Pamela Jansma - University of Arkansas

Candidacy Statement

After obtaining my PhD from Northwestern University in 1988 in structural geology, I worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a National Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellow pursuing projects in multispectral and radar remote sensing.  JPL is where I had my first exposure to GPS geodesy, but I did not get involved in using the technique until years later, after joining the faculty at the University of Puerto Rico and initiating several  long-term projects on Caribbean tectonics, including many that have received direct support from UNAVCO. Since then, I have moved to the University of Arkansas, where I am Professor and Chair of the Department of Geosciences.  I first worked with UNAVCO in 1994 as part of a re-occupation of the Caribbean-North American plate boundary zone.  The UNAVCO field engineers and the UNAVCO equipment were critical to the success of that initial project in general and to my future as a researcher in the field.  Our group still conducts campaign GPS surveys in the Caribbean and Central America as part of our research on oblique subduction, strain partitioning and subduction zone dynamics, although we have embraced the installation of continuous sites as equipment prices have plummeted and internet access has improved and delved into LiDAR and InSAR.

UNAVCO similarly has changed significantly since those early years, when it was primarily a resource to help PI-driven field campaigns, to a much broader-based organization serving a range of disciplines, integrating a diversity of datasets beyond those provided by GPS observations, including InSAR, LiDAR, and strainmeters, and taking a leadership role in EarthScope through the management of the Plate Boundary Observatory. This expansion of the mission of UNAVCO will lead to new challenges as it strives to serve a wider community of scholars, some of whom will be first-time users captivated by the applicability of the data to earth science research in areas not envisioned when UNAVCO began, whereas others will be veterans. In addition, many will be international, presenting new opportunities for UNAVCO to develop global partnerships. Balance among all user groups will be key to the future success of UNAVCO as the premier organization for ground deformation studies and geospatial measurement—something I feel is vitally important.  The role of UNAVCO over the next few years will change yet again as completion of the construction phase of PBO approaches and efforts switch to maintenance and oversight of the PBO data stream.  A smooth transition is essential to ensure access for the entire community to the highest quality data products possible.  The same enthusiasm and dedication that led to the explosion of the application of GPS techniques and the reality of PBO must be promoted to developing applications, such as LiDAR, and growing fields, such as tectonic geomorphology, GPS meteorology, glaciology and climate change. Diversifying its base while maintaining its core commitment will strengthen UNAVCO. I am a firm believer in a synergistic and holistic approach.  From that, new breakthroughs will emerge.

Research interests

Microplate tectonics and strain partitioning; GPS geodesy; natural hazards; multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave remote sensing; lidar and digital topography

Education

Appointments

Scientific Committees/Other positions

I have been an Associate Editor of Geosphere since its inception and have served on panels for NSF Tectonics, NSF Earthscope, NSF-ADVANCE, and NASA-Solid Earth and Natural Hazards.

Last modified Friday, 09-Nov-07 15:07:47

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