Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems

The Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) captures and manages large quantities of data collected through airborne radars, antennas, and sounders.

About CReSIS

View of Crew Commander Henry Hartsfield Jr. loading film into the IMAX camera during the 41-D mission. The camera is floating in front of the middeck lockers. Above it is a sticker of the University of Kansas mascott, the Jayhawk. Credit: NASA

Research at CReSIS

CReSIS researchers engage in sustained, intense, collaborative work to achieve progress in problems of global significance. Our research groups bring undergraduate and graduate students into exciting work across a variety of disciplines with scientists from across the globe.

Our research

CReSIS scientists quoted in Science

“We have learned of far too many accounts of unfair treatment"

CReSIS glaciologist Leigh Stearns was quoted in a recent issue of Science about "disproportionately higher rates of disqualification for underrepresented groups" before polar deployments.
Stearns led authorship of an open letter to the National Science Foundation to advocate for reform to its Polar Physical Qualifying Program.
The letter, also signed by CReSIS director Carl Leuschen, objects to "unfair" medical screenings for deployments to polar areas.
"The 25 letter writers and others expressed concern that some seeking medical clearance—many of them early-career scientists and individuals from underrepresented groups—are failing the screening process for reasons that aren’t medically sound."
The letter urges for new methods of transparency and accountability to address this need.

successfully funded grants

deployments to arctic locations since 2005

1.2 petabytes

of raw scientific data hosted (that's over a million gigabytes)

Scientific Experience in Extreme Situations

Aqsa Patel, senior scientist at Philips Healthcare, started her career as a graduate student and postdoc at CReSIS. "Concepts [from] my radar days [that were] challenging at that time became easy to me, and I can apply it in my current practice."

Aqsa Patel works with another researcher on a radar on a plane

Mentorship at the Ends of the Earth

"It was an excellent mentorship situation [working for] NASA and NSF programs. Deploying these radars every six months to a to a remote place where there's not spare parts, [you] learn early on that you need to build and design durable [things that] don't break down in harsh environments."
-Aqsa Patel

Learn more about studying or working at CReSIS

New Name, Same CReSIS

Read a letter from CReSIS director Carl Leuschen about our new name and what it means for our future as a research center.

Letter from the Director

The engine of an airplane below a sign reading Thule Air Base: The Top of the World

Looking for education resources?

Check out our temporary archive of past lesson plans and games.

CReSIS education

People

CReSIS has a robust team of students, researchers, engineers, and other staff members working to better understand the changing dynamics of glacial regions, and transfer that knowledge to the larger scientific community.

Research Groups

People