Subject: Re: GGOS Retreat: Input requested from participants From: "C.K. Shum" Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 18:31:31 -0500 To: Hans-Peter Plag CC: Ruth.Neilan@jpl.nasa.gov (Ruth Neilan), ckshum@osu.edu (C.K. Shum), Rothacher@gfz-potsdam.de (Prof. Markus Rothacher), DREWES@dgfi.badw-muenchen.de (Dr. Hermann Drewes) 1. Topic 6: Vision The vision of GGOS should serve more community at large, and not only scientific community. Therefore, a model such as IERS, IDS, IGS, potentially would not gain maximum benefit and exposure within the international GEOSS program. The issue is that in the public's or world's opinion, such observational requirements as water resources or lack of, natural hazards monitoring and mitigation (hurricanes, tsunami, EQs), coastal management and hazards and climate change affecting human, are perhaps being perceived not necessarily simply as 'instrument accuracy/sampling' as we normally do. It is hope that colleagues would debate whether the above opinion, if they agree, is comfortable for us as a community to pursue. Or, we are better off doing research in an ivory tower (or in laminated cubicles). 3. Topic 10. GGOS contribution to GEOSS Related to the comments on the GGOS vision, perhaps there could be a thought on installing services not explicitly related to instrument (GPS, IAS, IDS); more than IERS, however, common people or even non-geodesists may not understand Earth rotation/reference frame and why it is useful to have an observational service. Perhaps GGOS' contribution to the outside (i.e., Interfacing with Users) should be advertised as product-specific, e.g., locating of water resources in the world, tsunami warning system, hurricane forecasting/warning system, ocean circulation forecasting, etc. There is also a need for elaborate interface in terms of user friendly displays etc. 3. Topic 11. Internal integration * The components I am interested in and not necessarily representing include sea level, gravity field, and a new service, International Altimeter Service. * The IAS draft ToR is on http://iag.dgfi.badw.de/?ias-pg, and GLOSS/ PSMSL is on: http://www.pol.ac.uk/psmsl/programmes/gloss.info.html Gravity field products from GRACE: http://graceserver.jpl.nasa.gov * The implementation depends on whether the philosophy discussed in #1/#2 could be considered. I wish you a pleasant and successful meeting. Best regards, C.K.