NATIONAL PLAN FOR 

CIVIL EARTH OBSERVATIONS

PRODUCT OF THE

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

July 2014
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20502

July 18, 2014

Dear Members of Congress:

The United States Government collects and distributes a wide range of environmental and Earth-system 

data. These data, collected and maintained through billions of dollars of investments in civil Earth 

observation systems, provide decision makers with information vital to improving our lives and wellbeing, protecting property, promoting national security and economic growth, and advancing scientific 

inquiry. The observations that provide these data are critical to our understanding of all Earth-system 

phenomena, including weather and climate, natural hazards, land-use change, ecosystem health, and 

natural-resource availability. 

Legislation instructs the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish a 

mechanism to ensure greater coordination of civilian Earth observations, including the development of 

a strategic implementation plan that is updated at least every three years. In April 2013, the National 

Earth Observations Task Force completed the National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations, which 

established a policy framework for routine assessment of Earth observations and guidelines to facilitate 

enhanced data management and information delivery to users. It also called for the development of a 

National Plan for Civil Earth Observations. 

This first-ever National Plan is a key outcome of interagency coordination in support of the National 

Strategy. Based in large part on the results of a government-wide assessment of the Nation’s Earth 

observations portfolio, the Plan establishes priorities and supporting actions for advancing our civil 

Earth observations capabilities. Its publication marks an important step in our ability to understand, 

prioritize, and coordinate Federal Earth observations and to better inform our investments in civil Earthobservation systems.

The Plan was developed by OSTP through an interagency effort led by the U.S. Group on Earth 

Observations, a subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on 

Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability. It will be revised every three years in conjunction 

with the regular Earth observations assessment process.

I and my office look forward to working with the Congress to support the Plan’s implementation and to 

advance our civil Earth-observation capabilities for the benefit of society.

Sincerely,

John P. Holdren

Assistant to the President for Science and Technology

Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
About the National Science and Technology Council 

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by which the Executive Branch 

coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make up the Federal research and 

development enterprise. A primary objective of the NSTC is establishing clear national goals for Federal 

science and technology investments. The NSTC prepares research and development strategies that are 

coordinated across Federal agencies to form investment packages aimed at accomplishing multiple national 

goals. The work of the NSTC is organized under five committees: Environment, Natural Resources, and 

Sustainability; Homeland and National Security; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) 

Education; Science; and Technology. Each of these committees oversees subcommittees and working groups 

focused on different aspects of science and technology. More information is available at 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/nstc. 

About the Office of Science and Technology Policy 

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science and Technology 

Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976. OSTP’s responsibilities include: advising the President in 

policy formulation and budget development on questions in which science and technology are important 

elements; articulating the President’s science and technology policy and programs; and fostering strong 

partnerships among Federal, state, and local governments, and the scientific communities in industry and 

academia. The Director of OSTP also serves as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and 

manages the NSTC. More information is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp. 

About the United States Group on Earth Observations 

The United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) is chartered as a subcommittee of the NSTC Committee 

on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS). The Subcommittee’s purpose is threefold: to 

coordinate, plan, and assess Federal Earth observation activities in cooperation with domestic stakeholders; to 

foster improved Earth system data management and interoperability throughout the Federal Government; and 

to engage international stakeholders by formulating the U.S. position for, and coordinating U.S. participation in 

the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations. More information is available at http://www.usgeo.gov. 

Copyright Information 

This document is a work of the United States Government and is in the public domain (see 17 U.S.C. §105). 

Subject to the stipulations below, it may be distributed and copied with acknowledgment to OSTP. Copyrights 

to graphics included in this document are reserved by the original copyright holders or their assignees and 

are used here under the government’s license and by permission. Requests to use any images must be made 

to the provider identified in the image credits or to OSTP if no provider is identified. 

Printed in the United States of America, 2014.

About this Document 

This Plan was developed by OSTP with the support of a writing team led by USGEO Subcommittee Chair, Peter 

Colohan, and Director of the USGEO Program, Timothy Stryker. It was reviewed by the USGEO Subcommittee 

and CENRS and was finalized and published by OSTP. 
OSTP and the USGEO Subcommittee and Program wish to acknowledge the significant analytical 

contributions of staff from the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Science and Technology Policy Institute 

throughout the development of the Plan, including Jason Gallo, Brian Sergi, Eoin McCarron, and Elaine 

Sedenberg.
National Science and Technology Council

Chair

John P. Holdren

Assistant to the President for Science and Technology

Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

NSTC Staff Executive Director

Jayne Morrow

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources,

and Sustainability

Co-Chairs

Tamara Dickinson

Principal Assistant Director for Environment & Energy

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Glenn Paulson*

Assistant Administrator for Research and Development and Science Advisor

Environmental Protection Agency

Kathryn Sullivan

Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere 

Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department of Commerce

United States Group on Earth Observations

Chair

Peter Colohan

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Vice-Chairs

John Crowe

U.S. Geological Survey

Department of the Interior

Lawrence Friedl 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Zdenka Willis

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department of Commerce
Members

Grant Aufderhaar

Department of Defense

Linnea Avallone

National Science Foundation

John Balbus

National Institute of Environmental Health Science

Department of Health and Human Services

Michael Bonadonna

Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department of Commerce

Steven Cary 

United States Army Corps of Engineers

Department of Defense

Bruce Davis

Department of Homeland Security

Ivan DeLoatch

Federal Geographic Data Committee

U.S. Geological Survey

Department of the Interior

Dan Edwards

United States Air Force

Department of Defense

Wayne Estabrooks 

United States Navy

Department of Defense

Gary Foley

Environmental Protection Agency

Gary Geernaert 

Department of Energy

Len Hirsch

Smithsonian Institution

Camille Mittelholtz

Department of Transportation

Daniel Reifsnyder

Department of State

Carrie Stokes 

United States Agency for International Development
Charles Walthall 

Department of Agriculture

Sandra Webster

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

White House Liaisons

Tamara Dickinson 

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Peter Colohan 

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Grace Hu 

Office of Management and Budget

U.S. Group on Earth Observations Program

Timothy Stryker 

USGEO Program Director

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Wade Price 

Executive Secretary

Smithsonian Institution

*Stepped down in 2014 
1

Table of Contents

Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................................1

1. Introduction............................................................................................................................................4

2. Definitions and Context..........................................................................................................................7

2.1. Definition of Earth Observations and Earth Observing Systems....................................................7

2.2. Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) .........................................................................................................7

2.3. Earth Observation Assessment (EOA)............................................................................................8

2.4. Data Management Framework, Big Earth Data Initiative, and Climate Data Initiative ................9

2.5. Relationship between the National Plan and Existing Studies.......................................................9

2.6 External Input and the Request for Information..........................................................................10

3. Categories for Civil Earth Observations................................................................................................11

3.1. Overview of Categories................................................................................................................11

3.2. Sustained Observations................................................................................................................12

3.2.1. Sustained Observations for Public Services......................................................................12

3.2.2. Sustained Observations for Earth System Research in the Public Interest ......................14

3.3. Experimental Observations..........................................................................................................15

4. Priorities and Supporting Actions for Civil Earth Observations............................................................17

4.1. Priorities.......................................................................................................................................17

4.1.1. Priority 1: Continuity of Sustained Observations for Public Services...............................17

4.1.2. Priority 2: Continuity of Sustained Observations for Earth System Research..................18

4.1.3. Priority 3: Continued Investment in Experimental Observations.....................................19

4.1.4. Priority 4: Planned Improvements to Sustained Observation Networks and Surveys for 

All Observation Categories ...............................................................................................19

4.1.5. Priority 5: Continuity of, and Improvements to, a Rigorous Assessment and Prioritization 

Process..............................................................................................................................19

4.2. Supporting Actions.......................................................................................................................20

4.2.1. Action 1: Coordinate and Integrate Observations............................................................20

4.2.2. Action 2: Improve Data Access, Management, and Interoperability ...............................21

4.2.3. Action 3: Increase Efficiency and Cost Savings.................................................................23

4.2.4. Action 4: Improve Observation Density and Sampling .....................................................24

4.2.5. Action 5: Maintain and Support Infrastructure ................................................................25

4.2.6. Action 6: Explore Commercial Solutions...........................................................................26

4.2.7. Action 7: Maintain and Strengthen International Collaboration......................................26
2

4.2.8. Action 8: Engage in Stakeholder-Driven Data Innovation ................................................27

5. Civil Earth Observations from Airborne, Terrestrial, and Marine Platforms.......................................29

5.1. Sustained Airborne, Terrestrial, and Marine Observations for Public Services and Research ...30

5.1.1. Airborne Observations for Public Services and Research.................................................30

5.1.2. Terrestrial (Including Freshwater) Observations for Public Services and Research .........30

5.1.3. Marine Observations for Public Services and Research ...................................................31

5.1.4. Multi-platform Observations for Public Services and Research.......................................32

5.2. Experimental Airborne, Terrestrial, and Marine Observations....................................................32

6. Agency Roles and Responsibilities for Civil Earth Observations from Space ......................................33

6.1. Sustained Satellite Observations for Public Services ...................................................................33

6.1.1. Air Quality and Ozone.......................................................................................................33

6.1.2. Land Imaging.....................................................................................................................34

6.1.3. Ocean Color Observations................................................................................................34

6.1.4. Ocean Surface and Water-Level Monitoring ....................................................................34

6.1.5. Ocean Surface Vector Winds............................................................................................35

6.1.6. Space Weather Monitoring...............................................................................................35

6.1.7. Weather, Hazards, and Seasonal/Inter-annual Climate Variability ..................................35

6.2. Sustained Satellite Observations for Earth System Research ......................................................36

6.2.1. Aerosols and Trace Gases.................................................................................................36

6.2.2. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ............................................................................................36

6.2.3. Groundwater.....................................................................................................................36

6.2.4. Net Energy Balance...........................................................................................................37

6.3. Experimental Satellite Observations.............................................................................................37

7. Summary Guidelines in Implementation and Coordination of the National Plan ...............................39

Annex I: 2012 EOA Results..........................................................................................................................40

Annex II: Caveats for Understanding and Interpreting the 2012 Earth Observation Assessment ............59

Annex III: Abbreviations..............................................................................................................................61
1

Executive Summary

The U.S. Government is the largest provider of environmental and Earth-system data in the world. These 

data are derived from observations of the Earth, which are used by Federal agencies and their partners to 

carry out their missions. These data form the foundation of services that protect human life, property, the 

economy, and national security, and they support research to foster scientific advances. Provided through 

public funding, they are made open to the greatest extent possible to advance human knowledge, to 

enable private industry to provide value-added services, and for general public use.

As the Nation’s Earth-observation capacity and related data holdings have grown, so has the complexity 

of the challenge of managing Earth observation systems effectively and taking full advantage of the data 

they collect. While Earth observations and data are often collected to support the delivery of well-defined 

products and public services or meet specific research needs, improved coordination and access would 

ensure that the data are used more broadly. By expanding the use of observations and data beyond the 

purposes for which they are originally collected, the United States can maximize the impact of the 

resources invested in Earth-observation systems.

In October 2010, Congress charged the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) with 

establishing a mechanism for addressing this challenge through the production and routine update of a 

strategic plan for Earth observations. In response, OSTP convened a National Earth Observations Task 

Force (NEOTF) in February 2011, which produced the National Strategy for Civil Earth Observationsin April 

2013. The NEOTF also conducted the first assessment of the Federal Earth observations enterprise. The 

resulting Earth-Observation Assessment (EOA) considered the impact of observing systems on distinct 

societal benefit areas.

This document, the National Plan for Civil Earth Observations (hereafter referred to as the National Plan), 

incorporates the priorities identified in the EOA to provide strategic guidance for a balanced portfolio 

approach to managing civil Earth observations to fulfill agency mandates and achieve national objectives. 

As required by law, this National Plan will be updated every three years to provide greater coordination 

of Federal civil Earth-observation systems. 

The National Plan defines a new framework for constructing a balanced portfolio of Earth observations 

and observing systems. This framework classifies Earth-observation activities according to two broad 

categories, “sustained” and “experimental” based on the duration of the anticipated Federal 

commitment:

 Sustained observations are defined as measurements taken routinely that Federal agencies are 

committed to monitoring on an ongoing basis, generally for seven years or more. These 

measurements can be for public services or for Earth-system research in the public interest. 

 Experimental observations are defined as measurements taken for a limited observing period, 

generally seven years or less, that Federal agencies are committed to monitoring for research and 

development purposes. These measurements serve to advance human knowledge, explore 

technical innovation, and improve services, and in many cases may be first-of-their-kind Earth 

observations.
2

Within the subcategory of sustained observations for public services, the National Plan defines two tiers

of measurement groups. Tier 1 measurement groups are those derived from systemsidentified in the EOA

as having high impact on a majority of the societal benefit areas; Tier 2 measurement groupsinclude those 

derived from the remaining high-impact systems. While the EOA provided higher overall scores to Tier 1 

systems, many Tier 2 systems contribute critically, or are essential, to key objectives in one or more

societal benefit areas. Some Tier 2 systems are the only observing systems available for accomplishing a 

particular objective. 

These new categories advance the Nation’s approach to Earth observations by describing a new

framework based on the duration of Federal commitment to the period of observation, which is an 

essential step for prioritizing the Nation’s Earth observations portfolio. This framework is also a step 

toward addressing a key policy challenge in Earth observations: determining when experimental 

observations should be transitioned to sustained observations for research or for delivery of public 

services.

Based on this framework and the results of the EOA, the National Plan establishes the following rankordered priorities:

1. Continuity of sustained observations for public services

2. Continuity of sustained observations for Earth-system research

3. Continued investment in experimental observations

4. Planned improvements to sustained observation networks and surveys for all observation 

categories

5. Continuity of, and improvements to, a rigorous assessment and prioritization process 

The overall set of observations resulting from these priorities should yield a balanced Earth-observations 

portfolio. 

While the National Plan provides guidance in setting priorities for the construction of the portfolio, 

agencies have discretion, in consultation with the Executive Office of the President and Congress, to 

deviate from the National Plan’s rankings of priorities when necessary for managing specific systems in 

the categories and tiers outlined in this document. The National Plan provides this flexibility while still 

meeting the Nation’s overall civil Earth-observation priorities and objectives.

The National Plan also identifies the following rank-ordered supporting actions that will maximize the 

benefits derived from the Nation’s Earth observations: 

1. Coordinate and integrate observations

2. Improve data access, management, and interoperability

3. Increase efficiency and cost savings 

4. Improve observation density and sampling 

5. Maintain and support infrastructure 
3

6. Explore commercial solutions

7. Maintain and strengthen international collaboration 

8. Engage in stakeholder-driven innovation 

The National Plan also describes specific agency roles and responsibilities for sustaining observation

systems and platforms. 

Implementation and coordination of the activities outlined in the National Plan will be conducted through 

the budget and program-planning activities of the relevant Federal agencies and through interagency 

processes. Federal agencies will determine implementation schedules, progress reviews, and funding 

profiles in consultation with the Executive Office of the President.

The primary forum for interagency discussion and coordination of Earth observation, related data 

management, and related international issues is the United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) 

Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Environment, 

Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS). OSTP, in consultation with the USGEO Subcommittee, the 

NSTC CENRS, and their member agencies, will review and update this National Plan on a three-year cycle. 

As part of the update process, OSTP will solicit and consider the input of external stakeholders and the 

general public. For this first National Plan, OSTP sought input from external stakeholders through a 

publicly released Request for Information. 
4

1. Introduction

The U.S. Government the largest provider of environmental and Earth system data in the world. These 

data are derived from Earth observations1collected by numerous Federal agencies and partners to carry 

out their missions in support of life, property, and economic and national security, and they are the 

foundation for scientific advances. In accordance with the National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations

and Executive Order No. 13642, these publicly funded data are made open2to the greatest extent possible 

to advance human knowledge, to enable private industry to provide value-added services, and for general 

public use.3

Conservative estimates indicate that Federal Earth-observation activities add $30 billion to the U.S. 

economy each year.4 These investments ensure that decision makers, businesses, first responders, 

farmers, and an array of other stakeholders have the information they need about natural resources, 

climate and weather, natural hazards, land-use change, ecosystem health, water, and other 

characteristics of the planet. Taken together, Earth observations provide the indispensable foundation for 

meeting the Federal Government’s long-term sustainability objectives and advancing U.S. social, 

environmental, and economic well-being.

As the Nation’s Earth-observation capacity has grown, however, so has the complexity and challenge of 

its most effective use for public benefit. Today, civil Earth observations are funded in the budgets of 11 

departments and agencies of the Federal Government, including more than an estimated $2.5 billion in 

satellite systems and more than $1 billion for airborne, terrestrial (including freshwater), and marine 

networks and surveys (e.g., buoys, stream gages, and fishery surveys). U.S. Earth observation efforts are 

 

1 The term “Earth observations” refers to data and products derived from Earth-observing systems and surveys. The term

“observing systems” refers to one or more sensing elements that directly or indirectly collect observations of the Earth, 

measure environmental parameters, or survey biological or other Earth resources (land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, 

atmosphere, and oceans). A more detailed definition is provided in Section 2: Definitions and Context.

2 National Earth Observations Task Force, National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations, Washington, DC: Office of Science and 

Technology Policy, April 2013, p. 24, 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/nstc_2013_earthobsstrategy.pdf; Executive Order No. 13642 

“Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information,” May 9, 2013, 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-defaultgovernment-.

3 Defense and national-security requirements and considerations are not covered by this National Plan, though the use of 

defense and national-security assets for civil purposes is included. The Department of Defense is responsible for developing 

solutions for defense Earth observation requirements to support military operations and makes data available for civil agency

use as appropriate. Coordination and oversight of civil agency use of national-security classified collections is performed by 

the interagency Civil Applications Committee. See the National Earth Observations Task Force, National Strategy for Civil 

Earth Observations, Washington, DC: Office of Science and Technology Policy, April 2013, p. 13.

4 Earth Observations and Global Change, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 2008, p. 10.

http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/080725_wigbels_earthobservation_web.pdf.
5

distributed among more than 100 programs under the purview of Federal agencies and non-Federal 

entities that produce and use these data.5

While Earth-system data collected through these observations are currently used to meet critical needs 

of distinct organizations and stakeholders, improved coordination will ensure that information derived 

from Earth observations will be used more broadly for both traditional and innovative purposes.

In October 2010, Congress charged the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) with 

establishing a mechanism for addressing this challenge.6 OSTP convened a National Earth Observations 

Task Force (NEOTF) in February 2011 under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) 

Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS) to inform the OSTP response 

to Congress. The NEOTF took three actions:

1. The development of a National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations (hereafter referred to as the 

National Strategy) to provide an enduring framework for routine assessment and planning for the 

Nation’s Earth observation infrastructure. The National Strategy was released in April 2013.

7

2. The development of a data-management framework, including principles and guidelines to 

improve discovery, access, and use of Earth observations. This framework is contained within the 

National Strategy.

3. The first assessment of the Federal Earth-observation enterprise, reviewing the impact of 362 

observing systems on 13 societal themes. Summary results of the 2012 Earth Observation 

Assessment (EOA) are presented in this National Plan for Civil Earth Observations (hereafter 

referred to as the National Plan).

These three actions provided OSTP and CENRS with the foundation for this National Plan, which includes 

the following elements:

1. Definitions and context (Section 2)

2. Categories for civil Earth observations (Section 3)

3. Priorities and supporting actions for civil Earth observations (Section 4)

 

5 Non-Federal entities encompass State, regional, local, and tribal governments; nongovernmental organizations; academia; 

citizen scientists; commercial firms; international organizations; and foreign governments. 

6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–267): 

SEC. 702. INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH. -The Director of OSTP shall establish a mechanism 

to ensure greater coordination of the research, operations, and activities relating to civilian Earth observation of those 

Agencies, including NASA, that have active programs that either contribute directly or indirectly to these areas. This 

mechanism should include the development of a strategic implementation plan that is updated at least every 3 years, and 

includes a process for external independent advisory input. This plan should include a description of the responsibilities of the 

various Agency roles in Earth observations, recommended cost-sharing and procurement arrangements between Agencies 

and other entities, including international arrangements, and a plan for ensuring the provision of sustained, long-term spacebased climate observations. The Director shall provide a report to Congress within 90 days after the date of enactment of this 

Act on the implementation plan for this mechanism.

7 National Earth Observations Task Force, National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations, Washington, DC: Office of Science and 

Technology Policy, April 2013.
6

4. Agency roles and responsibilities for sustained observations from airborne, terrestrial, and marine 

platforms (Section 5)

5. Agency roles and responsibilities for civil Earth observations from space (Section 6)

6. Summary guidelines on implementation and coordination of the National Plan (Section 7)

7. Summary results from the 2012 EOA supporting the identified priorities, EOA caveats, and a list 

of abbreviations used in this document (Annexes I-III).

As required by law, this National Plan will be updated every three years to ensure greater coordination of 

Federal civil Earth observation systems.

This National Plan serves as strategic guidance and sets out to fulfill agency mandates and national 

objectives via a balanced portfolio approach to civil Earth observations. The National Plan provides a 

framework that allows for the establishment, evaluation, and evolution of a balanced portfolio of 

observations and observing systems. This new framework builds on recent progress Federal agencies have 

made in taking fuller advantage of Earth observations across traditional boundaries to address their

mission objectives and policy goals.
7

2. Definitions and Context

The National Strategy defined key terms and concepts for routine assessment and planning for Earth 

observations. These and other definitions are used throughout the National Plan.

8

2.1. Definition of Earth Observations and Earth Observing Systems 

“Observation” refers to the act of making and recording the measurement of a phenomenon. “Earth 

observations” are described in the National Strategy as follows: 

The term “Earth observations” refers to data and products derived from Earth-observing systems 

and surveys. The term “observing systems” refers to one or more sensing elements that directly 

or indirectly collect observations of the Earth, measure environmental parameters, or survey 

biological or other Earth resources (land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and 

oceans).9Sensing elements may be deployed as individual sensors or in constellations or networks 

and may include instrumentation or human elements. Observing-system platforms may be mobile 

or fixed and are space-based, airborne, terrestrial, freshwater, or marine-based. 

Earth observations are increasingly provided by integrated systems that support remotely sensed, in situ,

and human observations. The benefit of these observations comes from the analysis of Earth-system 

parameters from different geographic or temporal perspectives, providing more complete monitoring of 

the target phenomenon and its interaction with other phenomena. 

2.2. Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs)

The National Strategy laid out a process to evaluate Earth-observing systems based on the information 

products and data streams they support in defined SBAs. This approach was adopted by the NSTC CENRS

in February 2012, is consistent with the Federal Government’s sustainability objectives, and aligns with 

international agreements and prior interagency work in this area.10 The first assessment of Earth 

observations was organized around 13 societal themes, which consisted of 12 SBAs (listed alphabetically 

below) and the reference measurements that underpin them:

 Agriculture and Forestry: Supporting sustainable agriculture and forestry

 Biodiversity: Understanding and conserving biodiversity

 

8 This National Plan contains both bulleted and numbered lists. Numbered lists indicate the order of priority, whereas bulleted

lists indicate equal priority. 

9 Model outputs are generally excluded from this definition; however, some observing systems produce and record measures 

and observations that may require sensor models to process raw observations to a form in which they are exploitable.

10 Group on Earth Observations, Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS): 10-Year Implementation Plan Reference

Document, 2005, http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/10-Year%20Plan%20Reference%20Document.pdf; 

Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations, Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System, NSTC 

Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, 2005, 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/eocstrategic_plan.pdf .
8

 Climate: Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and 

change

 Disasters: Reducing loss of life, property, and ecosystem damage from natural and humaninduced disasters

 Ecosystems (Terrestrial and Freshwater): Improving the management and protection of 

terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems

 Energy and Mineral Resources: Improving the identification and management of energy and 

mineral resources

 Human Health: Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being

 Ocean and Coastal Resources and Ecosystems: Understanding and protecting ocean, coastal, and 

Great Lakes populations and resources, including fisheries, aquaculture, and marine ecosystems

 Space Weather: Understanding, assessing, predicting, and mitigating the effects of space weather 

on technological systems, including satellites, power grids, communications, and navigation

 Transportation: Improving the safety and efficiency of all modes of transportation, including air, 

highway, railway, and marine

 Water Resources: Improving water-resource management through better understanding and 

monitoring of the water cycle

 Weather: Improving weather information, forecasting, and warning

 Reference Measurements: Improving reference measurements—the underpinnings of all SBAs—

such as geodesy, bathymetry, topography, geolocation, timing, and the fundamental 

measurement systems and standards supporting them

These SBAs are interconnected at local, regional, national, and international scales and include scientific 

research, economic activities, and environmental and social domains. Many involve critical government 

functions, such as the continuity of national government and the protection of life and property.

2.3. Earth Observation Assessment (EOA)

The first EOA was conducted between February and August 2012 under the auspices of the NEOTF. The 

NEOTF principals designated a working group to collaborate with appropriate subject matter experts

(SMEs). OSTP reached out to the subcommittees of CENRS to identify the 13 subject matter leads, who in 

turn recruited over 300 Federal experts to participate in 26 analytical workshops. 

This EOA quantified the impacts of existing observing systems on a set of key objectives defined for each 

SBA listed in Subsection 2.2. This resulted in the identification of 362 observing systems and surveys, of 

which 145 were designated as “high impact.” Results for the high-impact systems were grouped in tiers 
9

and ordered based on a numeric impact score derived through the assessment process. These results are 

presented in Annex I.

11

The EOA provided two new perspectives to complement the work of previous studies in this area, namely 

(a) the inclusion of non-satellite systems and (b) a robust analysis of the impact of each system with 

respect to its delivery of services to society.12

The next EOA, which is planned to begin in 2014, will seek additional insight with regard to research 

priorities and future needs in addition to existing systems.

2.4. Data-Management Framework, Big-Earth-Data Initiative, and Climate 

Data Initiative

While Earth observations are typically produced for a specific purpose, they are often useful for purposes 

not foreseen during their development. Earth observation data can be reused, managed, and preserved 

such that both anticipated and unanticipated users can find, evaluate, understand, and use the data in 

new ways to achieve added benefit. The National Strategy, therefore, set out a comprehensive datamanagement framework to promote improved discoverability, accessibility, and usability of Earth 

observation data. 

The National Plan includes improving data access, management, and interoperability as a supporting 

action. The Big Earth Data Initiative (BEDI) is designed to support this objective (see Section 4.2.2). In 

addition, the President’s Climate Action Plan13, announced in June 2013, launched a Climate Data Initiative

to leverage extensive Federal climate-relevant data to stimulate innovation and private-sector

entrepreneurship in support of climate resilience.

2.5. Relationship between the National Plan and Existing Studies

The National Plan can be understood as the first in a series of interagency efforts to analyze Federal-Earth 

observation priorities. It can also be understood in connection with other internal and external 

assessments. Of these assessments, an important example is the 2007 National Academies report, Earth 

Science and Applications from Space, known as the Earth Science decadal survey. This and other reports 

of the National Academies provide substantial material for understanding Earth-observation priorities of 

 

11 See the National Strategy for a complete description of the assessment process.

12 The EOA provided an innovative approach to understanding the impacts of Federal Earth-observation systems. The results of 

the EOA, however, must be considered in the context of the limitations of this assessment, which is the first of its kind. For 

example, fundamental research about the Earth system underpins each of the 12 SBAs, and each team was invited to 

consider research priorities critical for its area. The EOA process, however, was fundamentally service-oriented, and the 

constraints of time and the breadth of the analysis prevented a full accounting of research needs in every area. Therefore the 

EOA’s results for research observation systems may not reflect the full impact of those systems on climate and other 

research needs. See Annex II for a full list of caveats.

13 Executive Office of the President, The President’s Climate Action Plan, 2013, http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/climateaction-plan.
10

the research community. This National Plan was informed by the results of the EOA, by these reports, and 

by related interagency deliberation.

2.6 External Input and the Request for Information

In developing this first National Plan, OSTP sought input from external stakeholders through a Request for 

Information (RFI).14 Issued in November of 2013, the RFI solicited input on the major themes, categories, 

and priorities for the National Plan. OSTP received responses from a range of stakeholders, including 

individuals, academic institutions, private-sector companies, and industry organizations. Using both 

qualitative and quantitative approaches, OSTP analyzed the RFI responses and incorporated input into the

National Plan where appropriate. OSTP will seek and incorporate external input in future editions of the 

National Plan.

 

14 Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Plan for Civil earth Observations; Request for Information, Office of the 

Federal Register, 2013, https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/11/12/2013-26890/national-plan-for-civil-earthobservations-request-for-information; see the USGEO web page for a list of public responses to the RFI for the development 

of the National Plan for Civil Earth Observations, 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/library/shareyourinput/earthobsrfi.
11

3. Categories for Civil Earth Observations 

3.1. Overview of Categories 

The National Plan defines two categories of observations that reflect the intention to distinguish systems 

and programs based on the duration of Federal commitment to the period of observation: either 

sustained over time or experimental and therefore time-limited. Sustained observations may be used to 

support public services and research for the public interest. Experimental observations may be used to 

support a variety of purposes, including: advancing human knowledge through basic and applied research, 

exploring technical innovation, or improving public services.

A fundamental goal of this National Plan is to achieve a balanced portfolio across and within both 

sustained and experimental categories of observations. Any Federal agency may engage in sustained and 

experimental observations to meet its mandate, achieve specific missions, or to support national 

objectives. These new categories of observation are designed to provide clarity in the Nation’s approach 

to Earth observations. This categorization, based on the duration of commitment, is necessary for 

prioritizing the Nation’s Earth-observing portfolio.15

This National Plan recognizes, however, that all civil Earth observations collected by the public sector are 

considered public goods, and that data from systems in any one category may be reused for purposes 

other than those for which the observation was originally taken. Such reuse is enabled by the rapid 

exchange and integration of data made possible by modern information technology (see Subsection 2.4 

on data management).

For example: 

 Sustained observation systems supporting the delivery of public services contribute significant 

data and information to both short- and long-term research programs.

 Sustained observation systems for research, as well as experimental observation systems, provide 

data and information that are routinely exploited in support of the ongoing, regular delivery of 

public services.

 Experimental observation systems supported by research and development funds can yield new 

systems or observation capabilities that can then be applied to service-driven observation 

programs. 

 

15 By focusing on duration, this new framework overcomes the conceptual limitations of the traditional categories of “research” 

and “operational” observations, which conflate three elements of Earth observation planning: purpose, duration, and state. 

The purpose of the system reflects the rationale for the agency’s deployment of the system—to deliver public services or to 

conduct research in the public interest (including basic research). Duration reflects the time period over which the agency 

intends to perform the observation. State refers to the status of an observing system as it evolves—from testing, through 

development, to operations—no matter the intended purpose or duration of the agency commitment to the observation 

system. Whereas research clearly refers to purpose, the term “operational” has come to mean purpose, duration, and state, 

particularly in the defense and aerospace communities, in the sense of “supporting ongoing operations.” Under the National 

Plan’s new framework, civil Earth observation systems previously characterized as “operational” are included under 

“sustained observations for public services.” 
12

While recognizing the value of data across all categories, this approach to categorizing observing systems 

as either sustained or experimental is a step toward addressing a key policy challenge: determining when 

experimental Earth observations should be transitioned to sustained observations for research or to help 

deliver public services. This transition may occur within or between agencies. The policy challenge is 

greatest in the case of multi-agency collaboration. By recognizing that multiple agencies engage in both 

experimental and sustained observations, the new terminology for sustained observations allows for longterm measurement responsibilities and plans to be more easily and accurately characterized within 

individual agency budgets. 

This National Plan acknowledges the outstanding need to address cross-agency, experimental, and

sustained observation challenges, and it initiates an interagency process for establishing governmentwide priorities for sustained observations, either for service or research purposes.

3.2. Sustained Observations

For the purposes of this National Plan, sustained observations are defined as measurements that Federal 

agencies are committed to taking on an ongoing basis, generally for seven years or more, at a level of

quality sufficient for the primary purpose for which the measurement is taken.

16 Such long-term 

commitments include pre-planned improvements and service-life extension programs. Sustained 

observations are divided into two purpose-driven subcategories: those for public services and those for 

Earth system research for the public interest. These subcategories are further described in the following 

two subsections. 

3.2.1. Sustained Observations for Public Services

Sustained Observations for Public Services are those systematic measurements necessary to support 

products routinely generated for, and widely disseminated to, the general public. These include vital 

measurements supporting continuous data streams and data products for preservation of life and 

property (e.g., for severe weather, seasonal and inter-annual climate forecasts, earthquakes, volcanoes, 

tsunamis, floods, fire detection and suppression, and air quality alerts); routinely generated current 

conditions data (e.g., for transportation, agriculture, energy, and weather forecasting); and data relating 

to ongoing resource and environmental management (e.g., for trends analysis, stock assessments, water 

quality, and forestry).

The Earth-observation systems that produce these sustained observations constitute vital national 

infrastructure, providing well-established, direct benefits to society and the economy (e.g., protecting life 

and property and securing food and water during disasters). These systems are in place to provide the 

Nation with essential information to promote and sustain economic vitality (e.g., transportation, 

agriculture, energy, water, and natural resource management) and public safety (e.g., hazard warnings). 

These data streams form the foundation for critical scientific research to improve fundamental 

understanding of the Earth system and its changing climate. They provide accurate forecasts, surveys, and 

 

16 For the purposes of this National Plan, a commitment to maintain observations for seven years or more is considered to be 

the minimum threshold necessary for provision of long-term services and research in the public interest. Most experimental 

observation programs are not planned to exceed seven years.
13

records that support U.S. scientific, economic, and commercial interests and, as such, are essential to the 

maintenance of national and economic security. 

Sustained observations for public services are subdivided into two tiers, described below.

3.2.1.1.Tier 1

Based on results of the EOA, the following measurement groups support a majority of the societal

themes.17 These measurement groups represent the highest priority measurements in the category of 

sustained observations for public services. They are listed below in priority order.

1. Weather and seasonal climate monitoring and prediction: Observations in this measurement 

group characterize phenomena such as precipitation, storms, wind, floods, sea state, drought, 

wildfires, ice, air quality (including ozone), and weather risks to human health and transportation. 

They also contribute to short-term climate forecasts. These observations derive from nextgeneration radar on fixed and mobile platforms; atmospheric sounding from space and airborne 

platforms, oceanic measurements, and spectral and radiometric imaging of the Earth surface.

2. Dynamic land-surface monitoring and characterization: Observations in this measurement group 

support food and water security, water availability and quality, fire detection and suppression, 

human health, forestry, soil characterization (including soil moisture), hazards mapping and 

response, and natural-resource management. They particularly derive from multispectral and 

hyperspectral imaging from space and airborne platforms, forest inventory, and soil data 

collection.

3. Elevation and geo-location: Observations in this measurement group support food and water 

security, hazard and risk mapping, and natural-resource management. These observations 

particularly include topography and bathymetry, surface modeling, hydrologic data, and 

ecosystems-related data as derived from radar and laser sensors on satellite-based, airborne, and 

terrestrial platforms, as well as positioning, navigation, and timing satellites, such as those used 

for the Global Positioning System (GPS). 

4. Water level and flow: Observations in this measurement group support coastal inundation and 

inland flooding, water availability, hydropower management, transportation, human health, 

water equivalent of snow, and tsunami hazard preparedness. They particularly derive from

coastal and inland water level and flow measurements, seafloor topography, and ocean 

topography from satellite altimetry.

 

17 These measurement categories were derived by reviewing the primary purpose of the 15 highest impact systems identified

by the EOA across all SBAs. They are designated as Tier 1 systems in this National Plan. The examples of questions and 

phenomena supported by each measurement group are meant to be illustrative and do not represent the fullest range of 

possible uses for these measurements. A list of systems supporting Tier 1 measurements can be found in Table 1 in Annex I. 
14

3.2.1.2.Tier 2

The following measurement groups are identified based on the remaining high-impact observing systems 

identified in the EOA.

18 These measurement classes are of next-highest priority and importance in the 

category of sustained observations for public services.

19 They are listed here in alphabetical order. 

 Ecosystem and biodiversity resource surveys for terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, 

including fisheries and wildlife management

 Environmental-quality monitoring, specifically disease-vector surveillance, water quality, and air 

quality associated with changes in atmospheric composition, including particulate matter and

short-lived climate pollutants

 Geo-hazard monitoring for earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, regional and local subsidence 

(e.g., sinkholes), inundation, and tsunamis

 Space-weather monitoring of geomagnetic storms, sunspots, solar flares, associated x-ray and 

ultraviolet emissions, solar wind (including coronal mass ejection), solar energetic particles, 

traveling ionosphere disturbances, and associated changes of the Earth’s geomagnetic field and 

ionosphere for their impact on human activities

While the EOA provided higher overall scores to those systems that were identified as impacting more 

than one SBA, some of these systems contribute critically or are essential to key objectives in one or more 

SBAs. Some Tier 2 systems are critical in that they are the only observing systems available for a particular

objective, so that objective could not be achieved without them.

3.2.2. Sustained Observations for Earth-System Research in the Public Interest

The public interest also requires sustained observations for understanding how and why the Earth system, 

including the Earth’s climate, is changing. These observations are those measurements supporting 

continuous data streams or routinely generated data products that are needed for basic and applied 

research to advance human knowledge (climate-change research, solid-Earth research, meteorological 

research, ocean and water-cycle research, and space-weather research), to improve public services, and 

to support public and general education. These observations often require multi-year data collection and 

maintenance within a specific sampling frame (e.g., measurements taken at a specific location at a given 

interval). The purpose of such sustained observations is often long-term research, but the data collected 

often have immediate benefit for society and are frequently integrated into sustained services. 

 

18 The measurement categories in Tier 2 were derived by analyzing the primary purpose of the observing systems not covered 

in Tier 1. Tier 2 includes the remaining high-impact systems identified in the EOA across all SBAs, and also includes additional 

special-purpose systems designated as high impact to specific individual SBAs. A list of systems supporting Tier 2 

measurements can be found in Table 2 in Annex I.

19 The tiers prioritize measurements, not the SBAs that the measurements support (e.g., understanding geo-hazards is not 

ranked below understanding weather hazards, but weather hazard measurements support a wider range of uses than geohazard measurements).
15

The following measurement categories, presented in alphabetical order, were identified for sustained 

research observations.20

 Atmospheric state, including measurements of temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, and ozone 

at the accuracy required for long-term climate research, and, as appropriate, to improve shortand medium-range weather forecasting;

 Cryosphere, including measurements of ice sheets, glaciers, permafrost, snow, and sea ice extent 

and thickness;

 Earth’s energy budget, including total solar irradiance and Earth’s radiation budget, and the 

reflectance and scattering properties of clouds, aerosols, and greenhouse gases, specifically for 

understanding Earth’s sensitivity to climate change;

 Extremes, including specific and routine observations for the study of extreme temperatures, 

drought, precipitation, and wind;

 Geo-hazard research, including monitoring land-surface deformation to better understand 

regional and local disaster potential and effects, and the monitoring of phenomena that precede 

natural disasters, such as seismic, stress, strain, and geochemical and temperature changes;

 Greenhouse gas emissions and concentrations, including understanding sources and sinks of 

greenhouse gases, as well as changes in long-lived greenhouse gas and short-lived climatepollutant concentrations over time;

 Integrated geophysical and biosphere characterization (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine),

including long-term dynamics to understand ecosystem change and biogeochemical processes, 

particularly the carbon cycle;

 Ocean state, including observations of sea levels, temperature, salinity, pH, alkalinity, currents 

and characteristics of marine ecosystems;

 Space weather, including long-term understanding of the Earth-Sun relationship, solar dynamics, 

and the drivers of space-weather impacts at the Earth’s surface, such as coupling between space

weather and geomagnetic storms; and,

 Water cycle, including the analysis of droughts, floods, and water availability (precipitation, soil 

moisture, snow-water equivalent, evapotranspiration, groundwater, surface water, and runoff).

3.3. Experimental Observations 

Experimental observations are defined as measurements planned for limited durations, generally seven

years or less, that Federal agencies are committed to making for limited research and development 

purposes. These observations may be taken for a variety of purposes: to advance human knowledge 

 

20 The 2012 EOA included climate and related global change research needs as an SBA, but did not systematically prioritize 

research observations (see Footnote 13). Therefore, for the purposes of the National Plan, these measurement categories 

have been identified but not prioritized. Future assessments will address the question of priorities for sustained research in 

consultation with external stakeholders, including the National Academies, as appropriate. 
16

through basic and applied research, to explore technical innovation, or to improve public services. These 

include first-of-their-kind observations, technology innovation and infusion (e.g., new methods, proofs of 

concept, and evolving observation platforms such as small satellites, microbuses, unmanned aerial 

vehicles, automated mobile and distributed sensor networks, and handheld devices), targeted activities 

(e.g., field campaigns, process studies, model validations, and design studies), and experiments for system 

improvements (e.g., risk reduction and upgrades).

The advancement of experimental scientific research on the Earth’s fundamental processes is central to 

human progress, applicable to improvements in current and future service capabilities, and essential for 

achievement of other national Earth science objectives. Therefore, the Federal Government will pursue 

experimental and first-of-their-kind Earth observations to advance human knowledge, explore technical 

innovation, and improve services. 

Innovation is an essential component in developing a robust portfolio of experimental observation 

systems. Evolving observation platforms offer the potential to make Earth observations more efficient, 

accurate, or economical over the National Plan’s three-year timeframe. The infusion of new technologies 

requires investments in new sensors, materials, techniques, satellite architectures, and so forth,

supported by research and development funding and combined with new scientific research with the 

objective of developing more efficient or higher quality observations. Experimental measurements drive

innovation for research, form the basis of planned improvements in service-driven observations, and

advance human knowledge and understanding. 

Within this measurement category, the large-scale Earth science research programs of the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the 

Department of Energy (DOE), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of 

Transportation (DOT), and other agencies will continue setting priorities and advancing innovation in Earth 

observation by selecting and funding experimental observations.

21

 

21 Agency processes will include consultation with external stakeholders, such as the National Academies, as appropriate. 
17

4. Priorities and Supporting Actions for Civil Earth Observations

Federal agencies will work with the Executive Office of the President and Congress to consider the 

following priorities and supporting actions. All priorities and activities outlined are to be conducted when 

feasible and within approved agency budgets.

4.1. Priorities

The most important principle governing the Nation’s civil Earth observing systems is that the overall set 

of observations must yield a balanced portfolio across both sustained and experimental observation. This

National Plan provides guidance in setting priorities for the construction of this balanced portfolio. In the 

balanced framework, no one category, tier, or observation automatically supersedes or supplants all 

others. Agencies, in consultation with the Executive Office of the President and Congress on these 

priorities, have discretion to deviate from this National Plan’s rankings when necessary. In recognition of 

this, the National Plan accommodates this flexibility while meeting the Nation’s overall civil Earth 

observation priorities and objectives. 

The framework allows for, and recognizes the importance of, planned improvements to observing systems 

to maintain data of sufficient quality, while the Nation also seeks to improve observation techniques and 

the effectiveness and efficiency of Earth observations collection, dissemination, and use.

The priorities are listed in ranked order and are elaborated on in the subsections that follow.

1. Continuity of sustained observations for public services. Prioritize system investments to ensure 

continuity of public services.

2. Continuity of sustained observations for Earth system research. Establish and maintain programs 

to ensure data continuity for high-impact sustained research observations.

3. Continued investment in experimental observations. Continue to invest in research and 

development, incorporating technological advances to improve observations.

4. Planned improvements to sustained observation networks and surveys for all observation 

categories. Proceed with planned improvements to sustained observation systems.

5. Continuity of, and improvements to, a rigorous assessment and prioritization process. Initiate a 

national-level process for prioritizing sustained observations for both research and public services

and for experimental observations, including a process for external advisory input and strategic 

balance. 

4.1.1. Priority 1: Continuity of Sustained Observations for Public Services 

Federal agencies engaged in Earth observations should work both individually and collectively to ensure 

the continuity of sustained observation systems essential in the maintenance of public safety, national 

and economic security interests, and programs supporting services critical to agency missions and 

scientific research. In particular, the President’s FY 2015 budget provides support for Federal agencies to:

 Maintain the continuity of observations of current atmospheric conditions from satellites, 

terrestrial networks, and airborne and marine platforms to provide sufficient weather, hazard, 
18

and air-quality forecasting and prediction; the efficient movement of commerce and goods; and 

the reanalysis of data sets for climate research and infrastructure planning. 

 Maintain a sustained, space-based, land-imaging program while ensuring the continuity of 42

years of multispectral information and 36 years of thermal-infrared land-surface information from 

space, which are unique sources of terrestrial data for understanding land cover change. 

 Maintain sufficient continuity of airborne remote-sensing capabilities for agricultural resource 

monitoring, as well as sustained observations from multiple platforms for forest inventories and 

soil surveys. Together these observations are a critical source of information on the management 

of Earth resources needed to sustain human life, agriculture, forestry, and economic activity.

 Ensure the continuity of the GPS satellite network and maintain related terrestrial referenceframe measurements. GPS is singularly important as the principal and irreplaceable reference for

universal time and geo-reference measurements that underpin nearly all Earth observations. 

 Establish and maintain a national program to standardize the regular collection of nationwide, 

high-resolution, three-dimensional data for surface modeling and volumetric analysis for multiple 

requirements (e.g., airborne light detection and ranging or LIDAR). 

 Ensure continuity of terrestrial, marine, coastal, and inland water-level and flow measurements 

and maintain the continuity of ocean and seafloor topography measurements from satellite 

altimetry.

 Maintain continuity of space-weather observations, including sustained space-weather research 

measurements and ground observations, to provide definitive space weather forecasts, warnings,

and alerts to the general public, industry, and government agencies.

 Maintain sufficient continuity of data from oceanic platforms (e.g., gliders and moored and 

drifting buoys).

 Maintain sufficient continuity of observations for ecosystem-resource surveys, environmentalquality measurements, and monitoring of solid-Earth hazards. 

Current observing systems supporting this priority are shown in Annex I. To maintain continuity of these 

observations, follow-on and experimental observation systems will be developed within the timeframe of 

this National Plan.

4.1.2. Priority 2: Continuity of Sustained Observations for Earth System Research 

Federal agencies will continue to collaborate with each other and with international partners to establish 

and maintain systems and networks specifically for sustained observations for Earth-system research. 

Multiple agencies maintain extensive Earth-science programs that will continue to identify priorities for 

sustained observations for use in Earth-system research. The agency processes that direct these research 

programs will include consultation with external stakeholders, such as the National Academies, as 

appropriate. The President’s FY 2015 budget provides specific support for agencies and their research 

programs to continue and strengthen their activities in support of this priority. 

For example:
19

 NASA is extending measurements of groundwater, greenhouse gases, and aerosols from spacebased platforms, in collaboration with international partners (see Section 6). 

 NOAA is supporting a nationwide Federal network specifically designed and operated for the 

purpose of long-term climate monitoring. It primarily takes highly accurate measurements of air 

temperature, precipitation, soil temperature, moisture, and relative humidity for the purpose of 

detecting long-term climate change on a national scale. It also takes secondary or ancillary 

measurements of solar radiation, infrared temperature, and wind to assist in the calibration of 

the primary variables.

 NSF is supporting a federally funded, multi-site, national network designed to gather and 

synthesize data on the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on 

natural resources and biodiversity. The network will combine site-based data with remotely 

sensed data and existing continental-scale data sets (e.g., satellite data) to provide a range of 

scaled data products that can be used to describe changes in the Nation’s ecosystem over time.

 NSF has begun construction on a federally funded sensor network to measure the physical, 

chemical, geological, and biological variables in the ocean and on the seafloor. Knowledge of 

these variables improves detection and forecasting of environmental changes and their effects 

on biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, and climate.

Finally, multiple agencies are supporting the development of multi-site and multi-platform observing 

systems and networks that integrate observations on local to global scales to improve climate-change, 

biodiversity, and ecosystems research, among other areas.

4.1.3. Priority 3: Continued Investment in Experimental Observations 

Experimental observations strengthen the Nation’s Earth observation activities through the development 

and validation of new science, technologies, systems, techniques, and measurements to support both 

services and scientific research. The continual integration of experimental observations into the portfolio

of Federal Earth-observing systems ensures that cutting-edge capabilities are maintained and 

measurements of increasing quality, accuracy, resolution, and density are provided. The President’s FY

2015 budget provides funding for Federal agencies to act individually and in collaboration to support this 

priority.

4.1.4. Priority 4: Planned Improvements to Sustained Observation Networks and Surveys 

for All Observation Categories

Federal agencies will proceed with planned improvements to sustain observation systems, with special 

attention and priority given to include agencies’ pre-planned improvements and service-life extension

programs.

4.1.5. Priority 5: Continuity of, and Improvements to, a Rigorous Assessment and 

Prioritization Process

Federal agencies will collaborate with external stakeholders to continue and improve the assessment 

process initiated by the National Strategy. To this end, the newly re-chartered United States Group on 

Earth Observations (USGEO) Subcommittee of the NSTC’s CENRS will oversee the EOA process on three-
20

year cycles, with the next EOA beginning in 2014. The next EOA will also seek additional insight with regard 

to research priorities and future needs.

4.2. Supporting Actions

The supporting actions required to meet the foregoing priorities are listed below in priority order and 

elaborated on in the subsections that follow.

1. Coordinate and integrate observations. Coordinate observing and integrate separate 

observations from multiple platforms, as appropriate, to include federated data sharing 

standards, ontologies, and user-adopted conventions.

2. Improve data access, management, and interoperability. Improve data discovery, access, and use 

of Earth observations by making them interoperable, providing open access to them, and 

presenting them in a machine-readable form for end user applications and services.

3. Increase efficiency and cost savings. Increase efficiency and cost savings of observation systems, 

by exploring tradeoffs among cost, capabilities, and risk and, as appropriate, reevaluating 

program overhead and management structures.

4. Improve observation density and sampling. Where appropriate and cost-effective, upgrade

observing systems and widen their data dissemination to improve Earth-observation capabilities 

and reduce gaps in coverage.

5. Maintain and support infrastructure. Maintain necessary infrastructure to operate, manage, 

house, transport, deploy, modify, and support needed observing systems.

6. Explore commercial solutions. Improve entry points for exploiting cost-effective commercial 

solutions for the provision of Earth observations to encourage private-sector innovation and 

services while preserving the public-good nature of Earth observations.

7. Maintain and strengthen international collaboration. Maintain and strengthen international 

collaboration and data sharing.

8. Engage in stakeholder-driven data innovation. Engage with the private sector and the general 

public to encourage innovations for collection, exploitation, and wider use of Earth observations

based on improved availability of open data, including new applications, new services, citizen 

science, and crowdsourcing.

4.2.1. Action 1: Coordinate and Integrate Observations

Sustained and experimental observations serve both services and research needs. Many near-term service 

benefits flow from research observations. Similarly, research is advanced through the data collected by 

service-driven observations that are archived, disseminated, and reused beyond the immediate user

community. Agencies will examine improved methods for integrating sustained and experimental 

observations, and will explore collaboration to:

 Develop integrated Earth-observation requirements, recognizing unique requirements as 

appropriate.
21

 Advance algorithm development for integrating Earth observations from multiple sources, 

including improved capacity to integrate data from multiple spatial scales and reference models.

 Develop specific, coordinated observing systems and programs to meet integrated requirements; 

in particular, explore increased airborne, terrestrial, and marine data-collection coverage, 

coordinated with planned new satellite-observation systems.

 Enhance systematic strategies that can be used for calibration and quality assurance of all 

observation systems, whether airborne, terrestrial, or marine and satellite based, and develop 

standardized methods for collection of automated sensor-derived and human-acquired 

measurements.

 Consolidate, as appropriate, existing networks and mapping through interagency agreements that 

ensure interoperability, common measurement standards, and meaningful leveraging of 

resources. Examples of this approach include:

o Bringing current coastal in situ systems together into a single, federated, coastal observing 

system under an optimized plan for the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) and 

o Consolidating various land, coastal, and ocean ecosystem mapping projects into a national 

ecosystem map.

 Consolidate GPS surface-monitoring stations by reducing the number of stations where feasible 

without reducing coverage. Examples of GPS station networks include those used: 

o Through NSF for crustal motion detection,

o By USGS for earthquake and volcano-hazard monitoring and early warning, and

o By NOAA for tropospheric sounding activities.

 Continue development and operation of multi-platform observing systems that combine space, 

air, land, or ocean measurements to provide cost-effective, integrated analysis of Earth science 

phenomena.

 Coordinate efficientspectrum allocation and use for observing systems to enable the transmission 

of large amounts of data, particularly from Earth observing satellites.

4.2.2. Action 2: Improve Data Access, Management, and Interoperability

Realizing the full benefit of the nation’s Earth observation investments requires more than the effective 

deployment of sensors and surveys. Observation data streams and their metadata generally feed 

machine-to-machine data processors that analyze, automate, integrate, display, and provide decision 

support tools to make use of large volumes of base data. By improving the management and preservation 

of Earth-observation data, Federal agencies help to ensure that both anticipated and unanticipated users 

can find, obtain, evaluate, understand, compare, and use legacy data in new ways.

Under this supporting action, Federal agencies will strengthen their individual efforts and collaborations 

to improve data discovery, access, archives, and use of Earth observations by making them interoperable, 

open, subject to shared generic message exchange patterns (e.g., publication/subscription), and machine-
22

readable.22 To this end, Federal agencies will support development of a comprehensive data-management 

framework as an integral element of Earth-observation activities to improve access to, and use of, Earth 

observations by new and potential users. To accelerate the implementation of this framework, the 

President’s FY 2014 and FY 2015 budgets invest in the Big Earth Data Initiative (BEDI) for standardizing 

and optimizing the collection, management, and delivery of Federal civil Earth-observation data.23 BEDI 

also builds upon data-management work already occurring at the agencies.

Federal agencies will collaborate to do the following: 

 Promote implementation of end-to-end life-cycle data management, including data-management 

principles, guidance, and data policy; life-cycle data-management approaches; architectural 

considerations; standardization; data evaluation; and data-telecommunication efficiency and 

innovation.

 Encourage the development and use of uniform methodologies and practices across Federal 

agencies for common services in the handling of Earth-observation data to increase 

interoperability through improved metadata standardization, filter, and subset services based on 

user needs, federated user management efforts, and robust standards for multi-use observation 

systems like LIDAR that are used across various Federal and State agencies.

 Maximize the likelihood that Earth observations are made known, made available, and 

disseminated to users in a timely and useable manner.

 Continue support for data-clearinghouse mechanisms that emphasize metadata cataloging (such 

as Data.gov) and advocate support for developing “big data” initiatives and common support 

services that aim to improve the discoverability, accessibility, usability for intended purpose, and 

re-purposing of the vast amounts of data already available.

 Support the further development of forecast models, sensor integration, display applications, 

signal-processing algorithms, and other data-collection and management techniques.

 Work within current, or support the development of new, communities of practice focused on 

data integration and cross-program coordination to address: 

o Community-based data standards;

o Web services;

o Application development;

o Design of interoperable data systems based on technical standards;

o Reduction of uncoordinated and duplicative web portals;

 

22 These efforts are in accordance with existing policy guidance on open data, including Executive Order No. 13642, “Making 

Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information,” and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

Memorandum M-13-13, “Open Data Policy—Managing Information as an Asset,” both dated May 9, 2013.

23 BEDI follows the life-cycle data-management principles articulated in the National Strategy and is designed to help Earthscience agencies comply more fully Executive Order No. 13642. 
23

o Development of standardized data products; and

o Use of cloud-based infrastructure, platforms, and services for efficient data storage and 

virtual resource sharing.

 Create frameworks, platforms, and systems to integrate data obtained from multiple observations 

that measure common phenomena.

 Consider improving interoperability between Earth observation data and relevant data sets that 

are not based on Earth observations (e.g. census data) to support agency objectives.

4.2.3. Action 3: Increase Efficiency and Cost Savings

Federal agencies shall increase efficiency and cost savings in observation systems by exploring tradeoffs 

among cost, capabilities, and risk and, as appropriate, evaluating program-management structures and 

overhead. Specifically, agencies will take steps as follows:

 Increase efficiency.

o Develop specific processes for regular evaluation of in situ airborne, terrestrial, marine, and 

satellite-based observation systems, both mobile and fixed. These evaluations should be used 

to guide the consolidation, relocation, expansion, or reduction of sites, instruments, or 

measurements when such actions offer improved efficiencies or cost-savings while 

maintaining data quality.

o Evaluate commercial and foreign satellites and observation networks for their potential value 

in augmenting the U.S. Government’s Earth-observing capacity.

o Explore possibilities for common ground systems and dissemination mechanisms for satellitederived information.

o Consider refining satellite risk profiles for nonhuman spaceflight and streamlining review 

cycles to achieve cost savings and efficiencies, as appropriate.

o Explore coordinated acquisition of sonar, radar, and LIDAR technology, as appropriate, to 

achieve efficiencies.

o Conduct a study of radiosonde observations in proximity of aircraft soundings to achieve 

savings for the purpose of weather forecasting.

o Increase coordination and cooperation in the use of vessels for oceanographic research and

surveys of living marine resource.

o Explore opportunities to leverage land- and ocean-observing platforms across programs and 

agencies.

o Use modeling tools to supplement monitoring networks to fill in spatial and temporal gaps 

and potentially reduce monitoring requirements.
24

o Explore greater use of National Technical Means resources that could fulfill societal and 

research requirements through civilian tasking, unclassified product development, and public 

distribution.

 Improve coordination of sensor development and acquisition of imagery and data.

o Improve interagency and external coordination in the organization of space-based sensor 

development and launch.

o Develop a collaborative strategy among agencies and their primary users on climatology and 

continuity for ocean-color calibration, data processing, and product development through 

satellite platforms.

o Coordinate airborne research efforts among interagency and international partners. 

 Increase agencies’ automation, remote configuration, and standby mechanisms.

o Explore automation of surface-air-quality networks and connection with networks for other

purposes to increase data utility across observation systems and programs.

o Explore and, where cost-effective and appropriate, expand the use of airborne, terrestrial, or 

marine autonomously or remotely operated vehicles with sensor packages to provide more 

agility and to reduce costs in data acquisition. 

o Adopt automated measurement and data-collection techniques as legacy networks are 

modernized.

o Adopt common software environments to allow for remote configuration updates of surfaceobserving platforms that will increase efficiency and reduce the cost of retrofitting individual 

sites.

o Increase coordination of systems making compatible observations to enhance continuity of 

services and increase cost-savings. This might include optimizing the frequency and density 

of observations from systems in proximity to maximize coverage of specific phenomena (e.g., 

severe storms). 

 Improve technical refresh for cost reduction.

o Pursue improvements through value engineering and technical refresh activity to reduce lifecycle maintenance costs, eliminate proprietary restrictions, maintain replenishment sources 

when the original equipment manufacturer ceases support, and prevent informationtechnology obsolescence.

4.2.4. Action 4: Improve Observation Density and Sampling

Federal agencies will explore and pursue upgrading systems and techniques through improvements to 

spatial resolution, temporal cycle, sample density, and geographic coverage of observation networks to 

close coverage and performance gaps and improve calibration and validation of measurements. When 

feasible and within approved agency budgets, Federal agencies will, individually or collaboratively:

 Sustain and improve spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution.
25

o Collect and employ Earth-observation data, imagery, and reference measurements with 

higher temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution through more sustained observations and 

better reuse of related data, particularly for land imaging, boundary layer observations, airquality measurements, natural hazards, hydrology, and severe-weather forecasting.

 Improve observation density and sampling through technical upgrades.

o Upgrade receivers to take advantage of improved positioning, navigating, timing, and 

geodetic-observation capabilities as they are launched to provide better results and increased 

coverage.

o Pursue the systematic integration and improvement of observing-system density and 

sampling with hydrodynamic and inundation models through use of uncertainty analyses to 

identify areas requiring new observations and better model performance.

o Invest in advanced data calibration to improve real-time quality control, including field 

equipment, test kits, self-calibrating sensors, and other novel technologies.

o Explore technologies that facilitate new measurements or greatly enhance current 

measurements, such as biotechnology for genetic user identification, portable laboratories 

and chips, and observer-centric mechanisms.

o Equip and modify existing or planned platforms for sustained, multipurpose observations as 

appropriate.

 Create new data sets from forthcoming systems (e.g., air quality from geostationary 

environmental satellites and flight trajectory-oriented weather data from air transportation 

systems).

4.2.5. Action 5: Maintain and Support Infrastructure

Sustained Earth observations require the operation and maintenance of extensive physical, cyber, 

communications, and human infrastructure. Such infrastructure supports the maintenance, deployment, 

retrieval, replacement, and repair of Earth observation systems.

24 Agencies will identify, prioritize, and 

implement activities and document appropriate funding requirements for life-cycle operation, 

maintenance, and evolution of infrastructure required for them to sustain Earth-observation systems. As 

part of this process, agencies shall also consider cost-sharing for complementary and common 

infrastructure in support of their Earth-observation objectives.

Furthermore, agencies often conduct observations in remote areas and at great distances. The necessary 

supply-chain infrastructure to support these observations includes the Federal oceanographic and 

airborne research fleets and other systems. These fleets support sustained observations for both services 

 

24 Additionally, certain infrastructure can serve multiple purposes. For example, ships are able to place both researcher and 

technology at the site of the science and remain deployed “on effort” for extended periods of time. 
26

and research across a broad spectrum of national needs.25 Agencies should continue to maintain their 

relevant supply-chain infrastructure and document their related funding requirements.

4.2.6. Action 6: Explore Commercial Solutions 

Federal agencies will identify and pursue cost-effective commercial solutions to encourage private-sector 

innovation while preserving the public-good nature of Earth observations. U.S. agencies will consider a 

variety of options for ownership, management, and utilization of Earth observation systems and data, 

including managed services (Government-Owned/Government-Operated, Government-Owned/

Contractor-Operated, or Contractor-Owned/Contractor-Operated), commercially hosted payloads, 

commercial launch, commercial data buys, and commercial data management. In developing such 

options, agencies will preserve the principles of full and open data sharing, competitive sourcing, and best 

value in return for public investments within legal and financial constraints.

4.2.7. Action 7: Maintain and Strengthen International Collaboration

The global nature of many Earth observations and the value of these observations to U.S. Government 

decision makers require U.S. agencies to carry out their missions through collaboration with foreign 

agencies, international organizations, and standards/coordination groups. Through international 

collaboration, U.S. agencies leverage foreign data and scientific expertise to improve their understanding 

of remote areas, such as the open ocean and polar regions, and to characterize global atmospheric, 

oceanic, and terrestrial phenomena. In addition, collaboration with international partners helps to 

minimize unnecessary redundancy in the collection of Earth observations, and ensures the effective use 

of limited resources. U.S. agencies also work closely with the Department of State and other agencies to 

provide associated scientific and technical support for U.S. foreign policy, security, economic, and 

environmental interests.

The concept of integrated Earth observations and open data management achieved international 

prominence in 2005 with the establishment of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) 

and its agreement to support the development of a Global Earth Observation System of Systems 

(GEOSS).26 This concept has been endorsed and is being implemented by over 90 governments, the 

European Commission, and more than 60 international organizations. The United States co-leads this 

international activity with China, the European Commission, and South Africa. GEOSS offers a 

comprehensive approach to observe all aspects of the Earth system and integrate the data gathered from 

these observations into timely and useful information for all sectors of society.

U.S. agencies engage in bilateral and multilateral collaboration with foreign partners and international 

organizations to obtain Earth-observation measurements necessary to improve U.S. scientific research, 

environmental monitoring, and related public- and private-sector decision making. Through their 

 

25 The Federal Oceanographic Fleet Status Report is a an example of an effort to advance the efficient and effective operation of 

a Federal fleet, in part for the purpose of observations at the lowest possible life-cycle costs 

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/federal_oceanographic_fleet_status_report.pdf).

26 To further the objectives of GEOSS, U.S. agencies participate in various international organizations and coordination groups,

including: the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, World Meteorological Organization, and Committee on Earth 

Observation Satellites, among others.
27

international activities, U.S. agencies support full and open data exchange and collaborative research on 

matters of national and global importance. 

In support of this action, Federal agencies will individually or collaboratively take the following actions:

 Maintain and expand bilateral and multilateral relationships as appropriate in support of national 

and international objectives.

 Improve access to non-U.S. satellite data, especially for domestic users.

 Explore the development of mechanisms for optimizing the collection, processing, and archiving 

of satellite data with the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and 

other agencies to address specific SBAs (e.g., water).

 Continue U.S. involvement in global observation efforts and national activities that serve to 

further integrate national observing programs with internationally networked systems.

 Assess the potential for joint collection and processing of data from land-imaging systems to 

achieve savings through consolidation of image processing and to create a global source of timely, 

routinely available, ready-to-use measurements.

 Increase the level of international satellite collaboration to obtain specific measurements, 

following examples set by current collaboration in areas such as sea level, soil moisture, 

greenhouse gases, and ozone.

4.2.8. Action 8: Engage in Stakeholder-Driven Data Innovation 

To improve the collection, exploitation, and use of Earth observations, Federal agencies will pursue

private-sector innovations, public data crowdsourcing, and citizen science.27 These three observation 

sources are all key components of a portfolio approach to Earth observations. Expected future technical 

developments throughout the National Plan’s lifetime mean crowdsourcing, citizen science, and collection 

from individual mobile platforms will become increasingly important as they mature. Federal agencies will 

explore, support, and pursue efforts to enable stakeholder-driven data innovation from Earth 

observations.

Several initiatives have been launched to foster innovation in the exploitation and use of Earth

observation data in the Climate SBA. Consistent with Executive Order No. 13642, “Making Open and 

Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information,” and part of The President’s Climate 

Action Plan, the Obama Administration launched a Climate Data Initiative in March 2014. This initiative 

 

27 Successful examples of these types of initiatives include USGS’s “Did You Feel It?” program, which collects crowd-sourced 

data to better understand and measure earthquakes, and its Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) program, 

which aggregates species biodiversity data from a variety of sources, including museums, research studies, and citizen 

science programs. The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has proposed the creation of an 

Ecoinformatics-based Open Resources and Machine Accessibility database called EcoINFORMA with the intention of making 

Federal data on environmental health widely accessible. Approximately 1,300 certified non-Federal, automated weather 

observing systems feed observation data into the Federal Aviation Administration’s national automation systems. The nonFederal systems are owned and operated by various airport operating authorities including State, city, county, and local 

governments; municipalities; homeowners associations; and individual citizens. 
28

leverages extensive Federal climate-relevant data to stimulate innovation and private-sector 

entrepreneurship in support of national climate-change preparedness. In conjunction with this initiative, 

Federal agencies will create a virtual toolkit that provides access to data-driven climate resilience tools, 

services, and best practices, including those developed through the Climate Data Initiative. Federal 

agencies should continue support for these and other initiatives encouraging innovative use of Earth 

observation data.
29

5. Civil Earth Observations from Airborne, Terrestrial, and 

Marine Platforms 

Multiple Federal agencies manage the U.S. Government’s airborne, terrestrial (including freshwater), and 

marine civil Earth-observation platforms and surveys, which gather remotely sensed, in situ, and human 

observations. The agencies that conduct or fund these observations include the Departments of 

Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Transportation; the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA); NASA; NSF; the Smithsonian Institution; and the U.S. Agency for International Development. 

In general these agencies, in accordance with their existing legal authorities, will continue to pursue the 

development of these platforms to observe and study the Earth system, with a focus on measurements 

described in this National Plan.

Airborne, terrestrial, and marine observations are vital to fulfilling Federal public-service obligations and 

research objectives across multiple SBAs. They provide critical information at high degrees of resolution, 

density, and efficiency. In addition to serving as primary sources of critical measurements and 

observations for public services and research across SBAs, these observations are essential to validate 

satellite-derived data products. Sustained airborne, terrestrial, and marine observations support the 

provision of public services and scientific research, while experimental observations in each of these 

categories both advance the state of science and improve the ability to monitor and measure the Earth 

system. 

Continuous high-quality observations are critical for defining the current state of the Earth system; in 

particular, the constantly changing conditions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. 

Observations from airborne, terrestrial, and marine platforms are required to accurately measure a 

number of Earth-system processes, including those related to biodiversity, groundwater, carbon 

sequestration, and the subsurface ocean. Long-time-series data derived from these observations 

contribute to more effective detection and diagnosis of climate change. Agencies should sustain the 

operations of established airborne, terrestrial, and marine observation platforms with ongoing attention 

to sufficient coverage and data quality.28

Recommendations from teams of SMEs for each SBA, as contained in the 2012 EOA, emphasized the need 

for sustained observations across SBAs to mitigate the significant risk of observation and data gaps, and, 

where possible and within agency approved budgets, the need for maintaining and improving the 

coverage and density of airborne, terrestrial, and marine observations, systems, and programs to preserve 

and enhance the long-term record. 

The following categories highlight examples of high-impact airborne, terrestrial, and marine platforms and 

programs identified in the EOA. They provide sustained observations for public services, research, and 

experimental observations. Many of these observing systems are operated in partnership between 

Federal and non-Federal entities and many Federal agencies rely on these data for their operations. These 

 

28 For climate monitoring and research, agencies may refer to guidance provided by the Global Climate Observing System 

(GCOS). GCOS has identified 50 Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), which are required for systematic monitoring of, and 

research on, the Earth’s changing climate. Fundamental Climate Data Records derived from airborne, terrestrial (including 

freshwater), marine and satellite-based observing systems are needed to address ECV information needs.
30

observations are grouped by platform and are presented in alphabetical order within each category 

(sustained and experimental). 

5.1. Sustained Airborne, Terrestrial, and Marine Observations for Public 

Services and Research

5.1.1. Airborne Observations for Public Services and Research

The following examples of high-impact airborne platforms and programs identified in the EOA are 

presented alphabetically.

 Airborne light detection and ranging (LIDAR): Airborne observations used to create very highresolution maps and elevation data sets, among other applications, are a high-impact category of 

observations conducted by multiple Federal and State agencies, commercial providers, and 

international partners. The 2012 EOA contained multiple recommendations from SME teams for 

sustained, expanded airborne three-dimensional measurements, which would benefit multiple 

SBAs. These measurements would significantly enhance high-resolution digital elevation models 

and shoreline mapping to improve services in the Disasters and Ocean and Coastal Resources and 

Ecosystems SBAs. 

 Airborne meteorological data collection and reporting: Aircraft-based meteorological 

observations support improved weather forecasting, particularly for upper-air winds and severe 

weather. Real-time automated position and weather reports are used in predictive weather 

models on a daily basis. These measurements have an impact on eight SBAs, with “highest” impact 

on the Weather SBA.

 Digital orthophotography: Aircraft-based digital orthophotography provides imagery of the 

continental United States during agricultural growing and non-growing seasons. These 

measurements have an impact on nine SBAs, with “very high” or “highest” impact in the 

Agriculture and Forestry, Biodiversity, and Ecosystems SBAs. Agriculture SMEs recommended 

increasing the consistency of this imagery collection and integrating it with other relevant 

observations.

 Radiosonde observations: Radiosondes collect information on atmospheric temperature, 

pressure, and humidity using an instrument suspended from a balloon. The Federal Government 

has conducted upper air observations with radiosondes since the 1930s and currently uses 

radiosonde data in weather-prediction models; local severe storm, aviation, and marine forecasts; 

air-pollution models; satellite-data verification; and analysis of climate variability and change. 

Radiosonde observations impact nine SBAs, with “very high” impact in the Transportation SBA

and “high” in Weather SBA.

5.1.2. Terrestrial (Including Freshwater) Observations for Public Services and Research

The following examples of high-impact terrestrial platforms and programs identified in the EOA are 

presented alphabetically.

 Ground-based Weather Radars: A national ground-based network of weather radars supports 

weather forecasting and warning services. These systems detect precipitation and wind and 
31

contribute to severe-weather and flash-flood warnings, air-traffic safety, flow control for air 

traffic, resource protection at military bases, and management of water, agriculture, forests, and 

snow removal. The network impacts nine SBAs, with “highest” impact in the Transportation SBA 

and “very high” impact in the Weather and Energy and Mineral Resources SBAs.

 Soil Observations: A nationwide partnership of Federal, regional, State, and local agencies, along 

with private entities and institutions, cooperatively investigates, inventories, documents, 

classifies, interprets, disseminates, and publishes information about soils of the United States and 

its territories. These activities are carried out at national, regional, and State levels. This 

information has a “high” impact in the Agriculture and Forestry, Biodiversity, Ecosystems, Human 

Health, and Water Resources SBAs. 

 Stream Gage Network: A nationwide network of stream gages operated by Federal, State, and 

local agencies provides stream flow monitoring and measurement and hydrological observations. 

These observations provide critical support to stream-flow forecasts, river-basin outflow 

forecasts, drought forecasts, water-quality measurements, and sentinel watershed monitoring. 

The network impacts ten SBAs, with “very high” impact in the Water Resources and 

Transportation SBAs.

5.1.3. Marine Observations for Public Services and Research

The following examples of high-impact marine platforms and programs identified in the EOA are 

presented alphabetically.

 High-Frequency Coastal Radar Network: An integrated network of high-frequency coastal radars, 

that is operated by Federal and institutional partners and provides measurements of surface 

currents over wide geographical areas, supporting the Transportation SBA. 

 Oceanic Buoys and Coastal Networks: Networks of marine-based data buoys (moored, profiling, 

and drifting) and coastal stations that measure atmospheric and oceanographic variables such as 

wind speed, direction, and gust; barometric pressure; air temperature; sea surface temperature; 

wave height and periodicity; and ocean acidification, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen. The 

observations from moored buoys and coastal stations are transmitted in near real-time via 

satellites or communication pathways to a ground receiving facility. Buoy and coastal-station 

observation data are used to support marine warnings and advisories and the movement of ships 

in and out of port and to calibrate hurricane wind speed aircraft measurements and satellite sea 

surface temperature, wind, and wave observations; for directional wave measurement to study 

coastal erosion; and for detection of algal blooms and pathogens. These buoys impact multiple 

SBAs, with “high” impact in the Weather, Ocean and Coastal Resources and Ecosystems, and 

Transportation SBAs. 

 Survey vessels: Survey vessels are important observation platforms for the Ocean and Coastal 

Resources SBA. Large-ship assets and a fleet of smaller and charter vessels form the foundation 

for sampling and sensing the marine ecosystems along the coast, on the continental shelves, and 

in the open ocean. They support the collection of living marine resources for fishery assessment 

and the observation and tagging of protected resources to more fully characterize the ocean 

system. The data, information, and results from these surveys are used widely.
32

5.1.4. Multi-platform Observations for Public Services and Research 

The following examples of high-impact multi-platform systems and programs identified in the EOA are 

presented alphabetically.

 Aquatic Resource Surveys: The Federal Government conducts aquatic-resource surveys in 

partnership with State and tribal governments. These projects monitor and catalog the Nation’s 

aquatic resources through probability-based surveys that provide nationally consistent scientific 

assessments of lakes, rivers,streams, coastal waters, and wetlands. These surveys track the status 

and vitality of aquatic resources and can be used to monitor changes in condition over time. They 

measure biological quality, chemical stressors, habitat stressors, and human-health indicators. 

These surveys have a “very high” impact in the Ecosystems SBA.

 Forest Observations: The Federal Government has collected and analyzed forest data for decades. 

Today’s activities include an annual forest inventory that consists of forest-health indicators, 

timber-product output studies, woodland owner surveys, and a National Assessment produced 

every five years. These activities rely on aerial photographs, digital orthoimagery, satellite 

imagery, field samples, surveys, and utilization studies to project forest status, health, and 

coverage and assess forest-management policies and practices. They impact four SBAs, with 

“highest” impact in the Agriculture and Forestry and Ecosystems SBAs.

 Water-Level Observations: These observations monitor, measure, and assess the impact of 

changing water levels for government and commercial navigation, recreation, and coastalecosystem management. Sensors are deployed across the Nation’s lakes (roughly 25% in the 

Great Lakes), estuaries, and ocean coastal zones. They provide the national standards for tide-and 

water-level reference datums used for nautical charting, coastal engineering, international treaty 

regulation, and boundary determination. This network of sensors impacts five SBAs, with 

“highest” impact in the Reference Measurements SBA and “very high” impact in the 

Transportation SBA. In the 2012 EOA, multiple SME teams recommended additional support to 

improve services and research in the Disasters, Human Health, and Transportation SBAs, and the

Reference Measurements societal theme. 

5.2. Experimental Airborne, Terrestrial, and Marine Observations

Federal agencies routinely conduct experimental airborne, terrestrial, and marine observations to 

advance human knowledge through basic and applied research, to explore technical innovation, and to 

improve public services. Multiple SME teams involved in the 2012 EOA recommended, when feasible and 

within approved agency budgets, pursuing experimental research and testing to develop additional 

airborne capabilities for technologies such as LIDAR. Specific recommendations included developing 

three-dimensional imaging for ecosystem structure, improving instruments to enable photon counting, 

and improving near-coastal topographic/bathymetric measurements. Multiple SME teams recommended 

the use of unmanned vehicles to expand coverage and efficiency of observations in areas such as landsurface, coastal, and ocean monitoring and research; species surveys; and hurricane forecasting. Several 

SME teams recommended additional research to improve radar system scanning rates and coverage. 

Finally, multiple SME teams recommended continued support for ecological observations to support 

fundamental research and to test emerging observation technologies and experimental techniques.
33

6. Agency Roles and Responsibilities for Civil Earth 

Observations from Space

The NASA Administrator, the Secretary of Commerce through the NOAA Administrator, and the Secretary 

of the Interior through the USGS Director, have responsibility for managing the U.S. Government’s spacebased civil Earth-observation systems. Following guidance provided by the 2010 National Space Policy29

and in accordance with existing legal authorities, these agencies will continue the development of 

satellites to observe and study the Earth system, with a focus on measurements and observation programs 

necessary for weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, disaster-risk reduction, water-resources 

assessment, and climate-change research.

Observations from space are also vital to fulfilling Federal objectives across multiple SBAs. They provide 

critical information on atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial phenomena at local, regional, continental, 

and global scales. These observations often cover broad areas, over long periods, and with frequent revisit 

rates. Space provides a unique vantage point for observations, and many global data sets collected from 

space cannot be easily replaced by other means. Continuous high-quality observations from space are 

also essential for an adequate understanding of the state of the Earth system, especially on a global basis. 

Space-based observations support the provision of sustained public services and scientific research, and 

they provide a vehicle for experimental studies that advance the state of science and improve the ability 

to monitor and measure the Earth system.30

Specifically, Federal agencies will conduct sustained satellite civil Earth observations as described below. 

All launch dates are contingent on congressional funding of the President’s annual budget requests.

6.1. Sustained Satellite Observations for Public Services

The following observations from space-based systems are important to the provision of public services. 

While some agencies conduct these observations to support public-service products, other agencies may 

also conduct research efforts in these same areas. These observations are presented alphabetically.

6.1.1. Air Quality and Ozone

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will provide air-quality data from the suite 

of instruments on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting 

Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series of

satellites, which measure aerosols, trace gases, and meteorological data. The Secretary of Commerce,

through the NOAA Administrator, will also provide statutorily mandated sustained observations of total 

column ozone through the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Nadir sensor currently on the S-NPP

satellite and the JPSS-1 and -2 satellites. The NASA Administrator will study options and explore working 

with the Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, to continue ozone-profile 

measurements currently being made by the OMPS Limb sensor on the S-NPP satellite.

 

29 National Space Policy of the United States of America, June 28, 2010, pp. 12–13, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/fact-sheet-national-space-policy. 

30 Data from NASA programs are used to improve public services for air quality, ocean color, and space weather, for example.
34

6.1.2. Land-Imaging

The NASA Administrator, together with the Secretary of the Interior through the Director of USGS, will 

implement a 25-year program of sustained land-imaging for routine monitoring of land-cover 

characteristics, naturally occurring and human-induced land-cover change, and water resources, among 

other uses.31

They will also ensure that future land-imaging data will be fully compatible with the 42-year record of 

Landsat observations. The NASA Administrator will be responsible for satellite development, launch, and 

commissioning, and the Secretary of the Interior, through the USGS Director, will be responsible for

representing users’ requirements; development and operation of the ground system; operational control 

of satellites once on orbit; and processing, archiving, and distributing land-imaging data and routine 

information products. The NASA Administrator and the Secretary of the Interior, through the USGS

Director, will continue to collaborate to address common needs for data continuity and new technology 

deployment.

6.1.3. Ocean-Color Observations

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator and in collaboration with the NASA 

Administrator, will conduct sustained ocean-color observations for marine ecosystem monitoring. The 

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on the S-NPP satellite accomplishes this 

monitoring, which will be continued with the launches of the JPSS satellite series.

32

6.1.4. Ocean Surface and Water-Level Monitoring

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator and in collaboration with the NASA 

Administrator and international partners, will conduct sustained observations for ocean surface and 

inland water-level monitoring for sea level, navigation, ocean and coastal products, and geophysical 

reference. The altimeter on the Jason series of satellites accomplishes this monitoring, a task that will be 

continued with the launch of Jason-3 scheduled in 2015.

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will cooperate with interagency and 

international partners to provide active (e.g., C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar or SAR) and passive (e.g., 

high-resolution microwave) data for ocean-surface monitoring. The primary objectives of this monitoring 

will be to support safety of navigation through routine generation of ice charts and analyses, to support 

environmental assessment through detection and analysis of pollution (e.g., oil spills) and detection and 

analysis of coastal change and ocean fronts. For these applications, the Secretary of Commerce, through 

the NOAA Administrator, will seek to use data from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program 

Special Sensor Microwave Imager instrument series, the Canadian Space Agency Radarsat-2 and Radarsat 

Constellation satellites, and the European Space Agency Sentinel-1 series of C-band SAR instruments.

 

31 A robust land-imaging program requires data to supplement optical imagery. Non-optical sensing capabilities such as radar, 

LIDAR, and gravity measurements are needed to assess natural and anthropogenic hazards and to measure changes to 

topography, biomass, ecosystem flux, soil moisture, coastal and inland land subsidence, surface water, groundwater, and 

glaciers.

32 NOAA will also seek to use data from the European Space Agency Sentinel-3 series of SAR instruments, launching in 2015.
35

6.1.5. Ocean-Surface Vector Winds

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator and in collaboration with the NASA 

Administrator, will continue to cooperate with foreign partners to obtain scatterometry data for the 

measurement of near-ocean-surface wind speed and direction. These data sets can enhance modeling of 

the atmosphere, surface waves, and ocean circulation, with the potential to support a wide range of 

marine operations and enhance climate research and marine weather forecasting. The United States will 

obtain these data through continued U.S. access to data from the Advanced Scatterometer instrument on 

the European MetOp series of satellites and from the Oceansat-2 Scatterometer instrument on the Indian 

Space Research Organization satellites. 

6.1.6. Space Weather Monitoring

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator and in consultation with the NASA 

Administrator and interagency and international partners, will conduct sustained observations for space 

weather monitoring and prediction, which require constant operations. Specifically, the Secretary of 

Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will provide observations ofsolar wind (including coronal mass 

ejection), solar flares, and energetic particles, and will provide radio occultation and related measurements 

to forecast space weather events. The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will provide 

these measurements through the GOES series and the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite 

(to be launched in 2015) and will study options and explore working with international and interagency 

partners to provide these measurements beyond the design life of the DSCOVR mission.

6.1.7. Weather, Hazards, and Seasonal/Inter-annual Climate Variability

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator and in collaboration with the NASA 

Administrator and international partners, will provide sustained satellite observations for monitoring and 

predicting weather and related hazards, which require constant operations. These observations comprise 

atmospheric sounding and imaging of the Earth; space-based environmental data relay for weather; and 

other products critical to the protection of lives, property, air quality, and public health. The Secretary of 

Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will also process long time-series data from these 

observations for reanalysis and modeling to better understand seasonal to decadal climate trends.

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will conduct these observations through 

the GOES series, the JPSS program (including S-NPP and future JPSS satellites), and the Polar-orbiting 

Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) series. Federal agencies will collaborate to launch the next 

satellite in the GOES series in 2016 and the first of the future JPSS satellites in 2017.

Both NOAA’s GOES and JPSS programs will experience overlapping technology infusion and the use of 

next-generation launch systems during the next 10-year period. Therefore, the Secretary of Commerce, 

through the NOAA Administrator, will take steps to re-phase future development and operational life

cycles of these two programs to reduce pressure from simultaneous budget peaks in both. The Secretary 

of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will also seek to employ related program adjustments, 

as appropriate, to improve flexibility and efficiency as part of a portfolio-managed approach, maintain 

sustained observations in the most cost-effective manner, and achieve a robust architecture for 

observations.
36

The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator and in collaboration with interagency and

international partners, will also continue to develop and acquire GPS radio-occultation measurements to 

enhance weather observation and prediction through the Constellation Observing System for 

Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) and COSMIC-2 missions. 

6.2. Sustained Satellite Observations for Earth System Research 

The NASA Administrator will conduct sustained satellite observations for research to advance the 

understanding of changes to the Earth system and related climate change. The Secretary of Commerce, 

through the NOAA Administrator and in collaboration with the NASA Administrator and other agencies, 

will also provide sustained observations for research on seasonal and inter-annual climate trends. Specific 

satellites will provide observations of the environmental phenomena described in the following 

subsections. These observations are presented alphabetically.

6.2.1. Aerosols and Trace Gases

In addition to the aerosols and trace gas data provided by NOAA, the NASA Administrator will provide 

long-term measurements of the vertical structure of aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and other important 

trace gases in the upper troposphere and stratosphere through the latest Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas 

Experiment (SAGE III) on the International Space Station (ISS). The NASA Administrator will launch SAGEIII on ISS in 2015, advancing the measurements provided by the previous Stratospheric Aerosol 

Measurement (SAM I and II), the SAGE I and II instruments, and the SAGE III Meteor-3M. Furthermore, 

the NASA Administrator will study options for continuing ozone-profile measurements planned for JPSS 

and explore collaboration with the Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, on OMPS 

measurements.

6.2.2. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

The NASA Administrator will provide global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through 

the Orbital Carbon Observatory (OCO), launched in July 2014. OCO measurements will be combined with 

data from a ground-based network to provide information needed to better understand the processes 

that regulate atmospheric CO2 and its role in the Earth’s carbon cycle. Additionally, the NASA 

Administrator will explore using data from carbon dioxide monitoring missions planned by international 

partners.

6.2.3. Groundwater

The NASA Administrator will conduct precision measurements of the Earth’s gravitational field that 

support groundwater measurements. Measurements taken through the Gravity Recovery and Climate 

Experiment (GRACE) help characterize the movement of underground water reservoirs and their seasonal 

variability.

The NASA Administrator will launch the GRACE follow-on in 2017, which will continue the measurement 

record established by the first GRACE launched in 2002. In addition, NASA and the Indian Space Research 

Organisation (ISRO) are cooperating to develop the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NI-SAR) mission, 

an L- and S-band radar satellite that will be able to measure land subsidence in relation to groundwater 

resources. 
37

6.2.4. Net Energy Balance

To understand incoming and outgoing radiant energy of the Earth system, Federal agencies have 

collaborated to create a 30-year-plus record of total solar irradiance and a 10-year-plus record of clouds

and the Earth’s radiation balance. The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, and the 

NASA Administrator will continue these measurements as follows:

 Radiation Budget: The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will launch a 

new Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) sensor on JPSS-1 in 2017, and the

NASA Administrator will process the sensor’s data. These observations will provide continuity for 

the series of measurements currently produced by S-NPP and NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites. 

Both the Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, and the NASA Administrator 

will explore options for a future Radiation Budget Instrument.

 Total Solar Irradiance: The Secretary of Commerce, through the NOAA Administrator, will 

complete and launch the Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1). The NASA Administrator will 

develop plans for continuing solar irradiance observations beyond the life cycle of TSIS-1. These 

programs will continue the data record currently produced by NASA’s Solar Radiation and Climate 

Experiment (SORCE) and Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIMSAT) satellites, as 

well as the Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE), a joint program in which 

NOAA and NASA collaborated to include a Total Irradiance Measurement (TIM) sensor as a hosted 

payload on an Air Force STPSat-3 satellite launched in 2013. 

6.3. Experimental Satellite Observations 

In addition to the roles listed above, the NASA Administrator, in collaboration with other agencies, will 

conduct experimental observations of the Earth from space to advance human knowledge of the Earth as 

an integrated system. The NASA Administrator will accomplish these observations through the NASA Earth 

Systematic Missions and Pathfinder programs. The NASA Administrator will also continue its Venture Class 

program for innovative new research satellites. Through these programs, the NASA Administrator plans 

to launch experimental observations for the following measurements relevant to the understanding of 

climate and related global change (listed chronologically by actual or projected launch date):

 Global precipitation through the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite, launched in 

February of 2014.

 Soil moisture through the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite, to be launched in 2014. 

 Cyclone generation through the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), to be 

launched in 2016.

 Ice-sheet mass balance, clouds and aerosols, and land elevation through the second Ice, Cloud,

and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-II), to be launched in 2017.

 Tropospheric pollution through the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) 

satellite, to be launched in 2019.

 Surface-water and ocean topography through the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) 

satellite, to be launched in 2020.
38

 Solid-Earth deformation, ice masses, and ecosystems through the NI-SAR satellite, to be jointly

developed by NASA and ISRO. 

In addition, the NASA Administrator will continue studying the feasibility of new satellite systems for 

observations of clouds and aerosols, land-surface characterization and deformation, hurricane formation, 

ecosystems classification, vegetation analysis, space-weather monitoring, and disaster-risk reduction, 

among others. 
39

7. Summary Guidelines in Implementation and Coordination of the 

National Plan

Implementation and coordination of activities outlined in this National Plan will be conducted through 

Federal agencies’ existing budgets, program planning, and NSTC-sponsored interagency processes. 

Implementation schedules, progress reviews, and funding profiles will be determined by Federal agencies 

in consultation with the Executive Office of the President. 

The primary forum for interagency discussion and coordination of Earth observation, related data 

management, and related international issues is the USGEO Subcommittee of the NSTC. Within this forum, 

specialized working groups will facilitate triennial Earth observation assessments, enhanced data 

discoverability, accessibility, and usability initiatives, and U.S. participation in the intergovernmental GEO. 

Federal Earth observation agencies will designate appropriate representatives to the USGEO 

Subcommittee, and corresponding SMEs to its working groups as appropriate. 

To maximize the utility of Earth observations to the widest range of internal and external stakeholders 

and inform Federal Earth-observation activities with valuable stakeholder perspectives, USGEO 

Subcommittee and Working Group representatives will consult as appropriate and exchange information 

and expertise with CENRS subcommittees and working groups.

33 Other NSTC entitiesthat will benefit from 

coordination with USGEO include the NSTC Committee on Technology’s Subcommittee on Network and 

Information Technology Research and Development and the NSTC Committee on Homeland and National 

Security’s Topics of International Science and Technology Innovation Subcommittee. 

OSTP, in consultation with the USGEO Subcommittee and CENRS member agencies, will review and update 

this National Plan on a three-year cycle. As part of this process, OSTP will solicit and consider the input of 

external stakeholders and the general public.

 

33 These groups might include, but are not limited to, the Subcommittee on Global Change Research, the Subcommittee on 

Disaster Reduction, the Subcommittee on Ecological Services, the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Subcommittee, the 

Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality, the Subcommittee on Air Quality Research, and the Subcommittee on 

Ocean Science and Technology.
40

Annex I: 2012 EOA Results

This annex provides results for the 145 high-impact observation systems identified from the 362 observation systems assessed by the 13 SBA 

teams of approximately 300 Federal subject-matter experts. These 145 observation systems are listed in two tiers in the tables below. Impact is 

indicated with respect to each of the 13 societal themes (12 SBAs and reference measurements), as described in Section 2.2.

Table 1: Tier 1 High-Impact Observation Systems (Ranked Order) 

Observation System

(Ranked Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

1. Global Positioning System (GPS) 

satellites DOD/USAF

2. Next Generation Weather Radar 

(NEXRAD) DOC/NOAA *

3. Landsat satellite DOI/USGS, 

NASA

*

4. Geostationary Operational 

Environmental Satellite System (GOESNOP)DOC/NOAA * *

5. National Agriculture Imagery Program 

(NAIP) USDA/FSA

6. Airborne LIDAR

DOC/NOAA, 

DOD/USACE, 

DOI/USGS, NSF

7. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) USDA/USFS *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
41

Observation System

(Ranked Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

8. Aircraft Meteorological Observations 

(e.g., MDCRS, AMDAR)

DOC/NOAA,

Non-USG

9. National Water Level Observation 

Network (NWLON) DOC/NOAA *

10. Terra satellite NASA * *

11. MetOp - Polar Orbiting Operational 

Meteorology (satellite, EUMETSAT)a Non-USG * *

12. Radiosonde Observations by 

National Weather Service (RAOBS) DOC/NOAA * *

13. USGS Stream Gage Network DOI/USGS *

14. Suomi National Polar-orbiting 

Partnership (S-NPP) satelliteb NASA, NOAA

15. Jason satellite DOC/NOAA, 

NASA

* *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *

Note: The EOA value chain began by identifying high-impact data sets and information products, and then observing systems that generate or contribute to those data sets and information products. 

As a result, the EOA captured the impact of certain non-USG sources of data, including from international, non-governmental, and commercial partners. Furthermore, the EOA results are derived from 

the findings of the SBA subject matter experts, and may not reflect all uses of well-known observing systems. In the table above, an asterisk indicates that the EOA scored this system as contributing 

to the SBA but not at a moderate or high level.

a

Both the MetOp satellites and POES system are part of the constellation required to meet the key objectives in relevant SBAs.

b

At the time of the EOA, S-NPP had only recently been launched and its impact on key objectives in relevant SBAs had yet to be fully realized.
42

Table 2: Tier 2 High-Impact Observation Systems (Alphabetical Order) 

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) 

satellite NASA

Advanced National Seismic System 

(ANSS) DOI/USGS

Aerial Observers - Aerial Detection 

Surveys (ADS)

DOC/NOAA, 

USDA/USFS 

Agricultural Attaché Reports USDA/FAS

Agricultural Economic Data USDA

Airborne Geophysical Measurements DOI/USGS, 

EPA

Airborne High-Resolution Optical 

Imagery

DOC/NOAA, 

DOD, NASA, 

USDA

Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery NASA *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
43

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Airborne Interferometric Synthetic 

Aperture Radar (InSAR) Non-USG *

Airborne Radar - U.S. Coast Guard DHS/USCG

Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) DOT/FAA

American Academy of Allergy Asthma & 

Immunology National Allergy Bureau 

(AAAAI-NAB) pollen counts

Non-USG

AmeriFlux Network DOE

Aqua satellite NASA *

Argo Oceanographic Profilers DOC/NOAA * * *

Atmospheric Integrated Research 

Monitoring Network (AIRMoN) DOC/NOAA 

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
44

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Aura satellite NASA *

Automated Surface Observing System 

(ASOS)

DOC/NOAA, 

DOT/FAA * * *

Automated Weather Observing System 

(AWOS) DOT/FAA * * *

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles 

(AUVs) - temperature, salinity, and 

currents measurements

DOC/NOAA *

Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) DOI/FWS

BLM Rapid Eco-regional Assessments 

(REA) & other federal/state agency/NGO

Landscape Assessments (RA)

DOI/BLM

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) Surveillance HHS/CDC *

Chartered Survey Vessels for Benthic 

Habitat observations DOC/NOAA * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
45

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Chartered Vessels for Fish Surveys DOC/NOAA

Clean Air Status and Trends Network 

(CASTNET) EPA

Coastal Buoys (National Data Buoy 

Center Buoys, IOOS) DOC/NOAA * *

Commercial Fishery Catch Monitoring DOC/NOAA

Commercial High-Resolution Satellite 

Imagery

Non-USG

Commercial Radar Satellites (e.g., 

RadarSat, TerraSAR-X) Non-USG

Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting 

of Tsunamis (DART) Buoys DOC/NOAA

Defense Meteorological Satellite 

Program (DMSP) DOD/USAF * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
46

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Direct Reports from Farmers (Crop

Reports, FSA Form 578) USDA/FSA

Disaster Incident Reports EPA, 

DHS/FEMA

Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)

satellites (foreign) Non-USG *

DOE Atmospheric Radiation 

Measurement (ARM) Climate Research 

Facility

DOE *

Drifting Buoy Network DOC/NOAA * * * *

Earth Observing Satellite - 1 (EO-1) NASA

EPA Emissions Source Testing/

Measurement Programs (EST/M) EPA

EPA Water Quality Samples EPA *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
47

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Farm Operator Surveys USDA/NASS *

Farm Service Agency Reporting USDA *

Fish and Wildlife Service Inventory and 

Monitoring (I&M) Program DOI/FWS

Fisheries Observers on 

Commercial Vessels DOC/NOAA

Global Avian Influenza Surveillance HHS/CDC

Global Biodiversity Information Facility 

Network (GBIF) DOI/USGS *

Global Change Observation Mission -

Water (GCOM-W) Advanced Microwave 

Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) 

Non-USG

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) 

Upper Air Network (GUAN) Non-USG * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
48

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Global Lake Ecological Observatory 

Network (GLEON) NSF

Global Navigation Satellite System 

Meteorology (GNSS-Met) DOC/NOAA * * * *

Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) 

Tropical Moorings (TAO/RAMA/PIRATA) DOC/NOAA * *

Global Sea Level Observing System 

(GLOSS) (international) Non-USG *

Global Seismographic Network (GSN) DOI/USGS, 

NSF

*

Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean 

Circulation Explorer (GOCE) Non-USG * *

Gravity for the Redefinition of the 

American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) DOC/NOAA *

Gravity Recovery and Climate 

Experiment (GRACE) satellite NASA *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
49

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

High Frequency (HF) Coastal Radars DOC/NOAA * *

International Doppler Radar Non-USG

International Global Navigation Satellite 

Systems (GNSS) Non-USG * *

International Magnetometers Non-USG

Jet Propulsion Lab MODIS/ASTER 

airborne simulator (JPL MASTER) NASA

Lightning Data Buy DOC/NOAA *

Long-Term Ecological & Agroecosystem 

Research Networks & International LTER 

(LTER/LTAR/ILTER)

NSF, USDA *

Low Level Windshear Alert System 

(LLWAS) DOT/FAA

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
50

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Meteosat satellite (EUMETSAT) Non-USG * * * *

Micro-Pulse LIDAR Network (MPLNET) NASA *

Multifunctional Transport Satellite 

(MTSAT) Imager for Weather and 

Aviation Control (Japan)

Non-USG * * * *

National Air Toxics and Trends Stations 

(NATTS) EPA

National Animal Health Surveillance 

System (NAHSS) USDA/APHIS

National Aquatic Resource Surveys 

(NARS) EPA

National Ballast Information Network DHS/USCG

National Cooperative Soil Survey USDA/NRCS

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
51

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

National Park Service Inventory and 

Monitoring (I&M) DOI/NPS

National Phenology Network (NPN)

DOI/NPS, 

DOI/USGS, 

NSF 

National Weather Service (NWS) 

Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) DOC/NOAA

National Weather Service Skywarn 

Spotters

DOC/NOAA * *

NOAA and Chartered Aircraft for 

Protected Species Surveys DOC/NOAA

NOAA Global Monitoring Division 

Observatories DOC/NOAA

NOAA Profiler Network DOC/NOAA * * *

NOAA Recreational Fish Surveys DOC/NOAA

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
52

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

NOAA Ship and Chartered Ship for Coral 

Reef Field Surveys DOC/NOAA

NOAA Ships - Fish Surveys DOC/NOAA

NOAA Ships - Hydrographic Surveys DOC/NOAA * *

NOAA Ships - Protected Species 

Observations DOC/NOAA

Non-Federal Biological Surveys Non-USG *

Ocean Reference Station Buoys DOC/NOAA *

Physical Oceanographic Real-Time 

System (PORTS) DOC/NOAA * *

Pilot Reports (PIREPS)/Aircraft Reports 

(AIREPS) DOT/FAA * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
53

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Polar-orbiting Operational 

Environmental Satellite System (POES)a

DOC/NOAA *

Port Radars DHS/USCG

Portable Water Gages DOC/NOAA, 

DOI/USGS *

Rain Gage Networks (state, local) Non-USG * *

Regional and State Mesonetworks DOC/NOAA * * *

Road Weather Information Systems 

(RWIS) DOT/FHWA

Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre 

(SPOT) (France) Non-USG * *

Sentinel Animals (state and local) Non-USG *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *

a

Both MetOp satellites and POES system are part of the constellation required to meet the key objectives in relevant SBAs.
54

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Shipboard Radars

DHS/USCG, 

DOC/NOAA, 

DOD/USN

Ships of Opportunity Program (SOOP) DOC/NOAA *

Small Boat Charters - Harmful Algal 

Bloom Water Sampling DOC/NOAA

Smithsonian Institution Global Earth 

Observatory (SIGEO) SI

SNOwpack TELemetry (SNOTEL) USDA/NRCS *

Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) USDA/NRCS *

Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity Mission 

(SMOS) satellite (ESA) Non-USG

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory 

(SOHO) satellite NASA

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
55

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) 

satellite NASA

Solar Electro-Optical Network (SEON) DOD/USAF

Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory 

(STEREO) satellites NASA

Sound Velocimeter for hydrographic 

surveys

DOC/NOAA

Spatially Enhanced Broadband Array 

Spectrograph System (SEBASS) NASA

State and Local Stream Gage Networks DOI/USGS * * * * * *

State and Local Water Level Networks DOI/USGS

Terminal Doppler Weather Radar 

(TDWR) DOT/FAA * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
56

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) EPA

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 

(TRMM) satellite NASA * * *

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Hydrographic Surveys DOD/USACE

U.S. Census Data on Population and 

Roads DOC/ Census

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) -

Surveys and Surveillance

DOC/NOAA, 

DOD, 

DOI/USGS

* *

US Gap Analysis Program (GAP) -

assessing biodiversity conservation DOI/USGS

USGS Geomagnetic Observatories DOI/USGS *

USGS In Situ Water Quality Sensors DOI/USGS * * * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
57

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

USGS Inner Shelf Vessels for Benthic 

Habitat Observation DOI/USGS

USGS National Groundwater Stations DOI/USGS * * *

USGS Water Quality Samples DOI/USGS *

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) NSF

Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) DOC/NOAA * * *

Water Resources Field Experiments DOI/USGS

WC-130 - U.S. Air Force - Hurricane 

Hunter aircraft DOD/USAF * * * *

WMO Global Observing System (GOS) -

Surface Non-USG * * *

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *
58

Observation System

(Alphabetical Order) Agency

Ag&Frst

BioDiv

Climate

Disasters

Ecosys

Energy

HumanHlth

Ocn&Cstl

Space Wx

Trans

WaterRes

Wx

RefMeas

WMO Global Observing System (GOS) -

Upper Air Non-USG * *

World Aviation Forecast System Internet 

File Services (WIFS) DOT/FAA

Contributes Moderate High Very High Highest

Impact: *

Note: The EOA value chain began by identifying high-impact data sets and information products, and then observing systems that generate or contribute to those data sets and information products. 

As a result, the EOA captured the impact of certain non-USG sources of data, including from international, non-governmental, and commercial partners. Furthermore, the EOA results are derived from 

the findings of the SBA subject matter experts, and may not reflect all uses of well-known observing systems. In the table above, an asterisk indicates that the EOA scored this system as contributing 

to the SBA but not at a moderate or high level.
59

Annex II: Caveats for Understanding and Interpreting 

the 2012 Earth Observation Assessment

1. Comprehensiveness. The list of systems assessed in the EOA and identified in Annex I of this National 

Plan is not a comprehensive inventory of all systems, but rather an analysis of systems with significant 

impact as identified by a broad range of subject-matter experts. In addition, the EOA results include 

only the current portfolio of deployed systems. Planned and future systems (JPSS, NEON, etc.) were 

not analyzed. Finally, the EOA does not encompass the full range of possible objectives within each 

SBA. Therefore, certain agency mission objectives and systems important to those objectives may not 

be adequately reflected.

2. Significance of All Systems. All systems identified in the EOA have significant impact on key objectives 

identified by expert teams under each SBA. 

3. Assessment Results and the Budget Process: Impact vs. Value. The EOA did not include cost data. 

Therefore, the EOA results convey the impact, not the value, of the observing systems identified by 

expert teams. The Assessment and this National Plan are meant to provide useful input to the budgetreview process and to complement (but not substitute for) information and methods traditionally 

used in these reviews.

4. Considering the Enterprise as a Whole. The list of high-impact observing systems in Annex I is best 

used as a device for understanding the relative impact of each system on the broader, national Earth 

observation enterprise. Decisions about observing systems in one agency can have a dramatic effect 

(positive or negative) on the ability of other agencies to perform their Earth-science missions. Earthobservation investment decisions and adjustments must therefore be made through a coordinated 

process to avoid unintended consequences on the entire enterprise. For example, the EOA results 

alone should not be used as the basis for eliminating individual systems. Such a rough-cut use of this 

system would have devastating effects on specific areas of Earth science and services delivered to 

taxpayers.

5. Even Weighting of the SBAs. The work of the EOA is organized around evenly weighted “Societal 

Benefit Areas,” because an economic analysis of the value of the information to society is well beyond 

the scope of the EOA. Therefore, the list shows relative, rather than absolute priority, across all areas. 

It is appropriate to review the EOA results not just in the larger list, but by SBA to see how the relative 

impact of a given system rises or falls, depending on the area of emphasis.

6. Multiple- and Special-Purpose Systems. Reviewers of these results should understand that systems 

with a high impact across multiple SBAs score highest in the EOA. Nevertheless, many significant 

systems that did not meet the criteria established for Tier 1 (i.e., impact across many SBAs) are 

considered essential to the specific SBA they uniquely serve. Many of these High-Impact Special 

Purpose Systems are included in as Tier 2 systems, listed in Table 2 in Annex I.

7. A Companion to Other Analyses of Research-Observing-System Priorities. The analysis presented here 

is best understood as a companion to other analyses of Earth-observation priorities that are provided 
60

to the Federal Government, most importantly the National Academies report Earth Science and 

Applications from Space (2007), known as the decadal survey. The EOA provides two new perspectives 

to complement the work of the decadal survey: (a) the inclusion of non-satellite systems and (b) a 

robust analysis of the impact of all systems on the delivery of services to society. Fundamental 

research about the Earth system underpins each of the 12 SBAs, and each team was invited to consider 

research priorities critical for their area. The EOA process, however, was fundamentally applicationsoriented, and the constraints of time and the breadth of the analysis prevented a full accounting of 

research needs in every area. Therefore the Assessment’s results for research observation systems 

may not reflect the full impact of those systems on climate and other research needs. Aside from this 

dimension, the EOA does capture the impact of current research systems on specific societal-benefit 

applications. 

8. International Interests. The Nation’s Earth-observing systems have important impacts on U.S. foreignsecurity-policy interests that were not included in this analysis. Agency commitments and agreements 

with international partners on collaborative systems were also not factored into the impact analysis.
61

Annex III: Abbreviations

ACRIMSAT Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor

AMDAR Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay

APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of 

Agriculture

BEDI Big Earth Data Initiative

BISON Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation

BLM Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health 

and Human Services

CENRS Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability

CERES Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System

CO2 carbon dioxide

COSMIC Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, 

and Climate 

CYGNSS Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DOC Department of Commerce

DOD Department of Defense

DOE Department of Energy

DOI Department of the Interior

DOT Department of Transportation

DSCOVR Deep Space Climate Observatory

ECV Essential Climate Variable

EOA Earth Observation Assessment 

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ESA European Space Agency

FAA Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation

FAS Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of Agriculture

FHWA Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation

FIA Forest Inventory and Analysis, United States Forest Service, 

Department of Agriculture

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland 

Security

FSA Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture

FWS Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior

FY fiscal year

GCOS Global Climate Observing System

GEO Group on Earth Observations

GEOSS Global Earth Observation System of Systems

GOES Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

GPM Global Precipitation Measurement 

GPS Global Positioning System

GRACE Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

ICESat Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite
62

IOOS® Integrated Ocean Observing System

ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation

ISS International Space Station

JPSS Joint Polar Satellite System

LIDAR Light Detection and Ranging

MDCRS Meteorological Data Collection and Reporting System

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service, Department of Agriculture

NEOTF National Earth Observation Task Force

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of 

Commerce

NPS National Park Service, Department of the Interior

NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture

NSF National Science Foundation

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

OCO Orbital Carbon Observatory

OMB Office of Management and Budget

OMPS Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy

PACE Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment

POES Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite

RFI Request for Information

S-NPP Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership

SAGE Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment

SAM Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement

SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar

SBA societal benefit area

SI Smithsonian Institution

SMAP Soil Moisture Active Passive

SME subject matter expert

SORCE Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment

SWOT Surface Water Ocean Topography

TCTE Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment

TEMPO Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution 

TIM Total Irradiance Measurement sensor

TSIS Total Solar Irradiance Sensor

USACE United States Army Corps of Engineers

USAF United States Air Force

USCG United States Coast Guard

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USFS United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture

USG United States Government

USGEO United States Group on Earth Observations 

USGS United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior

USN United States Navy

VIIRS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite