NASA Earth Science & Applications

Short Course on GIS at APSA Meeting

Applied Sciences ProgramNASA Headquarters

1-December-2009

Discovering and Demonstrating Innovative and g gPractical Applications of Earth Science

NASA and Earth ScienceEarth Science Division

NASA is primarily a research and development agency Technologydevelopment agency.

The NASA Earth Science Division supports research on the Earth

Technology

Missionssupports research on the Earth system and its processes. Primary efforts are to characterize, understand, and improve predictions

Missions

Research, p pof the Earth system.

In the course of performing its

Research

Data Systemsresearch, NASA collects observations and generates new scientific knowledge that can be

li d t t i ti ’

Data Systems

Applicationsapplied to meet organizations’ decision-making activities.

Applications

NASA and Earth ScienceStudying Earth as a Complex System

Surface WindsPrecipitation

Reflection and TransmissionEvaporation

T i ti

Surface WindsPrecipitation

Reflection and TransmissionEvaporation

T i ti

Land

y g p y

TranspirationSurface Temperature

TranspirationSurface Temperature

Atmosphere

CirculationSurface WindsPrecipitation

CirculationSurface WindsPrecipitation Infiltration

RunoffInfiltration

RunoffReflection and TransmissionSurface Temperature

EvaporationCurrents

Upwelling

Reflection and TransmissionSurface Temperature

EvaporationCurrents

Upwelling

RunoffNutrient Loading

Surface TemperatureCurrents

RunoffNutrient Loading

Surface TemperatureCurrents

Ocean

NASA Observing Spacecraft for Earth System Science

OSTM / Jason-2

June 20, 2008

June 20, 2008

Satellite ObservationsAir Quality Measurementsy

Northern India, Nepal, and BangladeshTrue Color and Aerosols (AOD) – 5 February 2006

Image from NASA Earth Observatory Data from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,Image processed by Battelle

Earth Satellite ObservationsAdvantages and Limitationsg

Satellites and Air Quality/Pollution • LimitationsLimitations

– Lack of specificity about some pollutants (best for fine particles; other pollutants are possible)

– Resolution and temporal scales sometimes too large– Resolution and temporal scales sometimes too large– Vertical layer sometimes not clear (sum over column of air)– Large complex datasets difficult to acquire and use

• Advantages – Greater detail over regions, especially those with no ground monitors– Synoptic and transboundary view (time and space)– Adds value when combined with other data and models– Visual appealVisual appeal– Often good for qualitative assessments and indications of transport

Applied Sciences ProgramApplications Areaspp

Applications to Decision Making: Eight Thematic Areas

Agriculture Air Quality ClimateDisaster

ManagementManagement

W tEcological Forecasting

Weather (Aviation)

WaterResourcesPublic Health

Earth Science for Society

Applied Sciences Program

Earth Science Data forEarth Science Data for Human Health:

Malaria

Applications ExamplesMalaria WarningsMalaria Warnings

Title: Satellite Observations for Human Health: Malaria WHO HealthMapper to improve malaria control decision support and the Malaria Early Warning System

Location: Southeast Asia, Africa, and elsewhere

Satellites: Terra (ASTER-Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometry, AMSR), Terra/Aqua - MODIS, NASA EO-1, TRMM - Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)

Description: - Precipitation, temperature, and other environmental variables are highly correlated with

malaria transmission rates. - Satellite observations of environmental variables in a model to predict malaria cases.- Reduced morbidity and mortality for populations, including improved utilization of larvicide,

insecticide, and chemoprophylaxis. - Support operations of peace-keeping troops in malaria-prone locations- Habitat identification, Identifying key factors that sustain transmission, and risk prediction. - Contextual classifications significantly increase landcover mapping accuracy.

Applications ExamplesMalaria Warnings

Satellite-Observed Meteorological & Environmental Parameters For Four Thailand Seasons

g

MODIS Measurements

Surface Temperature

Vegetation IndexAVHRR & MODIS Measurements

TRMM Measurements

Rainfall

R.Kiang, NASA

Applications ExamplesMalaria Warnings

Satellite-Observed Meteorological & Environmental Parameters For Four Thailand Seasons

g

Actual Malaria Incidence Hindcast Incidence

R.Kiang, NASA

Risk prediction for Thailand and Afghanistan

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Mean Malaria Cases in Thailand (Actual/Hindcast) shown per 100,000 people in 2001

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(Above) Actual and Predicted cases across Afghanistan in 2007

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( )Actual/Hindcast/Predicted Cases in Takhar Province, Afghanistan (2004-2007)

Applications ExamplesMalaria Warningsg

Importance of temperature monitoring

In the highlands both rainfall andboth rainfall and temperature are critical …….

In the warm or seasonally warm

Land Surface Temperatures and modeled temperature derived from:

• LST AVHRR: Day – Night (daily) 1995-2000

• LST MODIS TERRA: Day Night (daily andylowlands – rainfall is critical

• LST MODIS TERRA: Day – Night (daily and 8-day composite) 2000-2008

• LST MODIS AQUA: Day – Night (daily and 8-day composite) 2002-2008

• LST METEOSAT: Day – Night (10-day

Ceccato & Vancutsem

S OS ay g ( 0 daycomposite) 1995-2005

• MM5: (Daily) 2004-2006

• GFS, GDAS, NCEP reanalysis

Applications ExamplesMalaria Warningsg

NASA project distributes 10 daily VCAP difference through FEWS-NET

S. Connor, IRI

Applied Sciences Program

Earth Science Data forEarth Science Data for US Drought Monitor

• The National Drought Monitoring System for Drought Early Warning: – Using primarily NASA satellite data/results of: 1) MODIS vegetation

indices and 2) AMSR-E soil wetness - QuikSCAT surface wetness integrating the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) with diverse indicators to monitor major components of hydrologic and ecologic system.

• National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) coordinates the production of the U.S. Drought Monitor:– Improve the nation’s capacity to ‘proactively’ manage drought-related

risks by providing decision makers with best available information and tools to assess the impact of drought and to better prepare for and mitigate the effects of drought.

• USDM Decision-Making Data criteria• USDM Decision-Making Data criteria.– Timely (Hours, not days)– Objective (Science-based, accurate)j ( , )– Reliable (Multiple seasons)– Transparent (Proven, Open)– National (Scalable to global use)– Covers large spatial extent with local (counties, water

planning districts watersheds)planning districts, watersheds)

• Local Resolution: Improvement of the USDM with higher resolution using NASA remotely sensed products to augment existing USDM tools to increase the resolution of the drought

contours. Many triggers depend on county-level placement of these USDM contours (D1-D4) for y gg p y p ( )potential eligibility or declarations at various levels (e.g. Livestock Forage Disaster Program

disbursement of $225 million in 2008 and 2009).

Manual InterpretationBy Meteorologists

Satellite Data Data Input Variables

1. Historical Database Development Integrated MethodologySate te ata

1) Percent Annual Seasonal Greenness (PASG)

2) Start of Season Anomaly (SOSA)

p

2. Model Development

3. Map Generation

RegressionTree

1) Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)

Climate Data

Tree Model (*)

1 k 2 V DRI M

(PDSI)2) Standardized

Precipitation Index (SPI)

Bi h i l D t

* Models developed from a 20-year historical record (1989 – 2008)

of climate and satellite observations at 3,000+ weather

1-km2 VegDRI Map1) land use/land cover

type2) soil available water

capacity (STATSGO)3) ecoregion type

Biophysical Data

2/24/06

station locations.

Biophysical variables are static over time.

3) ecoregion type4) irrigation status5) elevation

J. Brown, USGS/EROS

• Large Scale: Improvement with spatially continuous data over entire US versus point data from in-situ stations or interpolated/extrapolated derivatives. Missing data or data holes can cause

inaccurate assessment and delineation of drought conditions. g

eMODIS NDVIeMODIS NDVI(2009 day 136)

J. Brown, USGS/EROSAAG 2010AAG 2010

• Improved Reliability and Objectivity addresses premature change in drought conditions: NASA SMC product can avoid problem of virga (rainwater evaporated before reaching land) to 

better represent hydrologic drought, and reduce “false” precipitation in NEXRAD rain maps p y g g , p p pthat prematurely decrease drought severity (D‐level) or terminate drought conditions.

Soil Moister Change (SMC)From QuickSCATFrom QuickSCAT (Also use AMSR-E)

S. V. Nghiem (JPL, PI), J. P. Verdin (USGS, Lead Co‐I), D. A. Wilhite (NDMC), R. Dole (NOAA PSD), 

D. LeComte (NOAA CPC), G. R. Brakenridge (DarmouthDFO), E. G. Njoku (JPL)DFO), E. G. Njoku (JPL)

Applied Sciences Program

Earth Science Data forEarth Science Data for International Fire Support

Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS)

Challenge: Fire managers around the world need timely information on fires stillChallenge: Fire managers around the world need timely information on fires still burning in and around their areas of responsibility in order to manage fire.

FIRMS provides the MODIS• FIRMS provides the MODIS-derived fire information in small, easy to use formats through the internet and fire email alerts.

• In doing so, FIRMS has increased the number and range of users that access these data.

• FIRMS users are the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, conservation organizations other subscribersorganizations, other subscribers.

Capacity to detect large fires globally (day and night) at spatial scales allowing for timely local and regional management.

Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) (http://maps.geog.umd.edu/firms/)

FIRMS provides 4 main tools for accessing fire information in easy to use formats:

• Interactive Web GIS

FIRMSFire Information for Resource Management

• Email alerts

• Subsets of MODIS images

• Active fire datadownloads (KML, Shape, Text files

d l i fand plug-ins forGoogle Earth and NASA World-Wind)

Fire Information for Resource Management (FIRMS)

3794 email alert subscriptions in- 3794 email alert subscriptions in 117 countries

- Website averages ~200 visitors/day; >1500 on headline fire

Respon

dents

visitors/day; >1500 on headline fire days

- FIRMS mirror site at FAO (GFIMS) Data use 

FIRMS Email Alert Subscriptions

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Fire Information for Resource Management (FIRMS) Accomplishments:

• More accurate active fire warnings, the overall accuracy of the FIRMS data is found to be very good“Sometimes it's been reported already by the locals -sometimes not....Because there is often confusion about the location…thesometimes not....Because there is often confusion about the location…the locals are not so precise….” Department of Forestry and Range Resources, Botswana. 5/2007

• Fewer false positives and no false negatives, per users and focus groups, e e a se pos t es a d o a se egat es, pe use s a d ocus g oups,users are very confident in the detections“…it is a situation of a person says ‘I’ve got a huge fire’, now if AFIS (the Advanced Fire Information System in South Africa) has picked it up then I know it is a huge fire. I know it is not just someone’s braai gone wrong” Working on Fire South Africa 7/2007someone’s braai gone wrong” Working on Fire, South Africa, 7/2007

• More comprehensive overviews, FIRMS is a global system capturing day and night fire information (the “big picture”) and is user driven

• Transition to FAO as FAO completes its long-term operational GFIMS

Access to Earth Science DataOverview

Access Sites of Note- MODIS Rapid Response- NASA LAADS- NASA LAADS- GIOVANNI

NASA MODIS Rapid Response System - Subsetshttp://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/p p g g

NASA MODIS Rapid Response System - Subsetshttp://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/

NASA MODIS Rapid Response System - Subsetshttp://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/

http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/browse_images/l2_browser.htmlNASA LAADS Web Level 2 Browser

Access to Earth Science DataGIOVANNI

http://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov/GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure

• Giovanni is a Web-based application pp

• Giovanni provides a simple and easy way to explore, visualize analyze and access vast amounts of Earthvisualize, analyze, and access vast amounts of Earth science remote sensing and model data.

G• Giovanni is a data exploration tool

• Managed by NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and g yInformation Services Center (GES DISC).

Applied Sciences Program

Back-up SlidesBack up Slides

Applied Sciences ProgramProgram Strategy

Goal 1: Enhance Applications ResearchAdvance the use of NASA Earth science in

g gy

policy making, resource management and planning, and disaster response.

Goal 2: Increase CollaborationEstablish a flexible program structure to meet diverse partner needs and applications p ppobjectives.

Goal 3: Accelerate ApplicationsGoal 3: Accelerate ApplicationsEnsure that NASA’s flight missions plan for and support applications goals in conjunction with their science goals, starting with mission planning and extending through the mission life cycle.