STANDBY TASK FORCE needs your help

Dear Mapsters,

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) has just activated the Standby Task Force to help them respond to the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistan yesterday. This activation is only for 48 hours and simply requires the tagging of tweets and images--simple point and click of the mouse--so super easy to volunteer your time, even for just a few minutes.

There are two ways for you to volunteer (you can do both!), the first is by tagging tweets here (should be self-explanatory):

http://scd1.qcri.org/aidrpredict/tagging/task_presenter.php

The other is by tagging images (based on level of damage you see in each image). You’ll see that this is also self-explanatory. The link for this will go live shortly but in the meantime, here’s a quick introduction to how the image tagging works:

http://iRevolution.net/2013/09/18/micromappers

Once we have tagged enough images, we plan to geo-tag them as well using MicroMappers. Stay tuned for that link.

Here’s the link to our Ning-page for this activation where you will also find who you should contact for joining the Skype-chat (Optional):

http://standbytaskforce.ning.com/group/pakistan2013

Here is the sign-up form:
http://bit.ly/1fDkIxi


Thank you!

Per, Brendan, Anahi and Patrick

Visit Standby Task Force at: http://standbytaskforce.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

ASPRS Northern California Region Technical Session

ASPRS Northern California Region


Meeting Announcement: Northern California Chapter
Sacramento Technical Meeting
September 26, 2013 - Thursday Evening from 6:00 to 9:00 pm


Back to Our Roots: Aerial Photography
Bill Calmes - Cartwright Aerial Surveys
Curtis Holmes - American Aerial Surveys, Inc.
Lorraine Amenda, PLS, CP - Towill, Inc.


Would you like to learn about planning an aerial photography mission? What are the logistics involved with putting an aircraft, a camera and the crew up into the air? How do they stay on line and get moving objects on the ground, centered in the camera lens? What's involved with processing film and making prints? Do you know the pros and cons of film versus digital imagery?
Even with today's high-tech world of satellites and digital imagery, mapping professionals still need to know how to go about planning for and acquiring airborne aerial photography. Knowledge of aerial photographic equipment and operations is a skill set that is not really covered in college, but which is needed once young mapping professionals get out into the working world.

Arrive early at 5:30 pm if you'd like to munch or network. This is a chance to get out of the office and mingle with colleagues you've been working with over the Internet and via email. Meet your new officers and other members of our Northern California and Nevada region. If you are not a member of ASPRS and are interested in aerial photography, you are welcome to attend.


Thanks to Caltrans GeoMetronics, Office of Photogrammetry, for hosting the meeting.
An RSVP is required to attend the meeting due to Caltrans building access requirements after hours
(you need to be on “the list” to attend).

RSVP link : events page

Meeting Agenda
5:30 - Networking and Refreshments (coffee and sandwiches)
6:00 - Welcome and Update on Regional Activities
6:15 - Installation of New Officers
  Immediate Past President – Devin Kelley
  President – Bill Zeman
  President Elect – Catherine Burton
  Vice President – Stephan Barton
  Secretary/Treasurer – Matt Coleman
  Regional Directors (2 positions) – Robert Yoha and Melissa Christie
6:30 - Bill Calmes - Cartwright Aerial Surveys, Sacramento, California
  Cartwright Aerial Surveys, Inc. has been providing the highest quality photogrammetric services since the company’s inception in 1946. Their services include: topographic and planimetric mapping; volume calculations; orthorectification; aero triangulation; aerial photography; and, aerial photo reproduction. A photo library is maintained in their Sacramento office, the collection consists of vertical black & white imagery dating from the late 1950's covering thirty counties and numerous cities throughout California. Cartwright's historical aerial photography is also held by the Map and Imagery Library at UC Santa Barbara and the San Diego Historical Center.
7:15 - Break
7:25 - Curtis Holmes - American Arial Surveys, Inc., Ione, California
  American Aerial Surveys, Inc. has been family owned and operated since 1968, providing large format aerial photography to both the public and private sector. American Aerial owns and operates three twin engine aircraft: two are RAM converted Cessna 310s; and, one is a Merlyn converted Aero-Commander 500S. Aerial mapping cameras are Zeiss Top 15 with forward motion compensation in gyro stabilized mounts. At low altitude, objects smaller than one inch are visible when there is a contrasting background. The majority of their aerial photography is used for engineering grade topographic/planimetric mapping but have many purposes.
8:10 - Break
8:20 – Lorraine Amenda, PLS, CP – Towill, Inc.
  Towill, Inc. is a geomatics firm operating in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Ms. Amenda has been with Towill’s photogrammetry department since receiving her B.S. in Surveying Engineering from California State University, Fresno, in 1990.  She has been a photogrammetric project manager for over 15 years, responsible for all aspects of project design on both large-scale and small-scale mapping projects, utilizing both film-based and digital photography.  Lorraine will discuss the similarities and differences in flight and project planning when utilizing digital imagery for photogrammetric mapping.
8:50 - Wrap Up

RSVP by September 24
If you plan to (or think you may) attend -- please log into the Northern California Region's web site and register for the workshop. Your name must be on the workshop attendance list in order to be admitted into the building. CalTrans requires outside meeting attendees to register in advance for security purposes. This link events page will connect you to our website.


Location:
Caltrans GeoMetronics
Office of Photogrammetry
1st floor conference room
1727 30th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816


Transportation and Parking
Light Rail station stop is 29th and R Streets
Public parking is available in the parking structure underneath the
elevated freeway between S and T streets and 29th and 30th streets.
On Street Parking meters are free after 6 pm


Thanks
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE

Lorraine
_______________________

Lorraine B. Amenda, PLS, CP
ASPRS, National Director
Lorraine (period) Amenda (at) towill (dot) com

PhD grant in Italy, Europe

PhD grant in Italy, Europe

View this email in your browser


PhD Grant: Standards for the Validation of Geophysical Remote Sensing Products

The deadline for this call is: 20th September 2013
The identifier of the call is: 2013-IPR-H-20-000-2173

There is a vacancy for a 36 month doctoral research grant made available by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. The PhD work will focus on model-based verifications of the quality of field measurement protocols typically used in the estimation of biophysical land ECVs (e.g., LAI, FAPAR and surface albedo).

Applications can be launched (by clicking on the green 'APPLY' link for the grant-holder position 2013-IPR-H-20-000-2173 - CAT 20 - ISPRA) from the JRC's vacancy webpage: http://recruitment.jrc.ec.europa.eu/?type=GH&inst=3511.

Potential candidates should be aware that they will have to register with a university but that their PhD work is carried out on the premises of the JRC located at the shores of lake Maggiore in the foothills of the Italian Alps. A host of general information on the grantholders scheme can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=4790.


Copyright © 2013 ISPRS Student Consortium, All rights reserved.

Cornell University Satellite to launch Sept. 14, designed and built by engineering students

Check out the Cornell Chronicle article by Blaine Friedlander, a nanosatellite designed and built by engineering students!

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2013/09/cusat-set-launch-sept-14-making-gps-precise

Appalachian State University, Potomac Region

Come one come all to the Appalachian State University, Potomac Region and ASPRS Speaker event on Sept 12 Appalachian State University in Boone, NC Please view the flyer for more information or contact Jennifer Lattea SAC-Networking Councilor