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Christopher J Crawford, Ph.D.

Dr. Christopher (Chris) J. Crawford is a Research Physical Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in the New Missions Branch.

Dr. Christopher (Chris) J. Crawford’s research and development focuses on the calibration, acquisition, processing, analysis, validation, and interpretation of multi-source ground, airborne, and spaceborne Earth remote sensing measurements using an array of scientific instrumentation. Dr. Crawford co-investigates with others on basic and applied research science in the fields of climate, cryosphere, atmosphere, hydrology, and aquatics where remote sensing measurements are a core observable.

Dr. Crawford serves as both the USGS’s operational Landsat 1-9 Project Scientist and Landsat Next Phase A formulation Project Scientist. He is the Principal Scientist for the USGS Landsat Science Research and Development Project, oversees Landsat’s Earth-looking science data acquisition strategy, and co-chaired the USGS/NASA 2018-2023 Landsat Science Team.

Dr. Crawford joined the USGS in 2019 after coming to EROS in 2017 to work on Landsat project science. From 2013-2017, 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 2010-2013, he was a NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellow at the University of Minnesota while conducting his Ph.D. studies.