A Workflow-Accounting Methodologyto Determine

Earth Observation Requirements for Air Quality

A Contribution from the GEO Air Quality Community of Practice

Members who shared their ideas and resources: G. Foley, L. Friedl, K. Hoijarvi, S. Falke, J. Husar, R. Poirot, M. Schulz., K. Torsett, E. Robinson, A, Surijavong, W. White

Contact: R. Husar, rhusar@wustl.edu

Submitted to the Workshop:Building a User-Driven GEOSS: Methods to Capture, Analyze, and Prioritize User Needs

Sydney, Australia, April 10, 2011

• Air Quality Management (AQM) and Science relies on EOs for emissions, transport and ambient concentration of air pollutants.

• The required EOs are obtained mostly by the AQM Agencies themselves, using in-situ sensors and monitoring networks.

Earth Observations and Air Quality

However, •AQM-relevant EOs are only available for small regions of the world•There also need to include emerging remote sensing and AQ model data.•There is a need to integrate and reconcile the existing diverse observations

GEOSS Goal:

Facilitate access and integration of a broad range of EOs to SBAs, including Air Quality

Users and Scientific Communities Served ByGEOSS Common Approaches Systems within their Mandates

Success begins and ends on this side of the architecture

UserRequirements

In order to facilitate Ongoing feedback to optimize value and reduce gaps in GEOSS,

this is an initial, limited attempt to formulate a methodology for determining the User Requirements for EOs for Air Quality Management

Foley et. Al, UIC, May 2008

Methodology for Gathering User Requirements:

1. State the SB Sub-Area: e.g. Manage Air Quality 2. Define Major Workflow Steps of the SBA3. Name the Value-Adding Activities4. Identify Participants for Each Activity (i.e. the ‘Users’)5. Determine the Participant’s EO Needs

The methodology is a ‘bottom up’ approach.Decomposes the AQM process into workflow steps and specific activitiesEO needs are determined by the activities and the participating ‘users’ who perform those activities

US-09-01a and Current Method are Complementary Approaches

US-09-01a Nine-Step Method for Priority Eos

1:  Identify Analyst and Advisory Group for the SBA 2:  Determine scope of topics within the SBA 3:  Identify docs on obs. priorities for the SBA 4:  Develop analytic methods and priority criteria 5:  Analyze docs for priority EO needs6:  Combine the info. and develop a prelim. report 7:  Gather feedback on the preliminary report 8:  Perform any additional analysis 9:  Complete the report on Earth obs. for the SBA

Developed Five-Step Methodology for User Requirements

1: State the SB Sub-Area: e.g. Manage Air Quality 2: Define Major Workflow Steps of the SBA3: Name the Value-Adding Activities4: Identify Participants for Each Activity (‘Users’)5: Determine the Participant’s EO Needs

Project supported by EPAAQ CoP guided and helped populating AQ URR!

Similar and consistent with

Output

User-Requirements for

Observations & Models

Based on published literature

Based on detailed workflow and

accounting

1. Select SBA: AQ Management2. Define Workflow

Bachmann, 2008

3. Define Value Adding Activities: Workflow Step 1: Setting AQ Standard

Emission Analyst

Transport Meteor.

Activity Drivers

Emission Modeler

Chem. Tr.

Modeler

Receptor Modeler

Air Qual. Analyst

HealthAnalyst

PM Comp.

Gas Comp.

Policy Analyst

Popul. Density

Policy Maker

Knowledge: DecisionsInformation: Processed Data Data: Observations

Spreadsheet of activities, participants, requirements

Other Data

Activities – User Types - Requirements

Characterize Current AQ

Characterize Current AQ

Develop AQ Standard

Determine Compliance

Determine Compliance

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Det. Background AQ

Assess Health Risk

Assess Visibility Risk

Assess Terrestr. Risk

Assess Aquatic Risk

Set AQ Standard

ActivitiesWorkflow User TypesAQ Analyst

Receptor Mod.

Transport Mod.

AQ Analyst

Health Analyst

AQ Analyst

Aquatic Analyst

AQ Analyst

Terrestr. Analyst

AQ Analyst

Visibility Analyst

Policy Analyst

Requirements

The URR is a facility for collection, sharing and describing:• User types among the nine SBAs;• Applications that use Earth observations;• Requirements for Earth observations and derived products; • Links among user types, applications, and requirements.

The Method is compatible with the GEO User Requirements Registry (URR)

Matching Offerings and NeedsTo be Tested in AIP 4

AQ Community Catalog – Extracted from GCI

AQ Requirements – Extracted from GEO URR

ObservationParameters

User Needs Parameters

Matching Needs and Offerings

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Method

Strengths •It is ‘observation-based’, using the actual activities, and EO uses•Is methodical, so it can be broadly applied as a pattern•The EO needs can be expressed in the same way as EO offerings

Weaknesses•Method is tedious, requires detailed workflow, users, their EO needs•Applicable to well-established AQM activities, not for ad-hoc uses•Not tested for different environments and problem domains

EO Prioritization not yet considered•EO prioritization by this method is a multi-faceted, subtle activity•Not yet addressed by the GEO AQ CoP

• Extra slides

Value Chain for Informing the Public

Emission Analyst

Transport Meteor.

Activity Drivers

Emission Modeler

ForecastModeler

Air Qual. Analyst

Public Media

Gas Comp.

Public Dec. Maker

Observation-Data Processed Data

Actionable Knowledge

Workflow Step 2: Evaluate Current Air Quality

Evaluate Current AQ

Evaluate Current AQ

Develop AQ Standard

Determine Compliance

Determine Compliance

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Det. Ambient AQAttribute Sources

Determ. Exceedance

ActivitiesWorkflow User Types

AQ Analyst

Receptor Mod.

Transport Mod.

Policy Analyst

Det. EmissionsEmiss. Analyst

Emiss. Modeler

Requirements

Workflow Step 3: Develop and Enforce Compliance

Characterize Current AQ

Characterize Current AQ

Develop AQ Standard

Develop Compliance

Develop Compliance

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Attribute Sources

Emiss. Reduct. Plan

ActivitiesWorkflow User Types

AQ Analyst

Receptor Mod.

Transport Mod.

Policy Analyst

Det. EmissionsEmiss. Analyst

Emiss. Modeler

Requirements

Workflow Step 4: Evaluate Control Effectiveness

Characterize Current AQ

Characterize Current AQ

Develop AQ Standard

Determine Compliance

Determine Compliance

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Eval. Control Effectiveness

Det. Ambient AQAttribute Sources

Assess Health Risk

Assess Visibility Risk

Assess Terrestr. Risk

Assess Aquatic Risk

Eval. Control Effect

ActivitiesWorkflow User Types

AQ Analyst

Receptor Mod.

Transport Mod.

AQ Analyst

Health Analyst

AQ Analyst

Aquatic Analyst

AQ Analyst

Terrestr. Analyst

AQ Analyst

Visibility Analyst

Policy Analyst

Det. EmissionsEmiss. Analyst

Emiss. Modeler

Requirements

AQ Management: Science View

Processes and Earth Observations for AQ: Emissions, Transport and ambient Concentrations/Depositions

User Types: Emission Analysts, Emission Modeler, AQ Data Analyst, AQ Transport Modeler, AQ Receptor Modeler, Health Analyst, Aquatic Analyst, Terrestrial Analyst, Visibility Analyst

AQ Management: Science ViewEmissions, Transport and ambient Concentrations/Depositions causing Effects on Health and Welfare

Emission Analysts Emission Modeler

Transport Modeler Receptor ModelerAQ Data Analyst

Health AnalystAquatic AnalystTerrestrial AnalystVisibility Analyst

GEOSS Information Flow Framework

Policy Maker

Policy Analyst

AQ Domain Analyst

AQ Analyst Modeler

AQ Management: Information Flow View

GEOSS Core

The AQ Information system processes Earth and other observations into actionable knowledge for policy/decision makers.

User Types: AQ data analysts and modelers; health, aquatic and other domain analysts, policy analysts and policy/decision makers