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WATERS Network andWATERS Network and related related NSF observatory initiatives:NSF observatory initiatives:

Transformative facilities for environmental Transformative facilities for environmental research, education, and outreachresearch, education, and outreach

Nicholas L. Clesceri, Ph.D., P.E., F. ASCE

Senior Technical Advisor and Agency LiaisonWATERS Network Project Office

Presented at Shenandoah River Natural Systems Symposium Shenandoah University Winchester, VA 22601

October 16, 2007

Environmental Observatories: a new approach for integrated, field-oriented collaborative research at regional to continental scales

Rely on advances in: sensors and sensor networks at intensively instrumented sites shared by the research community cyberinfrastructure with high bandwidth to connect the sites, data repositories, and researchers into collaboratories distributed modeling platforms

CLEANER (ENG)

+ Hydrologic Observatories (GEO)

= WATERS Network

Four critical deficiencies in current abilities:

1. Basic data about water-related processes at the needed spatial and temporal resolution. 2. The means to integrate data from different media and sources (observations, experiments, simulations).

3. Sufficiently accurate modeling and decision-support tools to predict underlying processes and forecast effects of different engineering management strategies.

4. The understanding of fundamental processes needed to transfer knowledge and predictions across spatial and temporal scales—from the scale of measurements to the scale of a desired management action.

Courtesy of Tom Harmon

The Idea

The WATERS Network will: 1. Consist of: (a) a national network of interacting field sites; across a range of spatial scales, climate and land-use/cover conditions (b) teams of investigators studying human-stressed

landscapes, with an emphasis on water problems; (c) specialized support personnel, facilities, and technology; and (d) integrative cyberinfrastructure to provide a shared-use network as the framework for collaborative analysis

2. Transform environmental engineering and hydrologic science research and education

3. Enable more effective management of water resources in human-dominated environments based on observation, experimentation, modeling, engineering analysis, and design

WATERS Network: MISSION STATEMENT

First, to transform our understanding of the Earth’s water andrelated biogeochemical cycles across spatial and temporal scales to enable forecasting of critical water-related processes that affect and are affected by human activities.

Second, to develop scientific and engineering tools that will enable more effective management approaches for waterresources in large-scale human-stressed environments.

WATERS Network Grand Challenges

1. How do we better detect, predict, and manage the effects of human activities and natural perturbations on the quantity, distribution and quality of water in near-real time?

2. What natural and human factors control the patterns and variability of water cycle processes at scales from local to continental?

3. Is there a universal theory of Continental Water Dynamics that accounts for patterns and variability, and their evolution over time?

From USGS

Vision: WATERS Network

Sensors and Measurement Facility

CA

dx)x(r)x(Q

Modeling and Synthesis

Informatics

Server

Workstation

domainDNS

Disk array

Observatories/ Environmental Field Facilities

Depth profiler using computer- controlled, programmable winch sonde package includes

ConductivityTemperatureTurbidityDOpH/ORPChlorophyll-a

Internal batteryData transmitted via cellular modem Sontek-YSI

FlowCAM Images of Zebra mussel veligers Nierzwicki-Bauer, RPI

Microcytometry Microcytometry using FlowCamusing FlowCam

Solar AUV (SAUV II) Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute (AUSI) Falmouth Scientific Inc. Art Sanderson, RPI

MicrobialGenosensor(D. Fries, USF)

ADVANCES IN SENSORSARE OCCURRING AT

BREATH-TAKING RATES

Buoyed sensor system: 20th century technology

Wireless sensor network: we can do this now

Maybe?

Not without advances in cyberinfrastructure!

NWISNWIS

ArcGISArcGIS

ExcelExcel

NCARNCAR

UnidataUnidata

NASANASASTORETSTORET

NCDCNCDC

AmerifluxAmeriflux

MatlabMatlab

AccessAccess JavaJava

FortranFortran

Visual BasicVisual Basic

C/C++C/C++

Some operational services

CUAHSI Web ServicesCUAHSI Web Services

Data SourcesData Sources

ApplicationsApplications

Extract

Transform

Load

http://www.cuahsi.org/his/

1. CLEANER Project Office established in August 2005 (Barbara Minsker, UIUC, PI. Six committees (~10-15

members each) have prepared draft reports on:

Science challenges and issues Cyberinfrastructure needs Sensors and sensor networks Organization (consortium possibilities) Role of social sciences in EOs Educational plans

A report on modeling needs has also been completed. See www.watersnet.org

History of Recent Planning

1. National Research Council issued (Phase I) report “CLEANER and NSF’s Environmental Observatories” supporting the concept of WATERS Network, and providing advice on science questions and implementation issues (May 2006). Phase II full-scale committee study is underway.

Recent Progress

2. Tangible progress is being made on the development of cyberinfrastructure needs for WATERS Network:

● Three of the five new CEO:P projects focus on cyberinfra- structure for water resources research (June 2006).

● Hydrologic Information System now has capabilities to extract and merge water data from various databases.

● A prototype “cyberintegrator” is under development to provide a meta-work-flow system to streamline analysis of data from diverse sources and link various models and analysis tools.

Recent Progress, cont.

3. EET and HS jointly are funding 11 “test-bed” projects to gain field experience with EO development and operation.

Recent Progress, cont.

Bales UC-Merced Observatory Design in the Mountain West: Scaling Measurements and Modeling in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra NevadaDuffy Penn State A Synthesis of Community Data and Modeling for Advancing River

Basin Science: the Evolving Susquehanna River Basin ExperimentGraham U Fla Design and Demonstration of a Distributed Sensor Array for Predicting

Water Flow and Nitrate Flux in the Santa Fe BasinHondzo U Minn Wireless Technologies and Embedded Networked Sensing:

Application to Integrated Urban Water Quality ManagementJust U Iowa Clear Creek Environmental Hydrologic Observatory: from Vision

toward RealityMinsker U Illinois An Environmental Information System for Hypoxia in Corpus

Christi Bay: A WATERS Network Test-bed Moore U Montana Linking Time and Space of Snowpack Runoff: Crown of the

Continent Hydrologic Observatory Paerl UNC FerryMon, Unattended Water Quality Monitoring Utilizing Advanced

Environmental Sensing Piasecki Drexel Demonstration and Development of a Test-Bed Digital Observatory

for the Susquehanna River Basin and Chesapeake Bay Stevens Utah State Tools for Environmental Observatory Design and Implementation:

Sensor Networks, Dynamic Bayesian Nutrient Flux Modeling, and Cyberinfrastructure Advancement

Welty UMBC Quantifying Urban Groundwater in Environmental Field Observatories: a Missing Link in Understanding How the Built Environment Affects

the Hydrologic Cycle

NSF is planning a phase -2 test bed competition

in FY 08/09

The WATERS Network Plan can assist in developing a “Shenandoah Valley Water Resources Science Plan” to provide decision-makers with the ability to better see how policy actions affect future watershed conditions.