Eyes on Earth Episode 110 – Geospatial Information Response Team

XAN FREDERICKS:
The rainfall from Hurricane Maria caused more than 70,000 landslides. My first experience seeing Puerto Rico after that impact, and me being from Florida, I thought I was hurricane savvy. I thought I had 20 years of evacuation and, you know, living through it. And I had no idea what the Puerto Ricans were facing, because they can't keep driving to evacuate. They can't just get supplies in. All of those things are cut off during a hurricane.
SHERI LEVISAY:
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Eyes on Earth. Our podcast focuses on our ever-changing planet and on the people at EROS and around the globe who use remote sensing to monitor the health of Earth. My name is Sheri Levisay, and I'll be hosting today's episode, where we're talking with Lance Clampitt and Alexandra Fredericks of the USGS Geospatial Information Response Team, or GIRT. The GIRT team provides event support maps in the wake of natural disasters such as volcanoes, hurricanes, inland floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. And since remote sensing is key to many mapping efforts, GIRT often taps into EROS' vast archive. Both of our guests today wear many hats. In addition to serving as chair of GIRT, Lance is the NGP Emergency Response Coordinator and USGS liaison to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, and U.S. Northern Command, NORTHCOM. Alexandra, or Xan, as she likes to be called, is the deputy GIRT chair of the USGS Lidar User Group and co-chair of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, ASPRS, Bathymetry Working Group, along with other responsibilities. Lance, Xan, welcome to Eyes on Earth.
LANCE CLAMPITT and XAN FREDERICKS:
Thanks so much, Sheri.
SHERI LEVISAY:
It seems like the best way to introduce our listeners to GIRT is for each of you to share one story that shows how your team helped after a disaster. Lance, you want to go first?
LANCE CLAMPITT:
Yes. So the GIRT is known as a response mechanism for disaster response using web-enabled applications. But my story is, back in 2018, we had a hurricane named Florence come through Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we got a call from the National Guard. And they wanted to know if we had any mapping products that could help them navigate Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to get to the people that needed assistance after that hurricane. So one of our capabilities is that we have a relationship with the Defense Logistics Agency, and that's an organization under DoD [Department of Defense] that actually has a printing facility, or numerous printing facilities. We can send them a soft copy U.S. topo or topoBuilder map file, and they can print those maps off for us, and they send them overnight to the event location. And they can help responders in route planning, mitigation and recovery efforts. So back in September of 2018, just after Hurricane Florence, the 46th Military Police Command with the Army National Guard received almost 300 printed maps to support Hurricane Florence aftermath, and those came directly from USGS, coordinated by the GIRT. One thing that people forget about in this age of digital information is we're the largest, we being USGS, is the largest civil mapping agency for the United States. So nobody really produces maps, hard copy maps, for the U.S. anymore. We have the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which produces maps around the world for our troops. But when you're responding to an event, a natural disaster event in North America, and you know, including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, we're the mappers that have to do that, and we need to print those out.
SHERI LEVISAY:
So Xan, I'll ask you the same question: Tell us a story about what you've done as part of GIRT that really impressed you with the capabilities that you have.
XAN FREDERICKS:
How about an analogy instead of a story? If you envision the vast expanse of USGS data products and services as a network of tributaries, then picture the GIRT as the delta where we're accumulating, we're collating, we're disseminating detailed information that can be used to support disaster response. Lance mentioned Hurricane Florence in 2018, and we're nearing the end of this year's hurricane season. Hurricanes are the highest frequency hazard that we support, and oftentimes hurricane predictions are referred to as spaghetti plots, right? Throw some spaghetti on a plate. You have a mess of noodles. Well, spaghetti plots are a mess of potential storm paths. The purpose of the GIRT is to create tools to help people unravel the intricacies of geospatial data and, in doing so, help improve the understanding of the risks that hazards present, because armed with such an understanding, we pave the way for informed decisions.
SHERI LEVISAY:
How do people access your information? Do you have a ready-made database for GIRT?
LANCE CLAMPITT:
So most of the data and information is housed within a USGS organization on a commercial, off-the-shelf software package. And it's accessible through the USGS website both internally and to the public. Some of those web services are provided by partners such as NOAA [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] and others are internal, including short-term services and imagery layers housed within EDC [EROS Data Center] and the Hazards Data Distribution System.
SHERI LEVISAY:
You have ways to instantly access information from all kinds of sources.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
Yeah. For sure. And that kind of highlights the kind of the age we're in with digital data. We use a lot of services so that we don't have to maintain the data ourselves; we can just bring that data in, and then we use things like Amazon Cloud and different cloud-type storage mechanisms through our off-the-shelf software so that we aren't maintaining or housing a lot of data. We're just accessing that data and providing it out to the users.
XAN FREDERICKS:
I think that's a really good point, Lance. To me, the true aim is to support disaster response through tools where data can find its purpose and where that information then can ignite transformation, instead of us trying to do it for it.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
Now that's kind of our purpose within the GIRT. For years, we've dealt with folks that needed information, but they didn't know how to really find it, or if they found it, they had to download the data, format for data, bring it up into a geospatial information application that they could visualize the data, and then actually, finally, do the work they needed to. So the whole purpose behind the GIRT is to reduce or eliminate all those steps so that they click on a link within their desktop and they see the information immediately. They can use it, they can mitigate the event where they can, you know, have situational awareness over that natural hazard event.
SHERI LEVISAY:
Many of the disasters you respond to are sudden, so there is little chance to prepare. But with hurricanes, for example, you get a little lead time. Explain how the responses differ for each event and for different types of events.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
Our operational tempo within the GIRT is one that we already have the application structure in place as well as the pre-event-based data that enables us to respond quickly. When the disaster occurs, within minutes, we can provide visualization of the area of interest to our leaders and scientists so that they have awareness and can start the planning the mitigation process. We can then start to look at the post-event data and add data as it becomes available. For earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes and other localized hazards like typhoons, we do have some lead time, and normally we participate in bureau coastal storm team calls, which include National Weather Service forecasts as well as USGS Science Center plans to deploy sensors and collect data. Within the geospatial portion of the planning process, we also learn about data requirements, remotely sensed data collection plans and data distribution networks from USGS and our partners. This does include EROS Data Center and the Hazards Data Distribution System, other federal partners, as well as potential data collection taskings by the commercial satellite providers. And for hurricanes, we are also able to post the forecast position provided by the National Hurricane Center within all our applications, and this information, along with USGS assets, such as locations of stream gages and facilities, can provide a great picture over the event before the hurricane makes landfall.
XAN FREDERICKS:
So Lance, you brought up a key point about having a template. That to me has been the key to timely response; with the foundation of our event support map, we're able to customize the individual maps for each hazard type and update those with the most current information. So as you can imagine, Sheri, responses differ based on the severity of the disaster as well as the specific response activity that needs to be supported.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
You know, when we have that forewarning of an event such as a typhoon, hurricane, sometimes a flood, we have that lead time to put in all the information that we know we'll need, plus what's being planned as far as collections, versus an earthquake or a landslide where, you know, you have, as Xan mentioned, you have those pre-built applications with that base data, and you're throwing that out there to the response community, and then as data comes in after the event or post-event, we can add that to give the full picture of the event for mitigation.
SHERI LEVISAY:
I know that you work closely with the Hazards Data Distribution System [HDDS], which operates out of EROS and is part of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. How does that interaction work, and how do GIRT and HDDS differ in the work they do.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
First off, we value the dedicated staff at EROS and work closely with them to support disaster response. From the emergency operations liaisons at EROS, who helped to coordinate space-based data acquisition to the capabilities provided by the HDDS. The GIRT relies on these assets. We access archive data within HDDS to support our applications. We leverage the short-term web mapping services, which are great, through HDDS, that provides quick data adds to our applications, and we leverage and rely on the support that the emergency operations liaisons help with to coordinate space-based data required. So a lot of interaction with EROS, and a lot of support that we really appreciate. Now, having said that, we differ in the fact that we provide short-term situational awareness and mitigation products that provide visualization over the hazard event. We don't archive data; we make data readily accessible for our managers and our scientists to quickly make decisions without the need to access, download or format the data. When the hazard no longer exists, the threat of life and limb no longer exists, we no longer maintain that application. So we're not storing the data, we're not archiving the data. We stand up before the event if we can, if we have that lead time, and we stand down shortly after the event.
XAN FREDERICKS:
I would say their emergency operations collection management tool is one of my favorite resources that they offer, as it allows users to see what existing imagery is available for an active or even an archived event. As Lance was mentioning, if we don't save that archive data, we can always go to HDDS and see what imagery exists for an archived event, which is really great for comparison.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
That's a great point. So we're based, you know, GIRT, you can look at GIRT and the relationship with EROS and HDDS, as we are a user of their products, whether it's the collection management tool, the emergency operations liaisons that help us facilitate collection of space-based imagery, or getting web-enabled services out of the data that's archived on HDDS. They're all services that we consume and appreciate.
SHERI LEVISAY:
You already mentioned NOAA and a few other things, but what other agencies and entities do you cooperate closely with?
LANCE CLAMPITT:
One, of course, is FEMA. As the overall coordinating body of federal event response, we work with FEMA a lot, and the coordination and access to data. As you mentioned, Sheri, we work with NOAA as well as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We currently collaborate with all three of those agencies on what we call the multi-agency High Watermark Collaboration Dashboard. That's a word-full. But that dashboard allows each participating agency that's working with the GIRT and USGS to plan high watermark collections and to add those collections for others to see. I mentioned the Defense Logistics Agency, which supports our hard copy map printing as well as other numerous USGS mission areas that we work with and cooperate with during an event.
XAN FREDERICKS:
I think it's really important to note within the USGS, the other teams we collaborate and cooperate with, too, because the GIRT has a concentrated core of USGS team members, each with knowledge and skills that are complementary, and they seem to mesh seamlessly. But when the situation demands, our team expands to include subject-matter experts from across the USGS landscape. We mentioned our colleagues at EROS. I love that our reach extends beyond projects to other programs, other mission areas, other regions. Often, we're joining forces with our sister agencies that Lance mentioned as well, and we join forces in order to bridge the gap between knowledge and action. This allows us to facilitate coordinated response among participating projects, programs, mission areas, regions, agencies to avoid duplicative effort. And this, coordination is also extremely important to field team safety, especially when there's limited access to an area after a disaster. This kind of planning can really increase overall efficiencies.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
I'm so happy you mentioned that because it really is the base of what the GIRT is. You know the GIRT is a very small volunteer-type organization that only stands up for events as they occur and then stands back down as they, as that's no longer needed for support. But if we have an earthquake in Florida, you know, the GIRT would stand up, and we would bring in first and foremost the USGS national map liaison for that state. So we would bring Xan in as part of the GIRT, we would go out, and we would talk to the earth sciences folks in Golden about the earthquake emphasis, and bringing the earthquake center folks because they are the experts, and, you know, we build this team out based on the event, which would include EROS Data Center if they have data that's being collected, and we need to access that. Or, you know, if we need facilitation with the collection management tool to collect over that area with space-based imagery. So, you know, we build out the personnel for the event, and then once that event is over with, and it's no longer needed to be supported, we go back down to basically a skeleton crew that is doing other jobs as assigned.
SHERI LEVISAY:
Now I'll ask a couple of questions that pertain more to your individual expertise. Lance, you have a military background, with 26 years in the U.S. Army Reserve Army National Guard. Thank you for your service! That has to come in handy when it comes to working with NORTHCOM. Tell us more about how GIRT and USGS work with the military.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
Yes, thank you, Sheri, I appreciate that. Although not essential, it does help to have a military background and familiarity with how the command structure is set up and how it operates and how it communicates. As the USGS liaison to NORAD and U.S. NORTHCOM, you need to have an understanding of how the joint command structure fits in with your structure within USGS and how to communicate within that structure. So a bit of background about NORAD: NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and NORTHCOM is the U.S. Northern Command. NORTHCOM is one of 11 combatant commands within the Department of Defense, and NORTHCOM is a binational command organization. It means that the U.S. shares this command with Canada as a North American command. So NORTHCOM has responsibility over air, land, sea for the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles, which also includes the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and portions of the Caribbean region to include the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. So a lot of responsibility, a lot of land area covered by NORTHCOM. So what's NORTHCOM do? So NORTHCOM plans, organizes and executes homeland defense and civil support missions. And that's the important partócivil support missions, that's where USGS comes in. The civil support mission includes domestic disaster relief operations that occur during natural hazards such as fires, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. As the USGS liaison to NORAD and U.S. NORTHCOM, we provide critical earth science information to the command and communicate requirements back to the USGS. NORTHCOM needs to know how natural disasters occur, what will the aftermath look like and what is the chance of reoccurrence so that they can respond with domestic disaster relief support appropriately. When we are not supporting operational hazard science for NORTHCOM, we provide science information for daily briefs and coordinate SME or subject matter expert presentations to keep the staff up to date on current and future hazards. It is also a two-way street, as the command assists the USGS with DoD-specific information and support, such as coordinating base access to our scientists for earthquake and other natural hazard investigations. So just in the recent history we've coordinated, two or three base access requests from USGS to DoD. Those were requests to actually do scientific earthquake studies on DoD facilities. So that's kind of how NORTHCOM helps USGS. And then, obviously, without the science information that USGS provides, the command won't have that base information to respond to. If you take, for example, an earthquake, which we're seeing like we're focusing on earthquakes a lot today, but they're good examples and they're specific in nature. If an earthquake occurs, we would send out that earthquake report, followed up by a summary report from USGS to NORTHCOM. They would then put the report in their daily ops briefs, and the commander would know about it, and then the planning cell at NORTHCOM would start using that executive summary to tell their troops, you know, can we move into this area now? Do we want to wait? Are there a high chance of aftershocks? What did the initial damage do, and what could it do in the future with an aftershock, so that they know how to respond appropriately. And that's just one example of how USGS and NORTHCOM work together and how we support each other.
SHERI LEVISAY:
Xan, your background with lidar and bathymetry brings a unique perspective to disaster response. Please explain to listeners exactly what lidar is and how it is used in disaster response. And then do the same for bathymetry.
XAN FREDERICKS:
Certainly, Sheri. Lidar is an active remote sensing technique. It's similar to radar or sonar, but instead of using radio waves or sound waves, lidar uses concentrated pulses of light to map the target. Topographic lidars, they use a near-infrared wavelength, typically 1064 nanometer, while topobathymetric or bathymetric lidars use a green wavelength; that's a 532 nanometer. Now the difference being that the green wavelength can penetrate the water column, providing a chance, if the conditions are right, for the light pulses to reach the river or the lake or the sea floor. Lidar, both topographic and bathymetric, and that's an essential piece of the disaster response puzzle because it provides precise elevation measurements of the environment. We've been talking about earthquakes, Lance mentioned. We also have been talking about hurricanes quite a bit today. So if we are thinking hurricanes, lidar supports storm surge modeling, flood inundation mapping, volumetric change analysis. It shows where there are areas of erosion or accretion. It shows changes in infrastructure and vegetation. You can even use lidar-derived data to aid in sinkhole extraction and karstering. That was actually done for Puerto Rico after Hurricane  Maria. I'll never forget visiting the island after that hurricane. I remember being struck by the sea of blue as we approached San Juan. But it wasn't the water. It was the sea of blue tarps still covering many of the roofs, and my visit was a year after the hurricane had made landfall. Lidar supports so many hazard applications, and it's especially important to ensure people have quick access to such data sets during disaster response. We were providing digital support as Hurricane Maria made landfall and then afterward, but then to be able to put boots on the ground a year later, my first experience seeing Puerto Rico after that impact, and me being from Florida: I thought, I had, I thought I was hurricane savvy. I thought I had 20 years of evacuation, and, you know, living through it. And I had no idea what the Puerto Ricans were facing because they can't keep driving to evacuate. They can't just get supplies in; all of those things are cut off during a hurricane. The rainfall from Hurricane Maria? It caused more than 70,000 landslides in Puerto Rico. That number is astounding to me, so it is really important. I love what Lance has shepherded the GIRT to be able to respond to, and we worked really closely with the landslides group in order to help support them and get them that lidar and able to help them with their mapping and modeling.
SHERI LEVISAY:
Finally, I'd like to give each of you a chance to tell me more about some aspect of GIRT that hasn't already been covered, or to give a summary of GIRT's importance.
LANCE CLAMPITT:
Yeah. So I'd like to just summarize. Our main job is to make that data available, accessible, visible, so that responders and scientists can mitigate and have situational awareness over the event. We don't want our managers or our responders, who don't have time, to have to go out and find this data and to format the data and to figure out how to look at the data; they want it to be automatic per the event. So that's our main purpose. But because we're USGS, we have kind of a head start in doing this. We have base data that we like to put as a base behind whatever data is produced for the event. So for example, we have topographic-based data services. We have elevation services, and as Xan alluded to, we have imagery services. We have hydrography services. And this is all USGS-based data, so, you know, we're using our own data and supplementing that with response data that's created after an event. And we're giving the best possible picture to the responder, to the manager, to the scientist that we can, in an immediate fashion, to mitigate and to give situational awareness over that event, GIRT provides, that's different from anything else that you'll see out there, as far as a federal service, collaborating and pulling all this data together on top of our base data that USGS produces to help out with disaster response.
XAN FREDERICKS:
I'm not sure how to follow up what Lance just said; goodness, Lance, you can tell we see eye to eye. I would say the Geospatial Information Response Team supports the mission of the USGS by contributing to a world where hazards become more comprehensible,  where risks are anticipated and where the foundation for decision making is rooted in the bedrock of scientific understanding. We're working to help the USGS be better prepared and better equipped to navigate disaster events. GIRT is guided by purpose and driven by science, allowing our work to fuel decisions that mitigate impact, as Lance said, and cultivate resilience.
SHERI LEVISAY:
I'd like to thank Lance and Xan for giving us insight into the work of the USGS Geospatial Information Response Team. And thank you, listeners, for joining us for this episode of Eyes on Earth. Check out our EROS Facebook and Twitter pages to watch for our newest episodes. You can also subscribe to us on Apple and Google Podcasts. 

VARIOUS VOICES:
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