Remote Sensing Specialist, Alaska Regional Office
Overview
In the last few years, the Alaska Region has deployed a revolutionary structure from motion (SfM) system mounted in fix-wing aircraft. Products are high-resolution and high accuracy digital elevation models and orthomosaics. SfM use is commonly deployed using unmanned aircraft, but the areas are much larger in Alaska needing high-resolution and accurate imagery and DEMs. The manned system relies on a survey-grade GNSS unit in the plane, as a base station, and measuring ground control points. The manned SfM system has been deployed to monitor landslides, map intertidal elevations, map and monitor coastal geomorphology and erosion, classify salt marsh vegetation, respond to glacier outburst floods, and monitor glacier changes: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/aps-20-1-5.htm
The results of this work are used by park managers to identify geologic hazards to protect visitors, monitor coastal erosion to prioritize archaeological studies of threatened resources, measure rates of glacier retreat due to climate change, map coastal habitats sensitive to oil spills, monitor landcover changes due to climate change, and provide stunning visualizations that are used to interpret these changes. The NPS Alaska Region manages greater than 60% of the NPS land area nation-wide so this cost-effective tool is useful for a wide-range of projects across the spectrum of disciplines.
Responsibilities
The participant will work with a diverse team of natural resources scientists to apply these SfM capabilities to a wide range of natural resources management issues. The participant will help process, analyze, and collect these datasets and integrate them with other datasets. The participant may also work with partners from other agencies and university collaborators to further develop tools for processing the SfM data accurately and efficiently.
Qualifications
Digital elevation maps and elevation difference analysis, orthorectified photos, and landcover classification; metadata; workflows/manuals; project reports. We desire a candidate with remote-sensing experience, especially with imagery analysis and landcover classification; OR a background conducting SfM or analyzing LiDAR/TLS point clouds.
- Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree in the geosciences by the start of the appointment. Graduate level preferred.
- Coursework required: Remote Sensing and GIS (or demonstrated proficiency).
- Surveying or mapping grade GNSS skills desired.
- Electronics, photographic, and computer expertise and ingenuitive problem solving are necessary.
- These datasets will be very large and time-consuming to process, so the ability to efficiently work with large datasets is a necessity.
Park housing is NOT available. The participant will most likely have to find a place to rent in Anchorage. Assistance can be provided for examining housing to secure a place to rent before arriving. Craigslist is the best source for looking for rentals in Anchorage. The salary reflects the cost of housing.