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Data for Disaster Planning, Response, Management and AwarenessData for Disaster Planning, Response, Management and Awareness

ASDC IntroductionThe Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at NASA Langley Research Center is responsible for the ingest, archive, and distribution of NASA Earth Science data in the areas of radiation budget, clouds, aerosols, and tropospheric chemistry. The ASDC specializes in atmospheric data that is important to understanding the causes and processes of global climate change and the consequences of human activities on the climate. The ASDC currently supports more than 44 projects and has over 1,700 archived data sets, which increase daily. ASDC customers include scientists, researchers, federal, state, and local governments, academia, industry, and application users, the remote sensing community, and the general public.

Way Forward

Future objectives of GIS disaster management implementation at the ASDC are to provide the ability

to complete:

Strategy & Innovation

Using ASDC Data

Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull

GIS can assist decision makers in understanding scope of damage and probable locations where people may be trapped or injured in disaster events. Geospatial technology supports the critical mission of emergency supply chain management. Produced by ASDC data, these ArcGIS maps portray the aftermath of the 2010 volcano eruption in Iceland and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. By utilizing MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometere) data, which is outlined in yellow in the map above, a clear plume of volcanic ash that drifted from Iceland to Europe after the eruption can be observed.

Hurricane Sandy

The red outline in the map above uses both CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) and MISR data products to show the storm track of Hurricane Sandy. The MISR data (right) shows the storm approaching the U.S. East Coast, extending from Florida to Massachusetts, on October 28, 2012. The CALIPSO data (left) shows increased cloud coverage on October 29, 2012 spanning from North Carolina to southern Pennsylvania.

Emily Northup, Matthew Tisdale, & Michael LittleNASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA

Goal #1The ASDC will strive to expand beyond its

existing customer base by increasing accessibility to a broader, worldwide

market; through the use of innovative technologies, the ASDC will enhance data access capabilities and develop plans to share data with new user communities.

GIS and DisastersNASA’s ASDC is piloting the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies that can be leveraged for crisis planning, emergency response, and disaster management awareness. With access to the data holdings of the ASDC the growing GIS community can gain a better understanding of natural disasters and to plan coordinated responses to emergencies. Many different organizations currently use GIS tools and geospatial data during disaster events. Previously, the ASDC datasets had not been fully utilized by this community due to incompatible data formats in which the ASDC data holdings are archived. Through the successful implementation of this pilot, advanced efforts, and continued collaboration with emergency management communities - including the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense - ASDC data will be more easily accessible granting the ability to plan, respond, manage, and provide awareness during disasters.

The ASDC is endeavoring the use of GIS technology to provide agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense with new ways to access and utilize the large volumes of

ASDC data for emergency management.

Pursuant to this goal, the ASDC is exploring and piloting new technologies to implement for enhanced data access capabilities. The datasets collected by ASDC pose unique challenges to science data users due to the sheer volume and variety of the data and the lack of intuitive features of the order tools available to the investigator. To meet the needs of emerging users in the disaster relief community, the ASDC is addressing issues in data discovery and delivery. Through the implementation of GIS using Esri software, the ASDC intends to expand the discovery and access to ASDC data.

In 2012, the ASDC facilitated the development of the first ever strategic plan intended for fiscal year 2013 and beyond. The 2013 Strategic Plan serves as a mission-focused plan with six defined goals, each with supporting objectives and tasks for implementation that emphasize the vision and support the mission and values of the ASDC.

• Investigation of web applications that can leverage geospatial datasets and services for increased access to ASDC data holdings,

• Utilization of analytic tools in order to integrate GIS capabilities into an advanced data architectures that utilizes emerging tools and technologies,

• Integration of geospatial analysis capabilities and tools into the ASDC that can be used for comparing and contrasting disaster events,

• Prediction and preparation for disaster events through the use of GIS technologies integrating ASDC data.

How GIS Supports Disaster Relief

The use of GIS supports disaster relief by providing the ability to:

• Identify potential shelter locations such as schools, libraries, churches, or public buildings proper for supporting affected populations,

• Model the speed, direction, and intensity of an instance in order to warn the public in the event of persistent disaster events,

• Identify suitable locations for logistical support of public safety personnel,

• Analyze areas where relief supplies can be obtained, transported, and delivered to refugee camps,

• Maintain and display the status of response, relief, and recovery efforts.