Support for

GOES Data Collection System

Presentation to the

Advisory Committee on Water Information

by Charles Kazimir, Chairperson

of the

Satellite Telemetry Interagency Working

Group (STIWG)

What is the STIWG?

The GOES Satellite Telemetry Interagency Working

Group (STIWG) is a user group that:● Advises NOAA on user requirements of the GOES

DCS related to the collection of hydrologic,

meteorologic, oceanic, and other environmental

data.

● Promotes information exchange including the

sharing of data, research, and technical information

among users of the GOES DCS.● Supports improvements to the GOES DCS by funding

development projects. e.g. HDR DCP development.

STIWG Reports To

● Subcommittee on Hydrology of the ACWI ● Committee for Environmental Services,

Operations and Research Needs (C/ESORN) of

the Office of the Federal Coordinator for

Meteorology (OFCM).

What is the GOES DCS?

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

Data Collection System ( GOES DCS ) is a satellite

system used for the collection of environmental data in

real-time from remote data recording sites located all

over North and South America.

The GOES DCS is operated by the National

Environmental Satellite Data Information System

(NESDIS ) of NOAA and is available for use by

government agencies and their other government-

sponsored groups.

GOES DCS as a Critical System

The GOES DCS started as an experimental system for

collecting real-time data without formal support.

It has evolved into a critical system that has become

the backbone of many agencies' real-time data

collection systems.

Components of the GOES DCS

GOESDOMSAT

LRGS(All Channels)

Users

DCS / DAPSWallops, VA

EDDN Sioux FallsAll channels

&Agency DRGS

(Limited Channels)

USGS/NESDISPartnership

How important is the GOES DCS?

● The GOES DCS is used extensively by numerous Federal, State, and local governments as well as by private organizations to provide current information about hydrologic, meteorologic, and oceanic conditions.

● The GOES DCS provides a system that allows the extensive sharing of real-time data among many different users of environmental data who have diverse requirements.

Importance of real-time data

collected using GOES DCSReal-time data obtained from remote sites using the GOES Data Collection System help protect the lives and property of citizens throughout the U.S. and much of the Western hemisphere during fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters or severe conditions

Real-time data are used during critical hydrologic events for such things as flood forecasting, fire management, tsunami warning, etc.

Wildfire support

Helo Operations Fire fighter support

Wildfire support

USGS GOES Site supplying real-time data during New England

Flooding

Public Web Hits to Access USGS

Real-Time Data from the GOES DCS

0

5000000

10000000

15000000

20000000

25000000

30000000

Time

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ied

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its

Approaching 1 Million Hits/Day

The GOES DCS User Community

NOAANational Weather Service National Ocean ServiceNational Climatic Data CenterNational Data Buoy Center

Department of DefenseUnited States Army Corps of

EngineersUnited States Air ForceUnited States Navy

Department of InteriorNational Interagency Fire

Center(NIFC)National Forest ServiceBureau of Land ManagementUnited States Geological

Survey

Department of Interior(cont)Bureau of ReclamationNational Park Service

Department of State ( International Boundary & Water Commission)

StatesCaliforniaColorado

Many Canadian Environmental agencies

Many South and Central American Environmental agencies

Data Collection Platforms reporting through the GOES DCS in North and

Central America

Why is the STIWG concerned

about the GOES DCS?● No formal commitment by NOAA to operate the

GOES DCS.● For a system this important, the current GOES DCS

has vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. Processing system is in need of major upgrades. Reception system at Wallops Island has no

backup. COO plan is not comprehensive.

● GOES DCS is considered an ancillary system which

means certain types of failures could be tolerated by

NOAA.

What this indicates to the STIWG

The STIWG members believe that, institutionally,

NOAA/NESDIS does not fully appreciate the importance

of this system for environmental monitoring.

What the STIWG has done to

mitigate some of the concerns

Hardware upgrades to reception system Contributed funding to upgrade some components

of the system.

Backup system Started the development of an Emergency Data

Distribution Network (EDDN) at the Center for

EROS in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.● System will include a receive system for both

GOES East and West satellites● System will be operated by USGS with support

from NESDIS and other STIWG agencies.

Why this is not enough

● No formalformal commitment to continue the operations

of the GOES DCS.● No known formal GOES DCS strategic plan for the

continued operations of the GOES DCS including System upgrades Funding support

● No clear strategy for mitigating the effects of the

failure of critical components.

What the STIWG Wants from

ACWI

Support for recommendations in the following areas:

● Continuity of Operations

● Strategic Planning

● Priority of System

Recommendations for

Continuity of Operations

Recommendation 1

NOAA/NESDIS should develop a comprehensive COO

plan for the GOES DCS including a strategy for the loss

of each critical component of the system.

Recommendation 2

NOAA/NESDIS should continue to work with the STIWG

to closely integrate the Emergency Data Distribution

Network being developed at EROS with the existing

GOES DCS reception sites.

Recommendation for

Strategic Planning

Recommendation 3

NOAA/NESDIS, with the collaboration of the STIWG,

should develop a strategic plan that includes:

● System life cycle planning

● Sources of funding for upgrades and

operations

● More formal relationships with the users to

delineate roles and responsibilities.

Recommendation for

Priority of GOES DCS

Recommendation 4

NOAA/NESDIS should recognize the importance of the

GOES DCS and elevate its status to a high priority

system with the support this status implies.

Summary

● The STIWG believes that the GOES DCS has been and

continues to be an essential resource for real-time

data collection.● Agencies have made large investments in internal

systems that absolutely depend on it.● The extended loss of data from the GOES DCS would

adversely effect the nation’s ability to forecast floods,

effectively operate flood-control dams and levees, or

issue flood warnings and evacuation notices.● The GOES DCS needs to be treated as a high-priority

system within NOAA.

Conclusion

● The GOES DCS has operated well but as a background

system that many praise and all assume will always be

there.

● However, operationally it is still viewed as a low-priority

system and has vulnerabilities that need attention.

● The ACWI, by supporting the STIWG's recommendations,

will greatly assist in beginning the development of the

necessary support for the GOES DCS to insure that it will

always be there.