# Presentation: 420683

## Transitioning to the Integrated Earth Observing System A Presentation to the NOAA Science Advisory Board

- Gregory W. Withee
- Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services
- March 23, 2005

## Outline

- Purpose
- Issue
- Presentation of Briefing
- NOAA Coordination and Views
- Desired Outcomes

## Purpose

- To address the following SAB question
- “How do we transition from the Integrated Ocean Observing System, NPOESS, GOES-R, NEXRAD, etc, to the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System?”
- In other words:  "How do we put the observation pieces together to achieve a National integrated Earth observing system with all of the anticipated benefits?"

## Issues

- Organizational
- How do we effectively organize to implement the U.S. Strategic Plan?
- Technical
- What is the level of integration to be achieved?
- How do we formally recognize research to operations roles among agencies?
- Fiscal
- How do we budget for integrated observations across agencies?

## Observations Support NOAA Goals

**Observations Support ****NOAA Goals**

_**Climate**_
- Ozone Layers SO2 Concentration
- Fires
- Land & Sea Surface Temperatures
- Cloud Profiles

_**Commerce and Transportation**_
- Volcanic Ash
- Ice, Fog, Snow, and Wind
- Thunderstorm Detection
- MTS, Nautical Charts/Ports

_**Ecosystem**_
- Phytoplankton Blooms
- Surface Vegetation Fraction & Index
- Location of hazardous materials
- Upward Longwave Radiation

_**Weather and Water**_
- Temperature and Moisture Profiles
- Lightning Detection
- Wind Analysis
- Solar and Space Weather

## NOAA Observing Systems Contribution

**NOAA Observing Systems Contribution**

- Applied Research

- Observing Systems

- Partnerships

- Environmental Services

- Data Assimilation & Modeling

**Notes:**
Earlier this morning, many of you heard Vice Adm. Lautenbacher talk about the great progress that has been made in creating the Global Earth Observing System of Systems, commonly known as GEOSS.  Over the next decade, GEOSS will revolutionize our understanding of the Earth and how it works. With benefits as broad as the planet itself, this U.S.-led initiative promises to make peoples and economies around the globe healthier, safer and better equipped to manage basic daily needs. This year NOAA’s AMS exhibit depicts how we are Building the Earth Observation System.  

This graphic roughly depicts the exhibit and its components.  I hope you will take time to visit the exhibit and learn about what we are doing to support this initiative. Right after the AMS cuts the ribbon to the Exhibit Hall this evening at 5:30 p.m., we will officially open the NOAA exhibit with brief remarks by NOAA Assistant Secretary James Mahoney, me and other NOAA leaders.  I hope you can join us.

I’ve touched on many of these elements in this graphic, as I’ve discussed our 2004 accomplishments.  Now I will focus on how the NWS is helping build the Earth Observation System with a discussion about Weather Service observations...

## Linking Earth Observations to Societal Benefits

## Earth Observation Principles

- Comprehensive
- Consists of physical, chemical, and biological systems
- Encompasses in situ, mobile, airborne, and satellite observations
- Integrated
- Multiple platforms orchestrated to serving one or more missions
- One platform serving multiple missions
- Sustained
- Consists of future, current, and predecessor systems
- Includes sustained R&D program feeding into evolving long-term operational program

## Integration Perspective

- 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

**Notes:**
Key questions to answer:

Which observing systems functions are related to the identified societal benefits (a question that requires understanding user needs)?

What level of integration is desired and cost-effective?

Which observing systems functions will be integrated?

Which observations need to be integrated?

What tools and methods will be used to accomplish the integration of the observing systems functions?

What plans need to be developed and implemented?

## Integration Benefits

**Observation Level**
- Satellite and in situ
- Multipurpose observation platforms
- Interoperability of observation system
**Interagency Level**
- Analysis of gaps and duplication
- Building a comprehensive integrated Earth observation budget
**International Level**
- Leverage international efforts where practical

## NOAA Integrated Observations StrategyTarget Architecture Operational View

- NOAA Integrated Observations StrategyTarget Architecture Operational View

**Integrated **
**Air-based**
**System**

**Integrated**
**Space-based**
**System**

**Integrated**
**Ocean-based**
**System**

**Integrated**
**Land-based**
**System**

**Integrated**
**Cryosphere-**
**based**
**System**

**Integrated Data **
**Management System**

**Ecosystems**

**Climate**

**Weather &**
**Water**

**Commerce &**
**Transportation**

- Archive

- Access

- Metadata

- Protocols

- Standards

- Assimilation

- Modeling

- Dissemination

- Product
- Generation

## NOAA Integration Strategy Implementation

- NOAA Observing Systems Council established
- First NOAA observing systems inventory achieved in 2003
*Strategic Direction for NOAA’s Integrated Environmental Observation and Data Management System* published in 2004
- NOAA data management systems inventory underway (includes data assimilation)
- Requirements analysis underway
- Gap analysis and prioritized observation systems underway
- Technical Director for Integrated Observations and Data Management appointed in 2005

## Implementing NOAA Observing System Architecture

- Ensure continuity of observations
- Develop new systems
- Obtain data from non-NOAA sources
- Add capacity to existing systems
- Retire unnecessary duplicative systems
- Ensure best use of all available data

## FY 2005 Objectives

- Prioritize observing system investments for FY 2008 budget cycle
- Carry out major systems acquisition (ships, GOES-R, NPOESS, CLASS)
- Increase observation integration efforts (tsunami warning network)
- Develop NASA/NOAA Research to Operations Plan
- Implement Strategic Plan for U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
- Continue active leadership in GEOSS implementation

## Drivers for Research to Operations

- NASA and NOAA Research to Operations experience
- TIROS, SeaSat, –> Nimbus,POES, GOES
- EOS -> NPP/NPOESS
- EOSDIS data system
- JCSDA
- Inventory of NASA Earth-Sun System research results to be addressed
- National Goal and Agency Objectives
- “...demonstrate new technologies for improving operational systems of the future.”
- IWGEO and GEO
- Configuring/enabling sustainable solutions for societal benefits

## IEOS Benefits Focus

**IEOS Benefits Focus**

- Reduce Loss of Life and Property from Disasters

- Understand Effect of Environmental Factors on Human Health & Well-Being

- Monitor & Manage Energy Resources

- Understand Climate Variability & Change

- Protect & Monitor Water Resources

- Improve Weather Forecasting

- Protect & Monitor Ocean Resource

- Support Sustainable Agriculture & Combat Land Degradation

- Develop Capacity for Ecological Forecasts

**Notes:**
As a starting point, 51 countries and the European Commission have come together and agreed to focus on nine overarching societal benefit areas.  This is a significant accomplishment given the scope of the mandate and the breadth of participants.  Those nine areas are: [refer to slide]

[Note: The International community calls “biodiversity” “oceans,” and calls “terrestrial, coastal & marine ecosystems” “ecosystems”]

These benefit areas have far-reaching implications for decision-makers at the international, regional, and local levels.  For the next few minutes, I want to provide some specific examples.

## U.S. Agencies Related to Societal Benefit Areas

## Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations (IWGEO)

- IWGEO reports to the White House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR)
- 15 agencies participate as members
- CENR Subcommittee Co-chairs are ex officio members
- Co-chairs
- Ghassem Asrar, NASA
- Teresa Fryberger, OSTP
- Greg Withee, NOAA
- 5 Teams – mirror the GEO sub-group structure
- Includes a planning and integration team for development of the US strategic plan

## U.S. Contribution to GEOSS

**Vision**
- Enable a healthy public, economy, and planet through an integrated, comprehensive, and sustained Earth observation system.

**Presented at the Earth Observation Summit-III in Brussels, Belgium, February 16, 2005 **

## Implementation Approach

**Implementation Approach**

**Notes:**
The VISION for a healthy public, planet and economy provides the foundation for the US plan.  
After the vision has been defined, the focus shifts to societal benefits areas – the U.S. Interagency Working Group identified nine.  
The next steps include definition of the functional and performance requirements to guide development of the integrated system architecture.  
The final step identifies the existing and planned systems to be implemented in the U.S. integrated Earth Observation System architecture.

## Builds on existing systems
Addresses planned, research and operational systems
Capabilities interfaced through interoperability specifications
Preserves continuity of observations                            

- Addresses planned, research and operational systems
- Capabilities interfaced through interoperability specifications
- Preserves continuity of observations

**Architecture**

**Notes:**

The Plan will be based on these key architectural principles and mapped to the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) .

## Data management needs
Current systems already challenged 
New systems mean 100-fold increase in data
Development of access systems
Integration through interoperability

- Current systems already challenged
- New systems mean 100-fold increase in data
- Development of access systems
- Integration through interoperability

**Data Management System for Earth Observations**

**Notes:**
Data management is a necessary first step in achieving the synergistic benefits from the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System.

Expected outcome includes data management systems that are well-linked and support the full information cycle from observation acquisition to information delivery. 

At a minimum, the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System must address these urgent needs by focusing on specific data management solutions:

Data and products will be made readily available and easily accessible by standardizing vocabularies across agencies and developing browsing and visualization systems. 

Interoperability is achieved through protocols and standards agreed upon by the member agencies. 

Metadata will be critical to the success of any integrated data management system. 

## The Road Ahead for the U.S. Interagency Effort

- Continue to engage academic, industry, and non-profit partners to guarantee plan comprehensive and useful
- Public Engagement Workshop scheduled for May 9-10, 2005 in Washington, D.C.
- Industry alliance has been formed
- Establish CENR Earth Observation Subcommittee as successor to IWGEO

**Notes:**
[walk through slide...]

Additional points for potential discussion:

Resources from agencies to staff / fund an interagency Earth observation office, much like the Climate Change Science Program
Necessity for bringing in other agencies who can provide insight on the provider and/or user side (i.e., FEMA, Coast Guard, Labor, etc.) to ensure a truly comprehensive US system
Necessity for completing a US inventory (NOAA and NASA have already done this internally)

## Key Earth Observation Opportunities

_**NOAA**_
- Prioritize observing system investments for FY 2008 budget cycle
- Carry out major systems acquisition (ships, GOES-R, NPOESS, CLASS)
- Continued work on our Integrated Surface Observation System and Integrated Upper Air Observation System
- Increase observation integration efforts (tsunami warning network)
_**Interagency**_
- Develop NASA/NOAA Research to Operations Plan
- Develop and implement Strategic Plan for U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
- Continue to engage academic, industry, and non-profit partners to implement U.S. Plan
_**International**_
- Continue active leadership in GEOSS implementation

## NOAA Coordination & Views

- Coordination with
- NOAA Observing Systems Council (NOAA link to national effort)
- Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations (national link to international effort)
- Group on Earth Observations (international)
- What has NOAA done to address this issue?
*Strategic Direction for NOAA’s Integrated Global Environmental Observation and Data Management System*
*Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System *(national)
- Global Earth Observation System of Systems Implementation Plan (international)

## Desired Outcomes

- 	Answer the SAB question on transitioning to the Integrated Earth Observation System
- Open discussion with SAB on presentation
- SAB recommendations on the “way ahead”

## Slide 27

## Backup Slides

## Working Schedule

- NASA/NOAA
- Research to Operations White Paper

- FY2008 Budget
- Plan(s) submitted

- Preliminary
- NASA/NOAA
- Research to Operations Plan

- NASA & NOAA
- Management
- Briefings

- 4/05

- 6/05

- 1/05

- 3/05

- Framework Document complete

- 9/05

- N/N Research to Operations Transition Plan Submitted

- 12/04

- 5/05

- Pathfinder Unit Transition Plans drafted

## Near Term Opportunities

- Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings
- Global Land Observing System
- Sea Level Observing System
- National Integrated Drought Information System
- Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System
- Data Management System for Earth Observations

## NOAA’S OBSERVING SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE APPLIED TO ITS MISSION GOALS

- Ecosystems

- NOAA’S OBSERVING SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE APPLIED TO ITS MISSION GOALS

- Weather & Water

- Climate

- Commerce & Transportation

## DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR EARTH OBSERVATIONS

**Data management needs**
**Current systems already challenged **
**New systems create ~ 100 fold increase in data between 2000 -2015**
**Development of access systems**
**Integration through interoperability**
**Need to ensure we continue to provide an efficient and reliable system to provide data and products to our users**

**Notes:**
Data management is a necessary first step in achieving the synergistic benefits from the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System.

Expected outcome includes data management systems that are well-linked and support the full information cycle from observation acquisition to information delivery. 

At a minimum, the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System must address these urgent needs by focusing on specific data management solutions:

Data and products will be made readily available and easily accessible by standardizing vocabularies across agencies and developing browsing and visualization systems. 

Interoperability is achieved through protocols and standards agreed upon by the member agencies. 

Metadata will be critical to the success of any integrated data management system. 

## Human Architecture
Multi-Sensor Networks
Cyber-Infrastructure
Decision-Support Systems

**Multi-Sensor Networks**
**Cyber-Infrastructure**
**Decision-Support Systems**

**Global Earth ****Observing System**

## Multi-Sensor NetworksToday

**Multi-Sensor Networks****Today**

**Remotely sensed and *****in situ***
**Spacecraft, aircraft, ships, moorings, floats,**
**Radars, lidars,  physical, chemical and biological sensors...**
**Oceans, atmosphere, land, ice**
**Global to regional to local**

## Cyber-Infrastructure

- Information management and architecture

- Computing

## Cyber-Infrastructure Enabled Science & Engineering

**Collaboration**

**Services**

**Knowledge management**

**institutions for collection building**

**and curation of data, information,**

**literature, digital objects**

**High-performance computing**

**for modeling, simulation, data**

**processing/mining**

**Individual &**

**Group Interfaces**

**& ****Visualization**

**Physical World**

**Humans**

**Facilities for activation,**

**manipulation and**

**construction**

**Instruments**** for**

**observation and**

**characterization.**

**Global**
**Connectivity**

*NSF Report on Revolutionizing Science and Engineering through Cyber-Infrastructure *
*(Atkins Report)  www.communitytechnology.org/nsf_ci_report/*

## New Management Concepts

- System of systems
- Multi-sector consortia
- Standards
- Interoperability
- Open communication
- Evolving, adaptive

## Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings

- Improved Monitoring = Improved Forecasting
- Need for systematic, widespread coverage

**Notes:**
(Page 61-63)  Disasters afflict all regions of the world, and improved global disaster reduction and warning is a shared, global need. 
Disasters killed 500,000 people and caused $750 billion of damage over the decade 1990-1999, according to data presented in the “Living with Risk” report of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). 
Geo-hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and subsidence are examples of hazards where improved monitoring can provide improved forecasting. 
The greatest set of unmet observational requirements is for systematic, widespread coverage. This can best be delivered by maintaining and modernizing existing in situ atmospheric, ground-based, and ocean observation systems and by enhancing our capabilities in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) systems. Applications of InSAR include robust observations of surface deformation, which complements time-continuous observations of deformation derived from GPS networks. Other major SAR hazards applications include monitoring sea ice, oil slicks, and inundation from flooding.
Why now? in situ airborne and ground-based systems are not being maintained to meet research and operational objectives and are not being modernized even though plans exist for development of these systems. In the next few years, the governments of Canada and Japan will launch advanced synthetic aperture radar satellites, and there is need to work now on data access. We currently have no operational radar satellite system that could truly help in a real-time manner, reduce hazards, help mitigate disasters, and realize goals of saving lives and reducing damage. 
Outcome: Improved ground-based disaster research and warning networks, incorporating more systematic use of InSAR and exploitation of SAR’s allweather capability, will: 
(1) access data from existing and planned synthetic aperture radar systems by the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan;
(2) improve rapid observation of damage and landscape change caused by the geohazards; 
(3) provide better monitoring of land and sea ice, oil slicks, and flooding; 
(4) enable better forecasts, preparations, and more rapid responses to disasters; 
(5) broaden access and distribution of key data sets to the relevant communities of scientists, operational agencies and decision-makers.

## Global Land Observing System

- Support Land Management Decisions
- Extent of Urban Sprawl
- Land Cover Impact on Water Quality
- Characterization of Biodiversity, Agricultural Production, Forest, and Vegetation Health

**Notes:**
(Pg 63) (Image is from Landsat-7 over DC)
Requirement/Need: We need a comprehensive and sustained land observing system to support land management decisions. These data are currently broadly used in a wide variety of research and management areas such as:
(1) the influence of land cover on water quality,
(2) the extent of urban sprawl, and
(3) how best characterize biodiversity, agricultural production, forest and vegetation health, fire management, etc.
Why now? We are in danger of losing continuity of the main source of our current land observing data, Landsat, due to technological obsolescence and
mission life limitations. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission has faced delays throughout its programmatic history.
Potential Outcome: A global observing system that provides sustained national and global observations of land cover and high-resolution topography from satellite, airborne and surface systems to complement the historical archive. Examples of capabilities this system should provide included: 
(1) High resolution digital topographic data including digital elevation maps
(2) Continuity of Landsat-quality data
(3) Access to commercial land remote sensing imagery

## Sea Level Observing System

- Key Climate Variable
- 100 million people live within 1 meter of sea level
- Global sea rise statistics range form 9-88 centimeters
- Discussion point of G8
- Socio-Economic Implications for the Arctic
- Alaskan villages susceptible to erosion and flooding
- Estimated cost of relocation ~$1billion

**Notes:**
(Pg 64/65)
Requirement/Need:  need an operational sea level observing system to provide comprehensive and sustained sea level data and prediction of future changes in sea levels. 
With millions of people living near the coast, changes in sea level will be a concern to life and property, especially for barrier islands, coastal cities, river deltas, and islands. The storm surge generated by hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones would exacerbate the effects of potential sea level rise. Improved data on global sea level rise is a high priority issue requiring strengthened international cooperation in the sustained collection of high-quality observations as the basis for sound decision-making. Currently there is no integrated operational ocean altimetry system. 

Why now? We have the opportunity to transition satellite altimetry research capabilities to operational use (Jason-1). Future UAVs and other suborbital systems will provide unique opportunities to monitor processes and change in coastal regions and wetlands. Lack of timely action may prevent the effective transition of this capability to operational status. Globally averaged sea level could rise 9 to 88 centimeters over the coming century, impacting coastal infrastructure investments that are being made today.  Alaska is already facing relocation of over 100 villages due to coastal erosion and reduced sea ice cover. 

Outcome: The outcome is an operational sea level observing system that allows us to:
(1) Determine the rate of change in global sea level
(2) Understand the interaction of factors that cause sea level rise
(3) Predict future state of sea level and its impacts on coastal areas

## National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

- Key Components
- Integrated National Drought Monitoring & Forecasting System
- Multi-agency collaboration; NOAA lead
- Facilitates information exchange between local, state and federal agencies
- Proactive, Not Passive, Drought Response
- Improve Drought Indicator Data/Networks (Physical, Hydrological, Socio-Economic, Impacts)
- Integrate & Interpret that Data with Easily Accessible & Understandable Tools
- Supported by Western Governors

**Notes:**
Pg 65
Drought has a $6-8Billion annual impact.
The West U.S. is facing the worst drought in 70 years
---------------
The socio-economic toll has prompted the Western Governors Association to call on President Bush to create the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).  

NIDIS will coordinate and integrate a variety of observations, analysis techniques and forecasting methods in a system that will support drought assessment and decision-making at the lowest geopolitical level possible.  

The tools will allow users to access, transform and display basic data and forecasts across a range of spatial and temporal scales most suited to their individual needs.  Such a system will result in better informed management decisions which will reduce the economic impacts of future droughts.  

Because of its importance, the U.S. Strategic Plan proposed to develop NIDIS in the short-term, and NOAA will lead this multi-agency effort.

## Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System

- Key Understandings
- Growth in populations, energy consumption and economy
- 100 million people live in U.S. counties that exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards
- Poor air quality harmful to health of adults and children

**Notes:**
(Page 66)
Requirement/Need: Understanding air quality and its influence on people and the environment requires enhanced surface-based observations. Existing surface monitoring networks must be integrated with air quality observations from other platforms, including satellites, ships and aircraft, and used to develop and evaluate improved predictive models and decision support tools. 

Why now? Despite dramatic improvements in air quality in the United States over the last 30 years—a period in which our population grew 39 percent, our energy consumption grew 42 percent, and our economy grew 164 percent— air quality problems have grown in many areas of the world, particularly in some fast-growing developing countries. Even with continuing air quality improvements in the United States, Over 100 million people live in U.S. counties that exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards. 

Potential Outcome: An enhanced observational system integrated with modeling and decision support tools will:
(1) Improve the ability to forecast air quality across large parts of the country (and in other parts of the world) for which forecasts are not currently available
(2) Provide better information about emissions and transport mechanisms on regional to the international scales 
(3) Provide important information to help the public avoid harmful exposures and to help air quality management better manage air pollution episodes over the short and long terms.

## Integrated Earth Observation System Themes

## Integrated Earth Observation Challenges

- Working together to achieve common benefits—Human architecture
- Implementing the U.S. Strategic Plan
- Sharing data
- Providing the required information to effect societal benefits—Technical architecture
- Integrating multiple agency data sets
- Integrating space-based, air-based, and surface-based data sets
- Effective data assimilation schemes, product generation mechanisms and information delivery processes

## Recent NOAA Observing Systems Accomplishments

- Established ad hoc working group under the NOSC & NOAA Ocean Council (NOC) to deal with ocean observation issues
- Established a Data Management Committee
- Completed initial collection of observation requirements
- Reviewed new technology opportunities
- Produced preliminary efficiencies and investment strategies document for FY 2007 budget decisions
- Developed first set of target architecture deliverables
- Developed the First Annual Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Development Plan
- Developed a Tsunami Detection and Warning System Plan
- Established a NOAA IOOS Coordination Manager and Office
- Established a NOAA DMAC Coordinator