The Earth Systems Modeling and Data Management Laboratory
supports the Life Science Services Contract. A major component of that
contract is to utilize emerging technologies permitting data generation
and the logical warehousing, analysis, synthesis, and visualization of
data that (1) assists in the interpretation of ecological processes and
(2) permits a proactive approach to ecological research and environmental
management. This endeavor involves development of a diverse set of information
tools including rule-based expert systems, numerical models, time series
analysis, and fusion of a variety of data collection systems and databases.
Visualization of Earth Systems Modeling and Data Management
Schema
Key priorities as
they pertain to environmental initiatives include:
- Provide data and
synthesized information to optimize the management of natural resources.
- Develop
a conceptual/mathematical understanding of our complex ecosystem
and provide framework needed to continuously reevaluate our data
needs.
- Incorporate remote
sensing and advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) technology
into the decisionmaking process.
- Enhance capabilities
to comply with Federal and state environmental regulations.
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Major initiatives
and activities include:
- Development of
geography network to disseminate spatial data and information through
the World Wide Web.
- Assessment of
wildland fire risk using local meteorological grid as source data.
Analysis is fully automated providing hourly updates (24/7) of current
situation (http://dugong.ksc.nasa.gov/fireman/).
- Acquisition (automated
loading in an Oracle relational database) and dissemination (via
the Web) of real-time meteorological conditions at KSC (http://geomod.ksc.nasa.gov/).
- Development of
a hyperspectral database and a Web interface archive and analysis
of spectral scans. Hyperspectral data are used to develop methodologies
in extracting information on various environmental parameters (e.g.,
water quality, vegetation classification) from airborne or spaceborne
remotely sensed imagery.
- Establishment
of the Remote Sensing and Environmental Optics (ReSEO) Laboratory
to assist in developing methodologies for estimating various environmental
parameters, such as water quality and vegetation characteristics
from airborne and satellite-based radiometric imagers.
- Initiating development
of a rule-based expert classifier to interpret data fusion of soil/plant
associations, radiometric estimates of biomass, and laser-imaged
(LIDAR) structural geometry to characterize the natural landscape
in relation to wildland fuels and habitats.
- Support of Indian
River Lagoon Wetlands Initiative to evaluate management alternatives
to local wetlands.
- Development of
visualization and dissemination techniques for the Rocket Effluent
Exhaust and Dispersion Model (REEDM).
Collection of Downwelling Radiation (400 to 2,000 Nanometers)To Correct
Imagery for Atmospheric Effects
Contacts:
Dr. W.M. Knott (William.Knott-1@ksc.nasa.gov),
YA-D3, (321) 867-6987; and K.A. Gorman, TA-C, (321) 867-6176
Participating Organization: Dynamac Corporation (R. Schaub, M. Gimond, and M.J.
Provancha)
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