Richard Armstrong

Richard Armstrong is Interim Director of NSIDC. A research scientist at NSIDC since 1985, Armstrong specializes in remote sensing of snow, ice, and frozen ground; snow cover and glacier fluctuations as indicators of climate change; and physical and mechanical properties of seasonal snow and snow avalanche hazard.

His work has combined research and data set development, including the optimal gridding of SMMR, SSM/I, and AMSR-E brightness temperatures, as well as the systematic cross-calibration of those sensors and the validation of related cryospheric products. Armstrong has also helped develop innovative approaches to mapping snow cover, using both visible and microwave data. Armstrong is a long-time advocate of scientific data management, and has been instrumental in defining NSIDC's practices and user community focus.

Armstrong is leading NSIDC during CIRES/NSIDC's search for a permanent replacement for Roger Barry, who retired from the position of NSIDC Director in May 2008, after leading the data center for 31 years. Barry remains at NSIDC as the Director of the World Data Center for Glaciology. "We are grateful for Roger's many contributions and efforts to build NSIDC, and we are committed to continuing our strong data management focus into the future," Armstrong said. See Jobs at NSIDC for more information about the Director search.

For more on Richard Armstrong and his research, as well as other NSIDC researchers, please see Scientists at NSIDC.