NOAA’s National Height Modernization Program Regional Height Modernization Forum Wichita, Kansas May 2, 2008 Renee Shields Height Modernization Manager

NGS Mission and Height Modernization Overview Needs and Benefits of Accurate Heights NGS Roles and Responsibilities Overview

Mission of NGS To define, maintain and provide access to the National Spatial Reference System to meet our nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs

Define the NSRS –“The NSRS must be more accurate than all activities which build upon it, while still being practicably achievable.” Maintain the NSRS –“NGS must track all of the temporal changes to the defining points of the NSRS in such a way as to always maintain the accuracy in the NSRS definition.” Provide Access to the NSRS –“NGS must develop and maintain guidelines for users to access the NSRS at a variety of accuracies.” –“NGS will publish all coordinates of defining points of the NSRS with an epoch tag and will furthermore publish velocities relative to that epoch-tagged set of coordinates” From the NGS 10-Year Plan

The official national coordinate system of the U.S. federal government which includes: –G–Geodetic latitude, longitude and height –S–Scale, gravity, and orientation –H–How these values change with time Components include: –N–National and Cooperative CORS –N–Network of passive monuments –O–Official national shoreline –P–Precise orbits of GNSS satellites used to define NSRS –M–Models and tools to describe how all of these quantities change over time. Mission – The NSRS is…

Height Modernization Objective NSRS Reliable Cost-effective Accurate Standardized Legally Established NSRS GEODETIC CONTROL NAVD88

Height Modernization is … …the establishment of accurate, reliable heights using GNSS technology in conjunction with traditional leveling, gravity, and modern remote sensing information….

The Roots of Height Modernization In First meeting held in Sacramento, CA –Some heights in CA in error by more than a meter –GPS could be immediately used to meet some of California’s requirements –Necessary for the implementation of NAVD 88 In 1998, $1.0 M was added to NGS budget to perform Height Modernization Study

Study Goals: –Identify/document user requirements for height data –Identify/document applications for GPS height data –Evaluate estimated cost benefits and implementation costs –Recommend actions to meet requirements – all technologies Study Components: –User forums and outreach –Evaluate 16 case studies –Compare costs of similar surveys using different methods Height Modernization Study

In 2000, $500K added to NGS’ budget for Height Modernization planning In 2001, $2.25M added to NGS budget –to implement Height Modernization in NC –to support the California Spatial Reference Center (CSRC) –to support NGS related Height Modernization activities Also in 2001, NOAA is directed to work with LA and WI to assess their requirements for Height Modernization The Roots of Height Modernization

Height Modernization Program Timeline – Program expanded to 11 states through Congressionally directed earmarks 2007 – Program funded at previous year’s levels but without Congressional Direction 2008 – Appropriations includes Height Modernization line plus earmarks, but total funding is decreased

Height Modernization Appropriations (FY01-FY08) Fiscal YearAppropriationsStates FY MCA, NC FY M CA, NC, LA, WI FY MCA, NC, LA, WI, MS FY M CA, NC, LA, WI, MS, AL, WA, SC FY M CA, NC, LA, WI, MS, AL, WA, TX, KY FY M CA, NC, WI, MS, AL, SC, TX, KY, AZ FY M“without direction” FY M MLine + AL, KY, IL

FY07 Height Modernization - Recipients CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography (CSRC) NC North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (and North Carolina A&T State University) LA Louisiana State University (LSRC) WI Wisconsin Department of Transportation SC South Carolina Geodetic Survey AL Alabama Department of Revenue MS University of Southern Mississippi WA Washington State Department of Natural Resources (SRCW) TX Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi (TSRC) KY Morehead State University AZ Arizona State Land Development (ASRC) IL Illinois State Geological Survey

Spatial Reference Centers Regional Leaders Other funded partners Current Funded Partners States engaged in HM without federal funding assistance Participating and Interested States

Image credit:: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer Height Matters

Measure, Monitor, Model - Crustal Motion/ Subsidence/Isostatic Rebound /Seasonal changes Gulf Coast Subsidence – LA, MS Localized Subsidence – AZ, NC West Coast Crustal Motion – CA, WA PA147 - PennDOT

NE LKHU ADKS TMCTMC HOUSTON FORT BEND MONTGOMERY GALVESTON HARRIS Water Management – Water Levels Seasonal Subsidence - TX USM Measure, Monitor, Model ….. Great Lakes region uplift - WI

Determining High Water Marks Evacuation Route Surveys Damage Mitigation Flooding: river overflow, coastal, storm surge, flash flood FEMA Map Modernization Program –Flood Insurance Rate Maps –Elevation Certificates –FEMA Cooperative Technical States, e.g. NC

Dam Safety Water resources Relating tidal and geodetic datums –Ship transport: underwater/overhead clearance Water Resource Management Folsom dam Novi Special WT, MI

Transportation Mapping and Charting Construction, Engineering Recover decimated control networks

DEMs, Geoid modeling

New and Non-traditional Applications: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Precision Farming Fleet Management

Local Issues How can Height Modernization help?

Control network is becoming decimated Costly, time consuming Difficult to maintain “To define, maintain and provide access to the NSRS…” Problems with traditional leveling

Can we get accurate heights with GNSS?

Infrastructure Models and Tools Outside Capacity Building NGS Business Plan: 3 Areas of Focus

“Define, maintain, provide access to NSRS” Active control network – CORS Passive control network as needed Guidelines and standards for geodetic field and processing practices Quality check data that is incorporated in the NGS database Enable positioning consistent with NSRS Infrastructure

Kansas Primary Control – CORS KAN1 – Kansas City 1 FBYN – Fairbury, NE

Oklahoma Primary Control – CORS OKAL – Altus, OK OKMU – Muskogee, OK

Primary Control - Kansas High Accuracy Reference Network

Primary Control - Oklahoma High Accuracy Reference Network

1 National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = APRIL 30, 2008 HF0551 *********************************************************************** HF0551 DESIGNATION - E 349 HF0551 PID - HF0551 HF0551 STATE/COUNTY- KS/SEDGWICK HF0551 USGS QUAD - DERBY (1982) HF0551 HF0551 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL HF0551 ___________________________________________________________________ HF0551* NAD 83(2007) (N) (W) NO CHECK HF0551* NAVD (meters) (feet) ADJUSTED HF0551 ___________________________________________________________________ HF0551 EPOCH DATE HF0551 X , (meters) COMP HF0551 Y - -5,016, (meters) COMP HF0551 Z - 3,872, (meters) COMP HF0551 LAPLACE CORR (seconds) DEFLEC99 HF0551 ELLIP HEIGHT (meters) (02/10/07) NO CHECK HF0551 GEOID HEIGHT (meters) GEOID03 HF0551 DYNAMIC HT (meters) (feet) COMP HF0551 HF Accuracy Estimates (at 95% Confidence Level in cm) HF0551 Type PID Designation North East Ellip HF HF0551 NETWORK HF0551 E HF NGS Datasheet – Leveling/GPS

HF0551 HF0551 VERT ORDER - SECOND CLASS 0 HF0551 HF0551.The horizontal coordinates were established by GPS observations HF0551.and adjusted by the National Geodetic Survey in February HF0551 HF0551.The datum tag of NAD 83(2007) is equivalent to NAD 83(NSRS2007). HF0551 See National Readjustment for more information. HF0551.No horizontal observational check was made to the station. HF0551.The horizontal coordinates are valid at the epoch date displayed above. HF0551.The epoch date for horizontal control is a decimal equivalence HF0551.of Year/Month/Day. HF0551 HF0551 The orthometric height was determined by differential leveling HF0551 and adjusted in June HF0551 HF0551 Photographs are available for this station. HF0551 HF0551.The X, Y, and Z were computed from the position and the ellipsoidal ht. HF0551 HF0551.The Laplace correction was computed from DEFLEC99 derived deflections. HF0551 HF0551 The ellipsoidal height was determined by GPS observations HF0551 and is referenced to NAD 83. HF0551 HF0551 The geoid height was determined by GEOID03. NGS Datasheet – Leveling/GPS

1 National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = APRIL 30, 2008 HF1492 *********************************************************************** HF1492 CBN - This is a Cooperative Base Network Control Station. HF1492 DESIGNATION - WICHITA CBL 0 HF1492 PID - HF1492 HF1492 STATE/COUNTY- KS/SEDGWICK HF1492 USGS QUAD - DERBY (1982) HF1492 HF1492 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL HF1492 ___________________________________________________________________ HF1492* NAD 83(2007) (N) (W) ADJUSTED HF1492* NAVD (meters) (feet) GPS OBS HF1492 ___________________________________________________________________ HF1492 EPOCH DATE HF1492 X , (meters) COMP HF1492 Y - -5,020, (meters) COMP HF1492 Z - 3,867, (meters) COMP HF1492 LAPLACE CORR (seconds) DEFLEC99 HF1492 ELLIP HEIGHT (meters) (02/10/07) ADJUSTED HF1492 GEOID HEIGHT (meters) GEOID03 HF1492 HF1492 … HF1492 The orthometric height was determined by GPS observations and a HF1492 high-resolution geoid model. HF1492 HF1492.The X, Y, and Z were computed from the position and the ellipsoidal ht. HF1492 NGS Datasheet - GPS Height Mod

1 National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = JANUARY 4, 2008 DH5603 *********************************************************************** DH5603 HT_MOD - This is a Height Modernization Survey Station. DH5603 DESIGNATION - ALTO S GPS DH5603 PID - DH5603 DH5603 STATE/COUNTY- WI/FOND DU LAC DH5603 USGS QUAD - BRANDON (1980) DH5603 DH5603 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL DH5603 ___________________________________________________________________ DH5603* NAD 83(2007) (N) (W) ADJUSTED DH5603* NAVD (meters) (feet) GPS OBS DH5603 ___________________________________________________________________ DH5603 EPOCH DATE DH5603 X - 94, (meters) COMP DH5603 Y - -4,621, (meters) COMP DH5603 Z - 4,379, (meters) COMP DH5603 … DH5603 The orthometric height was determined by GPS observations and a DH5603 high-resolution geoid model using precise GPS observation and DH5603 processing techniques. DH5603 DH5603.The X, Y, and Z were computed from the position and the ellipsoidal ht. DH5603 Height Mod GPS Datasheet

Published Height Modernization Stations

Modeling – atmospheric, 1-cm geoid Development of software, tools Software, Online Tool Kit OPUS “Variety Pack” Field tools – PGM, Digital Level Tool VDatum Guidelines for use of new technologies and processes like remote sensing, real time Models and Tools

Guidelines Available “On-Line” at the NGS Web Site:

Level Tool under development at TAMUCC

State Geodetic Advisor Program Forums, workshops Conferences Publications, web site Training, capacity building Outside Capacity Building

Education – Seminars, Workshops, Forums Michigan Leveling – Spokane, 2006 Washington

Training center in Corbin, VA

- State Agencies - NCGS, SCGS, WiDOT, ALDOR, WADNR, AZSLD - Spatial Reference Centers – CA, LA, WA, TX, AZ - Universities – Scripps, LSU, USM, TAMUCC, NCA&T, Morehead State - NOAA and other Federal Agencies – USACE, USGS, FEMA Accomplishments – Building Partnerships

Link to Digital Flood Maps … Results of partnerships

FEMA – Map Modernization, Post- Katrina recovery project Results of partnerships

Role of NGS: Program Management Congressional briefings Budget, grants management Coordination – Partners, SRCs Role of NGS: Project Leadership Support program growth - develop long range plan Support advance of science Support NOAA’s Mission – shoreline, weather, climate change

Needs don’t stop at state boundaries States within a region work in concert to support common issues/goals More efficient use of funds, people Encourages partnerships Congress more likely to continue funding for programs that impact a larger area/group of constituents; commitment to program on part of users A National Program

Height Modernization Regions

Height Mod Objectives Consistent, accurate vertical AND horizontal control network –Rebuild decimated network –New network is GPS-able –Reduces survey costs by providing denser control Build capacity in the surveying community to perform the surveys and properly use the data Provide data to build better models (DEMs, geoid, storm surge) and products (FIRMs) Provide access to NSRS to enable expansion of applications, like RTK, GIS

Questions Renee Shields Height Modernization Manager N/NGS1, SSMC3, Room East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD , x116 Contact information