Remote Sensing Laboratory
Department of Earth Sciences
Affiliated with the Center for Geological and Climate Hazards
Goals of the RS Lab
The Remote Sensing Laboratory (RS Lab) at the University at Buffalo focuses on understanding the Earth’s
changing cryosphere through advanced satellite remote sensing, laser altimetry, and computational modeling.
Our primary goals are to:
- Investigate ice sheet mass balance and dynamics using multi-decade records of satellite and airborne laser
altimetry. - Develop and apply rigorous methodologies for extracting precise surface elevation changes from spaceborne
and airborne sensors. - Project sea-level rise contributions from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to improve global climate
models. - Promote collaborative science through shared cyberinfrastructure and open data initiatives.
Current Research Projects
EDGE — Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer
Role: Dr. Beata Csatho — Land Ice Products Co-Lead; Dr. Sophie Nowicki — Co-I, Land Ice Applications.
Selected by NASA as part of the Earth System Explorers program. EDGE will be the first global satellite
imaging laser altimeter system, providing high-resolution, 3D observations of glacier and ice sheet
surfaces.
ISMIP7 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison)
Role: Dr. Sophie Nowicki — ISMIP7 Co-Chair; Dr. Beata Csatho — Steering Committee Member and Liaison for the Observational Focus Group.
Supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation, ISMIP7 involves 100+ scientists projecting sea-level rise
through 2300 for the IPCC. We provide satellite-derived datasets to calibrate and validate these models.
ICESat-2 Mission Science
Developing, validating, and applying methods for extracting ice surface elevation changes from NASA’s
ICESat-2 spaceborne laser altimeter.
GHub
We contribute to GHub, a science gateway hosting datasets and workflows to unify ice sheet observations and
improve sea-level rise estimates.
Permafrost in the Summer
Supported by UB Launch, we investigate the dynamics of permafrost degradation during the Arctic summer,
exploring environmental impacts and modeling approaches to predict landscape evolution.
NASA Sea Level Change Team (N-SLCT)
Drs. Csatho and Nowicki are active members of the NASA Sea Level Change Science Team, working to improve the accuracy
and spatial resolution of current sea level rise estimates and future projections.
Center for Geological and Climate Hazards
The RS Lab is affiliated with UB’s Center for Geological and Climate Hazards, which brings together researchers across departments to study geologic and climate-related risks.
Latest News & Events
2026
Remote Sensing, AI & Hazards Workshop (June 16)
UB’s Center for Geological and Climate Hazards, with colleagues from RIT, hosts a cross-disciplinary
workshop on remote sensing, AI, and climate & geological hazards — June 16, 2026, in 145 Student Union.
Keynote by John Kerekes (RIT). Part of the REU program.
2026
RS Lab Joins UB’s Summer REU Program
The RS Lab is participating in UB’s Interdisciplinary REU in Atmospheric and Geological Hazards.
Two undergraduate researchers join us this summer to work on permafrost dynamics and on meltwater
drainage channels of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
2026
NASA Selects EDGE Mission
Dr. Csatho’s EDGE proposal officially selected by NASA for a 1-year concept study as part of the Earth
System Explorers program. Dr. Csatho serves as Land Ice Products Co-Lead.
2025
Heising-Simons Foundation Funds ISMIP7 at UB
UB receives $2.1 million to support ISMIP7. Dr. Nowicki serves as ISMIP7 Co-Chair; Dr. Csatho is a Steering Committee Member and Liaison for the Observational Focus Group, providing
critical satellite datasets to calibrate ice sheet models projecting sea-level rise through 2300.
