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Dr. Douglas M. Muchoney, coordinator for the USGS Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Program, has accepted a one-year appointment as a science expert for the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) in Geneva, Switzerland. One of six international scientists to be selected for the GEO Secretariat staff, Dr. Muchoney will provide expertise in the fields of ecosystems and biodiversity monitoring and terrestrial observation of Earth. He assumed his new duties February 15.
USGS is a supporting member of GEO, an international partnership involving over 60 countries, the European Union, and 43 international organizations. GEO leads a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next 10 years. As a "system of systems," GEOSS will build on existing national, regional, and international systems to provide comprehensive, coordinated Earth observations from thousands of instruments worldwide, transforming vast quantities of global data into vital information for society. This information can be used to mitigate the effects of natural disasters, understand environmental factors affecting human health and well-being, improve the management of energy resources and the protection of ecosystems, and assess climate variability and change.