Continuity of Earth Observation Data for Australia: Research ... - csiro

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
• Nine Priority Data Types 1 for Australian research projects were identified in this study, based on the
number of surveyed R&D projects relying on these datasets. Of the top four Priority Data Types
identified, there is one actual and current data gap for L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR),
and a very high risk of a data gap for Medium Resolution Optical data, given the suspension of
operation of the Landsat-5 mission in late 2011. A formal coordinated national approach to ensure
continuity and evaluate alternative data sources for critical data supplies for Australian researchers,
particularly Medium Resolution Optical data, is strongly recommended as a matter of priority, both
with regard to international agreements (particularly with NASA/USGS, ESA, JAXA and other
priority countries), as well as nationally coordinated EO infrastructure planning.
• Government-funded research infrastructure programs and multi-agency research networks
such as the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), the Integrated Marine Observing
System (IMOS), the WA Centre of Excellence for 3D Mineral Mapping (C3DMM) and AuScope,
lead the way in demonstrating the effectiveness of coordination of participation in international
networks, and coordination of production, standardisation, inter-operability and open access to
key EO-derived datasets for use by Australian researchers. Consistent with the 2011 Strategic
Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure (DIISR), these facilities and coordination approaches
should be expanded where possible to other critical EO application areas (e.g. soils, atmospheric
observations), and these data services should continue to receive ongoing central support.
• As data supply agencies world-wide move increasingly towards centralised, Internet-based data
distribution models, more concerted national coordination will be required to ensure current
investments into broadband networks and associated infrastructure can be efficiently and effectively
utilised to improve access to and management of the various EO data streams used by R&D and
operational users in Australia.
• A small but innovative and dynamic airborne remote sensing R&D and commercial data supply
sector underpins much of the EOS R&D community in Australia and should continue to be
supported where applicable.
• Several relatively new sensor systems, which may not be widely used currently, merit more
attention in terms of continuity and critical data gaps across a range of new science and application
fields important to Australia. These have strong potential to provide valuable new information for
key essential variables important, for example, to hydrological, Antarctic and marine studies, and
for monitoring terrestrial dynamics, and atmospheric gas and aerosol climatologies. These sensor
systems include GPS occultation, AMSR-E, OCO-ACE, GRACE, GOSAT, CALIPSO, and ESA
Biomass. Key Australian organisations and researchers will need to monitor these systems on an
ongoing basis, and the CEODA-R&D survey should be updated on a regular basis.
• The Australian R&D community has tended to use ‘whatever free data are available’, provided
it offers suitable data quality, continuity, coverage and access arrangements. International space
agencies should continue to be encouraged and supported as they move towards free and open
data access policies.
1 Priority Data Types ranked by frequency of usage across surveyed projects (no weighting applied for data volumes): Low Resolution
Optical; Medium Resolution Optical; High Resolution Optical; Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) (C-, L- and X-band); Passive Microwave
Radiometry; Radar Altimetry; Hyperspectral Imagery; Lidar; Ocean Colour.
2 Continuity of Earth Observation Data for Australia: R&D • January 2012