NERC Earth Observation Data Acquisition and Analysis Service (NEODAAS)
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: NCEO Kings
Abstract
[Note, NEODAAS were advised to merely cut and paste from the case for support into this section]
The vision for NEODAAS is to provide NERC and UKRI academic communities with flexible, responsive and innovative national capability in Earth Observation data, services and advice, which addresses key strategic research and innovation priorities and contributes to understanding of important environmental issues affecting the UK.
Earth Observation (EO) is crucial for observing Earth system processes in near-real time (NRT) at synoptic scales and over long periods as the data records extend in time. The European Copernicus programme, in particular, is enabling significant advances in the field through construction of an operational system of satellite-based sensors, with new and improved capabilities. Copernicus benefits the science of the expert EO community, and has even greater potential for non EO experts who can use EO derived data and information for the first time.
There is, thus, increasing demand for EO data and services, but clearly it is inefficient for all grant-holders to be generating their own EO data, while many non-EO experts do not have the skill base to do their own processing. Hence, the need for NEODAAS at Plymouth was confirmed by the NERC Facilities Evaluation Panel. Surveys by NERC Head Office and NCEO show strong demand for a value for money EO service which has demonstrably resulted in high quality science: between 2013/14 and 2017/18, NEODAAS supported 321 ISI-refereed publications (with >10k citations to all NEODAAS papers).
NEODAAS services include: EO products and information including production of analysis-ready data products to meet particular UK needs (such as UK projections or bespoke algorithms); rapid-response with very fast delivery times; provision of data in formats that can be easily used by non-experts; operationalisation of algorithms produced by NERC-funded research, for wider impact in the community; and provision of advice and training in the sources and best practice in EO. NEODAAS offers a centralised service from one location, thus avoiding duplication, and providing critical mass.
NEODAAS is currently a dual node facility based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and the University of Dundee. The recommissioned service will continue work performed at PML, and will expand this by taking on certain of the work undertaken by Dundee - namely the collection of level 1 data for NRT data processing. This will be done via web/ftp downloads and PML-based EUMETCast data reception.
NEODAAS will provide flexibility to meet the wide range of UK community needs, and considerable leverage in terms of exploiting PML R&D outcomes, local expertise and existing computing and processing systems. NEODAAS will support Excellent Science funded through NERC grants, NERC Centre/Survey NC, Fellowships, Doctoral Training Partnerships or Centres for Doctoral Training, direct-access proposals as well as UKRI funding opportunities, such as the GCRF and Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).
The end-user community and the corresponding services may be split into two groups or strands:
Strand 1) Services to non-EO experts who wish to make use of EO datasets and information but do not wish, or are not able to spend extensive time learning how to do data processing. These services support the wider user community, numbering potentially many 1000's, many of whom may not even be aware of it (e.g. non-EO scientists on research cruises guided by NEODAAS).
Strand 2) Services to the EO Community who have EO expertise, but want specialist aid such as algorithm implementation, e.g. arising from NCEO research, in a NRT framework or would like to include their algorithms in the NEODAAS processing chain. The potential number of users is smaller, typically 100's, but the services may be more complex and bespoke in nature than those in Strand 1.
The vision for NEODAAS is to provide NERC and UKRI academic communities with flexible, responsive and innovative national capability in Earth Observation data, services and advice, which addresses key strategic research and innovation priorities and contributes to understanding of important environmental issues affecting the UK.
Earth Observation (EO) is crucial for observing Earth system processes in near-real time (NRT) at synoptic scales and over long periods as the data records extend in time. The European Copernicus programme, in particular, is enabling significant advances in the field through construction of an operational system of satellite-based sensors, with new and improved capabilities. Copernicus benefits the science of the expert EO community, and has even greater potential for non EO experts who can use EO derived data and information for the first time.
There is, thus, increasing demand for EO data and services, but clearly it is inefficient for all grant-holders to be generating their own EO data, while many non-EO experts do not have the skill base to do their own processing. Hence, the need for NEODAAS at Plymouth was confirmed by the NERC Facilities Evaluation Panel. Surveys by NERC Head Office and NCEO show strong demand for a value for money EO service which has demonstrably resulted in high quality science: between 2013/14 and 2017/18, NEODAAS supported 321 ISI-refereed publications (with >10k citations to all NEODAAS papers).
NEODAAS services include: EO products and information including production of analysis-ready data products to meet particular UK needs (such as UK projections or bespoke algorithms); rapid-response with very fast delivery times; provision of data in formats that can be easily used by non-experts; operationalisation of algorithms produced by NERC-funded research, for wider impact in the community; and provision of advice and training in the sources and best practice in EO. NEODAAS offers a centralised service from one location, thus avoiding duplication, and providing critical mass.
NEODAAS is currently a dual node facility based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and the University of Dundee. The recommissioned service will continue work performed at PML, and will expand this by taking on certain of the work undertaken by Dundee - namely the collection of level 1 data for NRT data processing. This will be done via web/ftp downloads and PML-based EUMETCast data reception.
NEODAAS will provide flexibility to meet the wide range of UK community needs, and considerable leverage in terms of exploiting PML R&D outcomes, local expertise and existing computing and processing systems. NEODAAS will support Excellent Science funded through NERC grants, NERC Centre/Survey NC, Fellowships, Doctoral Training Partnerships or Centres for Doctoral Training, direct-access proposals as well as UKRI funding opportunities, such as the GCRF and Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).
The end-user community and the corresponding services may be split into two groups or strands:
Strand 1) Services to non-EO experts who wish to make use of EO datasets and information but do not wish, or are not able to spend extensive time learning how to do data processing. These services support the wider user community, numbering potentially many 1000's, many of whom may not even be aware of it (e.g. non-EO scientists on research cruises guided by NEODAAS).
Strand 2) Services to the EO Community who have EO expertise, but want specialist aid such as algorithm implementation, e.g. arising from NCEO research, in a NRT framework or would like to include their algorithms in the NEODAAS processing chain. The potential number of users is smaller, typically 100's, but the services may be more complex and bespoke in nature than those in Strand 1.
