RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN GEOGRAPHY AT THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 00HQAG0217 between the National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
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Front and back covers: The Geographic Face of the Nation (land cover), 2001. SOURCE: U.S. Geological Survey.
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Copyright 2002 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH PRIORITIES IN GEOGRAPHY AT THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WILLIAM L.GRAF, Chair,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
BARBARA P.BUTTENFIELD,
University of Colorado, Boulder
CAROL P.HARDEN,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
JOHN R.JENSEN,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
GEORGE P.MALANSON,
University of Iowa, Iowa City
PATRICIA F.MCDOWELL,
University of Oregon, Eugene
SARA McLAFFERTY,
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
RISA I.PALM,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
NORBERT P.PSUTY,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
HENRY J.VAUX, JR.,
University of California, Riverside
National Research Council Staff
ANTHONY R.DE SOUZA, Director,
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
LISA M.VANDEMARK, Study Director
MONICA R.LIPSCOMB, Research Assistant
TERESIA K.WILMORE, Project Assistant
COMMITTEE ON GEOGRAPHY
BILLIE L.TURNER II, Chair,
Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
BERNARD O.BAUER,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
RUTH S.DEFRIES,
University of Maryland, College Park
ROGER M.DOWNS,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
MICHAEL F.GOODCHILD,
University of California, Santa Barbara
SUSAN HANSON,
Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
SARA L.McLAFFERTY,
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
ELLEN S.MOSLEY-THOMPSON,
Ohio State University, Columbus
ERIC S.SHEPPARD,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
National Research Council Staff
KRISTEN L.KRAPF, Program Officer
MONICA R.LIPSCOMB, Research Assistant
VERNA J.BOWEN, Administrative Associate
BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
RAYMOND JEANLOZ, Chair,
University of California, Berkeley
JILL BANFIELD,
University of California, Berkeley
STEVEN R.BOHLEN,
Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Washington, D.C.
VICKI J.COWART,
Colorado Geological Survey, Denver
DAVID L.DILCHER,
University of Florida, Gainesville
ADAM M.DZIEWONSKI,
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
WILLIAM L.GRAF,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
RHEA GRAHAM,
New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, Albuquerque
GEORGE M.HORNBERGER,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
DIANNE R.NIELSON,
Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Salt Lake City
MARK SCHAEFER,
NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia
BILLIE L.TURNER II,
Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
THOMAS J.WILBANKS,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee
National Research Council Staff
ANTHONY R.DE SOUZA, Director
TAMARA L.DICKINSON, Senior Program Officer
DAVID A.FEARY, Senior Program Officer
ANNE M.LINN, Senior Program Officer
PAUL M.CUTLER, Program Officer
KRISTEN L.KRAPF, Program Officer
KERIH. MOORE, Program Officer
LISA M.VANDEMARK, Program Officer
YVONNE P.FORSBERGH, Research Assistant
MONICA R.LIPSCOMB, Research Assistant
EILEEN McTAGUE, Research Assistant
VERNA J.BOWEN, Administrative Associate
JENNIFER T.ESTEP, Administrative Associate
RADHIKA CHARI, Senior Project Assistant
KAREN L.IMHOF, Senior Project Assistant
SHANNON L.RUDDY, Senior Project Assistant
TERESIA K.WILMORE, Project Assistant
WINFIELD SWANSON, Editor
Acknowledgments
This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making their published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:
Brian J.L.Berry, University of Texas, Dallas
Vicki Cowart, Colorado Geological Survey, Denver
Michael F.Goodchild, University of California, Santa Barbara
Judy Olson, Michigan State University, East Lansing
Dallas L.Peck, USGS emeritus, Reston, Virginia
Stanley W.Trimble, University of California, Los Angeles
Thomas J.Wilbanks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Although the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Freeman Gilbert, University of California, San Diego. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this
Preface
Geography plays an increasingly important role in education, science, policy making, and government operations. The inclusion of geography in public school curricula has produced a generation of young people who are better trained in the subject than in previous years (NRC, 1997). Geography has also become a more prominent component of science as described by the recent National Research Council (NRC) report Rediscovering Geography: New Relevance for Science and Society. New recognition by decision makers of the local to global context of the issues they face has brought geography into play at every level. The refinement of geographic technology, including geographic information systems and remote sensing, has given powerful tools to analysts and decision makers that actuate fundamental geographic principles in experimental research and applied problem solving.
In the twenty-first century the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) should take advantage of geographic theory and techniques, including electronic databases, new maps (to replace the original topographic maps) and application of remote sensing to resource and hazards management. In this spirit, John Kelmelis, Chief Scientist for Geography at the USGS, requested that the NRC conduct a study for multiple audiences about geography at the USGS. The Committee on Research Priorities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey was charged to identify high-priority basic and applied research opportunities in geography as they relate to the science goals and responsibilities of the USGS. Generally, the committee was asked to address the following areas of concern to the Geography Discipline (the portion of the agency once known as the National Mapping Division) of the USGS: (1) the role of the USGS in advancing the state of geographic knowledge of the discipline (geography, cartography, and geographic information sciences), (2)
the role of the USGS in improving the understanding of the dynamic connections between the land surface and human interactions with it, (3) the role of the USGS in maintaining and enhancing the tools and methods for conducting and applying geographic research, and (4) the role of the USGS in bridging the gap between geographic science, policy making, and management. The committee included members from a range of sub-disciplines in geography, including geomorphology, policy for public land and water, cartography, geographic information systems, hydrology, remote sensing, biogeography, landscape ecology, hazards, urban systems, social geography, and economics.
The committee met four times in Washington, D.C., and visited the USGS headquarters and its Eastern Regional Center in Reston, Virginia. Sub-groups of the committee also visited the USGS Regional Center in Denver, Colorado, as well as the USGS EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As input to the study the committee reviewed the scientific literature and data, and materials from the Survey and other federal agencies. The committee also greatly benefited from discussions with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA).
The committee acknowledges the many individuals who gave briefings or provided input during the course of the study (see Appendix B). The committee was most fortunate to work in a supportive NRC environment. Lisa Vandemark managed the many details that surfaced along the way. Monica Lipscomb was exceptionally helpful in this project, particularly in the assembly of the final manuscript. Anthony de Souza, director of the Board on Earth Sciences, contributed important ideas and insights, and he was a marvelous collaborator in refining the report.
William L.Graf
Chair