Diane L. Evans

Last updated
Diane L. Evans
Alma mater University of Washington, Ph.D., 1981
Known for remote sensing, radar imaging
TitleDirector of the Earth Sciences and Technology Directorate
Scientific career
Fields geology
Institutions Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Thesis Identification of lithologic units using multichannel imaging systems

Diane L. Evans is a geologist and the former Director of Earth Science and Technology Directorate at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [1] Her research areas have included sea-level rise, climate change, and tectonics. [2] [3] [4] In 2019, she was recognized by Congressman Adam Schiff for her contributions in his district. [1]

Contents

Education

Evans became interested in geology during a visit to Yellowstone National Park during the summer after her first year at Occidental College. [2] She earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Occidental in 1976. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in geological sciences from the University of Washington in 1981. [3] [5]

Career

Evans began work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the 1980s, conducting research on Earth's geology using including in the Radar Sciences Group, including the SIR-C radar project, which was used to explore dry river beds and dangerous volcanoes. [3] [6] [7] In addition to its primary geological mission, SIR-C supported archaeological imaging from space, including the discovery of long-buried portions of the Great Wall of China. [8] She later served as deputy manager of the Science and Information Systems Office. [3] She became the Director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate as part of leadership changes that took place at JPL when Charles Elachi became the laboratory's director in 2001. [9] Evans is the first woman to lead the directorate. [10] As director, she is responsible for the development and implementation of JPL's Earth Sciences program. [1] Under her direction, JPL has conducted research on climate change in coordination with Britains Met [Meteorology] Office, [4] and is studying Earth's carbon cycle with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 mission and its predecessors. [11]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</span> Research and development center and NASA field center in California, United States

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center in Pasadena, California, United States. Founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and administered and managed by the California Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seasat</span>

Seasat was the first Earth-orbiting satellite designed for remote sensing of the Earth's oceans and had on board one of the first spaceborne synthetic-aperture radar (SAR). The mission was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of global satellite monitoring of oceanographic phenomena and to help determine the requirements for an operational ocean remote sensing satellite system. Specific objectives were to collect data on sea-surface winds, sea-surface temperatures, wave heights, internal waves, atmospheric water, sea ice features and ocean topography. Seasat was managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was launched on 27 June 1978 into a nearly circular 800 km (500 mi) orbit with an inclination of 108°. Seasat operated until 10 October 1978 (UTC), when a massive short circuit in the Agena-D bus electrical system ended the mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Elachi</span> Lebanese electrical engineer, JPL director

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soil Moisture Active Passive</span> NASA earth monitoring satellite that measures global soil moisture

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Rignot</span> American scientist

Eric J. Rignot is the Donald Bren, Distinguished and Chancellor Professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, and a Senior Research Scientist for the Radar Science and Engineering Section at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He studies the interaction of the polar ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica with global climate using a combination of satellite remote sensing, airborne remote sensing, understanding of physical processes controlling glacier flow and ice melt in the ocean, field methods, and climate modeling. He was elected at the National_Academy_of_Sciences in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaceborne Imaging Radar</span>

The Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR) – full name 'Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR)', is a synthetic aperture radar which flew on two separate shuttle missions. Once from the Space Shuttle Endeavour in April 1994 on (STS-59) and again in October 1994 on (STS-68). The radar was run by NASA's Space Radar Laboratory. SIR utilizes 3 radar frequencies: L band, C band (6 cm) and X band (3 cm), allowing for study of geology, hydrology, ecology and oceanography. Comparing radar images to data collected by teams of people on the ground as well as aircraft and ships using simultaneous measurements of vegetation, soil moisture, sea state, snow and weather conditions during each flight. The imaging radar was able to take images anytime regardless of clouds cover. The Radar-C system was built and operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The mission was a joint work of NASA with the German and Italian space agencies. Each of the week long mission scanned about 50 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface,.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">VERITAS (spacecraft)</span> Planned late-2020s Venus orbiter

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael M. Watkins</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Kellam, Mark. "Schiff honors human rights advocate, community supporters, JPL official among 2019 Women of the Year". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  2. 1 2 Van Gorp, Lynn (2009). Earth scientists : from Mercator to Evans. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books. pp. 23–24. ISBN   9780756542351. OCLC   300721274.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Guardians of the Galaxy". Occidental College. 2017-05-09. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  4. 1 2 Luciano-Adams, Beige (2010-12-08). "UK climate expert tells JPL global warming is real". Pasadena Star-News.
  5. Evans, Diane L. (1981). "Identification of lithologic units using multichannel imaging systems". University of Washington Libraries. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  6. "Space radar unearths secrets of the Nile". www.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  7. "Spaceborne Imaging Radar" (PDF). NASA/JPL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  8. Stille, Alexander (1996-09-02). "Farsighted Tools Bring Ruins Into Focus". Washington Post. p. A03.
  9. "JPL Realigns". City News Service (Pasadena). 2001-05-03.
  10. "Dr. Diane L. Evans, Director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  11. Greicius, Tony (2019-04-29). "OCO-3 Ready to Extend NASA's Study of Carbon". NASA. Retrieved 2019-06-13.