US Army Corpsof Engineers

An Overall Vision of the Corps as Data Developers & Users

William A. BirkemeierCoastal Field Data Collection Program

Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory

Subtitle: from punch cards to Google Earth – what’s next?

Data entry 1975Data handling 2009

How far?How far?

How Big?How Big?How many?How many?

How much?How much?

How Deep?How Deep?

How confident?How confident?

How often?How often? How risky?How risky?When?When?

How Expensive?How Expensive?

Two years to electronically plot beach cross-sections

20 sec for an aerial view anywhere in the world, from any computer

What are the benefits?What are the benefits?

US Army Corpsof Engineers

We answer these questions with Dataif we have it, or can find it, or can collect it, or can model it

Tom Richardson addressed the CERB meeting at Duck, NC in 2002

• Data influences all phases of all projects• We need data for projects & regionally• Physical and environmental parameters • The Corps will never collect all the data we require

Appropriate then, appropriate now.

Tom Richardson addressed the CERB meeting at Duck, NC in 2002

• Data influences all phases of all projects• We need data for projects & regionally• Physical and environmental parameters • The Corps will never collect all the data we require

Appropriate then, appropriate now.

The flow of data

Collection

Make Decisions

The flow of data

Wave Forecast

Wave buoy

Collection

Make Decisions

Sales go down – why?

It’s more complicated, more variables, model inadequateNow dependent on someone else to provide data

The flow of data

Data Collector

Collection

Quality control

Format

Distribute

Archive

Data User

Discover

Acquire

Re-format

Quality control

Integrate w/other data

Analyze/Explore

Create Product

Interpret

Make Decisions

Wave Forecast

Wave buoy

Collection

Data Collectors

don’t do this, users do!

Google & Google Earth: the Future Defined?

Intuitive – allows spatial discovery of data – fast – customizable – links different data sets and People use it!

Data Evolution Example:

National Data Buoy Center WebsiteThis is Big!

NDBC:

• Consolidates data• Performs QA/QC• Serves it worldwide• Provides access

NDBC does not:

• Use/analyze data• Develop products• Long-term Archive• Include all data

Have to go elsewhere

Prototype Decision Tool for Coastal Flooding & Erosion

Predicted and past 4 hours(User clicks through forecast)

27 Jan 98 1 Feb

9819 Feb

98

Ele

vatio

n (m

)

Distance (m)

Profile Line 188

To Predict the Future - Look BackThe evolution of the beach profile (abridged version)

27 Jan 98 1 Feb

9819 Feb

98

Ele

vatio

n (m

)

Distance (m)

Profile Line 188

The evolution of the beach profile

Coastal Lidar And Radar Imaging System (CLARIS)

Beach lidar system

Beach lidar system

Integrated, mobile system for a seamless map of beach topography and nearshore bathymetry – (The future looks bright!)

+

Topo-Lidar

Time-exposure for sandbars Bathymetry from wave field inversion

...and in the Future?

Data Collector

Collection

Quality control

Format

Distribute

Archive

Data User

Discover

Acquire

Re-format

Quality control

Integrate w/other data

Analyze/Explore

Create Product

Interpret

Make Decisions

Wave Forecast

Wave buoy

Collection

•High resolution remote sensing

• Smaller sensors,•Better batteries

CollectionNew Sensors

Quality control

EstablishedArchives

More Powerful Servers

Standard Formats, including GIS

Spatial Discovery“Deep” web

“User friendly” Acquire

Re-format

Quality control

Integrate w/other datacustomizable

Analyze/Explorestandard tools

Integrated Productsanimated, customized

InterpretScenario testing

Better Decisions

Everything improves....

Data Truisms• Collect once, use many times

– Real-time data for operations, becomes long-term climate & extreme-event record

– Make it available; it will be used

– Standardize new data, then add historic

• Users don’t care who collected it, they just want it

– To identify users, turn off the data – they’ll let you know!

• Data are time-sensitive, You only get one chance

– Data gaps are permanent

– Extreme events often missing - critical

– Start collecting now the data we will need tomorrow

• 24/7 Field Data Collection requires:

– Operational attitude: standard procedures

– Staff dedication, expertise

– Funding (equipment, logistic support, staffing)

– Organizational commitment

• Collect once, use many times

– Real-time data for operations, becomes long-term climate & extreme-event record

– Make it available; it will be used

– Standardize new data, then add historic

• Users don’t care who collected it, they just want it

– To identify users, turn off the data – they’ll let you know!

• Data are time-sensitive, You only get one chance

– Data gaps are permanent

– Extreme events often missing - critical

– Start collecting now the data we will need tomorrow

• 24/7 Field Data Collection requires:

– Operational attitude: standard procedures

– Staff dedication, expertise

– Funding (equipment, logistic support, staffing)

– Organizational commitment

Dick Seymour

Orville Magoon

Robert Wiegel

Founding Fathers of CDIPFounding Fathers of CDIPFounding Fathers of CDIPFounding Fathers of CDIP Early PlayersEarly PlayersEarly PlayersEarly Players

Ron Flick(CDBW)

George Domurat

Celebrating 35 years in 2010vision & commitment

US Army Corpsof Engineers

Actions for the Corps

• Define data requirements

• Establish Priorities

• Assign Resources

• Take advantage of Partnerships

• Be Forward Thinking

• Define data requirements

• Establish Priorities

• Assign Resources

• Take advantage of Partnerships

• Be Forward Thinking

US Army Corpsof Engineers

The End

http://chl.erdc.usace.army.mil/cfdchttp://chl.erdc.usace.army.mil/cfdc