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The leading academic geodetic remote sensing center in the nation, the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM), funded by the National Science Foundation, re-located its operational facilities to the University of Houston (UH) in January 2010. The missions of NCALM include collecting of airborne GLS (also known as airborne LiDAR) observations for academic researchers across the nation, advancing GLS technology, and educating/training students to work in the GLS community (including private companies, academic institutions, and government agencies). NCALM brought with it commercially manufactured airborne and ground based state-of-the-art Geodetic Laser Scanning (GLS) instruments, an extensive library of computer programs to process and analyze GLS data, and a staff of experienced geodesists, engineers, and support staff.

 

UH plans include building on NCALM capabilities and experience by purchasing and/or developing other sensors that will collect observations complementary to GLS observations. A 60 mega-pixel digital camera and a 250 channel hyperspectral system have been ordered, and discussions are ongoing with the manufacturer of state-of-the-art airborne gravity meters and gravity gradiometers. Ultra high resolution (0.25 m grid) Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) produced from the GLS observations will be used to compute terrain corrections for gravity observations, to locate and map geological structures for mineral and petroleum exploration. The remote sensing capabilities of the UH airborne observatory will also be useful for mapping coastal areas to locate, quantify,  and evaluate environmental damage (particularly to vegetation) caused by petroleum spills, to monitor the effectiveness of clean-up efforts, and to document recovery of the damaged vegetation.