# Presentation: 070471

## Future of Global Earth Observations:Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

- Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)
- Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
- NOAA Administrator
- EcoVision 2007
- April 19, 2007

**Notes:**
(Philippe Cousteau, President and CEO of EarthEcho International, and grandson of Jacques Cousteau, is scheduled to introduce you at the lunch.)

Thank you very much for your kind introduction, Philippe.
I am happy to be here to contribute to this first annual EcoVision conference.  This conference has attracted a fascinating mix of stakeholders for our environment – government, private sector, academia and NGOs).  NOAA is pleased to be a sponsor of this event along with other organizations including:
The Discovery Channel
The Wildlife Society
Northrop Grumman
National Geographic 
GM and Ford
I am pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to talk about the future of Earth observations and how innovation will enable us to move forward in the years to come to advance societal and economic benefits for the US and across the world.

## Benefits of Integrated Observations

- Weather

- National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) weather buoy

- Flood Damage—Hurricane Katrina 2005

- NOAA P3

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
Observations are at the crux of what NOAA does every day.

One of the most well known elements of NOAA is our role in weather prediction.  However, there are many observing systems that contribute substantially to this capability.  

In the case of hurricane prediction, weather buoys and our P3 hurricane hunter aircraft provide critical aerial and ocean observations to contribute to predictions.  

As a result of enhancements in our observing systems:
48-hr hurricane track forecasts have improved 3.5% per year on average since 1985, while intensity forecasts have improved about 0.8% per year

Our ongoing efforts to improve prediction through enhanced observations continues to be important.  With disasters like Hurricane Katrina, as shown in the picture showing flooding in downtown New Orleans on August 30, 2005, improving prediction capabilities to allow additional time for evacuation is extremely important.  

## Climate

- POES and GOES satellite configuration

- Prediction of El Nino

- Climate Monitoring & Diagnostics Lab-Antarctica

- Benefits of Integrated Observations

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
Earth observations, both space-based and in-situ, are critical to assessing and predicting the health of the Earth. 
For example, NOAA plays a critical role in using the space-based and in-situ observations to predict El Nino and La Nina, which have a significant impact on our climate, weather, and other environmental phenomena.
NOAA’s current satellites – GOES and POES (NOAA-12 & 14, GOES 8 & 9 and DMSP (NOAA operated)) as depicted in this animation were deployed to watch the Earth on a 24 x 7 operational basis (in the late 1990s).
NOAA’s in-situ observations are not only based in the U.S. – but range as far as Antarctica and the Arctic – as an understanding of the whole Earth is critical to climate prediction.
Space-based, aerial and in-situ observations are valuable to the prediction of and preparation for a broad range of environmental hazards.  
While they are valuable on their own, their value increases when their information is integrated – as it enables the development of better products for decision making.

## Commerce & Transportation

- Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS®)

- Efficient Marine Transportation—Bridge Air Gap Sensor

- Water Level Observations-Massachusetts

- Commerce & Transportation

- Benefits of Integrated Observations

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
NOAA, as part of the Department of Commerce, also plays a critical role in advancing safe air, surface and water transportation to advance economic prosperity.  NOAA operates observing systems to allow for the consistent measurement of water levels and currents as well as a broad range of meteorological parameters such as winds, pressure, air and water temperatures.

PORTS® is a decision-support tool that improves the safety and efficiency of maritime commerce and coastal resource management through the integration of real-time environmental observations, forecasts, and other geospatial information.

PORTS® are operated by NOAA in partnership with local port authorities.  

Thirteen different PORTS systems are currently operating in US ports – and 4 more are planned to be established in the Gulf of Mexico this year.

For example:
Tampa’s PORTS provides accurate real-time oceanographic information tailored to the specific needs of the 6,700 commercial vessels transiting Tampa Bay each year. 
Groundings in Tampa Bay declined by over 50% during the first 4 years of PORTS® operation.

For example:
An air gap (bridge clearance) sensor was installed on the Gerald Desmond Bridge, in Long Beach, California, to help ships know whether or not they can safely pass underneath the bridge. 

## Energy

- Continuity of access to electricity

- Benefits of Integrated Observations

- Solar weather observations

- Earth Observations For Energy Exploration

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
Key example of the value of Earth observations – Energy security in the areas of exploration, consumption and the impacts of consumption:
Earth Observations play a key role not just in the public good arena. Businesses make key decisions affecting their operations based on information they get from observations.  
For example, utility companies typically use weather forecasts to determine the mix of coal, hydroelectric, nuclear, wind, natural gas and oil plants that will be used to meet consumer needs. 
The U.S. power grid infrastructure relies on NOAA’s space weather forecasts to predict solar storms – as they can impact the load on their transformers.
One credible electric power outage could result in a direct loss to US Gross Domestic Product of $3 - $6 billion 
From an energy exploration perspective, Earth observations are also playing innovative roles. 
New techniques allow us to get a better picture of what is beneath the sea floor.  By the introduction of three-dimensional seismic data, we can better understand whether an area has potential for energy resources.  Better evaluations result in cost-savings and the prevention of wasteful drilling and mining.  Directed drilling and mining efforts would reduce strain on the oceanic environment and ecosystems.

## Agriculture

- Benefits of Integrated Observations

- Strengthening sustainable agricultural systems

- Satellite Observation of South African Drought

- NPOESS

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
NOAA’s Earth observation resources have the potential to impact societies and their economics throughout the world.  When used in partnership with other observing systems from our international partners, the possibilities for environmental monitoring expand and have the potential to reap benefits for diverse populations throughout the world.

With NOAA’s current polar satellite imager, AVHRR, and in the next generation with VIIRS on NPOESS, NOAA can continue to make contributions for drought monitoring in Africa.  

The image on the lower right details the severe drought conditions that have been particularly pronounced in Southern Africa between January and March of this year.  Data like this is critical to enable planners in the region to develop their preparedness efforts following a poor rainy season.

Satellite observations partnered together with in-situ observations have significant potential to enhance societal benefits for diverse stakeholders – and encourage the development of more sustainable agricultural systems through enhanced environmental prediction and preparedness for natural hazards

TRANSITION:
Over the past few years as NOAA administrator, we have been working with international partners to build on this potential to work to integrate our observation efforts to yield specific societal benefits.

## What is GEO?Group on Earth Observations

- What is GEO?Group on Earth Observations

- EOS I – July 2003, Washington
- 34 Members + 20 International Organizations
- EOS II – April 2004, Tokyo
- 47 Members + 26 International Organizations
- EOS III – February 2005, Brussels
- Nearly 60 Members + 34 International Organizations
- 10-Year Implementation Plan
- GEO Ministerial Summit – November 2007, Cape Town
- 69 Members + 46 International Organizations
- Successfully implementing work plan

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is an international partnership leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next 10 years. GEO involves 66 countries, the European Commission, and 46 international organizations. 
History of GEO:
3 Earth Obs Summits at ministerial level – led to creation of Group on Earth Observations with Secretariat in Geneva (housed at WMO) and a 10-Year Implementation Plan for GEOSS.
Closed out a 2006 work plan at GEO 3 in Bonn, Germany in 2006 and accepted a new 2007-2009 Work Plan to take us through the first third of GEOSS implementation.  The current work plan is focused on the nine societal benefit area foci of GEO.
Planning for a 4th Earth Observation Summit in November 2007 – a chance to highlight the successes and the progress that has been made – and to gain support for the further work that needs to be done.

Governments and international organizations can’t develop and grow GEO alone. 
NGOs and civil society must work with us as we build this effort to reach the greatest number of users. No one knows better than the users what information is of the greatest value.
The academic, technical and scientific communities must continue their ground-breaking research and outreach to stimulate the ongoing development of systems and products that enhance societal impacts.
The private sector also has a role to stimulate the development of cutting-edge systems and products. 
We need to work cooperatively to define appropriate roles, in order to serve the public interest.  

## NOAA Satellites & The Benefits Of Global Earth Observations

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
The heart of the development of GEOSS is in its focus on nine societal benefit areas – health, disasters, weather, climate energy, water, agriculture, ecosystems and biodiversity.

The GEOSS initiative focuses on integration of data, for short and long-term purposes, on an international scale.  

The view of the slide is from an integration perspective and is designed to show there are two areas of likely integration benefit: at the collection level, geospatially; and within the data management system, where we transform raw data into useable information to meet user needs. The view also emphasizes the point that our mission goals are the recipients of data and/or information sets to meet their requirements.
Integration is both vertical and horizontal....

However, with these integrated systems we must demonstrate tangible benefits to society or we will not maintain political support, nor will we maintain the interest of researchers who in large part are concerned about their own specific platforms.  

## What is GEOSS?Global Earth Observation System of Systems

- What is GEOSS?Global Earth Observation System of Systems

- Comprehensive
- Coordinated
- Sustained
- Innovative solutions to economic and societal challenges

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
GEO is an institution that is seeking to build a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Global Earth Observation System of Systems.  
GEOSS will be comprehensive, by including observations and products gathered from all components required to serve the needs of participating members.  
GEOSS will be coordinated, in terms of leveraging resources of individual contributing members to accomplish this system, whose total capacity is greater than the sum of its parts.  
GEO will also be sustained, by the collective and individual will and capacity of participating members.
TRANSITION:
For these efforts to continue – we must seek and encourage continued innovation in the development of next-generation observation systems – but also in their integration.

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsTechnical Innovation

- GOES-I/P Instruments

- GOES-R Baseline

- Imager

- Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI)

- 5 Channels
- 1km Visible, 4km IR
- Full Disk Image: Every 28 minutes - 3 hours

- 16 channels: Higher Spatial & Temporal Resolution
- 1/2km Visible, 2km IR
- Full Disk Image: Every 5 - 15 minutes

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
NOAA is pursuing advanced capabilities for the next-generation of operational satellites we are currently developing.

For example – GOES-R:
Its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) is going to provide enhanced data quality and resolution in comparison to NOAA’s current geostationary systems.

__________________ GOES I/P           vs          GOES-R
Imager Visible             1km resolution         1⁄2 km resolution
Imager Infrared           4km resolution         2 km resolution

There has been some concern in the scientific community that GOES-R will not have a HES instrument for advanced sounding:
ABI can be used on GOES-R series to produce sounding-like products similar to present GOES sounder 
In addition, the rapid revisit time of ABI (5-15 minutes) provides users with more frequent observations than the GOES sounder – which is an improvement from current capabilities
NOAA is currently conducting an Analysis of Alternatives for advanced sounding in support of future NOAA budget submissions 

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsTechnical Innovation

- GOES-I/P Instruments

- GOES-R Baseline

- Data Rate: 2.11 Mbps

- Daily Rate: 132.0 Mbps

- Daily Output: 181 Gb

- Daily Output: 16,000 Gb

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
The GOES-R generation of satellites will also produce significantly more data than our previous geostationary systems.

As shown in this slide, while the daily output on the current generation of GOES is 181 Gb per day, the new daily output will be 16,000 Gb – 88 times more data!

The data rate will also increase on a scale of 60 from 2.11 mbs to 132 Mbs.

TRANSITION:
However, to handle this amount of data, systems need to be in place to process the data – and users need to be prepared to access and use more advanced data streams and products.  This requires more advanced data management systems.

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsAdvances in Data Management

- Technical Innovation Yields Enhanced Data Management Needs
- Data Product Processing
- User Interface
- Archives & Access
- New Observation Systems Mean 100-Fold Increase in Earth Observation Data

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
NOAA is currently working to enhance its data management system to handle the future of environmental data coming from NPOESS and GOES-R.  

NOAA’s new systems will yield a 100-fold increase in Earth obs data.

The goal is not only to handle the initial download and processing of the data, but the whole life cycle from downlink, to processing, to user interface, to archiving and future access.

NOAA is currently working on a new system for archiving and access of its environmental data at its four data centers devoted to climate, ocean, coastal and geophysical data.  This system is called CLASS or the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System.

TRANSITION:
Advances in data management create more international data sharing opportunities

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsEnhanced International Cooperation

- Future of Global Earth ObservationsEnhanced International Cooperation

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
Regardless of how much new data is accessible from NOAA’s next generation systems, to get a full view of the health of the Earth – it is critical to access the data from other systems – especially those from our international partners.

Our new data management systems enable us to share data and information more effectively across national lines – to enhance the global societal benefits from our diverse Earth observation systems.

Data management, integration and data sharing are all critical components of GEO – and each of the stakeholders noted on this slide – EC, China, Brazil, South Africa, Russia and Japan – together with the UN – and our US GEO effort - are playing a key role in this.  

Many other countries are engaged as well – and as I noted earlier, this effort cannot be sustained without industry and civil society engagement as well.

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsGEO-NETCast

- Future of Global Earth ObservationsGEO-NETCast

- Implementation of GEONetCast:
- Open exchange of data and information
- Worldwide information distribution
- Role of members in participating organizations

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
One of the most important actions to be addressed by GEO is to facilitate the free and open exchange of data and information.  
What is GEONetCast?  
GEONetCast is a dissemination system by which environmental satellite and in situ data, products, and services from contributions to GEOSS will be transmitted to users through a global network of communications satellites, using a multicast, access-controlled, broadband capability.  
The communication satellite costs for each sector of the globe would be funded by one or more partners in GEONetCast, and the day to day management of each sector would be under their responsibility.  
Commercial communication satellite providers would broadcast using a standard protocol interface, such as used for Direct to Home Television or Direct TV transmission. 
Different data streams or products would be available on separate channels.  
The user would decide when to pull a data set onto his terminal and which data are to be managed and saved locally.
A critical element of this system is that it will be available for those who do not have access to reliable high-speed Internet connection through purchase of a low-cost small satellite dish.

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsInnovations for the Americas

- Future of Global Earth ObservationsInnovations for the Americas

- GOES-10 moved to 60°W to expand satellite coverage in South America

- Three new Dart-II buoys deployed in the Pacific Ocean off coast of Mexico and Costa Rica

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
NOAA has a particular focus on advancing Earth observation innovations together with our partners in the Americas.

NOAA recently repositioned its retired GOES-10 satellite to the East to 60 degrees west to enhance South America’s access to environmental satellite data.  This move was designed particularly to lessen the effects of natural disasters in the region.

NOAA also recently installed three new DART buoys off the Pacific coast of Mexico and Costa Rica to enhance the prediction of tsunamis in the region.  Similar to recent DART installations, particularly in SE Asia, it is expected that this deployment will advance tsunami detection and the issuance of warnings for the region.  

The global array of DART buoys is expected to total 39 stations by spring 2008. NOAA is also working to integrate and automate data from tidal gauges, DART buoys and seismic sensors for better forecasting. 

## Future of Global Earth ObservationsInnovations for Global Society

- Provide the right information, in the right format,...

- ...at the right time, to the right people, to make the right decisions.

- Future of Global Earth Observations: Innovation Yielding Societal Benefits

**Notes:**
These images show the challenges we must face in the years to come:
Algal blooms can result in fish deaths and unsafe swimming conditions at beaches – resulting in threats to public health.  
Flood conditions can also threaten health security in a region as well.   
Contaminated water from chemicals, toxins or sewage can cause or spread disease.  In tropical areas, standing water can breed mosquitoes with malaria.
Ship grounding: The container ship, APL Panama, went aground on Christmas Day 2005, in Ensenada, Baja, Mexico It was a struggle to get it free, meaning that the electronic goods it was carrying were significantly delayed in getting across the Pacific.  
Drought can result in threats to food security and health hazards.

Integrated, coordinated Earth observations can help to mitigate these challenges:
Our goal is not just integration for the sake of integration – but integration where it will provide the right information – right format – right time – right people – right decisions.  

We have to remember – this is about bringing the benefits of technology to global citizens.  Not the platforms, not the science, not the money, but how, together, we can use observations to bring benefits to society and provide the public, governments, organizations, and industry better information products for decision making