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DISASTERS ROUNDTABLE
HAZARDS WATCH: REDUCING THE IMPACTS OF DISASTERS THROUGH
IMPROVE D E ARTH OBSE RVATIONS
OVERVIEW
How can ~ use our ability to observe the Earth's natural s~tems to create a disaster-resilient society
and Chat challenges and limits remain in earth observation efforts? This question As explored by a
variety of spars and participants at the 9th Disasters Roundtable (DR) workshop entitled Hazards
Watch: Reducing Disaster Losses through Improved Earth Observations on October 22, 2003 at the
Keck Center of the National Acaderr~es. This topic As chosen by the Disasters Roundtable
Steering Cor~ttee to take advantage of the momentum created by a July 3l, 2003 Earth
Observation Summit. This United States-hosted ministerial summit of 33 nations plus the European
Commission and 21 international orgaruzations As fob to promote the development of
integrated comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth observation system or s~tems among
g~vernm~ts and the international community to understand and amass global en~ronm~tal and
econorr~c challenges. The DR workshop As designed to adds the opportunity for Educing
disaster losses by making the most of the technologies available through Earth observing systems,
which produce hig~yvaTuable information for policy mad and emergency managers. They
represent an important tool for providing both cat and lon~-tenn information necessary in
decision support and in Aster prevention and rustication.
1 1 1 1 1 · 1 1 .1 ~ -
~ _ _ _ i, , ~
(A J
Earth observing technologies have
already helpect Improve and actvance the nahonat wading system in the United States and an
internationally integrated Earth observing system dEOS) promises similar advances in planning and
wading efforts of ah nations. IEOS implementation planning is attempting to chart a course for the
next 10 to 20 years that Hit help adds major problems on the planet.
INTRODUCTION AND FRAMEWORK
What is an Earth Ob~t~on Sew Earth observation refers to measurement and monitoring of the
state of the Earth and its processes. An Earth observation system is a system of monitoring
networks links to create data and infonnahon for a variety of uses, including the rr~hgahon of
natural Asters (Lautenbacher, 2003~. Earth observations are ~ in climate monitoring search
and rescue operations, property protection, and as stated above, disaster rr~hgaho~ to narre a few.
There are many components of an Earth observahon system such as seismology for earthquake,
geodesy for precise rreasurerrent of the Earth's surface and shape, geomagnebsm for solar storms
that can damage billions of doDars worth of electrical grids and comrr~nicahons assets, and
volcanology for detecting vertical moverrent at the Earth's surface and wading of ~ions.
Specific technologies include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and moor~buo~ for atmospheric
profiling and measurerrents.
Earth observahons~tems are instrurr~nnng the Earth for improving our l
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Although issues Mated to {E OS are not new, they are now receiving hi~level attention
is creating momentum on this subject. This Workshop As designed to take advantage of the
morrentumto explore end emphasize the potential {EOS has for disaster reduction.
VISION
Vice Adr~ral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.), Adrr~nistrator, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Adr~n~stration (NOAA), has been leading the U.S. effort to develop an
IF OS. He participated in the )uly2003 ~ one of the first political surr~nits
of its kind Lautenbacher delivered the keynote address at this Workshop.
Lautenbacher stated that producing a successful {E OS vim take find and cooperation at the
political levet The Earth Observation Subunit represents a new phase of cooperation anon"
nations. The nations involved sent hi~level representatives to participate, including five cabinet-
level secretaries from the United States. Despite current open d~sagreerrents among Arid leaders in
some areas, nations Are able to put aside their clifficulties to attend this event.
AGED ~~
....
j: ]
Figure 1 IS—
SOURCE: Presented by Greg Withee.
Earth Suit Earl. The declaration adopted at the first Earth Observation Summit recognized
the need to move forward in the development of Earth observation s~tems, reaffirmed the need for
data and infonnation for sound decision-mal
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A~strator of the United States; Director General Achideas Mitsos of the Directorate General for
Research of the European Comrrussio~ and Mr. Akio Yuki, Dep~yMin~ster of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan The group also established a fourth co-chair,
from South Africa, to represent the developing country perspective South Africa vim announce
their representative in the near future.
Lautenbacher acknov]~ that Earth observing system technology is not new, but is an
ongping effort begun early in the Space Age that integrates existing science and technology. An
{EOSv~ achieve its ma~mpotenti~ if leaders recognize and support its larger multinational and
global focus. {E OS encourage multi- and inter-dis~iplinary research and can be a catalyst for earth
scientists to work together on a uniting topic.
77~ Value/IEOS. Earth observ~ngs~tems make it possible to monitor the pearl in fug, When not
Tong ago Earth monitoring Is geographicadylimited and intermittent. An {E OS carries enonnous
rotenti~ to aid in climate extremes research and Depiction flood Itch and waning agriculture,
transportation management, and
energy managerrent and
distribution. COSPA~SARSAT~,
a system that rides on Earth
observing satellites of several
countnes to support search and
rescue aided tracking has already
assisted in saving over 15,000 lives
rld~de since it became
operational in 1982 (NOAA'
2003~. Researchers can and have
~1 Earth observing system data
for scientific and econorr~c
advancerrent, sustainable
developrrent, and population
growth impact stuches. Natural
disasters put 30 to 40 percent of
A~ica's $10 trillion economy at
Figure 2 The Search and Rescue Satellite A ided Track ing (SARSA TJ
system uses NOAA satellites in lozocarth and geostationary orbits to
detect and locate aviators, mariners, and lan~based users in distress.
SOURCE: NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service. Am, ~
risk Due to their use of data
gathered by these observation
systems, seasonal forecasts are
now more accurate and this has
had significant effects for
agriculture and fishing
Earth Obserz~fiam at Work Or Disaster Raw? Hurricane Isabel struck the east coast and adjacent
inland areas of the United States in rr~d-September 2003. Earth observations from existing satellite
s~tems, combined with advances in science, modeling and data gathering predicted the track of
1 COSPA~SARSAT is an acronym foran international search and rescue system. Cospas is an acronym for the Russian words
"Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov," which mean "Space System for the Search of Vessels in
Distress."Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov." SARSAT stands for Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided
Tracking (NOAA, 2003).
3
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Isabel with much greater accuracy than had ever been achieved for previous hurricanes Forecasters
Are able to predict There Isabel's land fad point bung be, within a 90 ride range of error, 72 hours
before the hurricane struck land. After impact, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, using Earth
observing t~hnologres, exarn~ned every square Me of coast affected by Isabel for damages,
facilitating speedy repair and recovery, particularly along the hard-hit North Carolina coast.
ACHIEVING INTEGRATED EARTH OBSERVATIONS: CURRENT STATUS
There are 73 satellites med for Earth observations currently in orbit, thousands of ground level
networks, and hunts of airborne information collectors. Terabytes of data are being produced by
these instrurmnts every day. Much of this information feeds Rather centers and research
laboratories and has proven useful for managing natural disasters (see Table 1~. The challenge for
enhancing future capabilities of Earth observations for disaster management is in increase
cooperation among international data providers in order to achieve the scale, frequency of
measurements, and speect of response, which are r~ui~ to face diverse and ~cutical dimsters
(CE OS, 2003~.
GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS OF EARTH OBSERVATION SY STEMS FOR DISASTER REDUCTION
Salvano Br~ceno heads the Inter-A~ncy Secretariat of the ~$ r
Reduction (UN/ISDR). The UN/ISDR is a small inter-agency group assigned the task of helping
partners interested in disaster reduction to Work together. It attempts to further the efforts Initiated
through the United Nations dming the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-
1999~. The ISDR goals are to Muce risk and vulnerability, to help public authorities cornet to
disaster reduction, to advance multi-disciplinary research, to promote the creation and maintenance
of disaster resilient comrr~nities, to foster regional outreach programs aid at disaster reduction,
and to partner in risk reduction efforts. The ISDR office Arks in conjunction with United Nations
task for110
ces advancing civil societies via advocacy, coordination, information management, and education.
The United Nations supports space (satellite) applications, i.e., IEOS, for disaster reduction and has
action teams aiding in disaster managerrent.
Increasing poverty compounded by groveling population concentrations in urban areas cause
inch vuInerabilities, especiadyin developing nations. IEOS has the potential to reduce disaster
vulnerability and recurring disaster Tosses by providing data for applications that can identify
vulnerable populations and areas, thus changing the disaster culture from reaction to prevention and
rustication IEOS information van advance both scientific and humanitar' als. (See Rao, 2000
for a specific discussion of how India is using Earth observations for preparedness, rustication, and
recovery.)
NOAA'S ROLE IN MAKING IEOS HAPPEN
Gregory W.lthee, Assistant Adrr~n~strator for Satellite and Infonnation services at the National
Oceanic end atmospheric Adr~nistration (NOAA), is the current chair of the G>IM,M,lL:~' ('M I: .~1
Objection city (CE OS). The CEOS encompasses the Worlds government agencies
1
4
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TABLE ~ Cut Capabilities of Earth Observation Satellites for use in Disaster Torrent
HAZARD USE OF EO SATELLITES
Weather satellites are used extensively for detection and tracking of storms and contribute
Hurricanes & effectively to the forecasting capability. Recent satellite missions providing more detailed
tornadoes and frequent measurements of sea surface wind speed and tropical rainfall mapping have
significant improved forecasts.
In-situ and Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites provide valuable information on
Volcanic seismic and volcanic activity. EO satellites provide complementary data in support of
eruptions disaster mitigation and response: interferometry techniques of radar sensors are used to
& monitor fault motions and strain, and signs of Earth surface deformation and topographic
earthquakes changes.
Very high resolution sensors are used to map damage assessment, direct response efforts,
and aid reconstruction planning.
Satellite data is the primary information source employed by the 9 Volcanic Ash Advisory
Centres operational world-wide which issue volcanic ash cloud warnings, an essential
information source for international aviation safety.
A number of satellites now contribute routinely to each stage of wildfire hazard
Wildfires management world-wide, including: fire risk mapping using land cover and fire fuel
assessments, moisture data, digital elevation maps, and meteorological information - all
derived from satellite; fire detection and early warning; fire monitoring and mapping;
burned area assessment.
Oil spills
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is used as the basis for ocean surveillance systems
for oil slick detection, to provide enforcement and monitoring capabilities to deter
pollution dumping. The SAR data is processed within 1-2 hours of the satellite overpass
and used by pollution control authorities to cue aircraft surveillance. Surveillance systems
are currently operational in Norway, and Denmark, and under trial in the Netherlands,
Germany, and the UK. SAR data and optical data are also used to develop information in
support of major coastal oil spills, to assist in mapping pollution extent and managing the
response.
Currently, multichannel and multi-sensor data sources from geostationary satellites and
polar orbiting satellites are used routinely for determining key monitoring parameters such
as: precipitation intensity, amount, and coverage, atmospheric moisture and winds.
Instruments with spectral bands capable of measuring vegetative biomass are also used
operationally for drought monitoring. The Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) in
Africa, for example, exploits operational use of satellite technology to reduce the
incidence of famine in sub-Saharan Africa by monitoring the agricultural growing season.
Monitoring is carried out through 'greenness maps' derived every 10 days from the
AVHRR instrument, and from rainfall estimates.
Earth observation satellites are used for the development of flood impact prediction maps,
contributing measurements of landscape topography, land use, and surface wetness for use
in hydrological models. Weather satellites provide key information on rainfall predictions
to assist flood event forecasting. Since optical observations are hampered by the presence
of clouds, SAR missions (which can achieve regular observation of the earth's surface,
even in the presence of thick cloud cover) are frequently used to provide near real-time
data acquisitions in support of flood extent mapping.
Drought
Floods
SOURCE: CEC~3.
responsible for civil Earth observation satellite programs, dong With agencies that receive and
process data acquit remotely from space. As chair of CE OS, W~thee play an active role in the
(I(;C)~. a Trick r~rtnersWn established to orr)vicle an
5
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over-arching strategy for conducting observations Mating to climate and atmosphere, oceans and
coasts, the land surface and the Earth's interior. The partners, through IGOS, build upon the
strategies of existing international global observing programs, and upon current achieverrents, in
sing to improve observing capacity end deliver observations in a cost-effective and tingly fashion
(IGOS, 2000~.
NOAA advances the ocean and atmospheric part of EROS through its products and services.
NOAA's work involves positioning Earth observing satellites and Irking with data consurr~ion
centers. Atmospheric scientists, ecologists and env~nrrental scientists, geoscientists, and others
attempt to integrate their research aura in order to produce "one story' to the President and the
Office of ~nagerrent and Bu—. {E OS is if in this comprehensive effort because it facilitates in
situ land and ecosystem monitoring volcanic and tsunami waning systems, and a host of other
Earth observing activities. W~thee suggested that it Bulk be valuable to introduce disaster
managerrent support groups to E OS. {EOS data streams could tee pronto help others adds
landslides, earthquake, droughts, volcanoes, ocean storms, and oil spins. W~thee advocated "on
demand" satellite tracking and image acquisition in tires of Aster.
To demonstrate how {EOS can assist in managing and reducing natural Asters, W~thee
described the extensive amount of data and information r~ to fully understand a Aster event
such as flooding. Precipitation estates and severe stone index sequences are used for warning' of
severe stones such as tornadoes (CE OS, 2003~. A single system cannot provide ah the data necessary
to understand the present and future impacts of a Aster event; a] data, including archived data
from other s~tems, can aid in response and recovery. W~thee illustrated a case in which an
international agreement, the ~ As activated to
provide satellite observation of various disasters such as mrthqua~, volcanic eruptions, landslides,
floods, ocean storms, and of! spies.
{E OS officios win need to understand the r~urerrents of their information users in order
to make {E OS work They win ado have to help others increase their ability to use {EO~supplied
data in optimum Ad. Sorre of this right be accomplished through the United Nation's World
Ak*eorolog~cal Organization.
WMO'S EXPERIENCE IN INTEGRATING GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS
AsSecretaty-Generalof the] _ n(WMO),~chel~arrau~presented
the WMO's role in an {E OS.
The WMO performs extensive global observations in support of climate, hydrological, and
meteorological activities. These observations range from in situ sensors to radars and space-bone
s~tems. A major goal of the WMO efforts is to integrate these s~tems, which are a major
contribution to disaster rustication efforts. Integration includes data collection, ~rld~de free and
unrestricted exchange and dissemination of data and products to a wide range of users including
g~verr~rents.
The goals of the WMO go beyond malting observations. The WMO's ('k,[~..~l (:~¢ r\~'u~,
System MOSS supports forecasting as whit as climate research, and contributes to better risk
evaluation and management. GOS enables improved study of disaster-related phenomenon possible.
The most obvious benefits of GOS are the safeguarding of life and property through the forecasting
detection and vowing of severe Bather phenomena such as local storms, tornadoes, and
extratropqcal and ~ 5~. DEMO, 2003~.
6
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GOS provides vertical structure analysis of the atmosphere as v~1 as better monitoring of
the Earth's surface. It is made up of observ~ngiacilities at stations on land and at sea, and on aircraft,
meteorological satellites and other platforms. These facilities are owed and operated by the 185
member countnes of WMO and international satellite agencies. Aircraft observational data collection
is grov~ngq~ckly. Argo, abroad-scale global array of temperature/salinity profiling floats, currently
deploy under the responsibility of the
~ comprises about 900 buoys, with a goal of evenly reaching at
least 3000.
The WMO coordinates several other international programs that contribute to Earth
Observations The t:h~ h (GAW), a ~rldmde network of strategically located
global, regional and national monitoring stations coordinated by the WMO, monitors atmospheric
chemistry including greenhouse gases, aerosols and pollutants. The i@
Rem (WHYCOS) aims to provide a global picture of the hyd~log~cal cycle and to
promote global exchange of hydrological data Also, the WMO has a fast expanding space based
component of its Global Observation System It integrates data from 3 constellations of satellites
(polar orbiting geostationaryas v~31 as research and developrrent env~onrrent satellites). WMO has
initiated a major WMO Space Program Which v~1 contribute to a wde range of Aster prevention
and rustication activities.
WMO's work involves four stages: relieving user r~rerrents, examining existing and
planned observation s~tems, conducting critical review to assess capabilities and how successfully
fits have been met, end producing guidance for WMO members on sate~it - Mated
technological developments as v~1 as on changes in relevant existing rreteorolog~cal and
hydrological operation skaters WMO promotes thematic integration of atmospheric climate, oceans
and terrestrial data in a constantly evolving manner in order to adapt proactively to a fast changing
environment.
The following points emerged during the discussion
Challen~sin Restart and Do: Continued research on Earth observations is essential to achieve
a f~lyintegratedintetnational Earth observation system In order to attain funding for research, it is
necessary to educate the public about the societal benefits of the research Eqmprrent costs for
Earth observations s~tems consurre a large portion of the total research buds, but program
managers work to make it all fit together so that researchers get precisely what they need and
research products are disseminated in the best may possible. The recent Summit has helped
policymakers around the world recognize the value of expanding their research budgets so their
researchers and polic~kers make good use of the myth of information provided to them by the
Earth observation s~tem.
Questions that need to be addressed in the near future are:
How can existing funding tee used more effectively?
How can the s~tembe sustainedin the future?
How can future observations be attained for the Saran cost as todays observations?
IEOS and D~sas~rR~ {E OS has a wide range of applications in disaster reduction; hoover, it
is difficult to integrate information across ail needs. Disasters need to transpire in order to
demonstrate the ability of {E OS to aid in disaster reduction. Some success stones have been
published by WMO and others on how Earth observing system data has aided in climate research
7
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and disaster managerrent. The recently published UN/ISDR
demonstrates sores of what has been done using this data
"~K' report
IDE NTIFYING CRITICAL E ARTH OBSE RVATIONS GAPS AND OPPORTUNITI E S
RE LATE D TO DISASTE R RE DUCTION
Charles Groat, Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provided his view on Earth
observation s~tems gyps and opportunities.
A combination of spatially and temporary diverse s~tems (e.g. archive) in situ, and remote
sensing are required to characterize env~nm~tal developrrents that contribute to or affect natural
hazards. Such monitoring is conducted for both scientific as v~1 as operational purposes (rr~tigation
or post-facto).
(A
Although many new s~tems have been implemented over the last ten years, one decade is
an inadequate ~frarre for folly understanding many of the phenomena under scrutiny. The lack
of long-tenn observations is a crucial gap in l
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Dr. Terry Egan, Manager, Mitigation, Analysis & Plans Unit, Errergency ~nagerrent Division,
Washington (State) \filita~yDepartr~t, discussed the challenges of applying earth observation date
to haze rds in his state.
Emergency managers provide pr~disaster alerts and vat nip, coordinate resources in
disaster or emergency circumstances, assist in disaster planning assist n disaster exercises, and grant
financial aid to localities. In a disaster situation, emergency managers are the center and leaders of
mass activity. The more information an emergency manager has to work With, the more prepared
the manager vim be to handle the event. Unfortunately, emergency managers are often constrained
in Awing Earth observation data because they lack adequate resources Many Vito Work in
errergencymana~rrent are not trained to analyze Earth observation data, nor do they have the Am,
energy, or funding to integrate observation s~tems into their Work products. Emer~ncyma~s
need real time data, him resolution images, true~color imagery, and user-fnendly, site specific data
pacl
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make use of EOS supplied information difficult. Before 1999, no national spatial data base on fire
and fuels Easter. Today there is ~NDFIRE, a m~ti-agency, inter-disciplinary research and
developrrent activity designed to develop a consisted and accurate rrethodolo~r capable of
producing geospati~ data of vexation conditions, fire fuels, risks, and ecosystem status at the
national, regional, and local scales for implerrentation of the Var~ur,2~ I in Or LANDFIRE may
lead to a national fires and fuel database. Hoover, maps are not refined to cabin level. Thirty meter
resolution is now to capture building; and structures.
Dr. Conard advocates histoncal analysis of fire regimes to exarr~ne the rate of change and
flammability changes over Am. LAND SAT images help in identifying habitats of endangers
species, zones of invasive species, vegetation changes, and insect population changes. Weather, wind
patterns, humidity, and other variables are essential awing fire season. Video from the Fire Consortia
for Advanced Mowing of Meteorology and Smoke (Fr~), a coordinated group of regional
cooperative centers for hig~resolution simulation modeling of Rather, fire and smoke, Bovine
tidy, high resolution data to support prescribed fire planning vegans fire response, and smoke
modeling and prediction.
Concurrent observations from satellites, planes, and ground sources help map fire
pararreters and improve fire behavior models. Earth observations help emergency responders
anticipate burn area conditions (e.g. slopes, erosion potential, slides).
THE WAY F ORWARD: DE VE L OPING A 10 YE AR PLAN OF INTE GRATE D E ARTH
OBSE RVATIONS
Helen Wood, Senior Advisor for Satellite S~tems and Service presented an introduction to the
closing session. She provided advice for executing a ten-year ptan:
· Speak out as a comrr~nity.
Ask for the ideal data, be Fistic, and ask for the data that is him pnonty.
Do not assures that a system win be sustained - make it a r~rerrent.
Richard Anthes, President, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), spoke on
accelerating the transition from research to operations.
More and better observations, improved models With higher resolution, ensemble forecasts,
and more pov\RrfuT data assignation rrethods have advanced Rather research and improved
forecasts rapidly over the past decade. Increasing numbers of sensors produce terabytes of data
day. It is necessary for rnDdels to keep pace With the influx of raw data and transfonn the
observations into information because raw~ata alone is Mess to most end users. Combining the
many observations from an {EOS to produce analyses and useful infonnation that users van trust,
employ and understand, is essential for success. (NRC, 2003a).
Anthes outlined the following obstacles to progn~ss when transitional from research to
operations in Earth observations:
.
.
Cultural differences been research and operational comrr~nities
Organizational and personality issues
Inadequate comrr~nication and coordination bed players
Inadequate financial or educated human resources
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Absence of effective and standing process for pearling and fohow-through
Infie~bilityof "the s~tem" to q~cklyinco~porate newideas
Inadequate scientific know - or technological capability
Anthes suggested that the payoff to surmounting these difficulties is incise, and that an organic
mechanism to accelerate the transition of research to operations is needed
Dr. Ghassem Asrar, Associate Adninistrator for Earth Science, NASA, spoke on the evolution of
the cat set of observing networks.
NASA has many earth observing satellites in orbit; some in geostationary orbits and others
on polar orbits. These NASA satellites maw it possible to analyze the Earth in a holistic may.
Ground-basect in-situ observing network sensors and remote sensing by satellite make it possible for
resource managers and business people to better manage resources.
Diversity and Quality of observations is important. Strong for better calibration and
consistency should be a goal of the EROS. NASA's Earth Science Research Satellite users seek to
understand processes; tuxedo not just collect raw~ata or build models. NASA researchers look for
pathways from research ~ operational s~tems and recognize that satellites not do the entire job of
Earth observation. For this reason, policy~ra~rs rust ret rate ground-based and in situ Earth
observation networks.
Asrar supports the adoption of standards and protocols regarding data policies. Al Earth
observation data producers and consumers should share data The key to success is thinking flexibly.
Asrar hopes that the evolution end pervasiveness of {E OS rr~cs that of telecomrr~nications.
EROS wig aid in the Auction of natural Centers through:
.
ocean eddies.
Enhanced Ocean Activ~ty~lde Swath remote sensing now makes it possible to treasure
Ocean vend surface measurerrents produce a v~ewof the entire globe once every other day.
Synoptic observation couples atmospheric chemistry anat~is with climate science research
11
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Figure 3 NA SA Science research satellites in orbit. SOURCE: Presentation by
Ghassem Astor.
Standards and protocols are areas Ricing the most Movement now- not new systems.
Onginal data can be on the order of Petabytes (~0~5), but Ant he cons~ion is on the order
of Megabytes (~06~. The ply challenges include, but are not limited to, the foho~g
Data policies
Mating scope of observations
Maintaining and ensuing data City
Cost
Security
Dr. Wham Gait Director, Advanced Programs for Earth Science, Ball Aerospace & Technologies
Corp Is the final spar of the day, presenting a beefing entitled "Curves on the Road to an
Integrated Earth Observation S~tem"
The justification for {E OS resides in its value as an env~onm~tal treaty compliance
monitor, contributions to a wde variety of businesses and commercial ventures, weather and climate
forecasting value, decision support value to gets, and the ability to reduce vulnerability to
natural hazards.
The {EOS is part of a larger env~ronrrental information infrastructure which is facing
growing demands from users and an increasing need for coordination and enhancerrent.
An {EOS contains roles for the public,povate,and academic sectors. The public
sector promotes stewardship and Tong-tenn planning academia promotes creativity and
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challenges institutional routines; and the private sector advances efficiency through free market
behavior and the profit motive.
Gail raised several questions regarding the planning for EOS. Are ~ planning adequately
for unanticipated data and infonnation needed for {EOS? W~ policy news in 40+ Yeats be
adequately supported by the long-tenn datasets ~ initiate today? Will climate change itself alter
what new; to be observed and compel {E OS operators to refashion observing systems?
Development of the {EOS should incorporate non-dete~n~stic planning including use of
contingencybased and scenario-based planning tools. {E OS users should be sure the s~tems they
develop are flexible and arable to evolution. Gail emphasized that {E OS has tremendous
potential to shape how to rusticate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from future natural disasters.
SUMMI N G UP
Dming this workshop, participants discussed and exan~ned how an {EOS ~uld work and
now current Earth observations contribute to the rustication of natural disasters. As noted by
Ghassem Asrar, for the first time in history we have the scientific exercise and the technological
capability to study and understand the underling processes of Earth system change, and to
dramatically improve forecasts of natural disasters. These capabilities alone cannot create an
integrated system international cooperation is imperative. {E OS Is and leading officials in
over 30 nations are Irking together to put forward a plan to implerrent {E OS effectively. The
challenges of taking terabytes of data and translating them into practical application v~1 be great, but
when {EOS is implerrented the payoffs Dill be in lives saved, in people and property protected, and
in significantly better inform management and stewardship of the worlds environment and natural
resources.
For updates on the current status and future plans of {E OS please see the Earth
Observahon S~nnn~t homepage.
13
Representative terms from entire chapter:
earth observations
