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NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) Attends National Science Foundation (NSF) Legacy of Ocean Exploration Workgroup Meeting
NGDC employee John Campagnoli attended the NSF sponsored meeting at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York, September 3-5, 2008. The three-day workshop brought together nineteen ship operators and data managers from U.S. universities, oceanographic institutions, and federal government to review current practices and existing efforts in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) community. The participants developed options for standard reporting of data and documentation from UNOLS ships to a central shoreside repository in near-realtime. The data flow beginning with cruise navigation and metadata will eventually include the full suite of data collected aboard UNOLS ships.
Significance: NSF funded oceanographic expeditions collect valuable data which need to be captured and preserved for future use by multiple researchers.
Outcome: This activity supports the general goal to improve our environmental and marine infrastructure and to develop a more robust Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
( or 303-497-3158)
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) develops new central Oregon coast tsunami inundation digital elevation model
NGDC has developed a high-resolution coastal digital elevation model (DEM) of the central Oregon coast for the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). This combined bathymetric-topographic DEM is part of an on-going collaboration across NOAA to support the tsunami forecast and warning system being developed by PMEL for the Tsunami Warning Centers. The new DEM has a grid spacing of one third arc-second (~10m) and covers the Oregon coast from Cascade Head to the Umpqua River, including the communities of Lincoln Beach, Newport, Waldport, and Florence. It was compiled from the best available digital data obtained from U.S federal, state and local agencies, and will increase the accuracy with which NOAA's tsunami modeling efforts will forecast inundation in the region.
Significance: Although infrequent, tsunami waves have caused considerable damage and loss of life in U.S. coastal areas. The NOAA/NGDC development of coastal digital elevation models is an integral part of NOAA's effort to forecast tsunamis and deliver accurate and timely warnings. These DEMs are also potentially useful for other inundation and coastal mapping needs. The DEMs and other tsunami data archived by NGDC provide information essential for coastal hazard assessment and research related to past hazardous events for monitoring and mitigating the socio-economic impact of coastal hazards.
Outcome: This activity supports the general goal to improve our environmental and marine infrastructure and to develop a more robust Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
( or 303-497-6767)
NOAA Network of Contributors to Ionospheric Sounder Program Continues to Expand
The National Geophysical Data Center's (NGDC) database of ionospheric sounder data now includes data from the Korea Communications Commission in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The new data includes Anyang to Mirrion real time ionosonde system.
Significance: This acquisition significantly expands NGDC's database of global ionospheric data for both real-time applications and retrospective products.
Outcome: This effort supports NOAA's goal to broaden and develop a more robust Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
( or 303-497-4331)
NOAA Presents at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) 2008 GEOINT Sciences Symposium
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) staff Susan McLean and Stefan Maus attended and presented at the 2008 GEOINT symposium and forum held at NGA in St. Louis, Missouri September 4-5, 2008. NGDC acquires and stewards the global geomagnetic data necessary to develop the DOD and NATO World Magnetic Model (WMM). NGDC also develops and supports the model for DOD, NOAA, FAA, and NATO use while working on next generation improvements to the model for NGA. NGA scientist Craig Rollins presented the status and near-future plans for the WMM 2005 and 2010 models. Stefan Maus presented findings and recommendations to continue producing the WMM to military and civilian specifications while improving accuracy based on global satellite measurements. Several interesting discussions centered on the utility and reliability of the WMM, plans to improve accuracy in the next generation enhanced magnetic model, and potential collaborations within the DOD community to test and evaluate improved model products.
Significance: NGDC has responsibility to acquire and steward global magnetic data supporting modeling, mapping, and navigation. Through an agreement with NGA, NGDC now produces the standard magnetic model used for navigation, within the DOD and NATO community, as well as within NOAA's MTS Program for Nautical Charting and FAA Aeronautical Charting. Improving the accuracy of the magnetic models supports the navigational users as well as the research and exploration users.
Outcome: This activity supports the general goal to improve our environmental and marine infrastructure and to develop a more robust Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
( or 303-497-6478)
Tsunami Scientist visits the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
Dr. Lori Dengler, a geologist at Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, who researches historical seismicity and tsunami hazard mitigation, visited NGDC August 27-29, 2008. Dr. Dengler was a co-investigator with NGDC on a Pacific Region Integrated Data Enterprise (PRIDE) funded project to integrate tsunami-related data and products. She and several students from Humboldt State worked with NGDC to quality-control and update the U.S. portion of the NGDC global historical tsunami event database. During her visit, web displays of the historical tsunami event and significant earthquake databases were discussed as well as ongoing efforts to improve the content of the databases. Dr. Dengler also gave a talk to the NGDC Marine Geology and Geophysics Division regarding the development of tsunami inundation and evacuation maps for northern California and the importance of high-resolution bathymetry data for tsunami modeling.
Significance: The NOAA/NGDC efforts in data management and its role in archiving NOAA's tsunami and bathymetry data are essential aspects of the NOAA effort to forecast and mitigate impacts from tsunami events. The integrated hazards archive provides data essential for coastal hazard assessment, improved data for research, and assured access to data related to past hazardous events for monitoring and mitigating the socio-economic impact of coastal hazards.
Outcome: This activity supports the general goal to improve our environmental and marine infrastructure and to develop a more robust Global Earth Observation System of Systems.
( or 303-497-6084)
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