News
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First Ph.D. Candidate from GSES Program Successfully Defends Dissertation December 10, 2015 The Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) program had its first Ph.D. candidate successfully defend his dissertation. Arpan Kusari defended on, “Precise Registration of Laser... |
 The Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) program had its first Ph.D. candidate successfully defend his dissertation. Arpan Kusari defended on, “Precise Registration of Laser Mapping Data by Planar Feature Extraction for Deformation Mapping.” Determination of near-field displacements for earthquakes has not been possible, until now, using existing remote sensing techniques and methods. In this thesis, the determination of realistic near-field displacement estimates was investigated using Airborne Laser Scanning and terrestrial-based Mobile Laser Scanning point clouds gathered in a repeated manner. The extraction of sub-centimeter complex estimates in an automated fashion showed that this could provide a reliable and robust technique for determining earthquake displacements for use in fault mechanics, therefore enhancing the general understanding of earthquakes. Arpan has accepted a position in the Product Development department at the Ford Motor Company. He will be working on automated driving technologies. Arpan’s advisor was Dr. Craig Glennie. Congratulations, Arpan! |
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Ph.D. Student Opportunities in Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences at the University of Houston November 12, 2015 The Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) Graduate Program in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, in conjunction with the NSF National Center for... |
 The Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) Graduate Program in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, in conjunction with the NSF National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM), is seeking qualified applicants (with backgrounds in engineering, geomatics, geosciences, physics, astronomy, computer sciences, or geography) interested in: Design, development, and testing of lidar, digital image, and hyperspectral sensors; Research applications of lidar observations, including when combined with digital imagery or hyperspectral measurements; Study of satellite altimetry for applications in hydrology, glaciology, geodynamics, and sea levels; Applications of terrestrial laser scanning, airborne lidar, and GPS in natural hazards studies and mitigation; and Applications of airborne remote sensing techniques in geomorphology, climate/weather studies, hydrology, and tectonics. Please visit: ncalm.cive.uh.edu/gses/geosensing, for more information. The application process and forms can be found on the Civil & Environmental Engineering website. Interested students can contact Dr. Craig Glennie at: clglennie [at] uh.edu (subject: GSES%20Graduate%20Program%20Information) . Deadline: February 1st, 2016 |
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2015 Seed Proposal Submission Period Extended – Closed November 3, 2015 The 2015 Seed Project proposal submission period has been extended until Friday, December 4, 2015! See the announcement below: The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping, funded by the... |
 The 2015 Seed Project proposal submission period has been extended until Friday, December 4, 2015! See the announcement below: The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping, funded by the National Science Foundation, invites proposals from graduate students seeking Airborne Laser Swath Mapping observations covering limited areas (no more than 40 km2) for use in research toward an M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Proposals must be submitted online. For background information and complete guidelines for submitting a proposal, please see the Seed Proposals and Format Guidelines pages. The deadline for proposal submission is December 4, 2015. For more information, contact ncalm [at] egr.uh.edu or call 832.842.8881. |
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NCALM Work Featured as Part of National Geographic Print Article October 2, 2015 Author Douglas Preston and Photographer Dave Yoder have published an in depth article in National Geographic about the initial ground exploration of an area mapped by NCALM in the rain... |
 Author Douglas Preston and Photographer Dave Yoder have published an in depth article in National Geographic about the initial ground exploration of an area mapped by NCALM in the rain forests of Mosquitia. Late last winter, NCALM's Juan Carlos Fernandez Diaz traveled to Honduras with Chris Fisher, Steve Elkins, and others to investigate an area seen recently to archaeologists only from the air and in lidar data. The expedition received much publicity in the months after. Read the article and see the photographs, along with additional information, on National Geographic's website. |
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Professor Awarded NSF Grant September 17, 2015 Dr. Guoquan Wang was recently awarded a $200,000+ International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) grant. The award will provide U.S. students with hands-on experience in landslide... |
 Dr. Guoquan Wang was recently awarded a $200,000+ International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) grant. The award will provide U.S. students with hands-on experience in landslide surveying and monitoring. The students will use GPS and lidar technologies to investigate landslides in the Three Gorges area of China. The IRES program "supports development of globally-engaged U.S. science and engineering students capable of performing in an international research environment at the forefront of science and engineering." The full press release can be found here. |
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2015 Seed Proposal Submission Period – Closed September 17, 2015 Request for NCALM Seed Proposals from Graduate Students The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping, funded by the National Science Foundation, invites proposals from graduate students... |
 Request for NCALM Seed Proposals from Graduate Students The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping, funded by the National Science Foundation, invites proposals from graduate students seeking Airborne Laser Swath Mapping observations covering limited areas (no more than 40 km2) for use in research toward an M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Proposals must be submitted online. For background information and complete guidelines for submitting a proposal, please see the Seed Proposals and Format Guidelines pages. The deadline for proposal submission is November 6, 2015. For more information, contact ncalm [at] egr.uh.edu (subject: NCALM%20Seed%20Proposal%20Information) or call 832.842.8881. |
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OpenTopography Releases New NCALM Dataset August 19, 2015 OpenTopography has announced the release of a dataset from Mayapan, Mexico – a Mayan archaeological site. The data were collected by NCALM in the summer of 2013 and cover an area of 44 km2... |
 OpenTopography has announced the release of a dataset from Mayapan, Mexico – a Mayan archaeological site. The data were collected by NCALM in the summer of 2013 and cover an area of 44 km2. Access to the data can be found here. |
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Houston Matters Interviews UH Engineer Using Lasers to Discover Ancient Civilization July 14, 2015 The National Public Radio’s Houston Matters recently interviewed the University of Houston’s Dr. Ramesh Shrestha, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of civil and... |
 The National Public Radio’s Houston Matters recently interviewed the University of Houston’s Dr. Ramesh Shrestha, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering and the director of the National Center for Airborne Mapping (NCALM). Michael Hagerty, host of Houston Matters, spoke with Shrestha about his involvement in the use of lasers to discover an ancient Honduran civilization. |
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OpenTopography Releases New NCALM Dataset June 26, 2015 OpenTopography has released a new NCALM dataset located in the Surprise Valley of northeastern California. The purpose of the data collection was "to create a high-resolution topographic... |
 OpenTopography has released a new NCALM dataset located in the Surprise Valley of northeastern California. The purpose of the data collection was "to create a high-resolution topographic base for correlation with an airborne magnetic survey, as well as to map and assess offset along Quaternary fault scarps." More information can be found here. |
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Civil Engineering Student Wins Prestigious NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship June 4, 2015 Tropical wetlands are one of the most important sources of methane and carbon emissions, which means these land areas play a key role in climate change. Hydrology and hydrodynamics in the... |
 Tropical wetlands are one of the most important sources of methane and carbon emissions, which means these land areas play a key role in climate change. Hydrology and hydrodynamics in the tropical wetlands are controlling factors of plant and animal ecosystems, sediment delivery, nutrient exchange and global climate change. |
