CALMITResearch Facilities, platforms & labs

CALMIT features state-of-the-art technology to perform our research on earth's systems and to educate tomorrow's leaders in earth systems sciences.
CALMIT Field Research
CFRF: CALMIT Field Research Facility

The CALMIT Field Research Facility (CFRF) is located at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center-Ithaca (ARDC), which is about 35 miles north and slightly east of Lincoln, near Mead, Nebraska
The ARDC is a 9,000-acre experiment station, operated under the aegis of the Agricultural Research Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The field remote-sensing program is one of the major program areas under the aegis of CALMIT. An impressive array of facilities and equipment combine to provide faculty, staff, students, and visiting scientists with an unusual opportunity to conduct field-oriented investigations. The emphasis of the field activities is on close-range remote sensing, but data collected by means of many other related technologies can be linked to the spectral data.
Nine-Mile Prairie

Image: Rick Perk (left) and Brian Wardlow (right) at the Nine-Mile Prairie phenocam
In a collaborative effort with the North Central Climate Science Center and the AmericaView program to develop a network of phenocams across the north central U.S. to collect a temporally-dense series of digital images to document ground-based phenology, CALMIT maintains a phenocam (live phenocam image feed at http://166.248.104.41/) at the University of Nebraska’s Nine Mile Prairie (http://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/where/fieldsites/ninemileprairie.asp). The phenocam collects multispectral and thermal image data. Research focuses on the analysis of the phenocam imagery for vegetation species classification and investigating inter-annual phenological variations of the prairie landscape.
Faculty research laboratories
Dr. Franz: Ecohydrology and Hydrogeophysics Science Lab
Ecohydrology and Hydrogeophysics Science Lab participants monitor and model the flow of water through natural and human dominated ecosystems in order to understand how ecosystems function and how to utilize water more efficiently for food production. Research is highly interdisciplinary and works at the interfaces of ecology, hydrology, agronomy, and geophysics. His most recent research involves using a high-tech cosmic-ray sensor to measure soil moisture in real-time. This innovative tool has the potential to improve precision agriculture and ultimately help producers grow food with less water.Dr. Gamon: Exploring Ecosystem Function at Multiple Scales Lab
Research platforms
Aerial remote sensing platform
CALMIT’s airborne research program, with its particular combination of hyperspectral, thermal, and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging systems provides a unique ability to detect subtle aspects of plant health and function (e.g. early stress detection). While the primary focus is research, the CALMIT airplane and airborne instruments are also available as a service on a cost basis. The CALMIT airplane (Piper Saratoga) is also available as a test facility for airborne instrument trials.
All-Terrain Terrestrial Vehicle Data Collection Platforms
Images: Hercules (left), and Goliath (right)
The Hercules research platform is used to collect hyperspectral observations in a repeatable, scientifically valid manner. The self-leveling sensor frame is seen at the upper right. The frame includes up- and down-welling optical fibers, GPS antenna, infrared thermometer, pyranometer, quantum sensor, and down-looking digital camera. The Hercules Instrument Box is located just to the left and below the sensor frame.
Goliath, the precursor to Hercules, allowed sensors to remain in the principal plane of the sun, and mounted distant from the vehicle and its operator to minimize interference with detections.
Research tools
Advanced Computational Facility

CALMIT maintains several data servers, and a powerful computational facility for high-speed image processing (256 CPUs and 16,000 GPU cores processing cluster), facilitating analysis of complex aerial and satellite remote sensing imagery.
Spectroradiometers



Images: Researchers use various spectroradiometers
In 1995, our first Ocean Optics PSD1000-C spectrometer was purchased. This instrument collected 1100 discrete channels of information from 300 to 900 nm, using two fiber-optic cables. The two cables are configured in a manner analogous to the SE-590 systems, so that simultaneous incoming and reflected solar irradiance are measured. In 2001, four Ocean Optics USD-2000 systems were acquired, and since that time, much of our day-to-day data collection is done with these spectroradiometers mounted on Hercules, boat platforms, and even underwater. Having two dual-fiber systems allows for simultaneous data collection by two field crews. We now have 11 Ocean Optics instruments,
The first Analytical Spectral Device (ASD) FieldSpec FR system, purchased in early 1998, provides hyperspectral coverage from 350 to 2500 nm. The additional capability in the mid-infrared spectrum is important with regard to staff research involving agricultural vegetation. The system was configured to allow positioning both on the boom of the Goliath vehicle and by one individual carrying it on foot into the field. The ASD can be used for assessing vegetation at both canopy and leaf levels (with optional leaf clip). A second ASD-FR was acquired in 1000.
In 2001, CALMIT purchased a UniSpec radiometer capable of collecting data in 256 channels ranging from 300 to 1100 nm. The UniSpec provides us with capability for not only assessing water quality but also vegetation at leaf-level.