The Future of the National Geodetic Survey

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The Future of the National Geodetic Survey

• Dr. Dru A. Smith
• Chief Geodesist, NGS/NOAA
• NGS Convocation
• Silver Spring, MD
• October 24, 2005

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Outline

• What does NGS do?
• What are NGS Current Priorities?
• Where is NGS going?

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NSRS
Mapping
Standards
So much more!
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NGS What we do

• Maintain/Improve the National Spatial Reference
  System
• Develop geodetic surveying specifications and
  guidelines
• Define the coastline of the United States
• Conduct geosciences research
• Oversee other federal survey projects (e.g. FAA)
• Conduct field surveying in support of our mission
• National repository for geodetic data
• Develop geodetic tools for public good
• Facilitate geodetic networks supporting NSDI
• Outreach to government, military, industry,
  academia and foreign agencies

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National Spatial Reference System

• Datums
• NAD 83 (f, l, h)
• NAVD 88 (H)
• Access tools
• CORS OPUS
• GEOID03
• Monumented Benchmarks and Control Points
• Orbits
• Surface Gravity Predictor (IGSN 71)
• Continuously Operating Reference Stations
• Online Positioning User Service

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NGS Current Priorities

• Modernization
• Height Modernization
• CORS Enhancement
• NSRS Re-adjustment
• Bread and Butter
• Specifications, Guidelines and Tools
• Coastal Mapping
• FAA QA/QC

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Height Modernization is
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Height Modernization Today

• State by State approach
• Monument densification / leveling
• Connecting Orthometric heights, Water Levels and
  Ellipsoid Heights (e.g. VDatum)
• Research on local issues (subsidence, floodplain
  mapping, etc)

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Height Modernization Status

• Any body copy on the slide will go in here.
• Either bulleted
• Or not bulleted

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Height Modernization of the future

• A modernized vertical datum, free from systematic
  errors, accessed through GPS/CORS and a
  gravimetric (not hybrid) geoid published with
  heights and height changes.
• The use of Dynamic Heights (not Helmert Heights)
  to map floodplains
• The ability to transform between height systems
  and instantaneous water levels anywhere in the
  U.S.
• Advocating the use of GPS heights whenever they
  are sufficient for the task at hand (e.g.
  airborne navigation)

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CORS Enhancement today

• Passive open arms policy toward new partners
• OPUS-RS OPUS-DB
• 15 minute solutions Direct input to Database
• Recently updated, more rigorous monumentation and
  metadata policy

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Disparity in CORS distribution
California Well-servedOver-served?
Florida Well-served
North Dakota Poorly-served
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CORS Enhancement of the future

• Selective partnership geared toward better
  geographic distribution and highest quality sites
• Real-time data streaming
• Modernized receivers L2C/L5/Galileo/GLONASS
• Support for single-frequency and single-system
  users
• Increased accuracacy and reliability
• Reduced field time

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Ongoing research to support NGS in the future

• New GNSS processing software
• Ohio State MPGPS -gt OPUS-RS
• Complete replacement of PAGES (and ARC?)
• First principles geoid modeling
• Collaborations
• NOAAs Coast Survey VDatum
• NOAAs Space Environment Center USTEC
• Potentially ACoE/FEMA for coastal floodmap
  updating

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Some big changes from NGS in the near future

• A complete update to the existing gravity data
  holdings, including country wide airborne and
  absolute gravity surveys (with emphasis on
  coastal regions)

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Some big changes from NGS in the near future

• A complete update to the existing gravity data
  holdings, including country wide airborne and
  absolute gravity surveys (with emphasis on
  coastal regions)
• Selected CORS stations streaming data in real
  time
• A completed re-adjustment of NAD 83 by 2007
• An expanded, updated outreach focus
• New booth, new flyers, video and audio
  training/workshops
• More interaction with academia
• Sponsored graduate student research
• Visiting Scientists
• Long term training of NGS employees

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Tactical changes to NGS in the future

• New hires
• Webmaster
• Database manager
• Gravity data manager
• Height expert
• Building outside capabilities
• More state advisors
• Stronger Spatial Reference Centers
• Rotations to both?

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Some big changes for YOU in the near future

• A renewed effort on re-training
• At-your-desk college courses

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Some big changes for YOU in the near future

• A renewed effort on re-training
• At-your-desk college courses
• Weekend classes
• Long-term training / grad school
• A 10 year work plan laying out the direction and
  goals of NGS with clear indications of how your
  job fits into the big picture
• A concentrated effort at providing clear decisive
  direction from the NGS leadership.
• Prioritization of key tasks
• Focus on doing a few tasks well, rather than many
  tasks with mediocrity

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Summary The more things change

• NGS transforms into a modernized,
  service-oriented federal agency.
• NGS broadens their customer base beyond those
  needing geodetic quality positions.
• NGS embraces the concept of a dynamic world,
  defining and maintaining the National Spatial
  Reference System in 4 dimensions and providing
  access to that system in real-time.

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the more they stay the same.

• NGS continues to provide useful specifications,
  guidelines and tools in a changing environment.
• NGS continues to define the coastline of the
  United States.
• NGS continues to support geodetic surveying
  through quality control and outreach.

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Questions/Comments?

• Dr. Dru Smith
• Chief Geodesist, National Geodetic Survey
• Dru.Smith_at_noaa.gov
• 301-713-3222 x 149

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Extra slides
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NGS Who we are

• NGS traces their roots back to the original
  Survey of the Coast mandated by Congress in
  1806
• Department of Commerce
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Ocean Service
• National Geodetic Survey
• The predominant Geodetic Science and Surveying
  civilian agency of the Federal Government.