N.O.A.A.
National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration
Who am I?
Brian Shaw
IT/GIS Specialist - NOAA/NGS
(since 2002)
Alexandria, VA
Who am I?
Education
• Radford University
– BS in Computer Science
• History, Math and Geography minors
• University of Redlands
– MS in Geographic Information Systems
Presentation Outline
• About NOAA
• How NOAA uses Geospatial Data
• NOAA GIS Applications
• NOAA’s Geospatial Data Portals
• Intern/Career Opportunities
About NOAA
NOAA’s Vision
“An informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the
role of the oceans, coasts and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to
make the best social and economic decisions”
NOAA’s Mission
“To understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and
conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our nation’s
economic, social and environmental needs”
About NOAA
NOAA Line Offices:
National Weather Service - NWS is the official National Ocean Service - NOS works to observe,
source of weather data, forecasts and warnings understand, and manage our nation’s coastal and
for the United States marine resources
• GIS Data – Storm watches/warnings, • GIS Data – Nautical charts, Shoreline,
Geodetic Control, Marine Boundaries,
Forecasts, NEXRAD radar imagery
Water-level, ESI, Bathymetry
National Marine Fisheries Service - NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data and
Fisheries is the federal agency responsible for Information Service - NESDIS manages the U.S.
the stewardship of the nation's living marine civil operational remote-sensing satellite systems,
resources and their habitat global data bases for meteorology, oceanography,
solid-earth geophysics, and solar terrestrial sciences.
• GIS Data – Fish Statistics, Essential
Fish Habitat • GIS Data – Satellite Imagery and
Derived Data Products
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research - OAR
NOAA Marine and Aviation Services - The
develops NOAA environmental products and
fleet of NOAA ships and aircraft that collect
services that protect life and property and
oceanographic, atmospheric, hydrographic,
promote sustainable economic growth.
fisheries and coastal data
• GIS Data – El Nino and Tsunami Data
Modeling, Visualization and Integration • GIS Data – NOAA Ship Tracker
About NOAA
Department of
Organizational Structure:
Commerce
NOAA
NOAA
NWS NMFS NOS OAR NESDIS
MAS
NOAA Line Offices
NGS
Program Office
Presentation Outline
• About NOAA
• How NOAA uses Geospatial Data
• NOAA GIS Applications
• NOAA’s Geospatial Data Portals
• Intern/Career Opportunities
Weather Forecasts & Warnings
The National Weather Service is the
primary source of weather data, forecasts,
and warnings for the United States.
Example products:
• Warnings & Forecasts
• Graphical Forecasts
• Air Quality
• Satellite Imagery (NEXRAD Radar)
• National Digital Forecast Database
Charting and Navigation
Shoreline Delineation
Nautical Charts
Benthic Habitat Maps
C-CAP Land Cover and Change
Water Quality and HABs
Elevation – Topography and
Bathymetry
Satellite Imagery & Data Products
NOAA has 16 Meteorological Satellites including:
• GOES
• POES
• DMSP
• NPOESS
Satellite Systems:
• Complete global weather monitoring
• Search and rescue operations
• Supporting aviation safety
• Maritime/shipping safety
Example Data Products:
• Coastwatch
• Sea Surface Temperature
• Operational Significant Events Imagery
• Fire & Smoke Products
• Snow & Ice Cover
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Partnering with other organizations NOAA Research
provides better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural
disasters and a greater understanding of the Earth.
Selected Research Areas:
• Tsunami Research
• Developing GIS Interpretive aids
• Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Array
• Real time data from moored ocean buoys
• Improved understanding El Nino/La Nina
events
• 3D Modeling & Visualization
• Atmospheric Modeling
Fisheries Service
NOAA Fisheries assesses and predicts the
status of fish stocks, ensures compliance with
fisheries regulations and works to reduce
wasteful fishing practices.
Program Examples:
• Habitat Protection, Conservation, and
Restoration
• Fisheries Management
• Protected Resources Management
• Stock Assessment
• Socioeconomic Analysis
• Ecosystem Dynamics
NOAA’s Geospatial Foundation
Land Ownership
Transportation
Surface Waters
Boundaries
Elevation
Aerial Imagery
Geodetic Control
NGS and Geodetic Control
Geodetic Control
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey provides the
solid thread that weaves through all of NOAA’s
observation systems. The positional framework it
provides is integral to supporting the agency’s and
the nation’s data collection and validation efforts.
What is Geodetic Control?
• Horizontal Control Networks
– horizontal positions (Lat/Lon)
• Vertical Control Networks
– height and elevation
• Gravity Control Networks
– measurements of the gravitation
pull at a defined locations.
Why is Geodetic Control important?
• The earth is an
irregular ellipsoid and
is hard to model
• Defines position and
heights
Presentation Outline
• About NOAA
• How NOAA uses Geospatial Data
• NOAA GIS Applications
• NOAA’s Geospatial Data Portals
• Intern/Career Opportunities
Tides and Currents
Habitat Restoration Project Mapper
Watershed Database and Mapping Projects
To assist with restoration
projects NOAA has developed
decision support tools for
specific watersheds that
combine scientific data and
watershed characteristics into a
GIS.
Tracking Historical Hurricanes
The Historical Hurricane Tracks tool is an
interactive mapping application that
allows you to easily search and display
Atlantic Basin and East-Central Pacific
Basin tropical cyclone data.
Query Storms By:
• Storm Name
• ZIP Code
• Latitude and Longitude
• City or State
• Geographic region
Tsunami Response and Recovery
Tsunami Response Map Viewer - Indian Ocean
Geospatial Information Service supports GIS
data needs for emergency managers
Tsunami Hazard GIS Interpretive
Aides for emergency managers to
assess the tsunami hazard in their
coastal communities.
Analyzing the 26 Dec 2004
Indian Ocean Tsunami
The NOAA Tsunami Research Program has been developing a
series of GIS interpretive aids for scientists and the public to
analyze the Indian Ocean tsunami event.
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami
Data Visualization and Integration
The Pacific Marine Environment Laboratory (PMEL) studies the dynamic
interactions between submarine volcanic activity and seafloor hot springs at
an observatory, Axial seamount. NEMO scientists assess the impact of the
eruption and document the on-going changes in Axial's summit caldera. GIS
is as a visualization tool and data management system for the NEMO project.
Presentation Outline
• About NOAA
• How NOAA uses Geospatial Data
• NOAA GIS Applications
• NOAA’s Geospatial Data Portals
• Intern/Career Opportunities
NOS Data Explorer
http://nosdataexplorer.noaa.gov • Single point of entry to
search and acess all geospatial
data within NOS
• Access data via FGDC
metadata, hot-link and/or
download tools
NOAA Observing System Architecture
http://www.nosa.noaa.gov
NOSA provides the first
comprehensive listing of
NOAA’s observational
systems.
NOAA’s nowCoast Web Portal
http://nowcoast.noaa.gov/
NOAA’s GIS Web Mapping
Portal to Real-Time Coastal
Observations and NOAA
Forecasts
NOAA’s Coral Reef Information System
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/
CoRIS is designed to be
a single point of access to
NOAA coral reef
information and data
products, especially those
derived from NOAA's
Coral Reef Conservation
Program.
Presentation Outline
• About NOAA
• How NOAA uses Geospatial Data
• NOAA GIS Applications
• NOAA’s Geospatial Data Portals
• Intern/Career Opportunities
Intern/Career Opportunities
GIS Intern Programs
Environmental Careers Organization
www.eco.org
DOC Career Opportunities (Internships)
http://ohrm.os.doc.gov/career/index.htm
Intern/Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities
Federal Government Career Opportunities
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov
GIS jobs
ESRI - Redlands, CA
Google “GIS jobs”
www.monster.com
www.gisjobs.com
www.gjc.org
? Questions ?