Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Applications
Observational meteorological and oceanographic
(metocean) data and models are used on a
daily basis for:
- Detecting and forecasting oceanic
components of climate variability
- Facilitating safe and efficient
marine operations
- Ensuring national security
- Managing resources for sustainable
use
- Preserving and restoring healthy
marine ecosystems
- Mitigating natural hazards
- Public health
In response to such needs the National
Oceanographic Partnership Program
(NOPP) has put together the Integrated
Ocean Observing System (IOOS) development
plan. The IOOS is a coordinated
national and international network
of observations and data transmission,
data management and communications
(DMAC), and data analyses and modeling
that systematically and efficiently
acquires and disseminates data and
information on past, present and
future states of the oceans and
coastal waters. The IOOS is the
U.S. contribution to the Global
Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and
the Global Earth Observation System
of Systems (GEOSS). Visit www.ocean.us
for more details.
The U.S. Navy and National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
as members of NOPP, put forth a
Broad Agency Announcement to create
demonstration applications that
integrate existing Navy and NOAA
data products by applying the IOOS
architectural concepts. Northrop
Grumman and ASA responded to this
announcement and teamed up to create
demonstration applications for marine
mammal and ship interaction as well
as naval sea basing.
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Demonstration
of the Marine Traffic Controller operational
display showing alternative ship's
course and computation of expected
marine mammal encounters. |
Demonstration
of sea basing deployment tool and
allowable deployment region. Shaded
circular area is the maximum extent
of sea basing deployment zone. Current
vectors, wind barbs, and color coded
gridded wave heights represent forecasted
environmental conditions for the Gulf
of Mexico. Area shaded as a light
purple represent the allowable deployment
region. |
In order to rapidly implement these
operational demonstrations, ASA
used its COASTMAP framework to integrate
Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS)
and OpenSource technologies to demonstrate
integration of a wide variety of
data products. The system was extensively
adapted to demonstrate end-to-end
implementation, from data supplier
to user, and includes data discovery,
data access, archive access, data
fusion, product generation and assessment,
and product dissemination.
For the marine mammal ship interaction
application, the system was applied
to assess the impact of ship traffic
on the North Atlantic right whales
in Cape Cod Bay and humpback whales
on Stellwagen Bank and specifically
the probability of ships striking
whales. Data used to make such an
assessment was gathered from aerial
surveys, historical data from the
U.S. Coast Guard Automated Identification
System (AIS), real-time observation
data from NOAA and Gulf of Main
Ocean Observing System (GOMOOS),
as well as other historical and
real-time environmental data. A
ship routing model extension was
built and the system demonstrated
the ability to predict the probabilities
of ships striking whales in the
region.
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For the sea basing application,
the initial focus was to demonstrate the
use of the system to assist in the pre-positioning
and continued environmental assessment of
the deployment of a maritime force platform
in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, off the west
coast of Florida. The system integrated
real-time and operational model data from
the U.S. Navy and NOAA to determine acceptable
areas for pre-positioning and on going deployment
of Navy assets based on a spatial analysis
of the overlap of areas where user selected
environmental variables do not exceed threshold
values.
The demonstration successfully showed the
integration of a variety of data and technologies,
including ArcGIS and other ESRI tools, Minnesota
Map Server, OPeNDAP, the OGC WxS services
as well as a variety of other web services.
Project News
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Waterborne Chemical Dispersion
Modeling in HPAC
ASA has been awarded a Phase I
Small Business Innovative Research
(SBIR) contract by the U.S. Defense
Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
The focus of the project is to incorporate
ASA's waterborne chemical dispersion
modeling capability, available in
CHEMMAP, into DTRA's Hazard Prediction
and Assessment Capability (HPAC).
HPAC predicts the effects of hazardous
material releases into the atmosphere
and its collateral effects on civilian
and military populations.
Display
of CHEMMAP atmospheric and water
concentration output for a hypothetical
release of benzene in the James
River.
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ASA South
America Operational Modeling and Forecasting
System
 ASA
South America has implemented a system to
provide support in operational modeling
and forecasting for the Brazilian oil company,
PETROBAS. As part of this effort ASA South
America used SARMAP to perform search and
rescue (SAR) operations for a drift buoy
that was lost at sea off the southeastern
coast of Brazil. The operational model was
utilized to provide accurate and reliable
surface current information for SAR planning.
Combinations of two hydrodynamic model setups
and three atmospheric forecast fields were
input to SARMAP to generate six drift trajectories
that were continuously compared with the
buoy last-known positions. Complications
were encountered when the buoy's radio signal
was interrupted and a frontal system rapidly
approached the area, halting the rescue
operations for a day. However, model simulations
continued, and registered the shift in the
buoys's trajectory induced by vortices in
the oceanic currents. The buoy was found,
rescued, and the knowledge obtained from
the exercise will be used to improve the
system.
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ASA Studies Sea Level Rise and
Flooding
ASA has been working for the
National Environmental Trust to
predict flooding for Miami, New
York, and Washington DC. The figure
to the left represents flooding
from a 100 yr storm in 2100 (with
0.6 meters of sea level rise)
for Miami. The translucent blue
represents land features that
would be underwater. At the top
of the figure is Miami's South
Beach area; almost all of South
Beach area could potentially be
flooded. The flooding visualization
has been animated using tools
available with Google Earth Professional
(www.earth.google.com).
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Personnel News
Craig Swanson presented results of
the recently completed study of Southport
Harbor on the Connecticut coast to a regional
meeting of TMDL representatives from state
and federal agencies at the New England Interstate
Water Pollution Control Commission offices
in Lowell, MA on 14 June. Along with Harry
Zhang of Parsons, Craig discussed running
computer models backwards to assist in tracking
pollution to its source.
During the week of 15 August, Nicole
Whittier conducted an ATOM and
AIRMAP training course for Alyeska
Pipeline in Valdez, AK. The course
was held over a three-day period and
included hands-on training with ATOM's
oil trajectory and fate (surface and
3-D) and atmospheric dispersion models
using the link to AIRMAP. Alyeska
uses ATOM and AIRMAP in their oil
spill response in Prince William Sound,
AK.
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Craig Swanson participated in the
Dredging Operations Subcommittee of the American
Society of Civil Engineers Coasts, Oceans,
Ports, and Rivers Institute Waterways Committee
at the recent Western Dredging Association
XXV Technical Conference in New Orleans 20-22
June.
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23-25 August Deborah French McCay
attended the 8th International Marine
Environmental Modelling Seminar in
Helsinki Finland, where she presented
ASA's modeling analysis of the potential
impacts of dispersant use entitled:
"Use of Probabilistic Trajectory
and Impact Modeling to Assess Consequences
of Oil Spills with Various Response
Strategies".
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Craig Swanson presented a paper, "Southport
Harbor Hydrodynamic and Pollutant Transport
Modeling Study", at the 2005 TMDL conference
of the Water Environment Federation 26-29
June in Philadelphia. The paper focused on
the use of backward tracking models to estimate
source locations.
In September, in the Buenos Aires XVII Half-Marathon,
Eduardo Yassuda completed the 21.1
km with his best time of 1:51:34.
Sasha Zigic provided training to
ConocoPhillips Indonesia on 25-26 August,
titled "Oil Spill Trajectory and Man-Overboard
Tracking". The session provided participants
with knowledge and hands on practice predicting
the movement of oil on water in ConocoPhillips
offshore operating areas. The session also
examined how the modelling technique can be
used to support other emergency response incidents,
such as man-overboard or aircraft down.
Linda Nolan Gagne, ASA's contracting
officer, along with daughter Alexis
completed a 2 day, 60km walk through
Montreal 27-28 August to raise funds
for breast cancer research. The two
have raised $20,000 for the cause
through participation in 4 walks.
Linda and Alexis were also interviewed
by Susan Bell of the CBC (Canadian
Broadcasting Company).
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Craig Swanson and Nicole Whittier
participated in a workshop, LNG: The Environmental
and Safety Agenda, sponsored by the American
Institute of Chemical Engineers and its Canadian
counterpart, the CSChE, in Vancouver, Canada
11-14 September. Craig presented LNGMAP: A
State-of-the-Art, LNG Release, Transport,
and Fate Model System for Marine Spills. Nicole
presented Potential Effects on Marine Biota
from Construction and Operation of Offshore
LNG Facilities.
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Sasha Zigic was awarded a
PhD degree on 16 September by Griffith
University after the successful submission
of his thesis titled: "A methodology
to calculate the time-varying flow
through a hydraulic structure connecting
two water bodies". ASA staff
would like to extend congratulations
to Sasha!
From left:
Dr. Brian King (supervisor, Asia-Pacific
ASA), Dr. Sasha Zigic (Graduate, Asia-Pacific
ASA), Dr. Charles Lemckert (supervisor,
Griffith University). |
Craig Swanson was
an invited speaker at the Transportation Research
Board 2005 Summer Conference in Boston on
11-12 July. He spoke on LNG Transport Safety
and Security and assisted during a tour of
Boston Harbor by discussing LNG operations
and facilities in the harbor.
On 22 September Eric Anderson conducted
an OILMAP training course for PESCO in Cairo,
Egypt. Eric worked with three of PESCO's personnel,
Ayman Naguib, Sameh Samir, and Karim D'Alessandro.
The course covered OILMAP capabilities, environmental
data, and outputs for both Mediterranean and
Red Sea coverage, and response and contingency
planning.
On 20 September, Roger Lim,
ASA's representative in Singapore,
participated in a CHEMMAP training
course conducted by Michael Zelenka
from ExxonMobil Biomedical Science
for East Asian Response Limited (EARL).
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Eric Anderson conducted an OILMAP
training course on 24 September for PDO Oman,
in Muscat, Oman. PDO uses OILMAP for directing
response in the event of a spill from the
loading area off Muscat (all of Oman's oil
is exported through three single point moorings
off Muscat) and for mystery spills.
Sasha Zigic and Eric Anderson
presented at the International Chemical and
Oil Pollution Conference and Exhibition (ICOPE),
29 September, Singapore. Sasha presented "Lytton
pipeline oil spill, Brisbane Australia, March
2003", co-authored by Brian King
and Stephen Victory (Queensland EPA). The
paper outlined the nature of the oil spill
incident and the use OILMAP to quantify the
"potential environmental harm" under
various wind and tidal conditions to provide
measures of whether the environmental harm
could have been more wide spread, if the conditions
were different on the day. Eric presented
his paper on CMS Training system for TSA Port
Security Training Program.
In a joint effort with Martin Rutherford
from the Royal Australian Navy, Eoin Howlett
presented a paper at the JCOMM-II Scientific
Conference in Halifax, Canada, "Operational
Oceanography and Marine Meteorology for the
21st century". The presentation discussed
the use of COASTMAP to integrate meteorological
and oceanographic data with GIS.
Brian King, from the Asia-Pacific
ASA office, assisted Dibbs Barker Gosling
Lawyers and the Sydney Ports Corporation in
a court case by providing two methods for
quantifying the amount of oil spilled from
a ship within Botany Bay Australia. The court
accepted the two methodologies. This now provides
a reference case for fuel oil spills involving
two independent methodologies. Details on
the court case can be found at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/nsw/NSWLEC/2005/159.html.
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April Leigh Rowe was born to ASA's
Jill Rowe and her husband Greg
on 26 August. Mom, Dad and Baby are
doing wonderfully!.
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Our warm congratulations to ASA's Kelly
Knee who married Rob Daly on 12 August
in Narragansett, RI. The couple honeymooned
in Vancouver, Canada. |
New Faces
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Jacqueline Daly is ASA's new office
manager. Jacqueline comes to us
from Blue Cross & Blue Shield's
office in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Ann Borowik has joined ASA as a
GIS Analyst. Ann received her BA
in Environmental Studies in 2003
from Gettysburg College and spent
the last few years supporting NOAA's
GIS needs in Washington, DC. At
ASA, Ann will be working with various
GIS and web-based informational
products.
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Nidhi Bansal has joined ASA as
a Programmer. Nidhi is originally
from India and came to the U.S.
in 2003 to pursue her Masters in
Computer Science from the University
of Rhode Island (URI). While at
URI she worked as a research assistant
for an ongoing GIS project and as
a teaching assistant for Java classes.
Nidhi's specialty is web-based and
database technology.
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Upcoming Conferences
Ana Carolina Lammardo and Mauricio
Lammardo will be presenting at the 3rd
Research and Development Congress in Oil
and Gas, in Salvador (Bahia), Brazil on
2-5 October. The congress is being organized
by IBP, the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum.
Ana Carolina will present Drill cuttings
and mud discharge modeling as a tool to
support Environmental Impact Studies for
drill activities in the sea and Mauricio
will present a poster about Numeric modeling
as a tool to support Environmental Impact
Studies for outfalls discharges.
Nicole Whittier will be presenting
at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Annual Meeting in Cincinnati, OH from 31
October to 4 November. The paper, coauthored
by Deborah French McCay, is entitled
Evaluation of Drinking Water Contaminants
Using Modeling. Nicole will be presenting
on Monday 31 October, at 0930.
The 9th International Conference on Estuarine
and Coastal Modeling (ECM9) will be held
from 31 October to 2 November in Charleston,
SC. The meeting will feature the presentation
of 120 papers covering the breadth of estuarine
and coastal modeling. The conference program,
paper abstracts, and registration information
can be found at the conference web site
www.oce.uri.edu/ecm9.
Tatsu Isaji, Malcolm Spaulding,
Craig Swanson, Sankar Subbayya,
and Matt Ward will be presenting
at the conference.
Craig Swanson was lead author of
a paper with Kelly Streich of Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection,
Mary Garren of US Environmental Protection
Agency and Harry Zhang of Parsons to be
presented at the upcoming Water Environment
Federation annual technical exhibition and
conference, WEFTEC05, in Washington, DC
from 29 October to 2 November. Harry will
be presenting the paper, Locating Potential
Bacterial Sources Using a Computer Modeling
Approach, on Wednesday, 2 November,
at 1100.
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