Remote Sensing
Faculty and students in the Institute are using data collected by a variety of spaceborne, airborne and ground-based sensors to image and measure the earth's surface. A diverse range of projects is underway in disciplines such as glaciology, glacial geologyl, geomorphology and anthropology. Much of the work is conducted in a state of the art remote sensing laboratory.
Faculty
Research
- Ice dynamics of large outlet glaciers: sequential high-resolution satellite imagery is used to derive flow velocities and strain rate patterns on large glaciers draining the East Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and to study the calving fluxes of tidewater glaciers in Svalbard.
- Changes in glacier geometry and extent: modern and archival satellite imagery is being used to map glacier variations in many remote parts of the world as evidence of climate change.
- Mass and volume balance of ice sheets: satellite and airborne altimeter data and field measurements are being used to assess the contribution of ice sheets to changing sea level.
- Distribution of polar snowfall: ground-based high-resolution radar has been applied to the study of accumulation rate distribution across large portions of Antarctica.
- Land surface studies in Maine: newly acquired ASTER imagery has been mosaicked to provide a high-resolution map of the state of Maine for the study of large scale geomorphology and land use, and as a K-12 teaching tool.
Contributions to Science
- collaborations with colleagues in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland
- participants in large international programs, such as GLIMS, PARCA, ITASE