Read up on some of the latest research news in the current edition of the Geophysical Institute Quarterly Report. Glaciers, thermokarst lakes, the 20th anniversary of the Alaska Satellite Facility, GI's new Education Group and details on our new director, Bob McCoy, are all available in this new, extended edition of the Quarterly. 

View the pdf here or request a copy of the publication through the Outreach Office. Email info [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu with your requests.

At the Alaska Math and Science Conference, held this week at the Princess Hotel and Lathrop High School, Kathy Berry Bertram, Glenda Findlay, Amy Hartley and Stevie Seibert of the GI Outreach Office will present on professional development and curriculum resources developed at the institute. Jessica Garron and Vicky Wolf of the Alaska Satellite Facility will present a session and host an exhibitor booth showcasing educational resources available to teachers.

By Ned Rozell

As late August brings night back to the far north, our old friend darkness is restoring our view of the aurora, stars and satellites, seen as pinpoints of light streaking through the heavens. In the last 50 years, researchers have blasted thousands of these devices into Earth’s orbit.

Long before Robert Herrick was a research associate professor at the Geophysical Institute, he was a doctoral candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas working on the Magellan mission. Launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1989, the imaging radar orbited Venus until 1994. Herrick’s current research has brought him full circle. Along with colleagues, Herrick has reprocessed the data collected by Magellan. The results have been clarifying. 

Satellite imagery is a powerful tool for scientists that monitor the dynamic features upon Earth’s surface. With a vantage point from space, large swaths of landscape can be viewed in a single snapshot. Depending on the sensors used to capture the image, these scientific tools may also serve as beautiful works of art.

Come meet representatives from Johnson Space Center, Jet Propulsion Lab, and Ames Research Center. Explore possible collaborations in research and education.

Make yourself more competitive in proposing to Alaska Space Grant and Alaska NASA EPSCoR Research Initiation Solicitations.

This is the ideal venue to make connections and sell your research ideas. Come find out how your discipline connects, NASA’s interests are very broad.

Where: Globe Room, Elvey Building

The Geophysical Institute’s Alaska Satellite Facility will celebrate 20 years since the first downlink of images from an earth-observing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite by hosting an Open House. The public is invited to tour facilities used for the acquisition, storage, processing and distribution of data acquired from polar-orbiting satellites, and to learn why satellite-borne earth observation is critical for monitoring change.

Tuesday, August 9 is UAF Day at the Tanana Valley State Fair! This year, several units from the Geophysical Institute will participate with demonstrations in Totem Square from noon until 6 p.m. Staff from the Alaska Satellite Facility, Poker Flat Research Range and the Alaska Volcano Observatory will be available to talk about remote sensing and ASF’s 20th anniversary, display some new unmanned aircraft, as well as volcanic ash modeling. Stop by the GI’s tent to witness some of the exciting research done by our very own faculty, staff and students.

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks Department of Geology and Geophysics has named Professor Anupma Prakash and Associate Professor Sarah Fowell co-chairs. Outside of the academic department, Fowell is also affiliated with the Alaska Quaternary Center. Prakash is affiliated with the Geophysical Institute’s Remote Sensing Group and the Alaska Satellite Facility.