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"USGS Staff Profile": { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "dateModified": "2024-09-21T07:56:48.050090", "name": "Randolph L Kirk, Ph.D.", "identifier": [ { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "ORCID", "value": "0000-0003-0842-9226" } ], "jobTitle": "Scientist Emeritus", "hasOccupation": [ { "@type": "OrganizationalRole", "startDate": "2024-09-21T07:56:48.055040", "affiliatedOrganization": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Astrogeology Science Center", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/centers/astrogeology-science-center" }, "roleName": "Scientist Emeritus" } ], "description": [ { "@type": "TextObject", "additionalType": "short description", "abstract": "Scientist Emeritus with the Astrogeology Science Center" }, { "@type": "TextObject", "additionalType": "staff profile page introductory statement", "abstract": "Randolph Kirk\u2019s research interests span both geoscience and mapping of planetary bodies. He has participated in many missions to the Moon, Venus, Mars, asteroids, comets, and icy satellites. He helped direct planetary mapping at the USGS since the early 1990s, and has developed practical methods for topomapping by shape from shading and by adapting commercial stereo workstations to planetary use." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "additionalType": "personal statement", "abstract": "Recent AccomplishmentsIn 2020, NASA's Mars 2020 roverPerseverancelanded in Jezero crater at a site mapped by the Astrogeology Science Center.Perseverencewas the ninth Mars lander or rover to go to a site we mapped, all of which landed successfully. (Starting in 1962, 10 Mars landings attempted without USGS mapping failed for a variety of reasons. Just days beforePerseverencethe Chinese landerTianwen-1 became the first such mission to succeed.)Perseverancealso carried our maps onboard and used them to guide its final descent, a technological first.We are helping to design and caibrate the Europa Imaging System (EIS) cameras for NASA's Europa Clipper mission and to develop software and procedures for making controlled image and topographic maps. As part of this task, we invented and demonstrated a new technique for correcting distortions in frame images that are read out line-by-line so that they can be used for precision mapping.We have used stereo images of Mars obtained by different cameras with pixel scales differing up to 50x to assess the resolution and precision of digital topographic models obtained under real-world (Mars) conditions. We are currently using similar techniques with images of Earth\u2019s Moon to quantify how topographic models can be improved by photoclinometry (shape from shading) techniques using one or multiple images.EducationPh.D., Planetary Science, Minor in Physics, California Institute of Technology, January 1987M.S., Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, June 1984B.S., Physics, Stanford University, June 1981Space Mission ParticipationMember, Europa Imaging System Science Team, May 2015\u2013PresentMember, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter CaSSIS Science Team, August 2010\u2013PresentMember, LRO and Chandrayaan-1 Mini-RF Science Teams, July 2006\u2013PresentMember, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE Science Team, December 2001\u2013PresentMember, Mars Exploration Rovers Science Team, August 2000\u2013June 2018Associate, Deep Space 1 MICAS Science Team, March 2000\u2013December 2002Participating Scientist, NEAR MSI/NIS Team, August 1999\u2013July 2001Associate, Imager for Mars Pathfinder Science Team, July 1996\u2013August 1998Member, Mars Express HRSC Science Team, January 2000\u2013March 2020Associate, Mars 96 HRSC/WAOSS Science Team, March 1993\u2013December 1996Member, Cassini RADAR Instrument Team, December 1990\u2013September 2018Magellan Guest Investigator, October 1990\u2013September 1994Associate, Voyager Imaging Science Team, 1989Working GroupsMember, IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coords & Rotational Elements, August 2012\u2013presentMember, NASA Lunar Geodesy/Cartography Working Group, December 2007\u2013presentMember, NASA Mars Geodesy/Cartography Working Group, June 1998\u2013presentMember, ISPRS Working Group \u201cPlanetary Mapping & Remote Sensing\u201d, November 1996\u2013presentChair, November 2000-October 2004, Co-Chair, Nove" } ], "email": "rkirk@usgs.gov", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/randolph-l-kirk", "affiliation": [], "hasCredential": [], "knowsAbout": [ { "@type": "Thing", "additionalType": "self-claimed expertise", "name": "Planetary science" }, { "@type": "Thing", "additionalType": "self-claimed expertise", "name": "Geophysics" }, { "@type": "Thing", "additionalType": "self-claimed expertise", "name": "Photogrammetry" }, { "@type": "Thing", "additionalType": "self-claimed expertise", "name": "Cartography" }, { "@type": "Thing", "additionalType": "self-claimed expertise", "name": "Remote Sensing" } ], "memberOf": { "@type": "OrganizationalRole", "name": "staff member", "member": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "U.S. Geological Survey" }, "startDate": "2024-09-21T07:56:48.050097" } }, "ORCID": { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@id": "https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0842-9226", "@reverse": { "creator": [ { "@id": "https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16040648", "@type": "CreativeWork", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "doi", "value": "10.3390/rs16040648" }, "name": "Current Status of the Community Sensor Model Standard for the Generation of Planetary Digital Terrain Models" }, { "@id": "https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008089", "@type": "CreativeWork", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "doi", "value": "10.1029/2023je008089" }, "name": "Measuring Erosional and Depositional Patterns Across Comet 67P's Imhotep Region" }, { "@id": "https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14102403", "@type": "CreativeWork", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "doi", "value": "10.3390/rs14102403" }, "name": "Revealing Active Mars with HiRISE Digital Terrain Models" }, { "@id": "https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13245097", "@type": "CreativeWork", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "doi", "value": "10.3390/rs13245097" }, "name": "How Well Do We Know Europa’s Topography? 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