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National Centre for Earth Observation : outline proposal. NCEO Mission
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National Centre for Earth Observation: outline proposal NCEO Mission To accelerate the delivery of world-class science by unlocking the full potential of Earth Observation to monitor, diagnose and predict environmental and climate change, and to ensure that scientific advances translate into public good. Alan O’Neill Director, NCEO
NCEO Facts and Figures • £40M NERC-funded programme for 5 years. • Amalgamates 7 NERC Centres for EO. • Involves over 100 scientists at 26 universities and institutions. • Focus is on exploiting satellite measurements for climate and Earth system science. • Depends on and promotes infrastructure for computing and data handling (archiving and dissemination). • Involves strong national and international partnerships. • Strong programme of “Knowledge Transfer.”
Models alone cannot answer any of these questions with confidence. EO with models can. How fast is the Arctic’s ice cover disappearing and will it soonbe ice free? How strong are the natural sources and sinks of CO2 and could the sinks become sources, making climate change worse? Where are stresses and strains in the Earth's crust building up, and can we forewarn of earthquakes, volcanic eruptionsand tsunamis? Where is air pollutioncoming from and willclimate change makeits health effects worse? Why do forecasts of damaging storms and floods go wrong, and how can we make them better? What are the main deficiencies with climate models, and how can we fix them? How has the Atlanticcirculation varied during past decadesand is there any sign of a slowdown, which could affect the UK’s climate?
Cryosphere andpolar oceans EO for climate diagnosisand prediction (Integrating Theme) Hazardous weather and flooding Global carbon cycle Atmosphericcomposition Dynamic Earth and geo-hazards EO informatics(Underpinning Theme) Data assimilation and treatment of uncertainty(Cross Cutting Theme) Ecosystems &biodiversity Impacts of use of natural resources Research Opportunity (future call) Training Capability and knowledge exchange