NASA
and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) presented the
2012 William T. Pecora awards for achievement in earth remote sensing to
Gilberto Camara of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research and Leung
Tsang of the University of Washington in Seattle.
Camara
was recognized for his contributions to remote-sensing leadership as a
scientist, program director, manager and agency head. Tsang is one of the
world's leading experts on the theory of microwave remote sensing for
geophysical environments. Camara received his award at a meeting of the Group
on Earth Observations in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, on Nov. 22. Tsang received his
award Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
"Along
with the immensely successful Landsat program, the Pecora awards are a
testament to the very high value both the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA place
in Earth remote sensing," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "As our
planet's water, soil, and ecosystems continue to be stressed by a growing
population and changing climate, it is essential we continue into a fifth
decade of Earth observation time series and recognize the excellence of
remote-sensing experts."
NASA
and the Department of the Interior present individual and group Pecora Awards
to honor outstanding contributions in the field of remote sensing and its
application to understanding Earth. The award was established in 1974 to honor
the memory of William T. Pecora, former USGS director and undersecretary of the
Department of the Interior. Pecora was influential in the establishment of the
Landsat satellite program, which created a continuous, 40-year record of
Earth's land areas.
"I
am sure Dr. Pecora would be pleased if he were here with us today and could see
how his vision for innovative remote-sensing technology has been realized in
the work of the individuals we are recognizing this year," said astronaut
John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission
Directorate.
As
the former director general of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research,
Camara championed broad, open data-sharing policies and practices within the
institute that have significantly influenced other domestic and international
organizations to emulate this approach. Camara has advanced the linkages
between and among remote-sensing technologies and Geographic Information System
technologies and applications.
Camara
also supported programs within the institute to link moderate-resolution
imagery from the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite, Landsat, and other
Earth observation missions with the policy needs of the Brazilian government,
most notably polices on forestation and deforestation in the Amazon.
Tsang's
contributions to microwave remote sensing have laid the groundwork for improved
data analysis and designs of new measurements and satellite observational
systems. His work has resulted in numerous societal benefits, including
monitoring climate change and improving management of water and agricultural
resources. His original and pioneering discoveries have resulted in the
publication of more than 260 journal articles and four books.
Tsang
also made major advances in rough surface scattering theory and applications to
microwave remote sensing of soil and vegetated
surfaces. He developed an improved modeling framework for rough surface and
vegetation scattering with fast computational methods that can be directly
applied to both active and passive microwave remote sensing of soil moisture.
For
further information visit: http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/1/1143060/2012-Awards-Presented-Achievements-Earth-Remote-Sensing
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