Columbia University in the City of New York World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment Risk Management Strategies: Role of Urban Information

Columbia Universityin the City of New York

World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment

Risk Management Strategies: Role of Urban Information Management and Services

Dr. Robert S. ChenDeputy Director and Senior Research Scientist

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)

Manager, Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)

Columbia University

With inputs from:

Mark ReichardtOpen GIS Consortium

2Columbia University

in the City of New York


Data and Information Post 9/11

NYC EMC destroyed in WTC Included GIS capabilities

Alternative command center brought in GIS systems, experts, volunteers within first 2-3 days

Different systems, data used by different agencies

Everyone adopted NYC base map, developed from 1-foot orthoimagery

GIS, GPS, remote sensing, Internet mapping used widely for monitoring, analysis, coordination, planning, control, communication, investigation

Some data had to be driven down from Albany!




Emergency Response Data and Information Needs

Many possible disaster scenarios need robust and flexible access to diverse data and information need underlying framework or structure for assimilating new data

Difficult to know what is going on in many different places need real-time access to data from different sources need accessible analysis and modeling services need data and information generated from monitoring and analysis to be

shared and exchanged between dozens of different groups involved in response (both public and private)

Information system itself may be vulnerable need redundancy, survivability, and ability to redeploy assets

Demand for information by policy makers and the public is immediate need to have communication channels and templates in place in advance




Example NYC Maps Used and Disseminated by the EMC (1)




Example NYC Maps Used and Disseminated by the EMC (2)




Some Key Barriers to Meeting Needs

Data hard to find, access, and integrate Data not cataloged or cataloged inconsistently Catalogs scattered, don’t support automated data access Data are offline, proprietary, and/or restricted Technical issues, e.g., projection, resolution, format, quality

Data and information systems don’t talk to each other Lack of standards; proliferation of proprietary or idiosyncratic

formats, styles of presentations, tools, etc. Lack of interoperability between instruments, data loggers,

database systems, catalogs, analysis packages, prediction models, mapping/visualization tools, etc.

Hard to communicate complex spatial, technical data




City of New York ViewpointCity of New York Viewpoint

• Alan Leidner, City-wide GIS CoordinatorDepartment of Information, Technology and Telecommunications

During the response to the recent attacks on the World Trade Center, the rapid integration of spatial data from numerous local, state, federal, NGO and private sector sources was a major priority. Through OGC, we have been able to partner broadly with members of industry, government and academia to address some of the critical interoperability issues that challenged us during that time. I am confident that this relationship will no doubt help the market deliver interoperable capabilities that further improve our ability to deal with future emergencies as well as the critical services we provide to our citizens on a daily basis.




What is the Open GIS Consortium?

Not-for-profit, international consortium whose 230+ industry, government, and university members work to make geographic information an integral part of information systems of all kinds Operates a Specification Development

Program similar to other Industry consortia (W3C, OMG, etc.).

Operates an Interoperability Program (IP), a global, innovative, partnership-driven, hands-on engineering and testing program designed to deliver proven specifications into the SDP.

New MOU with the Columbia Earth Institute!

OGC VisionOGC Vision

A world in which A world in which everyone benefits fromeveryone benefits fromgeographic information geographic information

and services made and services made available available

across any network, across any network, application, or platform.application, or platform.

OGC MissionOGC Mission

Our core mission is to Our core mission is to deliverdeliver

spatial interface spatial interface specificationsspecifications

that are openly available that are openly available for global use.for global use.




StateState

NGONGO

LocalLocal

FederalFederal

Sources

UniversityUniversity

Simulated users, Simulated users, including including Geospatial Geospatial Specialists, Remote Specialists, Remote Sensing Experts, Sensing Experts, Domain Domain ProfessionalsProfessionals, , Incident Support Incident Support Teams, Decision Teams, Decision Makers:Makers:

Publish, Find and Publish, Find and Access multiple Access multiple information sourcesinformation sources

Open Web Services Initiative 1 (OWS-1) Demonstration




OWS-1 Timeline and the Players

• Kickoff: September 2001Kickoff: September 2001• Demonstration: March 2002, Chantilly VADemonstration: March 2002, Chantilly VA• OWS-1 Sponsors:OWS-1 Sponsors:

‒ US Environmental Protection Agency, GeoConnections US Environmental Protection Agency, GeoConnections Canada, NASA, NIMA, Lockheed Martin, USGS, FGDC, ERDC, Canada, NASA, NIMA, Lockheed Martin, USGS, FGDC, ERDC, CANRICANRI

• OWS-1 Participants:OWS-1 Participants:– Compusult, CubeWerx, Dawn Corp, DLR, ESRI, Galdos Systems, Compusult, CubeWerx, Dawn Corp, DLR, ESRI, Galdos Systems,

GMU, Intergraph, Ionic Software, Laser-Scan, PCI Geomatics, GMU, Intergraph, Ionic Software, Laser-Scan, PCI Geomatics, Polexis, SAIC, Social Change Online, Syncline, YSI, University of Polexis, SAIC, Social Change Online, Syncline, YSI, University of Alabama Huntsville, Vision for NYAlabama Huntsville, Vision for NY

• OWS-1 Coordinating OrganizationsOWS-1 Coordinating Organizations– NYC DOITT, NYC DEP,NYC DOITT, NYC DEP, FEMA,FEMA, EPA Region 2, CIESIN, Urban LogicEPA Region 2, CIESIN, Urban Logic




OWS-1 Clients and Services

inte

rne

t

Client Tier

RegisterServicesClient

Middle Tier Services Data Tier Services

Web ClientGenerator

DiscoveryClient

ImageryViewer Client

SensorClient

RegistryService(metadata)

inte

rne

t

SensorCollection

Service

WebMap

Service

Publish/Harvest

WebFeatureService

WebCoverageService

Sensors

Map ViewerClient Portrayal

Services

Find

Bind

SensorsSensors

optional

Publish/Harvest

Bind

WebCoverageService

Bind




OWS-1 Demonstration:Areas of Interest

AOI 3 – NY State, New Jersey, Long Island

AOI 2 – Greater New York City Region

AOI 1 – Lower ManhattanAOI 0 - 10 acre area

centered around WTC




OWS-1 Demonstration:User Scenarios

Vignette 1 – Get Quick MapsRapidly develop an overall view of the disaster area to support

response

Vignette 2 – Service Registration and DiscoverySearch for more relevant data and services

Vignette 3 – Sensor Web AccessCombine data from multiple networks of in-situ sensors

Vignette 4 – Imagery Access and VisualizationFlexibly portray imagery and integrate imagery and mapping

information

Vignette 5 – Supporting Decision FlowMake maps available on a portal accessed from “Situation Room”




Vignette 1:Get Quick Maps

WMS ClientSyncline

WMSNASA

WMSJPL

Landsat

WMSCubeWerx

Weather

Transportation

SynclineWrapper

EPAEnviro-mapper

Combine multiple sources combining images and weather patterns




Vignette 3:Sensor Web Access

SCSSAIC

Map ViewerSAIC + ESRI

NOAAMETAR Data

SCSPolexis

WMSCubeWerx

NY State Air Quality Data

NYCOrthoImagery

And Structures

SCSSAIC

YSI Water QualityAnd Meteorology Sensor

Access real-time sensors




Vignette 4:Image Access & Visualization

Web Browser

PCIWCS

RetrievalService

AVIRIS

WCSPolexis

MODIS

WCS/WMSPCI

SPOT

Existing GISS/W WCS

GMU

WCSDLR

X-SAR

Files

IntergraphWCS

RetrievalService

Web Browser

Germany

Greenbelt, MD

San Diego, CA

Ottawa, ONT, CA

LIDARWCSIntergraph

Huntsville, AL

Access remote sensing data for both visualization and analysis




Hazard Vulnerability Assessment: OGC NYC Demo

Intergraph client showing NYC imagery with overlaid features

Fire districts (red lines) drawn from WFS-compliant SEDAC server

SEDAC working with Ionic Software to host WMS-, WFS-, and WCS-compliant servers




GIS-Based Decision Support Tool




UAH Space-Time Toolkit

“Thick” client that supports animation, 3-D visualization of phenomena

Courtesy of M. Botts, University of Alabama Huntsville




UAH Plume Model

Courtesy of M. Botts, University of Alabama Huntsville




Example of Landsat TM and Ikonos Data: Phoenix AZ

Prepared by Chris Small of LDEO

14 August 2000

22 June 1997




Data/Information Issues

Shearson-Lehman, others demonstrate critical importance of “hot” backups for financial transaction data—across Hudson River! Far enough for the next extreme event?

Systems may be backed up—but what about expertise, chain of command?

Need for seamless data access by multiple levels of government and responders vs. need for data security

Need for rapid, flexible development of standards, specifications, and tools, working closely with industry, academia, nongovernmental groups, and government.

“Semantic Divides” to information sharing




Semantic Divides to Information Sharing

Community A<Road>

Community B<Highway>

Community C<Motorway>

Community D

• Within the CIPI-1 Common Within the CIPI-1 Common Vision, there are basic Vision, there are basic methods to transform legacy methods to transform legacy (local) data models into core (local) data models into core data models (and vice versa) data models (and vice versa) minimizing semantic divides minimizing semantic divides between organizations & between organizations & communities.communities.

• This is a challenge that will This is a challenge that will require extended effort and require extended effort and coordination with ongoing coordination with ongoing activities such as Geospatial activities such as Geospatial One-Stop, and OGC Domain One-Stop, and OGC Domain Modeling Support Initiatives.Modeling Support Initiatives.

Community E

Critical Infrastructure ProtectionEvent

Community F




Broader Issues

Individual jurisdictions cannot deal with issues alone; must have regional collaboration (not just urban)

Lack of consistent loss estimates and loss estimation methods

Inconsistent hazard estimates and incomplete understanding of uncertainties

Disparate decision support tools and frameworks Risk communication in a networked world!

Documents

Columbia University in the City of New York World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment Risk Management Strategies: Role of Urban Information