Earth Science is Changing

New sensors and observing platforms are streaming data from all corners of the globe, from cameras on the seafloor to satellites orbiting in space. This flood of information promises to provide unprecedented opportunities for understanding Earth systems, but will also greatly challenge traditional approaches for storing, analyzing, and visualizing data.

The RTE Initiative will dramatically upgrade the technological capabilities of the Observatory, transforming the way we study the Earth.

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Real-World Impacts

From hurricanes to tsunamis, oil spills to rising seas, earthquakes to volcanic eruptions, natural and man-made hazards can threaten our lives and livelihoods. And more often than not, it is critical to have timely information about these events and processes as they occur. By developing the technology to observe and understand our changing planet in real time, we can meet these challenges and advance scientific knowledge.

The interdisciplinary RTE initative supports our four other strategic initatives: Climate and Life, Anticipating Earthquakes, Extreme Weather and Climate, and Changing Ice and Coastlines

Data Science

Today we have more data about the Earth than ever before. Making sense of these data in order to address problems of global significance is a major scientific and computational challenge. LDEO scientists are at the forefront of developing tools to search, analyze, visualize, and preserve Earth Science data.

Read more about Earth Data Science at the Observatory

Sensor Systems

Autonomous platforms such as drones, gliders, cabled observatories, and satellites are the future of Earth observations, allowing us to see every corner of the Earth in real time. Our scientists are driving innovation in novel sensor system development in order to collect essential measurements of the environment.

Read more about sensor system engineering at the Observatory

The Initiative

To advance these goals, we are working to develop two new centers within Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.

  • Technology Innovation Center

    An incubator for novel connected sensors

    Mission: To enable Observatory scientists to realize their ideas for measurements and connected sensors.

  • Data Science Center

    A new paradigm for computational Earth Science

    Mission: To enable LDEO scientists to fluidly visualize and analyze large, complex environmental datasets.