Earth Observations: Global Collaboration for Local Benefits

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Earth Observations Global Collaboration for
Local Benefits
Paul Gilman, Assistant Administrator U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
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Partnering with NYAir Quality Planning

• Deliver optimized Community Multiscale Air
  Quality (CMAQ) model to NY (accomplished)
• Partnered with DOE/SNL to speed-up this
  scientifically robust model
• NY is test bed for model application and
  evaluation
• Provide remote access to newly available data to
  estimate influences outside the boundaries of
  interest (accomplished)
• NY uses optimized CMAQ in air quality planning
  activities

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High Performance Computing
CMAQ Model Run Time
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Monitoring for

• Designing regulatory programs
• Enforcing regulatory programs
• Priority setting/decision-making
• Identifying emerging issues

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Unanswered Monitoring Questions

• How much of our state/national aquatic ecosystems
  are healthy?
• Are we targeting the right problems to make a
  difference?
• How do we measure trends in the condition of
  aquatic ecosystems?
• How do we determine this in a cost-effective,
  scientifically-defensible, and credible way?
• How do we aggregate this information from the
  local to the state to the national levels?

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Importance of EMAP Design
Condition of a States streams using different
designs
Not
Fully Supporting 13
Supporting
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State X
Not Supporting 87
Fully Supporting 87
Probability Survey
Traditional Targeted Monitoring
Not Supporting 5
Not Supporting 25
State Y
Fully Supporting 95
Fully Supporting 75
Probability Survey
Traditional Targeted Monitoring
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State Use of Probability Survey DesignsStreams
and Estuaries
Adopted probability design Evaluating probability
design No decision yet
Northeast lakes potential 90 cost savings
Alabama 33 cost savings
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ReVA
Regional Vulnerability Assessment
Moving from monitoring status and trends to
targeting risk management activities
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ReVA is

• Risk assessment research comparative,
  cumulative, multi-scale
• Estimating condition and exposure for every point
  on the map
• Identifying current and future environmental
  vulnerabilities
• Projecting future impacts from 5 major drivers of
  change
• Enabling trade-off analyses through what if
  scenarios
• Informing diagnosis of current conditions
• Linking environmental health with economic and
  human health
• Working directly with clients

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estimating condition using existing data
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ReVA synthesizes environmental data and model
results to inform decision-making
High Vulnerability
Low Vulnerability
Data on resource condition and sensitivity Model
ed distributions of stresses
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Evaluating Current Problems Projecting Future
Problems
Major drivers of change include Land use
change Resource extractions Pollutions and
pollutants Exotic invasive species Climate change
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Projecting Land Use Change

• Suite of methods
• Economics
• Planned roads, developments
• Rural and urban change

• Input into decisions affecting
• Conservation of native biodiversity
• Increased risk of flooding
• Nonpoint source pollution
• Urban sprawl/quality of life
• Drinking water quality and supply
• Pests and pathogens in forests
• Economic opportunities

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Projecting Pollution/Pollutants

• Focus on
• Air Deposition Sulfate, nitrate, ozone,
  particulate matter
• Sediment loadings
• Agricultural chemicals

Sulfate deposition

• Input into decisions affecting
• TMDLs
• Forest health, productivity,and biodiversity
• Increased risk of flooding
• Aquatic habitat
• Human health, air quality
• Drinking water quality
• Permitting of point sources
• Economic opportunities

Agricultural chemicals
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May 16, 2004
Milwaukee
Racine
Kenosha
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May 25, 2004
Milwaukee
Racine
Kenosha
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June 3, 2004
Milwaukee
Racine
Kenosha
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GEOSS will benefit

• Our understanding of the Dead Zone in the Gulf
  of Mexico
• Coastal Condition Assessments
• Beach Conditions
• Persistent Organic Pollutants
• Invasive Species

It will help us achieve a set of monitoring
systems that will allow us to predict future
trends and prevent undesirable outcomes
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Hurricane Charley 315 EDT August 13, 2004
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Hurricane Charley August 13, 2004
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Photo left by S. Tojeiro, Fuerza Aerea
Argentina 3-13-02
Photo below by Pedro Skvarca, Instituto
Antártico Argentino, 3-13-02
Ice Shelf