AQ & GEOSS Session during ISRSE May 2009

Session Announcement

The evolving Global Earth Observing Sysytem of Systems (GEOSS) infrastructure facilitates the sharing and integration of atmospheric composition observations and models relevant to societal benefit areas (SBAs) such as air quality, chemical climate and atmospheric disasters. Connecting observations and SBAs through GEOSS is particularly timely because:

1. Satellite observations and models of the global and local atmosphere constitute rich and under-utilized resources;
2. Multiple SBAs are actively seeking input from observations and models to improve decision-making;
3. Connecting observations/models to SBA decision makers is currently hampered by the fragmentation of resources and activities.

Topics for papers for this cross-disciplinary session may include: Observations and models of atmospheric composition; Analysis tools, methods and products; Decision-support for health, disaster and other applications; Methods of sharing satellite, surface observations and models through infrastructure, interoperability, catalogs, portals; Community support for communication, cooperation and coordination; Communities of practice. Papers indicating desire to participate in the voluntary GEOSS process and contributing data and other services to the shared resources will be particularly welcomed.

Session Overview

On 6 May 2009, the 33rd ISRSE Symposium held as session on Air Quality & GEOSS. In addition to four talks, posted below, a significant amount of time was held for discussion amongst the presenters, and especially from the audience. This page attempts to capture some of that discussion.

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Presentations:

• John White, EPA, USA: AIRNow-International: The future of the US real-time air quality reporting and forecasting program and GEOSS participation
• Bill Hudspeth, University of New Mexico, USA: Delivery of Forecasted Atmospheric Atmospheric Ozone & Dust for a Public Health Decision-Support System
• David McCabe, EPA, USA: The GEO Air Quality Community of Practice: From Observations to Decision Support
  • McCabe et al. paper submitted to ISRSE: On the AQ Community of Practice
• Erin Robinson, Washington Univ., USA: Enhancing Data Discovery, Understanding and Usage through an Air Quality Metadata System

Discussion:

Lawrence Friedl of NASA Co-chaired the session with Rudy Husar of Washington University. Lawrence moderated the discussion.

Topics discussed:

• AIRNow is a good example of decision support. Gary Foley of EPA suggested that AIRNow push further, for example by creating applications for cell phones that provide users with real-time real-location AQ information. (this is a pilot project that has been investigated and is awaiting a funding opportunity from OEI)
• Many initiatives and programs are underway in Europe. Are these folks communicating with one another? How do we (US AQ Community of Practice - ESIP/GEOSS) find these organizations or communities and engage them? Enabling this communication is a central motivation for activating an Air Quality Community of Practice for GEOSS.
• NASA willing to fund non-U.S. AQ CoP/GEOSS participation - provide Lawrence with ideas/suggestions.
• What should such a CoP do? Ideas:
  • Use social networking. Robin Smith, from JRC, Italy, suggested a Facebook Group.
  • Produce a newsletter.