About the CSTARS Program

CSTARS (Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing) is the University of Miami’s newest facility conducting research with remotely sensed data received from earth-orbiting satellite systems. CSTARS is a new state-of-the-art real-time satellite reception and analysis facility in southern Miami-Dade that will provide data for environmental monitoring of the Equatorial Atlantic region; northern South America, Central America, the Caribbean Basin, Gulf of Mexico and the Southeastern US. The facility, part of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, is located at the newly acquired Richmond campus in southern Miami-Dade County, Florida. Two years ago, the University of Miami purchased the US Naval Observatory Secondary National Time Standard Facility, which consists of 78 acres with several buildings and a 20m antenna (above, left) used for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). This campus is being used for the establishment of a high capability receiving and analysis facility for X-band satellite data (CSTARS), to support scientific communications with the Antarctic via the 20m antenna (supported by the National Science Foundation), and management of high seas data collection (Sea Keepers).

CSTARS will address a variety of research programs within UM in conjunction with a consortium of other universities and research groups and will enhance and complement the University’s current capabilities in the field of earth observation. The satellite data collection and analysis facility consists of operator, computer and analysis spaces that facilitate real time acquisition, analysis and archiving of data from numerous low-Earth orbiting satellites such as SPOT, TERRA/AQUA, ERS-2 and Envisat, as well as future systems. Applications are quite diverse, and will include a wide range of scientific applications in land, atmosphere, ice and ocean sciences, as well as more applied uses in the fields of environmental monitoring, natural hazard assessment. Satellite remotely sensed imagery have been used:

• to monitor ocean and lake surface conditions;
  
  
• assess the extent of clear cutting in tropical rain forests;
  
  
• assess vegetation health in agricultural regions;
  
  
• monitor water levels in marshy areas.

The health of wetland communities can be assessed and monitored on a regular basis. Scientists will be able to see into the core of storms, watch volcanoes as they erupt, and monitor the energy transfer between the ocean and atmosphere. Advanced imaging techniques will improve regional engagement support for emergency planning and natural disaster response and relief. Initial scientific research foci include the monitoring of wind fields under hurricanes, deformation of volcanoes associated with eruptions, land subsidence due to water and mineral extraction, coral reef health, land use cover change and ocean wave climatologies.

The facility operates on a 24-hour/day x 7-day/week basis and will function like a commercial downlink facility. The system has been designed for autonomous operation with little manual intervention, high reliability, and minimal downtime. Two ViaSat 11.28 meter X-band antenna systems (left) track low earth observing (LEO) polar-orbiting satellites at a minimum elevation of ~3 degrees. This dual antenna system allows for system redundancy and reduced conflicts. Rapid product generation (~30 min) after collection allows for near real-time satellite reception and analysis. The station has full archiving and browsing capability with rapid data access and a large data archive (terabytes to petabytes) and data provided to the user will be in an encrypted format.

Click here to see the coverage area

During this past summer, the Richmond Campus has been a major construction site with workers modernizing the mechanical, electrical and air-conditioning systems of the existing facilities and re`novating several buildings. Thousands of feet of new electrical wiring and optical fiber have been installed to handle the demand of communications and power requirements for the new facilities. A new 400-KVA backup generator provides power to the campus for more than three days in the event of a storm or longer period power outages. A high-speed Internet backbone (2.5GBS) utilizing wave division multiplexed services over dark fiber connects the Richmond campus to the University. Two new antenna pedestals were constructed for CSTARS. The new CSTARS satellite receiving, processing and analysis facility is fully integrated with the University’s existing satellite data reception capability at the Rosenstiel School and with University consortium partners throughout Florida, the rest of the US, and the world.

The CSTARS facility initiated trial collection of SPOT 2 & 4, and ERS-2 earth remote sensing observations in mid-September, 2002. Current test collection is in a "passive listening mode". That is, the facility is routinely tracking these platforms, but data is only collected if a spacecraft's sensors are in operation and the respective downlink is energized.

The collection coverage for the October, 2002 shows a diverse set of scenes clustered on coastal features, for the most part, with a few inland opportunities. This map illustrates that the theoretical coverage of the facility (put in link) is being practically realized. Coverage extent is from central Columbia on the south to southern Canada in the north with several scenes in the western Atlantic and mid-western US.

Coverage for the last week of October, 2002 shows a diverse set of scenes clustered on coastal features. There are no significant departures from the monthly coverage shown previously.

Office and laboratory space on the new campus is being shared between CSTARS, Antarctic satellite communications and Sea Keepers staff. Dedication of the campus and individual facilities is expected by the end of the year when CSTARS will have begun full operation. Support for CSTARS implementation and operations are being provided by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA).

Information from
the CSTARS Facility
can be used for:

• Interferometric SAR monitors subsidence in urban areas due to ground water withdrawal
  
  
• Can lead to pollution of acquifer and permanent loss of porosity
  
  
• Recent study in Mexico City documents up to 30 cm/yr.
  
  
• Accurate Digital Elevation Models from SAR Interferometry can lead to improved risk assessment for landslides and lahars on volcanoes and other mountainous areas
  
  

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• Rapid assessment of urban and coastal infrastructure after storms, floods
  
  
• Study of shoreline changes with interferometry

• Everglades Water level, hydroperiod assessment
  
  
• Coastal Pollution
  
  
• Assessment of exotic plant invasion and vegetation health monitoring

• Quantify mesoscale flow patterns in synoptic and tropical lows
  
  
• Study hurricane morphology (with other sensor data)

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