Chris, thank you so much for these 'live' updates. I think it gives all us amateurs a real feel for what the work you do is like.

SRTM (Space Radar Topography Mission) is indeed from the Space Shuttle program. I recall watching NASA-TV once back in the late 90's while they beamed down the data live. The amount of data was too much to record on the spacecraft. It was interesting watching it scroll down the screen and trying to figure out what I was seeing based on where they were.

Looking it up, SRTM flew in Feb 2000 (so much for my memory) on board Endeavour during STS-99. It used a modified SIR-C/X-SAR radar (Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar).

The purpose of the mission was to provide high resolution DEM (digital elevation model) topography for GIS users (geographic information systems).

I love it when multiple interests come together. I've always been a fan of the space program, have an interest in seismology, and also dabble in GIS for making maps of quakes (like I'm working on right now).

Brian