NOAA

Mary Glackin,Deputy Assistant Administrator forSatellite and Information Services

NOAA/NESDISOFCM Strategy Workshop

December 3-5, 2001

Collection and Distribution of Weather Information-Federal Viewpoint

U.S. Federal Government Role

“Federal responsibility to forecast the weather, issue storm warnings, perform the gauging and forecasting of river conditions, report temperature and rainfall conditions, distribute meteorological information, and establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States.”

Organic Act of 1890

Environmental Data and Information are Essential for…

Severe Weather,

Watches, Warnings

Severe Weather,

Watches, Warnings

AgricultureAgriculture

TransportationTransportation

DefenseDefense

ClimateClimate

CommerceCommerce

IndustryIndustry

Global Environmental Monitoring

• In-Situ Atmospheric Observations

• In-Situ Oceanographic Observations

• In-Situ Terrestrial Observations

• Space Based Observations

• Long Historical Record• Limited to Land Areas – About 30% of Earth Surface• Operational Systems Primarily Provide Support to Weather

Prediction• Research Observing Systems Primarily Provide Support to

Climate Studies• No Comprehensive System Designed Specifically for Monitoring

Climate Change• International Observational Capabilities in Decline• National Trend is Stable and Increasing with Greater Emphasis on

Regional and State Observing Systems (e.g., Oklahoma Mesonet)

Atmospheric Observations

Oceanographic Observations• Long Historical Record• Sparse Coverage Particularly in Deep Water Areas• Observations are Critical to Understanding Ocean Processes,

Weather, and Climate• 1997- Need for Sustained Ocean Observations Recognized;

National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Established

• 1998- Congress Requests Plan for Integrated Ocean Observation System

• 2000- NOPP Established Inter-agency Office (NASA, Navy, NOAA, and NSF) to Implement Such a System

• Outlook is Positive (e.g., Argo Floats Program)

Terrestrial Observations• Relatively Long Historical Record• Diverse Array of Environmental Parameters in Support of a

Number of Missions– Glacier, Permafrost, Snow, and Ice Monitoring– Carbon Flux and Radiation Monitoring– Streamflow and Surface Water Gauging– Water Quality Analyses– Ecological and Fire Monitoring– Soil Climate Analysis and Paleoclimatology

• Responsibilities in a Number of Federal and State Agencies• No Comprehensive National Strategy for Terrestrial Observing • Outlook Looks Stable but is Difficult to Gauge

Space-Based Observations• Shorter Historical Record• Cuts Across the Atmospheric, Oceanographic, and Terrestrial

Domains• Real-time Environmental and Longer-Term Climate Applications• Polar and Geostationary Platforms Providing

– Continuous Coverage– Local, Regional, National, and Global Geographic Scales– Minutes, Hourly, Daily, Seasonal, Annual, and Multi-year temporal

scales

• International Growth in the Extent and Use of Satellites for Environmental Monitoring

State of Global Environmental Monitoring

• Many Long-term Satellite and in situ Observing Programs are Underway

• A Comprehensive Global Monitoring Requirements Process is Required

• Databases Must be Easily Accessible Within and Beyond the Environmental Community

• An Effective Process to Transition R & D Space Observations into Operational Systems is Required

Accomplishing the Mission Through Partnerships

GEOSAT

ERS/ENVISAT

RADARSAT

EOS

TOPEX -POSEIDON

SEAWIFS

Focus on near-real-timeaccess to global data

TOMS

METOP

ADEOSFY-1

ALOS

METEOSAT

INSAT

FY-2

GMS

GEOSTATIONARY

POLAR-ORBITING

Integrated Global Observing Strategy

An agreement among the partners for the definition, development and implementation of an IGOS

IGOS• Unites major satellite and surface-based systems for global

environmental observations of atmosphere, oceans, land• Links research, long-term monitoring, and operational programs

-- as well as data producers and users -- in strategic planning process

• Helps determine unnecessary duplication and identify gaps• Provides framework for decisions and resource allocation by

funding agencies• Presents governments with overarching view of current system

capabilities and limitations• Current IGOS Themes: Oceans; Integrated Global Carbon

Cycle; Atmospheric Chemistry; Global Water Cycle; Coral Reefs (as a sub-theme to a broader Coastal Theme)

Federal Dissemination Policy • Full and Open Access to Data

• Prime Examples Include NOAAPort, HRPT Direct Broadcast, EMWIN, and NOAA Weather Wire

• Through AWIPS the NWS has Begun Moving into Making Products Available for the GIS World

• There are GIS-Ready Shapefiles Available for Downloading from the AWIPS Map Database Catalog, located at http://isl715.nws.noaa.gov/mapdata/newcat

• NESDIS’ Satellite Active Archive (SAA) at http://las.saa.noaa.gov/ Allows Users to Obtain Static and Java Web Maps on the Fly

Accessibility

• A Number of Initiatives Are Underway at the Federal Level to Have a Fully Integrated Electronic and Spatially Enabled National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

• Various Communities Are Looking to an Integrated NSDI and Spatially Enabled Data in Order to Better Manage Short-Term Crises and Long-Term Resources

• Weather & Climate Data and Information Should Play a Major Role in the NSDI

Satellite derived

Daily Snow and IceSatellite derived

Daily Snow and Ice

Sample Spatial Environmental Products Covering Afghanistan

METEOSAT-5 data: Visible, infrared,water vapor bands. Data resolution is 5 km

Way Forward

• In-Situ and Satellite Weather & Climate Data and Information Need to Become More Integrated into the NSDI

• The Need for Current Metadata Related to In-Situ and Satellite Weather & Climate Data and Information is Critical

• New Ways of Dissemination Need to be Implemented.

• A Goal Should be for Real-time Weather Information to be Better Integrated into the Overall NSDI

• The Examples From Afghanistan Represent the Great Potential of Spatially Enabled Products for the Dissemination of Weather and Climate Information

Soundings – evolution from NOAA Sounding suite and NASA AIRS to CRIS - Crosstrack Infrared Sounder

Imagery and Ocean color evolution from NOAA AVHRR and NASA MODIS toVIIRS -Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite

Ozone and Aerosols – evolution from TOMS to OMPS -Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite

Altimetry - The value of altimetry for sea level and ocean circulation data has been proven.

Because of this, efforts to migrate the French/U.S. Jason altimetry mission to operational status are underway. NOAA and EUMETSAT are poised to join NASA and CNES in development and operation of Jason-2.

Soundings – evolution from NOAA Sounding suite and NASA AIRS to CRIS - Crosstrack Infrared Sounder

Imagery and Ocean color evolution from NOAA AVHRR and NASA MODIS toVIIRS -Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite

Ozone and Aerosols – evolution from TOMS to OMPS -Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite

Altimetry - The value of altimetry for sea level and ocean circulation data has been proven.

Because of this, efforts to migrate the French/U.S. Jason altimetry mission to operational status are underway. NOAA and EUMETSAT are poised to join NASA and CNES in development and operation of Jason-2.

Transitions Underway

• Work Towards Organizing a Common Set of International Environmental Monitoring Requirements

• Work to Make Real-Time Weather and Climate Data More Accessible to Communities Outside of the Environmental Community by Being More Integrated with the National Spatial Data Infrastructure

• Identify Current or Planned Sensors to Measure Key parameters and Encourage the Transition of Existing, Critical Research Systems to Operational Status

ConclusionsConclusions