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NCALM Announces 2019 Mexico and Central America Airborne Lidar Collection Campaign August 1, 2018 Mexico and Central America Airborne Lidar Collection Campaign for Small- and Medium-Sized Projects The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) is announcing a call for...	Mexico and Central America Airborne Lidar Collection Campaign for Small- and Medium-Sized Projects The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) is announcing a call for expressions of interest from researchers with small- to medium-sized projects and budgets in Mexico and Central America for Spring 2019 (March–May), including but not limited to archaeology, geology, and ecology. In the past two years, NCALM has received several inquiries from individual researchers with small projects in Mexico and Central America. The size of these projects, and their associated budgets, make them economically and practically unfeasible if considered individually. However, if several small projects within a given country or region are grouped together, in such a way that the mobilization costs can be proportionately distributed among the multiple projects, we believe it is possible to survey the small projects and bring large benefits to the broader community. Currently, NCALM has received expressions of interest for small areas in central and south Belize, the Campeche/Tabasco/Chiapas, Mexico, border with Peten, Guatemala, near San Salvador, El Salvador, and the Caribbean coast of Honduras. We are looking for additional projects to complement these sites. The smallest individual project budget that NCALM will consider is $10,000 (USD), which can potentially yield data collections of 10 km2, depending on collection density, distance to airports, and other neighboring projects. The exact coverage will be determined based on analysis of the these and other factors. If you have interest in participating in a community collection campaign, please send a short description of your project, including potential budget and a KMZ with an outline of your area(s) of interest. (The size and shape will be iteratively refined jointly after adjusting for budget, research objectives, and neighboring projects.) Please contact us if you require more information about this community campaign, and please forward this announcement to other researchers that may have an interest in such data collection. The more projects we can organize together, the larger the areas we will be able to collect for individual projects. NCALM aims to begin data collection in March–May 2019. We will begin requesting permits to fly and collect data for the respective countries near the end of 2018. For more information, contact NCALM Director Ramesh L. Shrestha at rshrest2 [at] central.uh.edu (subject: Mexico%20and%20Central%20America%20Lidar%20Campaign) (budgets) and Juan Carlos Fernandez Diaz at jfernan4 [at] central.uh.edu (subject: Mexico%20and%20Central%20America%20Lidar%20Campaign) (scheduling, logistics, permitting). Clarifying notes: NCALM is not providing the budget or funds to perform mapping, but rather organizing a campaign to optimize the funds researchers currently have, or can obtain, for their small- or medium-sized projects. If you are interested in pursuing cooperative work, please send NCALM a response that includes a KMZ(s) of your study area, a one-to-two paragraph description of you research objectives, and a budget of your potentially available funds. NCALM will work with PIs to develop a plan to allow data collection in their focus area(s). Additionally, please provide NCALM with information regarding contacts that you have in the foreign country (and locale) of interest and current work permits that you have obtained. Depending on the country, NCALM is required to have varying permits to perform flights or work in specific areas. Deadlines: NCALM is requesting a preliminary commitment by Friday, November 2, 2018, so we can begin the paperwork and preparation of export licenses and permits to the various countries. A final commitment and confirmation of funds will be requested by Friday, March 1, 2019, so the mapping campaign can be executed during March–May 2019.
Houstonia Magazine Highlights Unique UH Research Center May 4, 2018 Researchers Use Technology to Revolutionize Archaeology In an article titled “This UH Research Center is Revolutionizing Archaeology,” Houstonia magazine shines the spotlight on...	Researchers Use Technology to Revolutionize Archaeology In an article titled “This UH Research Center is Revolutionizing Archaeology,” Houstonia magazine shines the spotlight on University of Houston’s National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) and its director, Ramesh Shrestha. The two are responsible for unearthing archaeological treasures hidden for centuries.
New Ph.D. Student Opportunities in Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences April 17, 2018 The Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) graduate research program in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston, in conjunction...	The Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) graduate research program in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston, 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: Ph.D.%20Student%20Opportunity) . Deadline: September 1st, 2018
UH Researchers Help Archaeologists Find the Remains of a Maya Megalopolis February 6, 2018 Archaeologists and adventure junkies are buzzing about the announcement of previously unknown ruins of a complex Maya settlement hidden for centuries amidst the jungles of Guatemala.	Archaeologists and adventure junkies are buzzing about the announcement of previously unknown ruins of a complex Maya settlement hidden for centuries amidst the jungles of Guatemala.
NCALM Announces 2017 Seed Proposal Winners February 2, 2018 2017 Student Seed Proposal Winners Selected NCALM maps multiple project areas each year for graduate student PIs whose research would be enhanced by airborne lidar data and visible imagery...	2017 Student Seed Proposal Winners Selected NCALM maps multiple project areas each year for graduate student PIs whose research would be enhanced by airborne lidar data and visible imagery. Students must write and submit a two page proposal to be considered for an award (details at: ncalm.cive.uh.edu/seed/about). The applications are reviewed by the NCALM Steering Committee, who then select winners based on intellectual merit and broader impact. Seed proposals that explore change detection by exploiting previously flown lidar coverage were encouraged this year. NCALM would like to announce that the 2017 seed proposal winners have been awarded. There were 59 submissions, and eight projects were selected. Congratulations to the following students (and their advisors): Madison Douglas (Michael Lamb) California Institute of TechnologyUsing meandering channels in Death Valley to determine the role of bank cohesion for unvegetated rivers on Earth and Mars Scott Feehan (Scott McCoy) University of Nevada, RenoQuantifying the geomorphic effectiveness of paleo-outburst floods in the Truckee River Canyon Kyle Hemes (Dennis Baldocchi) University of California, BerkeleyEcosystem structure as a driver of climatic, habitat, and hydrological services in heterogeneous restored wetlands Colleen Murphy (Noah Finnegan) University of California, Santa CruzAlteration of groundwater flow due to slow landslide failure Alexander Neely (Roman DiBiase) Pennsylvania State UniversityQuantifying rock strength controls on landscape morphology in the Guadalupe Mountains, NM/TX Robert Sare (George Hilley) Stanford UniversityPoint classification using multispectral lidar and SfM for earthquake and volcano hazards applications William Struble (Josh Roering) University of OregonControl of steepland landscape morphology by debris flows in the Idaho Batholith Michael Vadman (Sean Bemis) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityGenerating a decadal time-series of displacements near Parkfield, California, from 1929 to the present using change detection on lidar and historical aerial photographs
From High in the Sky Hyongki Lee and Ning Cao Monitor Water Storage Changes in Lower Mekong With Latest NASA Grant January 11, 2018 One of the biggest challenges faced here on Earth – how to manage water resources for an ever-growing global population – may soon be solved more than 20,000 miles above our heads.	One of the biggest challenges faced here on Earth – how to manage water resources for an ever-growing global population – may soon be solved more than 20,000 miles above our heads.
UH Professor and Other Experts Discuss Cheaper Lidar for Self-Driving Cars January 9, 2018 Lidar experts, including Dr. Craig Glennie, discuss the challenges and cost barriers of lidar for commercial, self-driving cars in an article from Ars Technica. With many researchers and...	Lidar experts, including Dr. Craig Glennie, discuss the challenges and cost barriers of lidar for commercial, self-driving cars in an article from Ars Technica. With many researchers and startups working on lidar technology, they believe lidar costs will decrease dramatically when it becomes mass produced, as was the case for a number of other vehicle technologies of the past.
Making Waves: Grad Student's Wave Research Earns AGU Award November 15, 2017 It’s a common human experience: Sitting on a beach, watching as the waves lap against the sand. You feel your worries start to melt away as your mind focuses on the breaking waves, one...	It’s a common human experience: Sitting on a beach, watching as the waves lap against the sand. You feel your worries start to melt away as your mind focuses on the breaking waves, one after another. You notice the differences between them – how some build up height as they near the shore until they curl forward into a dramatic pipeline that’s the stuff of surfers’ dreams.
NCALM Invites Seed Project Proposals from Graduate Students September 28, 2017 The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping invites proposals from graduate students seeking airborne lidar data covering limited areas (no more than 40 km2) for use in research toward...	The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping invites proposals from graduate students seeking airborne lidar data 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 period for proposal submission is Monday, October 2–Friday, December 22, 2017. For more information, contact ncalm [at] egr.uh.edu (subject: Seed%20Proposal%20Enquiry) or call (832) 842-8881.
McMurdo Dry Valleys Lidar Data Now Available August 14, 2017 OpenTopography has released lidar point cloud and DEM data covering over 2,700 km2 of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. The data was collected by NCALM in 2014–2015 and includes Taylor...	OpenTopography has released lidar point cloud and DEM data covering over 2,700 km2 of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. The data was collected by NCALM in 2014–2015 and includes Taylor, Wright, Pearse, Victoria, Mckelvey, Barwick, and Valham valleys. Dry Valleys data can be accessed here.

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