CLEANER and NSF's Environmental Observatories (2006) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 Implementing Environmental Observatories
4 Implementing Environmental Observatories
Pages 34-50
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 34... ...
No single environmental observatory initiative as currently formulated will be sufficient to provide the integrated data sets, models, and predictive capability necessary to adequately understand and guide effective management of our nation's environmental resources in a setting where large scale, even global factors, must be considered. As a coordinated group, however, they might be.
|
From page 35... ...
As these observatory initiatives develop, communication and close coordination among the programs are essential. It is apparent that the various environmental observatory projects currently in the planning process at the NSF have some similar basic components and needs.
|
From page 36... ...
Even more coordination and possibly joint management of these initiatives may be desirable as the programs reach implementation. Serious consideration should be given to placing the various NSF environmental observatory programs under a parent organization that could be termed something like the "Environmental Observatory Networks" or EON.
|
From page 37... ...
The USGS has several field-based programs, including the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program that focuses on watersheds and major aquifers to assess the status of, trends in, and causes of changes to the quality of the nation's groundwater and surface waters; the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, through which long-term research is conducted at sites that represent different types of contamination, and a long-term small watershed program (Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB)
|
From page 38... ...
are working with various stakeholders to develop solutions to problems in the basins. The observatory networks should coordinate with these efforts to facilitate the transfer of applicable observations and analysis to address relevant problems.
|
From page 39... ...
For example, CUASHI has initiated a Hydrologic Information System (HIS) project to integrate access to national water resources data, and there are plans to leverage this cyberinfrastructure for NEON.
|
From page 40... ...
Especially important are standards for providing metadata descriptors for key resources and infrastructure components. Metadata perform a number of roles in observatory network design and operation, including facilitating application integration and locating, evaluating and using data products, sensors, communication and computer networks, software applications, and the like.
|
From page 41... ...
The ocean observing initiatives (e.g., the Laboratory for the Ocean Observatory Knowledge Integration Grid [LOOKING]
|
From page 42... ...
First, the data standard would support data sharing and analysis opportunities between CLEANER locations. The more consistent the data protocols, the more effectively the data can be shared among multiple CLEANER stations to examine common trends and responses.
|
From page 43... ...
If CLEANER and the other environmental observatory initiatives fail to transform environmental education and outreach, then they will fail to meet their full potential. The observatory initiative has the potential to make knowledge of the status of environmental resources a basic component of dayto-day life.
|
From page 44... ...
; · loss of public and political support due to inability to connect research results with required actions and desired outcomes; and · inability to train enough engineers and scientists with the interdisciplinary breadth required to operate CLEANER and address the future research challenges of CLEANER. Fatal flaw analyses of possible scenarios such as these can help identify potential "surprises" that could reduce the benefits coming from environmental observatories.
|
From page 45... ...
If maintaining and upgrading the CLEANER environmental observatory network takes away funds from individual research programs, will the gain in understanding from CLEANER be worth any future loss to other environmental science and engineering educational and research programs not directly tied to CLEANER? Software Storage and Security The success of the observatory approach depends on reliable long-term storage and management of time-series and other data.
|
From page 46... ...
Large river basins should be a focus of special emphasis for CLEANER because of their impact on surface water flows, water quality, and ecosystem functioning. (Furthermore, other observatory programs are not including them.)
|
From page 47... ...
These centers would have access to near real-time information and predictive models that together would provide early warnings of potential adverse hydrologic and environmental impacts due to natural or human activities. The establishment of an early warning system based on observation data, especially of resources or species under stress, could help identify emerging problems in time to change land and water management policies to prevent further degradation if not permit some restoration.
|
From page 48... ...
To facilitate coordination of the national environmental observatories, the NSF should strongly consider establishing a parent organization that could be termed something like the "Environmental Observatory Networks" or EON, which would be responsible for cyberinfrastructure development, educational activities, outreach, and other shared activities across the NSF observatory programs. EON (or some alternative entity, to be determined by the NSF)
|
From page 49... ...
Should the NSF become assured that these potential pitfalls can be avoided or mitigated, CLEANER has the potential of supplementing existing national science-based observing systems and governmental environmental assessment efforts, especially those focused on the interactions between the natural environment and engineered-human systems. A successfully operating environmental observatory network could transform the environmental engineering profession and increase its already considerable contributions to society.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.