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From 28 November to 9 December 2011, the COP 17 conference will be held in the city of Durban, South Africa.

In the framework of this conference, ESA will hold a side event along with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the South African Space Agency (SANSA) on sustaining systematic climate observations from space. The Agency’s Climate Change Initiative and the Sentinel satellite series will be one of the key points on the agenda. Furthermore, ESA is running an exhibit entitled “Global Monitoring of our Climate” during the two weeks of COP 17.

In addition, one of the side events will focus also on the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) scheme. REDD+ uses satellite observations of forests and involves developed and developing countries working together for carbon offsetting. The scheme is currently implementing the GMES Service Element on Forest Monitoring services in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

More information is available at “COP17”: http://www.cop17-cmp7durban.com/

Source GMES.Info

Booz & Company was commissioned by the European Commission to undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the GMES programme.

The main focus of this study was the assessment of four broad funding options for GMES and its operational services:

  • Baseline Option with no on-going commitment to replace infrastructure or investing significantly in services (Option A);
  • Baseline Option Extended, but still with no ongoing commitment to replace infrastructure over the longer term and invest significantly in services (Option B);
  • Partial Continuity1, with commitment to provide Sentinel infrastructure and invest considerably in services, with limited support to ensuring continuity of data from Contributing Missions (Option C);
  • Full Continuity with commitment to provide Sentinel infrastructure and enhanced support for the continuity of data from Contributing Mission with full investment in services (Option D).

The final version II of the study report was issued on 19 September 2011.

The document is now available for download on the EC DG ENTR portal by clicking on the following link

Source GMES.info

Since 25 November 2011 the study report published by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and dealing with the socio-economic benefits of GMES is available online.

The report, which is based on a comprehensive analysis of previous third-party results, is focusing on disaster management.

The report addresses the following areas:

  • Disasters in Europe with focus on flooding and fires;
  • Public opinion on civil protection;
  • Overview and analysis of past socio-economic benefits studies on GMES;
  • Analysis of quantifiable and non quantifiable economic, strategic and political benefits.

The study shows that GMES can produce significant socio-economic benefits and can offer significant strategic and political benefits for Europe.

The report can be downloaded here

(Dec 2011) UK to build atmospheric sentinel. British industry has been contracted to build a major European satellite to monitor atmospheric composition.

A new earth observation satellite is to be launched, tracing different gases and aerosols in the air.

British industry has been contracted to build the satellite, but confusion over funding sources may delay its implementation.

The compact satellite, known as Sentinel 5 Precursor (S5P), is a next- generation imaging absorption spectrometer that will trace chemical species from protective gases such stratospheric ozone to damaging pollutants like sulphur dioxide. The45.5 million (40m) project is one ofmany satellites commissioned by the EU under the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. However, the European Commission wants to fund these projects outside of the main EU budget, leaving operational budgets unsecured.

Futureobservation spacecraft will not be ready until 2020, with Esas Envistat and Nasas Aura currently under construction. Sentinel 5 will fill the gap until this time, eventually flying on Europes future polar orbiting weather spacecraft (hence the name precursor).

The ambitious project will help forge and enforce new European laws by collecting key environmental data. However, funding still needs to be assured.

Dr Liebig, director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA, told the BBC: “We are in very good shape but we need to make a decision next year on the launch of the first Sentinel”

“This is a problem for us if we do not have an operational budget assured. We could find ourselves in a situation where the satellites are ready on the ground but with no operational budget to put them in space.”

Posted by Joseph Hutton
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New remote sensing technologies with applications such as predicting problems with ocean fish stocks and assessing natural disasters were reported at conferences sponsored recently in Prague by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The papers and others from SPIE Remote Sensing have been published in the SPIE Digital Library, with freely accessible abstracts and full papers available by rental, pay-per-view or subscription.

Color tells the story

To better predict the health of ocean fish stocks, a team from the University of Malta and the European Commission Joint Research Centre statistically compared ocean color values from satellites with values collected in the field. Surface runoff from land can affect ocean fish stocks by inhibiting the vitality of chlorophyll in phytoplankton – the basis of marine food webs. Ocean color can be used to gauge the productivity of a marine area since it is the measure of suspended chlorophyll pigment found in the microscopic phytoplankton. Their report is published in “A first attempt at testing correlation between MODIS ocean colour data and in situ chlorophyll — measurements within Maltese coastal waters.”

Oil and fish

In the Gulf of Mexico, oil and dispersant chemicals left after the Deepwater Horizon spill covered critical fish spawning and larval areas. Researchers from Ocean Research and Conservation Association and the Florida Institute of Technology used biogeographical analyses to gain insights on these impacts of these substances. The team reported that oil on the sea surface and the timing of its occurrence likely impacted the developing eggs and larvae of bluefin tuna, blue marlin and other fishes whose eggs concentrate in the sea surface microlayer (SML) — the topmost millimeter. The SML also concentrates petroleum, petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, tar, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals and plastics. Exposure to oil and oil dispersants causes acute toxicity, narcosis and eventual death in marine fish larvae. Surface oil has been detected in 100% of the northernmost whale shark sightings, 32.8% of the bluefin tuna spawning area and 38% of the blue marlin larval area. In their paper “Potential impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on large pelagic fishes,” the research team reported how they georeferenced historical ichthyoplankton surveys and published literature to map targeted spawning and larval areas in the Gulf with daily satellite-derived images.

Earthquake impacts

Depending on its magnitude and location, an earthquake may have unexpectedly complex impacts, and affected areas may be difficult to access in order to assess the damage. After the 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Japan on 11 March 2011, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) provided images acquired by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) to national and local governments of Japan, to aid in disaster recovery and restoration. JAXA also received and analyzed more than 5,000 scenes via the International Disaster Charter and Sentinel Asia, and supported the governments through its Disaster Management Support Systems Office. Their paper is titled “Disaster monitoring for Japan Earthquake with satellites by JAXA.”

More examples of applications of remote sensing, in monitoring wetlands and areas of coal mining and in certifying organic crops, are reported in the blog Photonics for a Better World.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 180,000 constituents from 168 countries, the Society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. SPIE provided over $2.3 million in support of education and outreach programs in 2010.

Source SPIE

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) is recommending that the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) move the procurement process for geospatial technology under the auspices of the General Services Administration (GSA). Why? The NGAC has deep concerns about how well the FGDC has performed its statutory duties. This article provides information on the NGAC’s additional warnings and “barriers to success” for the FGDC.

At an October 2011 meeting, the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) discussed recommendations that the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) move the procurement process for geospatial technology under the auspices of the General Services Administration (GSA). Recognizing that the GSA has a “history of providing common solutions and services across the government,” the NGAC also recommended that a new initiative, Geographic Information Services (GIS) for the Nation (recognized by Congressional Research Service), “should combine the current FGDC support for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure with the functions of the Managing Partner for the Geospatial Platform.”

In a letter to the NGAC dated December 22, 2011, Anne Castle, chairperson of the FGDC and assistant secretary for Water and Science at the Department of Interior, revealed that “the General Accountability Office (GAO) is initiating an evaluation of Federal initiatives aimed at coordinating investments in geospatial data – specifically, activities coordinated by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and OMB [the Office of Management and Budget]. The evaluation is being conducted at the request of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”

In its most recent findings, the NGAC expressed deep concern over how the FGDC was performing its statutory duties under the OMB A-16 Circular. The NGAC questioned whether the FGDC could “account for the costs of acquiring, coordinating, and managing geospatial information” and whether the FGDC is doing its job of “coordinating with the state and local entities that have an increasing stake in geospatial information.”

The NGAC pointed to a number of “barriers to success” for the FGDC, not the least of which was “political discord that inhibits development of new initiatives,” a “lack of interest in common data buys and/or licenses,” and an “absence of senior level commitment to the goals of the FGDC.” The NGAC hence suggested that “successful environments cannot be driven solely by top-down approaches” and that “unfunded mandates and supposedly one-size-fits-all solutions are not popular.”

Other barriers cited within its October report to the FGDC included these specific issues:

  • Lack of enforcement of OMB Circular A-16 responsibilities
  • Lack of federal government regulatory authority to acquire geospatial data from state, local and tribal partners
  • Legal constraints, such as Title 13, that inhibit data sharing between the Census Bureau and local partners
  • Poorly structured programs that do not recognize the value of geospatial data or linkages to the other programs (Broadband Mapping)
  • Lack of financial incentives to promote data creation partnerships such as Imagery for the Nation (IFTN), Transportation for the Nation (TFTN) or Parcels for the Nation (PFTN)

The NGAC recommended four basic approaches for development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI):

  • Adopt a funding formula that provides resources to all participants on a non-competitive basis, coupled with grants of sufficient size and duration to achieve expected outcomes.
  • Fund projects that are of a sufficient scale to provide well-designed empirical tests of the hypotheses underlying the NSDI goals, and allow for adequate documentation and dissemination of results.
  • Initiate future partnership programs by the FGDC conceived in the context of all relevant partnership programs; should be designed to augment and leverage them to achieve maximum impact.
  • Develop metrics that can be used to monitor long-term progress in the adoption of the principles and programs of the NSDI among agencies at all levels of government.

The NGAC believes the GeoPlatform development process provided an apt template for future public/private partnership ventures. It set an example of the synthesis of “vast information assets of the Federal, State, regional, local, and Tribal governments, the private sector, academia, and citizens to provide the on-the-ground situational awareness required to make wise decisions.”

In summary, the NGAC saw many areas where the FGDC has lacked coordination and success in fulfilling its primary mission. The committee expressed a need for change, specifically in the area of budgetary control. The October meeting summary stated, “The NGAC believes there is a need to reconfigure, focus, reposition, empower and authorize the FGDC as the national lead for developing, managing and assuring Geospatial Information Services for the Nation … These services are critical to support the development of information products required by the public sector, and form the basis for the Geospatial Platform and the implementation of A-16 Supplemental Guidance.” The NGAC will provide additional analysis on the matter in a report titled “Innovative Strategies for Geospatial Partnerships,” expected at the end of January 2012.

EDITOR’S UPDATE – January 4, 2012: Dr. David Cowen, co-chairman of the NGAC, wrote to me to provide additional clarification to this report in particular that some of the challenges facing the FDGC were noted in a report by the Congressional Research Service (pdf). His are comments are as follows:

  • The most important [clarifications] are that NGAC is still discussing the final recommendations that will be included in the innovative strategies report. The report will be discussed at the public meeting on January 12 and the final report with recommendations will be released shortly after the meeting.
  • The list of barriers is the working opinion of the subcommittee – it may be revised in the final report
  • In terms of quoting the Congressional Research service – we certainly thought that their observations are worth noting – I am sure the GAO has already read the CRS report.

Source Directionsmag

Discover ESA’s ice mission, track it in real time and obtain the latest measurements with the new CryoSat application. CryoSat is measuring the thickness of polar sea ice and monitoring changes in the ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica.

The CryoSat iPhone and iPad application – or CryoSatApp – is now available at Apple’s App Store.

CryoSatApp’s main menu provides access to four sections: mission description, a 3D model of the satellite, position tracking and data visualisation.

In the first section, users can easily find information on the CryoSat mission, including images, videos, archived news and an overview of how CryoSat obtains and delivers data.

The 3D model feature allows users to zoom in on how the satellite is built and discover its instruments – such as the radar altimeter for measuring ice thickness.

Information on CryoSat’s current position is automatically updated, including its visibility over selected ground stations. Users can also track the satellite’s position in relation to the iPhone or iPad’s geographical location.

But it’s the data feature that makes this app unique. Not only does it give access to all of CryoSat’s measurements, it can help you visualise the ice sheets by providing a vertical profile over the area.

All geophysical parameters stored in the CryoSat products can be easily displayed at the touch of your fingertips as soon as they are generated on the ground. Users can select the day and orbit from which they want to extract the data, and view Earth’s ice profile from that orbit.

This is a remarkable tool for students and scientists engaged in using CryoSat products.

ESA has a new Earth Observation Data Policy, which allows for free and open access to satellite data.

Since its launch in April 2010, CryoSat-2 has been collecting data to improve our understanding of the relationship between ice and climate.

In June 2011, the first map of Arctic sea-ice thickness was unveiled. The satellite will continue to monitor the changing ice for years to come.

Source ESA

Earth Observations for the Social Benefit of the Balkans – Post GEO Workshop

OBSERVE, BALKANGEONET and EGIDA FP7 projects organized 18-19 November, 2011 the Post GEO Workshop in Istanbul, Turkey. The workshop attracted 88 experts, stakeholders, local policy makers and academics that had the opportunity to get informed on the latest developments regarding International and European Earth Observation developments and participate in vivid debates on the future of EO in the Balkans.

Description of the event

Balkan countries do not have a coherent and continuous approach towards the challenge of implementing integrated Earth Observation (EO) applications in environmental monitoring and management. The defect in the implementation of EO applications and their use in the environmental decision making are manifested through the limited synergies among national and regional institutions, ineffective technological means and discontinuous record of participation to international organizations and committees. On the other hand, the increasing importance of a common approach towards effective environmental monitoring practices, for the benefit of the societal web of the broader Balkan region, calls for immediate action, setting as a starting point the built up of regional institutional capacity and spillage of technology transfer.

The Post-GEO Workshop had the following aims

  • Inform audience on EO activities with focus on European institutions (aims, actions, near-term future plans).
  • Exchange views on how the above relate to EO activities in Southeastern Europe.
  • Inform speakers and leading EO institutions on needs regarding EO in Southeastern Europe.
  • Build-up acquaintances, networks and co-operations, with focus on Capacity Building and more extensive use of EO in Southeastern Europe, incl. possible contributions of related EU projects in European activities.

The Post-GEO Workshop was held in Conference Center of Maçka Campus of Istanbul Technical University (in turkish – “ITU Maçka Sosyal Tesisleri”), located in the centre of Istanbul – Maçka (exact pronounciation – “machka”) district, just near the Taksım Area. The accommodation of participants will be organized in nearest hotels in Taksim Area.

You can download the event program here geo workshop agenda.pdf

Presentations and Workshop results

The three FP7 projects (OBSERVE, BGNet, EGIDA) should closely cooperate for the recognition of existing gaps as for Science and Technology roadmaps proposed by European and international initiatives, like INSPIRE and GEO GEOSS. EGIDA presented a Methodology as a possible starting point. In addition the initiatives should exploit and Brokering approach (developed in the context of the FP7 EuroGEOSS project) with existing networks and training activities/initiatives (GEO, ISPRS, IEEE, etc) and Consider also existing international standards and available technologies (e.g. ISO/OGC, INSPIRE, EuroGEOSS Broker, etc.).Finally, possibilities of seeking common funding opportunities for Horizon 2014-2020: Research/Innovation/Education on EO and space related were discussed.

Workshop results and conclusions will be presented in details in the deliverable of OBSERVE project D3.3. In addition all workshop presentations can be downloaded from our Knowledge Base Repository at www.observe-fp7.eu

Promoting use of Earth Observation Data for the social benefit of the Balkans

Objectives of the Competition

Participants from the Balkans are invited to analyse given air quality data sets and to report their findings to the organizers of the competition. The analysis results shall describe typical phenomena that are contained in the data such as pollution levels, their spatial relationships, temporal evolutions, etc.

Every participant is given access to a time series of air quality data that cover the entire Balkan region. Our aim is to acquaint the participants with data that shall be interpreted from different perspectives such as local and temporal phenomena, intensity variations, observed patterns, etc. The individual findings shall then be submitted to the organizers of the competition as a written report. A committee will assess the submissions and select a first prize winner and two runner-ups.

We expect to attract interest from academia (in particular, students) as well as from individuals being employed by institutions that want to learn more about the potential of Earth observation data for the Balkan area.

The prize winners will be given the opportunity to present their results during the final event of the OBSERVE project that will be organized October 2012 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Travel funding (air tickets, accommodation and registration fee, for OBSERVE’s final event in Thessaloniki) will be offered to the prize winners by the OBSERVE project.

Furthermore the prize winners’ contributions will be published to SEE-J-EOG (South-Eastern European Journal of Earth Observation and Geomatics).

Download the detailed guidelines for the OBSERVE competition and join us in Thessaloniki 2011. Detailed information regarding the competition can be downloaded from our website: www.observe-fp7.eu

Important Dates
Submission Deadline:30-04-2012

Join our Competition and present your results during the final event in Thessaloniki, Greece in October 2012 for free.

The nine societal benefit areas (Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate, Disasters, Ecosystems, Energy, Health, Water, Weather), identified by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) member states, clearly shows that Earth Observation is here only to benefit the citizens.

This global effort can be traced in International Organizations and Initiatives like GEO (Group on Earth Observations), GEOSS Global Earth Observation System of Systems), CEOS (Committee on Earth Observation Satellites), and so on.

European Union lists its EO priority actions: satellite navigation, space for the benefit of the environment and the fight against climate change, secure space, and space exploration.

Therefore a global picture of EO industry is progressing with actors, such as:

  • (a) Providers of EO data, who are either public institutions or commercial enterprises;
  • (b) Users of EO data, who are either institutions, companies, or the general public; and
  • © Sources of EO data, which are either sensors/instruments, models/simulators, or databases.

The major effort is to provide timely, accurate and costly data for Land monitoring, Marine environment monitoring, Atmosphere monitoring, Emergency management, Security, and Climate change with the use of aerial-and satellite-based EO. And this requires, on one hand, user consultation, followed by algorithmic studies, processing activities, and validation efforts to convert satellite data and calibration constants into physically realistic information; on the other hand, a common processing approach guarantees the long term generation of consistent and traceable results.

Finally, ICT technologies emerged and provided the infrastructure for Open Geodata Standardization, uniformity in data (e.g. EU INSPIRE Directive) and wide availability of data sources through Geo portals (e.g. UNEP Geodata, FAO Geo-network, ICSU World Data System, EU INSPIRE Geoportal, EEA Urban Atlas, etc.)
Balkan countries, on the other hand, do not have a coherent and continuous approach towards the challenge of implementing integrated EO applications in environmental monitoring and management. The defect in the implementation of EO applications and their use in the environmental decision making are manifested through the limited synergies among national and regional institutions, the lack of substantial infrastructure, ineffective technological means and discontinuous record of participation to international organizations and committees.

The South-Eastern European Journal of Earth Observation and Geomatics (SEEJoEOG) aims at offering a scientific forum to experts from South-Eastern Europe, in order to enhance the scientific dialogue, fill the existing gap in policies and applications, build-up acquaintances, establish networks and co-operations and contribute to regional capacity building.

For this reason it is free, open-access, e-journal to all; both authors and readers.

Our major concern is not to exclude anybody from this effort. All stakeholders of EO research, industry, academia and policy making, either situated or having interest in the region of SEE, are welcome to contribute and cordially invited to support our effort.

The Aristotle University is gratefully acknowledged for offering this free service to our scientific society.

24 – 27 September 2012. Edinburgh International Conference Centre, United Kingdom

SPIE Remote Sensing, the premier European meeting focuses on recent breakthroughs in atmospheric and earth surface sensing, next-generation satellites, SAR image analysis and techniques, image and signal processing, and more. In 2012, the 19th SPIE Remote Sensing as well as the collocated SPIE Security + Defence will be held from 24 – 27 September at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Scotland, UK. Both events are supported by Scottish Enterprise, Selex Galileo, and Thales as well as a number of cooperating organizations such as EARSC, and the Scottish Optoelectronics Association. For more information on abstract submission and how to participate in the exhibition, please visit http://spie.org/remote-sensing-europe.xml

Call for Papers 2012, the premier European meeting focuses on recent breakthroughs in atmospheric and earth surface sensing, next-generation satellites, SAR image analysis and techniques, image and signal processing, and more.

Abstracts are due by 2 April 2012
Call for Papers Information:

Papers are being accepted in these areas:

  • Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology
  • Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions
  • Sensors, Systems, and Next-generation Satellites
  • Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere
  • Optics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems
  • SAR Image Analysis, Modeling, and Techniques
  • Image and Signal Processing for Remote Sensing
  • Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications
  • Lidar Technologies, Techniques, and Measurements for Atmospheric Remote Sensing
  • High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing
  • Special Joint Session on Remote Sensing and Natural Disasters: Remote Sensing 2012
  • Special Joint Session on Airborne Remote Sensing: Remote Sensing 2012

Submit your abstract today. We look forward to your participation.

SPIE Remote Sensing is co-located with SPIE Security + Defence. Collaborate on topics of mutual interest with your peers at these premier events.

SPIE Remote Sensing is managed by SPIE Europe.