Citation by Nathan Niemi
The Geological Society of America awards the 2025 President’s Medal to OpenTopography, recognizing its transformative impact on the geosciences. Launched in 2008, OpenTopography has revolutionized access to high-resolution topographic data by making it freely available to researchers, educators, engineers, planners, and the public. This initiative has advanced Earth science by facilitating research in geomorphology, tectonics, hydrology, and environmental science, and has become a model for open science. Its user-friendly platform democratizes data use across skill levels and sectors.
Leaders Ramon Arrowsmith and Chelsea Scott (Arizona State University), Christopher Crosby (EarthScope), and Viswanath Nandigam (San Diego Supercomputer Center) have been at the forefront in developing the cyberinfrastructure and data systems that power access to high-resolution topographic data. OpenTopography exemplifies the principles of open, collaborative, and impactful science. Its profound influence on the profession makes it a deserving recipient of this prestigious honor.
Response
Thank you to Geological Society of America’s President Niemi and Councilors for honoring OpenTopography with the President’s Medal. It is a tremendous recognition for the team who has built and maintained OpenTopography over the last 17 years. We thank our funders, especially the National Science Foundation, as well as our advisory committee members and our broad user community. This recognition is also due to the dedication and collective efforts of the OpenTopography team, including Matthew Beckley, Minh Phan, Kai Lin, Emily Zawacki, Cassandra Brigham, and Kate Kaya, as well as multiple past team members and interns.
Most importantly, the recognition honors the trust of our partners and the vast community of users who rely on us to make topographic data and knowledge available.
Topography of the Earth’s surface is a fundamental geomorphic and geophysical observable, marking the boundary across which the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere interact. These data are essential to the geosciences. OpenTopography opens access to the data, tools and knowledge resources necessary to utilize the data in research and education. Early scientific drivers for OpenTopography originated from topics at the heart of the GSA including active faulting, volcanic processes, geomorphology, and geoinformatics. Thank you for your support.