The time scale for most Earth science projects is a few years, and for disciplinary reviews up to a decade (e.g., “decadal studies”).  Funding cycles are often shorter, with rhythms controlled by administrative and political structures.  But other time scales are critical in research, associated with the development of technologies (e.g., satellite instrumentation), the general acceptance of new ideas (e.g., plate tectonics, global warming), or the transition from initial research to societal applications (e.g., InSAR, Lidar, GPS). Some of the most interesting cases involve the transfer of technology from one discipline to another (“one researcher’s noise is another researcher’s signal”), or from academic research to commerce and industry.  Other cases involve the self-organization of the international research community and the deployment and cooperative operations of global networks. In this lighthearted account, based in part on examples from NASA archives, I review how, in a very few decades, NASA-led projects have advanced, and in many cases revolutionized Solid Earth Science.

—

06/10 — Margaret Morris (UCSD)