Thriving on Our Changing Planet A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space (2018) / Chapter Skim
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2 A Decadal Strategy
2 A Decadal Strategy
Pages 31-69
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PROGRESS SINCE ESAS 2007 Programmatic Overview In carrying out the 2007 Earth Science and Applications from Space decadal survey (ESAS 2007) , participants endeavored to "set a new agenda for Earth observations from space in which ensuring practical benefits for humankind plays a role equal to that of acquiring new knowledge about Earth" (NRC, 2007)
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2010-2013 CLARREO Solar and Earth radiation, spectrally resolved LEO, Absolute, spectrally resolved 200 (NASA portion) forcing, and response of the climate system Precessing interferometer SMAP Soil moisture and freeze/thaw for weather and LEO, SSO L-band radar 300 water cycle processes L-band radiometer ICESat-2 Ice-sheet height changes for climate change LEO, non-SSO Laser altimeter 300 diagnosis DESDynI Surface and ice-sheet deformation for LEO, SSO L-band InSAR 700 understanding natural hazards and climate; Laser altimeter vegetation structure for ecosystem health 2013-2016 HyspIRI Land surface composition for agriculture and LEO, SSO Hyperspectral spectrometer 300 mineral characterization; vegetation types for ecosystem health ASCENDS Day/night, all-latitude, all-season CO2 column LEO, SSO Multifrequency laser 400 integrals for climate emissions SWOT Ocean, lake, and river water levels for ocean and LEO, SSO Ku- or Ka-band radar 450 inland water dynamics Ku-band altimeter Microwave radiometer GEO-CAPE Atmospheric gas columns for air quality GEO High-spatial-resolution 550 forecasts; ocean color for coastal ecosystem hyperspectral spectrometer health and climate emissions Low-spatial-resolution imaging spectrometer IR correlation radiometer ACE Aerosol and cloud profiles for climate and LEO, SSO Backscatter lidar 800 water cycle; ocean color for open ocean Multiangle polarimeter biogeochemistry Doppler radar 2016-2020 LIST Land surface topography for landslide hazards LEO, SSO Laser altimeter 300 and water runoff PATH High-frequency, all-weather temperature and GEO Microwave array spectrometer 450 humidity soundings for weather forecasting and sea-surface temperaturea GRACE-II High-temporal-resolution gravity fields for LEO, SSO Microwave or laser ranging 450 tracking large-scale water movement system SCLP Snow accumulation for freshwater availability LEO, SSO Ku- and X-band radars 500 K- and Ka-band radiometers GACM Ozone and related gases for intercontinental air LEO, SSO UV spectrometer 600 quality and stratospheric ozone layer prediction IR spectrometer Microwave limb sounder 3D-Winds Tropospheric winds for weather forecasting and LEO, SSO Doppler lidar 650 (Demo)
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summarized this as follows: "In addition to building the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission for launch in 2013, NASA will: accelerate development of the four NRC Decadal Survey Tier 1 missions so that they are all launched by 2017; accelerate and expand the Venture-class line of competed, innovative small missions; initiate new space missions to address
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Together, these missions will substantially contribute to the high-resolution observations envisioned for DESDynI. Finding 2.1: The NASA ESD program has made important progress during the decade, partially recovering from the underfunded state it was in a decade ago, and extending the progress noted in the ESAS Midterm Assessment's conclusion that "NASA responded favorably and aggressively to the 2007 decadal survey." • ince the ESAS Midterm Assessment, NASA has adeptly responded to changing requirements and S maintained a healthy cadence of Venture suborbital, instrument, and mission opportunities, man aged with an improved focus on cost constraints.
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NOTE: Missions that have a legacy in the ESAS 2007 recommended missions, or were competed through the ESAS-recommended Earth Venture Program, are shown with an asterisk. Foundational missions are shown with a double asterisk.
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At the time of this writing, JPSS-1 is scheduled for launch in late 2017. Notably, throughout the period of planning and development of GOES-R and NPOESS/JPSS, which overlapped the decade since publication of the 2007 decadal survey, and despite technical and budgetary challenges, the recent report by the NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Independent Review Team stated, "During this multi-year period, the U.S.
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, in collaboration with the relevant agencies and in consultation with the science community, should develop and implement a plan for achieving and sustaining global Earth observations. This plan should recognize the complexity of differing agency roles, responsibilities, and capabilities as well as the lessons from the implementation of the Landsat, EOS, and NPOESS programs."15 The 2014 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations, produced by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)
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Finding 2.4: The 2013 National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations and the 2014 National Plan represent progress toward a strategy for achieving and sustaining Earth observations, as recommended by ESAS 2007. However, the United States has not committed the resources to collect the broad range of sustained observations needed to monitor and understand Earth as a system, leaving critical gaps in the implementation of this National Plan and a dependency on non-U.S.
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. 20It is also important to recognize that progress in the last decade -- and certainly in the earliest part of that decade -- is the result of investments made prior to the completion of the decadal survey.
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. The forecast skill increase for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
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, but with the greater spatial coverage of the satellite fields and improved retrieval methodologies, uncertainties vary spatially, but in the global mean they are beginning to approach the 10 W/m2 target. Determining the structural character of the uncertainties and the relation of these to other aspects of the Earth system is also important for understanding how these error sources might be addressed FIGURE 2.2.1 The annual mean distribution of latent heat flux and the estimated total uncertainty based on the SeaFlux.
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: Integrated MultiSatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERGE; Huffman et al., 2014) ; and the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN)
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This tool provides an example of how the confluence of machine learning algorithms and the ever-increasing capabilities of high-performance computers can process vast amounts of observations from multiple satellites in a timely manner to allow for real-time monitoring and issuance of warning of extreme precipitation in flood-prone areas and for use by engineers and operators managing water resources systems (Nguyen et al., 2014)
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Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) observations of NO2 aboard the Aura satellite have provided a vivid demonstration of the success of these emission control policies (Lu et al., 2015)
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The largest impacts will be associated with storm surge and intense rainfall, which are exacerbated by changes in local relative sea level, tidal amplitudes, local subsidence, and the nature of extreme meteorological forces. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
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and their dependence upon changes in local relative sea level, tidal amplitudes, local subsidence, and the nature of extreme meteorological forces. Coastal flooding manifests itself in the increasing frequency of nuisance floods, such as shown for the city of Boston in Figure 2.5.1.
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. BOX 2.6 PROGRESS IN THE LAST DECADE: MONITORING AND UNDERSTANDING OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE Satellite observations of atmospheric ozone began in 1979 with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)
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Earth Observation satellites and principles in emergency mapping. Crisis or Mobilization The availability of scientific and commercial polar orbiting EO satellite Triggering process disaster systems has increased during the past 15 years ( 41–44)
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Ocean color tracks variations in microscopic phytoplankton in the upper ocean that form the base of the marine food web supporting invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and valuable commercial and recreational fisheries. Continuous global satellite ocean color coverage has been available from mid-1997 since the launch of the Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWiFS)
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Integrated Ocean Observing System as illustrated in the new U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network.4 1 NOAA Coral Reef Watch, "Satellite Ocean Color Product Development," https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/research/oceancolor.php.
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It demonstrated that monitoring of sea level and gravity from space is necessary in order to detect a rapid increase in sea-level rise and attribute its causes, consistent with what is expected to happen eventually as the ice sheets begin to decline faster. Transitioning to the Coming Decade With Earth science and applications, scientific needs and societal needs are tightly coupled.
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Others are critical for a range of disciplines and applications as well as for continued progress in understanding, predicting, and managing the Earth as an integrated system. A DECADE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR RAPID PROGRESS A convergence of institutional capacity, technological advance, and scientific discoveries from prior years makes possible rapid progress during the period of this decadal survey.
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This perspective was summarized in the Decadal Community Challenge, as stated in Chapter 1: Pursue increasingly ambitious objectives and innovative solutions that enhance and accelerate the science/ applications value of space-based Earth observation and analysis to the nation and to the world in a way that delivers great value, even when resources are constrained, and ensures that further investment will pay substantial dividends. A visionary overall strategy is critical for responding to such a difficult challenge.
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On April 28, 2006, two active sensors carried by the NASA CloudSat and the NASA/Centre National d'Études Spaciales (CNES) Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO)
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However, the committee also recognizes the important progress made under the leadership of the National Science and Technology Council, which produced the 2013 National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations and the ensuing 2014 National Plan for Civil Space Observations. These documents defined categories of observations, identified the important observation types within each category, and codified the agency roles for implementing them.
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, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) , and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS)
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As long as the following challenges remain unresolved, we will not be able to achieve the full value for the nation of space-based Earth observations. • bservations continuity (scientific and applications)
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civil Earth observation is a growing issue that will impede progress if not addressed. • ational commitment.
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With this time-limited approach, societal benefits are often ad hoc spin-offs of this process, not explicitly planned but achieved through after-the-fact efforts once the societal value is recognized. Today, we have come to recognize the important additional discoveries that are obtained when Earth science proceeds beyond initial exploration and commits to sustained science and applications, enabled by TABLE 2.4 Elements of a Decadal Strategic Framework ELEMENTS OF DECADAL STRATEGY 1.
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Among NASA's science portfolio, Earth science is unique in the benefits that can be obtained from commitment to sustained science and applications. Sustained observations are central to the progress of Earth science, and integral to the longterm achievement of societal benefits.
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. Strategy Element 3 -- Amplify the Cross-Benefit of Science and Applications Curiosity-inspired science will always be central to Earth observation and analysis.
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. Recently, it has been explored as a means for reducing data volume in Earth observation data sets (Ebtehaj et al., 2015)
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Strategy Element 5 -- Institutionalize Programmatic Agility and Balance The demands we will face in the coming decade, and the problems to be solved in order to address them, will arrive at an ever-increasing pace as populations grow, human impacts on the environment continue to increase, and society's digital information use broadens. NASA, NOAA, and USGS will need to make both large and small programmatic adjustments over short time periods.
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Federal agencies with similar needs can benefit from these investments. Strategy Element 7 -- Expand Use of Competition Competition has already proven effective in many areas of science and procurement for NASA, NOAA, and USGS as a means of inspiring innovation and creativity and delivering cost-effective approaches to Earth observation.
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2015. Satellite Earth Observations in Support of Disaster Risk Reduction.
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2012. Hyperspectral Earth observation from IASI: Five years of accomplishments.
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2015. Continuity of NASA Earth Observations from Space: A Value Framework.
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International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 38:321-334. Scofield, R.A., and R.J.
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IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing 4(3)
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