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Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 10:07:56 -0800
To: ggos@igscb.jpl.nasa.gov
From: Markus Rothacher <rothacher@gfz-potsdam.de>(by way of Ruth E.
Neilan)
Subject: [GGOS-3] Status and Progress of GGOS - Message from the Chair -
11Nov2005
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GGOS Mail 20 Jan 10:08:01 PST 2006 Message Number 3
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Author: Markus Rothacher (via Ruth Neilan)
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 18:02:06 +0100
GGOS Message Outline:
o Global Geodetic Observing System - Update
o Focus - Internal Organization and Finalization of the GGOS
Implementation Plan
Website and communications
Request for WG Chairs to list WG members with contact information
Exploring a web forum for improving communications
o Integrated Global Observing System Partnership - Update on proposed
theme 'Earth System Dynamics'
o GEOSS Activities
o Meetings - Steering Committee:
Thursday December 8, San Francisco during the AGU venue (5-9 Dec 2005)
TBD, in Vienna, during the EGU Venue (2-7 April 2006)
Plans for a GGOS workshop in October 2006, possibly in
connection with FIG/IAG/INTERGEO
Dear colleagues,
During the International Association of Geodesy 2005 meeting in
Cairns, Australia, this past August, the IAG Executive Committee
approved the continuation of its key program, the Global Geodetic
Observing System (GGOS). During this meeting, the IAG appointed new
chairs of the GGOS Steering Committee:
Prof. Markus Rothacher, Chair
Ruth Neilan, Co-Chair,
Prof. Hans-Peter Plag, Co-Chair
The chairs immediately met at Cairns, and have met via teleconference
a number of times since, planning the next phases of this important
activity.
(Note that for more information on the IAG 2005 meeting, please visit
the IAG website and see the message from IAG President Prof. Gerhard
Beutler:
<http://www.iag-aig.org/index.php?tpl=text&id_c=6&id_t=244>http://www.iag-aig.org/index.php?tpl=text&id_c=6&id_t=244
)
As we plan to assume the responsibilities for GGOS we acknowledge the
important contributions and dedication since 2003 of GGOS Chair,
Prof. Christoph Reigber and GGOS Secretariat Prof. Hermann Drewes.
The draft implementation plan that was presented at Cairns captures
the history and progress of GGOS and lays the framework for the next
steps.
We have had quite a bit of discussion regarding how to keep pace with
the rapid external developments that GGOS is involved in -
Global Earth Observing System of Systems - GEOSS
and
Integrated Global Observing System Partnership - IGOS-P
And importantly - how to proceed with our internal organization as we
enter this next phase of truly realizing GGOS during the time period
of 2005-2009.
To address the many issues of GGOS, a meeting of the Steering
Committee (SC) and invited participants will be held on Thursday,
December 8 in San Francisco from 14:00 to 17:00 at the AGU. Please
reserve this time period, location and agenda information will be
sent in the very near future.
GGOS Internal Organization
-------------------------------------------------
The website is being updated and any comments are welcome for improvement:
<http://www.ggos.org/>http://www.ggos.org/
Current Working Group (WG) Chairs are requested to provide the
listing of their WG members to the Chairs with email address. As GGOS
moves forward, improving communications from the Chairs, across WGs
and externally will be essential.
The chairs are reviewing the working document of the GGOS
implementation plan and are proposing modifications to document for
the upcoming period, these will be further reviewed by the Steering
Committee and WG chairs. Any further suggestions from the WGs are
invited. The current intent is to incorporate recent information,
reflecting goals and objectives from the GEOSS and IGOS-P plans that
are important for the global acceptance and realization of GGOS,
ensuring that GGOS is an essential component which can make a clear
and recognized contribution over the coming decade and beyond.
One of the topics will also be to work with the Services to establish
links between the Service products and the scientific applications of
these products by a diverse user community.
The chairs are also exploring the possibility of a web-based forum
for GGOS as tool to evolve beyond simple e-mail structure as a method
of communicating and making information readily available to a
broader interest group. This would conceivably be partitioned
between internal and external forums, as well as topical sub-forums.
Integrated Global Observing System Partnership
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Prof. Hans-Peter Plag continues to be our key interface to the IGOS-P
activity. Key points here are the upcoming IGOS-P-12bis meeting in
London on 17 November and the IGOS-P Theme Leader meeting on 22 May
2006 in Geneva. For the 12bis meeting, the agenda includes a
recommendation to commence the GGOS membership procedure and we
expect that this point will be accepted without problems. Thus, after
the 12bis meeting, the formal procedure for GGOS to become a full
member of IGOS-P can be started. This will involve the exchange of
Letters of Understanding between all IGOS-P members and GGOS.
Once this process has been started, we will also contact the chairs
of the IGOS-P Themes and discuss with them the particular
contribution of GGOS to these Themes. Considering that the OGOS-P
Themes cover a wide range of problems, we will have to involve
additional experts from the GGOS community in this processes.
At the IGOS-P Theme Leader Meeting in May 2006, we will discuss the
suggested 'Earth System Dynamics' Theme with the other theme leaders.
In order to detail the proposal further, a writing panel of 4 to 5
experts plus the chairs will work over the next months on the
exisiting document. A key issue will be to document the added value
of this new Theme and to show that the overlap with existing Themes
is not too wide.
Our goal is to get the suggested Theme idea first accepted by the
Theme Leaders and then a Theme proposal formally accepted by the
IGOS-P-13bis meeting in November 2006. After that, the writing of the
Theme report can start. For most Themes, this step involves/d some 20
experts. To see examples of Theme reports - see:
<http://www.igospartners.org/Theme.htm>http://www.igospartners.org/Theme.htm
The Geohazards Theme Report does reference a number of observation
techniques of the IAG and hence GGOS, and so does the Water Cycle
report. A number of the other themes also depend on GGOS
observations, while, of course, most Themes are users of ITRF.
GEOSS Activities & GGOS
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) will convene the GEO-II plenary
meeting 14 & 15 December in Geneva on the Global Earth Observing
System of Systems (GEOSS). For information see the following sites,
<http://earthobservations.org/default.asp>http://earthobservations.org/default.asp
<http://iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov/>http://iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov/
And please take note of the Ten-Year Implementation Plan document -
this document will be used to highlight GGOS contributions to the
negotiated plan, coordinating the GGOS implementation with the GEOSS
implementation and target goals.
For an update on the GEO plenary and establishment of the GEO
secretariat at the WMO in Geneva see this link:
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/environment/newsanddoc/article_24>http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/environment/newsanddoc/article_2486_en.htm
One of the deliberations within the SC will be - what does GGOS want
to contribute to GEOSS? The GEOSS implementation plan is built around
the nine social benefit areas identified by the Second Earth
Observation Summit, and clearly, GGOS is essential to a number of
these. The plan includes the following statement as a preamble to
the benefit areas:
======
4.1 Societal Benefit Areas
GEOSS will yield advances in the societal benefit areas defined by
its purpose and
scope. Each area has compelling reasons for the Earth-observation advances
envisioned in GEOSS.
For information needs common to many societal benefit areas, GEOSS
will facilitate
the development and provision of common products such as maps of topography,
bathymetry, river systems, infrastructure, and land cover and land
use, and a geodetic
reference frame for Earth observation. Interpretation and use of
Earth observations
requires information on the drivers and consequences of change,
including georeferenced socio-economic data and indicators.
======
The plan can be accessed at the GEO site above, but here is a direct link:
<http://earthobservation.org/docs/GEOSS%2010-Year%20Implementation%20>http://earthobservation.org/docs/GEOSS%2010-Year%20Implementation%20Plan%20(GEO%201000).pdf
The SC will be assessing the GEO plan and looking at harmonizing our
structure and activities to be synergistic with both GEO activities
and IGOS-P.
The SC will review the status of GGOS appointments to the GEOSS
Working Groups and evaluate how best to interface and maintain
support.
Meetings
-------------------------------
The first meeting of the SC with extended participants and the chairs
is called for December 8 as noted above. There is much business to
address and attendees are requested to do some homework on these
activities to enhance the discussion time, which is limited to 3
hours. The chairs feel that it is important to fully establish the
new organization. The Science Advisory Council must also be in place
in the very near future to assist with guidance of GGOS directions
and plans.
During the EGU in Vienna (2-7 April 2006), a second meeting will be
organized with the aim to further our internal organization and
schedule of events. Discussion will also be centered on a GGOS
workshop, possibly in connection with the FIG/IAG/INTERGEO symposium
in Munich next October.
With kindest regards to our colleagues, and any suggestions can be
directed to the Chairs, with assistance from Katrin Gundrum, acting
Secretariat for the GGOS Chairs.
Very best regards -
Prof. Markus Rothacher, Chair
and
Ruth Neilan and Prof. Hans-Peter Plag, Co-Chairs
Katrin Gundrum, GGOS Chair's Secretariat
==========================================================
GGOS Chairs:
M. Rothacher, Chair, R. Neilan and H-P. Plag Co-Chairs
GGOS Steering Committee:
Includes Chair and Co-Chairs above, and as possible, past Chair and Secretary,
Ch. Reigber and H. Drewes
Representatives from Reference Frames:
C. Boucher, H. Drewes
Gravity Field:
R. Forsberg, R. Rummel, C.K. Shum
Geodynamics:
V. Dehant, K. Heki, S. Zerbini
Geometric Services:
N. Beck, Chopo Ma, M. Pearlman
Gravity Services:
F. Sanso, Ph. Woodworth, M. Watkins
Networks:
W. Schl|ter, J. Manning
Extended Participants:
WG Chairs - WG member list to be provided:
User Linkage and Outreach: B. Engen
Data and Information: R. Neilan (to be replaced)
Publishing and Legal Matters: H-P. Plag (to be replaced)
Conventions, Analysis and Modelling: M. Rothacher (to be replaced)
Missions: S. Bettadpur
Ground Networks and Communications: M. Pearlman
Strategy and Funding: Vacant - to be a function of the SC
Science Council: R. Rummel
IAG Representatives to the GEO WGs:
WG on Architecture & Data: B. Richter, R. Neilan
WG on Science and Technology: M. Pearlman, S. Zerbini
WG on Capacity Building and Outreach: C. Rizos, H. Drewes
WG on User Interface: H.-P.Plag, C.K. Shum
Special WG on Tsunami Activities: H.-P. Plag, T. Schoene
Representation from IAG Commission IV: Ch Rizos
IAG Services and Commissions: Additional representation to be determined.
--
Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Markus Rothacher
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ)
Department 1: Geodesy & Remote Sensing
Telegrafenberg A 17, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
phone: +49 (0)331 288-1100
fax: +49 (0)331 288-1111
e-mail: <mailto:rothacher@gfz-potsdam.de>rothacher@gfz-potsdam.de
www: <http://www.gfz-potsdam.de>http://www.gfz-potsdam.de