NASA and
GTOS
Diane E. Wickland
NASA Headquarters, Earth Science Division
December 2, 2009
U.S. Global Change Research Program
(USGCRP)
Major Recommendations for the USGCRP*
1. Reorganize the program around integrated scientific-societal issues to facilitate
crosscutting research focused on understanding the interactions among the climate,
human, and environmental systems and on supporting societal responses to climate
change.
2. Establish a U.S. climate observing system, defined as including physical, biological,
and social observations, to ensure that data needed to address climate change are
collected or continued.
3. Develop the science base and infrastructure to support a new generation of coupled
Earth system models to improve attribution and prediction of high-impact regional
weather and climate, to initialize seasonal-to-decadal climate forecasting, and to provide
predictions of impacts affecting adaptive capacities and vulnerabilities of environmental
and human systems.
4. Strengthen research on adaptation, mitigation, and vulnerability.
5. Initiate a national assessment process with broad stakeholder participation to
determine the risks and costs of climate change impacts on the United States and to
evaluate options for responding.
6. Coordinate federal efforts to provide climate services (scientific information, tools,
and forecasts) routinely to decision makers.
* From the National Research Council’s 2009 report, Restructuring Federal Climate
Research to Meet the Challenges of Climate Change.
3
NASA Earth System Science
50 Years of Earth Observations from Space
The U.S. National Research Council (NRC) reviewed U.S. accomplishments
in Earth remote sensing from space and concluded (summarized):
• The daily synoptic view of Earth from space has revolutionized Earth
studies and helped society manage environment and resources
• Long time series are required and the value of data sets increases with
time
• Scientific advances result from science-technology synergy, and societal
benefit of measurements increases with increasing accuracy
• Have indisputable benefit of multiple synergistic observations (satellite
and non-satellite) linked with models
• To achieve full benefit of observations, need infrastructure (models,
computing, ground networks, personnel)
• Full and open access to global data capitalizes on investment
• Space observations have catalyzed interdisciplinary science and can be
expected to lead to remarkable discoveries in the future
5
End-to-end Observations for a Globally
Integrated Program
Airborne Sensors
Uninhabited Aerial
Vehicles
Research Balloons
Field Campaigns
Buoys
Ground
Networks
Research Vessels
Ground Stations
Ground Stations
Research
Balloons
Ground, sea, air and in-situ measurements augment
space-based observations to help understand Earth
system functioning and global environmental change
6
6
20 Years of Earth System Science
• We have learned many things about the Earth system and our understanding:
•
•
•
We have documented and quantified variability, trends, and change in the Earth
system
High-quality observations reveal new phenomena and processes
We have learned in some cases that our understanding was inadequate – or wrong
• We have developed advanced capabilities to:
•
•
•
•
•
There are new phenomena and problems to be addressed, for example:
•
•
•
•
Handle and process large volumes of data
Create multi-sensor, multi-satellite data products and time series data products
Conduct inter- and multi-disciplinary science
Improve component models and advance toward Earth System models
The ice is melting faster than predicted
The ocean is becoming more acid, with potential large impacts on ecosystems
There are concerns about increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme events -especially with respect to their impacts in built-up areas with large human populations
Our successes in documenting change are leading to new demands for
scientific assistance in the development and implementation of policies to
address climate change
•
•
Decision support is becoming an increasing important element within the USGCRP
Observations are needed for monitoring and assessing efficacy of mitigation
7
actions (with significant implications for accuracy, reliability, etc.)
NASA’s Missions for New and Continuing
Observations
The U.S. NRC’s Decadal Survey for ~2010-2020
• In 2007, the Space Studies Board of the National Research
Council (NRC) of the U.S. National Academies of Science,
Engineering, and Medicine released a community assessment
and strategy for the future entitled:
Earth Science and Applications from Space:
National Imperatives for the Next Decade and
Beyond (aka the “Decadal Survey”)
• The Decadal Survey, in combination with the NRC’s reports
on the USGCRP and other related activities, provides guidance
for NASA’s future Earth Science program
9
NASA’S Current Operating Research Missions
10
NASA’s Missions in Formulation and
Implementation
OCO
Feb 23, 2009
ICESat-II
2014 (TBR)
GLORY
1/2010 (TBR)
GPM
7/2013, 11/2014
AQUARIUS
5/2010
SMAP
2013
NPP
12/2010 (TBR)
LDCM
12/2012
11
12
Land Surface Imaging Constellation
1414
LSI Constellation Study Team - 2009
CEOS Agency Members
•
USGS:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ISRO:
INPE:
INPE:
EC:
ESA:
CSA:
CONAE:
JAXA:
NOAA:
NASA:
NRSCC:
CRESDA:
GISTDA:
CNES:
CDTI:
Co-Chair, Tom Holm (new 2009)
(G. Bryan Bailey retired)
Co-Chair, V. Hegde (new 2009)
Co-Chair, (To be named)
João Vianei Soares
Herve JeanJean
Michael Berger
Daniel DeLisle
Ana Medico
Takeo Tadono
Kevin Gallo
Garik Gutman
Yonghong Zhang
Xiaohua Yi
Phuriwaj Ruengnaowaroj
Aurelie Sand
Mónica Lopez
CEOS WG
Members
• WGCV (NASA):
• WGCV (USGS):
Stephen Ungar
Greg Stensaas
User Community
Members
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
USGS:
JRC:
JPL:
Nagoya U.:
BGS:
U. Maryland:
CSIRO:
Brad Reed
Alan Belward
Mike Abrams
Yasushi Yamaguchi
Stuart Marsh
J. Townshend
Alex Held
15
Status of Activities and Future Plans


LSI Portal: Potential enhancements in cooperation with CEOS Working
Group on Information Systems and Services (WGISS).
Options under consideration:



Complete development of web-based services and/or freeware
(INPE)





Image format converter tool to GeoTIFF
Ortho-rectification tool for Level 1 mid-resolution data
Working Group on Radar (WGR) – not yet a formal sub-group of LSI,
although terms of reference established.
LSI Mid-Resolution Optical Guidelines Document
Working Group on Regional Data Set Compilation (WGRDSC)


Addition of new data types or descriptive information
Expand functionality to include cross-system, granule-level, search and
data retrieval
Currently working to assemble initial data sets for GLS 2010
LSI Constellation is currently evaluating combining data
requirements with the GEO Forest Carbon Tracking task
16
Forest Carbon Tracking – LSI Support

Satellite
Spectral Bands
Geometric
Resolution
Swath
Width
Repeat
Cycle
Landsat 5, 7
VNIR, SWIR, TIR
30 m /
120 m (TIR)
185 km
16 days
IRS: AWiFS
VNIR, SWIR
56 m
740 km
4 days
IRS: LISS-III
VNIR, SWIR
23 m
140 km
24 days
CBERS 2b: CCD,
VNIR
20 m
114 km
26 days
AVNIR-2
VNIR
10 m
70 km
46 days
SPOT 4, 5
VNIR, SWIR
20 m / 10 m
60 km
26 days
Kompsat-2
VNIR
1m/4m
15 km
28 days
Summary requirement for all optical satellites:




Acquisition preferably close to nadir for all National Demonstrators
Cloud free observations (< 20 % cloud coverage for individual scenes – total
cloud removal by multiple scenes)
All available spectral bands
Time window – yearly during dry season (long term vision)
17
Thank You!