Author: merriebethneely

SAR Disaster Assessment NASA-ARSET Training

Intermediate Webinar: Disaster Assessment Using Synthetic Aperture Radar
October 19, 20 & 27, 2022
11:00-13:00 EDT (UTC-4)

This intermediate, three-part webinar series will focus on the use of SAR to 1) assess areas at risk from disasters due to landslides through the use of interferometric SAR (INSAR). This is accomplished by measuring small movements (on the order of centimeters) of the land surface that are caused by gradual landslide motion, and how these movements vary with time; 2) characterize the extent of oil spills and their impacts. SAR data is sensitive to surface roughness, allowing for identifying areas where there are oil spills; 3) and characterizing inundation extent. The SAR signal can penetrate through the vegetation and detect inundation driven by large precipitation events or by natural events.

This training will include theoretical portions for each disaster as related to the SAR signal interaction with surface conditions and demonstrations using Google Earth Engine, Jupyter Notebooks, and the SNAP Toolbox, all freely and openly available tools.

Register

New Technology in Society Paper of Interest to GEO AquaWatch Community!

A new study from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Western States Water Council (WSWC) and Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc. points the way to accelerating how knowledge and technology are transferred to and from public agencies and environmental organizations. The team’s publication, “Paths to Research-Driven Decision Making in the Realms of Environment and Water”, sets out a roadmap for how environmental research and stewardship can come together.  This article is published in the journal Technology in Society.  Find out more here

AGU Early Career Committee Science Communication Workshop – open to all!

On September 20th 12:30- 14:00 EDT AGU-Biogeosciences ECR Committee is hosting a science communication workshop. Our host is Bethann Garramon Merkle (https://commnatural.com/), MFA @commnatural. This event is open to all (AGU membership is not required). Register at https://connect.agu.org/biogeosciences/home. A description of the event is below:

If our science is going to inform decision-making and innovations, we must reach, and resonate with, a wide range of stakeholders, including funders, practitioners, educators, policymakers, diverse public(s), and the media. Catching and holding stakeholders attention, and then effectively sharing our science with them, is a complex challenge. We’re faced with alternative facts  short attention spans, and information overload. Worse, a growing body of data tells us that people are not persuaded by numbers. We also know that visuals are compelling enough to dominate our decision-making. People think in images and have since pre-history.  Meanwhile, research across numerous disciplines has documented disconcerting trends: much more than numbers, we are quantifiably more influenced by prior beliefs, social pressures, and convenience. So, how is our science going to make an impact if no one understands it, let alone believes it? This interactive session connects participants to effective, inclusive approaches to sharing science. Participants will explore cross-disciplinary and multicultural examples, interactive activities, and foundational best practices in graphic design which can help them productively use visuals to communicate science. The session will involve discussion, breakout rooms, and “mini-lectures” on key principles and tools in visual science communication.

USGS Postdoc – Algal Blooms

The USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia Missouri is recruiting for a Mendenhall postdoc with research expertise in algal bloom physiology, ecology, metabarcoding and gene expression.

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/mendenhall-research-fellowship-program/21-16-ecophysiology-algal-blooms.

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Research Advisor (Thea Edwards) early in the application process to discuss project ideas. Closing date for applications is Nov 1, 2022.