GPS World

Tag: Earth Observations

  • USGS tool allows users to explore mountains worldwide

    The Global Mountain Explorer. (USGS)
    The Global Mountain Explorer. (USGS)

    A new tool that gives users a detailed view of the world’s mountains is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

    The Global Mountain Explorer can help users ranging from hikers to scientists, resource managers and policy makers seeking information on these prominent yet often understudied landscapes.

    Mountains occupy from 12 to 31 percent of the land surface of the Earth, but despite their importance, few attempts have been made to scientifically define and map these regions worldwide with detail, the USGS said.

    The Global Mountain Explorer “allows anyone with access to the Internet to explore where mountains are, whether they are low or high, scattered or continuous, snowy or snow-free,” said USGS ecosystems geographer Roger Sayre, who led the project.

    Mountain Explorer provides information from global scales down to specific mountains, such as Borah Peak, Idaho, pictured here. (Public domain)
    Mountain Explorer provides information from global scales down to specific mountains, such as Borah Peak, Idaho, pictured here. (Public domain)

    “Mountain Explorer users can visualize and compare in one place and for the first time the three major global mountain maps that have been produced,” he said.

    Mountains provide significant water, timber and mineral resources, and food, fiber and fuel products. They are home to diverse ecosystems and wildlife and are valued for their esthetic beauty and recreational offerings.

    Mountain areas are also prone to natural hazards. But despite their importance, surprisingly few attempts have been made to scientifically define and map these regions worldwide with detail.

    The USGS developed the Global Mountain Explorer, in partnership with Esri, and three organizations at the University of Bern in Switzerland — the Center for Development and Environment, the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment and the Mountain Research Initiative.

    Twilight image of snow-covered Mount Shasta with city lights visible at its base. The Global Mountain Explorer allows users to view mountains and surrounding terrain. (Public domain)
    Twilight image of snow-covered Mount Shasta with city lights visible at its base. The Global Mountain Explorer allows users to view mountains and surrounding terrain. (Public domain)

    The tool was developed as part of a Group on Earth Observations initiative to accurately delineate mountain regions using best available data. It is intended to provide information on the global distribution and a variety of mountain data with a resolution 16 times more detailed than previous mapping efforts.

    Users can select an area by zooming in or by typing a place name like Mt. Kilimanjaro to view its elevation and type. They can also select from a number of backdrops — satellite images, topographic maps or political boundary maps— on which to display the different types of mountain classes. A tutorial showing the full features for the Global Map Explorer is shown below.

  • Open Earth observation data now more accessible

    At the 13th Group on Earth Observation (GEO) Plenary Meeting, representatives from GEO’s 103 member governments and 106 participating organizations convened to launch a new look for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Portal. The meeting was held Nov. 9-10 in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.

    Participants also addressed how best to advance GEO initiatives linked to its sustainable development goals and, for the first time, to engage with the commercial sector through a plenary panel session.

    “Open data not only maximizes tax payers’ money in government infrastructure, it promotes economic growth, education and capacity building.” said GEO Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan. “GEO brings all sides of the conversation together so that data is broadly and openly available, free to the user and can be used to create value-added products and services to benefit society.”

    The plenary meeting was held for the first time in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region. New member governments announced at the plenary were Uruguay, United Arab Emirates and Mongolia. Among the new participating organizations approved in 2016 are the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC); the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT); the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS); the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS); and the World Health Organization (WHO).

    The plenary opened with a message from the International Space Station. In the recorded video message, the cosmonauts observed it is easy to understand the interconnected nature of the planet. Space technologies help to understand Earth’s complicated processes and problems. Humankind is facing global challenges today, and international cooperation plays a crucial role in tackling these issues. The work of GEO makes Earth observations more widely available and meaningful, for the benefit of humanity.

    https://youtu.be/C7nmvNb1z14

    “We express our pleasure at the success of the GEO-XIII Plenary due to strong cooperation between the GEO community, Roshydromet and Roscosmos,” said co-host Alexander Frolov, head of Roshydromet. “Numerous side events organized by members and participating organizations clearly demonstrate the constantly evolving influence of GEO as an intergovernmental body.”

    “Coordination of activities, and the joint harvesting and usage the data of Earth Remote Sensing (ERS) that was organized at the GEO-XIII Plenary is very relevant for all of the GEO community,” said Mikhail Khailov, deputy director general for Automatic Space Complexes of the State Corporation Roscosmos. “We are developing the technologies of ERS data processing and thematic services to benefit the people of the Earth through improved coverage, increased volume, quality and promptness of acquired ERS data.”

    Philemon Mjwara, director-general, Department of Science and Technology, Republic of South Africa, reiterated the benefits of having access to EO data as an “enabling resource that allows us to begin addressing the Water-Food-Energy nexus, and other nexus, as a stepping stone to clearly understanding how the Earth’s systems work, and ultimately realizing GEOSS.”

    “Downscaling implementation of GEOSS at national and regional levels has become extremely important to ensure broad engagement and sufficient resources to realize our ambitious vision,” said Pengde Li, deputy director general, National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China. “Fortunately, we see more and more members start establishing national inter-ministerial coordination and using regional initiatives as a vehicle for broad engagement.”

    The Group on Earth Observations (GEO). The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is comprised of 103 Member governments, and 106 Participating Organizations. Established in 2005, GEO strives to improve the world’s observation systems and provide policy makers and scientists with accurate and useful data that can be used to make informed decisions on issues affecting the planet. GEO’s primary focus is to develop a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to enhance the ability of end-users to discover and access Earth observation data and convert it to useable and useful information. GEO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

  • White House seeks public input on plan for civil Earth observations

    The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking public input on development of the second U.S. National Plan for Civil Earth Observations, the 2017 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations.

    Today, the Federal Register posted OSTP’s Request for Information (RFI) on the development of the plan, which will build upon the priorities and supporting actions identified in the 2014 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations. Through it, OSTP aims to advance the United State’s capabilities to ensure stable, continuous and coordinated Earth observations for the benefit of society.

    The RFI is publicly accessible here.

    The public input provided will inform OSTP as it works with federal agencies and other stakeholders to develop the plan.

    OSTP welcomes input to develop the plan, and encourages anyone interested to respond via the RFI’s electronic template (to be posted here), which should be sent to [email protected].

    Comments of up to approximately 2,000 characters per question are requested and must be received by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time), July 15, 2016, to be considered.

  • Group on Earth Observations Convenes 11th Plenary

    Under the theme “Taking the Pulse of the Planet,” 275 members of the GEO community from more than 45 countries will chart the next steps in creating and implementing a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) during the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Eleventh Plenary Session. The session will be held November 12-14 in Geneva, Switzerland.

    A highlight of the conference will be announcement of the winners of the GEO Appathon, a global app development competition built on the 80-million-plus resources available through GEOSS. The Appathon attracted 250 competitors from 50 countries, and will generate easy-to-use decision tools for mobile devices and computers.

    GEO’s mandate is to harness the power of Earth observations from sources across the globe to provide more and better information to leaders in government, industry, and civil society confronting fundamental decisions affecting people and societies worldwide. One key GEO initiative that will be highlighted during the meeting is developing a comprehensive system to monitor the availability and quality of fresh water, in partnership with the World Health Organization, the UN Environmental Programme and other UN agencies as part of the UN Sustainable Development agenda.

    GEO is leading the creation of an Africa-wide technological and human infrastructure so decision makers have the capacity to access and use Earth observations in making key decisions. To strengthen agricultural activity and reduce market volatility, GEO is coordinating the assessment of growing conditions of the world’s major crops through a combination of regional expertise, ground observations and analysis of meteorological and satellite data.

    GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and organizations that envisions “a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information.” Members include 94 nations and the European Commission and 77 participating organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in Earth observations.

    GEO’s agenda spans nine Societal Benefit Areas, including agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, water and weather.