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Dr. James R. MahoneyAssistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere | NOAA Assistant AdministratorJanuary 10, 2005

From Information to Action:Global Earth Observation System of Systems

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Natural & Human Induced

Disasters

Human Health & Well-Being

Energy Resources

Climate Variability &

Change

Water Resources

Weather Information,

Forecasting & Warning

Ecosystems

Sustainable Agriculture &

Desertification

Oceans

Benefits of Earth Observations

Benefits of Earth Observations

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Earth Observations Value: Harmful Algal Blooms

Earth Observations Value: Harmful Algal Blooms

GOESS requires cross disciplinary partnerships

Research & Operations

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Oceanographers Meteorologists Biologists

++ ++

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Earth Observations Value: Health

Earth Observations Value: Health

Malaria killed more than a million people in 2003a Primarily in developing world

Early warning systema Temperaturea Humiditya Vegetationa Soil Moisture

Possible outbreak prevention AVHRR

AVHRR-SST

TOPEX-SSA

SeaWiFS-Chl-a

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Earth Observations Value: Air Quality

Earth Observations Value: Air Quality

ObservationsWet deposition trendsAerosol compositionGlobal ozone distributionsForest fire locations

Improved UnderstandingAerosol formationNighttime chemistryBoundary layerEmissions

ModelingAerosol mechanismsBoundary conditionsData assimilationOperations

Collaborators from many universities, companies, agencies, and countries

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Earth Observations Value: Agriculture

Earth Observations Value: Agriculture

Production tied to healthy environment & sound planning

Understanding El Niño/La Niña patterns

a Worldwide benefits to agriculturea Help predict & understand droughts,

harvests, potential crop damagea Make decisions based on sustainable

agriculture practices

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Earth Observations Value: Water Resources

Earth Observations Value: Water Resources

Water PredictionsforLife Decisions

Water PredictionsforLife Decisions

ObservationsSound Decision

Making

Community Modeling and

Service Delivery

• Precipitation• Snowpack• Soil Moisture• Land

use/cover• Surface

storage• Streamflow

Ecosystem BasedManagement

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National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

Supported by Western Governors

Key Componentsa Integrated National Drought Monitoring &

Forecasting Systema Multi-agency collaboration; NOAA leada Facilitates information exchange between

local, state and federal agenciesa Proactive, Not Passive, Drought Responsea Improve Drought Indicator Data/Networks

(Physical, Hydrological, Socio-Economic, Impacts)

a Integrate & Interpret that Data with Easily Accessible & Understandable Tools

Near-term Outcome of Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observing System

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Administration’s Response to the U.S. Commission on Ocean PolicyAdministration’s Response to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

December 17, 2004

Executive Order: Committee on Ocean Policy

U.S. Ocean Action Plan

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Committee on Ocean Policy

Committee on Ocean Policy

Chaired by chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Cabinet level membership

Will advise President and heads of agencies on policies concerning ocean-related matters

Responsibilities:a Ocean science and technologya Ocean literacy and educationa Ocean resource management

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U.S. Ocean Action PlanAction Highlights

U.S. Ocean Action PlanAction Highlights

Create a National Water Quality Monitoring Network

Implementing New Legislation on Oceans and Human Health, Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia

Expanding NOAA’s Authority to Education and Outreach

Improved Management of Coasts and Watersheds

Share U.S. Ocean Science Expertise Abroad

Support Marine and Multi-modal Transportation

Integrate U.S. Ocean Observing Efforts into the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS)

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Indian Ocean Tsunami Tragedy

Indian Ocean Tsunami Tragedy

NOAA deploying existing DART buoys to Indian Ocean

Buoys transmit vital data to established satellite networks

USGS real-time data and tide gauges information

Increased coordination with affected countries

Part of Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GOESS)

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NOAA’s TsunamiReady Program

NOAA’s TsunamiReady Program

Increased awareness/education

Maximize warning dissemination methods

Emergency management/NOAA cooperative effort

15 TsunamiReady Communities in 5 statesa Including UCSB – first higher learning institution

recognized

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Focus on EducationFocus on Education