| Date: | 2005-11-14 23:32:00 | |
| Sender: | Markus Rothacher/GFZ <slrmail@dgfi.badw.de> | |
| Subject: | [SLR-Mail] No. 1410: Status and Progress of GGOS - Message from the Chair | |
| Author: | Markus Rothacher | |
| Content: | ******************************************************************************** SLR Electronic Mail 2005-11-14 23:32:00 UTC Message No. 1410 ******************************************************************************** Author: Markus Rothacher/GFZ Subject: Status and Progress of GGOS - Message from the Chair GGOS Message Outline: - Global Geodetic Observing System - Update - 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 - Integrated Global Observing System Partnership - Update on proposed theme ´Earth System Dynamics´ - GEOSS Activities - 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=3Dtext&id_c=3D6&id_t=3D244 ) 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/ 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=A0 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 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=A0 on the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS). For information see the following sites, http://earthobservations.org/default.asp 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:=20 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: =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 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. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D The plan can be accessed at the GEO site above, but here is a direct link: 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 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 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=FCter, 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=20 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. --=20 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: rothacher@gfz-potsdam.de =20 www: http://www.gfz-potsdam.de ---1149172827-2049058613-1132007388=:13454-- From: slrmail@dgfi.badw.de ******************************************************************************** |