# Presentation: 303612

## NOAA

- Gregory W. Withee
- Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services
- March 24, 2005

**January 2005**

- LEADING INTEGRATED EARTH OBSERVATIONS

- Briefing for NOAA Leadership Seminar

## OVERVIEW

- Leading integrated Earth observations for:
- NOAA to meet its mission directives
- the nation, through the White House-chartered Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations (IWGEO)
- the world, through the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

## OSTP/OMB FY 2005 BUDGET DIRECTIVES

- “A key goal of the Administration’s R&D investments is to enhance capabilities to assess and predict key environmental systems.”
- “To this end, integrated, comprehensive, global observation systems are required for understanding, monitoring, and predicting changes to the Earth system (atmosphere, land, freshwater, ocean and ecosystems.)”

## Linking Earth Observations to Societal Benefits

## NOAA—SERVICE THROUGH OBSERVATIONS

- 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...

## RELEVANCE – ONE EXAMPLE

- Drought results in average annual losses of $6-8 billion to all economic sectors, including agriculture
- Affect planning & harvesting
- Puts restraints on water use
- Could likely cause active forest fire season
- Understanding El Niño/La Niña patterns
- Help predict & understand droughts, harvests, potential crop damage
- Make decisions based on sustainable agriculture practices
- Worldwide benefits to agriculture $450-$550M annually

**Notes:**
Agricultural production dependent on healthy environment & sound agricultural planning.   A healthy environment entails reducing soil erosion, protecting water resources, reducing pollution.  Must conduct land use assessments to understand suitability & productivity.

EO help us produce maps & digital terrain models (satellites), map vegetation & land use; Gather info on air humidity & soil moisture, as well as the quantity & the seasonal variation of precipitation. Can monitor effects of climate change on agriculture & help to predict droughts, harvests & potential crop damage.

Clearly no one single action can increase agricultural production as all the many factors involved need to be taken into account. This is valuable information for governments & stakeholders trying to estimate requirements in areas at risk. 

The Goal of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is to strengthen the abilities of African countries & regional organizations to manage risk of food insecurity through the provision of timely & analytical early warning & vulnerability information. (International, national, & regional partners).  Professionals in the US & Africa monitor various data & information—including remotely sensed data & ground-based meteorological, crop & rangeland conditions—as early indications of potential threats to food security.

## NOAA OBSERVING SYSTEMS

- Land-Based

- Air-Based

- Ocean-Based

- Space-Based

## 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

## 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

## Approach

- NASA
- Research
- Capability

- NOAA
- Research /Routine
- Production

- NOAA
- Operational
- Capability

- NASA-NOAA Research to Operations

- NOAA Research to Applications

## Coordination within NOAA

- Comply with NOAA Research to Applications Policy
- Meetings
- NESDIS Executive Board (NEB) (March 1)
- NOAA Observing Systems Council (March 4)
- Office of Research and Applications (March 18)
- Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution
- NOAA Research Council
- Also:
- Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation
- NWS/OS&T
- Integrated Program Office

## 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

## BEYOND NOAA: NATIONAL PARTNERING

- Active participant in White House-chartered Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations (IWGEO) involving 18 Federal agencies and the White House offices
- Leading development of U.S. Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System, which focuses on 9 societal benefit areas

## NSTC STRUCTURE

- National Science
- and Technology Council

- Committee on Environment and
- Natural Resources (CENR)

- Subcommittee on Global Change Research

- Ecological SystemsSubcommittee

- Subcommittee onDisasterReduction

- Subcommittee onWater Availability &Quality

- Air Quality ResearchSubcommittee

- Toxics & Risk AssessmentSubcommittee

- Subcommittee on Oceans
- (also reports to Committee on Science)

- Interagency Working Group onEarth Observations (IWGEO)

- Subcommittee on Health and the Environment(also reports to Committee on Science and Commission on Homeland and National Security

- Biodiversity and EcosystemInformatics Working Group

- Interagency Working Group onEndocrine Disruptors

- Interagency Working Group onMercury

- ScienceCommittee

- Homeland & NationalSecurity Committee

- TechnologyCommittee

- Earth Observations Subcommittee
- To be formed

## IWGEO CHARTER

- Develop a U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
- Provide U.S. input to international Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

## U.S. INTEGRATED EARTH OBSERVATION SYSTEM

**VISION**
- Enable a healthy public, economy, and planet through an integrated, comprehensive, and sustained Earth observation system.
**BENEFIT AREAS**
- Weather forecasting
- Disaster reduction
- Oceans
- Climate change
- Agriculture
- Health
- Ecosystems
- Water
- Energy

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

**Notes:**
Over the past year, the Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations has worked to develop the Draft Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System

The IWGEO has held public workshops and participated in industry fora to ensure that the U.S. is developing a truly comprehensive plan, responsive to the needs of society.

The public comment period has now closed
The final will be published at the end of January

Thanks to Cliff Gabriel, Ghassem Asrar and Greg Withee for successfully shepherding this process along

## ARCHITECTURE—NATIONAL

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

**Notes:**

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

## DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR EARTH OBSERVATIONS—NATIONAL

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

**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. 

## NEAR-TERM OPPORTUNITIES—NATIONAL

- Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings (includes tsunami network announced by the Administration on January 14, 2005)
- Global Land Observing System
- Sea Level Observing System
- National Integrated Drought Information System
- Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System

## NEXT STEPS:  U.S. PLAN

- Present final U.S. Strategic Plan at Third Earth Observation Summit in Brussels (February 15, 2005)
- Continue to engage academic, industry, and non-profit partners to implement strategy
- Late Spring 2005 workshop
- Continued interaction with Industry Alliance for Earth Observations

## BEYOND NOAA:INTERNATIONAL PARTNERING

- Leading development of Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Implementation Plan
- Active participants in GEO subgroup activities that provided technical basis for plan

- Representatives of 34 nations attended the first Earth Observation Summit.

## EARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT DECLARATION

- Ministers from 34 countries recognized need for:
- Comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system or systems;
- Coordinated effort to address capacity-building needs related to Earth observations;
- Exchange of observations in a full and open manner with minimum time delay and minimum cost; and
- Preparation of a 10-year Implementation Plan, building on existing systems and initiatives

## GEOSS BENEFITS FOCUS

- Natural & Human Induced Disasters

- Human Health & Well-Being

- Energy Resources

- Climate Variability & Change

- Water Resources

- Weather Information, Forecasting & Warning

- Terrestrial, Coastal & Marine Ecosystems

- Sustainable Agriculture & Desertification

- Biodiversity

**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.

## GEOSS NEXT STEPS

- Adopt GEOSS Implementation Plan at Third Earth Observation Summit, February 2005
- Establish governance organization to replace ad hoc intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations, to facilitate implementation

## SUMMARY

- To achieve the stated social benefits, DOC/NOAA leadership is
- Required for a sustained international Earth observation program
- Critical to implementing the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System
- NOAA observing programs account for over one third of the budget and comprise essential building blocks of a sustained global Earth observation system

## EARTH OBSERVATION INFO...

- Intergovernmental ad hoc Group on Earth Observations
- http://earthobservations.org
- Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations
- http://iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov

**Notes:**
I am going to leave you with the website information where you can learn more about the international and U.S. Plan.