Glenn K. RutledgeNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Climatic Data Center

Tromso, Norway

May 13, 2004

International and National Earth

Observation Activities

International and National Earth

Observation Activities

Update to:

CEOS/WGISS

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President’s Statement

Our cooperation will enable us to develop the capability to predict droughts, prepare for weather emergencies, plan and protect crops, manage coastal areas and fisheries, and monitor air quality

The Earth Observation SummitWashington, DC, July 31, 2003

Summit represented a high level governmental/political commitment to move toward a comprehensive, coordinated, global network:

• Issued declaration to support this concept

• Launched development of 10-year implementation plan

• Established the Group on Earth Observations with US (NOAA) Co-Chair

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4

Earth Observation Summit Declaration

• Affirmed need for timely, quality, long-term, global information as a basis for sound decision making.

• Recognized need to support:

1) Comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system or systems;

2) Coordinated effort to address capacity-building needs related to Earth observations;

3) Exchange of observations in a full and open manner with minimum time delay and minimum cost; and

4) Preparation of a 10-year Implementation Plan, building on existing systems and initiatives by European ministerial in late 2004

• Established ad hoc Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to develop Plan

• Invited other governments to join.

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Participating Governments• Algeria• Argentina• Australia• Belgium• Belize• Brazil• Cameroon• Canada• China• Cyprus• Denmark• Egypt• Finland• France• Gabon• Germany• Greece• India• Iran• Indonesia• Ireland• Israel• Italy• Japan, co-chair

• Kazakhstan• Mexico• Morocco• Mozambique• Nepal• Netherlands• New Zealand• Nigeria• Norway• Portugal• Republic of the Congo• Republic of Korea• Russian Federation• South Africa, co-chair• Spain• Sudan• Sweden• Switzerland• Thailand• Ukraine• United Kingdom• United States, co-chair• Uzbekistan

• European Commission, co-chair

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• Association for the Development of Environmental Information (ADIE)• Central American Commission for the Environment and Development (SICA/CCAD)• Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)• European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)• European Environmental Agency (EEA)• European Space Agency (ESA)• European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)• Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)• Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)• Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS)• Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P)• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)• International Council for Science (ICSU)• International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP)• International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA)• International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)• Network of European Meteorological Services/Composite Observing System

(EUMETNET/EUCOS)• Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO)• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)• United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)• World Bank (IBRD)• World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Participating International Organizations

The Earth Observation Summit

Washington DC, July 31, 2003The Summit represented a high level governmental/political

commitment to move toward a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained global network:• Issued declaration to support this concept• Launched development of 10-Year Implementation Plan • Established the ad hoc intergovernmental Group on Earth

Observations (GEO) with 4 Co-Chairs:1) U.S. – Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr.,

AdministratorNational Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA)2) EC – Director General Achilleas Mitsos

Directorate General for Research 3) Japan – Mr. Akio Yuki, Deputy Minister, Ministry of

Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT)

4) South Africa – Dr. Rob Adam, Director-General, Department of Science and Technology

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Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

• Membership open to all countries

– 47 countries (including the EC) are now represented

• International organizations are participants

– 26 organizations are now represented

• Organized into 5 subgroups

• Established GEO Secretariat

• Established Implementation Plan Task Team

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• Comprehensive– addresses a wide variety of decision makers and applications

– encompasses in situ, mobile, airborne and satellite observations

– includes future, current, and predecessor systems

• Coordinated– leverages existing standards, policies, and programs worldwide

• Sustained– addresses the need for continued, long-term financial and in-kind

support for priority programs including both operational and relevant, agreed-upon research and development programs

Definitions of Comprehensive, Coordinated, and Sustained

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Earth Observation System Components

Decision Support

Tools

Assessments

Decision Support Systems

Decision Support

Tools

Assessments

Decision Support Systems

Decision Support

Assessments

Decision Support Systems

ManagementDecisions

PolicyDecisions

Societal BenefitsHigh PerformanceComputing,Communication,& Visualization

Standards &Interoperability

Predictions

Observations

Monitoring & Measurements

remotely-sensed in situ

Earth Science Models• Oceans• Ice• Land• Atmosphere• Solid Earth• Biosphere

Monitoring & Measurements

remotely-sensed in situ

Earth Observation Systems

• Remotely-sensed• In situ

Earth Science Models• Oceans• Ice• Land• Atmosphere• Solid Earth• Biosphere

Earth System Models• Oceans• Ice• Land• Atmosphere• Solid Earth• Biosphere

DATA

On-going feedback to optimize value and reduce gaps

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GEO Structure

GEO US, EC, Japan, South Africa (Co-Chairs)

GEO Secretariat

(US providingAdministrativeSecretariat, with supportfrom other

countries and international

organizations)

Capacity Building Subgroup

Architecture Subgroup

Data Utilization Subgroup

International Cooperation Subgroup

User Requirements and Outreach Subgroup

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

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GEO Subgroup Co-Chairs

GEO Architecture Subgroup • Brazil, France, Japan, United States, WMO, ESA

GEO Capacity Building Subgroup • Argentina, Belize/CCAD, Brazil, Israel, Republic of Congo, United States

GEO Data Utilization Subgroup• Brazil, Canada, United States, ECMWF

GEO User Requirements Subgroup• Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, CEOS

GEO International Cooperation Subgroup• Australia, United States, IOC

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

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Implementation Plan Task Team

• The Implementation Plan Task Team (IPTT) will draft the International 10-Year Implementation Plan

• IPTT is made up of one representative nominated by each GEO Co-Chair:– European Commission, David Williams of EUMETSAT

– Japan, Toshio Koike of Tokyo University

– South Africa, Robert Scholes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

– United States, Ivan DeLoatch of USGS

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A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F

Group on Earth Observation (GEO) – Draft Timeline

Earth Observation Summit-1 July 31, 2003United States

2003 2004 2005

Initial GEO Meeting—August 1-2, 2003

Earth Observation Summit-2 April 25, 2004 Tokyo, Japan

GEO-2 Italy November 28-29, 2003

= GEO Secretariat Meetings

= GEO Meetings planned

= GEO Meetings notional

= E.O. Summits

GEO-3 South Africa February 25-27, 2004

3/5/04

Earth Observation Summit-3 Brussels, Belgium

February 2005

GEO-6 Brussels, Belgium February 2005

GEO-5 Ottawa, Canada October 2004

GEO-4 Tokyo, Japan April 22-23, 2004

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GEO 2Work

review- ITALY -

GE

O S

ecre

taria

t

Implementation Plan Task TeamDraft 10-year

Plan

Subgroups & Secretariat compose Draft Framework Document

Earth Obs Summit III

GEO-6 delivers Draft 10-year Plan

- EUROPE -

Draft Framework Document components for GEO II

Implementation Plan Development

ArchitectureSubgroup

Data UtilizationSubgroup

Capacity BuildingSubgroup

User Requirements &

OutreachSubgroup

Int’l CooperationSubgroup

Earth Obs Summit I and GEO 1

- UNITED STATES -

Earth ObsSummit II and GEO-4

GEO Delivers Draft Framework

Document for approval- JAPAN -

GEO Sub-Group Chairs

Working Meeting & GEO-3- SOUTH AFRICA -

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

GEO-5 reviewsDraft 10-year

Plan- Ottawa -

Establishes

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Summary of Activities

Accomplishments

GEO-1

• Subgroups formed, TORs established

• Subgroups began work by October 1, 2003

GEO-2

• GEOSS - a system of systems

• Existing individual observing systems remain within their mandates

• New observing components and to exchange and disseminate observational data between those components

• GEOSS participants agree on global interoperability specification

• All individual observing components adhere

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

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Summary of Activities

Accomplishments

GEO-3

• Draft Communiqué

Invites governing bodies of international and regional organizations sponsoring existing Earth observing systems to support GEO actions

• Draft Frame Work Document

Notes WMO achievements and the need for advancements in other areas including WCRP, GOOS, ISDR, GCOS and IGOS Themes

• New Implementation Plan Task Team (IPTT)

Four members – GEO Co chairs

Will prepare the 10-Year Implementation Plan

• Capacity Building will initially focus on Education and Training

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

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IPTT

Terms of Reference

• to describe observational elements of GEOSS

• to identify mechanism for determining observational gaps

• to describe interfaces and interoperability interface

• to describe the communications network for exchange of GEOSS observations

• to define a set of geo-products which are to be considered as part of GEOSS

• to describe specific mechanisms for capacity building in developing countries

• to propose the basic time schedule for updating and evaluating 10 Year Plan

• to establish performance measures of success in terms of societal benefits

• to describe the modalities for the effective involvement of user communities

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

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IPTT

Membership

One from each GEO Co Chair (only one identified to date)

Prof I. Koike, Univ. of Tokyo

Dr Williams – EC (EUMETSAT)

Dr Bob Scholes - South Africa

Schedule

Meeting during pre-sessions for GEO-4

High-level outline Framework Document completed and presented for approval at EOS II

Coordination

Close coordination with the Sub Groups

Group on Earth bservationsGroup on Earth bservations

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U.S. Plans

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OSTP/OMB FY05 Budget Directives

“A key goal of the Administration’s R&D investments is to enhance capabilities to assess and predict key environmental systems.

“Assessment and prediction are important to improving our understanding of and ability to model climate change, but they also affect many other aspects of society, such as health, resource management, weather prediction, sustainable development, and economic prosperity.

“To this end, integrated, comprehensive, global observation systems are required for understanding, monitoring, and predicting changes to the Earth system (atmosphere, land, freshwater, ocean and ecosystems.)”

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NSTC Structure

National Scienceand Technology Council

ScienceCommittee

Environment & NaturalResources Committee

Homeland & NationalSecurity Committee

TechnologyCommittee

Subcommittee on Global Change Research

Ecological SystemsSubcommittee

Subcommittee onDisaster

Reduction

Subcommittee onWater Availability &

Quality

Air Quality ResearchSubcommittee

Toxics & Risk AssessmentSubcommittee

Subcommittee on Oceans(also reports to Committee on Science)

Interagency Working Group onEarth Observations (IWGEO)

Subcommittee on Healthand the Environment

(also reports to Committee on Science and Commission onHomeland and National Security

Biodiversity and EcosystemInformatics Working Group

Interagency Working Group onEndocrine Disruptors

Interagency Working Group onMercury

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Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations (IWGEO)

• IWGEO reports to the White House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR)

• 15 agencies participate as members

• CENR Subcommittee Co-chairs are ex officio members

• Co-chairs– Ghassem Asrar, NASA– Cliff Gabriel, OSTP– Greg Withee, NOAA

• 5 Teams – mirror the GEO sub-group structure

• Includes a planning and integration team for development of the US 10-year implementation plan

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IWGEO Membership

Co-Chairs

– White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

– National Aeronautics and Space Administration

– National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Principals

– Environmental Protection Agency

– Department of Defense

– Department of Energy

– Department of State

– National Institutes for Environmental Health Studies

Principals (contd.)

– National Institute for Standards and Technology

– National Science Foundation

– US Geological Survey

– US Forest Service

– Federal Aviation Administration

– Federal Emergency Management Agency

– Smithsonian Institute

– Tennessee Valley Authority

– White House Council on Environmental Quality

– White House Office of Management and Budget

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U.S. 10-year Implementation Plan

• Focuses on societal benefits:– Reduce loss of life and property from disasters– Protect and monitor ocean resources– Understand climate, and assess and mitigate climate change

impacts– Support sustainable agriculture and combat land degradation– Understand the effect of environmental factors on human health

and promote well being– Develop the capacity to make ecological forecasts– Protect and monitor water resources

• Will have flexibility to incorporate additional societal benefit areas

• Will work to integrate these benefit areas with the international plan

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IWGEO in the Year Ahead

• Developing U.S. comments to international process

• Developing U.S. 10-year Implementation Plan

• Continuing to engage academic, industry, and non-profit partners to guarantee plan is comprehensive and useful– April and June workshops are being planned to coordinate

expert input and comment– Industry alliance has been formed

• Planning anniversary of Washington Summit event and roll-out of 10-year Implementation Plan for broad community review and comment

• Continue education/outreach on the global initiative

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Earth Observation Summit II

• Ministers met for Earth Observation Summit II in Tokyo, Japan, on 25 April 2004, where they adopted the Framework Document for a 10-Year Implementation Plan for this initiative.

• The plan itself will be presented at Earth Observation Summit III in February 2005.

• For more information on GEO-IV and EOS II

http://earthobservations.org/

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www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2214.htm

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Discussion 1CEOS WGISS Input to GEO?

• Data and System inter-operability required to meet objectives in GEO Framework Document

• WGISS has worked to solve these very same issues

• Pass this experience and lessons learned to Sub Groups

• Develop a unified focus to address the GEO objectives

• Several candidates already exist within CEOS WGISS:

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Discussion 2CEOS WGISS Input to GEO

• Examples include (but not limited to):

– NOMADS & CEOP (GDS, LAS, Web Portal, OPeNDAP)

– IDN & ECHO

– DIMS - ESA Service Support Environment

– Geoconnections

– Global Mapping

– Data Portal Efforts and the Grid

– As determined by WGISS

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Open Discussion