Extending NASA Earth Science Research to Benefit Society: NASA DEVELOP Spring 2014 Virtual Poster Session

This spring’s installment of the DEVELOP Virtual Poster Session series features interdisciplinary research projects that apply the lens of NASA Earth observations to community concerns around the globe.

In DEVELOP’s first Virtual Poster Session (VPS) of 2014, 107 young researchers from around the globe came together at 13 locations to collaborate on 25 projects.

Landsat 8 mosaic images of the Inner Niger Delta in Mali, western Africa. The mosaic seen in the satellite silhouette depicts the extent of flash flooding in September 2013. Image Credit: Chris McKeel, DEVELOP.

Part of NASA’s Applied Sciences’ Capacity Building Program, DEVELOP projects highlight fresh applications of NASA’s suite of Earth-observing sensors and increase the understanding of NASA Earth science data and technology.åÊ Participants work in 10-week terms to analyze societal and scientific dilemmas and discover ways in which these issues can be better predicted, monitored or mitigated through the application of NASA Earth observations. The VPS provides a platform for DEVELOP participants to further reach local and global audiences to maximize the capacity of their research use and application.

From March 30 – April 9, DEVELOPers will participate in dialogue with Earthzine readers in a blogging competition co-sponsored by Exelis Visual and Esri. Using the Livefyre comment system, you may login with Facebook, Twitter and other accounts. See the bottom section of each project page to post a comment.

Following the blogging period, a panel of judges will select the top projects with the most substantial dialogue, scientific merit, and creativity. The winners will be announced April 15 on this page and in the Earthzine Full Moon Newsletter.

DEVELOP’s spring projects applied NASA Earth observations to environmental concerns including monitoring conservation efforts and drought, forecasting water availability and vector-borne disease risk, as well as mapping invasive species distribution and the damage from natural disasters such as flooding, wildfires and hurricanes. These projects partnered with 61 end-user organizations that could benefit from enhanced decision-support tools through the integrated use of NASA’s suite of Earth-observing satellites and aerial missions.

For more information about DEVELOP, visit the DEVELOP website. Previous DEVELOP Earthzine Virtual Poster Sessions are listed in the DEVELOP VPS Archive.