Addressing National Security Needs Benefits Energy and Environment

摘要

Lawrence Livermore's Energy and Environment Directorate conducts a wide range of research projects in the geologic, atmospheric, and environmental sciences to address challenges in national security, environmental remediation, and energy supply. Because different challenges can require surprisingly similar technical advances, a Livermore technology developed for one national need often benefits others. The article beginning on p. 4 describes one technology that is helping to address a national security need and is also useful in managing Earth's resources and furthering our understanding of natural hazards. Called interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), the technology uses data from radar satellites to monitor Earth's surface from space and detect surface deformations as small as 1 centimeter.