Earth Observations: A Global, National and NOAA Perspective A Presentation to the NOAA Science Advis

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Earth ObservationsA Global, National and NOAA
Perspective A Presentation to the NOAA Science
Advisory Board

• VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy
  (Ret.)
• Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
  Atmosphere/NOAA
• March 22, 2005

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MENU

• Global Earth Observation System of Systems
  (GEOSS)
• U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
• NOAAs Observation Systems
• Challenges Ahead

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Growing Interest in GEOSS
Frequent Question Why didnt the US do more to
warn? Answer The US has been leading an
international effort for the past year and a half
to provide, among other benefits, a global system
to reduce loss of life and property from
disasters.
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Plan For An Improved U.S.Tsunami Monitoring
System

• Enable enhanced monitoring, detection, warning
  communications
• Deploy 32 advanced technology DART buoys
• Commit 37.5M over next 2 years
• Provide
• Nearly 100 coverage for U.S. coasts
• Expanded capability throughout Pacific
  Caribbean basins 
• Part of future global observation global
  tsunami warning systems

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Building a Global System
Our approach can be fragmented
Tsunami warning system shatters on nationalistic
shoals
. . . or coordinated.

• ...it makes sense to develop a global tsunami
  warning system within the GEOSS framework.
• Koichiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director General
  (World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe,
  Japan, January 2005)

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GEO as Coordination Mechanism

• Political will of nearly 60 countries
• Participation of organizations like the IOC, WMO
  and ISDR
• These organizations dont always talk to each
  other GEO offers a mechanism to coordinate
  projects like an all-hazards warning system

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Earth Observation Summit IIIBrussels,
BelgiumFebruary 16, 2005

• 10 Year Implementation Plan for GEOSS
• Resolution Endorsing Plan
• Tsunami Communique

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National Delegations at EOS III
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The GEO Process

• Earth Observation Summit I, Washington DC
• ad hoc GEO I, Washington, DC
• ad hoc GEO 2, Baveno, Italy
• ad hoc GEO 3, Cape Town, South Africa
• ad hoc GEO 4, Tokyo, Japan
• Earth Observation Summit II, Tokyo, Japan
• ad hoc GEO special session on governance,
  Brussels, Belgium
• ad hoc GEO 5, Ottawa, Canada
• ad hoc GEO 6, Brussels, Belgium
• Earth Observation Summit III, Brussels, Belgium

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GEO IGeneva, SwitzerlandMay 2-4, 2005

• GEO I (GEO replaces ad hoc GEO)
• Hosted by World Meteorological Organization
• WMO also hosting Secretariat
• to do list at GEO I
• Establish Executive Committee
• Agree to Transition Workplan
• Begin Implementation of GEOSS

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MENU

• Global Earth Observation System of Systems
  (GEOSS)
• U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
• NOAAs Observation Systems
• Challenges Ahead

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Hon. Carlos GutierrezUS Secretary of Commerce

• The United States is making the commitment to
  move earth observation to the next level to
  benefit this next generation.This is one of
  President Bushs environmental priorities
• And today, I am pleased to present you
  with our governments plan for an Integrated U.S.
  Earth Observation system.

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U.S. Contribution to GEOSS
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Like GEOSS, the US Integrated System will be

• A distributed system of systems
• Links all platforms in situ, aircraft, and
  satellite networks
• Identifies gaps in our global capacity
• Facilitates exchange of data and information
• Improves decision-makers abilities to address
  pressing policy issues

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U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
Health Public Societal Imperatives Healthy
Economy Economic Imperatives Healthy Planet
Scientific Imperatives
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U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
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Integration 4 Perspectives Considered in U.S.
Strategic Plan

• Policy and Planning Integration
• Focus on specific societal benefits
• Issue and Problem Focused Integration
• Address a particular issue
• Scientific Integration
• Modeling of Earth processes
• Technical Systems Integration
• Coordination of observing system technology and
  data management systems
• Account for observing system evolution

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The Road Ahead for the U.S. Interagency Effort

• Develop Implementation Plans for 6 Near Term
  Opportunities
• Data Management
• Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings
• Global Land Observing System
• Sea Level Observing System
• National Integrated Drought Information System
• Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System
• Establish Earth Observation Subcommittee of NSTC
  Committee on Environment Natural Resources

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MENU

• Global Earth Observation System of Systems
  (GEOSS)
• U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
• NOAAs Observation Systems
• Challenges Ahead

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NOAAs Role

• NOAA Where Science Creates Value
• Earth observations
• Are at the core of NOAAs mission
• Support virtually every activity we perform
• NOAA has
• Observing capabilities being advanced through
  scientific and technological research
• A broad scope of domestic and international
  partnerships
• Commitment to transform research into useful,
  operational information

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GIS NOAAs Strategic Mission Goals

• Ecosystems

• Weather Water

Process developed to convert the current text
based forecast product to a GIS based inundation
map
Geospatially enabled NOAA data combined with
data from the MMS, and TX state data
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GIS NOAAs Strategic Mission Goals

• Commerce Transportation

• Climate

NOAAs NCDC provides surface daily and monthly
data, hourly precipitation data, and 15-minute
precipitation data
Iceberg B-15A in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica,
reported to be potentially blocking shipping
access to scientific stations in the Sound
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NOAA Observing System Council

• Principal advisory body to the Under Secretary
  for NOAA's Earth observation and data management
  (end-to-end) activities.
• Principal coordinating body for NOAA to the White
  House Committee on Environment and Natural
  Resources (CENR) Subcommittee on Earth
  Observations in developing an international,
  comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth
  observation system

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NOAA Observing Systems

• Integrated Observations Strategic Plan
• Published in 2004
• Documents initial inventory of approximately 100
  observing systems measuring 286 unique
  environmental parameters
• Establishes strategic goals for integrated
  observations and data management
• Feeds development of an initial baseline
  observing architecture, to be followed by a
  target architecture

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MENU

• Global Earth Observation System of Systems
  (GEOSS)
• U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
• NOAAs Observation Systems
• Challenges Ahead

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Data Management System for Earth Observations

• Data Management Needs
• New Systems mean 100-fold increase in data
• Current systems already challenged
• Development of browser and visualization systems
• Interoperability through protocols and standards
• Geospatial One-Stop initiative has enhanced
  interoperability among geographic components of
  government activities (led by Department of the
  Interior)

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Upcoming Activities

• International
• Transition workplan in development
• Formation/selection of Executive Committee
  underway
• GEO I meeting at World Meteorological
  Organization, May 2-4
• National
• Upcoming rollout of US plan (pre-publication copy
  out now)
• Development of Data Management Plan and
  Architecture
• May 9-10 Public Engagement Workshop, Ronald
  Reagan International Trade Center

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For more information

• Intergovernmental ad hoc Group on Earth
  Observations
• http//earthobservation.org
• Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations
• http//iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov
• NOAA Observing System Council
• http//www.nosc.noaa.gov