The RSMAS Remote Sensing Group (RSG) is an interdisciplinary research group primarily based in the Division of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography of the Rosenstiel School, but with members distributed in Physics, Applied Marine Physics and Marine Biology and Fisheries. It is engaged in research and graduate instruction in the techniques of satellite oceanography and their application to problems in physical, biological and chemical oceanography. There is a strong link to the Atmospheric and Ocean Optics Group in the Physics Department. Current efforts range from analysis of satellite observations to theoretical radiative transfer modeling of the earth-atmosphere system. Global and regional satellite observations of sea surface temperature [NOAA/AVHRR], color [NIMBUS-7/CZCS and SeaStar/SeaWiFS], topography [GEOSAT, ERS-1 and TOPEX], and winds [ERS-1] are being investigated presently.

Present program directed research supports national and international programs including Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere (TOGA), Joint Global Ocean Flux Studies (JGOFS), Mission to Planet Earth, Earth Observing System (MTPE/EOS) and World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE). There are over a dozen additional projects outside these programs. TOGA efforts focus on development of improved tropical SST fields based on satellite infrared observations. The JGOFS project is to provide near-real time cruise support of the Arabian Sea process study and post experiment analysis of upper mixed layer heat content and biological response. EOS efforts center around development of an advanced SST algorithm for the MODIS instrument and development and implementation of an integrated processing and analysis methodology for addressing ocean products from the MODIS instrument. The Office of Naval Research supports ongoing projects to compare and contrast western boundary current variability using satellite observations, study sub-duction regimes and monitor optical signatures of plankton blooms. NASA/NOAA AVHRR Pathfinder effort is to develop and validate a decadal global SST timeseries based on NOAA AVHRR observations and in situ validation measurements. As part of this the group participates in the global surface velocity program of TOGA/WOCE/Global Change.

RSG efforts are facilitated by an extensive distributed computing system [20+ DEC Alphas, SGI Challenge, SGI PIs, 4 DEC 2100, 3 SONY Optical Changers (320 Gb ea)], high speed networks [2 T1 links to the Internet, 56 Kb X.25 link], and direct satellite reception capabilities [11m DOMSAT system]. Located on the Virginia Key Campus of the University of Miami, the RSG is adjacent to NOAA's Ocean and Atmospheric Research Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories (AOML) and National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Center (SEFC). There are strong interactions with the Physical Oceanography Laboratory of AOML and research efforts at SEFC. Also there is a continuing history of strong connections with the Physics Department on the Coral Gables campus of the University.


Faculty

Otis B. Brown
Professor and Dean [MPO] (satellite oceanography, remote sensing applications)
Robert H. Evans
Research Professor [MPO] (satellite oceanograpy, remote sensing applications, systems design)
Howard Gordon
Professor [Physics Department] (ocean color, radiative transfer in the ocean-atmosphere system)
Hans C. Graber
Associate Professor [AMP/MPO] (surface wave dynamics, microwave remote sensing of ocean processes, air-sea interaction and boundary-layer dynamics)
Eddie Kearns
Research Assistant Professor (satellite oceanography and ocean circulation
George Halliwell
Research Assistant Professor [MPO] (applications of remote sensing, mesoscale processes, oceanic frontal zones)
Arthur J. Mariano
Assistant Professor [MPO] (data analysis and assimilation techniques, mesoscale ocean dynamics, Lagrangian ocean descriptions)
Peter Minnett
Professor [MPO] (satellite remote sensing)
Donald B. Olson
Professor [MPO] (ocean circulation dynamics, mesoscale phenomena, ecosystem dynamics)
Guillermo P. Podestá
Research Assistant Professor [MPO] (satellite remote sensing, oceanic variability, physical-biological interactions)
Ken Voss
Professor [Physics Department] (In situ optics)

Staff

James Brown
Senior Research Associate (Systems design, engineering and radiative transfer modeling)
Warner Baringer
Research Associate (Systems design, database structure and advanced communications)
Vicki Halliwell
Research Associate (Processing control)
Kay Kilpatrick
Research Associate
Ajoy Kumar
Assistant Scientist
Jossy Jacobs
Research Associate
Angel Li
Peon (Systems design, graphical interfaces, and all around fun guy)
Ed Ryan
Research Associate
Geoff Samuels
Research Associate (Geophysical data analysis)
Richard Sikorski
Assistant Scientist (Radiative transfer modelling, data analysis)
Joanie Splain
Data Processing manager (Real-time and retrospective data processing, archival and management)
Sue Walsh
Programmer (Applications support, maintenance and documentation)

Other Collaborators

Rana Fine
Professor MAC (Air/sea gas transfer)
Peter Milne
Research Assistant Professor MAC (FTIR spectroscopy, trace gases)
Peter Glynn
Professor MBF (Coral reefs and SST)

Postdoctoral Associates

Goshka Szczodrak

Students

John Brown
Mariana Framinan
Erica Key
Deanna Wilson-Diaz

Contact Information

Prof. Otis Brown or Prof. Robert Evans
RSMAS - University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149

tel: 305/361-4064
fax: 305/361-4622
obrown@rsmas.miami.edu
revans@rsmas.miami.edu