U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

The National Research Program: Overview and Data preservation

challenge

Don CampbellNRP Central Branch

Since the birth of NRP in 1957, scientists in 6 interdependent subdisciplines have worked to provide research leadership and vision for:

- Water Mission Area - USGS - DOI - the scientific community - the public

Luna B. LeopoldChief Hydraulic Engineer

1956-1966

John D. Bredehoeft, the first Deputy Associate Chief Hydrologist for Research spent ~80% of his work time coordinating NRP with 2 major intentions:

1. Activities by NRP and the WSCs would be complementary (consistent with Leopold’s vision), and

2. NRP would not follow the research model of the academia but provide a “different kind of

science” with the capacity to generate a concerted, sustained effort to understand complex hydrologic systems (e.g., San Francisco Bay studies, Toxic Substances Hydrology sites, and NAWQA collaborations).

Cape Cod Toxics

SF Bay Toxics / PES

NAWQA Hg in Stream Ecosystems

Williamette Basin

Water-related research– Future Directions

Understanding water serves many USGS missions:

• Water

• Energy & Minerals

• Environmental Health

• Climate & Land Use

• Ecosystems

• Hazards

• Core Science

New Methods

New TheoryNew Data

NRP Products:

Characterization Tools

Modeling Tools

USGS Hydrologic Research• Scientists in 48 Water Science Centers

- Both RGE and non-RGE scientists- Supported by appropriated and reimbursable funds

- Focus on addressing cooperator needs- Studies usually 1-3 year duration

• National Research Program (NRP) scientists(in Reston, Denver / Boulder, Menlo Park)

- Supported mainly by appropriated funds - Focus on basic hydrologic processes - Serve resource management needs of science

centers- Long-term studies, methods & model development

- Contribute to long-term research directions- Teach USGS courses

Water research scientists, 2011.

2011

010203040506070

Ecology

G&ST

GWC

GWH

SWC

SWH

HQ

WSC

NRP

EcologyGeomorphology/Sediment

Groundwater ChemistryGroundwater Hydrology

Surface Water ChemistrySurface Water Hydrology

• Ecology (J. Kuwabara, L. Miller)• Groundwater Chemistry (W. Evans, I. Cozzarelli)• Surface Water Chemistry (C. Rostad, C. Kendall)• Groundwater Hydrology (M. Hill, D. Stonestrom)• Surface Water Hydrology (L. Hay, M. Dettinger)• Geomorphology & Sediment Transport (C. Hupp)

Water Research Advisors,

NRP Management• Jerad Bales and Earl Greene, Office of Chief Scientist • Pierre Glynn, Reston, NRP- EB• Don Campbell, Denver, NRP- CB• Cindy Brown (acting), Menlo Park, NRP- WB

SURFACE WATER CHEMISTRY DISCIPLINEOctober 2011

Analytical methods development and applicationContaminant occurrence and fateOrganic chemistry, natural & synthetic compoundsInorganic geochemistry, metals, processesNutrient source, transport, and cyclingWatershed processes, biogeochemistry and fluxesClimate change and carbon fluxes

Budget2011-SWC

http://water.usgs.gov/nrp/

• Project descriptions• Bibliographies• Modeling software• Links

The NRP web site

Types of information Field notes

Handwritten notebooks Photos, videos

Field data Physical and biological surveys Pysical, chemical, biological

measurements with field instruments (discrete and continuous).

Laboratory data Lab chemical and isotopic analyses of

field samples Lab experiments

Types of information (cont.) Model development

Model code Model input, results

• Cost of producing USGS-series reports.• Many scientists retiring. • Metadata needs to characterize continually

evolving methods and models.• Data quality indicators, esp. for older data.

• Need simple, cost-effective tools for persistent and reliable data preservation.

Data Preservation Challenges:

• Need to add value to the science to motivate scientists to do this.

• Data can be readily discovered on web searches, indexed on other web pages.

• Data in easily usable format. • Metadata is complete.• Has to be easy and cheap to get it in

there!

Attributes for data preservation

Questions and discussion?

http://water.usgs.gov/nrp/