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PGC Updates + Events
New PGC Map Series Available
PGC is excited to announce the addition of a new reference map series of Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys to our online polar map catalog. These detailed maps provide in-depth geographical insights into the Dry Valleys—one of the world’s most unique landscapes, where extremely low humidity and surrounding mountains prevent ice flow from nearby glaciers. Explore them now.
Key features in the PGC 1:50,000 McMurdo Dry Valleys Reference Maps Series:
Beautiful general reference maps for various use cases
Open and freely available to the public
Total of 16 maps covering nearly 12,000 sq km
Available for download in multiple formats including: PDF, preview JPG, TIF, and GEOTIFF
Features highlighting: placenames, managed and protected areas, rock and ice layers
Meet the PGC team headed to McMurdo Station, Antarctica! 🌍❄️
This year, PGC is sending down two new team members to McMurdo Station for their first time. We’ll have a shorter season (mid-October through early January), so let’s dive right into getting to know them! We asked each of them to share a fun fact about themselves by answering this icebreaker: “What’s a skill, hobby, or interest you have that might surprise the rest of us?”
Kelsey Zimmerman: I write poetry! My core interests at large are rooted in the humanities and social sciences, and sometimes I wonder how I ended up here–but I’ve been deeply fascinated in how humans adapt to isolation and living or surviving in remote environments for as long as I can remember, so of course it makes sense I’ve ended up trying to experience some semblance of that myself. In addition to pen and paper, you may catch me around McMurdo with knitting needles, camera, or latest read.
Devin Power: I’m a bit of an aviation enthusiast; having once spent nearly 6 hours wandering the fantastic collection of planes at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to ride in a C17 or LC130 (or both!) to and from the Antarctic continent.
If you are or going to be in McMurdo this season, stop by the PGC office in Crary #217 and say hello!
REMA Available via PolarToolkit
PGC recently met with PolarToolkit developer Matthew Tankersley at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference. PolarToolkit is a Python package tailored for polar research, providing streamlined access to common datasets, including PGC’s Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). It includes efficient tools to download, process, and visualize REMA data, integrating tasks like data retrieval, geospatial analysis, and map creation into one platform. This all-in-one approach reduces errors and optimizes workflows, making it invaluable for polar researchers. Explore comprehensive documentation and tutorials at polartoolkit.readthedocs.io and read the publication.
Updates to PGC Imagery Processing Tools
with Latest Maxar Calibration
PGC’s Maxar imager processing toolkit, imagery_utils, now incorporates the latest radiometric calibration coefficients published by Maxar. Maxar made small modifications to the coefficients for Geoeye-1, Worldview-3, and Worldview-3. PGC users may see changes in TOA reflectance and radiance values for those sensors, especially with imagery taken with low sun elevation. The imagery_utils scripts record the release version in the XML metadata for each image, so users can easily find out which set of coefficients was used on their data.
Save the Dates!
PGC Arctic User Community Meeting at ASSW
PGC at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW), an annual event organized by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) to support collaboration across Arctic research communities.
PGC will be hosting an interactive user meeting to foster collaboration, share key updates, and gather valuable feedback. Please note that ASSW registration is required to attend. Final schedules and registration details will be available in November. Stay tuned!
📅: 20–28 March 2025
📍: Boulder, Colorado, USA, hosted at the University of Colorado Boulder
🌐: https://assw.info/
SLAWR-REU Applications Open
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.
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.
Hackweek Participation: Ali Hossaini and Devin Power attended the NASA Earth Sciences & University of Washington Hackweek, utilizing polar data from ICESat-2 and SnowEx missions with machine learning applications.
FOSS4G-NA Conference: Rory Johnson and Danny Im participated to enhance knowledge of open geospatial technology, focusing on PGC’s Digital Elevation Models.
Rapid Access Ice Drill Meeting: Mike Cloutier supported site selection for drilling in East Antarctica by providing large-scale maps.
International SCAR Open Science Conference:
Cole Kelleher presented on “International Principles and Procedures for Antarctic Place Names” and engaged in joint sessions.
PGC is planning on attending the following conferences to connect with existing collaborators and reach new community members. By no means is this an exhaustive list but we hope you please consider stopping by and connecting with us! Currently at SACNAS #2024NDiSTEM – stop by at booth #555! We can chat GIS, maps, polar science, data science, and everything else. We are so happy to be here.
PGC plans to have a larger presence at AGU this year! Stop by our booth #1112, attend our talk, visit our poster. We look forward to seeing you.
Michael Gooseff Elected AGU Fellow: Congratulations to Michael Gooseff, long-time PGC user and current member of PGC’s Science and Operations Advisory Committee, on being elected as one of 54 scholars in the 2024 cohort of AGU Fellows. The AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, awards this honor annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their fields. Read more about Gooseff’s achievement here.
Community Message to NSF on RAID Support: A message directed to the Office of Polar Programs at the NSF was discussed and composed during the 2nd RAID Science Planning Workshop held in September 2024. This message emphasizes the community’s recognition of RAID’s importance and the critical need for support to ensure it remains a viable research platform. If you support the message, please respond in this form by November 22, 2024.
PECWS Call for Applications: Applications are now open for the Polar Early Career World Summit in Boulder, Colorado, USA, 22-24 March 2025. Apply by 19 November and find out more info at http://pecws.org. All ECRs engaged with the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere are welcome to apply to attend!
The University of Minnesota is undergoing planned maintenance on its data center from Friday, January 5, 2017 4:00p to Sunday, January 7, 2018 12:00p. PGC services will be unavailable at that time. We apologize for any inconvenience!
PGC SERVICES IMPACTED:
Data downloads from HTTP/FTP Servers (public and private)
UMN servers hosting PGC data
Web mapping applications (e.g. PGC Imagery Viewers) and ArcGIS web services
PGC recently met with PolarToolkit developer Matthew Tankersley at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference. PolarToolkit is a Python package tailored for polar research, providing streamlined access to common datasets, including PGC’s Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). It includes efficient tools to download, process, and visualize REMA data, integrating tasks like data retrieval, geospatial analysis, and map creation into one platform. This all-in-one approach reduces errors and optimizes workflows, making it invaluable for polar researchers. Explore comprehensive documentation and tutorials at polartoolkit.readthedocs.io and read the publication.
PGC at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW), an annual event organized by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) to support collaboration across Arctic research communities.
PGC plans to have a larger presence at AGU this year! Stop by our booth #1112, attend our talk, visit our poster. We look forward to seeing you.