Education

Professional Experience

1996 to Present - Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Florida. Research involving the application of advanced geodetic techniques, primarily the Global Positioning System (GPS), absolute gravimetry, and airborne laser swath mapping.

1992 to 1996 - Chief, Geosciences Laboratory (GL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Silver Spring, MD. The GL was multi-disciplined with research teams organized primarily around advanced technologies, including satellite altimetry, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), the Global Positioning System (GPS), and absolute and cryogenic gravimetry. The observational data collected by these techniques were reduced and analyzed to extract information about variations in sea level in the equatorial regions of the Pacific Ocean (ENSO), earth orientation, crustal deformations, plate motion, glacial rebound, change in absolute sea level, earth models, gravity fields, and geoids. The GL had a staff of about 40 scientists, engineers, and technicians, and an annual budget of $3.6M. As Chief, I worked with teams to define projects, obtain funding, recruit personnel, purchase equipment, collect and reduce observational data, analyze and publish results. I also carried on my own research in VLBI, GPS and absolute gravimetry independently and cooperatively with colleagues within GL and at other organizations, both governmental and academic.

1981 to 1991 - Chief, Advanced Technology Branch, GL, NOAA. I identified new technologies that could be used to attack long standing problems and open new areas of research in geodesy and geodynamics. Based on my evaluation of VLBI and satellite and lunar laser ranging I selected VLBI as the best technique for monitoring earth orientation and crustal dynamics, and started national and international cooperative efforts to develop a global geodetic VLBI network. In recognition of my contributions and leadership I was selected to be the VLBI Principal Coordinator for the International Earth Rotation Service. Seeking a less expensive technique than VLBI, I was one of the first geodesists to explore the use of GPS based geodetic surveying techniques, and assembled a research team that has advanced the state-of-the-art of fixed and kinematic differential GPS. As an independent technique for detecting vertical crustal motion and to study subsurface mass relocation I initiated the development of a one microgal precision absolute gravimeter and a cryogenic relative gravimeter. The absolute gravimeter has recently been used to detect glacial rebound at Churchill, Canada.

1977 to 1981 - Research Geodesist and Chief, Gravity, Astronomy, and Space Geodesy Division, National Geodetic Survey (NGS). I directed geodetic survey projects using relative gravimetry, stellar observations, electronic distance measurements, triangulation, trilateration, and Doppler satellite techniques. Planned and supervised the first high accuracy 3--dimensional geodetic surveys at VLBI stations to connect the antenna reference point to local geodetic control and GPS base stations.

1973 to 1976 - Research Associate, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii. As the head of the lunar laser ranging research project I designed a unique fixed refractor beam collimator and tracking telescope, and an altitude-azimuth mounted beam director (Lunastat) capable of absolute pointing accurate to one second of arc. The fixed telescope and beam director approach has since been adopted at a number of other laser ranging stations. When construction bids for the observatory building exceeded the available funds, I supervised the erection myself using day labor hired locally. When the laser provided by NASA was found to have deficiencies, I designed a corrective alignment system, installed it, and trained technicians in its operation. At the cost of a few thousand dollars I modified the lunar ranging system to have artificial satellite capabilities, creating the first such dual capability system in the world. More than two decades later the Lunastat system is still operating and the Haleakala station is one of the most productive satellite laser ranging stations in the world.

1969 to 1972 - Research Geodesist, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, University of Arizona. As a graduate student and full time federal employee I helped to build and operate one of the first successful lunar laser ranging stations in the world. Beginning with a partially complete offset tracking system, which used an image dissector tube to track contrasting lunar features, I developed an interactive real time computer controlled system to compute the time varying offsets and keep the laser transmitting/receiving telescope pointed at the lunar retroreflectors. This was the first active tracking lunar offset pointing system and its operation was the subject of my PhD dissertation. When the ruby laser purchased for the station proved unreliable I discovered a structural problem, proposed a new system configuration and designed a new enclosure to solve the problem.

1961 to 1969 - Geodetic Officer, US Air Force-I performed geodetic surveys and astronomic position and azimuth observations at ICBM sites. I developed alignment techniques for missile guidance systems and taught geodetic officers and survey technicians to perform the surveys. During my tenure as a geodetic officer I learned to operate geodetic levels, theodolites, and electronic distance measuring instruments. I tested and helped to improve state of the art stellar cameras. Teaching Experience While stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, Wyoming, I taught Descriptive Astronomy for two semesters in the University of Wyoming extension program. As a Research Associate at the University of Hawaii I supervised graduate student research projects and served on evaluation committees. During the past decade I have been a Mentor for several foreign scientists that have visited the Geosciences Laboratory for periods 3 to 10 months to learn geodetic VLBI and GPS.

Principal Publications

Books

• Carter, W.E. and M.S. Carter, Latitude, Naval Institute Press, To be released in October 2002.
• McCarthy, D.D., and W. E. Carter, editors, Variations in Earth Rotation, Geophysical Monograph 59, IUGG Volume 9, AGU-IUGG, 1990.
  

Papers

• Shrestha, R.L., W. E. Carter, M. Sartori, B. Luzum, and C. Slatton “Airborne Laser Swath Mapping: Quantifying Changes in Sandy Beaches Over Time Scales of Days to Decades,” (invited) Journal of the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, May, 2005 (invited, in press)
• Parish, C., G. Tuell, B. Carter and R. Shrestha; “Configuring an Airborne Laser Scanner for Detecting Airport Obstructions,” Journal of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), Vol. 71, No. 1, January 2005, pp. 37-46.
• Slatton, K.C., M. Coleman, W. Carter, R. Shrestha, M. Sartori, “Control Methods for Merging ALSM and Ground?-Based Laser Point Clouds Acquired Under Forest Canopies," Proceedings of SPIE, 4th International Asia-Pacific Environmental Remote Sensing Symposium, vol. 5661, Nov. 2004, pp. 96-103.
• Carter, W.E., R. Shrestha, K. C. Slatton, "Photon-counting airborne laser swath mapping (PC-ALSM)", Proceedings of SPIE, 4th International Asia-Pacific Environmental Remote Sensing Symposium, invited, vol. 5661, Nov. 2004, pp. 78-85.
  Carter, W.E., R. L. Shrestha, and K. C. Slatton, “Photon Counting Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (PC?ALSM),” IAG International Symposium: Gravity, Geoid and Space Missions (GGSM), (in press), invited, 2004
• Shrestha, R.L. W. E. Carter, M. Sartori and B. Luzum, “Airborne Laser Swath Mapping: Quantifying Changes in Sandy Beaches Over Time Scales of Days to Decades.” International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nov. 10 - 14, 2003.
• Carter, W.E., R.L. Shrestha,, M. Sartori and B. Luzum, “Airborne Laser Swath Mapping: Interpreting Artifacts in the Processed Data Provide Important Information about the Quality of the Observations,” the 30th. International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nov. 10 - 14, 2003.
• Carter, W.E., R.L. Shrestha, D. Bloomquist, and M. Sartori, “Airborne Laser Swath Mapping and High Resolution Digital Photography: Detecting Invasive Exotic Plants,” A Workshop & Conference on: Detecting Invasive Exotic Plants: Approaches for the Florida Landscape, Feb. 12 - 14, 2003, Miami Fl, pp. 1- 8.
• Carter, W.E., R.L. Shrestha, D. Bloomquist, and M. Sartori, “Airborne Laser Swath Mapping: First and Second Epoch Surveys of Landslide Areas in South Dakota,” Abstract, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA Dec., 6-10, 2002.
• Carter, W., R. Shrestha, G. Tuell, D. Bloomquist, and M.l Sartori, Airborne Laser Swath Mapping: Shining New Light on the Study of Earth’s Topography, accepted for publication in Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, 2001, In Press.
• Carter, W. R. Shrestha, D. Bloomquist, P. Finer, M. Sartori and D. Arnold, Instant Snapshots of Landfills Using Airborne Laser Swath Mapping, submitted for publication, Journal of American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, 2001.
  

Honors and Awards 

1984 NOAA Administrator's Award. For creative and dynamic leadership in initiating and making operational the POLARIS polar motion monitoring network.

1986 DOC Silver Medal Award. For exceptional contributions to the application of very long baseline interferometry to geodesy, through project POLARIS.

1986 NASA Group Achievement Award. For significant advances in space geodetic measurement technology.

1988 DOC Gold Medal Award. For contributions to the founding and operation of the International Earth Rotation Service.

1989 NASA Group Achievement Award. For response to the Loma Prieta earthquake which provided the first high resolution regional measurements, using advanced VLBI and SLR technology of coseismic and postseismic motion immediately following a major earthquake.

1994 NOAA Technology Transfer Award. For technical contributions underlying the commercial manufacture and sale by a U.S. company of a state-of-the-art absolute gravity meter.

Scientific and Professional Societies

Member International Astronomical Union (IAU)
Member American Astronomical society (AAS)
Member American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Member International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)
Fellow International Association of Geodesy (IAG)
1978-1989 IAU/IUGG Project MERIT Principal Coordinator for VLBI
1983-1987 President IAG International Radio Interferometric Surveying (IRIS) Subcommission
1989-1996 IERS Principal Coordinator for VLBI