Southeastern Consortium
The Southeastern Consortium brings together states for the purpose of exploring common interests. These include developing closer ties with the three NASA centers in the region: MSFC, KSC and SSC. We have also identified and worked together on a topical regional theme: the Land-Sea Interface, as 8 of the 11 states have coastline and much of the region’s economy is closely tied to activities near the coast. The states in the coastal areas began a research study in the area of remote sensing and in particular, the areas influenced by the Gulf of Mexico.
The first project undertaken was a collaborative research effort utilizing a NASA ER-2 aircraft provided by NASA Stennis Space Center to record high resolution spectral imagery during over-flights of Puerto Rico, Florida, Louisiana and Alabama in 1995. This aircraft was equipped with the MODIS Airborne Simulator. Science issues addressed were: determination of the bio-optical properties of coastal waters, tropical rain forest canopy studies, land use and land cover mapping for vegetation studies and urban analysis, analysis of urban surface energy fluxes, non-point source pollution including hydrologic transport models, and geologic mapping of mineralogy. Many students were trained on this data.
Meetings of the SE Regional Space Grant Consortium have been held: 1) in 1997 at NASA Stennis Center; 2) a topical workshop in Huntsville at UAH in 1998 on the Land-Sea-Interface with presentations by the ASPEN Global Change Center, the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) and by the GLOBE program; 3) at NASA MSFC in January 2002, held at the NSSTC at which the Marshall director, the Propulsion, Science and Engineering Directorates and the Education Office discussed their needs with the SG directors, and 4) a similar meeting held in January 2003 at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The Southeast Consortium also supports the SERCH program managed by the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium.
Protein Crystallization, Structural Biology, and Space Travel: Teacher Training Workshops have been hosted by all of the member states with space flight samples loaded by students and teachers in Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. Many other states outside the region have also participated.
A program entitled Precision Farming: Utilization of Remote Sensing for Alabama/Georgia was led by Auburn University in Alabama and the University of Georgia’s NESPAL station in Tifton. This project evaluates the effectiveness of remote sensing to predict final yield and the effectiveness of remote sensing to delineate area of fields in which yields are limited by water stress. Farmers involved make detailed yield maps of their corn, wheat and soybean fields, using one of the first combines manufactured with an on-board GPS monitor. This data, combined with soil fertility profiles and remotely sensed images allows the farmers to maximize their resources.
Dr. Paul Mask of Auburn University has been named the Alabama NASA Geospatial Extension Specialist. He is active in agronomy research in Georgia, Florida and other areas outside the borders of Alabama.
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