Overview of the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Program

A project of NASA Applied Sciences

Overview of the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Program

Amita V. Mehta and Ana I. Prados

NASA-University of Maryland Baltimore County Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET)

NASA Biodiversity and Ecological Forecasting Meeting 24 April 2013 amita.v.mehta@nasa.gov, aprados@umbc.edu

Outline

NASA Capacity Building Program

ARSET Activities

How can ARSET help Applied Science Team members?

NASA’s Capacity Building Program

SERVIR Coordination Office (MSFC)Building international capacity with hubs in

-East Africa -Hindu Kush - Himalaya

-Mesoamerica

Gulf of Mexico Initiative, GOMI (SSC)Building Gulf region’s capacity for local

environmental management

Applied Remote SEnsing Training, ARSET (GSFC)

On-line and hands on basic/advanced training tailored to end-uses organizations

DEVELOP (LaRC national office)Dual student/local government capacity

building using collaborative projects22

NASA Earth ScienceApplied Sciences Program

Ecological Ecological ForecastingForecasting

AgriculturalAgriculturalEfficiencyEfficiency

Weather Weather

ClimateClimate

WaterWaterResourcesResources

Disaster Disaster ManagementManagement

Public HealthPublic Health

Applications to Decision Making: Thematic Areas

Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET)

Objectives•Provide end-users with professional technical workshops•Build long term partnerships with communities and institutions in the public and private sectors.

Online and hands-on courses:• Who: policy makers, environmental managers, modelers and other professionals in the public and private sectors.

Where: U.S. and internationally

• When: throughout the year.

• Do NOT require prior remote- sensing background.• Presentations and guided computer exercises and case studies on how to access, interpret and use NASA satellite images for decision-support.

Hands on Training

ARSET Trainings Include:Remote Sensing and Numerical Modeling Data

Satellite Data

In Situ Data

NumericalModels

Basic in person course • For individuals and institutions new to remote sensing

Basic online courses • Provide background material

in preparation for in person trainings

Advanced in person and online courses

• Focused on a specific application/problem: for example monitoring fire and smoke in the western US (summer 2012), sever flooding in Mozambique (January 2013).

• Requires basic online or in person course.

ARSET Training Activities

• Advertise via list-serv and Webpage• Collaborate with NASA Applied Science PIs• Collaborate with NASA Data Centers

• Advertise via list-serv and Webpage• Collaborate with NASA Applied Science PIs• Collaborate with NASA Data Centers

• Identify end-users/host-institution

• Discuss and plan training

• Identify end-users/host-institution

• Discuss and plan training

Prepare Training Modules

Prepare Training Modules

Conduct Training :Online PresentationsHands-on activities Case Studies

Conduct Training :Online PresentationsHands-on activities Case Studies

Project Evaluation: Surveys and Feedback

Project Evaluation: Surveys and Feedback

What is Remote Sensing?Instruments/sensors and types

Types of satellite orbit around the earth

Spatial and Temporal Resolutions and Coverage

Overview of parameters available from NASA

Geophysical quantities derived from satellite measurements

quality and accuracy of the derived quantities

availability, access, format

applications and usage

Basic Training

End-users requested and designed for their needs

Specific data parameters and applications

Learn: > details of data formats, download, analysis tools > how to incorporate in Decision Support Tools

> Computer-based case studies

Advanced Training

Examples:

Using AIRS CO to Track Forest Fire Plumes

Flood Monitoring over Mozambique

Basic Training Web-Tools

Access to imagery, Data analysis and visualization Access to imagery, Data analysis and visualization without downloadingwithout downloadingExamplesExamples::Giovanni http://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov/

GLOVIS http://glovis.usgs.gov/

Examples:Examples:

Global Land Cover Facility http://glcf.umd.edu/data/

TRMM near-real time TRMM near-real time http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/FloodFlood MonitoringMonitoring publications_dir/publications_dir/

potential_flood_hydro.htmlpotential_flood_hydro.html

Advanced Training Web-ToolsData and Application Focus

Heavy Rain in Early May caused Severe Flooding in Tennessee, Arkansas

TRMM-TMPA 3B42 Over a large area rainfall greater than 50 mm day

was observed on 1 May 2011

From Giovanni web-tool

0.5 10 20 30 40 500.5 10 20 30 40 50

Daily Precipitation (mm/day) 01 May 2011

Lower Mississippi Flood

Total Atmospheric Moisture Dramatically increased between April 30th and May 1, 2011 -- from MERRA

From Giovanni web-tool

Cloudiness increases between April 30th and May 1, 2011 -- from AIRS

Lower Mississippi Flood

April 30 MAY 1

Orbital Gaps

Ascending

orbitD

escending orbit

Cloud fraction (fraction of a grid covered by clouds) – from 0 (totally cloud-free) to 1 (total overcast)

From Giovanni web-tool

22001100

July 12-27 2010 July 12-27 2011

MODIS NDVI over US Southern Plains

Much sparser vegetation in 2012

From http://pekko.geog.umd.edu/usda/beta/

ARSET Trainings by Societal Benefit Area

2009 – March 2013: +800 End-users Reached

Since 2008

Since 2011

Number of Trainings per State

1515

ARSET Trainings: : 2009 – March 2013

Does NOT include Federal Agencies:

NOAA, USGS, USAID, USACE, BLM, Bureau Rec

US Forest Service, National Park Service, EPA

Number of Trainings + Participating Organizations

1616

Include:CountyStateTribalAcademicPrivate Sector

ARSET Trainings International: 2009 – March 2013

1717

ARSET Trainings International: 2009 – March 2013

Air Quality

• Online course: February –

March

• Hands-on course: Salt Lake

City, Utah- April 22-25

Recent Training Activities

Water Resources/Disasters

• Online course: February – • March (snow Products)Products)

• Hands-on course:Hands-on course: World World Bank, Washington DC, Bank, Washington DC, March 7March 7

Ecoforecasting-related training (New)Fall 2013- Summer 2014

ARSET Air Quality http://airqualityr.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Publically available

modules and case studies

Training Schedule

ARSET Water Resource Management http://water.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Publically available modules and case studies

in English and Spanish

Training Schedule

NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Websites• http://water.gsfc.nasa.gov/ (Water/Disasters)• http://airquality.gsfc.nasa.gov/ (Air Quality)

Water Resources/Disasters• https://lists.nasa.gov/mailman/listinfo/nasa-water-

training

Updates and notification of upcoming workshops Air Quality• https://lists.nasa.gov/mailman/listinfo/arset

ARSET Web Sites and UpdatesUpdates

ARSET: Summary

• NASA remote sensing and model-based data applications

• Web-based tools available for data access, analysis, and downloading

• Choices of quantities from various sources according to applications and end-user needs

• ARSET Team works with end-users through ‘hands-on’ trainings to facilitate applications and decision support activities

Where Do You Come in?

• ARSET works directly with NASA-funded PIs

• ARSET can help disseminate YOUR applied research and decision support tools

• For more information and for scheduling trainings please Contact:

Ana Prados Ana.I.Prados@nasa.gov

Thank You!