Transcript GI for disaster response

GEOINFORMATICS APPLICATIONS TO DISASTER RESPONSE
M. Lee Allison Governor’s Office of Science and Energy Policy (Kansas), [email protected]
Jeremy Bartley Kansas Geological Survey, [email protected]
Abstract
Many of the elements of geoinformatics are well suited for a new
way to facilitate more rapid, comprehensive, and effective response to
disasters: web-services, distributed data base interoperability, real-time
global sharing of information, among others.
In the immediate aftermath of a major disaster, natural or manmade, information is often the most valuable commodity and the least
available resource. Increasingly, responders to disasters are using
computers and the internet to catalogue information and share it among
local users. By placing that data on the web however, we can use newly
developed geoinformatics capabilities to link them to baseline information
accessible from throughout the globe, link and integrate all the various
responders, and provide a synoptic view of the situation in near-real time
to the rest of the world. With more accurate and timely assessment of
the extent and nature of damage, aid can be more effectively identified
and delivered.
“Mapdex” (www.mapdex.org) is a prototype component of the
emerging 4-D search engine essential to geoinformatics. Mapdex creates
an index of publicly available ArcIMS services built on the Google
premise. Mapdex harvests geospatial data globally, by command or
automatically, without having any prior knowledge of the datas existence
or location. Mapdex allows the user to map multiple map services
simultaneously from within one Web-based application.
Mapdex currently indexes over 1,400 servers, 24,600 map services,
containing over 350,000 GIS layers, covering more than 3.25 million
columns. Testing this following the recent Indonesian earthquake and
tsunami, we readily created automatically geo-referenced maps
comprised of various layers of infrastructure (e.g., population
distribution, hospitals, roads, airports) overlain by satellite images before
and after the events, local aerial photos, and mapped data being posted
daily by local agencies responding to the disaster.
Existing geoinformatics capabilities can be deployed and employed
now at minor cost to facilitate global disaster response. Enhancements
to geoinformatics will be wise investments with huge societal benefits
relative to costs.
II. Geoinformatics Attributes are Wellsuited for Disaster Response
Establishing a map portal:
Integrated computing environment that provides access to information, models,
problem solving capabilities, and communication
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cyberinfrastructure elements:
• knowledge base (digital libraries)
Search, using Mapdex, for keyords or locations
Add layers to theme
Set geogrpahic extent, using map or gazeteer
View theme on map viewer
• links to measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV)
• links to process models (data/model integration, model coupling)
• links to higher-level integrative models (system dynamics)
• links to decision support (analysis, visualization..)
IV. Application in the Indian Ocean Tsunami
Real-time, seamless integration of responder data and baseline information
• web-based access to distributed map services, including data and
tools
Web
Server
• Give managers the ability to build targeted geographic portals for
responders
Map
Server
Field Worker
Public
• queries across globally distributed databases
• geographic information services (GIServices) include online tools for
visualization and analysis (map viewer…)
Spatial
Data Engine
Knowledge Base
Analyst
Data
Warehouse
Measurement,
Monitoring, &
Verification (MMV)
Model
Warehouse
Decision Maker
GIS as the "glue"
Adapted from Paul Rich,
Los Alamos National Lab
I. Disaster Aftermath
Information is the most valuable commodity and the least available
resource
Example Problem: East Asian tsunami,
resulting from 9.0 earthquake,
Observations/Tools Needed:
Tsunami gauges (buoys, tide gauges,
seismometers, etc.) in Indian Ocean
High resolution topography and
bathymetry in coastal areas
Common alerting protocol and system
Outcomes/Benefits: Relevant and timely
forecasts and warning to mitigate future
loss of life
The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a long-term effort
Developing close co-ordination of global observation strategies for the next 10 years;
identify new observations
Building on existing work to produce data products on atmosphere, land, fresh water, oceans
and ecosystems
Improving world-wide reporting and archiving of data and filling observational gaps of
coverage in existing systems
Emphasize interoperability and reciprocal data-sharing
Developing an implementation plan to achieve these objectives by the next ministerial
conference
Data management issues:
Current systems are already being challenged
New observing systems may generate 100-fold increases in data
Need to develop access, transmission, and archiving systems
Field
Measurement
III. A Geoinformatics Example:
Harvesting Geospatial Data Globally
Create a real-time index of internet map services
Many groups have tried to build catalogs of spatial
data.
State Clearinghouses
Federal Government Initiatives
They all rely on manual publishing of metadata
They are similar to early web search engines that
took submissions for websites
For effective response, we must
• search all available map services with or
without the owners permission and/or
knowledge
• avoid reliance on the owners of the data to
“publish” metadata about the mapservices and
the underlying data to the portal
V. The Future
Geoinformatics-cyberinfrastructure will be an integral component of disaster response efforts
• expand initial web-based data access and GIServices (Mapdex et al...)
to build a complete global cyberinfrastructure
that integrates all elements of disaster response, science, and decision support
• ensure coordination with national and international efforts (Geospatial One-stop, National
Map, IGO, GEOSS,...)
• build an integrated mapviewer that can view multiple layers from multiple servers in
realtime
• create infrastructure to build dynamic targeted portals that package mapserver layers from
multiple mapservices such as USGS DEM, landcover, & local data
Mapdex reprojects the various layer
envelopes to a common projection
(geographic-latitude/longitude)
Now we can query mapservice layers
by geographic location (all layers within
state, county, zip code, etc.)
VI. Conclusions
Geoinformatics will be a critical component of global disaster response measures.
Geoinformatics can be deployed immediately in a rapid response mode to complement the
• Mapdex: a near-global index of 1,432 servers, serving 24,647 map services,
containing over 350,000 GIS Layers, covering more than 3,250,000 columns (as of
April 25, 2005)! www.mapdex.org
permanent, global system.