Identifying Federal Earth Observation Inter-dependencies using the Results of the 2016 National Earth Observation Assessment
Abstract
The United States government provides many information products and services derived from Earth observation data. Some of these information products and services are derived from a single data source, perhaps calibrated with data from a secondary data source, and others rely on hundreds of inputs, either directly, or indirectly, through the use of model outputs, databases, or other intermediate products. Understanding how the product or service provided by one federal agency is dependent on measurements from sensor or data sources managed by other federal agencies or international, commercial, state/local/tribal, NGO, and citizen observer partners is particularly important when making budgetary and programmatic decisions.
The 2016 National Earth Observation Assessment (EOA 2016) quantified the impact of 1,323 individual Earth observation systems, sensors, networks, surveys, and sampling programs (or Earth observation systems, for short) on the production of 1,722 key products, services, and research outputs (KPSOs) used to achieve 217 Federal objectives in 13 societal benefit areas (SBAs). We have added metadata that describes the responsible entity or entities for each Earth observation system and KPSO, allowing for the analysis of the range of federal and non-federal partners an individual Federal agency depends on to produce its products. For example, the National Water Model, which is produced by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), has 26 recorded inputs. Of these inputs, NOAA is responsible (either wholly or partially) for seven, various bureaus of the Department of Interior are responsible for an additional seven, and the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, and Transportation, and the National Science Foundation are also responsible for various inputs. In addition to federal sources, the National Water Model also relies on State and local data sources and, in one case, commercial data. This presentation will highlight how dependent federal agencies are on data from multiple other federal and non-federal partners and how budgetary or programmatic decisions localized to one program, division, or agency can have multiple unintended effects throughout the network of federal Earth science agencies.- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.B44A..01S
- Keywords:
-
- 0480 Remote sensing;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 1640 Remote sensing;
- GLOBAL CHANGE