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Archive for the ‘Innovation’ Category

From Snow to Sand: The Benefits of Dual-Band IFSAR

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

The conference trail grows longer! At last post, we had just returned from the Alaska Surveying and Mapping Conference in Anchorage where GeoSAR Project Manager Steven Shaffer presented the applications of dual-band IFSAR in arctic and sub-arctic environments. Snow penetration/mapping was part of that discussion. This week we are switching gears—rather dramatically—to the Map Middle East Conference in Dubai where last week GeoSAR Client Program Manager Caroline Tyra presented a paper on the ability of radar to penetrate sand for subsurface mapping.

The overall concept isn’t exactly new. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology, which utilizes radar bands in the UHF/VHF frequencies from hand-held or vehicular-based equipment, is a well established technique. It’s the use of remote sensing platforms for subsurface mapping that is gaining ground (no pun intended!). Using satellite and airborne methods, it is possible to provide wide-area coverage of subsurface hydrology and structures for use in mineral exploration and development, infrastructure design, and archeological research.

So where is the science? In the early 1980s, the hyper-arid Bir Safsaf region in southwestern Egypt was mapped using Shutte Radar SIR-A and SIR-B to detect geologic structures covered by layers of sand. Discoveries from that research included fossil river systems. More recent studies have shown the ability of very low-frequency radar, such as P-band, to penetrate depths of 15 meters or more depending on soil composition, radar incidence angles, and soil moisture.

Fugro EarthData has confirmed these P-band findings using GeoSAR during a mission over the Mojave Desert near Edwards Air Force Base. Among other things, the results revealed a mostly submerged geological formation. Subsurface mapping is an area we’ll continue to research given its many implications related to water networks, national security, and heritage management. It’s also one more way that we can help clients maximize the value of their GeoSAR data—by unlocking what we call, “the Power of P”.

Want to continue the conversation? Leave a comment or send us an email at info@geosar.com.

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Posted in General, Innovation, Public outreach, Science | No Comments »

On the Tradeshow Trail: DC to Anchorage to DC

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

We’ve been doing a lot of “show-and-tell” the past couple of weeks, attending the ESRI Federal User Conference in Washington, DC, and the Alaska Surveying & Mapping Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. At the ESRI Federal User Conference, Fugro EarthData’s Larry Lund gave a paper on PurVIEW, and its ability to streamline the topographic mapping process for GeoSAR data. For anyone who wasn’t at the conference, but is interested in the subject, send us an email (info@earthdata.com) and we’ll be sure to get you the information you need.

Last week, we traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, where we met up with some of our local staff and exhibited at the Alaska Surveying and Mapping Conference. It’s a place we’ve been coming back to often as Stakeholders have been working long and hard over the past couple of years to address the state’s pressing needs for accurate and up-to-date topographic mapping. Given the size, geographic location, and challenging terrain, airborne IFSAR has been deemed the ideal solution for generating accurate and detailed digital elevation data.

But elevation isn’t the only application for Alaska Stakeholders. This point was illustrated in a well-received talk by Fugro EarthData’s Steven Shaffer. In his presentation, “Airborne IFSAR Mapping in Alaska: Solutions for a Statewide DEM and Beyond,” Steve explored many additional use cases for dual-band IFSAR in particular, including those related to forestry, soil studies, and snow/ice mapping. If you weren’t able to attend the conference but are interested in learning more about what we presented, let us know and we’ll make sure to answer your information needs.

This week, it’s back to Washington, DC, International Conference on Commercial Remote Sensing! We hope to see you there.

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Posted in Innovation, Partnership | 1 Comment »

Bada Bing: The Challenge of Innovation

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Earlier this summer, Microsoft launched its revamped “Live Search” service under the name “Bing.” If you haven’t seen it—and chances are you haven’t—you should. It’s pretty cool. The fact that you may not have tried it yet (we only recently did) proves how hard it can be to introduce a new product or service offering, despite its cool factor. Generating excitement for innovation among the din of complacency is an uphill battle, but once won, the rewards are as satisfying for the provider as they are for the early adopters and mass audience who follow.

Consider the rise of Google in the 1990s and our own recent “revolution” in the remote sensing world. At about the same time Google was overturning the well established likes of Yahoo and MSN, Optech and Leica were proving the same was possible in the remote sensing industry. By replacing photogrammetrically generated DEMs with dense, accurate LiDAR-sourced DEMs, these companies and early adopters helped usher in a new wave of productivity and an expanded user base for geospatial data.

Are we now facing a similar movement with IFSAR? While IFSAR will not replace LiDAR mapping altogether, it is gaining acceptance as a cost-effective alternative for large area, small scale topographic mapping projects. Further, dual-band IFSAR is showing value for even broader applications, including oil and gas exploration and carbon accounting. And that brings us to another question: what are the keys for successfully promoting new technology in the geospatial marketplace? Is it science first or marketing first? We believe it starts with science, but what about you?

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Posted in Innovation | No Comments »