CEOS Development Environment

LSI-VC / SDCG / GEOGLAM Joint Meeting

Event Dates: September 4th - 7th, 2018

 

DSC_6060-small

 

A Joint Meeting between the CEOS Land Surface Imaging Virtual Constellation (LSI-VC), the CEOS Space Data Coordination Group for the Global Forest Observations Initiative (SDCG) and the Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM).

Location: Joint Research Centre, Ispra (Italy)

Hosted By: European Commission

Meeting Minutes & Actions: PDF | DOC

Objectives

CEOS has long sought a more holistic approach to land surface imaging activities, including shepherding relevant observing requirements and associated CEOS strategies. This meeting seeks to build on the 2017 trial approach of an ‘expanded’ LSI-VC meeting, co-located with thematic teams/sessions related to forests (SDCG-14) and agriculture (CEOS Ad-hoc Working Group for GEOGLAM). The meeting seeks to streamline and optimise the value of the concept and will include both a joint day and parallel thematic sessions. The joint day will be chaired by LSI-VC, and will focus on topics of common interest to all groups that are consistent with the vision for a single group with overall responsibility for requirements and strategies relevant to LSI. These are: 

CEOS Analysis Ready Data for Land (CARD4L)

This is core LSI-VC business but with significant effort across all groups. The session will review overall progress, the Product Family Specifications, and the status of ARD generation; consolidate input gathering from the forest (GFOI/SDCG) and agricultural communities (GEOGLAM/JECAM); take stock of related activities in each group; and ensure that resources are adequate.

Expected outcomes:

  1. Communicate overall progress on the definition and generation of CARD4L (including the assessment processes); identify issues and obstacles, and the way forward to address those; and outline how the CARD4L standards are expected to evolve.
  2. Summarise and consolidate inputs from the forest (GFOI/SDCG) and agriculture (GEOGLAM/JECAM) communities on CARD4L and its uptake based on ongoing information gathering processes in those communities (e.g., the CARD4L questionnaire).
  3. Discuss candidate ‘new’ CARD4L Products based on new application areas identified (e.g., InSAR, biomass, other specific forestry/agricultural applications, etc.).
  4. Identify potential inputs from the thematic communities to the CARD4L Engagement Strategy (e.g., for the cost-benefit analysis; promotion of CARD4L through workshops, conferences, journals; gathering feedback from users).
  5. Consideration of the broader CEOS ARD Strategy and our engagement in this effort – under SIT Vice Chair leadership. 

CARD4L Implementation: Thematic Pilots, Demonstrations, and Engagement

Review examples where CARD4L has been used to date, and identify further engagement opportunities with the thematic communities and data providers.

Expected outcomes:

  1. Review pilot CARD4L usage (e.g., CEOS Data Cube and Open Data Cube pilots, others) – with a particular focus on feedback from these communities and activities regarding CARD4L.
  2. Consideration of further CARD4L implementation trials, in particular the opportunities around the VNSC Data Cube, given the ambitions highlighted for their CEOS Chair term.
  3. Review Landsat – Sentinel-2 harmonisation progress (NASA HLS, ESA-USGS bilateral) and potential data supply for thematic communities.
  4. Review current status of engagement with both CEOS and non-CEOS data providers, and consider how they can and should be engaged in future (to support these initial pilots primarily, but also broadly).
  5. Report from the Planet Analysis Ready Data Interoperability workshop.
  6. CEOS data interoperability with commercial data and strategies for integration. 

CEOS Information Tools

LSI-VC has a task to identify potential modifications to existing CEOS information tools that can be made to help improve their value for gap analyses. Engagement of user/thematic communities in this process is key to maximising impact.

Expected outcomes:

  1. Presentation of current capabilities and already planned/underway developments (including the MIM Database API and instrument waveband improvements).
  2. Collection of feedback on the utility of CEOS tools and information systems for specific applications and thematic areas.
  3. Identification of improvements that will maximise the utility of these tools for gap analyses and other assessments.
  4. Identification of points of contact and ‘beta testers’ for future developments.

GEOGLAM Update on Requirements 

GEOGLAM established its satellite-based data requirements between 2012-2014. In recognition that we have moved from data scarcity to data plenty, and that we are facing barriers more related to access and utilization than to acquisition/coverage, GEOGLAM launched a requirements refresh in 2016-2018 that addresses the continuum of data and information needs. In April 2018, EC JRC hosted a meeting on GEOGLAM operational data users, while the GEOGLAM Secretariat and RAPP co-leads launched surveys of needs. Out of this, in addition to the upcoming Holistic GEOGLAM Requirements document, a variety of proposed working areas with CEOS have been proposed. This session will cover both the requirements as well as these other proposed working areas, as well as initiate discussions regarding  CEOS’ response to them.

Expected outcomes:

  1. A final summary of the April GEOGLAM User Requirements meeting.
  2. A formal definition and established plan for enhanced (holistic) GEOGLAM satellite data requirements.
  3. A review and established action items for future activities, such as the requirements for Application Ready Data (ARD+).
  4. A review and established plan with action items for LSI-VC coordination.

Future Work Plans

Take some time out at the end of the discussions to review next steps that will be taken within the three groups individually, as well as collectively (both already planned tasks and those emerging as a result of the meeting).

Expected outcomes:

  1. Identification of individual group or joint actions to progress the definition and generation of CARD4L and its implementation.
  2. Review of expected work for 2018-19.
  3. Messages to take to the CEOS and GEO communities via the CEOS SIT Technical Workshop (taking place the week following this meeting) including the VC/WG Day, the CEOS Plenary, and the GEO Plenary.
  4. Review of preliminary lessons learned from the 2018 joint meetings.

Agenda, Presentation Files

Thursday 6 September

Session 1: Welcome, Introductions, Agency Reports

Chair: B. Doorn

09:30

Welcome and Introductions

  • Review of joint meeting objectives
  • Quick overview of discussions in the parallel sessions
  • Roundtable of introductions

LSI-VC Leads, SDCG Co-Chairs, CEOS-GEOGLAM Leads

09:45

Overall CEOS Context for the Joint Meetings and LSI/SDCG/GEOGLAM Work [presentation]

S. Hosford

09:55

Agency Updates (on mission planning, ARD provision, FDAs, etc.; 5-10 mins each):

  

10:15 – Break (15 mins)

10:30

Continued… Agency Updates (on mission planning, ARD provision, FDAs, etc.; 5-10 mins each):

  

Session 2: CEOS Analysis Ready Data for Land (CARD4L)

Chair: A. Lewis

11:05

Overall CARD4L Status Report [presentation]

  • CARD4L Framework
  • Assessment process
  • Existing and planned PFS & their evolution

A. Siqueira

11:15

Broader CEOS ARD Strategy [presentation]

A. Lewis / S. Ward

11:25

Status of Engagement with CEOS and non-CEOS Data Providers

  • ARD stocktake (10 mins) (M. Steventon) [presentation]
  • Report from the Planet Analysis Ready Data Interoperability Workshop (10 mins) (S. Hosford) [presentation]
  

11:45

Landsat – Sentinel-2 interoperability progress and potential data supply for thematic communities.  (10 mins each)

  

12:05

CARD4L Questionnaire [presentation]

  • Review of feedback
  • Discussion: response to feedback and identification of any necessary actions

M. Steventon

12:15

CEOS/Open Data Cube Pilots [presentation]

  • Feedback from these communities and activities regarding CARD4L

B. Killough

12:25

Discussion:

  • Are there any issues that need to be addressed in the first update to the PFS, planned for February 2019? How do we address them?
  • Overall, are we convinced that the current PFS are fit for purpose?
  • Feedback from the GFOI and GEOGLAM groups on the CARD4L assessment process.
  • Does feedback from the community indicate that further new PFS are needed? What are they and why?
  • What opportunities could GFOI and GEOGLAM offer regarding piloting the use of CARD4L?
  • Can we identify further CARD4L implementation trial opportunities, in particular opportunities around the VNSC CEOS Chair Data Cube?
  • How could SDCG-GFOI and CEOS-GEOGLAM contribute to CARD4L engagement (e.g., for cost-benefit analyses; promotion of CARD4L through workshops, conferences, journals; and gathering further feedback from users).
  • CEOS data interoperability with commercial data and strategies for integration.
  • How do we increase the number of data providers supporting CARD4L trials and the production of CARD4L in general. Who are the key targets?

Moderator: A. Lewis

13:20 – Lunch (60 mins)

Session 3: CEOS Information Tools

Chair: B Killough

14:20

Current capabilities and already planned/underway developments (10 mins each)

  

14:40

Discussion

  • Feedback on the utility of CEOS tools and information systems for specific applications and thematic areas.
  • Identification of improvements that will maximise the utility of these tools for gap analyses and other assessments.
  • Identification of points of contact and ‘beta testers’ for future developments.

Moderator: F. M. Seifert

Session 4: GEOGLAM Update on Requirements

Chair: P. Maisongrande

15:10

Holistic GEOGLAM satellite data requirements [presentation]

  • Summary of the April GEOGLAM User Requirements meeting
  • Formal definition and established plan

A. Whitcraft

15:20

Application Ready Data (ARD+) [presentation]

  • Review of concept and driver

A. Whitcraft

15:30

Discussion

  • Potential areas of collaboration.
  • Joint plan and action items for CEOS-GEOGLAM and LSI-VC coordination?

Moderator: P. Maisongrande

15:50 – Break + Tour (35 mins)

Session 5: Future Work Plans & Closing

Chair: J. Lacey

16:25

Continued… Agency Updates (on mission planning, ARD provision, FDAs, etc.; 5-10 mins each):

  

16:35

Brief review of individual work plans for 2018-2019 (5 mins each)

  • LSI-VC (M. Steventon) [presentation]
  • SDCG-GFOI (S. Ward)
  • GEOGLAM (A. Whitcraft)
  

16:50

Discussion

  • Identification of further actions that could be taken within the three groups individually, as well as collectively, to progress the definition, generation, and application of CARD4L.
  • Preview chat on the discussions anticipated at SIT Technical Workshop (including the VC/WG/AHT Day) and at CEOS Plenary regarding our respective groups and the broader CEOS ARD strategy.
  • Messages to take to the CEOS and GEO communities via the CEOS SIT Technical Workshop, CEOS Plenary, and GEO Plenary.
  • Agree a joint position and discussion inputs for Session 6 of SIT Technical Workshop (VC, WG, and AHT Sustainability).

Moderator: J. Lacey

17:25

Review of actions recorded during the joint meeting

M. Steventon

17:35

Closing

  • Lessons learned
  • Joint meeting 2019
  • Wrap-up

LSI-VC Leads, SDCG Co-Chairs, CEOS-GEOGLAM Leads

17:45 – Adjourn