Exploiting the Capabilities of

1
Exploiting the Capabilities of NASA's Giovanni
System for Oceanographic Education
James Acker NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and
Information Services Center (GES DISC) NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD
Co-authors Cmdr. Emil Petruncio, United States
Naval Academy Gregory Leptoukh, GES DISC Suhung
Shen, GES DISC/George Mason University
Presented at the 2007 EARSeL Symposium, Bolzano,
Italy June 6th, 2007
2

• Goals of this presentation
• Discuss the goals of oceanographic education
• Describe the Giovanni system
• Demonstrate Giovanni output types
• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes
• Determine effective usage methods
• Devise educational implementation strategies

3

• Discuss the goals of oceanographic education

Teaching oceanography is the teaching of a field
of scientific endeavour. Teaching oceanography
effectively should, therefore, incorporate
instructional elements, research elements, and
historical discoveries. Effective teaching
should enhance students knowledge of the field
AND how the field is advanced by research.
4

• Discuss the goals of oceanographic education

Four basic core oceanographic sub-disciplines (cl
assically, and from personal experience) Biologic
al Oceanography Physical Oceanography Geological
Oceanography Chemical Oceanography
Giovanni is utilized most effectively for
exploring linkages between physical and
biological oceanography
5

• Describe the Giovanni system

Giovanni is a Web-based data exploration system
that enables rapid data access, analysis, and
visualization online users do not have to
download data files to their own system before
initiating analysis and research
Ocean Color Giovanni contains data from
the SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua missions other
instances of Giovanni have data from
other satellite missions, and supplemental data
sets
6

• Describe the Giovanni system

• The main components of the Giovanni interface
• are
• interactive map for region-of-interest
  selection
• menu of available data products
• calendar menu for time-period selection
• menu of visualization options
• visualization-specific options (color palette,
  axis values)
• menu of output options

7

• Demonstrate Giovanni output types

Area plot
Hövmoller plots
Animations display successive area plots
ASCII text output currently available
next-generation Giovanni will provide ASCII and
HDF file output
Time - series
8

• Demonstrate Giovanni output types
• Examples of visualization-specific options

Pre-defined color palette
Y-axis customization
Customized color palette
9

• Demonstrate Giovanni output types

The Multi-Dataset Intercomparison Interface
available in Ocean Color Giovanni (similar
capabilities are being developed for other
Giovanni interfaces) provides additional output
types
Multiple data product area plot Sea
surface temperature (contours)
and chlorophyll concentration (color scale)
10

• Demonstrate Giovanni output types

X-Y scatter plots (here, SST vs. chlorophyll)
Multiple data product time-series (here, SST vs.
chlorophyll, in a Giovanni output figure adapted
for publication)
11

• Demonstrate Giovanni output types

• Ocean Color Giovanni currently provides these
  oceanographic data products for visualization and
  analysis
• Chlorophyll concentration
• Diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm
• Normalized water-leaving radiance at 555 nm
  (SeaWiFS)
• or 551 nm (MODIS)
• Absorption coefficient of dissolved and detrital
  matter at 443 nm
• Particulate backscatter coefficient at 443 nm
• Sea surface temperature (MODIS)
• Assimilated chlorophyll and other output fields
  from the
• NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model (NOBM)

12

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Some initial examples From Dr. Samantha
Lavender, University of Plymouth School of Earth,
Ocean, and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate
research provides students with a variety of
interesting areas to investigate will
utilize Giovannis time-series capability as part
of these analyses
13

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

From Dr. Bulusu Subrahmanyam, University of
South Carolina Satellite Oceanography
Laboratory, Marine Science Program in the
Department of Geological Sciences Giovanni
continues to be an exceptional tool that provides
users (expert and novice alike) with a simple
way to visualize and analyze remote sensing data
without the inconvenience of having to download
data. I and my research students will continue
to use Giovanni throughout our research
endeavors due to these main points.
14

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

• Examples of educational use from the University
  of
• South Carolina Satellite Oceanography Lab
• Class Remote Sensing Lab, MSCI 312
• (undergraduate)
• Generate a plot of chl a for the Costa Rica Dome
  region
• Generate time-series of chl a and SST for the
  equatorial
• Indian Ocean in the year 2005
• Generate a scatter plot of chl a from SeaWiFS
  and
• MODIS-Aqua for the Gulf of Mexico region

15

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

From Dr. Joaquim Goes, Bigelow Laboratory for
Ocean Sciences I now routinely use Giovanni
for my work, and always prescribe it for remote
sensing projects that are undertaken
by undergraduate students who intern with us each
summer. I have personally found that Giovanni
has made satellite oceanography less daunting
and remote sensing projects very enjoyable.
Students can now pick and subset data without
mastering programming or having to first download
large satellite datasets on to their computers.
I believe that having teachers get a feel for
this simple but powerful research tool will make
remote sensing accessible even to high school
students.
16

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Dr. Goes described one example of a student
research project devoted to the Arabian Sea
monsoon the student used Giovanni extensively
to characterize monsoonal variability, major
zones of productivity, and wind-driven coastal
upwelling.
17

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

A dedicated pedagogical example U.S. Naval
Academy, Spring Semester 2007 Oceanographic
Remote Sensing Class, Instructor Cmdr. Emil
Petruncio Step 1. Students were provided with a
Giovanni overview presentation. A knowledge
survey consisting of questions which could be
answered with Giovanni was administered prior to
the presentation subsequent to the
demonstration, student expectations were
solicited.
18

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Step 2. Students were given a collaborative
research project assignment for which Giovanni
was the research tool to be used. Step 3.
Students presented research results. Students
were then shown how to answer the knowledge
survey questions with Giovanni, and used the
system to address the questions. An evaluation
survey was also completed.
19

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Examples of student expectations I would like
to use it to examine upwelling patterns along an
eastern boundary current, such as California
The map function is very easy to use and
self-explanatory. The system is about as easy
as it gets with regard to first-time and
returning user functionality. Logically laid
out and well-documented, Giovanni should not
present any problems. The program seems very
useful in terms of ease of use and research. I
would like to use Giovanni to see how the
chlorophyll concentrations change during El Nino
years off the coast of Peru. I believe the
program is fairly easy. Im not a very computer
literate person and I found it simple. I
appreciate the speed at which outputs are
generated.
20

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Student research project Investigate the
effects of monsoonal circulation near the Taiwan
Strait and Luzon Strait Three student groups
were assigned a region to investigate Cmdr.
Petruncio investigated a fourth region as an
example.
21
Summer Monsoon May - September
Winter Monsoon November - March
Cold, dry
Warm, moist
22
North
West
Tropic of Cancer
East
South
23

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Example of results from the West Box follows
24
West Box Chl a, K490, nLw551
Correlation Coefficients
25
West Box Chl a and SST
Correlation Coefficient - 0.581812
26
West Box nLw551 and SST
Correlation Coefficient - 0.804252
Correlation Coefficient - 0.559207
27

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

• Examples of student conclusions
• Monsoonal variability in SST observed at all
  four locations. Greater range in SSTs in Taiwan
  Strait and north of Taiwan, with much colder SSTs
  during winter monsoon.
• nLw551 is relatively high and negatively
  correlated with SST in the North and West boxes,
  much weaker and more variable in the East and
  South boxes

28

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

• More student conclusions
• Strong correlation at all locations between K490
  and Chl a.
• In Taiwan Strait, K490 is also strongly
  correlated with nLw551. Chl a algorithm in
  Taiwan Strait may be inaccurate due to presence
  of suspended sediments, likely advected southward
  from the Yellow Sea during the winter monsoon.
• West Box
• Moderate negative correlation between SST Chl
  a, strong negative correlation between SST nLw
  551

29

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Knowledge Survey before and after (10
questions, one determined to be unanswerable
with Giovanni (answer provided)
Student 1 Before, 70 After, 100 Student
2 Before, 60 After, 100 Student 3
Before, 10 After, 60 Student 4 Before,
50 After, 100 Student 5 Before, 30
After, 90 Student 6 Before, 30 After,
80
Although Giovanni was used in guided fashion
to answer the questions, the results show an
expansion of oceanographic knowledge gained
through use of the system.
30

• Document Giovanni usage in oceanography classes

Final comments, observations from the Naval
Academy remote sensing class

• Virtually all the students (and the instructor)
  wanted more
• oceanographic data types sea surface height,
  winds, wave
• height, and longer data sets (!)
• All students indicated using Giovanni met or
  exceeded expectations generated by the
  demonstration
• All students strongly agreed additional use of
  Giovanni would
• enhance oceanographic knowledge
• Some students indicated that rapid generation of
  visual images
• increased understanding and pattern recognition
• Speed and interface simplicity were indicated as
  advantages

31

• Determine effective usage methods

Question If Giovanni is an excellent teaching
resource, what is the best way to use it?

• Four usage methodologies
• Guided answering of questions.
• Provide a question, and show students stepwise
  how to
• utilize Giovanni to answer it.
• Unguided answering of questions.
• Provide a question, let students figure out how
  to use Giovanni to answer it.
• Guided research.
• Provide a research topic or area tell students
  what functions to perform
• for analysis.
• Unguided research.
• Provide a research topic or area let students
  utilize Giovanni as they wish
• to investigate it.

32

• Determine effective usage methods

Question What is the most effective
methodology?

• The most effective methodology is Guided
  Research (if time permits). Giovanni can
  certainly be used to answer
• questions, but this does not fully demonstrate
  its
• usefulness for research.
• Guided Research can illustrate concepts and
  regional
• oceanographic processes with the student
  performing their
• own investigative process. This method
  reinforces knowledge
• better than fact acquisition, and also increases
  awareness
• of how remote-sensing research is conducted.

33

• Determine effective usage methods

Unguided Research is also an excellent
methodology for Giovanni in oceanographic
education, provided that fundamental concept
knowledge has already been attained. Students
can quickly and easily assemble research
projects with Giovanni visualizations and
analyses, following a learning by doing
(emphasis on student understanding through
inquiry) scientific education model strongly
advocated by the National Science Education
Standards.
34

• Devise educational implementation strategies

Question What are the primary barriers to
incorporation of Giovanni in oceanographic
education?
First, application areas. Giovanni does not
fit neatly into the core disciplines of
oceanography. It is most applicable to
demonstrating how physical oceanography
influences biological patterns and dynamics an
intermediate knowledge level. Thus (though it is
easy to use) -- understanding the data
visualizations that Giovanni creates requires
that basic oceanographic concepts have already
been learned.
35

• Devise educational implementation strategies

Second (and more importantly) is the barrier of
established curricula in classroom
instruction. Skilled teachers who have taught
courses for many years know what works, and they
cover the material they have determined to be
necessary. Adding something new like Giovanni
requires replacing an instructional element that
has functioned well with something as good
preferably better. AND it should be easy for
them to do that!!
36

• Devise educational implementation strategies

Question What is needed to facilitate
Giovanni implementation in oceanographic
education? Answer A Giovanni cookbook
providing recipes for the investigation of a
multitude of regions and oceanographic processes.
A skilled chef the classroom instructor
can select the appropriate recipes which satisfy
the educational requirements of a particular
course. A recipe would indicate the data
products, visualizations, regions, time periods,
etc. to produce the desired output which the
student interprets (Guided Research).
37

• Devise educational implementation strategies

CONCLUSION Giovanni has reached a level of
maturity and acceptance in the scientific and
educational community that the creation of a
Giovanni cookbook is now a recognized
goal. HOWEVER, forward-thinking instructors and
educators can (and will) begin to develop such
recipes on their own.
38
OK, whats the background image?
This image shows the biological response to a
Tehuano wind event. Strong episodic winter
winds through a mountain pass in Mexico mix
nutrients in deeper waters to the surface,
fostering phytoplankton blooms.
Thank you for your attention today.
39

• Where to find Giovanni !

Giovanni http//giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Ocean
Color Giovanni http//reason.gsfc.nasa.gov/Giova
nni/ Laboratory for Ocean Color Users
(LOCUS) http//disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/l
ocus/index.shtml