A spatial analysis and modeling system of solve environmental problems
C. H. Vermillion, F. L. Stetina and J. Hill
NASA (USA)
Background
Through our economic and technological activity, we are now contributing to significant global changes on the Earth within the span of a few human generations. We have become a part of the Earth System and one of the forces for Earth change.
Research holds the key to a deeper understanding of the Earth as a integrated system of interacting components, and of the consequences of global change for humanity. To achieve this understanding, we need a new approach to Earth Studies- Earth System Science-which builds upon the traditional disciplines, but promises to provide a deeper understanding of the interactions that bind the Earth's components into a unified, dynamical system. Fundamental to this new approach is a view of the Earth System as a related set of interacting processes operating on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, rather than as a collection of individual components. The goal of this new Earth System Science is to obtain a scientific understanding of the entire Earth System on a global scale by describing how its component parts and their interactions have evolved, how the function and how the ma be expected to continue to evolve on all time scales.
The challenge to Earth System Science is to develop the capability to predict those changes that will occur in the next decade to century, both naturally and in response to human activity. Complimenting our innate curiosity Complimenting our innate curiosity about our planet, the search for practical benefits to improve the quality of human life continues to provide an important motivation or Earth science. The problem is that the global changes cannot readily be distinguished from the results of natural change on the same time scale. We require a set of Earth Observations that will permit us to disentangle the complex interactions among the Earth's components and to document their effects over extended time periods. such observations will allow us to establish casual relationships among the processes involved and therefore to distinguish between the consequences of human economics and technological activity, on the one hand, and the results of natural ledge, we will then be able to take timely action to ensure an abundant Earth for future generations.
we can begin to meet this challenge today:
- Programs of global observations relevant to a number of Earth system properties have already been carried out with great success.
- Global Vegetation Index
- Sea Surface Temperature
- Ocean Color
- Global Weather/Global Cloud Types
- Earth Radiation Budget
- Global Weather Experiment
Future Missions
- Ocean State/Currents
- Tropical Rain Measurements
- Earth Observing System.
- Information Systems specifically constructed to process individual sets of global data are already in operation. New developments in computing technology have now made feasible an advanced information system to provide worldwide access to more extensive global data to be obtained in the future, and the facilitate data analysis and interpretation by the scientific community.
A new such network-WETNET is discussed in another presentation during this conference.
- A worldwide political awareness of the necessity for a coordinated, international approach to the global study of the Earth has been created, and cooperative research efforts b many nations across the globe are underway.
To facilitate this cooperation, NASA has developed a Spatial Analysis and Modeling System which allows easy exchange of data; these software systems also allow the assembly of information essential for effective decision-making for economic development, emergency preparedness, and natural resources planning and management. Thus the software which facilitates problem solving on local and national levels also extends to regional and global scales without design changes ad utilizing a realistic multidiscipline approach.
