Transcript Understanding and Protecting Our Home Planet

Earth System Science & Applications
Advisory Committee Report
Larry Smarr
ESSAAC Chair
NAC Meeting December 3, 2003
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ESE Fundamental Science Questions
How is the Earth changing and what are the
consequences of life on Earth?
How is the global Earth system changing?
What are the primary forcings of the Earth system?
How does the Earth system respond to natural and
human-induced changes?
What are the consequences of changes in the Earth
system for human civilization?
How well can we predict future changes in the Earth
system?
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NASA Earth Science Research Satellites
Jason
Landsat 7
Aqua
SORCE
SAGE III
QuikScat
EO-1
SeaWiFS
ICESat
TRMM
SeaWinds
ACRIMSAT
TOMS-EP
ERBS
GRACE
Terra
UARS
TOPEX/Poseidon
Next Generation Missions
The Earth Sensorweb Concept Involves Satellites Working In
Intelligent Constellations, Adapting To Observed And Modeled Changes
And Delivering Tailored Information Products From Space To Science Users
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Components of a Future Global System for Earth Observation
Technology Emphasis Areas
Earth System Science in the future will
leverage three ongoing technology
revolutions:
Geospatial
Computing
Communications
...to enable timely and affordable delivery of
Earth Science data and information to users
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NASA Earth System Science IT Challenges
EOSDIS Currently:
• Ingests Nearly 3 Terabytes of Data Each Day
• In 2003 it Delivered Over 25 Million Data Products
• In Response to Over 2.3 Million User Requests
• Making It the Largest “e-Science” System in the World
This Capability Must Evolve To Handle Still Larger Data Volumes
As Well As New Data Types (e.g. Laser-LIDAR Data)
Earth System Modeling is a Driving Requirement for High-End
Computing, and will Continue to be so as Models:
• Increase in Resolution and
• Are Further Coupled
• (e.g., Atmosphere-Ocean-Land Processes)
Other Agencies are Learning from EOSDIS and are Moving Beyond.
As NASA Lays Out the Evolution of its Information Infrastructure to
Meet its Earth Science Challenges Over The Next Decade, it will
Again Need to Move to The Leading-Edge.
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A OneNASA Supercomputing Success Story
NASA Centers, Universities, and Industry Collaboration
ECCO simulated ocean surface current (at 15 m)
speed in meters per second
The “Estimating the Circulation and
Climate of the Ocean” (ECCO) Project
at JPL Has Created a Global Ocean
Model Simulation of Velocity and
Temperature at 1/4 Resolution
• ECCO Developed by MIT, SIO, JPL
JPL Working with ARC and GFSC Ran
the ECCO Simulation on the first 512
Node Shared Memory SGI Altix
• Reducing the Time it Takes to do a
5-Year Simulation From 3 Months
To 3 Days
• From Decision to Result in 60 Days!
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www.sgi.com/features/2003/nov/nasa/index.html
Removing Barriers to Earth Observing & Simulation
One Current Barrier: The Low Throughput of Today’s Internet
Even Though Internet2 Backbone is 10 Giga bits per second
• Network is Shared Using TCP/IP Protocol
A Remote NASA Earth Observation System User Only Sees:
• 10-50 Mbps (May 2003) Throughput to Campuses
• Typically Over Abilene From Goddard, Langley, or EROS
• Best FTP with Direct Fiber OC-12: Goddard to UMaryland
• 123 Mbps
• UCSD’s SIO to Goddard (ICESAT, CERES Satellite Data)
• 12.4 Mbps—1/1000 of the Available Backbone Speed!
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http://www.evl.uic.edu/cavern/rg/20030817_he
For Those Who Want the Details…
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Source: Bernard Minster, SIO, UCSD
Parallel Lambdas On Single Optical Fibers
NSF Research Promises Orders of Magnitude Improvement!
• Files Transferred Between Clusters at NCSA and SDSC
• UDP Over Two 10-Gigabps Dedicated TeraGrid Lamdbas
• 18.62 Gbps out of the 20 Gbps Available!
www.evl.uic.edu/cavern/rg/20030817_he
Source:
Steve Wallach
Parallel Lambdas Will Drive This Decade
The Way Parallel Processors Drove the 1990s
Lambdas
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OneNASA SuperNetworking Potential
Linking Goddard, ARC, & JPL with SIO
Using NLR Under Discussion
Source:
Tom West, CEO NLR
“National Lambda Rail” Partnership
Serves Very High-End Experimental and Research Applications
4 x 10Gbps Wavelengths Initially
Capable of 40 x 10Gbps Wavelengths at Build Out
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ESE in the NASA Strategic Plan
In Adopting “To Understand And Protect Our Home Planet” As The First
Element Of The NASA Mission, The NASA Strategic Plan Has Raised The
Visibility Of Earth Science
• ESE Has Embraced This As Its Mission And Message
• The Master Goals/Theme Chart Should Indicate ESE’s Supporting Roles
In Goals 2 And 5
Because The Emphasis In NASA Plan Is On Articulating A Unifying
Framework For Integrated Planning And Budgeting, And Because The
Space Architecture Work Was Just Beginning, The Next Steps Were Largely
Left To The Six Enterprise Plans.
The Next Edition Of The NASA Strategic Plan Should Describe The “High
Points” Of:
• The Space Architecture, Including The Sensorweb Concept For Earth
Science
• The Information Infrastructure To Enable Research, Including Data &
Information Management And High-end Computing
The NASA Strategic Plan Says Little About External Partnerships, And Thus
The Complex External Environment In Which ESE Operates Is Not Readily
Visible
• This Is Addressed At Length In The ESE Strategy Document
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ESE Human Capital Needs
ESE Faces The Same Challenges As Other Research And Technology
Organizations In Recruiting The Future Workforce
ESE-specific Needs Include:
• Scientists Trained In Interdisciplinary Research
• Modelers With Both Scientific And Computer Science Expertise
• Software Engineers To Enable Model Algorithms To Run More Efficiently
On State Of The Art Computational Assets
• Engineers With Expertise In Laser Technology
• Scientific Technologists To Create The Next Generation Of Remote
Sensing Techniques And Sensorweb Implementation
ESE Has A Small But Effective Education Program, Aimed Principally At
Science At The Higher Levels
The NASA Education Enterprise Strategy Outlines A Sound Approach
It Is Up To The ESE/EE Partnership To Create Initiatives That Meet ESE
Needs Within This General Approach
• e.g., Linking Student Fellowship Grant Programs To Recruiting Efforts
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Public Communication
NASA Needs To Get The Word Out That NASA Does Earth
Science To Understand And Protect Our Home Planet
ESE Is Preparing To Issue Its First Outreach And
Communications Plan To Its Internal Management Team.
• It Has Built Its Message On The NASA Mission Statement
Public Communication And Understanding Of The Earth System
Science Concept Pioneered By NASA Is Essential To Turn The
Attention Of Science, Engineering, And Other Students To The
Challenges And Societal Benefits Of ESE
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