Join the Applied Users Program
Interested in submitting a proposal? If you want to nominate yourself or others to be an Applied User, contact us at:
icesat-2-applications@lists.nasa.gov
Applied Users
The ICESat-2 Applied Users program promotes applications research to provide a fundamental understanding of how ICESat-2 data products can be scaled and integrated into organizations' policy, business, and management activities to improve decision-making efforts.
WHO ARE APPLIED USERS?
ICESat-2 Applied Users (AUs) are defined as those groups and individuals who have a direct or clearly defined need for ICESat-2 data, who have an existing application, who have an interest in utilizing a proposed ICESat-2 product, and who are capable of applying their own resources (funding, personnel, facilities, etc.) to demonstrate the utility of ICESat-2 data for their particular system or model. Applied Users includes ICESat-2's 24 Early Adopters who committed to engage in pre-launch research to accelerate the integration of ICESat-2 products after launch in their specific application. Meet our applied users.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE APPLIED USER DESIGNATION?
The goal of the Applied User designation is to provide individuals and groups with the unique opportunity to partner with ICESat-2 mission scientists in their discovery of the data. Applied Users commit to engage in post-launch research with specific support from the Mission and Applications Team, not only to accelerate the integration of ICESat-2 products into their specific application, but to provide the Mission with valuable feedback on how ICESat-2 can be used for decision support.
YOUR BENEFITS
- Get support from a Science Definition Team (SDT) or Project Science Office (PSO) member: after acceptance into the program, you will join an SDT or PSO member as a partner and receive direct guidance and support on the functionality of the data products.
- Participate in quarterly webinars: the Applications team will host a quarterly webinar for Applied Users to share updates on the mission status, provide support and information on the data products, gather feedback, share schedules and timelines, and answer questions.
- Be in the know about ICESat-2: As an AU, you will be among the first to know about any new features of the science data products and to receive updates on the mission and ICESat-2 field campaigns.
- Get access to calibration and validation (cal/val) data: AU will be granted access to cal/val data from ICESat-2 field campaigns, modeling and synergistic studies via electronic file transfer, either through the ICESat-2 website or through the Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) at National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
- Reference lessons learned: AU will have the opportunity to interact and exchange lessons learned with the mission’s Early Adopters during quarterly webinars and at the various applications events.
MEET OUR APPLIED USERS (Listed by PI)
Michael MacFerrin
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Applied Research Topic:
Using ATLAS data from ICESat-2 to validate the Elevations Reporting Tool (IVERT).
Andrew Roberts, Alexandra Jahn, Adrian Turner
Los Alamos National Laboratory; University of Colorado at Boulder; Los Alamos National Laboratory
Applied Research Topic:
An ICESat-2 emulator for the Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE) to evaluate DOE, NCAR, and DOD sea ice predictions for the Arctic.
Sérgio Godinho
University of Évora, Portugal
Applied Research Topic:
Assessing the usefulness of ICESat-2 data for wildland fuel mapping.
J. Toby Minear
University of Colorado, Boulder
Applied Research Topic:
ICESat-2 for Applied Hydrology and Inland Bathymetry.
Ross Smith
TCARTA Marine LLC
Applied Research Topic:
ICESat-2 for Calibration and Validation of Multi-Method Satellite Derived Bathymetry.
ATLAS Data Product Used: ATL08
Vanesa Magar
Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education (CICESE)
Applied Research Topic:
ATL08 analyses for bottom roughness and topography studies in Mexico, with applications to weather modelling and wind energy resource characterization.
ATLAS Data Product used: ATL08
Douglas C. Comer
Cultural Site Research and Management Foundation
Applied Research Topic:
Archaeological Applications of ICESat-2 Data
Andri Gunnarsson
National Power Company Iceland
Applied Research Topic:
Using ICESat-2 data to improve winter mass balance estimates and short/midterm melt seasons forecasting for hydro power operations in Iceland
Merete Badger and Kenneth Grogan
Danish Technical University; DHI-GRAS A/S
Applied Research Topic:
A Danish innovation funded project on optimizing wind energy estimates using satellite data
Christopher E. Parrish
Oregon State University
Applied Research Topic:
Satellite bathymetry derived from ICESat-2.
Ute Herzfeld
University of Colorado Boulder
Applied Research Topic:
Detection and Mapping of Blowing Snow from ICESat-2 Data: Applications to Ice-Sheet Mass Balance and Transportation
Wenge Ni-Meister
Hunter College of The City University of New York
Applied Research Topic:
Vegetation maps with on-demand fusion of remote sensing data for potential use of U.S. Forest Service inventories and fire fuel estimates.
Stephen Howell
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Applied Research Topic:
Use of ICESat-2 data for Environment and Climate Change Canada observational applications and prediction systems.
Randy Wynne
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Applied Research Topic:
Mapping pine plantation productivity using ATL08.
ATLAS Data Product Used: ATL08
Richard Allard
Naval Research Laboratory
Applied Research Topic:
Use of ICESat-2 data as a Validation Source for the U.S. Navy's Ice Forecasting
Hongjie Xie
University of Texas at San Antonio
Applied Research Topic:
Developing effective algorithms for ICESat-2 for improving observations and forecasting of freeboard, ice thickness, and leads in NOAA operational ice charts for southern oceans
Birgit Peterson
USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
Applied Research Topic:
Evaluation of ICESat-2 ATLAS data for wildland fuels assessments.
Guy J-P. Schumann
Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc., University of Colorado Boulder
Applied Research Topic:
Assessments of the value of the ATL13 inland water level product for the Global Flood Partnership
ATLAS Data Product Used: ATL13
Kuo-Hsin Tseng
National Central University, Taiwan, Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research
Applied Research Topic:
Use of ICESat-2 and Sentinel-2 to Map Shallow Water Bathymetry for Islands in the South China Sea
ATLAS Data Product Used: ATL03
Huilin Gao
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University
Applied Research Topic:
Monitoring reservoir storage in the Western US using ICESat-2 and HLS observations
ATLAS Data Product Used: ATL08
G. Javier Fochesatto and Falk Huettmann
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute; Institute of Arctic Biology
Applied Research Topic:
Continuous monitoring of boreal forests and Arctic tundra, using ICESat-2 prelaunch data in high latitude terrestrial ecosystems.
Charon Birkett
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Applied Research Topic:
Laser altimetry data for studying lake and river dynamics with a focus on the complexities of high-latitude regions. Applications include pre- and post-flood analysis (ice-dam breaks) and conservation (fish and wildfowl habitat), with particular reference to variations caused by changes in regional climate.
ATLAS Data Product Used: ATL13 and ATL03
Andy Mahoney
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Geophysical Institute
Applied Research Topic:
Repeat altimetry of coastal sea ice to map landfast sea ice (fast ice) extent for research and operational sea ice analysts.
Subrata Nandy
Forestry and Ecology Department, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Indian Space Research Organisation
Applied Research Topic:
Forest carbon stock assessment and monitoring: A study in Indian tropical forest using ICESat-2 data
Nancy F. Glenn
Boise State University, Boise Center Aerospace Laboratory
Applied Research Topic:
Use of ICESat-2 data for improved terrestrial carbon estimates with semiarid ecosystem structure.