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Technology development to support a national early warning system for environmental threats
PARTNERS: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Stennis Space Center, Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center (WWETAC), USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC), USDA Forest Service Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team (FHTET), USDA Forest Service Region 8
SUMMARY: This project began in September 2006 with the primary objective of developing an integrated, national Early Warning System (EWS) to identify, detect, and rapidly respond to forest environmental threats. The EWS is envisioned to be a multi-source, multi-scale tool that provides broad area, high frequency reconnaissance; detailed, location-specific analysis using higher resolution imagery and ground data; and predictive modeling of potential and emerging forest threats. A phased approach to development and implementation of the EWS is planned. The primary tasks of the project include (1) development of baseline requirements and architecture for initial implementation of the EWS; (2) pilot development of a broad area, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) derived reconnaissance GIS database visualization tool as the initial operational component of the overall EWS; (3) airborne hyperspectral validation studies over sites with current forest health issues toward establishing standard procedures for the use of hyperspectral as an EWS diagnostic tool; and (4) component and system level design studies and laboratory characterization of emerging digital camera technology to deploy to local Forest Service resource managers for localized intensive analysis of potential threats identified within the EWS framework.
STATUS: Ongoing
PROGRESS: Work during the first phase of the project focused on the primary tasks listed above, resulting in the completion of the fourth task. The second phase of the project during Fiscal Year 2008 will involve continued work on the other three tasks in an effort to develop the more detailed product and information technology requirements for an integrated EWS. Assessments during the first phase indicate that even the immature EWS can be effective as an initial surveillance and anomaly detection tool. High spatial resolution hyperspectral imagery (HIS) demonstrated during the first project phase was determined to have significant high potential as a diagnostic tool for forest health assessment within an EWS framework. A significant portion of project resources during the second phase will be dedicated to the development of an operational prototype of a broad area reconnaissance tool.
LINKS:
Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center (WWETAC)
USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC)
USDA Forest Service Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team (FHTET)
CONTACT:
Rodney McKellip, NASA Stennis Space Center, Rodney.D.McKellip@nasa.gov
