NASA DEVELOP Fall 2012 Virtual Poster Session

NASA's CALIPSO satellite in orbit with a combination of satellite imagery. Image Art Credit: Chris McKeel

A grand prize winner and honorable mentions have been selected in the latest Virtual Poster Session (VPS) by students from NASA’s DEVELOP National Program.

The winning project, “Climate Change Vulnerability in Nepal using NASA EOS,” was a collaborative effort between five students at Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstville, Alabama, and three students at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Nepal project team used NASA Earth observing satellites to develop a vulnerability index to assist decision-makers in Nepal with planning climate change adaptation strategies.

“It was really neat to see students collaborating literally from around the globe to apply NASA Earth observations to real-world issues,” said Jonathan Gleason, Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data management lead for NASA, and one of 12 in a judging panel.

“The Nepal project stood out with great teamwork, focused research, and a great video.”

Each member on the winning team will receive a one-year trial version of ArcGIS software, furnished by the competition sponsor, Esri, a California company that creates GIS software.

Runner-up honors go to four teams who followed closely behind the Nepal team in scoring, based on Earth observations, overall product, discussion, creativity, and decision support:

• Assessing Ecosystems for Conservation - “Reforesting Rwanda: Enhanced Monitoring of Land Use and Protected Forests” (Langley Research Center and Wise County Clerk of Court’s Office)

• Monitoring Water Quality and Hydrology - “Satellites Over Troubled Waters: Stormwater Runoff in the Great Lakes” (Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and Langley Research Center)

• Evaluating Disaster Risk for Mitigation - “Creating a Colombian Wildfire Risk Evaluation Map with NASA EOS Data” (Marshall Space Flight Center and Universidad of Autonoma de Occidente)

• Measuring Air Quality and Weather Forecasts - “Assessing the Feasibility of Using NASA EOS to Enhance Ground Level Ozone Monitoring” (Stennis Space Center).

“All the teams demonstrated not only the practical benefits of NASA’s investment in Earth science, but shared their enthusiasm for connecting science with society,” added Jamie Favors, DEVELOP’s deputy national science lead.

For more information about DEVELOP, visit the DEVELOP website.

Previous Earthzine Virtual Poster Sessions are listed in our VPS Archive.

Winner

Climate Change Vulnerability in Nepal using NASA EOS

This research attempts to construct a means of assessing socio-economic and biophysical vulnerability across Nepal. Such assessments that partner both aspects of vulnerability are not readily available. This assessment, its datasets, methodology, and current and future vulnerability index maps, will be presented to Nepalese partner organizations and the government of Nepal’s National Planning Commission to provide supplemental tactics to respond and adapt to potential impacts of climate change.

Marshall Eco Team , posted on November 27th, 2012
DEVELOP Virtual Poster Session

Runners Up

Creating a Colombian Wildfire Risk Evaluation Map with NASA EOS Data

The people of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, have little warning of dangerous wildfire activity. DEVELOP students, in collaboration with NASA SERVIR, have created a map that illustrates a dynamic risk evaluation of areas prone to hazardous wildfires. This map will be provided to local governments and made accessible to the public.

Marshall Disasters Team , posted on November 27th, 2012
DEVELOP Virtual Poster Session

Satellites Over Troubled Waters: Stormwater Runoff in the Great Lakes

The U.S./Canadian Great Lakes are some of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, surrounded by large cities and agricultural expanses in a climatically wet region. This project uses NASA Earth observations to help understand the impacts associated with stormwater runoff into the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Water Team , posted on November 27th, 2012
DEVELOP Virtual Poster Session

Reforesting Rwanda: Enhanced Monitoring of Land Use and Protected Forests

Can satellite images show the growth of the recovering Rwandan rain forest? NASA satellite data can be used to monitor the reforestation of protected areas previously damaged by widespread subsistence farming. Several vegetation indices such as EVI, LAI, NPP, and tree high data will assess the current vegetation cover conditions across Rwanda.

Langley Eco Team , posted on November 27th, 2012
DEVELOP Virtual Poster Session

Assessing the Feasibility of Using NASA EOS to Enhance Ground Level Ozone Monitoring

This project focuses on establishing a method of comparison between NASA Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) products and U.S. Forest Service ground station ozone monitors in an effort to improve the current methods for monitoring exposure to ozone in U.S. National Forests.