Workshop to explore extended access to the Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) by Earth-science investigators

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nontechnical Explanation of the project's significance and importance The availability of spatial data from satellite imagery has increased in both scope and resolution in recent years. The Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) at the University of Minnesota has been a principal resource for remote-sensing data from the Arctic and Antarctic regions and they now have the ability to provide enhanced access to a wider spectrum of the Earth Science research community. This project will convene a workshop to explore the latest developments in satellite imagery, its interpretation and availability, and explore the possibilities for expanding the services of the Polar Geospatial Center to a variety of research fields that would benefit from detailed images of landscapes and topography. Technical Description The overall goal of the workshop is to avail the Earth Science research community of the commercial imagery, services, infrastructure, and technology that is offered by the Polar Geospatial Center. This center and its partners have transformed the poles from one of the least mapped and imaged regions on Earth to one of the most. The Polar Geospatial Center has developed innovative and dependable services along with products built on capabilities that are not readily available to a significant proportion of the science community. This workshop will build on the Center's successes and further explore the possibilities for extending availability of the imagery and associated tools and products to other Earth-science researchers. It has become clear that there is significant demand for the high-resolution commercial imagery and products that the Center curates and produces. Experience has shown that if data is online and the community is educated about how to effectively use the imagery collection, then additional science can be supported. These research efforts can help earth science researchers with societally important measurements, such as the degree of coastline erosion, the extent of landslide hazards, and the monitoring of long-term monitoring of Earth-surface processes.