MAST-DC: Carbon Data Synthesis | NACP Research Center

1. NACP Modeling and Synthesis Thematic Data Center (MAST-DC)A project funded by NASA 2005 Research Announcement for the North American Carbon ProgramBriefing at NASA, October 27, 2006 Bob Cook, PI, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryMac Post, Co-I, ORNLBruce Wilson, Co-I, ORNLPeter Thornton, Co-I, National Center for Atmospheric Research Period: August 2006 – July 2009

2. Topics • Background on North American Carbon Program (NACP ) • NACP Data System Planning Activities • MAST-DC Objectives and Tasks (revised) • Activities proposed, but not being done • Resource sharing with ORNL DAAC • Issues facing MAST-DC MAST-DC

3. North American Carbon Program The central objective of the North American Carbon Program is to measure and understand carbon stocks and the sources and sinks of CO2, CH4, and CO in North America and in adjacent ocean regions. • Approaching 120 projects • Involving more than 200 investigators • About 10 major observation & experimental networks • A focus for remote sensing observations and research • Collaboration with Mexico & Canada MAST-DC

4. What is the carbon balance of North America and adjacent oceans? What are the geographic patterns of fluxes of CO2, CH4, and CO? How is the balance changing over time? (Diagnosis) What processes control the sources and sinks of CO2, CH4, and CO, and how do the controls change with time? (Attribution/Processes) Are there potential surprises (could sources increase or sinks disappear)? (Prediction) How can we enhance and manage long-lived carbon sinks ("sequestration"), and provide resources to support decision makers? (Decision support) NACP Questions MAST-DC

5. Observations Dynamic Maps Model-Data Fusion Decision Support Diagnostic Models Experiments Predictive Models Observations & Experiments  Science Results  Estimates-Uncertainties NACP Approach: Data and Modeling Intensive MAST-DC

6. NACP Data Management Planning Activities(Thornton and Cook, Co-chairs) • January 2005 Workshop • Multi-agency, international workshop to define NACP data system • NACP Data Systems Task Force (formed May 2005) • Subgroup of Science Steering Group • Formed to describe the requirements for an NACP Data System that take advantage of existing capabilities while providing an integrated framework for accumulation, management, and distribution of data MAST-DC

7. Data Framework for NACPhttp://www.nacarbon.org/nacp/documents/NACP_Datasystems_recommendations.pdf (e.g., AmeriFlux) From the NACP Data Task Force MAST-DC

8. Data Support for NACP • NACP is reducing science scope, because of reductions in Federal budget • In process, not resolved • NACP and the data task force should reduce scope of the Data System (May 2006 CCIWG / SSG Meeting) • Look at more cost-effective solutions • Need to know what research projects are funded (what data services they require) and what funding is available for the data management system (right-size the data system) • High priority data activities identified http://www.nacarbon.org/nacp/documents/NACP_data_central_priorities_20060724-1.pdf MAST-DC

9. High Priority Data Functions • Coordinate with NACP-related thematic data centers • Identify and/or define metadata standards • Provide metadata entry tools for investigators who are not working directly with a thematic data center • Establish and maintain a metadata index of NACP-relevant data holdings across multiple Thematic Data Centers, including index of data held locally by projects/PIs. • Coordinate with NACP Office to link the data set metadata index with the project metadata index generated and maintained by the NACP Office MAST-DC

10. Goals Of MAST-DC • Support NACP by providing data management services to NACP investigators and agencies performing modeling and synthesis activities • Based on NACP requirements established, MAST-DC will provide data products and services in a central location, in consistent and uniform grids, with common and co-registered spatial projection, in easily converted formats. • Free modelers and those doing the synthesis and integration from having to perform data management functions. MAST-DC

11. MAST-DC Tasks • Establish specific data management needs of NACP modelers and synthesis groups and coordinate with other thematic data centers; • Prepare and distribute model input data; • Provide data management support for model outputs; • Provide tools for accessing, subsetting and visualization; • Provide observation data packages to evaluate model output; and • Support synthesis activities, including data support for workshops MAST-DC

12. Task 1. Establish data management needs of NACP and coordinate with other data centers • Work with NACP leadership groups (e.g., SSG and MCI Science Team) to establish data management requirements for modeling and synthesis • Establish a MAST-DC User Group (MUG) • Provide guidance to MAST-DC in establishing specific data management needs of NACP modelers and synthesis groups. • The Group will provide recommendations about data set priorities for forward and inverse modeling (e.g., requirements for data sets, including documentation, formats, projection, gridding scheme) and generation of value-added products for synthesis activities. • Communications / meetings: • Email, teleconferences, opportunistic meetings (at AGU, NACP meetings, etc.), synthesis workshops • Decisions, actions, and other information from User Group will be posted on the MAST-DC Web Site and transmitted via email list serve MAST-DC

13. Focus on MAST-DC Tasks (e.g., AmeriFlux) From the NACP Data Task Force MAST-DC

14. Thematic Data Center for Modeling and Synthesis User Community Digital Elevation Model - SRTM Soils – CONUS+ Land Cover – MODIS • Data Central • Index of Data • Data Portal • Version Control • Catalog of Services Metadata Registry Historical Land Use -LEDAPS • Services • Data Access • Subsetting • Visualization • Reprojection • WMS/WCS Weather / Climate -DAYMET LAI / fPAR Morisette’s Nitrogen – Dentener Bottom-up Model Output Top-Down Model Output Other Thematic Data Centers Task 2. Prepare and distribute model input data Task 3. Provide data management support for model outputs Task 4. Provide tools for accessing, subsetting, but not visualization Task 5. Provide observation data packages for model evaluation Observation Data Packages to evaluate model results

15. In the absence of Data Central, MAST-DC will provide some of its functions Thematic Data Center for Modeling and Synthesis Modeling Community (and others) Digital Elevation Model - SRTM Soils – CONUS+ Land Cover – MODIS • MAST-DC • Web Page* • Link to Thematic • Centers • Index of MAST-DC • Data (Mercury) • OPeNDAP access to • MAST-DC Data Metadata Registry Historical Land Use -LEDAPS • Services • Data Access • Subsetting • WMS/WCS Weather / Climate -DAYMET LAI / fPAR Morisette’s Nitrogen – Dentener Observation Data Packages to evaluate model results Bottom-up Model Output *N.B. MAST-DC is not replacing Data Central Top-Down Model Output Other Thematic Data Centers

16. Task 2. Prepare and distribute model input data • Acquire, process, re-project, and distribute a base set of input and driver data in consistent and uniform format • consistent input files will allow all modeling groups to start from common boundary conditions and driving variables, thus eliminating the confounding influence of multiple versions of input files • Rely on existing data activities and, as needed, convert products to NACP standard format / projection • LEDAPS, MODIS for NACP (gap-filled LAI / fPAR), etc. MAST-DC

17. Task 2. Model Input: Not Including Data Support for Atmospheric Transport • Proposed to generate standard meteorology and wind transport aloft for use in inverse modeling • Inverse modeling community has not evolved to the point where collectively they can specify data requirements MAST-DC

18. Task 4: Provide tools for accessing and subsetting (reduced scope) • Task re-scoped to provide basic services only, not advanced services and tools as proposed • Establish an OpenDAP server with basic subsetting functions MAST-DC

19. Task 5. Provide data packages to evaluate model output: confronting models with data(activity for later years) • Develop field-based data products that can be used to evaluate the models in a synthesis workshop setting • These data products will include site-based measurements of carbon dynamics • USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data • Atmospheric CO2 sampling sites to be used to evaluate forward models • Hydrological components of forward models, based on national river discharge monitoring networks • Flux tower data from the AmeriFlux and FLUXNET Canada networks MAST-DC

20. Task 6. Support synthesis activities • NACP Science team is organizing and will identify synthesis activities • MAST-DC will work with Science Team and User Group to identify high priority synthesis products • Inventory maps • Anthropogenic emission maps • Historical and current sources and sinks maps MAST-DC

21. NACP Synthesis Ideas:Compiled at AmeriFlux Meeting (October 2006) • Treatment of uncertainty in measurements and models • Components of the N.Am. carbon budget: current status and potential improvements (e.g. urban/suburban flux estimates, fossil fuel fluxes). This topic would take SOCCR as a point of departure. • AmeriFlux network synthesis: between-site coherence in fluxes • Integration of short-term and long-term measurements (e.g. flux sites compared to biometrics) • Formal intercomparisons of inverse modeling methods • Formal intercomparisons of forward modeling methods • Comparison of forward and inverse modeling methods • Carbon-nitrogen cycle interactions MAST-DC

22. Points mentioned in funding letter and by peer review panel • Agency resources for NACP Data Central have not been identified • Judicious use of MAST-DC resources can forge links to thematic data centers and investigators • Carefully scope MAST-DC and provide oversight by NACP users and program management • Keep MAST-DC coordinated with users and avoid mission creep and expectation and budget problems. • MAST-DC should develop metrics to evaluate success in service to user community • Suggest EOSDIS user statistics (products, distinct users, etc.) MAST-DC

23. MAST-DC Support to Mid-Continent Intensive Campaign • Initial focus on MCI Campaign • MCI has near-term goals and data needs • Use MCI as a test of MAST-DC approach for model input and model output MAST-DC

24. MAST-DC Data: First steps • Establish NACP projections, grid system, and georegistration • E.g., lat-lon and albers equal area at 1-km • Establish File Formats • netCDF and ASCII • Choose a land–water mask • MODIS • SRTM (NGA 90-m product) MAST-DC

25. Data Products: Activities in first year (focus on MCI) • Digital Elevation Model • SRTM 30 arcsecond with GTOPO30 north of 60oN • Soil data (international mid-latitude cyrosphere working group and CONUS) • DAYMET (NCAR) (continental focus) • Daily, 1-km data from 1980 to 2005, with annual updates • Working with Agriculture Canada to extend DAYMET into Canada • Need to forge relationship with Mexico at JNACP Meeting in January MAST-DC

26. MAST-DC Services • Web Site • http://nacp.ornl.gov/mast-dc/ • Mercury for MAST-DC • Clearinghouse for modeling and synthesis data and information • Have incorporated ~200 metadata records for North American background data on the Internet (see handout) • Metadata editor for entering new records • OPeNDAP – developed in first year • North America WebGIS • Web Map Server and Web Coverage Server MAST-DC

27. MAST-DC Search (based on Mercury) Spatial data for North America (see Handout) MAST-DC

28. WebGIS for North America MAST-DC

29. North America WebGIS Features • North America WebGIS supports Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Coverage Service (WCS) OpenGIS protocols • Includes land cover, biophysical, elevation, and geopolitical layers • Provides access to other Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) layers • Users can interrogate map features and extract and download selected map features, including map layers (shape files) MAST-DC

30. Issues / Challenges • Coordinating with NACP and North American carbon cycle research communities • Most projects included funding for data support for their projects and, in some sense, may not need MAST-DC • Forging links and setting up cooperative activities • Facilitating solution of technical issues • Existing Agency and national data streams required for NACP • Forest and agriculture inventories, weather, soils, etc. • Establish coordination / cooperation agreements to ensure that agency and national data resources are available to NACP researchers MAST-DC

31. Additional Slides

32. NASA-Sponsored Datasets for Driving Carbon Calculations MAST-DC

33. Transport Transport Sinks Sources Sample Sample Inverse Model Solutions for Sources and Sinks Air Parcel Air Parcel Air Parcel MAST-DC

34. Task 5. Provide observational data packages to evaluate model output (continued) • Flux tower data from the AmeriFlux and FLUXNET Canada networks: NACP Requirements of Flux Networks • Flux Tower sites with data from 1997 to the present • Gap-filled, aggregated data files for water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sensible heat, as well as ancillary biological / ecological measurements for the tower sites • Day/night, daily, weekly, monthly, and annual aggregates, and including the percentage of gaps filled in each aggregation • Data files in ASCII and netCDF format MAST-DC