Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey (2001) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Evolving to Meet National Needs
Evolving to Meet National Needs
Pages 61-118
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 61... ...
Its principal duties are to serve as the DOl's primary source of science expertise and information and as the principal federal agency for science information and research related to conservation and management of natural resources and to natural hazard mitigation. The USGS also has obligations to conduct international activities as part of its mission.
|
From page 62... ...
~; promotes utilization of data and information through a variety of communication channels ranging from published studies to Web sites; provides scientific and technical assistance in the effective use of techniques, products, and information; develops new technologies for the collection, coordination, and interpretation of data; coordinates topographic, geologic, and land use mapping, digital cartography, and water data activities in support of national needs and priorities; provides scientific support and technical advice for legislative, regulatory, and management decisions; and maintains liaison and coordination with scientists and users of relevant natural science information at federal, state, and local levels; with nongovernmental organizations; and with academia and industry. These activities of the USGS are aimed at providing accessible, credible, independent science information that is used to "minimize loss
|
From page 63... ...
; strengthen liaison and coordination mechanisms with related federal agencies and ties with universities and other partners to identify a research agenda that results in an increase in collaborative, multidisciplinary research on critical natural science problems; maintain and improve relations with state and regional government organizations that are users of natural science information; and facilitate the use of science information by the general public and by stakeholders. The USGS engages in international activities that augment and benefit domestic programs and that promote, support, and implement U.S.
|
From page 64... ...
. Solutions to these problems will necessitate innovative scientific approaches, including the application of integrative science that will require the collaboration of scientists from many disciplines both within and outside the agency.
|
From page 65... ...
,, As the science agency of the DOl, the USGS must serve the science requirements of other DOI bureaus while also serving as DOI's instrument for providing science information and advice to the nation. The balance between service to other bureaus within the DOI and service to other clients and customers on behalf of the DO!
|
From page 66... ...
, as exemplified by contracts for the acquisition and production of geospatial data, data management and dissemination, support services, equipment and supplies, and technology and maintenance; an e-maiT list for notification of new publications; and publication of reports on CD-ROM, which incorporate and augment an activity formerly dominated by open-file reports and speed up the publication and distribution process. Opportunities exist for the USGS to improve interactions.
|
From page 67... ...
, EPA, DOE, and NSF) ; maintain and improve relations with state and regional government organizations and with nongovernmental organizations that are users of natural science information; facilitate the use of natural science information by the general public and by stakeholders for critical issues; increase interactions with the private sector, foreign customers, and partners; encourage USGS scientists to publish their research results promptly in journals, present papers at conferences, and convene workshops and seminars; and nurture student interest in the natural sciences at a time of a looming national shortage of technical personnel.
|
From page 68... ...
68 Future Roles and Opportunities for the USGS
|
From page 69... ...
FUTURE PROGRAM EMPHASIS Programmatic activities of the USGS comprise the following overlapping categories: surveys, monitonng, data analysis, research, information dissemination, and product generations The USGS should continue to conduct all of these activities. However, in the first decades of the twenty-first century, the USGS should give more attention than it has in the past to integrative data analysis, problem solving, and inflation dissemination.
|
From page 70... ...
The National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 established the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program to implement and coordinate an expanded geologic mapping effort by the USGS, the state geological surveys, and universities. The primary goal of the program is to collect, process, analyze, translate, and disseminate earth science information through geologic maps (Sidebar 4.2~.
|
From page 71... ...
Evolving to Meet National Needs 71 sews. : ~ ~~ Awes ~ :of : activities :: are ~ supposed: by,:: :- Me ~ ~ Sib: :::
|
From page 72... ...
to capture geomorphology, soils, and hydrologic features that are increasingly important to society. Few geologic maps are designed to integrate geologic information with associated geophysical and biological information.
|
From page 73... ...
for integrative science. System modeling
|
From page 74... ...
Numerical simulations can then be employed to conduct sensitivity tests to quantify the influence of each factor or process in the conceptual model on the future state of the system. Results of numerical simulations are only as reliable as the input data and the degree to which the conceptual model approximates reality.
|
From page 75... ...
Of course, individual scientists or small groups of scientists develop conceptual models, but these are often implicit and abstract, rather than explicit and testable. It is rare for USGS scientists in the GD and BRD to carry conceptual models to the stage of numerical simulation and then go on to reevaluate data needs.
|
From page 76... ...
The USGS is well positioned to develop and maintain the framework for a geospatial information depository and portal for the DOl, providing access to a wide range of science information and derivative products that can support effective decision making. In this role, the agency would: .
|
From page 77... ...
and other federal agencies that maintain geospatial databases. The committee believes that it is in the public interest and a federal responsibility for the research, identification, implementation, and development of an interdisciplinary, multidatabase architecture that will allow disparate databases to become nondestructively interoperable in a common geospatial context and sustainable.
|
From page 78... ...
management agencies that rely on geospatial data are cleveloping databases from their data collection and monitoring activities. The underlying problem is a lack of interoperability among these geospatial databases.
|
From page 79... ...
Evolving to Meet National Needs 79 i.
|
From page 80... ...
Products and standards reflecting the availability of high-resolution satellite imagery from commercial satellites should be adopted as the primary data source for topographic mapping and related thematic geospatial databases, with the National Technical Means Program2 and aircraft imagery as supplemental sources. The USGS no longer enjoys a comparative advantage over the private sector in the production and dissemination of all of its traditional data collection and mapping products.
|
From page 81... ...
The USGS interest in global earthquake monitoring is also stimulated by the fact that the worldwide study of earthquakes is an effective way to understand the nature of these phenomena and the natural hazards within the United States (NRC, 1995b)
|
From page 83... ...
83 t~ sr.
|
From page 84... ...
84 Future Roles and Opportunities for the USGS Volcanic Hazards (Based on activity in the last 15,000 years) l -~ ~ 'em' High Volcano Lower} Hazard \, of High Ashfall Lower} Hazard Map Showing Hurricane Activity 'A The ~,c~nt~rminr~lis United States SI~\ ~ I I l ~ W~ General Areas Of Major Flooding, January 1993 - March 1997 Figure 4.3 Primary extent of potential natural disasters in the United States.
|
From page 85... ...
Primary extent of potential natural disasters in the United States.
|
From page 86... ...
The USGS should maintain and enhance its leadership in the area of assessing resources. For many years, the USGS has provided assessments of energy, mineral, and water resources and, more recently, of biological resources as well.
|
From page 87... ...
Providing information and technical assistance in responding to catastrophic earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, and droughts in foreign countries. Providing technical assistance in the assessment of biological, water, energy, and mineral resources; and the development of data and information standards and regional data-sharing networks—recent examples include water resource assessment in Abu Dhabi; coal exploration in Pakistan and Armenia; petroleum geology in Russia and Ukraine; mineral assessments in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Costa Rica; a famine early-warning system for Africa; and the InterAmerican Biodiversity network.
|
From page 88... ...
Providing expertise in the application of National Technical Means to address relevant national security issues. · Conducting global assessments of energy and mineral resources.
|
From page 89... ...
government in organizations such as the International Hydrologic Program and Mineral Deposit Modeling Program of UNESCO (United Nationals Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) , Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management, International Union of Geological Sciences, International Geographical Union, International Union of Biological Sciences, the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the International Cartographic Association, and the International Quaternary Association.
|
From page 90... ...
They also contribute technical assistance, technology transfer, and education. Given the increasing international and global nature of many natural science problems, there will be more opportunities in the future than in the past for the USGS to pursue international collaborative initiatives.
|
From page 91... ...
The committee intentionally has not prioritized these topics. Hazards: Effective hazard information for communities in high-risk environments Hydrologic processes and hazards Wildfires and public policy Environment: Global climate change Climate variability and water resources Links between geologic processes and human health State of the nation's ecosystems Restoration of aquatic ecosystems Investigations to support wise urban development in the West Natural resources: Life cycles of ore materials Geologic frameworks for transition to a methane fuel economy Short discussions of how the USGS can contribute to each broad topic follow.
|
From page 92... ...
The disaster management community in the United States and foreign countries would benefit substantially from the results of more comprehensive hazard mitigation studies by USGS scientists. An example of a USGS program that provides valuable hazard information is the VoIcano Hazards Program (VHP)
|
From page 93... ...
, state and local agencies, universities, and many private organizations is encouraged. The hazard maps will be helpful to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
|
From page 94... ...
If policy decisions about natural hazards are to be beneficial over the long term, hazards must be treated as processes that occur within natural systems that include society, not as discrete events that act on human society. In this view, the scientific approach to hazards must be unified.
|
From page 95... ...
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis of an appropriate floodplain could lead to the recognition of general principles applicable to both hazard and water resource management. Integrating studies of hazards and environmental processes is beneficial because it can provide valuable information.
|
From page 96... ...
. Fire recycles nutrients, reduces biomass, Influences insect and disease populations, and is the principal change agent affecting vegetative structure, composition, and biological diversity.
|
From page 97... ...
The 1999 acreage represents a 55 percent increase over the 10-year average. In addition to firefighter fatalities and structures burned, air and water quality was degraded in some areas.
|
From page 98... ...
The USGS could lead the mapping of fuel loads, erosion potentials, and effects on stream water quality and could motivate the exploration of options for management of the hazard through prescription burning. There will be effects of any fire management strategy, or no strategy, on the condition of forests, as well as on rates of erosion and sedimentation and on water quality.
|
From page 99... ...
. The implications of climate change for natural hazards fall squarely In the realm of the USGSs history of work on understanding, monitoring, and mitigating hazards.
|
From page 100... ...
Norway ~ — cold Fennoscandian summers · · _ - ~ — warm Fennoscandian summers o°- 2ti' ~ 24 ~ Q u, £ 2322 B Station USE /~ ~~ V 0 500 1000 t 500 2000 2500 3000 Calendar years before present Figure 4.5 Sea surface temperatures in the Sargasso Sea, calculated from oxygen isotope data, indicate greater variability than has been measured over the past for decades. Reprinted (figure)
|
From page 101... ...
Climate Variability ant! Water Resources A central issue about natural and human factors in climate change is its effect on the availability of water in the form of streamflow, lake and reservoir storage, groundwater recharge, and soil moisture in the root zones of croplands and other ecosystems (NRC, l999c)
|
From page 102... ...
This initiative is aimed at improving our understanding of the atmospheric and terrestrial phases of the hydrologic cycle within the Mississippi River Basin and then forging a strong hydrologic component of such national campaigns. The time is appropriate for the USGS to play a stronger collaborative role with NASA, NOAA, USACE, other federal agencies, and the academic community to provide the nation with studies and investigations that improve understanding and predictions of climate-related effects on water resources.
|
From page 103... ...
.. ~ if:: ~-~:G~ C~0al-Scale:~ial~; Links Between Geologic Processes and Human Health Study of the interface between natural sciences and medicine is a nontraditional discipline that has been described by such terms as medical geology and geomedicine (Lag, 1983~.
|
From page 104... ...
Scientists in the USGS, for instance, have in-depth knowledge of biogeochemical cycles, food chain contamination, and factors that affect water quality and quantity. In addition, they have the expertise that should enable them to investigate complex, interdisciplinary problems that span multiple spatial and temporal scales.
|
From page 105... ...
These issues include the assessment of the nation's ecosystems and the scientific basis for ecosystem management. Several critical questions have been posed (Lubchenco et al., 19914: What are the patterns of the diversity of nature and what are their critical ecological and evolutionary dete~inants?
|
From page 106... ...
106 Future Roles and Opportunities for the USGS :~ .
|
From page 107... ...
. These partners include businesses, universities, state and federal agencies, tribes, and nongovernment organizations.
|
From page 108... ...
A federal science agency is necessary for the development of unbiased transferable data, information, and knowledge about aquatic systems. The USGS has the nationwide science infrastructure for this task; the range of technical expertise in terrestrial and aquatic biology, hydrology, sedimentation, and geomorphology; and the capabilities for monitoring, mapping, data analysis, problem solving, and information dissemination, as exemplified by the Tong-term estuarine study of the San Francisco Bay.
|
From page 109... ...
gnoh~tof~l~f ayf ihn:~h1~e>~u;th ~av~s aIldpgdet`' a ur a .~us S7: aDd intense h an adivi ~;h~s ~ rnese-alt abons h~e been cau-sed c~efly ~ ~ersion of ~wa~ ~r hdrnan uses reduction of water flow to ~Gt against floods increase to ~e~r~uh nt supply of ~veLlands~by rundft fhe vise uneorornor plar s anrnals ~at putco~npe2e.rative spee~es. ~P(~Ibtiogs of~ wad aFr b~rds inctu~4g some endan~ ed Nspecies have decI~ned ~ 85-90 per~ent ~n ~ ~ pa~t ~ halfce~ry ~ ar~d n~any species of So t lon a sr a s b ds tephies~a ans'~andplar s are ei r h~reah~d ~ or endangered The present managgrneat -system of canals n ps ad e ees i ~ be able pr e a a e wa er s pplies o ;a~frthfg and uil3an areas or sufD~cient flood protection let alane to sllpport~ lhe natural ~ bU;t~;sevemly~ ~ damaged, ~ ecosystems~ rema~ning ~ as wetiands~Theprese~s:rstem~is~susta~nable.~ : :~ To meet the~ needs of mcreas~g ~population and~agricul~al ~demands ;~r ~water and to begin the restoration~ of Everglades aqualic ecosystem to a more ~naturat~ ~reg~me; an ~ambit~ous~ ~plan called~ the~ Cenbal~ and~ Sou~ I;Ionda~Pr~ect~has been developed ~by~e U S
|
From page 110... ...
and the need to provide clean water supplies in a region that has already begun to face the physical limits of water resources. Alternative plausible scenarios of availability and timing will be necessary, along with innovative investigations of water use and substitution.
|
From page 111... ...
Investigations of mineral, energy, and water resources have been at the center of USGS activities for more than a century, but these investigations will undergo major changes in coming decades. There will
|
From page 112... ...
The impacts of resource development and use can be diverse, affecting air quality, water quality, stream sedimentation, and soil erosion or contamination. Useful geoenvironmental models must be based on rigorous models of the geochemical, geological, and biological processes involved, as well as on adequate documentation of the natural background character of the nation's lands and waters.
|
From page 113... ...
However, the paramount public interest that will be served by a clean-burning and efficient energy source `defines a role for the USGS in collaboration with other partners particularly DOE, MMS, EPA, and the Department of the Navy. TRANSITION TOWARD AN INTEGRATED NATURAL SCIENCE AND INFORMATION AGENCY The research opportunities discussed in the previous section all concern complex systems and illustrate a need for the USGS to develop a
|
From page 114... ...
Rather, integrative science entails individuals sharing different perspectives, methodologies, and conceptual models in a manner that changes each person's approach to the problem at hand. Integrative science is the construction of conceptual models that link causal processes to illuminate the complex interrelationships among physical and biological phenomena (Turner, 1991~.
|
From page 115... ...
teams. Several recent multiagency studies, such as the ecosystem evaluations of San Francisco Bay and Chesapeake Bay, offer illustrations of both the potential, for integrated science investigation and the commitment to integrated implementation of recommendations.
|
From page 116... ...
strengthening liaison and coordination with related federal agencies; (3) maintaining and improving relations with state and regional government organizations and with nongovernmental organizations that are users of science information; (4)
|
From page 117... ...
It encourages studies that encompass a combination of physical, chemical, biological, and social processes and are thus multidisciplinary and provide opportunities for integrative science. Senior USGS management should ensure that appropriate disciplines are brought to bear on studies that must integrate across disciplines.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.