STAR Committee and Geology WG presentations

[Jeffrey Kargel]

Michael (and others),
Gordon and Slawek have (thankfully) touched off a vigorous discussion of GLIMS STARs, which was their intent.  My hope is that we can get an increased quota of GLIMS imaging, possibly through a robust DAR supplement for key glaciers: NOT to replace the GLIMS STARs but to fill in (1) small gaps of no-ASTER-coverage-at-all (in lifetime of ASTER), (2) some large gaps of high-quality (right gains, low snow, good illumination) coverage, and (3) some further small areas of special interest where we have had good coverage but still need more due to special dynamics or ongoing field research projects; in total, the gaps are substantial, and I hope filling them can be accommodated.  We'll try to get a detailed plan organized before the ASTER meeting.  I would like these to be implemented this summer, so we'll be ready to rock n roll at the time of the ASTER meeting.
I would send  you GLIMS presentations to present in my absence about 2 days before the meeting, if that works, so we have about a week to make some fast work.  
So I'd like 15 minutes for a Geology talk and 15 minutes for a STAR committee talk.  I'll make sure all slides are very self-explanatory.  Slawek and Gordon and all GLIMS people involved in the energetic discussion should know that they'll have a chance to see the STAR presentation before it happens (if it is scheduled), and offer edits, and they should also know that I am an advocate for polar as well as nonpolar glacier/ice sheet imaging.  I want to get this right for the whole glacier/ice sheet community.  Alpine glaciers are important, and so are the ice sheets, for different but important reasons.
So far as Greenland specifically is concerned, if a separate STAR is designed and implemented and doesn't take away from GLIMS, then that's a good thing.  If it's channeled through the GLIMS STAR, then that's a good thing, so long as it achieves what's needed and what's also reasonable. The ASTER Mission Ops group knows that I have been very sensitive and responsive to the overall ASTER needs, but this is definitely a crucial time when we need a good ASTER senior-years set of images, because we have NOTHING closely comparable coming up with other satellites.  HySpIRI will be great, SPOT and IRS systems are great, Landsat systems are great, radar systems are great, other systems will be wonderful, but they do not offer the combined attributes of ASTER VNIR/stereo/TIR.  And even where capabilities overlap, we need the image archive (and that archive is being used).
I will post comments on this discussion thread on a publicly accessible site, and give a pointer to it once it's up, so respondents can feel free to send only to me, with knowledge that their comments will be posted.  (Or tell me if you want them to be confidential.) 
--Jeff



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