Title: Global Earth Observations A View from the Ivory Tower
1Global Earth ObservationsA View from the Ivory
Tower
- Charles F. Kennel
- Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- University of California, San Diego
- June 2004
2Project Atmospheric Brown Cloud
Funding from NSF NOAA UNEP WMO Others
3ABC Demonstrating the value of integrated
observations
- Scripps-led, multi-year international
investigation of impacts of aerosols on climate - In situ observatories, satellites, intensive
field campaigns with ships, aircraft, working now
to develop and incorporate UAVs - Results important to climate, agriculture, water
cycle, human health - Leading to long-term program including local
capacity building and infrastructure to support
decision-making in South Asia region and beyond.
4Integrated Ocean Observations
- Oceans are the least-well observed and
understood part of the Earth system - They cover more than 70 of the planet, hold
most of the Earths biological diversity, and
regulate our climate - Changes in ocean conditions impact seasonal and
longer term climate change and variability food
security water and energy supply and demand and
virtually all aspects of life on Earth
5Multi-Sensor NetworksToday
- Remotely sensed and in situ
- Spacecraft, aircraft, ships, moorings, floats,
- Radars, lidars, physical, chemical and
biological sensors - Oceans, atmosphere, land, ice
- Global to regional to local
6Multi-Sensor NetworksTomorrow
- Todays sensors and platforms require substantial
infrastructure for power and communications - Eventually, there will be hundreds of millions of
nano-sensors on cell-phones - Network will connect to millions of users
7The InternetAn Evolutionary Tale
- Phase 1 Early Internet (1970s)
- Big servers and small number of clients
- Government funded and controlled
- Phase 2 (late 1980s)
- Distributed international network of
sophisticated, largely scientific, users - Phase 3 Internet today
- Hundreds of millions of unsophisticated users
- Peer-to-peer
- No centralized control
- Integration by a few powerful standards
8Similar path for GEOSS?
- Phase 1 government operated networks between
major installations - Phase 2 distributed high-performance research
network being established now - Phase 3 work on miniaturization of sensors and
distributed (Grid) computing evolving to massive
numbers of individual nodes - The early involvement of INDUSTRY in partnership
with academia can have a powerful impact on the
evolution of GEOSS
9Dedicated Fiber Infrastructure Future Backbone
for GEOSS Phase 2?
10Human Architecture Precedes System Architecture
- Architecture Must Evolve
- Phase 1 Government agencies in charge
- E.g., weather satellites, global weather models
- Phase 2 Peer-to-peer connections between large
sophisticated scientific and technology users - Regional forecast centers tied to universities
looking at climate as well as weather - Phase 3 A broad user base will need information
products tailored to their needs and presented in
their language - Wide network of commercial value-added industries
providing local forecasts for specific clients
(frost warnings for citrus growers snow
forecasts for ski resorts beach conditions, etc.)
11Evolving Role of the Science Community
Originating science, creating models,
developing observing technologies Designing
observing strategies and systems
Transferring designs, technologies, models, and
tested systems to the public and private
sectors Partnering in the governance and
management of long-term observing and decision
support systems Infusing new objectives and
technologies into on-going systems Linking new
capabilities to new users
Science community can play a key role in the
transition from Phase 2 to Phase 3
12The Grand Convergence
- The convergence of earth science and information
technology will lead to continuous awareness of
earths systems and their interactions with human
activities. - We will use continuous awareness to manage our
resources and environment, and our response to
disasters - Continuous awareness will promote integrated
responses to emerging global environmental
challenges
13The Future
- As civilization becomes increasingly global and
technologically sophisticated, our need for a
global observing capability will grow.
We are at the threshold of an endeavor that will
span for the entire 21st century and beyond