New Imagery Product Available in FRIDGE

In response to user feedback, we’re introducing a new visual product available in our web-based data portal, FRIDGE: 8-Bit Orthorectified Pan/RGB JPEG-2000 (Low Bandwidth). This product was developed to meet the needs of low-bandwidth users, offering a more compressed file size while maintaining essential visual quality.

PGC users with active federally funded grants through the NSF OPP or NASA Cryosphere programs now have access to this product for commercial satellite imagery selections in FRIDGE.

Have questions about FRIDGE imagery access, product details, or anything else?
Contact us at pgc-support@umn.edu. We’re here to help!

Access FRIDGE

PGC at ASSW25

CANCELLED PGC Arctic User Community Meeting

We regret to inform you that the PGC Arctic User Community Meeting at ASSW25, originally scheduled for Monday, March 24th, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, has been cancelled.

This decision was not made lightly and we appreciate your understanding and continued support.

Despite this change, we are excited to share that some of our team members will still participate in the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) through their talks and posters, see below for details. We look forward to engaging with the community during this eventful week.

: 20–28 March 2025
: Boulder, Colorado, USA, hosted at the University of Colorado Boulder
: https://assw.info/

Talk:
Building Inclusive Arctic Research: The Role of ArcticDEM and DEI in Data Accessibility

Presenter: Cathleen Torres Parisian
Session: 8.4 – Making Arctic Science Equitable and Accessible to All Through Open Science
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Posters:
Dynamic STAC API for Searching and Retrieving ArcticDEM Data

Presenter: Jesse Bakker

FRIDGE: Empowering Polar Research with Dynamic Access to High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and Digital Elevation Models

Presenter: Cole Kelleher

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Time: Poster exhibit from 10:30 AM – 6 PM; Poster reception from 6-8 PM

Arctic Tasking Requests
Due January 24, 2025

PGC is working with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to coordinate collections of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery from Maxar for the upcoming 2025 Arctic field season.

Please get in touch with your PGC Point of Contact if you have federal funding and are conducting Arctic research or providing Arctic logistics support and would like to submit tasking requests for your area(s) of interest. The deadline for requests for the upcoming Arctic field season is January 24th, 2025. 

If you submitted a request for a previous year and would like to have imagery collected for a future season contact your POC for resubmission.

Season’s End on the Ice

PGC is thrilled to report the successful conclusion of this year’s deployment in Antarctica! Our team had a fantastic (while short) season, producing numerous maps and building strong connections with the incredible science and logistics teams on the ice.

We’re especially grateful for the collaboration and support of the USAP community, whose dedication makes this work possible.

As we settle back in, please note that any remaining requests from the ice can be sent to pgc-support@umn.edu.

 Kelsey Zimmerman (left) and Devin Power (right) in their big reds on the airfield.

Conference Connections

Wrap Up: Busy Autumn Conference Season

This autumn was packed with conferences, and the entire PGC team was engaged across the board.

We showcased our latest maps at NACIS, connected with the community while staffing booths at the UMN Spatial Forum, SACNAS, and AGU, and shared our expertise through talks and posters at AGU.

It’s been an incredible season of collaboration and outreach, and we’re excited to carry this momentum into the new year!

 Cathleen Torres Parisian, Nicole Schiller, Eli Schlossberg, and Claire Porter at SACNAS (top left); Cole Kelleher presenting his poster at AGU (top right); and Ali Hossaini, Eli Schlossberg, Miles Sterner, and Jesse Bakker at AGU (bottom).

Upcoming Events

SLAWR-REU Webinar and Application Deadline

PGC is a newer partner of the Sustainable Land and Water Resources Research Experience for Undergraduates (SLAWR REU), a 14-year long partnership between Salish Kootenai College and the University of Minnesota. This summer program explores the interactions between physical, natural, and social processes through the weaving of Indigenous knowledge with Western knowledge to advance scientific understanding and support tribal management decisions.

Join the informational webinar where we shed light on the REU SLAWR application process, providing tips and tricks to help you stand out from the crowd. Please register for the event here, and if you have any questions please contact slawr-reu@umn.edu.

: January 17 from 12-12:45 PM CT
The deadline to apply is February 2, 2025.
: https://reuslawr.org/

Geoscience Alliance 6 Conference

PGC is excited to announce our participation in the upcoming Geoscience Alliance conference for the second time. This year’s theme, “Geoscience and Environmental Justice in Indigenous Communities,” aligns with our commitment to being part of the solution in addressing the benefits, burdens, and power dynamics impacting Indigenous communities. We aim to enhance the use, understanding, and application of geospatial data to empower underrepresented populations and address environmental and climate impacts.

: 24-26 April 2025
: Duke University, Durham, NC
: https://geosciencealliance.org/ga-6-conference/

In Other News

NSF Office of Polar Programs
Antarctic Sciences NEW solicitations