NRC Decadal Survey in Earth Science and Applications from Space: Request for White Papers

[Nathan Spillman]

A request from the U.S. National Research Council for information regarding the next Decadal Survey in Earth Science and Applications from Space.

http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_167627

Preparing for Initiation of the 2017-2027 NRC Decadal Survey in Earth Science and Applications from Space
Initial Request for White Papers

“Understanding the complex, changing planet on which we live, how it supports life, and how human activities affect its ability to do so in the future is one of the greatest intellectual challenges facing humanity. It is also one of the most important for society as it seeks to achieve prosperity and sustainability.”
-- From the interim report of the inaugural National Research Council (NRC) Decadal Survey, Earth Science and Applications from Space. April 2005

 

The first National Research Council (NRC) decadal survey in Earth science and applications from space, completed in 2006 and published in January 2007, recommended a balanced interdisciplinary program that would observe the atmosphere, oceans, terrestrial biosphere, and solid Earth, and the interactions between these Earth system components, to advance understanding of how the system functions for the benefit of both science and society. In presenting its recommended program, the survey’s authors, representing the consensus views of hundreds of participants working across the Earth sciences, noted that:

“The world faces significant environmental challenges: shortages of clean and accessible freshwater, degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, increases in soil erosion, changes in the chemistry of the atmosphere, declines in fisheries, and the likelihood of substantial changes in climate. These changes are not isolated; they interact with each other and with natural variability in complex ways that cascade through the environment across local, regional, and global scales. Addressing these societal challenges requires that we confront key scientific questions related to ice sheets and sea-level change, large-scale and persistent shifts in precipitation and water availability, transcontinental air pollution, shifts in ecosystem structure and function in response to climate change, impacts of climate change on human health, and the occurrence of extreme events, such as severe storms, heat waves, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.”

The next decadal survey in Earth science and applications from space, covering the approximate period of 2017-2027, will commence in earnest in the fall of 2015. Appended to this document is the task statement for this activity, which was developed in consultation with the study sponsors, NASA (Earth Science Division), NOAA (NESDIS), and the USGS (Climate and Land Use Change). The initial steps in the organization of the survey are being managed by the Space Studies Board’s Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space (CESAS: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_066587), which is working in collaboration with units of the Academy that also have substantial interests in the decadal survey.⁴

The present RFI is being issued to inform the initial organization and structure of the committee and panels that will conduct the survey, as well as to provide direct input to the work of those groups. Toward that end, we are requesting input from the broad community on the following questions:

1. What are the key challenges or questions for Earth System Science across the spectrum of basic research, applied research, applications, and/or operations in the coming decade?
2. Why are these challenge/questions timely to address now especially with respect to readiness?
3. Why are space-based observations fundamental to addressing these challenges/questions?

In your responses to these questions, please focus on the role of space-based observations and comment on:

a. Whether existing and planned U.S. and international programs will provide the capabilities necessary to make substantial progress on the identified challenge and associated questions. If not, what additional investments are needed?

b. How to link space-based observations with other observations to increase the value of data for addressing key scientific questions and societal needs;

c. The anticipated scientific and societal benefits; and

d. The science communities that would be involved.
 

(Please limit your response to approximately 1500 words or less)

All submissions will be posted online; as part of the submission process, participants will be asked to agree for such public posting. We ask that responses be organized as answers to the questions shown above. (pdf instructions)

 

Responses are requested by November 02, 2015 to ensure appropriate consideration as the survey is organized. To submit your response, please visit: Submission Form

 

Return to ESAS 2017 home page

 

Questions may be directed to the ESAS staff at:  ESAS...@nas.edu

--

Nathan Spillman, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

Society for Conservation Biology    

 

GIVING VOICE, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY

Visit us online at www.conbio.org