TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Users of remote sensing technology formed THE GEOSAT COMMITTEE, INC. in 1976. Our mission is to promote the understanding and use of remotely sensed data, to secure continued access to data, and to communicate the technological requirements of the user community to appropriate agencies, commercial data providers, and service companies. Geosat's current membership comprises international end users, data suppliers, value-added companies, and members of the government and academic communities. Our members require support in diverse areas such as petroleum and mineral exploration, coastal and marine mapping and monitoring, agricultural applications, and environmental applications. Geosat provides accurate information, standards, and programs useful to these groups, as well as a forum for communication, discussion, and networking. Geosat also organizes and manages applied, cooperative research projects designed to bring new technologies into the commercial user community. Recent projects evaluated new radar, thermal, and hyperspectral sensors for applications ranging from ocean current mapping to oil seep detection and environmental hazards monitoring. Proposals for such projects are generated both internally, by the Geosat Research Committee, and externally, by service companies, instrument builders, or researchers. GEOSAT WELCOMES EXTERNAL PROPOSALS. Geosat's cooperative research projects are supported by groups comprised of potential users and potential service providers. This letter introduces Geosat's latest proposal for cooperative research to the remote sensing community. We seek sponsors to provide funding to evaluate and develop applications of single-band thermal IR camera. This camera typifies small, relatively inexpensive sensors that are rugged, field-proven instruments developed for industrial and surveillance operations (for our proposal the FLIR 595 camera is being flown). Thermal imaging has been underutilized due to high costs, limited availability of sensors, and lack of data. This GEOSAT THERMAL GROUP SHOOT (TGS2001) provides a timely cooperative R&D program that enables sponsors to evaluate new airborne thermal imaging in a cost effective and efficient manner. TGS2001 proposes to address the following basic questions for the sponsors: 1. Can this cost-effective thermal IR technology provide new information that is useful for facilities management and environmental monitoring of industrial, commercial, abandoned, and residential sites? 2. Can this single-band technology be used to reliably detect differences within industrial and municipal surfaces, water bodies, roads, impacted sites, and vegetated sites? Can abandoned mines be located, power generation and distribution facilities characterized, or near-surface groundwater conditions interpreted? 3. What field characteristics (surface composition, vegetation type, state of weathering, etc.) are associated with thermal detection of anomalous conditions? 4. What thermal characteristics differentiate sites interpreted to be more impacted and how variable are the data for the selected features? TGS2001 will collect thermal in digital form at both dawn and mid-day over the same targets. These targets are primarily urban, industrial, commercial, infrastructure and residential. The airborne survey would cover four sites, including Pacheco Creek where a GEOSAT HGS98 hyperspectral flight strip was acquired. The sites are industrial, and include power generation facilities, fuel storage, cooling and settling ponds, wetlands, water treatment plant, warehouses, roads, railroads and abandoned mines. The total program has 58 frames being collected with a ground sampling distance (gsd) of 2 - 5 meters. The proposal as currently configured has a budget of $22,919 (if 10 sponsors sign up then the cost is ~$2300 each). Please visit the Geosat web site at www.geosatcom.com (select "research") for details concerning the instrument, the budget, and the proposed program including deliverables and timing. The configuration and cost may change depending on sponsor input prior to the committment date. If there are specific features that sponsors want imaged, the acquisition plan can be modified. There is already feedback requesting additional imaging of selected abandoned mining areas. The Geosat Committee, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our work is supported by annual memberships dues paid by our member corporations, companies, Universities, government organizations, and individuals. Dues support workshops, publications, development of research opportunities, and booth space at conferences such as the ERIM remote sensing conferences and the AAPG Conventions. Geosat requests that all group shoot participants join The Geosat Committee, Inc., on a one-year trial basis, at an introductory rate of $500. In order to allow data acquisition under the best possible seasonal conditions, we plan to proceed during March. A commitment to support TGS2001 to a specified dollar level, and to join Geosat for 2001, is requested by February 19, 2001. Please notify Dr. Rebecca Dodge if you are interested in participating. Technical questions may be directed to Jim Ellis. Rebecca L. Dodge, Ph.D. Jim Ellis, Ph.D. The Geosat Committee, Inc. HJW Geospatial - The MapFactory Research Director Director, Remote Sensing & GIS Tele: 770-830-2376 Tele: 925-280-5200 Fax: 770-836-4373 Fax: 925-280-8760 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.geosatcom.com www.hjw.com Rebecca L. Dodge, Ph.D. Department of Geosciences Geospatial Applications Research Center/GeospARC State University of West Georgia Callaway Building Carrollton GA 30118 ph: 770-830-2376 fax: 770-836-4373 hm: 770-832-3474 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________ List archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
