PGC Updates & Insights
Thank You & Impact Results
Thank you to everyone who participated in our April survey assessing the impact of PGC’s absence from McMurdo Station during the 2025-26 Antarctic field season. We received 44 responses from researchers, logistics personnel, students, field technicians, and program managers across the U.S. Antarctic Program community.
The results confirmed what many of us have long understood: PGC’s role extends well beyond providing maps, imagery, and geospatial data. Respondents consistently described PGC as an operational partner that supports planning, coordination, risk assessment, decision-making, and real-time problem solving in one of the most dynamic and unpredictable environments on Earth.
Many users successfully adapted to remote support but the survey revealed important insights into the value of embedded expertise, the role of in-person collaboration, and how geospatial support contributes to operational agility when plans change unexpectedly. Read the full article to explore the survey findings, community perspectives, and what these results mean for future Antarctic field seasons for PGC.
Antarctic Tasking Requests Due August 14, 2026
PGC partners with NGA to coordinate Vantor (formerly Maxar) satellite imagery collections for the 2026-27 Antarctic field season. Researchers and logistics teams with NSF-OPP funding are invited to submit tasking requests for their points of interest to their PGC Point of Contact.
Stay tuned for solicitation emails going out by June 26th.
*NEW* We’ve made some modifications to the submission form this year in an ongoing effort to streamline our behind-the-scenes deconfliction and formatting processes. Please use the new template attached to the solicitation email.
Historic Arctic Navigation Charts
Now Publicly Available in PGC Map Catalog
PGC recently expanded our public map catalog with the addition of a collection of historic Arctic navigation charts dating from the late-1960s through the mid-1980s. Previously subject to copyright restrictions that limited distribution, these maps are widely available for public access and preservation.
The collection consists of 1:1,000,000 Arctic Operational Navigation Charts (ONCs) by the Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center, the predecessor to the modern-day National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). These charts were developed to support navigation and operational planning in remote Arctic regions and represent some of the most comprehensive mapping resources available prior to the satellite and digital mapping era.
Access the Collection
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Greenland, Iceland, Jan Mayen: https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/967 -
Canada, Greenland 1: https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/968 -
Greenland (Denmark): https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/969 -
Canada, Greenland (Denmark): https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/970 -
Canada, Greenland 2: https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/971 -
Greenland 1: https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/972 -
Canada, Greenland 3: https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/973 -
Greenland 2: https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/974 -
Greenland (Denmark) Svalbard (Norway): https://maps.apps.pgc.umn.edu/
id/975
Conference Connections
Highlight from the Polar Libraries Colloquy
PGC’s User Services Manager Cole Kelleher attended the 30th Polar Libraries Colloquy, hosted at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University. The event brought together polar information professionals, researchers, and community partners to share knowledge, strengthen collaborations, and explore new opportunities for engagement across the polar sciences. While visiting the Center, Kelleher also toured the Polar Rock Repository and shared the impressive sight of the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) map on display. Led by The Ohio State University in partnership with PGC and other collaborators, REMA remains one of the most comprehensive high-resolution elevation datasets of Antarctica and a lasting example of the impact of collaborative polar science.
PGC at SCAR Open Science Conference
Four members of PGC will be attend the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference in Oslo, Norway, from August 10-14, 2026. As one of the largest international gatherings focused on Antarctic science, this biennial event provides an important opportunity to connect with researchers, logistics partners, polar organizations, and decision-makers from across the polar community.
With PGC’s renewed NSF support and continued focus on serving Antarctic (and Arctic) science and operations, the team is excited to share updates on recent developments, learn how community needs are evolving, and explore opportunities for future collaborations. Past SCAR meetings have sparked new partnerships, informed product and service improvements, and strengthened relationships that help shape PGC’s work.
Be sure to check out PGC Geospatial Developer Devin Power’s poster presentation in the Remote Sensing Advances in Observing, Monitoring, and Mapping the Antarctic session (S16) titled Multi-Temporal Mosaics from the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) Project.
Additional Future Events:
- PGC graduate student Alaina Portoghese at the Esri User Conference, accepted into the Student Assistantship Program – July 13-17, 2026
- Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Annual Community Meeting – September 15-17
- North American Cartographic Information Society Annual Meeting – October 21-24
- Booth at the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Annual Meeting – October 29-31
- Booth at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting – December 7-11
PGC Student Spotlight
PGC holds an important focus in fostering support and growth for GIS and computer science students. Get to know our latest graduate student hire that joined our team!
Kiley Vlasak
1. Tell us about your academic career and how you got into your research/studies.
In May of 2025, I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. During my undergraduate career, I focused the majority of my studies in computer science, GIS, and remote sensing in archaeology. For example, my capstone project involved using GIS to perform LiDAR-based slope analysis, identifying terraced land features along a historically popular confluence of waterways in Minnesota. After a gap year, I have decided to pursue the Master of Geographic Information Science (MGIS) program as it prioritizes my geospatial interests more than traditional archaeology.
2. What is your favorite PGC product, app, or service?
So far, my favorite PGC product is ICE-D where funded researchers can see different surface sampling sites in Antarctica and Greenland along with PGC’s 0.5m panchromatic imagery mosaic.
3. What kinds of problems or places would you most like to work with using GIS after your time at PGC?
My favorite problems involve using remote sensing to reveal unseen information about natural landscapes without ground disturbance, especially where cultural and natural preservation efforts are involved. However, a goal of mine during the MGIS program is to broaden my knowledge and build expertise to support a large variety of problems across the globe!
4. Outside of your academic studies, what other interests do you enjoy?
Outside of work and school, I like to read and listen to books. I primarily enjoy science fiction works. Lately, I have also enjoyed trying and experimenting with new espresso beans for my coffee!
5. What is one interesting fact you want people to know about you?
I have two cats, Fred and Goose!
Check out the original PGC Newsletter post here.