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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
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EARTH SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS FROM SPACE

URGENT NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE THE NATION

Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space: A Community Assessment and Strategy for the Future

Space Studies Board

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001

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 Contract NASW-01001 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Contract DG133R04C00009 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Contract 05HQGR0104 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Geological Survey. 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 agencies that provided support for the project.

COVER: Global radar measurements from the SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite provide scientists and weather forecasters with information on surface wind speed and direction. Scientists also use the radar measurements directly to learn about changes in vegetation and ice extent over land and polar regions. This false-color image is based entirely on SeaWinds measurements obtained over oceans, land, and polar regions. Over the ocean, colors indicate wind speed, with orange as the fastest wind speeds and blue as the slowest. White streamlines indicate the wind direction. The ocean winds in this image were measured by SeaWinds on September 20, 1999. The large storm in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida is Hurricane Gert. Tropical storm Harvey is evident as a high-wind region in the Gulf of Mexico, while farther west in the Pacific is tropical storm Hilary. An extensive storm is also present in the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica. The land image was made from 4 days’ worth of SeaWinds data with the aid of a resolution enhancement algorithm developed by David Long at Brigham Young University. Further information about this image is available at <http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/publications/pacific_global_winds_5.cfm>.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-09672-3

Copies of this report are available free of charge from:

Space Studies Board

National Research Council

500 Fifth Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20001

Additional copies of this report are available from the
National Academies Press,
500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2005 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
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OTHER REPORTS OF THE SPACE STUDIES BOARD

The Astrophysical Context of Life (2005)

Science in NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration (2005)

Solar and Space Physics and Its Role in Space Exploration (2005)

Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope: Final Report (SSB with Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, 2004)

Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium: A Workshop Report (2004)

Issues and Opportunities Regarding the U.S. Space Program: A Summary Report of a Workshop on National Space Policy (SSB with Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, 2004)

Plasma Physics of the Local Cosmos (2004)

Review of Science Requirements for the Terrestrial Planet Finder: Letter Report (2004)

Solar and Space Physics and Its Role in Space Exploration (2004)

Understanding the Sun and Solar System Plasmas: Future Directions in Solar and Space Physics (2004)

Utilization of Operational Environmental Satellite Data: Ensuring Readiness for 2010 and Beyond (SSB with Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board and Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, 2004)

Assessment of NASA’s Draft 2003 Earth Science Enterprise Strategy: Letter Report (2003)

Assessment of NASA’s Draft 2003 Space Science Enterprise Strategy: Letter Report (2003)

Satellite Observations of the Earth’s Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations (SSB with Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board and Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, 2003)

Steps to Facilitate Principal-Investigator-Led Earth Science Missions (2003)

The Sun to the Earth—and Beyond: Panel Reports (2003)

Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA (2002)

New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy (2002)

The Sun to Earth—and Beyond: A Decadal Research Strategy in Solar and Space Physics (2002)

Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium (Board on Physics and Astronomy with SSB, 2000)


Limited copies of these reports are available free of charge from:

Space Studies Board

National Research Council

The Keck Center of the National Academies

500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001

(202) 334-3477

ssb@nas.edu

www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ssb.html

NOTE: Listed according to year of approval for release.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
×

COMMITTEE ON EARTH SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS FROM SPACE: A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE

RICHARD A. ANTHES,

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research,

Co-chair

BERRIEN MOORE III,

University of New Hampshire,

Co-chair

JAMES G. ANDERSON,

Harvard University

SUSAN K. AVERY,

University of Colorado, Boulder

ERIC J. BARRON,

Pennsylvania State University

OTIS B. BROWN, JR.,

University of Miami

SUSAN L. CUTTER,

University of South Carolina

WILLIAM B. GAIL,

Vexcel Corporation

BRADFORD H. HAGER,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ANTHONY HOLLINGSWORTH,

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

ANTHONY C. JANETOS,

The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment

KATHRYN A. KELLY,

University of Washington

NEAL F. LANE,

Rice University

DENNIS P. LETTENMAIER,

University of Washington

ARAM M. MIKA,1

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

WARREN M. WASHINGTON,

National Center for Atmospheric Research

MARK L. WILSON,

University of Michigan

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

U.S. Geological Survey

Staff

ARTHUR CHARO, Study Director,

Space Studies Board

ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer,

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

THERESA M. FISHER, Senior Program Assistant,

Space Studies Board

CATHERINE A. GRUBER, Assistant Editor

1  

The committee notes with deep regret Aram Mika’s death on May 18, 2005.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
×

SPACE STUDIES BOARD

LENNARD A. FISK,

University of Michigan,

Chair

GEORGE A. PAULIKAS,

The Aerospace Corporation (retired),

Vice Chair

DANIEL N. BAKER,

University of Colorado

ANA P. BARROS,

Duke University

RETA F. BEEBE,

New Mexico State University

ROGER D. BLANDFORD,

Stanford University

RADFORD BYERLY, JR.,

University of Colorado

JUDITH A. CURRY,

Georgia Institute of Technology

JACK D. FARMER,

Arizona State University

JACQUELINE N. HEWITT,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

DONALD INGBER,

Harvard Medical Center

RALPH H. JACOBSON,

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (retired)

TAMARA E. JERNIGAN,

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

MARGARET G. KIVELSON,

University of California, Los Angeles

CALVIN W. LOWE,

Bowie State University

HARRY Y. McSWEEN, JR.,

University of Tennessee

BERRIEN MOORE III,

University of New Hampshire

NORMAN NEUREITER,

Texas Instruments (retired)

SUZANNE OPARIL,

University of Alabama, Birmingham

RONALD F. PROBSTEIN,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

DENNIS W. READEY,

Colorado School of Mines

ANNA-LOUISE REYSENBACH,

Portland State University

ROALD S. SAGDEEV,

University of Maryland

CAROLUS J. SCHRIJVER,

Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory

HARVEY D. TANANBAUM,

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

J. CRAIG WHEELER,

University of Texas, Austin

A. THOMAS YOUNG,

Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)

JOSEPH K. ALEXANDER, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
×

Preface

In response to requests from NASA, NOAA, and the USGS, the National Research Council has begun a decadal survey of Earth science and applications from space. Developed in consultation with members of the Earth science community, the guiding principle for the study is to set an agenda for observations in support of Earth science and applications from space in which attaining practical benefits for humankind plays a role equal to that of acquiring vitally important new knowledge about our planet.1 These benefits may range from access to information that can satisfy short-term needs for weather warnings for the protection of life and property, to the development of longer-term scientific understanding that is the lifeblood of future societal applications, the details of which are not predictable.

Among the key tasks in the charge to the Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space are the requests to:

  • Develop a consensus on the top-level scientific questions that should provide the focus for Earth and environmental observations in the period 2005-2015; and

  • Develop a prioritized list of recommended space programs, missions, and supporting activities to address these questions.

The committee’s final report, expected in late 2006, will address these tasks as well as the others described in Appendix A.2 The purpose of this brief interim report, which was requested by the sponsors of the study and by members of congressional staff, is to provide an early indication of urgent, near-term issues that require attention prior to publication of the committee’s final report.

1  

Development of the vision for the study drew on information received in response to a widely distributed request for comments; town-hall style discussions at the December 2004 meeting in San Francisco of the American Geophysical Union and the January 2005 meeting in San Diego of the American Meteorological Society; committee discussions at a workshop held on August 23-25, 2004, in Woods Hole, Mass.; and discussions at two committee meetings held on November 8-9, 2004, in Washington, D.C., and January 4-6, 2005, in Irvine, Calif.

2  

The final report will also draw on the work of seven study panels organized according to the following themes to address all of the elements of the statement of task (see Appendix A): (1) Earth science applications and societal needs, (2) ecosystem health and biodiversity, (3) weather (including chemical and space weather), (4) climate variability and change, (5) water resources and the global hydrologic cycle, (6) human health and security, and (7) solid-Earth hazards, resources, and dynamics.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its 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 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:

Judith Curry, Georgia Institute of Technology,

Lennard A. Fisk, University of Michigan,

Christopher O. Justice, University of Maryland,

Pamela A. Matson, Stanford University,

Norine E. Noonan, College of Charleston,

David T. Sandwell, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and

Paul D. Try, Science and Technology Corporation.

Although the reviewers 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 draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Carl Wunsch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Robert A. Frosch, Harvard University. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2005. Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11281.
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The Earth is a dynamic planet whose changes and variations affect our communications, energy, health, food, housing, and transportation infrastructure. Understanding these changes requires a range of observations acquired from a variety of land-, sea-, air-, and space-based platforms. To assist NASA, NOAA, and the USGS develop these tools, the NRC was asked by these agencies to carry out a decadal strategy survey of Earth science and applications from space. In particular, the study is to develop the key scientific questions on which to focus Earth and environmental observations in the period 2005-2015, and a prioritized list of space programs, missions, and supporting activities to address these questions. This interim report outlines a key element of the study—the rationale for tying Earth observations to societal need—and identifies urgent near-term actions needed to achieve this goal. A final report, due in late 2006, will provide the list of recommended space missions, programs, and supporting.

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