Mapping Cropland Extent from Synthetic Aperture Radar Using the Coefficient of Variation
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Kaylee G Sharp↗
Engineering topics
Ronan Lucey
Publications and source records attributed to Ronan Lucey.
Applying Satellite Data to Support Disaster Response and Emergency Management Decision Making
Using the vantage point of space, satellite observations provide information about the Earth that can serve a critical role in building situational awareness and filling in data gaps during disaster response. NASA’s Earth Science Division ( studies the Earth as a system and develops technologies to improve the quality of life here on our home planet. Within NASA ESD, the Disasters Program and its Disasters Response Coordination System (DRCS) aims to advance Earth science data and information to support management decisions that prevent or mitigate the impacts of disasters. Using a whole-of-NASA approach to coordinate and mobilize the Agency’s assets and expertise to provide geospatial information during disasters, this work brings the utility of Earth observation information to emergency management and disaster response and reduces the impacts of disasters on lives and livelihoods .This poster will introduce the utility of satellite and geospatial information to disaster response through examples of recent DRCS incident response activations and highlight the DRCS model that employs a user-centered activation framework beginning with direct requests from responders and ending with after-action assessments that feed lessons learned and process improvements.
Remote Sensing↗
NASA MUREP-DEAP Institutes - Year 1 Updates on Capacity Building, Community Building and Research Initiatives
Through the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), NASA engages underrepresented populations via various initiatives, including by means of three year competitive awards for Data Science Equity, Access, and Priority in Research and Education (DEAP) Institutes led by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). MUREP DEAP Institutes, multi-institutional consortia, conduct data science research and capacity building initiatives that aim to enhance the research, academic, and technological capabilities of the participating HBCUs while providing NASA-specific knowledge, skills and opportunities for students and faculty who have historically been underrepresented and underserved in the STEM workforce. Three MUREP DEAP Institutes, led by Bethune-Cookman University, North Carolina A&T University, and North Carolina Central University, are conducting data science and natural hazard related research utilizing remote sensing and earth observations, with mentorship for the Institutes provided by scientists from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Each Institute has unique capabilities, needs, and goals, but overlap in their common interest to conduct cutting edge data science and natural hazard related research and to build capacity, broaden participation, and increase retention of a diverse group of participating students and faculty. Here, successes and challenges from the first year of activities at each MUREP DEAP institute are discussed, where activities focused primarily on the recruitment of a diverse group of students and the upskilling of students and faculty in data science and remote sensing concepts. The planned activities and goals of each DEAP Institute for the upcoming two years of activities will also be discussed, both from research and community-building perspectives.
Ronan Lucey↗
The NASA Disasters Response Coordination System’s (DRCS) Response to the 2024 Hurricane Season
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Disasters Response Coordination System (DRCS) leverages the best available science and expertise to aid federal, state, local, and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners in addressing identified needs during a disaster response. During the 2024 hurricane season, the DRCS activated for seven hurricanes/tropical storms, providing openly available geospatial data through NASA’s Disasters Mapping Portal. Hurricanes Helene and Milton were major hurricanes that impacted the southeastern United States within weeks of one another. Impacts from Helene and Milton to the region included inland flooding, record coastal storm surge, over a thousand landslides, and regional power and telecommunications outages. In response to Helene and Milton, DRCS provided actionable information and products to stakeholders, including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) analysis for landslide and flood detection, Black Marble nighttime lights products for assessing power outages, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis for post-event vegetation change detection. NASA deployed an Uninhibited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) instrument to collect data on flood extent, providing crucial information on affected communities. Additionally, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) collected hand-held photography along the paths of Hurricane Helene and Milton to aid in response efforts. Here, we summarize the DRCS responses to Helene and Milton, in particular highlighting the information and products that were provided by the DRCS and how they were utilized by partners to address immediate response needs.
Earth observations↗