# Presentation: 078002

## GIS at NOAA Miki SchmidtCoastal Services CenterNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Space CommercializationGIS SymposiumOctober 19, 2006

**GIS at NOAA**** ****Miki Schmidt****Coastal Services Center****National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration**** ****Office of Space Commercialization****GIS Symposium****October 19, 2006**

## Presentation OutlineAn overview of NOAA’s geospatial data, activities, and agency-wide Enterprise GIS efforts

**About NOAA**
**Key Geospatial Data Sets**
**Selected NOAA GIS Applications**
**Data Access**
**Technology Drivers**
**Partnerships with Private Sector**
**NOAA GIS Leadership Roles**

## About NOAA

**NOAA’s Vision**“An informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions”

**NOAA’s Mission**“To understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our nation’s economic, social and environmental needs”

## About NOAA and Geospatial Data

**NOAA Line Offices:**

_**National Ocean Service**_ - NOS works to observe, understand, and manage our nation’s coastal and marine resources **(Key Data - Nautical charts, Shoreline, Coastal Land Cover and Impervious Surfaces, Geodetic Control, Marine Boundaries, Water-level, Environmental Sensitivity Index, Bathymetry)**
_**National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service**_ - NESDIS manages the U.S. civil operational remote-sensing satellite systems and archives global data bases for climate, oceanography, solid-earth geophysics, and solar terrestrial sciences. **(Key Data – Satellite Imagery and Derived Data Products)**
_**NOAA Marine and Aviation Services**_ - The fleet of NOAA ships and aircraft that collect oceanographic, atmospheric, hydrographic, fisheries and coastal data

_**National Weather Service**_ - NWS is the official source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States  **(Key Data – Storm watches/warnings, Forecasts, NEXRAD radar imagery)**
_**National Marine Fisheries Service**_ - NOAA Fisheries is the federal agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat **(Key Data – Fish Statistics, Essential Fish Habitat)**
_**Oceanic and Atmospheric Research**_ - OAR develops NOAA environmental products and services that protect life and property and promote sustainable economic growth. **(Key Data – Data Modeling, Visualization and Integration)**

## Weather Forecasts & Warnings

- The National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts, and warnings for the United States.
- Example products:
-  Warnings & Forecasts
-  Graphical Forecasts
-  Air Quality
-  Satellite Imagery (NEXRAD Radar)
-  National Digital Forecast Database

## Satellite Imagery & Data Products

- NOAA has 16 meteorological satellites including:
- GOES - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
- POES - Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites
- DMSP- Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
- NPOESS - The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
- Satellite system uses include:
- Complete global weather monitoring
- Search and rescue operations
- Supporting aviation safety
- Maritime/shipping safety
- Example Data Products:
- Coastwatch
- Sea Surface Temperature
- Operational Significant Events Imagery
- Fire & Smoke Products
- Snow & Ice Cover

**Satellite Imagery & Data Products**

## Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

- Partnering with other organizations NOAA Research provides better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters and a greater understanding of the Earth.
- Selected Research Areas:
- Tsunami Research
- Developing GIS Interpretive aids
-  Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (**TAO**) Array
- Real time data from moored ocean buoys
- Improved understanding El Nino/La Nina   events
- 3D Modeling & Visualization
- Atmospheric Modeling

## Fisheries Service

- NOAA Fisheries assesses and predicts the status of fish stocks, ensures compliance with fisheries regulations and works to reduce wasteful fishing practices.
- Geospatial Examples:
- Essential Fish Habitat Mapping
- Restoration Mapping
- Fish Passage Decision Making
- Protecting Endangered Species
- Providing Fish Statistics

**Fisheries Service**

## Ocean Service Geospatial Activities

- Shoreline Delineation
- Nautical Charts
- Benthic Habitat Maps
- Coastal Land Cover and Change
- Water Quality and Harmful Algal Blooms
- Elevation – Topography and Bathymetry

**Ocean Service Geospatial Activities**

## Selected GIS Applications and
Decision Support Tools

**Selected GIS Applications and**
**Decision Support Tools**

## General NOAA Oil Modeling Environment 

- GNOME is an oil spill trajectory model used by HAZMAT responders in response to an oil spill
- Examines the forecast (“best guess”) trajectory and the uncertainty (“minimum regret”) estimate simultaneously
- GNOME application set-up as an ESRI ArcView Extension

## Nonpoint-Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool

**N-SPECT **is a** **spatially distributed pollutant and sediment yield model (i.e., *water quality screening tool)*
- Estimates runoff, nonpoint-source pollution, and erosion
- Allows user to compare effects of different land use and land cover scenarios on total yields
- Uses land cover, soils, topography, and precipitation input data
- Application set-up as an ESRI ArcGIS Extension

## Flood Inundation Maps

**Storm Surge/Inundation**
**Inland Flood Modeling **
**Coastal Planning**
**Community Resilience**

**Flood Inundation Maps**

## Geospatial Data Access

**Geospatial Data Access**

## NCDDC Regional Ecosystem Data Portal 

- A one-stop gateway for NOAA Ecosystem Program data. Offers web-based GIS mapping functions, with links to numerous NOAA and cooperative Ecosystem initiatives

**http://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/**

## NOS Data Explorer

- Web-based portal that allows users to search for all geospatial data within NOS through a single interface.
- Access data via FGDC metadata, hot-link and download to desktop, or download data

**http://nosdataexplorer.noaa.gov**

## NOAA ENCDirect to GIS Portal

- NOAA ENCDirect provides access to display, query, and download all available large-scale NOAA ENC data in a variety of GIS/CAD formats

**http://ocs-spatial.ncd.noaa.gov/encdirect/viewer.htm**

## NOAA’s nowCoast Web Portal

- Links to meteorological, oceanographic, and river observations from observing networks operated by federal and state agencies and educational institutions.

**http://nowcoast.noaa.gov/**

## Key Technology Drivers

## Information Technology Trends

**1980**

## Data standards development and documentation
Rapid dissemination of data
Knowledge to apply the data
The development of decision support tools
Internet delivery of products and services and distributed systems
Establishing funding priorities

- Rapid dissemination of data
- Knowledge to apply the data
- The development of decision support tools
- Internet delivery of products and services and distributed systems
- Establishing funding priorities

**Keys to Increased Usage**

## Private Sector Partnerships

**Private Sector Partnerships**

## Exist throughout NOAA
Satellites
Software
Data acquisition
Application and tool development

- Exist throughout NOAA
- Satellites
- Software
- Data acquisition
- Application and tool development

**Private Sector Partnerships**

-  Open communication channels

## Private Sector Partnerships

**Private Sector Partnerships**

- Example Challenges
- - Support individual mission requirements but some inconsistencies across agencies
- - Various procurement/contracting 	mechanisms
-  License agreements
-  It’s not just about the software or the data

## NOAA’s GIS Leadership
and
Interagency Collaboration

**NOAA’s GIS Leadership**
**and**
**Interagency Collaboration**

## NOAA Leadership on the FGDC

- Serve on FGDC Steering Committee and Coordination Groups
- Chair of the Federal Geodetic Control and Marine & Coastal Spatial Data Subcommittees
- Chair of the Marine Boundary Working Group
- Lead or Co-Lead 6 NSDI data themes
- Baseline (Maritime), Climate, Elevation Bathymetric, Geodetic Control, Marine Boundaries, Shoreline
- Contribute to 5 NSDI data themes
- Biological Resources, Digital Ortho Imagery, Earth Cover, Elevation Terrestrial, Flood Hazards

## NOAA GIS Committee

- Established as a standing committee of the CIO Council in January 2004
- Membership appointed by line office management
- Chair:  Tony LaVoi (tony.lavoi@noaa.gov)
- Purpose
- Coordinate GIS activities across NOAA
- Lead the effort to evaluate the need for, feasibility of, and design options for developing a NOAA-wide GIS architecture
- Develop and promote best practices for GIS within NOAA
- Successes – raising visibility of GIS within NOAA; developing GIS community; sharing lessons learned and applications; collaborative training and workshops

## OMB Geospatial Line of Business(Led by USGS)

- PURPOSE
- To establish a more coordinated approach to producing, maintaining, and using geospatial data and services and ----ensure sustainable participation from Federal partners to establish a collaborative model for geospatial-related activities and investments.

## For further information:

Miki Schmidt
Nicholas.schmidt@noaa.gov
(843) 740-1237
www.csc.noaa.gov

**For further information:**
**Miki Schmidt**
***Nicholas.schmidt@noaa.gov***
**(843) 740-1237**
**www.csc.noaa.gov**

## Geo LoB Approach

- The Geo LoB will pursue efficiencies and standardization of geospatial data and services with a business-driven focus. The coupling of geospatial data, services and technologies with conventional data, services and technologies increases performance of key mission requirements across all levels of government.
- Using the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA), the Geo LoB is identifying opportunities to effectively reduce the cost of government and improve service to citizens through business performance improvements.
- The Geo LoB will work to develop processes and solutions to support agencies missions by integrating geospatial data with business applications, exponentially improving the value of data analysis and improving decision making.