ENGAGING THE USER COMMUNITY FOR ADVANCING SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS OF THE SURFACE WATER OCEAN TOPOGRAPHY MISSION
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ENGAGING THE USER
COMMUNITY FOR ADVANCING
SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS OF
THE SURFACE WATER OCEAN
TOPOGRAPHY MISSION
Faisal Hossain, Margaret Srinivasan, Craig Peterson, Alice Andral, Ed Beighley, Eric Anderson,
R ashied Amini, Charon Birkett, David Bjerklie, Cheryl Ann Blain, Selma Cherchali, Cédric H. David,
Bradley Doorn, Jorge Escurra, Lee-Lueng Fu, Chris Frans, John Fulton, Subhrendu Gangopadhay,
Subimal Ghosh, Colin Gleason, Marielle Gosset, Jessica Hausman, Gregg Jacobs, John Jones,
Yasir K aheil, Benoit L aignel, Patrick Le Moigne, Li Li, Fabien Lefèvre, Robert Mason, Amita Mehta,
Abhijit Mukherjee, Anthony Nguy-Robertson, Sophie Ricci, Adrien Paris, Tamlin Pavelsky,
Nicolas Picot, Guy Schumann, Sudhir Shrestha, Pierre-Yves Le Traon, and Eric Trehubenko
S
cheduled for launch in 2021, the Surface Water
and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will SECOND SWOT APPLICATION USER WORKSHOP:
be a truly unique mission that will provide high- ENGAGING THE USER COMMUNITY FOR ADVANCING
temporal-frequency maps of surface water extents SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS OF THE SURFACE WATER
and elevation variations of global water bodies
(lakes/reservoirs, rivers, estuaries, oceans, and sea
OCEAN TOPOGRAPHY MISSION
ice) at higher spatial resolution than is available with What: A workshop was organized to explore how best
current technologies (Biancamaria et al. 2016; Alsdorf to maximize the user readiness of data from the
et al. 2007). The primary instrument on SWOT is Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)
based on a Ka-band radar interferometer (KaRIN), mission after its planned launch in 2021.
which uses radar interferometery technology. The When: 5–6 April 2017
satellite will fly two radar antennas at either end Where: U.S. Geological Survey Headquarters, Reston,
of a 10-m (33 ft) mast, allowing it to measure the Virginia
elevation of the surface along a 120-km (75 mi)-wide
swath below. The availability of high-frequency and
high-resolution maps of elevations and extents for assimilation for improving forecast of ocean tides
surface water bodies and oceans will present unique and weather, reservoir management, climate change
opportunities to address numerous societally rel- impacts and adaptation, and river discharge estima-
evant challenges around the globe (Srinivasan et al. tion, among others.
2015). These opportunities may include such diverse Although SWOT is a research mission and not
and far-ranging applications as fisheries manage- scheduled for launch for another 4 years, there is
ment, flood inundation mapping/risk mitigation/ a need to build engagement within the applica-
forecasting, wildlife conservation, global data tion community now and to explore how best to
AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY NOVEMBER 2017 | ES285
Unauthenticated | Downloaded 01/21/21 09:20 AM UTCadvance the societal relevance and benefits of the acquisition—and short time critical (STC)—within
SWOT mission from concept to reality. The SWOT 2 days of acquisition—was given particular emphasis
Applications Working Group organized a workshop as a topic in order to seek perspectives from the
on 5–6 April 2017 at the U.S. Geological Survey application and science communities.
(USGS) headquarters in Reston, Virginia. The goal
of the workshop was to understand and communicate Makeup of workshop participants. The workshop par-
how the applications community can use SWOT data ticipants spanned numerous stakeholder agencies and
to address problems of profound societal relevance. organizations that frequently address water-related
issues for decision-making. These entities represent
Key workshop questions. The questions that the a substantial cross section of the SWOT applications
workshop was developed to answer were as follows: community. They included the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Bureau of Reclama-
• What are the specific surface water–related tion (USBR), USGS, the Environmental Systems
applications that users and stakeholder agencies Research Institute (ESRI), the World Wildlife Fund
administer that can benefit from high-frequency (WWF), the U.S. Navy (USN), the Naval Research
mapping of water elevations? Laboratory (NRL), Mercator Ocean (France), Collecte
• What are the specific latency requirements of data Localisation Satellites (CLS), Indian Water Manage-
products and information for an agency or user’s ment Agencies represented by the Indian Institutes
application? of Technology (IIT), the National Geospatial-
• Is there a specific latency of SWOT data products Intelligence Agency (NGA), FM Global, and Météo-
that can capture many, if not most, of the critical France. In addition, many scientists and program
societal applications around the world? managers involved with the SWOT mission planning
• What does each stakeholder agency see as potential and scientific investigations also attended on-site
roadblocks to sustainable and organic uptake of or remotely to present information to stakeholder
SWOT data in its agency environment? agency participants on the key features of the SWOT
• What type of support would user organizations mission, and how it is intended to perform for matters
benefit from in terms of training and incubation related to water.
of potential application ideas?
WORKSHOP DELIBERATIONS. Workshop
Although the workshop addressed various issues organizers articulated the key objectives and goals of
related to applications, the availability of SWOT the workshop. SWOT project scientists then articu-
data in near–real time (NRT)—within hours after lated the science objectives of the mission to provide
AFFILIATIONS: Hossain —University of Washington, Seattle, Aignan, France; Le Moigne —Météo-France, Toulouse, France;
Washington; Srinivasan, Amini, David, Fu, and Hausman —NASA Jet Lefèvre —Collecte Localisation Satellites, Ramonville-Saint-Agne,
Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, France; Mehta—University of Maryland, Baltimore County,
California; Peterson —NASA Stennis Space Center, Stennis Space Baltimore, Maryland; Nguy-Robertson —National Geospatial-
Center, Mississippi; Andral, Cherchali, and Picot—Centre National Intelligence Agency, Springfield, Virginia; Ricci —CERFACS,
d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse France; B eighley—Northeastern Toulouse, France; Paris —Centre National de la Recherche
University, Boston, Massachusetts; Anderson —NASA Marshall Scientifique/GET, Paris, France; Pavelsky—University of North
Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama; B irkett—University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Schumann —
Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland; B jerklie, Fulton, Remote Sensing Solutions, Barnstable, Massachusetts; Shrestha—
Jones , and Mason —U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia; B lain, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California;
Jacobs , and Li —U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, Le Traon —Mercator Ocean, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France;
D.C.; Doorn —NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; E scurra— Trehubenko —Radiance Technologies, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama
World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C.; Frans —U.S. Army Corps CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Faisal Hossain,
of Engineers, Washington, D.C.; M ukherjee —Indian Institute fhossain@uw.edu
of Technology, Kharagpur, India; Gangopadhay—U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation, Washington, D.C.; Ghosh —Indian Institute of DOI:10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0161.1
Technology, Bombay, India; Gleason —University of Massachusetts
In final form 14 June 2017
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts; Gosset— Institut de Recherche
©2017 American Meteorological Society
pour le Développement, Marseille, France; K aheil—FM Global, For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright
Boston, Massachusetts; L aignel—University of Rouen, Mont-Saint- information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy.
ES286 | NOVEMBER 2017
Unauthenticated | Downloaded 01/21/21 09:20 AM UTCa context for the potential applications that are likely USGS participants stated that the SWOT-driven
to be enabled by SWOT. The key unifying message synergy with USGS will directly support large-
from the welcome session was that SWOT is designed scale, large-river flood mapping, fluvial transport,
to enable unique scientific investigations over land, water quality, and ecological studies, particularly
estuaries, and ocean. Representatives from the various for international and remotely located streams, as
stakeholder agencies provided their perspectives on the found in U.S. regions like Alaska; support for many
SWOT mission and how it is likely to be useful in their regional and most local needs will require increased
respective agency’s missions. Each agency participant resolution, generally finer than 100 m in stream width
articulated key issues related to hurdles or roadblocks and, more likely, less than 50 m. In summary, USGS
for sustainable uptake of SWOT data, support needs called for partnership with National Aeronautics
from the SWOT mission, and the specific applications and Space Administration (NASA) and others in
of interest that SWOT data could drive. In the next the development of tools and datasets for dynamic
section, we summarize a sample of stakeholder agency mapping of surface water extent, river slopes, and
perspectives provided by the respective participants. hydraulic roughness at higher resolution than may
These perspectives are a collection of thoughts and be envisioned by many as adequate for the SWOT
opinions by individuals, and with the exception of mission. Nonetheless, pursuit of such capabilities
the USGS contributions, they are not necessarily the will be mutually beneficial and add to the greater
official agency positions on the SWOT mission. good of society.
A sample of stakeholder perspectives on the SWOT’s U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The official mission of
application potential. U.S. G eological S urvey. The the USBR is to “manage, develop, and protect water
official mission of the USGS is to “serve the Nation and related resources in an environmentally and
by providing reliable scientific information to economically sound manner in the interest of the
describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss American public” (http://www.usbr.gov). Topics of
of life and property from natural disasters; manage direct relevance where SWOT may be useful for USBR
water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and mission are as follows:
enhance and protect our quality of life.” SWOT may
add value and synergy to current efforts of USGS in 1) improved prediction of reservoir evaporation;
the following areas: 2) expansion of streamf low gauges (including
ungauged locations) and reservoir elevation
1) extension of the USGS stream gauge network via information;
SWOT observations (and vice versa) using statis- 3) improved modeling and prediction of snowmelt
tical “transfer” and blending methods; application runoff; and
of hydraulic routing and hydrologic modeling 4) data and information to support reservoir opera-
with SWOT data calibrated against USGS stream tions and long-term water supply planning.
gauges and water-level monitoring locations; such
data compilation could play a significant role in USBR participant suggested the need for a Water
new USGS efforts toward “planning and imple- Operations Working Group and holding workshops
menting the next-generation integrated water on SWOT data tutorials would be very timely for the
observing system” through partnerships and SWOT mission to consider.
increased USGS investments in remote sensing
as described in the USGS strategic science direc- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The mission of USACE
tions plan for water (objective 1, strategic action is to deliver “vital public and military engineering
1; Evenson et al. 2012); services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen
2) dynamic mapping of reach-scale river hydraulic our Nation’s security, energize the economy and
characteristics—extensive mapping of channel reduce risks from disasters” (http://www.usace.army
pattern, water surface slope, water surface height, .mil). SWOT data are expected to have direct value in
river flow resistance characteristics, and water calibration/validation of flood mapping tools [such
surface extent; as the widely used Hydrologic Engineering Center
3) dynamic mapping of river, lake, and wetland (HEC) River Analysis System (RAS) developed by
surface water extent and height; and USACE], coastal engineering, and reservoir sedimen-
4) dynamic mapping of water extent and height in tation estimation. A USACE participant stated that
estuaries and along coastlines. it is important to partner with the following USACE
AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY NOVEMBER 2017 | ES287
Unauthenticated | Downloaded 01/21/21 09:20 AM UTCinstitutions by SWOT Science Team members in decision tools for fishing entities to optimize fishing
order to advance SWOT’s application potential: activity, while a more accurate understanding of front
and eddies could help maintain the safety of offshore
1) Hydrologic Engineering Center (developers of infrastructure. New applications using future SWOT
HEC RAS); data flows are envisioned within CLS mainly for
2) Engineer Research and Development Center environmental monitoring.
(ERDC); and
3) Institute for Water Resources (IWR). U. S. N av y. The USN operates globally and is
supported by ocean forecasting at global and regional
M ercator Ocean (France). Mercator Ocean is an scales. The unprecedented SWOT resolution and
entity that is engaged in providing ocean/marine coverage in both space and time could enable the
services to various stakeholders. The foremost direct USN to predict fine ocean and sea ice features that are
impact of SWOT is likely to be in improved constraint unresolvable or unavailable in its existing models. It
of ocean models at about 20-km scale as opposed to was therefore very clear that SWOT data, made avail-
the current state of the art afforded by altimeters able in NRT, would improve models and products
at scales of hundreds of kilometers. Such improve- used by the USN, informing decision-making and
ment would likely result in improved marine safety, enhancing fleet safety. Furthermore, the estimate of
pollution monitoring, ship routing, offshore opera- freshwater entering the coastal ocean is of particular
tions and activities, coastal applications, and biogeo- relevance at all scales of naval ocean forecasting.
chemical/biology applications. To realistically achieve SWOT-derived estimates of river discharge and land-
such an impact, the following three key requirements margin water storage will inform hydrologic overland
were outlined for the SWOT mission: flow and routing models that bring freshwater into
the ocean models at various scales.
1) a capability for near-real-time processing of
SWOT data (and the risk reduction community. On the topic of modeling. Real-time flood mapping would require
flooding, the key attributes and relevance of SWOT NRT products, although development of better flood
data and information products for the insurance inundation and hydrodynamic models does not have
industry are inundation extent and water elevation. latency requirements. Coastal flooding/storm surge
In addition, high-frequency data from SWOT could is also a fruitful application to pursue given the value
help calibrate flood inundation models. that SWOT’s wide-swath altimetry measurement
could add to existing applications (both in NRT and
World Wildlife Fund. As a nongovernmental orga- postevent analysis).
nization, the WWF works to challenge the threats to
nature and to ensure a sustainable future for both peo- Water resources management. Reservoir level and
ple and nature. SWOT is an innovative response that water storage measurements are key products for water
could potentially help the WWF to more accurately security/resources that SWOT data would enable and
quantify floodplain and other inland water habitat therefore must be pursued. Using SWOT to develop
extent as well as water availability in the rivers of the better global river models will also help with under-
world at high frequency, especially in places where standing of water resources. While many aspects of
data scarcity is a constraint. Potential applications water management at seasonal or annual planning
include informing environmental flow determina- scales are not NRT critical, availability of NRT prod-
tions in ungauged rivers and monitoring the status of ucts will certainly open new vistas of innovative water
habitat extent or other water-related indicators. management for many large stakeholder agencies.
Toward consensus on an application agenda for the Ocean applications /estuarine applications . SWOT
SWOT mission. As the workshop drew to a close, a data will be useful for marine safety, transport, and
discussion was held to summarize the issues raised pollution management. SWOT’s capabilities will be
and discussed by stakeholder agency participants. particularly important in coastal environments and
This discussion was centered on the workshop goals at river-coastal interfaces. SWOT data can both force
to clarify the following challenges of making SWOT and constrain navy coastal ocean forecast models.
data and information products widely available to Sea ice forecast models are also a potential applica-
stakeholders: tion of SWOT, as are ocean acoustics and derived
bathymetry.
1) roadblocks to sustainable use of SWOT data in
the end-user environment; Stakeholder input on SWOT data latency and format.
2) needs from the application community to make There is tremendous demand and interest in an NRT/
SWOT as user ready as possible; and STC product, with latencies desired between less than
3) SWOT data latency. 1 and 5 days. Data latency of less than 2 days was the
most commonly requested product. It should be noted
All participants were provided a three-question that there are many applications that are not latency
survey (aligned to the three issues above) before the critical. A wide range of data formats appeared to be
final discussion period of the workshop. The next acceptable given the versatility of today’s data pro-
section provides a summary of the responses. cessing tools. NetCDF, Georeferenced Tagged Image
File Format (GeoTIFF), and vector and gridded raster
WORKSHOP FINDINGS. The survey responses formats were more popular.
received from participants on the topic of applications
that the SWOT mission would enable or improve Needs of application stakeholder community from the
revealed a clear clustering of ideas around specific SWOT mission. Education and outreach workshops
themes. These themes were 1) disaster response and are very important. Tutorials involving example
management, 2) water resources management, and 3) datasets and real-world case studies are needed for
ocean and estuarine applications. A synopsis of the the application community to understand how SWOT
perspectives shared by participants on each of these data can be used in actual practice by stakeholders.
themes is outlined below. Such education and training should be aimed at users
with backgrounds ranging from relatively nonexpert
Stakeholder input on applications enabled by the to expert. In addition, multiple languages (beyond
SWOT mission. Disaster response and management. English) should to be considered for reaching out
SWOT can potentially help with flood mapping/ to application communities worldwide. Such effort
AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY NOVEMBER 2017 | ES289
Unauthenticated | Downloaded 01/21/21 09:20 AM UTCshould have close coordination with the SWOT satellite mission at this time, and the information
Science Team/Principal Investigators (PIs) project, contained in this paper should therefore be used for
and the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training planning and discussion purposes only.
(ARSET) program could play an important role.
Accessing locations of SWOT-observable features ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Margaret Srinivasan, Lee-
would be very useful. Lueng Fu, Jessica Hausman, Shailen Desai, Phil Calahan,
Rashied Amini, and Cédric H. David are supported by
CONCLUSIONS. The three key take-home mes- the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of
sages extracted from this workshop are as follows: Technology, under a contract with the U.S. National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
1) SWOT data availability at a latency of less than
2 days has overwhelming demand and critical
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