NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATIONDirectorate for Geosciences

GEOFACILITIESPLAN

1999-2003

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION4201 WILSON BOULEVARD

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

OFFICE OF THEASSISTANT DIRECTOR

FOR GEOSCIENCES

July 1999

Facilities and instrumentation for observation, experimentation, analysis, and computation areessential to carry out cutting edge research in all fields of the geosciences. As we enter thetwenty-first century, one important priority for the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) at theNational Science Foundation (NSF) is the provision of support for both the development of newand innovative facility capabilities, and the maintenance and enhancement of existing systems.This support is important not only to the basic research enterprise but is also of great value foreducation and outreach activities.

This document, the GEO Facilities Plan 1999-2003, complements the GEO Science Plan, FY1998-2002 (NSF 97-l 18) which described specific research goals that GEO will strive to attainover the next 5 years. The capabilities described in this document are intended to enable theachievement of the objectives described in the Science Plan. This is the first ‘Facilities Plan’ thatGEO has produced and it is intended to provide guidance concerning the highest priority areas offacility maintenance and development.

Basic research in the geosciences requires a vast range of capabilities and instrumentation. GEOengages in a long range planning process that evaluates the opportunities and needs within thegeosciences, and seeks to determine what facilities and instrumentation should be developed topursue these opportunities. The planning of these facilities relies strongly on communicationbetween GEO staff and the geoscience research community. Indeed, the basis for all the majorfacility components described in this document is many reports from community-basedworkshops and meetings, examples of which are referenced in the report.

The active involvement of the research community in GEO’s long-range planning process ismanifest in the active role that the Advisory Committee for Geosciences (AC/GEO) has playedin the preparation and review of this document. AC/GEO consists of sixteen leading researchersand educators from the broad range of geoscience disciplines and a variety of institutionalsettings, including academia, government, and the private sector. AC/GEO members endorse thisfacilities plan and urge all those with interests in the geosciences to review this plan andcontribute to the development of updated plans in the future.

Susan K. AveryAssistant Director for Geosciences Chair. Advisory Committee for Geosciences

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Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Context .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Facilities in the Geosciences ................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Characteristics of Facilities ................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Competition and Recompetition ............................................................................................ 2 1.5 GEO Facilities and the Government Performance and Results Act ................................... 2

2.0 An Integrated View of the Future ................................................................................................. 4

3.0 Key Areas for Development of Existing Facilities ...................................................................... 7 3.1 Environmental Observation Systems for Basic Research in the Geosciences .................... 7 3.2 Computational Systems for Analysis and Modeling in the Geosciences ........................... 12 3.3 Laboratory Systems for Measurements and Experiments in the Geosciences ................... 13 3.4 Sample and Data Access Systems ........................................................................................ 15

4.0 Potential New Capabilities .......................................................................................................... 18

5.0 Facilities and Education ............................................................................................................... 21

6.0 The Challenges Ahead ................................................................................................................ 23

Appendix A: Examples of Community-Based Facility Planning Activities ................................. 24

Appendix B: Glossary of Acronyms .................................................................................................. 30

�����������������������Cover illustrations:

Top: Photo of the NSF-owned Electra, operated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Middle: Dots denote the globally distributed sites of the IRIS Global Seismographic Network (GSN).

Bottom: The Research Vessel Oceanus - a mid-sized general purpose member of the U.S. Academic Research Vessel Fleet.

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1.0 Introduction

1.1 Context

The mission of the Directorate for Geosciences(GEO) of the National Science Foundation (NSF)is to advance scientific knowledge about the solidEarth, freshwater, ocean, atmosphere, andgeospace components of the integrated Earth sys-tem through support of high-quality research;through sustenance and enhancement of scientificcapabilities; and through improved geoscienceeducation (GEO Science Plan, 1998).

To fulfill its mission, GEO strives to attain threegoals:

q advance fundamental knowledge about theEarth system;

q enhance the infrastructure used to conductgeoscience research; and

q improve the quality of geoscience educationand training.

This document describes GEO�s plan to achievethe second of these three goals over the next fiveyears, and complements the GEO Science Plan,FY 1998-2002 (NSF 97-118).

1.2 Facilities in the Geosciences

Basic research in the geosciences uses a vast rangeof capabilities and instrumentation, includinglarge observation platforms (e.g., research ves-sels, planes), ground-based observatories,supercomputing capabilities, real-time data sys-tems, and laboratory experimental and analysisinstruments.

Facilities in the Geosciences are systems thatserve the experimental, analytical, observa-tional, or computational needs of extended usercommunities.

In this context, �systems� includes not only hardwareand instrumentation, but also, in some cases, neces-sary technical and operational support. �Extendeduser communities� refers to users outside of the fa-cilities� immediate location or campus, and generallyrefers to regional centers at a minimum, but frequentlyto operations that serve national or international com-munities. It is the role and function of a particularsystem in the community that determines whether ornot we call it a facility, not the mode of financial sup-port or the management structure. Modes of sup-port and management are highly variable across thedifferent programs within GEO, because modes ofoperation of the different facilities vary substantially.Support and management approaches are tailoredoptimally to the characteristics and needs of eachfacility. In all cases, management practices requireresponsible maintenance programs, and encouragethe continuous development of plans for system up-grades to insure capabilities are �state-of-the-art.�

The importance of instrumentation systems andfacilities maintained by individual investigatorsfor their own use is recognized, but is not the subjectof this document. Individual investigator experimen-tal and data acquisition capabilities are essential to ahealthy and innovative basic research activity, but aspreviously stated, this plan is concerned only withthose systems that serve the needs of extended usercommunities.

Decisions concerning the development and con-tinued operation of facilities are made by GEOmanagement only after considerable consultationwith the scientific community. Throughout thisdocument, the superscripts reference key work-shop and planning documents that have playedimportant roles in GEO deliberations. While it isimpossible to provide a completely exhaustive listof these references, the examples used are intendedto illustrate the extent of the community-based dis-cussion and deliberation process that precedes anysignificant decision by GEO management concern-ing the support of facilities.

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1.3 Characteristics of Facilities

All facilities supported by GEO should have the fol-lowing seven characteristics:

q Their characteristics and capabilities should bedriven by the basic research supported by NSFprograms.

q They should perform at the cutting edge oftheir respective research topics and demon-strate the capacity to evolve and continuouslyimprove their services and capabilities.

q They should be managed in the most efficientand cost-effective manner possible, and whereappropriate, foster and encourage competitionbetween various centers.

q Their characteristics and capabilities shouldbe well publicized in appropriate ways, andguidelines for gaining access to the facilitymust be readily and widely available. In gen-eral, access to the capabilities of the facilityshould be as open as is reasonable and practi-cal to appropriate members of the U.S. aca-demic community.

q The data produced by GEO facilities shouldbe made openly available to the national andinternational scientific communities in atimely way, protecting the interests of the prin-cipal investigator, but strongly supporting theconcept of free and open access to scientificdata.

q They should form, where possible, partner-ships with operating institutions, private foun-dations, states, industry, other federal agen-cies, and also with other nations.

q They should, when possible, play importantroles in education at many different levels -opportunities should be recognized and pro-grams established to reap the maximum ben-efit.

In making choices about the distribution of resources,GEO managers must maintain an appropriate bal-ance between development of innovative capabili-ties and the support and maintenance of important,but routine measurement systems. Decisions con-cerning both the development of new facilities andwhether or not to continue support of existing capa-bilities should be driven by the needs of the researchprograms. These requirements are outlined in theGEO Science Plan FY 1998-2002 (NSF 97-118),updated every two years, reviewed by the AdvisoryCommittee for Geosciences, and based upon broadinput from community-based workshops and plan-ning documents.

The structure of funding mechanisms is designedto ensure support is provided only to those facili-ties for which appropriate demand exists fromNSF-supported investigators. When usage fallsbelow critical levels so that operation is no longercost-effective, the facility is restructured orphased-out, in consultation with the community.

1.4 Competition and Recompetition

Recommendations in the recent National ScienceBoard (NSB) resolution (NSB-97-224) on �Com-petition, Recompetition, and Renewal of NSFAwards� will be followed. The NSB supports theprinciple that expiring awards are to berecompeted unless it is judged to be in the bestinterest of U.S. science and engineering not to doso. This position is based on the conviction thatpeer-reviewed competition and recompetition isthe process most likely to assure the best use ofNSF funds for supporting research and education.It is essential that NSF determine periodicallywhether a particular facility still represents thebest use of NSF funds, however, because of thecomplexity of major facility awards there is nosingle procedure for their review.

1.5 GEO Facilities and the Government Per-formance and Results Act

GEO recognizes the special importance of achiev-ing the four primary performance goals on Fa-

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cilities Oversight included in NSF�s Performance Plan:

q Keep construction and upgrades within annualexpenditure plan, not to exceed 110 percent ofestimates.

q Keep construction and upgrades within an-nual schedule, total time required for majorcomponents of the project not to exceed 110percent of estimates.

q Keep total cost within 110 percent of estimatesmade at the initiation of construction.

q Keep operating time lost due to unscheduleddowntime to less than 10 percent of the totalscheduled possible operating time.

These performance goals will not stifle risk-takingand innovation in the development of new facilities,but will impose planning strategies designed to rec-ognize important uncertainties in development costsand duration, and will require management ap-proaches capable of responding effectively to theseuncertainties.

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2.0 An Integrated View of the Future

Several common themes will dominate the devel-opment of research capabilities over the next fiveyears. To varying degrees, they are themes thatcan be recognized in today�s research programs,and in the future will play an even stronger rolein guiding directions and decisions.

••••• The Access Revolution One of the mostpowerful and productive trends in modern-day basic research in the geosciences is theincreasing access investigators have to bothspecialized research instrumentation and data.

Research vessels have been readily available toall NSF investigators, independent of whether theyare affiliated with a major oceanographic center,and now extremely sophisticated seagoing instru-ments are available in an analogous fashion. State-of-the-art seismological instrumentation is now rou-tinely provided for continental seismic experimentswhereas in the past it was not as accessible. Re-search aircraft and specialized instruments are nowbroadly available to the geosciences community.

A computer-based collaboratory system al-lows real-time, remote access to data from thechain of incoherent scatter radars. The Internethas revolutionized access to large data bases:U.S. investigators have near-real-time accessto data recorded by the Global SeismographicNetwork (GSN) through the IncorporatedResearch Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)data center; high-resolution multibeam sonarimages of the ocean floor can be accessed byany interested investigator on the Ridge In-terdisciplinary Global Experiments (RIDGE)program multibeam data base; Unidata linksuniversities to National Center for Atmo-spheric Research (NCAR) and other atmo-spheric databases. These are only a few ex-amples of the expanding capabilities GEOfunding brings to the academic community.Future emphasis will be placed on supporting

those facilities that expand and improve accessto the most sophisticated capabilities and datasets. Several examples of proposed initiativesare described in this document: the data assimi-lation activities in oceanography, the collaboratoryconcept, and the growing IRIS data managementsystem.

Investigators from the smallest of the nation�suniversities can compete for funds based onthe quality of their ideas, not upon their abil-ity to gain access to the required data or in-strumentation. Increasingly, access to datasets in near-real-time is allowing investiga-tors to respond to natural �events,� and de-sign powerful experiments around naturalperturbations occurring in the Earth�s com-plex systems. Real-time access also providesunique opportunities for communicating theexcitement and mysteries of the Earth�s dy-namic environment to students, educators, andthe general public. Many are unaware of themagnitude of the continuous changes occur-ring in the Earth system so providing accu-rate and timely information to the broadestpossible audience is an important goal. Manyactivities supported by GEO exemplify theseobjectives; e.g. seafloor observatories and therelocatable atmospheric observatory.

••••• Integration Across Disciplines The bound-aries between traditionally distinct disciplinesare eroding to meet the intellectual challengeof understanding the Earth as an integratedsystem. The GEO facilities must follow thistrend, and provide capabilities crossing tra-ditional disciplinary boundaries. As the con-tinental drilling program and the next genera-tion of ocean drilling develop, their goals andobjectives must be coordinated, and where ap-propriate, integrated. As new systems forocean floor seismology are designed, theymust be integrated with existing network capa-bilities on the continents. Atmospheric sciencesfacilities must extend measurement capabilitiesto better observe processes occurring at the

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boundaries between physical domains. Althoughindividual GEO facilities are managed within at-mospheric, earth, or ocean sciences, sciencetrends demand they evolve to provide the over-all geosciences community with the broadestpossible spectrum of capabilities and serve com-munities beyond individual disciplines. For in-stance, several atmospheric sciences facilities atremote locations, such as the Sondrestrom Ra-dar in Sondrestromfjord, Greenland may even-tually serve as focal points for studies of Arcticseismology, glaciology, biology, and social sci-ence. Another example is the infrastructure pro-vided by the stations of the GSN that can beused to measure other geophysical parametersat a globally distributed array of observationpoints.

••••• Interagency Coordination The facilities thatGEO funds are justified first by their utilityto NSF investigators. However, in many casesthese facilities are community-wide resourcesthat receive support from multiple agencies.It is Directorate policy to actively seek outand maintain partnerships with other agenciesin order to most effectively provide the re-search community with the highest qualityfacilities. Working cooperatively with theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA), Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion (NOAA), and National Aeronautics andSpace Administration (NASA), along withindustrial partnerships from Orbital SciencesCorporation and Allen Osborne Associates,the Division of Atmospheric Sciences led theeffort to launch a satellite carrying a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver that dem-onstrated GPS radio signals can provide ac-curate measurements of tropospheric andionospheric properties. In the earth sciences,the IRIS GSN receives roughly two thirds ofthe support required for the operation andmaintenance of its 110 stations from theUnited States Geological Survey (USGS). In theocean sciences, through an interagency partner-

ship that has been in place for over 25 years,more than 10 federal agencies cooperate to sup-port the Academic Research Vessel Fleet. Theseare only a few examples of the large number ofinteragency agreements currently in place thatallow GEO to more effectively provide facilitiesto its community. This policy of actively seekingout new relationships with sister agencies to co-operate in the support of key facilities will con-tinue to be a strong component of GEO�s plansfor the future.

••••• Data Quality The need to maintain high stan-dards of quality in data collection systems anddatabases is obvious. However, as the heartof all cutting-edge research, data quality man-agement deserves emphasis. As the users oflarge complex data sets become more widelydistributed than the investigators who collectand archive the data, it is increasingly impor-tant to develop practices and procedures en-suring the integrity and accuracy of the data.All GEO supported efforts will include man-agement systems to guarantee that data char-acteristics and uncertainties are clearly de-fined.

••••• Continuing Exploration As more structuredand sophisticated (and therefore costly) datacollection systems become available, appro-priate priority of support must be establishedfor research that extends beyond the bound-aries of current understanding. Recent dis-coveries in dynamic time-dependent charac-teristics of many important phenomena un-derscore the need for sustained time-series mea-surements of parameters, the time-variability ofwhich is not fully understood. This can be termed�exploring-in-time,� because often unexpectedevents or variations are revealed when consis-tent measurements are made for extended peri-ods. The GEO facilities must provide data ac-cess to enable investigators to seize these ground-breaking exploratory opportunities.

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••••• Facilities and Research: Ever-TighteningBonds It is crucial to maintain and strengthenlinks between facilities and the research theysupport. The GEO facility capabilities mustbe driven by research needs. Facility selec-tion, operation, and management proceduresmust allow continuous evolution of capability to

match community needs. This �matching� of fa-cility capabilities to research needs must occurat every level - from the interaction of individualinvestigators with facility providers, to maintain-ing clear links between the goals enumerated herewith those in the GEO Science Plan, FY 1998-2002.

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3.0 Key Areas for Development ofExisting Facilities

Scientific advances in environmental and geo-sciences research require significant investmentsin observational, computational, laboratory, andsample and data access systems. Many fieldprojects supported by GEO require extensive fa-cility support for the study of complex, interde-pendent processes extending over large areas.Large data streams and more comprehensivemodels of Earth systems require significant in-vestments in computational systems and coordi-nation between modeling and observational com-munities. Laboratory capabilities are essential.Shared access to samples and data for analysisof environmental processes requires the develop-ment of new technologies and new approaches todistributed information management. GEO iscommitted to the support of necessary labora-tory instrumentation for use by individual inves-tigators via conventional research project grants.This plan is restricted to consideration of thosesystems that serve the needs of extended usercommunities. Here we describe existing GEO fa-cilities and potential plans for their maintenanceand improvement over the next five years.

3.1 Environmental Observation Systems forBasic Research in the Geosciences

The geosciences have always employed a widerange of observational and experimental tools,but recent technical progress has substantiallyexpanded the scope and accuracy of measure-ments that are possible today. GEO facilitiessupport for environmental observing systems fo-cuses on both maintaining and upgrading exist-ing capabilities, while enabling the innovativetechnologies that will provide the foundation forfuture discoveries.

••••• The Global Positioning System (GPS)18,28

is currently capable of determining positions

anywhere on Earth with precision of better thana few millimeters. Predictably, such capabilitieshave spawned an explosion of applications in thegeosciences, including the direct measurement oflithospheric plate motions, deformation in plateboundary zones, seismic and volcanic deforma-tion, motion of glaciers and ice sheets, post-gla-cial rebound, and sea level changes.

The University NAVSTAR Consortium(UNAVCO) facility provides infrastructuresupport for efficient, economical pooling ofcommunity resources. Current UNAVCO ac-tivities include maintenance and repair of re-ceivers and associated equipment, assistancefor GPS field projects, station installations forpermanent networks, antenna calibrations,and data acquisition, archiving and distribu-tion.

To keep pace with GPS applications in thegeosciences during 1999-2003, UNAVCOproposed plans include: (1) installation of per-manent stations for the International GPSService Global Geodetic Reference Network,as well as permanent stations for focused re-gional studies, and (2) completion of the GPSSeamless Archive Center, with nodes atUNAVCO-Boulder, the Jet Propulsion Labo-ratory at the California Institute of Technol-ogy, the University of California at San Di-ego, and the University of Texas at Austin,providing a unified system for data manage-ment for the GPS-geodesy community.

NSF is working with other federal agenciesto ensure the GPS continues as the interna-tional navigation, positioning, and timingstandard for peaceful civil, commercial, andscientific applications.

••••• Research Vessels8 A modern and efficientlyoperated fleet of research vessels is essentialto support field programs for a diverse set ofresearch projects from all fields of environ-mental and oceanographic sciences. The 28-ship academic fleet can be broadly divided into

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three categories, with operating modes and ca-pabilities responsive to differing components ofresearch requirements:

q 6 ships with capabilities for extended global re-search cruises to regions distant from home port;

q 12 intermediate and large coastal ships with ca-pabilities for multidisciplinary and single investi-gator studies throughout U.S. waters and adjoin-ing regions; and

q 10 regional and local research ships with ca-pabilities for smaller projects close tohomeport and in near-shore waters.

Specialized capabilities for sea-going researchinclude the deep submergence facility,ALVIN, associated remotely operated ve-hicles (ROV�s), and new autonomous under-sea vehicles (AUV�s). Upgrading existingsystems, including possible major changes toALVIN for increased depth capability, anddeveloping new unmanned systems is needed.

NSF works closely with other federal agen-cies and the academic community through theUniversity-National Oceanographic Labora-tory System (UNOLS) to ensure an appropri-ate match of research and operating funds tomeet national requirements. A comprehen-sive evaluation is being conducted of sciencesupport services and capabilities, ship opera-tion, size and composition of the academicfleet, and organizational structures. The ex-ternal review report, with recommendationsfor ensuring the most cost-effective means ofproviding support for research requirements,will be available in mid 1999. The need forchanges in fleet capabilities will then be de-termined.

••••• Scientific Drilling1, 19, 29, 30, 31, both on the conti-nents and in the oceans, is essential in studies ofthe Earth. Drilling has the special characteristicof providing direct observations of active geo-logical processes, such as the mechanics of fault-

ing, fluid circulation in hydrothermal systems, ther-mal and eruptive regimes of volcanic systems,models of geologic structure and stratigraphy, andthe origin of mineral and hydrocarbon deposits.The success of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP)and the widespread use of drilling in mineral andhydrocarbon exploration demonstrate the valueas a geologic tool in testing exploration models.

The ODP uses the drillship JOIDES Resolu-tion as the primary facility for studies of theocean basins and continental margins. Thecontinuation of scientific ocean drilling (cur-rently scheduled to end in 2003) would re-quire a replacement of this capability. Con-tinued drilling should support acquisition ofa global array of high deposition rate coresfor climate studies, development and em-placement of borehole observatories, and timeseries studies of seismicity, fluid flow, andcrustal deformation.

The U.S. Continental Scientific Drilling Pro-gram is coordinated by the NSF, the USGS,and the Department of Energy (DOE). As partof the Program, a consortium of universitiesprovides a mobile facility for wireline coring,wireline geophysical logging equipment, on-site core processing, large lake and continen-tal margin sediment drilling and coring equip-ment, and associated drilling database andarchive support. The facility adapts to thewide range of scientific and environmentalconstraints required by different drillingprojects. In addition, the facility providestechnical, engineering, and contracting infra-structure to help Earth scientists access drill-ing and coring support. Future targeted re-search includes global studies of the conti-nental impacts of climate change, the originof explosive volcanism, the mechanics offaulting leading to earthquakes, the evolution ofhydrothermal systems and associated mineraldeposits, the geological history of sea levelchange, and studies of major extinctions. Long-

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term objectives include increased integration ofthe ODP and the International Continental Drill-ing Program to meet drilling needs of studies ofthe continental and ocean margins.

••••• The Global Seismographic Network (GSN)20

is a network of over 108 broadband, digital seis-mic stations distributed globally to monitor earth-quakes, underground nuclear explosions, volca-nic activity, and to research deep Earth struc-ture. GSN station operation and maintenance ismanaged by IRIS, collaborating with the USGS,the University of California at San Diego, otherU.S. university groups, and cooperating interna-tional seismic networks partners, includingGEOSCOPE (France), MEDNET (Italy),POSEIDON (Japan), and GEOFON (Germany).Seismic data acquired through the GSN is an in-dispensable resource for many seismological re-

search areas: tomographic imaging of core, mantle,and lithosphere structure, rapid and accurate lo-cation of earthquakes and other seismic sources,and better understanding of the driving forcesmoving lithospheric plates and crustal defor-mation patterns leading to earthquakes.

Anticipated improvements of the GSN to en-sure continuing exciting scientific discover-ies during 1999-2003 and beyond include: (1)up to 35 new station installations to completethe global (land-based) coverage, (2) operat-ing a key Pacific Ocean GSN seafloor station,Hawaii-2 Observatory (H2O), with an oceanbottom broadband seismometer midway be-tween Hawaii and California on a donated AT&Twire cable, (3) conversion of selected stations to�geophysical observatories,� with addition of GPSreceivers, magnetometers, gravimeters, and mi-

ODP Cores. Sediment and rock cores recovered by drilling the seafloor provide access to a vast repository of geologicaland environmental information on Earth�s history. The core shown above, collected 300 miles off the northeast Floridacoast, reveals an amazingly detailed record of a meteorite impact event in the Caribbean 65 million years ago. This eventis believed to have caused mass extinction, perhaps as much as 70 percent of all species, including the dinosaurs. The darklayer contains the debris from the impact. The rust colored layer represents the debris from the vaporized meteorite. Thegraded gray core material overlying the rust layer shows the gradual repopulating of the ocean with microorganisms. Theapproximately 40 cm of core material was collected at a water depth of about 2600 meters, 110 meters below the seafloor.

Other cores contain detailed records of past environmental changes, helping to better understand the critical processesand mechanisms controlling the climate system, and correlating land and marine climate records.

Results from coring the ocean crust have also been striking. For example, in the early days of scientific drilling, beginningin 1968, cores proved the hypotheses of seafloor spreading through the relationship of crustal age and magnetic reversals.This led to our present concept of plate tectonics.

The ODP provides the only capability for scientific sampling of anything but the shallowest layers of ocean sediments andcrust.

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crobarographs to form the nucleus of a multi-purpose geophysical network, and (4) contin-ued improvements of telecommunication capa-bilities for rapid data acquisition and distribution.

••••• Seismic Instrumentation3, 20, 28, 29, 30, 31 A largepool of portable seismometers, availableworldwide for field deployment, is providedby the IRIS-PASSCAL Program (Program ofArray Seismic Studies of the ContinentalLithosphere). The PASSCAL pool consists ofover 400 seismic recording systems, with atotal capacity of more than 1500 channels, andincludes 200 broadband sensors, as well asintermediate period instruments. ThePASSCAL instruments are serviced and sup-ported by an instrument center located at theNew Mexico Institute of Mining and Tech-nology. Since its inception, the PASSCAL Fa-cility has supported over 180 field experiments.The capabilities of the PASSCAL pool arecomplementary to the GSN, allowing forhigher-resolution imaging with closer spac-

ing of stations and special array geometries. Pos-sible improvements and activities anticipated dur-ing 1999-2003 include: (1) significantly increas-ing the existing instrument pool capacity in orderto reduce the current wait of 18-30 months toinstrument field projects, (2) expanding the useof telemetry and extending the capabilities ofbroadband arrays, and (3) acquiring small, light-weight, inexpensive instruments, activated torecord by radio command and intended for usein active source experiments for high-resolutioncrustal imaging experiments needing many instru-ments at close spacing.

••••• Ocean-Bottom Seismic (OBS) Instrumenta-tion Pools are being established to meet aca-demic community needs for short- and long-termdeployments of large numbers (more than 50) ofocean-bottom seismometers and/or ocean-bot-tom hydrophones. The OBS instrument poolsserve the broad community by providing engi-neering, technical, and management staff. Thisstaff supports maintenance and technical capa-

Whole Earth Dynamics. Data from the IRIS GSN can map the varia-tion of the velocity of seismic waves in the Earth (tomography). Thesevariations depend on both temperature and the crystallographic orien-tation of the material the seismic wave is passing through (anisotropy).Until recently, the effect of temperature, which produces isotropic varia-tions in seismic velocity, was believed to be much greater than the ef-fect of anisotropy. For example, velocity variations in the upper mantlebeneath the Pacific Ocean were thought to result from the cooling ofoceanic lithosphere as it moves away from the East Pacific Rise spread-ing center. A new global three-dimensional tomographic model of seis-mic velocity shows that the uppermost mantle beneath the Pacific Oceanis considerably more complicated than this simple thermal model. Thefigure shows that the anisotropic variations in velocity (top panel) areat least as large as the isotropic variations (bottom panel) due to tem-perature. The bottom panel also correlates the isotropic variations withthe age of the seafloor, as expected from a simple thermal cooling model.The anisotropic variations, however, do not appear to be correlatedwith the age of the seafloor. Because seismic anisotropy is an indicatorof strain in Earth materials, these results can be used to put constraintson both buoyancy forces (thermal effects) and flow patterns in the up-per mantle (anisotropy).

Figure: Shear wave velocity variation beneath the Pacific plate at150 km depth. (Reproduced from Ekstrom, G. and A.M. Dziewonski,The Unique Anisotropy of the Pacific Upper Mantle. Nature,394:168-172, 1998.)

-4.8% -2.4% 0.0% 2.4% 4.8% 7.2%

Isotropic variations150E 180E 150W 120W 90W 60W

60N

30N

0N

30S

60S

60N

30N

0N

30S

60S

Anisotropic variations

150E 180E 150W 120W 90W 60W

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bilities for the instrument pools, provides neces-sary interface between users unfamiliar with in-strument details and operational limits, and pro-vides assistance with experimental design, de-ployment and retrieval issues, and data reduc-tion processes.

••••• Research Aircraft and Airborne Instru-ments9 Advancements in geosciences areinextricably linked to detailed observations ofthe Earth system only accomplished with spe-cialized instrumentation flown on capable air-craft. NCAR operates and maintains aLockheed C-130 aircraft (planned to supportcommunity research for another 15-20 years)and an Electra aircraft (to be phased outaround 2004). Additionally, NSF providesgrantees access to a Beechcraft King Air andNorth American T-28, managed by coopera-tive agreements with the University of Wyo-ming and South Dakota School of Mines andTechnology, respectively. The King Airshould provide service many years into thefuture, and the T-28 will undergo review in2000 for its continued maintenance and op-eration needs. The WB-57F NSF aircraft wastransferred to NASA�s Johnson Space Cen-ter, Houston, Texas in 1998. NASA presentlymakes the aircraft available to NSF-supportedand other researchers on a cost reimbursementbasis. Both the Electra and the C-130 havecapabilities of carrying large, airborne re-search instruments, which include a multi-channel cloud radiometer and a scanning aero-sol backscatter lidar. In addition, the Electracarries the Electra Doppler Radar (ELDORA).A GPS Dropsonde system provides atmo-spheric measurements on both the C-130 andthe Electra. Both aircraft can also supportspecialized instrumentation provided by individualinvestigators for field projects.

Because operating and maintaining airbornecapabilities are costly, GEO must continue tobuild alliances in coordination and coopera-

tion with other federal and foreign organizationsso that diverse airborne resources can be madeavailable to the NSF-sponsored research com-munity. Base support will continue to providereliable and affordable combinations of payload,range, and capability to achieve the most impor-tant science goals. Airborne platforms that canaccommodate multiple instruments (as well asmultiple investigators) will be emphasized. Ca-pabilities to support research over the tropo-sphere and into the lower stratosphere shouldbe maintained, as well as aircraft providing ex-tensive global operations over the oceans andpolar regions.

••••• Surface and Sounding Systems10 Two trans-portable, multi-parameter, dual-polarizationDoppler radars, the S-POL and CHILL, areoperated by NCAR and Colorado State Uni-versity (CSU), respectively. NCAR also op-erates several transportable and mobile sur-face measurement and upper air soundingsystems, providing the community with ac-curate measurement capabilities for many at-mospheric parameters. These include the In-tegrated Sounding System (ISS), the Inte-grated Surface Flux Facility (ISFF), the GPSRawinsonde systems, and the GPS Dropsondesystems for aircraft.

Anticipated improvements in the capabilitiesand communications of the S-Pol system in-clude the application of real-time precipita-tion particle identification algorithms, use ofbistatic receivers to produce real-time mul-tiple-Doppler wind fields and incorporationof horizontal refractive index/humidity mea-surements from phase delays. Operation ofthe CSU Pawnee radar (formally called the HOTradar) in conjunction with CHILL, should pro-vide a dual-Doppler radar capability, with re-mote, real-time access via the Internet. Upgradesin the digital signal processor, polarization bases,and product generation capabilities are also pro-jected. In addition, improvements in the mea-

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surement, data processing, and remote opera-tion capabilities of the ISS and ISFF should beundertaken. A GPS version of the Rawinsondewill allow worldwide operation of these instru-ments.

••••• Incoherent Scatter Radar Chain11 The glo-bal chain of incoherent scatter radars, withfacilities in Peru, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts,and Greenland, provides remote measure-ments of the upper atmosphere and iono-sphere. By measuring densities, temperatures,velocities, and other derived properties of at-mospheric constituents, these upper atmo-spheric facilities provide an enduring contri-bution to many strategic areas of research,including the Global Change and SpaceWeather Programs. A variety of smaller opti-cal and radiowave devices extend observa-tions to other altitudes and different iono-spheric and atmospheric species.

As radar technology improves, better altitudecoverage and higher time resolution will beattained. Atmospheric scientists, combiningdata from collocated instruments and thoseat other chain locations, will address an ever-growing number of important research top-ics. The facilities will use emerging collabo-rative tools and networking technology to pro-vide easier access to data and greater partici-pation in experimental campaigns by atmo-spheric scientists and students. In addition tocontinuing support of scientific research dur-ing the next five years, radar operators shouldexploit new technology in a carefully coordi-nated strategy to gradually replace agingequipment with more robust and reliable com-ponents.

3.2 Computational Systems for Analysis andModeling in the Geosciences

Large observational data sets produced by mod-ern geoscience instrumentation require modern

computing equipment for acquisition, archiving,distribution, and analysis. The need for long-termstewardship of large data sets is especially strongin the geosciences, where decades of observationsare often the key to understanding fundamentalprocesses occurring at decadal rates. Comple-mentary to observational and experimental meth-ods in the geosciences, researchers are also tak-ing advantage of rapid advances in computing tocreate reliable and sophisticated models of natu-ral systems. In the geosciences, there is a strongneed for a new generation of powerful computa-tional machines, capable of handling complexmodels of physical, chemical, and biological pro-cesses, at resolutions that are impossible to at-tain with present technology. GEO is activelyinvestigating options whereby the community canbe provided with a profound increase in comput-ing power.

••••• Computational Infrastructure26 Significantadvances in Earth system science have beenmade over the last decade, driven in part byaccess to high performance computationalcapabilities, terabyte size data systems, highbandwidth networks, and four dimensionalvisualization. These capabilities are referredto as �computational infrastructure.� Manyaspects of Earth system research, particularlythose that are computationally intensive, arepoised to achieve substantial progress, butresearchers must have available to them astate-of-the-art computational infrastructureif these advances are to be realized.

One strategy to accelerate the developmentof computational resources available to theNSF-supported community includes coordina-tion of efforts with other agencies to create newparadigms in the use of high performance com-putational environments, linked closelyto a national effort in the development of in-formation technologies. The implementationof this strategy recognizes the need to pro-vide for all levels of computational resources

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to sustain progress in geosciences. The pyramidof computational resources described byBranscomb26 remains a valid strategy for geo-sciences to adopt over the next decade. GEOrecognizes the need for an effective balanceamong high performance desktop worksta-tions versus mid-range or mini-supercomputerversus networks of workstations versus re-mote, shared supercomputers of high perfor-mance.

At the apex of the pyramid is a collaboratoryconcept, that would involve both centralizedand distributed resources interconnected byextremely high bandwidth networks. The cen-tralized node would execute complex predic-tive and simulation models and house dataarchives to provide rapid access to petabyte-sized data sets. Connected to this centralizedfacility would be powerful nodes that would havesignificant computational, data storage, and vi-sualization capabilities.

To realize this ambitious vision, four elementsof the GEO community�s computational in-frastructure environment would require en-hancement�software; scaleable informationinfrastructure; high-end computing; and theinformation technology workforce. Theselong-term efforts are explicitly described inthe President�s Information Technology Ad-visory Committee (PITAC) Interim Report tothe President, August 1998. The researchagenda articulated in the PITAC report,though beyond the scope of geosciences, isconsistent with GEO�s long-term goals.

••••• Climate Simulation Laboratory (CSL)12 Ahigh-priority computing system is the CSL, amulti-agency facility located at NCAR thatsupports research related to the U.S. GlobalChange Research Program (US/GCRP). TheCSL provides high performance computing,data storage, and data analysis systems to sup-port large, long-running simulations of Earth�s

climate system.

Possible future plans include a joint NSF-DOE initiative for substantial increases incomputational resources for scientific simu-lation in several areas of computational re-search, including climate modeling. Theseadditional resources would enable climatemodel simulations with improved physicaland biogeochemical representations of impor-tant climate system processes at much finerspatial resolution.

3.3 Laboratory Systems for Measurements andExperiments in the Geosciences

The need for modern laboratory instrumentationand the infrastructure necessary to make it ac-cessible to geoscientists engaged in basic researchis clear. In many areas of the geosciences, it istechnological advances that have actually deter-mined the research agenda. GEO is committedto the support of necessary laboratory instrumen-tation for use by individual investigators via con-ventional research project grants. However, thisplan is restricted to consideration of those sys-tems that serve the needs of extended user com-munities, important examples of which are de-scribed below.

••••• Accelerator Mass Spectrometers (AMS)21,

24, 28 GEO supports AMS facilities located atthe University of Arizona, Purdue University,and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institu-tion. The AMS technique is unique in its abil-ity to measure isotope species with sensitivi-ties of one part in 1014 or better, making it theonly analytical tool available for radiocarbon dat-ing of old (relative to the 14C decay period) orvery small samples. Recent advances in AMStechniques have also resulted in the developmentof additional tracer and age-dating applicationsin the geosciences for other cosmogenic nuclidessuch as 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, and 129I. The threeAMS facilities provide the geosciences commu-

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nity with a balanced menu of analytical capabili-ties covering the entire range of research appli-cations, including climate change and environ-mental studies, radiocarbon dating, exposure agedating, and radioactive tracing and dating ofgroundwater. Potential plans for 1999-2003 in-clude acquisition of a new accelerator for theUniversity of Arizona and development of newisotope analysis capabilities at Woods HoleOceanographic Institution and Purdue Univer-sity.

••••• Ion Microprobes22, 28, 32 The ion microprobeis the instrument of choice for precise isoto-pic and trace element analysis combined withexcellent spatial resolution. In order to pro-vide access to this instrumentation (a two tothree million dollar investment per machine)for the geosciences community, GEO supportslarge radius ion microprobe facilities at Uni-versity of California, Los Angeles and WoodsHole Oceanographic Institution. During 1999-2003, GEO expects to add one additionalmulti-user ion microprobe facility to accom-modate increased demand by the academicresearch community; for example, scientistssupported by NSF�s Life in Extreme Environ-ments (LExEn) Initiative, and NASA�s Astro-biology Program. High precision isotopicanalyses at micro-scale to nano-scale resolu-tion are critical for �chemical fingerprinting�of ancient and/or recent biological activity.

••••• Synchrotron Radiation Facilities23, 24, 28, 32

Synchrotron storage rings use magnets tobend, wiggle or undulate relativistic electrons orpositrons to produce photon beams of unprec-edented brilliance and energy range. When com-bined with modern diffraction and other spec-troscopic techniques, the result is an explosionof new tools for the science of materials. Geo-scientists who study Earth and planetary materi-als under extreme pressures and temperaturesreproducing in situ planetary interiors, or envi-

ronmental geochemists studying surface reactionsbetween soil particles and pollutants, have ac-cess to these tools through GEO�s support ofsynchrotron beamline facilities at the AdvancedPhoton Source (APS) at Argonne NationalLaboratory, Chicago, Illinois and the NationalSynchrotron Light Source (NSLS) atBrookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NewYork. These beamline facilities provide excel-lent examples of NSF-DOE partnerships. Ineach case, DOE operates the overall storage ringfacility, while GEO supports the construction, in-strumentation and operation of the user-accessbeamlines. Geoscience applications of synchro-tron radiation have already produced importantadvances in our knowledge of the properties ofthe mantle and core (seismic velocity, seismicanisotropy, density, rheology, and melting rela-tions). Possible future plans for 1999-2003 in-clude advanced instrumentation for x-raymicrodiffractometry of samples held at simulta-neously high temperatures and pressures in dia-mond anvil cells and multi-anvil presses. A blos-soming interest in beamtime is expected in envi-ronmental geochemistry research. For instance,atomic-scale probing of mineral surfaces and bi-ology tissues with high-brilliance x-rays can pro-vide site-specific data on the speciation of toxicmetals and radionuclides in contaminated sedi-ments and organics, and the oxidation state ofminerals.

••••• Institute for Rock Magnetism (IRM)24 Thestudy of magnetism in rocks contributes sig-nificantly to geoscience research on plate tec-tonics, mantle dynamics, origin and evolution ofthe Earth�s magnetic field, and, more recently,environmental geology, where variations in rockmagnetism are providing a useful proxy for envi-ronmental changes. Expensive, state-of-the-artinstruments for special studies are available tothe geosciences research community at the IRM,located at the University of Minnesota. The IRMprovides free and guided access to instruments,such as susceptibility anisotropy bridges, low-

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and high-temperature AC susceptometers, alter-nating gradient force magnetometers, magneto-optic Kerr effect microscope system, magneticforce microscopes, and Mossbauer spectros-copy systems. The IRM is recognized interna-tionally as the leading resource for instrumental,technical, and educational support in rock mag-netism. Continued support of the IRM facility in1999-2003, is anticipated, including investmentin IRM�s equipment pool and staff consistent withthe research community needs.

3.4 Sample and Data Access Systems

Open and easy access to sample collections andlarge digital data sets is essential to almost allresearch programs in the geosciences. GEO aimsto support the creation and maintenance of datamanagement systems and sample archive facili-ties to insure valuable data needed by high-pri-ority research projects are readily and widelyavailable to the academic community. Innovationsin the use of the Internet for interactive searchand display of very large data sets is revolution-izing these capabilities and promises to provideinvestigators with unprecedented access to envi-ronmental observations.

••••• The IRIS Data Management System(DMS)20, 28, 29, 30, 31 has become the resource ofchoice for seismologists collecting seismicdata for studies of the Earth�s interior and earth-quake sources. The IRIS Data ManagementCenter (DMC) acts as the central archive anddistribution point for all GSN and portable in-strument pool (PASSCAL) data for the seismo-logical community. The DMC is also the officialdata center for selected seismic data collectedby the Federation of Digital Seismic Networks.In addition to its data collection and archival func-tions, the center also develops software tools forthe research community, including the promotionof new �object-oriented� software developmenttechniques.

GEO plans to continue to support the DMSfacility to meet the demand for its products.DMS efforts during the past five years haveconcentrated on data gathered through theGSN. New activities during the period 1999-2003 are expected in the development of en-hanced DMS services for seismic data re-trieval and analysis. In addition, data frommagnetotelluric investigations of the electri-cal conductivity structure of the Earth�s inte-rior would be archived within the IRIS DMS,and therefore easily accessed via the Internet.

••••• Upper Atmosphere Research Collabor-atory (UARC)13 Over the past six years,UARC has built the capability to design, de-ploy, and evaluate internet-based collabora-tive technology to facilitate collaborativespace/upper atmosphere science. Within theUARC project, the team has supported an in-ternational community of space scientists bycombining the concepts and methods fromboth computer science and behavioral sciencewith the deep involvement of �domain� ex-perts in space sciences. UARC initially fo-cused on collaborative interactions surround-ing real-time data acquisition from the inco-herent scatter radar facility in Greenland, butlater expanded to include a suite of ground-based and satellite data feeds spanning the globeand the output of large-scale computational mod-els of the upper atmosphere system.

With sponsorship from the NSF�s Knowledgeand Distributed Intelligence (KDI) Program,UARC will be continued with a broadenedapproach, reflected in its new name: SpacePhysics and Aeronomy Research Collabor-atory (SPARC). SPARC will combine experi-mental data streams and their interpretation, theo-retical models, real-time campaign support, cap-ture and replay of collaborative sessions, post-hoc analysis workshops, access to archival data

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and digital libraries, and extensive educational/out-reach modules. These activities will significantlyextend the power of technology-mediated distrib-uted knowledge networking systems. SPARCaims to produce a next-generation collaboratorythat would support a full range of scientific activi-ties worthy of being called a knowledge network.

••••• Sample Collections4 Chemical, biological,and geological samples from specific research

studies often retain value following the initial study.The insight from the initial study coupled withsample characterization, in fact, often enhancesthe value. Organized sample collections, or ar-chives, with documented records accessible toadditional investigators, are required to enablesecond-generation studies, including evaluationof long-term environmental changes. Geosciencecollections include geological samples from theODP, other field studies, and photographic ar-

Upper Atmosphere Research. Research efforts in atmospheric sciences increasingly depend on the clustering of instru-mentation to provide improved spatial coverage, better temporal and spatial resolution, and expanded measurementcapabilities. An illustration of this trend is the combined lidar and incoherent scatter radar experiments being conductedat the Sondrestrom Facility in Greenland. The radar measurements of electron densities associated with thin ion layersalong with simultaneous and coincident lidar measurements of the neutral sodium layer, offer new insights into thephysical processes responsible for ion and neutral layering at high latitudes. The upper panel shows the sequence ofincoherent scatter radar measurements in the altitude range from 80 to 110 km, with an altitude resolution of 600 meters.Thin ion layers appear to form at altitudes around 105 km and slowly descend to form a thicker aggregate layer around 93km. The darker vertical streaks are electron density enhancements produced by aurora. The lower panel shows thepresence of a thin sporadic sodium layer coincident with the ion layer and persisting for at least four hours.

Clustering instrumentation at facilities, establishing strategically located chains of stations, and improving instrumentcapabilities all support studies of long-term environmental changes associated with global change and the prediction ofatmospheric effects from weather and space weather. The data from these instruments provide information essential forthe validation of models that simulate interaction between the various components of the Earth system.

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chives from deep submersible science studies.Support for existing and possible new collections(e.g., lake drilling cores, continental drilling cores)is required with a focus on preserving collectionintegrity while expanding opportunities for addi-tional research. This includes more extensivepromotion and dissemination of information aboutthe collections through internet and web-basedcommunications.

••••• Unidata14 Unidata offers software and ser-vices that enable atmospheric scientists toacquire and use an extensive array of data prod-ucts, often in real time. Unidata members con-stitute a nationwide collection of electronically-linked researchers having common academic in-terests in atmospheric and related sciences andsharing similar needs for data and software.Unidata permits users to benefit not only fromthe best contemporary software methods for

accessing and displaying environmental data, butalso from increased platform independence andgreater use of distributed computing.

Future efforts should provide improved ease-of-use and greater compatibility with more datatypes and higher data volumes. In addition toadapting decoders and applications to analyzeand display data, Unidata plans to expand theInternet Data Distribution system to incorporatenew sources, handle higher data rates, adjustautomatically to variations in user demands, adaptdynamically to Internet performance variations,and exploit networking advances such asmulticast protocols. New capabilities would in-clude animated, three-dimensional visualizationtools and a Java-based information framework,setting the stage for eventually utilizing aggregatedata holdings of all Unidata sites as a commoncommunity resource.

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4.0 Potential New Capabilities

GEO is constantly evaluating opportunities todevelop new facilities, either in response to thechanging needs of researchers, or to replace ag-ing or obsolescent capabilities. Changing de-mands from the research community are drivenby scientific breakthroughs or technological ad-vances, and the need to provide investigators withstate-of-the-art capabilities requires that outdatedsystems be replaced in a timely way. Many ofthese new facilities could be supported by mul-tiple agencies. They would be engaged in highlyinterdisciplinary research activities and wouldprovide new opportunities for public outreach andeducation. The following projects (listed in nopriority order), would help provide the commu-nity with leading-edge capabilities for geo-sciences research. When identifying the resourcesrequired to develop new facilities, GEO will es-tablish an appropriate balance between the sup-port required for stable operation, maintenance,and upgrading of existing facilities.

••••• A Relocatable Atmospheric Observatory(RAO),15 designed as a transportable system,would provide new capabilities for studyingthe properties of Earth�s upper atmosphere andionosphere. This collection of instruments,centered on a state-of-the-art phased arrayincoherent scatter radar with electronicsteerability, would give this observatoryunique capabilities in addressing problems insolar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere cou-pling and its effects on the global atmosphere.For example, locating the observatory near thenorth magnetic pole would allow observa-tions critical to our understanding of the wayEarth�s atmosphere is magnetically and elec-trically coupled to the solar wind. Other pos-sibilities include sites such as Hawaii and NewMexico near large existing lidar facilities, andPoker Flat, Alaska, near the NASA rocketlaunching facility. The Relocatable Atmo-

spheric Observatory would contribute to sev-eral strategic areas of research, including theNational Space Weather Program (NSWP)and the USGCRP. The new observationswould complement others made by state-of-the-art facilities around the world, as well asthose made by an international array of satellite-borne instrumentation.

••••• Coastal Research Vessel5 Ensuring the avail-ability of appropriate sea-going facilities andsupport services is crucial to investigatorssupported by NSF research programs. Theresearch vessels that support studies of coastaloceanographic systems are aging, and severalmay need replacement in the near future ifresearch demands for interdisciplinary stud-ies are to be met. A next-generation coastalresearch vessel would maintain needed re-search support capabilities.

••••• High Performance Research Aircraft16 TheHigh-Performance Instrumented AirbornePlatform for Environmental Research(HIAPER) would be a modern mid-sized jetaircraft with capabilities to reach 50,000 feetaltitude and over 7,000 miles in range. Theaircraft would be outfitted with new sensors,data systems, and scientist workstations toaccommodate scientific investigations impor-tant to national and global priorities in cli-mate, hazardous weather, and Earth systemscience supporting human needs. HIAPER isa much needed replacement for the aging, lim-ited-capability Lockheed Electra turbo-propaircraft, operated by the NCAR.

••••• EarthScope25 EarthScope would be a dis-tributed, multi-purpose geophysical instru-ment array that has the potential for makingmajor advances in our knowledge and under-standing of the structure and dynamics of theNorth American continent. The EarthScopeconcept consists of three projects that wouldbe considered and implemented separately,but which taken together could contribute to

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an integrated research effort in this area of study.The projects are: (1) U.S. Array/San AndreasFault Observatory at Depth, (2) Plate BoundaryObservatory, and (3) Interofero-metric SyntheticAperture Radar (InSAR).The U.S. Array would be a dense array ofhigh-capability seismometers that would be de-ployed in a stepwise fashion throughout the U.S.to greatly improve our resolution of the subsur-face rheology. The San Andreas Fault Observa-tory at Depth would study fault parameters andthe rupture processes of earthquakes. The phys-ics of these processes is one of the most chal-lenging problems in science today.

The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO)would involve the construction of an arrayof permanent borehole installations of mul-tiple instruments, including GPS receivers,strainmeters, tiltmeters, and seismometers thatwould be distributed across the western half ofthe U.S.

The Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Ra-dar (InSAR) would involve a partnership withNASA and other agencies to orbit a syntheticaperture radar on a satellite. InSAR has pro-duced spectacular images of crustal distortionof earthquakes, volcanoes, and land subsid-ence with high precision and spatial resolu-tion.

••••• Constellation Observing System for Meteo-rology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COS-MIC)17 Over the next decade, NSF intendsto collaborate with other U.S. agencies andTaiwan to support COSMIC. The GlobalPositioning System applied to Meteorology(GPS/MET), along with its progeny COS-MIC, are elegant solutions to the problem ofobtaining global, high resolution observations ofthe three dimensional structure of atmospherictemperature and water vapor throughout the tro-posphere and lower stratosphere, and the elec-tron densities of the charged upper atmosphere.The spatial and temporal gradients of these im-

portant variables strongly influence weather, cli-mate, and upper atmospheric electrical phenom-ena, all of which have profound effects on hu-man societies. The data from COSMIC wouldprovide a valuable new resource for atmosphericscience studies.

••••• Sustained Time-Series Observations in theOceans6 Evolving research themes in the geo-sciences focus on interactive processes thatoccur over a vast range of temporal and spa-tial scales, and exhibit numerous dynamiclinkages between system components; e.g., thecoupling of biological, geological, chemical,and physical systems in the oceans. New ad-vances in understanding cannot be made bysimply characterizing the ocean systems over lim-ited regions or for short periods. Investigationof the Earth as a dynamic system requires newobservational capabilities. Examples of systemsto potentially be designed and implemented overthe next five years are: long-term seafloor ob-servatories for time-series observations in thedeep ocean environment, with emphasis upon theexpansion of the GSN into the oceans (the OceanSeismic Network [OSN]); maintenance and ex-pansion of long-term surface and water columnobservatories, such as the existing stations offHawaii (Hawaii Ocean Time-series [HOT]) andBermuda (Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study[BATS]); new sensor technologies and data re-covery capabilities; and the development and ap-plication of controlled autonomous profiling floatsto provide a near-real-time synoptic view of up-per ocean dynamics on a basin scale. Providingopen access to these new capabilities for thewidest possible segment of the ocean sciences�community would be accomplished (in somecases) by instrument centers.

••••• National Facility for Hydrological SciencesTraditionally, hydrologic data sets have beencollected independently and sporadically bya wide range of public agencies. These dataare not sufficient to advance our understanding

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of mass balances as water moves at multiplespace-time scales within watersheds. Our envi-ronment and economy are increasingly exposedby our ignorance of nonlinear coupling amongwater, biota, and energy which involves multiplefeedback, thresholds, and natural fluctuations thatcan change hydrologic regimes suddenly and dra-matically. New observing capabilities (radar, sat-ellite imagery, isotopic tracers) and mathemati-cal tools (fractals, dynamic systems) need to beorganized within a sustained, integrated obser-vational system. A National Facility for the Hy-drologic Sciences would, for the first time, coor-dinate the full range of emerging technologies andmodern computational capabilities to bear onbasic, and applied, research problems in the hy-drologic sciences, and would incorporate facili-ties for community access to modern instrumen-tation and data archiving and distribution.

••••• Ocean Data Assimilation and Modeling7

The critical environmental processes that con-trol most Earth systems can best be under-stood if considered from a multidisciplinaryperspective as dynamic, nonlinear systems.An important component of future globalocean sciences is the creation of an infrastruc-ture and environment in which data assimila-tion, integration, modeling, and interpretationof large diverse data sets can take place. Com-putational capabilities must be adequate forglobal data sets from satellite research missions,e.g., radiometry, scatterometry, and altimetry

available today; plus new types of measurements,e.g., ocean color, geode, or surface propertycharacteristics. These synoptic data sets mustbe combined with interior ocean data being col-lected by major process studies, e.g., globalchange programs, in coherent ways such as viamodel data assimilation.

To address these needs, new infrastructure andpartnerships would be required spanning theocean community. A concept has been de-veloped to address these needs (and evolvein a phased manner), involving a central �hub�facility supporting a number of �scientificnodes.� The hub facility would provide com-putational and data assimilation capabilities,high-level analyses, technical assistance, codeand analysis software, benchmark solutions,documentation, and other services. Nodes areenvisioned as small or large teams (5-15 sci-entists) collaborating on model/data synthe-sis projects requiring regional- to global-scalecomputational capability. The rationale is thatsuch groups are needed to advance our capa-bility in the simulation and understanding ofthe physical, chemical, biological, and bio-geochemical behavior of the ocean, estima-tions of the state of the ocean, and the identi-fication of essential new ocean observing capa-bilities. This effort would be planned as a multi-agency activity.

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5.0 Facilities and Education27

The GEO-sponsored facilities while having pri-marily a research-driven mission, also have am-bitious education and outreach programs in placeand in development. These programs typicallyreflect the missions of the facilities, yet are de-signed for broad impact at multiple educationallevels: graduate and postdoctoral, undergradu-ate, pre-college, and public outreach.

The programs provide a continuum of learningvital to fostering geoscientific excellence, andpromote public support for the geosciences en-terprise. GEO can increase its support of educa-tion through traditional programmatic vehiclesand expansion of GEO�s Awards to FacilitateGeoscience Education Program, NSF 97-174(continued through FY99 as Geoscience Educa-tion, NSF 99-44). Examples of the facilities pro-grams for which expanded support is being consid-ered are:

q UCAR supports a large number of educationalprograms aimed at the full range of educa-tion levels, including public outreach. TheProgram for the Advancement of GeoscienceEducation (PAGE, located at: http://www.page.ucar.edu, accessed January 22,1999) supports the shared development anddissemination via the facility network ofmultidisciplinary curricula integrated withmodern communications technologies.

q IRIS has established an education and out-reach program aimed at using the excitementof seismology and related geosciences as astimulant to improving science education atall levels. Of particular note is the PrincetonEarth Physics Project, placing scientificallyuseful seismometers in pre-college class-rooms, linking separate sites to the IRIS datacenter simultaneously, and developing sup-

porting curricula. In cooperation with the USGSAlbuquerque Seismological Laboratory and theNew Mexico Museum of Natural History andScience, IRIS has developed a museum displayon earthquakes featuring real-time display of seis-mograms from around the world. The exhibit iscurrently on national tour as part of the FranklinInstitute�s �Powers of Nature� exhibit.

q The ODP has established a broad range of edu-cational activities at all levels. The ODP spon-sors a fellowship program, as well as the partici-pation of students aboard the JOIDES Resolu-tion. Distinguished lectures are organized eachyear by the ODP. The ODP also supports vari-ous efforts involved in developing public outreachand educational materials.

GEO has supported programs having significantimpacts on education in the geosciences. Someexamples include:

q outreach programs that emphasize hands-onlearning and participation of students,

q teacher training programs aimed at involvingstudents in research,

q partnerships with public schools,q undergraduate research fellowship programs,

andq activities in cooperation with aquariums and

museums.

GEO places profound importance on students, atall levels. Gaining direct experience with appli-cations of state-of-the-art instrumentation in thelaboratory and in the field is important and GEOshould support mechanisms that provide this ex-perience through facilities. One such approachis a program of incremental funding, allowingstudents to access selected facilities, while, inturn, providing the facilities with enhancementof technician support and full utilization.

Finally, as part of NSF�s intention to create a na-

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tional digital library as a distributed capability, GEOhas begun a cooperative program with the Divisionof Undergraduate Education focused on an Earth sys-tems science curriculum component. GEO will con-

tinue developing this collaboration, and pursue simi-lar activities with other Divisions of the Directoratefor Education and Human Resources (EHR).

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6.0 The Challenges Ahead

The boundaries between the traditionally distinct dis-ciplines of atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciencesare being eroded as the understanding of the Earthas a dynamic, integrated system improves. This im-portant intellectual driver must impact the way thatGEO facilities are managed. Access to investigatorsof all disciplines must be open and straightforward,and opportunities for sharing of capabilities and sitesbetween the Divisions of GEO must be recognized.

The coordination of facility requirements with otherDirectorates within NSF should be reviewed on aregular basis to determine whether opportunities fornew partnerships would enhance available capabili-ties. The technological and instrumental challengesof recording long time series of environmental andbiological variables, and the development of improvedcapabilities for the manipulation of biological materi-als in the natural environment would be most effi-ciently tackled by cross-directorate programs for de-

velopment and support of new and innovative facili-ties.Efforts to build new interagency partnerships mustcontinue - many of the new computational or obser-vational facilities would require investments that arebeyond the resources of a single agency. Only throughcooperative efforts can these goals be realized. Toan increasing degree, many required capabilities arebeyond the resources of the U.S. as a nation and theessential value of international cooperation must con-tinue to be acknowledged.

The next five years will see substantial change inthe way geosciences data are collected and pro-cessed. Disciplinary barriers will be furthereroded, data access will continue to revolution-ize the way investigators work together, and in-creasingly researchers will study dynamic Earthprocesses remotely in near real-time. GEO mustbe prepared to manage a rapid evolution in theobservational and computational capabilities that willbe required to achieve the next series of exciting ad-vances in the understanding of our planet�s naturalsystem.

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Appendix A

Representative Examplesof Community-Based Facility

Planning Activities

Superscript 1Second Conference on Scientific Ocean Drilling(COSOD II), European Science Foundation un-der the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for DeepEarth Sampling Workshop Report, Strasbourg,France. Munsch G.B., ed., European ScienceFoundation, Strausbourg, France, 1987.

The Role of ODP Drilling in the Investigation ofGlobal Changes in Sea Level, JOI/USSAC Work-shop Report, El Paso, Texas, Watkins J.S. andG.S. Mountain, 1988, unpublished.

Understanding our Dynamic Earth through OceanDrilling, Ocean Drilling Program Long RangePlan. Long Range Planning subgroup of theJOIDES Planning Committee and Joint Oceano-graphic Institutions, JOI, Inc., Washington, D.C.,1996.

The Oceanic Lithosphere and Scientific Drillinginto the 21st Century, ODP-Inter-Ridge-IAVCEIWorkshop Report, North Falmouth, MA andWoods Hole, MA. Williams R. and H. Sloan, eds.,Inter-Ridge Office, Durham, United Kingdom,1996.

International Conference on Ocean Drilling in theTwenty-first Century (OD21), Workshop Report,Hayama, Japan. JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, Japan,1996.

International Workshop on Riser Technology,Workshop Report, Yokohama, Japan. JAMSTEC,Yokosuka, Japan, 1996, unpublished.

Report on the CONference on Cooperative OceanRiser Drilling (CONCORD), Workshop Report,

Tokyo, Japan. JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, Japan, 1997,unpublished.

A New Vision for Scientific Ocean Drilling, AReport from COMPOST-II: The U.S. Commit-tee for Post-2003 Scientific Ocean Drilling. JOIInc., Washington, D.C., 1998.

Superscript 2Future of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry in theUSA: Proceedings of an Interagency Briefing andWorkshop to Explore Needs and Opportunitiesfor AMS Applications, Washington, D.C. ElmoreD., ed., University of Rochester, Rochester, NY,1985.

Report of an ad hoc meeting at NSF to discussfuture needs of ocean sciences for an AMS facil-ity. NSF, Arlington, VA 1985, unpublished.

A Chemical Tracer Strategy for WOCE: Reportof a Workshop, Seattle, WA. Armiento J, ed., U.S.WOCE Planning Report No. 10, pp.179-181, U.S.Planning Office for WOCE, College Station, TX,1988.

Geoscience Research with New and ImprovedAMS Instrumentation, Report of the AcceleratorMass Spectrometry Committee (AMSAC). 1988,unpublished.

Superscript 3U.S. Ocean Bottom Seismology Meeting Work-shop Report, Monterey Bay, CA. Orcutt J., ed.,1997. Internet: http://victory.ucsd.edu/OBS_Meeting_Site/OBS_Report.html. Accessedon February 10, 1999.

Superscript 4Ocean Drilling Program Sample DistributionPolicy, Internet: http://www-odp.tamu.edu/curation/sdp.htm. Accessed on January 15, 1999.

Superscript 5Coastal Oceanography: Future Trends and VesselRequirements, Status Report by the Coastal Ocean-

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25

ography Subcommittee of the UNOLS Fleet Im-provement Committee. UNOLS, 1994.

Setting a New Course for U.S. Coastal OceanScience, Phase I: Inventory of Federal Programs,Phase II: The strategic Framework. Scavia D., ed.,National Science and Technology Council, Com-mittee on Environmental and Natural Resourses,1995.

Superscript 6 Long Time Series Measurements in the CoastalOcean, Workshop CoOP Report, WashingtonD.C. Vincent C.L., T.C. Royer and K.H. Brink,eds., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Tech-nical Report 93-49:96, 1993.

Proceedings of a Workshop on Broad-BandDownhole Seismometers in the Deep Ocean,Woods Hole, MA. Purdy, G.M. and A.M.Dziewonski, WHOI, Woods Hole, MA, 1988.

JOI/IRIS Ocean Seismic Network U.S. Pilot Ex-periment Task Force Meeting, Washington, D.C.Forsyth D., S. Sacks, and A. Trehu, JOI, Inc.,Washington, D.C., 1991.

Workshop on Scientific Uses of Undersea Cables,Report to the National Science Foundation, Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,Office of Naval Research, and U.S. GeologicalSurvey, Honolulu, Hawaii. Chave A., R. Butler,and T.E. Pyle, eds., JOI, Inc., Washington D.C.,1990.

Broadband Seismology in the Oceans: Towardsa Five-Year Plan, Scripps Institution of Ocean-ography, La Jolla, CA. JOI, Inc., Washington,D.C., 1995.

Multidisciplinary Observatories on the Deep Sea-floor, International Workshop, Marseille, France.Montagner, J. P. and Y. Lancelot, eds., 1995, un-published.

Borehole: A Plan to Advance Post-Drilling, Sub-Seafloor Science, Joint Oceanographic Institutions/U.S. Science Advisory Committee Workshop, Mi-ami, FL. JOI, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1994.

1995 Activities Contributing to a Global OceanObserving System, U.S. National Report. U.S.GOOS Interagency Project Office, Silver Spring,MD, 1996.

Ocean Observations Panel for Climate Report ofOcean Climate Time-Series Workshop, GCOSReport No. 41, Baltimore, MD. GOOS Inter-agency Project Office, Silver Spring, MD, 1997.

International Workshop on Scientific Use of Sub-marine Cables, Workshop Report, Okinawa, Ja-pan. 1997, unpublished.

Superscript 7Assessing Ocean Modeling and Data Assimila-tion Requirements, Report on Workshop to Dis-cuss Needs for an Ocean Data Assimilation Center.National Science Foundation, Division of Ocean Sci-ences, 1997, unpublished.

U.S. Ocean Science Needs for Modeling and DataSynthesis: Status of a Community Assessment.Nowlin W.D., Oceanography, 10:135-140, 1997.

A Distributed Modeling and Data AssimilationCapability for the Ocean Sciences. Powell T.M.,W.D. Nowlin and S.C. Doney, NSF, 1998, un-published.

Assessing Ocean Modeling and Data Assimila-tion Requirements, U.S. WOCE Office Report onworkshop to discuss needs for ocean global cir-culation modeling. 1997.

Superscript 8Report of a Workshop on Mid-Life Refits and Im-provements of Intermediate-Size Ships, Washington,D.C., UNOLS Fleet Improvement Committee Of-

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26

fice Report. Barber R. and K. Treadwell, TexasA&M University, College Station, TX, 1989.

UNOLS Fleet Improvement Plan. UNOLS FleetImprovement Committee, 1995, unpublished.

UNOLS Deep Submergence Science CommitteeMeeting, Summary Report, Woods Hole, MA.1996, unpublished.

UNOLS Deep Submergence Science CommitteeSEACLIFF Working Group Report. 1997, unpub-lished.

Superscript 9Scientific Justification and Development Plan fora Mid-Sized Jet Aircraft. Cooper W.A., W.B.Johnson, J.E. Ragni, G.L. Summers and M.N.Zrubek, NCAR Technical Note 337+EDD, 1989.Internet: http://www.ucar.edu/ucargen/technotes/.Accessed on February 11, 1999.

Third NCAR Research Aircraft Fleet Workshop.Radke L.F. and P. Spyers-Duran, NCAR TechnicalReport 374+PROC, 1992. Internet: http://www.ucar.edu/ucargen/technotes/. Accessed onFebruary 11, 1999.

Superscript 10New Instrument and System Developments of theNCAR Atmospheric Technology Division: 9th

AMS Symposium on Meteorological Observa-tions and Instrumentation Workshop, Boulder,CO, 1995, unpublished.

Superscript 11Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmo-spheric Regions (CEDAR) Volume II Supple-ment: Detailed Facility Radar Development,Report to the National Science Foundation Aer-onomy Program by the CEDAR Science Steer-ing Committee, Vickrey J., ed., 1987, unpublished.

Superscript 12Workshop on Earth System Modeling, Subcommit-tee on Global Change Research Integrative Model-ing Report. Washington, D.C., 1994.

Superscript 13A Prototype Atmospheric Research Collaboratory(UARC). Clauer C.R., et al., Applications of DataHandling and Visualization Techniques in SpaceAtmospheric Sciences, NASA SP-519, pp. 105-112, 1995.

National Collaboratories: Applying InformationTechnology for Scientific Research, NRC Report.National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.,1993.

The National Collaboratory: A White Paper, Ap-pendix A: Toward a National Collaboratory, Re-port of Workshop at Rockefeller University, NY.Wulf W.A, National Academy Press, Washing-ton, D.C., 1989.

Superscript 14Unidata Local Hardware and Software Systems(LOHSS) Working Group Final Report. Agee, E.,Unidata Program Center, Boulder, CO, 1985,unpublished.

An Approach to Unidata Communications Sys-tem Design, Phase III Final Planning Report.Cooper, C.S., Unidata Program Center, Boulder,CO, 1985, unpublished.

Integrating Technology into the MeteorologyClassroom, Summary of the 1993 Northeast Re-gional Unidata Workshop. Byrd, G. et al., Bulle-tin of the American Meteorological Society,75:1677-1683, 1994.

The Unidata LDM: Programs and Protocols forFlexible Processing of Data Products. Davis G.P.and R.K. Rew, In: Proceedings, 10th InternationalConference on Interactive Information and Pro-cessing Systems for Meteorology, Oceanography,

GEO Facilities Plan

27

and Hydrology, Nashville, TN, American Meteo-rological Society, 1994.

Unidata Internet Data Distribution (IDD): A 1994Update. Domenico B. and D. Fulker, In: Proceed-ings, 11th International Conference on InteractiveInformation and Processing Systems for Meteo-rology, Oceanography and Hydrology, Dallas,TX, American Meteorological Society, 1995.Internet: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/publica-tions/papers/idd94.html. Accessed on February11, 1999.

The Unidata System for University Weather DataAnalysis and Modeling, Report on a PlanningEffort Initiated as UCAR Cooperative UniversityProgram, Dutton J.A., Unidata Program Center,Boulder, CO, 1983, unpublished.

Producing the Finest Scientists and Engineers forthe 21st Century. Good M.L. and N.F. Lane, Sci-ence, 266:741-743, 1994.

Computer-Mediated Scholarly Collaboration.Harasim L.M. and T. Winkelmans, Knowledge:Creation, Diffusion, Utilization, 11:382-409,1990.

Returns to Science: Computer Networks inOceanography. Hesse B.W., L.S. Sproull, S.B.Kiesler and J.P. Walsh, Communications of theACM, 36:90-101, August 1993.

Online Communities: A Case Study of the Office ofthe Future. Hiltz S.R., Ablex Publishing Corp., 1984.

Computer Networks: Prospects for Scientists.Newell A. and R.F. Sproull, Science, 215:843-852, 1982.

Unidata: Enabling Universities to Acquire andAnalyze Scientific Data. Sherretz L.A. and D.W.Fulker, Bulletin of the American MeteorologicalSociety, 69:373-376, 1988.

Superscript 15A Polar Cap Observatory: The Next Step in Up-per Atmospheric Science, Report to NSF Divi-sion of Atmospheric Science. Kelley M.C., ed.,1990, unpublished.

A Design Study for the Incoherent Scatter Radarfor the PCO, Report to NSF. Kelly J.D., SRI In-ternational, 1991, unpublished.

Design Study for a Polar Cap Observatory RadarData Acquisition System, Report to NSF. HoltJ., MIT, 1991, unpublished.

The Polar Cap Observatory Optical Interferometryand Spectroscopy: A Design Study Plan, Report toNSF. Killeen T., University of Michigan, 1991, un-published.

Superscript 16Scientific Justification and Development Plan fora Mid-Sized Jet Research Aircraft. Cooper W.A.,et al., NCAR Technical Note 377+EDD, 1989.Internet: http://www.ucar.edu/ucargen/technotes/. Accessed on February 11, 1999.

Third NCAR Research Aircraft Fleet Workshop.Radke L.F. and P. Spyers-Duran, NCAR Techni-cal Note 374PROC, 1992. Internet: http://www.ucar.edu/ucargen/technotes/. Accessed onFebruary 11, 1999.

Superscript 17A Summary of the COSMIC Science Workshop,UCAR COSMIC Project Office Workshop Re-port from Central Weather Bureau and NationalCentral University, Taipei, Taiwan. Kuo W., ed.,1998, unpublished.

Superscript 18Current Problems in Geodesy, Report of the NRCCommittee on Geodesy. National Academy Press,Washington, D.C., 1987.

Proceedings of the International Workshop on theInterdisciplinary Role of Space Geodesy. Mueller

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28

I.I. and S. Zerbini, eds., Springer-Verlag, Berlin,1987.

Geodesy in the Year 2000, Report of the NRC Com-mittee on Geodesy. Rundle J., ed., National Acad-emy Press, Washington, D.C., 1990.

International Global Network of Fiducial Stations,Report of the NRC Committee on Geodesy. Na-tional Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1991.

A Technical Report to the Secretary of Transpor-tation on a National Approach to Augmented GPSServices, National Telecommunications and In-formation Administration Special Publication 94-30. U.S. Department of Commerce, Washing-ton, D.C., 1994.

Airborne Geophysics and Precise Positioning �Scientific Issues and Future Directions, Reportof the NRC Committee on Geodesy. NationalAcademy Press, Washington, D.C., 1995.

Densification of the IERS Terrestrial Reference FrameThrough Regional GPS Networks, Proceedings ofa Workshop, Pasadena, CA. Zumberge J. and R.Liu, eds., Jet Propulsion Lab, California Institute ofTechnology, 1995.

The Global Positioning System for the Geo-sciences: Summaries and Proceedings of a Work-shop on Improving the GPS Reference StationInfrastructure for Earth, Oceanic, and Atmo-spheric Science Applications, Boulder, CO. Na-tional Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1997.

Superscript 19Continental Drilling, Report of the Workshop onContinental Drilling, Abiquiu, NM. Shoemaker,E.M., ed., Carnegie Institution of Washington,Washington, D.C., 1975.

Continental Scientific Drilling Program, Report of theNRC Committee on Geodynamics. National Acad-emy Press, Washington, D.C., 1979.

Research Objectives for Continental Scientific Drill-ing Studies of Active Fault Zones, Report of the NRCCommittee on Continental Scientific Drilling. Na-tional Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1987.

The United States Continental Scientific Drill-ing Program: Second Annual Report to Congressin Response to Public Law 100-441, the Conti-nental Scientific Drilling and Exploration Act,1990.

The United States Continental Scientific Drill-ing Program: Third Annual Report to Congressin Response to Public Law 100-441, the Conti-nental Scientific Drilling and Exploration Act,1991.

Superscript 20The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Pro-gram � Scientific Status. Hanks, T.C., USGS Bul-letin 1659, U.S. Government Printing Office, Wash-ington, D.C., 1985.

Studies of the Earth�s Deep Interior: Goals andTrends. Lay, T., T.J. Ahrens, P. Olson, J. Smythand D. Loper, Physics Today, Oct.1990, pp. 2-10.

Real-Time Earthquake Monitoring: Early Warn-ing and Rapid Response, Report of the NRCCommittee on Seismology. National AcademyPress, Washington, D.C., 1991.

A Science Plan for Cooperative Studies of theEarth�s Deep Interior, Report of the U.S. SEDICoordinating Committee (IUGG). 1993, unpub-lished.

Research Required to Support ComprehensiveNuclear Test Ban Treaty Monitoring, Report ofthe NRC Committee on Seismology. NationalAcademy Press, Washington, D.C., 1997.

Superscript 21Accelerator Mass Spectrometry for Measurementsof Long-Lived Radioisotopes. Elmore, D. and F.Phillips, Science, 236:543-550, 1987.

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Facilities for Earth Materials Research, Report of theNRC�s U.S. Geodynamics Committee. NationalAcademy Press, Washington, D.C, 1990.

Superscript 22Applications of the Ion Microprobe to Geochem-istry and Cosmochemistry. Shimizu, N. and S.Hart, Annual Review of Earth Planetary Sciences,10:483-526, 1982.

Superscript 23Synchrotron Radiation: Applications in the EarthSciences, Report of the Mineral Physics Commit-tee of the American Geophysical Union. Bassett,W.A. and G.E. Brown, Jr., eds., AGU, Washing-ton, D.C., 1989.

Superscript 24Earth Materials Research, Report of a Workshopon the Physics and Chemistry of Earth Materials,NRC Committee on Physics and Chemistry ofEarth Materials. National Academy Press, Wash-ington, D.C., 1987.

Superscript 25Workshops for these specific initiatives will beheld during calendar year 1999. In addition, theseinitiatives will be discussed in the NRC�s Boardon Earth Sciences and Resources recently initi-ated study on Opportunities for Research in theEarth Sciences.

Superscript 26From Desktop to TeraFLOPS: Exploiting the U.S.Lead in High Performance Computing, NSF BlueRibbon Panel on High Performance Computing.Branscomb L., ed., 1993, unpublished.

President�s Information Technology Advisory Com-mittee Interim Report to the President. Internet: http://www.ccic.gov/ac/interim/. Accessed on January 29,1999.

Superscript 27Geoscience Education: A Recommended Strat-egy, NSF97-171. NSF, Arlington, VA, 1996.

Superscript 28Solid-Earth Sciences and Society, Report of theNRC Committee on Status and Research Objec-tives in the Solid-Earth Sciences: A Critical As-sessment. National Academy Press, Washington,D.C., 1993.

Superscript 29Research Briefings, Report of the NRC Commit-tee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy(COSEPUP). National Academy Press, Wash-ington, D.C., 1983.

Superscript 30Opportunities for Research in the Geological Sci-ences, Report of the NRC Committee on Opportu-nities for Research in the Geological Sciences. Na-tional Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1983.

Superscript 31A National Program for Research in ContinentalDynamics, CD/2020, Report of a Workshop onFuture Research Directions in Continental Dy-namics, Chandler, AZ. Simarski, L.T., ed., TheIRIS Consortium, Washington, D.C., 1989.

Superscript 32Facilities for Earth Materials Research: Report ofthe NRC�s U.S. Geodynamics Committee. NationalAcademy Press, Washington, D.C, 1990.

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Appendix B

Glossary of Acronyms

Acronym Full name or termAMS Accelerator Mass SpectrometersAPS Advanced Photon SourceAUV�s autonomous undersea vehiclesBATS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series StudyC4 Center for Clouds, Chemistry, and ClimateCAPS Center for the Analysis and Prediction of StormsCHiPR Center for High-Pressure ResearchCOSMIC Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and ClimateCSL Climate Simulation LaboratoryCSU Colorado State UniversityDMC IRIS Data Management CenterDMS IRIS Data Management SystemDOE Department of EnergyEHR Directorate for Education and Human ResourcesElDoRa Electra Doppler RadarFAA Federal Aviation AdministrationFEMA Federal Emergency Management AgencyFY Fiscal YearGEO Directorate for GeosciencesGPS Global Positioning SystemGPS/MET Global Positioning System applied to MeteorologyGSN Global Seismographic NetworkH2O Hawaii-2 ObservatoryHIAPER High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental ResearchHOT Hawaii Ocean Time-seriesIRIS Incorporated Research Institutions for SeismologyPASSCAL Program of Array Seismic Studies of the Continental LithosphereIRM Institute for Rock MagnetismISFF Integrated Surface Flux FacilityISS Integrated Sounding SystemKDI Knowledge and Distributed IntelligenceLExEn Life in Extreme EnvironmentsMRE Major Research EquipmentNASA National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNCAR National Center for Atmospheric ResearchNOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNSB National Science BoardNSF National Science Foundation

Geosciences Facilities Plan

NSLS National Synchrotron Light SourceNSWP National Space Weather ProgramOBS Ocean-bottom seismicODP Ocean Drilling ProgramOSN Ocean Seismic NetworkPAGE Program for the Advancement of Geoscience EducationPITAC President�s Information Technology Advisory CommitteeREU Research Experiences for UndergraduatesRIDGE Ridge Interdisciplinary Global ExperimentsROV�s remotely operated vehiclesSCEC Southern California Earthquake CenterSPARC Space Physics and Aeronomy Research CollaboratorySTC�s Science and Technology CentersUARC Upper Atmosphere Research CollaboratoryUNAVCO University NAVSTAR ConsortiumUNOLS University-National Oceanographic Laboratory SystemUS/GCRP U. S. Global Change Research ProgramUSGS United States Geological Survey

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