As a result of these recommendations, ASPRS began the process in 2011 of moving to a PDH format with input from industry, academia, and the public sector.

The updated guidelines are posted on the ASPRS website. The recertification PDH requirements are outlined in a table on the website, together with a list explaining specific activities and the number of PDHs that may qualify for recertification. The applicant may also earn “ASPRS PDH Credits” for selected additional activities that count toward recertification. The most significant difference with the newly revised requirements is that additional documentation is required when PDHs or CEUs are earned.

Applicants seeking ASPRS Recertification may begin using the new PDH-based system immediately, and will be required to use it starting January 1, 2013. The ASPRS Certification Program continues to evolve and maintain its leadership position in the geospatial sciences. The Program is currently in the final evaluation phase of the accreditation process by CESB, the results of which will be announced soon.

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SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing 2012 Conference

Join your colleagues and the top worldwide leaders in remote sensing for SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing 2012, a symposium focusing on sensing technologies for environmental monitoring, to be held in beautiful Kyoto, Japan, 29 October through 1 November, 2012.

Topics covered:

• Remote sensing of the atmosphere, clouds, and precipitation
• Land surface remote sensing
• Remote sensing of the ocean environment
• Lidar remote sensing for environmental monitoring
• Multispectral, hyperspectral, and ultraspectral remote sensing technology, techniques and applications
• Earth-observing missions and sensors: development, implementation, and characterization
• Remote sensing and modeling of the atmosphere, oceans and interactions

Registration for the conference is now open!

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eBook: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing

I found this helpful ebook posted online about "Fundamentals of Remote Sensing" from the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. I am not sure if you can download this for free. Below, I embedded the document for free reading.

If you cannot view the document below, visit the original link where this ebook was posted.

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Oceanic Surveying Satellite Haiyang-2 Goes Public

The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) on Friday gave the public access to data products of the oceanic surveying satellite Haiyang-2, which monitors maritime environment and extreme weather.

The satellite provides services for oceanic disaster prevention and relief, resources exploitation, environmental protection, oceanic research, as well as safeguarding oceanic rights, according to the SOA.

The administration said it will further expand the scope for the implementation of the data from the satellite, and make use of its potential values as much as possible in a bid to provide first-class services to data users.

The satellite was launched mid-August last year.

Earlier this month, control of satellite was handed over to the SOA by its manufacturer and launcher China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

SOURCE news.xinhuanet.com

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Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing 2012 Conference

Submit your study abstract to the 2012 SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing conference!

Abstracts are due by 16 April 2012 to present at this symposium focusing on sensing technologies for environmental monitoring. The symposium is scheduled for 29 October through 1 November at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan.

PAPERS WILL BE SOLICITED IN THESE TECHNICAL AREAS:

• Remote sensing of the atmosphere, clouds, and precipitation
• Land surface remote sensing
• Remote sensing of the ocean environment
• Lidar remote sensing for environmental monitoring
• Multispectral, hyperspectral, and ultraspectral remote sensing technology, techniques and applications
• Earth-observing missions and sensors: development, implementation, and characterization
• Remote sensing and modeling of the atmosphere, oceans and interactions

Symposium theme and focus:
Rapid growth and development in Asian countries has increased their economic and social importance in the world. Their effects on the global environment have become serious as well. Examples include increasing releases of greenhouse gases, environmental contamination, exhaustion of water resources, and vulnerability to severe natural disasters. Under such circumstances it is imperative to monitor the global environment by remote sensing and to understand environmental changes in order to preserve the environment for our lives and the future.

The focus of the 8th Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing Symposium in Kyoto, Japan, is "Remote Sensing for the environment and the prevention and mitigation of disaster."
The scope of the symposium includes:

- Global environmental change and impacts of human activities
- Environmental pollution diagnostics
- Water circulation and natural disasters
- Marine environment and threats to the coastal areas
- Remote sensing and modeling.

The individual conferences focus on active and passive remote sensing techniques, applications of atmosphere, land and marine sensing technologies, and development of new remote sensing sensors. The symposium will bring together policy makers, scientists and engineers from the Asia-Pacific region, and other parts of the world, to discuss the issues and the development of the remote sensing technologies, data processing techniques, applications of remote sensing data, modeling aspects that make use of remotely sensed data sets and societal benefits of remote sensing products. The wind lidar is being considered as an important forthcoming remote sensing instrument from satellites. We encourage scientists that wish to make presentations on wind lidar related modeling applications.

Submit the abstract here.

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