Erika Podest

DepartmentOrganizationEmailPhoneAddressPasadena , California 91109United StatesBioDr. Podest is a scientist with Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Her research focuses on using Earth observing satellites, particularly microwave sensors, for characterizing and monitoring wetland ecosystems and seasonal freeze/thaw dynamics in the northern high latitudes as related to the global carbon and water cycles and climate change. She is working on the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, a NASA Earth observing satellite that launched on Jan. 31 2015, which is improving our understanding of Earth's water and carbon cycles and our ability to manage water resources.

Science Specialties

global change, remote sensing, environmental monitoring, wetland ecosystems, growing season length, microwave remote sensing

Current Research

Freeze/thaw transition in boreal forests; Land cover/land use change;Wetland detection and monitoring;and open water change using radar remote sensing.