Dr. Christopher (Chris) J. Crawford is a Research Physical Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
Dr. Christopher (Chris) J. Crawford joined the USGS in 2019 after coming to EROS in 2017 to work on Landsat project science. Prior to working at EROS, Dr. Crawford worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow and as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate with the University of Maryland’s Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center from 2013 to 2017. During 2010 to 2013, he was a NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellow at the University of Minnesota while conducting his Ph.D. studies.
Dr. Crawford serves as the USGS Landsat 1-9 project scientist with responsibilities for Landsat 8 and Landsat 9’s operational science data acquisition. He is the principal scientist for the USGS Landsat science research and development project, and the project manager and principal scientist for the EROS-Imaging Spectroscopy Project that informs the USGS’s Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) program for development of future Landsat missions. Dr. Crawford’s research and development focuses on the acquisition, calibration, processing, analysis, and interpretation of multi-source ground, airborne, and spaceborne remote sensing measurements in both passive optical wavelengths and active radar frequencies. Dr. Crawford co-investigates with others on basic and applied research science in fields of cryosphere, climate, hydrology, and aquatics where remote sensing measurements are a core observable.
Professional Experience
2021 – present USGS Landsat 8/9 Data Acquisition Manager, U.S. Geological Survey EROS Center
2020 – present USGS EROS-Imaging Spectroscopy Project Manager/Principal Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey EROS Center
2019 – present USGS Landsat Science Research and Development Project Principal Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey EROS Center
2019 – present USGS Landsat 1-9 Project Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey EROS Center
2019 – present USGS Research Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey EROS Center
2019 – present USGS-NASA 2018-2023 Landsat Science Team Agency Co-Chair, U.S. Geological
Education and Certifications
2013 Ph.D. (Geography), Department of Geography, University of Minnesota
2007 M.S. (Geography), Department of Geography, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
2004 B.S. Cum Laude (Forestry), Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Science and Products
Landsat 9 cross calibration under-fly of Landsat 8: Planning, and execution
During the early post-launch phase of the Landsat 9 mission, the Landsat 8 and 9 mission teams conducted a successful under-fly of Landsat 8 by Landsat 9, allowing for the near-simultaneous data collection of common Earth targets by the on-board sensors for cross-calibration. This effort, coordinated by the Landsat Calibration and Validation team, required contributions from various entities acros
Fifty years of Landsat science and impacts
Since 1972, the Landsat program has been continually monitoring the Earth, to now provide 50 years of digital, multispectral, medium spatial resolution observations. Over this time, Landsat data were crucial for many scientific and technical advances. Prior to the Landsat program, detailed, synoptic depictions of the Earth's surface were rare, and the ability to acquire and work with large dataset
The not-so-dead of winter: Underwater light climate and primary productivity under snow and ice cover in inland lakes
As global surface temperatures continue to rise as a result of anthropogenic climate change, effects in temperate lakes are likely to be more pronounced than in other ecosystems. Decreases in snow and ice cover extent and duration, as well as extended periods of summer stratification have been observed in temperate lake systems throughout the Anthropocene. However, the effects of changing snow and
Impact of spectral resolution on quantifying cyanobacteria in lakes and reservoirs: A machine-learning assessment
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are an increasing threat to coastal and inland waters. These blooms can be detected using optical radiometers due to the presence of phycocyanin (PC) pigments. The spectral resolution of best-available multispectral sensors limits their ability to diagnostically detect PC in the presence of other photosynthetic pigments. To assess the role of spectral resolution
Taxonomic and functional differences between winter and summer crustacean zooplankton communities in lakes across a trophic gradient
Despite increasing interest in winter limnology, few studies have examined under-ice zooplankton communities and the factors shaping them in different types of temperate lakes. To better understand drivers of zooplankton community structure in winter and summer, we sampled 13 lakes across a large trophic status gradient for crustacean zooplankton abundance, taxonomic and functional community compo
Can Landsat 7 preserve its science capability with a drifting orbit?
Since 2017, the orbit of Landsat 7 has drifted outside its nominal mission requirement toward an earlier acquisition time because of limited onboard fuel resources. This makes quantitative analyses from Landsat 7 data potentially unreliable for many scientific studies. To comprehensively understand the effect of ongoing (2018–2020) orbit drift on Landsat 7 data, we compared surface reflectance and
Landsat 9: Ready for Launch
Landsat 9 is in its final preparations for launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 16 September 2021. It has completed its environmental testing at Northrop Grumman Space (NGSP) in Gilbert, Arizona and has been transported to its California launch site. It will be launched into a 705 km orbit replacing Landsat 7 to provide 8-day Earth land mass coverage in concert with Landsat 8. Landsat 8 carr
Landsat 9: Empowering open science and applications through continuity
The history of Earth observation from space is well reflected through the Landsat program. With data collection beginning with Landsat-1 in 1972, the program has evolved technical capabilities while maintaining continuity of land observations. In so doing, Landsat has provided a critical reference for assessing long-term changes to Earth's land environment due to both natural and human forcing. Po
Dynamics, variability, and change in seasonal precipitation reconstructions for North America
Cool and warm season precipitation totals have been reconstructed on a gridded basis for North America using 439 tree-ring chronologies correlated with December-April totals and 547 different chronologies correlated with May-July totals. These discrete seasonal predictor chronologies are not significantly correlated with the alternate season and the reconstructions calibrate at least 40% of the v
The U. S. Geological Survey’s approach to analysis ready data
Analysis Ready Data (ARD) is a recent concept in Earth observing remote sensing which encompasses many different initiatives by individual imagery providers and collaborative international organizations working towards easing/minimizing data preprocessing required by users. This allows users to spend more time on analysis and less time on downloading, formatting, and ingesting. The U. S. Geologica
Radiometric calibration of a non-imaging airborne spectrometer to measure the Greenland ice sheet surface
Methods to radiometrically calibrate a non-imaging airborne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) spectrometer to measure the Greenland ice sheet surface are presented. Airborne VSWIR measurement performance for bright Greenland ice and dark bare rock/soil targets is compared against the MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN®) radiative transfer code (version 6.0), and a coincident
Non-USGS Publications**
Wulder, M.A., T.R. Loveland, D.P. Roy, C.J. Crawford, J.G. Masek, C.E. Woodcock, R.G. Allen, M.C. Anderson, A.S. Belward, W.B. Cohen, J. Dwyer, A. Erb, F. Gao, P. Griffiths, D. Helder, T. Hermosilla, J.D. Hipple, P. Hostert, M.J. Hughes, J. Huntington, D.M. Johnson, R. Kennedy, A. Kilic, Z. Li, L. Lymburner, J. McCorkel, N. Pahlevan, T.A. Scambos, C. Schaaf, J.R. Schott, Y. Sheng, J. Storey, E. Vermote, J., Vogelmann, J.C. White, R.H. Wynne, and Z. Zhu. (2019). Current status of Landsat program, science, and applications. Remote Sensing of Environment, 225:127-147. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2019.02.015.
Hall, D.K., C.J. Crawford, N.E. DiGirolamo, G.A. Riggs, and J.L. Foster. (2015). Detection of earlier snowmelt in the Wind River Range, Wyoming, using Landsat imagery, 1972-2013. Remote Sensing of Environment, 162:45-54. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2015.01.032.
Crawford, C.J., D. Griffin, and K.F. Kipfmueller. (2015). Capturing season specific precipitation signals in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA using earlywood and latewood tree rings. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 120. doi: 10.1002/2014JG002740.
Crawford, C.J. (2015). MODIS Terra Collection 6 fractional snow cover validation in mountainous terrain during spring snowmelt using Landsat TM and ETM+. Hydrological Processes, 29:128-138. doi: 10.1002/hyp.10134.
Klink, K., J.J. Wiersma, C.J. Crawford, D.D. Stuthman. (2014). Impacts of temperature and precipitation variability in the Northern Plains of the United States and Canada on the productivity of spring barely and oat. International Journal of Climatology, 34:2805-2818. doi: 10.1002/joc.3877.
Crawford, C.J. (2013). Evidence for spring mountain snowpack retreat from a Landsat-derived snow cover climate data record. The Cryosphere Discussion 7:2089-2117. DOI:10.5194/tcd-7- 2089-2013.
Crawford, C.J., S.M. Manson, M.E. Bauer, and D.K. Hall. (2013). Multitemporal snow cover mapping in mountainous terrain for Landsat climate data record development. Remote Sensing of Environment, 135:224-235. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2013.04.004.
Crawford, C.J. (2012). Do high-elevation northern red oak tree rings share a common climate-driven growth signal? Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 44:26-35. doi: 10.1657/1938- 4246-44.1.26.
Copenheaver, C.A., C.J. Crawford, and T.M. Ferrer. (2011). Age-dependent climate responses identified in the growth of white oak (Quercus alba). Trees, Structure, and Function. doi: 10.1007/s00468-011-0541-2.
Crawford, C.J. and L.M. Kennedy. (2009). Spatial and temporal patterns of tree encroachment into a Southern Appalachian grass/heath bald. Natural Areas Journal, 29(4):500-508.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Publications
Landsat 9 cross calibration under-fly of Landsat 8: Planning, and execution
During the early post-launch phase of the Landsat 9 mission, the Landsat 8 and 9 mission teams conducted a successful under-fly of Landsat 8 by Landsat 9, allowing for the near-simultaneous data collection of common Earth targets by the on-board sensors for cross-calibration. This effort, coordinated by the Landsat Calibration and Validation team, required contributions from various entities acrosFifty years of Landsat science and impacts
Since 1972, the Landsat program has been continually monitoring the Earth, to now provide 50 years of digital, multispectral, medium spatial resolution observations. Over this time, Landsat data were crucial for many scientific and technical advances. Prior to the Landsat program, detailed, synoptic depictions of the Earth's surface were rare, and the ability to acquire and work with large datasetThe not-so-dead of winter: Underwater light climate and primary productivity under snow and ice cover in inland lakes
As global surface temperatures continue to rise as a result of anthropogenic climate change, effects in temperate lakes are likely to be more pronounced than in other ecosystems. Decreases in snow and ice cover extent and duration, as well as extended periods of summer stratification have been observed in temperate lake systems throughout the Anthropocene. However, the effects of changing snow andImpact of spectral resolution on quantifying cyanobacteria in lakes and reservoirs: A machine-learning assessment
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are an increasing threat to coastal and inland waters. These blooms can be detected using optical radiometers due to the presence of phycocyanin (PC) pigments. The spectral resolution of best-available multispectral sensors limits their ability to diagnostically detect PC in the presence of other photosynthetic pigments. To assess the role of spectral resolutionTaxonomic and functional differences between winter and summer crustacean zooplankton communities in lakes across a trophic gradient
Despite increasing interest in winter limnology, few studies have examined under-ice zooplankton communities and the factors shaping them in different types of temperate lakes. To better understand drivers of zooplankton community structure in winter and summer, we sampled 13 lakes across a large trophic status gradient for crustacean zooplankton abundance, taxonomic and functional community compoCan Landsat 7 preserve its science capability with a drifting orbit?
Since 2017, the orbit of Landsat 7 has drifted outside its nominal mission requirement toward an earlier acquisition time because of limited onboard fuel resources. This makes quantitative analyses from Landsat 7 data potentially unreliable for many scientific studies. To comprehensively understand the effect of ongoing (2018–2020) orbit drift on Landsat 7 data, we compared surface reflectance andLandsat 9: Ready for Launch
Landsat 9 is in its final preparations for launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 16 September 2021. It has completed its environmental testing at Northrop Grumman Space (NGSP) in Gilbert, Arizona and has been transported to its California launch site. It will be launched into a 705 km orbit replacing Landsat 7 to provide 8-day Earth land mass coverage in concert with Landsat 8. Landsat 8 carrLandsat 9: Empowering open science and applications through continuity
The history of Earth observation from space is well reflected through the Landsat program. With data collection beginning with Landsat-1 in 1972, the program has evolved technical capabilities while maintaining continuity of land observations. In so doing, Landsat has provided a critical reference for assessing long-term changes to Earth's land environment due to both natural and human forcing. PoDynamics, variability, and change in seasonal precipitation reconstructions for North America
Cool and warm season precipitation totals have been reconstructed on a gridded basis for North America using 439 tree-ring chronologies correlated with December-April totals and 547 different chronologies correlated with May-July totals. These discrete seasonal predictor chronologies are not significantly correlated with the alternate season and the reconstructions calibrate at least 40% of the vThe U. S. Geological Survey’s approach to analysis ready data
Analysis Ready Data (ARD) is a recent concept in Earth observing remote sensing which encompasses many different initiatives by individual imagery providers and collaborative international organizations working towards easing/minimizing data preprocessing required by users. This allows users to spend more time on analysis and less time on downloading, formatting, and ingesting. The U. S. GeologicaRadiometric calibration of a non-imaging airborne spectrometer to measure the Greenland ice sheet surface
Methods to radiometrically calibrate a non-imaging airborne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) spectrometer to measure the Greenland ice sheet surface are presented. Airborne VSWIR measurement performance for bright Greenland ice and dark bare rock/soil targets is compared against the MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN®) radiative transfer code (version 6.0), and a coincidentNon-USGS Publications**
Wulder, M.A., T.R. Loveland, D.P. Roy, C.J. Crawford, J.G. Masek, C.E. Woodcock, R.G. Allen, M.C. Anderson, A.S. Belward, W.B. Cohen, J. Dwyer, A. Erb, F. Gao, P. Griffiths, D. Helder, T. Hermosilla, J.D. Hipple, P. Hostert, M.J. Hughes, J. Huntington, D.M. Johnson, R. Kennedy, A. Kilic, Z. Li, L. Lymburner, J. McCorkel, N. Pahlevan, T.A. Scambos, C. Schaaf, J.R. Schott, Y. Sheng, J. Storey, E. Vermote, J., Vogelmann, J.C. White, R.H. Wynne, and Z. Zhu. (2019). Current status of Landsat program, science, and applications. Remote Sensing of Environment, 225:127-147. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2019.02.015.
Hall, D.K., C.J. Crawford, N.E. DiGirolamo, G.A. Riggs, and J.L. Foster. (2015). Detection of earlier snowmelt in the Wind River Range, Wyoming, using Landsat imagery, 1972-2013. Remote Sensing of Environment, 162:45-54. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2015.01.032.
Crawford, C.J., D. Griffin, and K.F. Kipfmueller. (2015). Capturing season specific precipitation signals in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA using earlywood and latewood tree rings. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 120. doi: 10.1002/2014JG002740.Crawford, C.J. (2015). MODIS Terra Collection 6 fractional snow cover validation in mountainous terrain during spring snowmelt using Landsat TM and ETM+. Hydrological Processes, 29:128-138. doi: 10.1002/hyp.10134.Klink, K., J.J. Wiersma, C.J. Crawford, D.D. Stuthman. (2014). Impacts of temperature and precipitation variability in the Northern Plains of the United States and Canada on the productivity of spring barely and oat. International Journal of Climatology, 34:2805-2818. doi: 10.1002/joc.3877.Crawford, C.J. (2013). Evidence for spring mountain snowpack retreat from a Landsat-derived snow cover climate data record. The Cryosphere Discussion 7:2089-2117. DOI:10.5194/tcd-7- 2089-2013.Crawford, C.J., S.M. Manson, M.E. Bauer, and D.K. Hall. (2013). Multitemporal snow cover mapping in mountainous terrain for Landsat climate data record development. Remote Sensing of Environment, 135:224-235. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2013.04.004.Crawford, C.J. (2012). Do high-elevation northern red oak tree rings share a common climate-driven growth signal? Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 44:26-35. doi: 10.1657/1938- 4246-44.1.26.Copenheaver, C.A., C.J. Crawford, and T.M. Ferrer. (2011). Age-dependent climate responses identified in the growth of white oak (Quercus alba). Trees, Structure, and Function. doi: 10.1007/s00468-011-0541-2.Crawford, C.J. and L.M. Kennedy. (2009). Spatial and temporal patterns of tree encroachment into a Southern Appalachian grass/heath bald. Natural Areas Journal, 29(4):500-508.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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