Purdue Terrestrial Observatory (PTO)
The focus of the Purdue Terrestrial Observatory (PTO) is to facilitate and engage in state-of-the-science, cutting-edge research and applications, including high-performance computing applications, high-bandwidth remotely-sensed data transfer, parallelizing code for image analysis, data fusion, data mining, knowledge-based classification, signal processing, spatial/temporal geomorphology relationships, and advanced visualization functions, including immersive environments, virtual worlds, and decision support informed by virtual exploration of the archival remotely-sensed data, with on-the-fly change detection, and generation of alternative what-if future scenarios. Calibration and ground truthing is enabled by in-situ imaging spectrometers, radiometers, acoustic signature devices, ground penetrating radar, laboratory analysis of biogenic and anthropogenic surface features and for specialized applications, ultra wide band analyzers.
The PTO deploys two Real-Time Multi-Satellite Receiving Stations, a geostationary groundstation for NOAA's GOES and a tracking groundstation for polar orbiting satellites, currently, NOAA's AVHRR, NASA's Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS and the Chinese Space Agency's Feng Yun. PTO researchers focus on temporal and spatial analysis, data fusion and data mining of remotely sensed imagery in a high-performance, high-bandwidth environment.
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