A Geospatial Clearinghouse for the Oregon Coast: Implications for Improved Hazard Assessment Dawn Wright Department of Geosciences Oregon State University

Data, Data, Data u Diverse sources u Multiple scales u Need for data access, merging to support better interpretation u Long-term, coordinated assessment of hazards u Response to disasters

Response of Beaches: Critical Factors u Wave action u Ocean tides u Sea level changes u Tectonic movement u Human activity

Response of Beaches: Critical Issues u Increasing development u 1982-’83 and 1997-’98 El Niños u Shore protection structures u Predicted sea level rise

Response of Beaches: Some Critical Data u Aerial photos (50 m) u Digital Orthophotoquads (1 m) u LIDAR (10-20 cm) u Beach profiles

Data, Data, Data u Diverse sources u Multiple scales u Need for data access, merging to support better interpretation u Long-term, coordinated assessment of hazards u Response to disasters

Ecological Research for Marine Conservation u Interactions of fish, invertebrates, and algae u Dispersal of early life stages u Tracking of nearshore ecological patterns

Image courtesy of J. Lubchenco/ B. Menge, OSU

Ecological Research for Critical Planning u Invading species u Salmon declines u Impacts of global warming u Impacts of bizarre events

“The Curse of the Carissa”

“The Battle for the Beach”

Data, Data, Data u Diverse sources u Multiple scales u Need for data access, merging to support better interpretation u Long-term, coordinated assessment of hazards? u Response to disasters?

Ken Starr’s Internet “Research questions that involve data from many disciplines over long periods of time or large areas can now be answered more easily than ever before, yet scientists are not taking maximum advantage of the Information Age.” -- Vogel 1998, Why scientists have not been writing metadata, Eos, Aug. 4.

The “Information Age” “Documenting data, archiving data, locating appropriate data sources, and transferring data among computer systems are issues of the Information Age that still require solutions and participation by the scientific community.” -- Vogel 1998, Why scientists have not been writing metadata, Eos, Aug. 4.

Metadata & the Millennium: New Mandates u NSDI –“the technologies, policies, and people necessary to promote sharing of geospatial data throughout ALL levels…” u FGDC Content Standards for Metadata –“data about data” - information BEYOND the actual data

334 elements to describe virtually any form of digital data u Identification u Data Quality u Spatial Data Organization u Spatial Reference u Entity & Attribute u Metadata Reference u Citation u Time Period of Collection u Contact u Distribution

There is no central repository or access point for natural resource geographic data of the Oregon coast

PNCERS Oregon State U. InterrainPacific 5 Partners: Academic, Federal, State, Private SSCGIS TCWRC

Objectives u NSDI node –expand representation of coastal/marine data u Framework document u Protocols for adding more metadata, data, URLs u Present and publish results

Research Questions: Metadata u What conversion/entry methods work best for whom? –Test/compare various procedures for metadata “ingest” u How does content vary with temporal, spatial, spectral resolution?

Research Questions: Distributed Computing u Estimate pattern of user paths u Estimate pattern of user paths? –Structure? Task-based? u Is accessing data enough for a clearinghouse? – GIS analytical functionality?

Implications u Less confusion about data u Increased contacts and opportunities for collaboration u Scientific understanding to move forward - critical for time series u Recognition for contributions to scientific advancement