U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Maryland Space Business Roundtable May 20, 2008 Science, Society, and the Importance of Earth Observation Mark Myers, Director, U.S. Geological Survey

Humans become agents of environmental change Ecological equilibrium disturbed Human-induced changes on a global scale Approaching thresholds of ecosystems Threats to earth resources Human-induced changes on a global scale Approaching thresholds of ecosystems Threats to earth resources

Night light produced largely from fossil fuels An index of human power in the environment NASA

The Human Effect Humans have already transformed 40-50% of the ice-free land surface on earth. Humans now use 54% of the available fresh water on the globe. Humans are now an order of magnitude more important at moving sediment than the sum of all other natural processes operating on the surface of the planet. Humans have already transformed 40-50% of the ice-free land surface on earth. Humans now use 54% of the available fresh water on the globe. Humans are now an order of magnitude more important at moving sediment than the sum of all other natural processes operating on the surface of the planet.

Increased demand Energy Minerals Water Agriculture Recreation Preserved natural habitat Energy Minerals Water Agriculture Recreation Preserved natural habitat

Water Quality and Availability Water a limited resource, global issue Diminished by climate change population growth agricultural use Transboundary issues Water a limited resource, global issue Diminished by climate change population growth agricultural use Transboundary issues

USGS Science Strategy Directions Understanding Ecosystems and Predicting Ecosystem Change Climate Variability and Change Energy and Minerals for America’s Future A National Hazards, Risk, and Resilience Assessment Program The Role of Environment and Wildlife in Human Health A Water Census of the United States Data Integration and Beyond

Understanding Earth Systems All earth resources interrelated. Climate change, population growth accelerate difficulties, complexity USGS science strategy based on systems approach All earth resources interrelated. Climate change, population growth accelerate difficulties, complexity USGS science strategy based on systems approach

Ecosystem Mapping and Analysis

Scientific and Societal Benefits of Land Imaging

Satellite Remote Sensing at DOI Initiated Earth Resources Observation Systems Program “…the time is now right and urgent to apply space technology towards the solution of many pressing natural resource problems being compounded by population and industrial growth.” Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall, 1966 Landsat 1-3 Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) 79 meter Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) 80/40 meter Landsat 4-5 Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) 79 meter Thematic Mapper (TM) 30 meter Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) 30/15 meter 2008 – USGS Owns and Operates Landsats 5 & 7; Archives Earth Observation Data from 6 Operational Satellites

Agriculture & Forestry Wildlife & Public Lands Commerce & Industry Regional, State, and Local Government Disaster Management -- Hazard Analysis -- Disaster Mitigation & Planning -- Damage Assessment -- Recovery & Relief International Economic Development National Security / Homeland Security Global Change Policy & Research Crop and Timber Inventories, Crop Forecasting Crop, Irrigation, & Forest Management Vegetation, Species, Habitat & Wetlands Inventories & Management Refuge Management & Planning Natural Resource, Mineral Wealth, Rangeland Management Land & Property Valuation Real Estate Property Management Mines, Mineral Resources, & Energy Exploration & Management Power Plant & Pipeline Management Transportation Planning & Management Inland Waterway, Open Sea, Sea Ice, & Port Navigation Land Surveys, Soils & Geologic Mapping Water Resource Planning, Reservoir & Water Quality Management Land Use Planning Real Property & Government Property Management Spring Flooding Prediction & Analysis, Flood Plain Assessment Erosion Control Hurricanes & Severe Storms Floods & Landslides Wildfires & Forest Fires Earthquakes & Volcanoes USAID In-Country Applications Global Coastal Mapping & Monitoring, Emergency Response, Theater Mapping, Illicit Crop Detection Land Cover Change, Deforestation, Desertification, Salinization Land Surface Processes, Hydrology, Snow cover & Glaciation Ecosystem Analysis, Urban and Rural Geography DOI Applications of Landsat Imagery

National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2001)

Status of Landsats 5 and 7  Landsat 5  Launched in 1984; almost 24 years old (3-yr design life)  Providing ground station reception-area coverage for U.S. and its International Cooperators  Operating on several backup subsystem components  Items of concern: Transmitters, Solar Arrays, Batteries…  Landsat 7  Launched in 1999; suffered key sensor degradation in 2003  Providing routine global coverage for U.S. archive  Each scene retains 75% of high-quality data  Scenes are still good for some uses “as is” (with 25% missing along edges)  Scenes filled in by ground system processing are also useful  Items of concern: Gyroscopes

Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM)  NASA and USGS working to ensure continuous availability of scientifically sound Landsat-type data  NASA:  Procures satellite, instrument, and launch services  Manages mission integration and post-launch system checkout  Transfers satellite to USGS after on-orbit checkout  Cooperates with USGS in ongoing data calibration/validation  USGS:  Procures ground station network, ground data archive and processing systems, and flight operations facility  Coordinates with NASA on mission integration and system checkout  Operates satellite and manages data archive and distribution  Sponsors Landsat Science Team co-chaired by USGS and NASA  Manages ongoing data calibration/validation  Launch projected for 2011

National Land Imaging Program Announced August 2007 In December 2005, the President’s Science Advisor had stated: “It remains the goal of the U.S. Government to transition the Landsat program from a series of independently planned missions to a sustained operational program…”

 NLIP Vision:  To serve the Nation by acquiring and providing operational land imaging capabilities and applications to support U.S. economic, environmental, foreign policy, and security interests.  NLIP Responsibilities:  Oversee a Federal Land Imaging Council and Land Imaging Advisory Committee;  Manage U.S. Land Imaging requirements (optical, SAR, etc.);  Acquire U.S. Land Imaging systems and data;  Develop new applications for Federal, State, and local government;  Investigate and develop new remote sensing technology;  Ensure data delivery to universities and scientists, NGOs, and international organizations; and  Coordinate acquisition and data distribution plans with U.S. industry, foreign governments, and foreign commercial firms.  In summary: “Ensure availability, access, and ease of use of land imaging data for the Nation”. National Land Imaging Program (NLIP)

Land Remote Sensing: Helping build bridges to rational solutions Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative - New York Times February 8, 2006 By LAURIE GOODSTEIN Despite opposition from some of their colleagues, 86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided to back a major initiative to fight global warming, saying "millions of people could die in this century Copper prices set another record By Dale Funk, Contributing Editor Apr 1, :00 PM While most wire and cable industry veterans and commodity analysts expected 2006 to be a year of moderation for copper prices, when copper jumped 9.45 cents to nearly $2.36 a pound on March 17 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, it set another record. A British experts report on climate change warns that failure to curb global warming could trigger worldwide economic devastation, with poor countries hit first and hardest. Prime Minister Tony Blair called for urgent international action.