Down To Earth: A podcast for Geoscientists by Geoscientist

Similar to GNSS-R, spaceborne imaging spectroscopy is a fairly new field of remote sensing. Originating in aerospace, these pieces of equipment have now reached zero-G. But how did they get there? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Uta Heiden and Dr. Cindy Ong to explore how international collaboration has led to advancements in the field of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy.

VERITAS, or truth, has been a recurring theme this season, particularly with respect to scientific integrity. But in this episode, it means something a little different. Standing for Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy, VERITAS is actually the name of a new space mission that will map the surface of Venus. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Scott Hensley about this new mission, and what it means for enhancing our knowledge of Earth

Progress doesn't just come through the invention of new technologies. Finding innovative ways to use existing technologies also expands remote sensing! And this is exactly what one researcher is exploring. In this episode, we’ll cover all things GNSS-R with Dr. Davide Comite to understand how remote sensing scientists are using old technologies to generate new insights about our planet!

Access to the radio spectrum is essential for remote sensing research. However, the explosion of new wireless technologies in recent years has forced researchers to grapple with increased radio frequency interference that can jeopardize data collection integrity. How do we balance the scientific use of radio frequencies with our need to be perpetually connected? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Tobias Bollian about this very topic.

"Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts". This is sustainable development goal 13, which is set to be realized nine years from now. How are remote sensing scientists addressing this goal, and how close are we to achieving it? We talk to Dr. Beth Tellman, to find out, and she gives us some surprising answers!

In the era of “fake news”, false and misleading information has become a disease, spreading rapidly through internet channels and leading to a decrease in the public’s trust in science. So what are scientists doing about it? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Manil Maskey to learn how stewardship of datasets and training models plays a key role in ensuring scientific integrity in the field of remote sensing. Using AI datasets and training models as an example, we look at who is responsible for stewardship, how data is quality-controlled, and how stewardship impacts scientific integrity, particularly as technology evolves over time.

From its rudimentary emergence in the 50s, to the more recent development of deep learning, machine learning been an complete game changer when it comes to being able to quickly interpret and act on remote sensing data. In this episode, we speak with three scientists, Dr. Jón Atli Benediktsson, Dr. Paolo Gamba, and Dr. Naoto Yokoya, to trace the evolution of machine learning in earth observation and how it has permanently shifted the earth observation landscape!

Throughout our episodes, the importance of mentorship and support has been a major recurring theme for guests’ success in the geosciences. In our final episode of Down to Earth, we speak with Dr. Qian Zhan and Dr. Josée Lévesque about their participation in the GRSS Women Mentoring Women program, and how it allowed both to grow in their careers, as well as their personal lives.

Supporting your fellow scientists comes in many forms. In this episode, Dr. Gopika Suresh tells us how she uses social media to promote the work of radar remote sensing specialists, and how an opportunity with the Twitter group “Sisters of SAR” led her to become an editor for a special section in the Journal of Remote Sensing.

Alyssa Whitcraft, a deputy director at NASA Harvest and an associate research professor, dives into the intersection of remote sensing and social justice. She discusses the urgent need to address food security and climate change through an intersectional lens. Alyssa shares her personal struggles with depression and postpartum anxiety, framing them within her work in geoscience. She emphasizes the importance of incorporating social science insights to combat biases in data interpretation and advocates for supportive workplace policies for women and caregivers.