U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

GFLGFL

Monitoring our Dynamic PlanetThe Global Fiducials Program

Bruce F. Molnia

July 25, 2012

ARCTIC SEA ICE

Data collection

capabilities

U.S. National Imagery Systems

Data needs

Global Change Science

Global Fiducials Program

Links image collection capabilities of U.S. National Imagery Systems to the data needs of global change scientists

Create an archive of U.S. National Imagery Systems data

Long-term record of environmentally pertinent sites

Look toward the day when data are declassified

Global Fiducials Program

Create an archive of U.S. National Imagery Systems data

Long-term record of environmentally pertinent sites

Look toward the day when data are declassified

Global Fiducials Program

Create an archive of U.S. National Imagery Systems data

Long-term record of environmentally pertinent sites

Look toward the day when data are declassified

Global Fiducials Program

GFL Website – About Page

GFL Website – FAQ Page

8

SHEBA

1998-1999

Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Experiment

Resulted in the public release of approximately 60 sea ice images

GFL Sites in the Arctic

Poster - 2009

National Academy of Sciences Report Supports Use of Intelligence Assets for Environmental Studies

Greenland Buoy TrackingFrom Website

Greenland Buoy Tracking

Eight months of bouy drift

Aug 18July 13

Sept 5

46 km

28 km

July 13

Aug 18

Sept 5

Aug 10

24 km

Aug 10

Arctic Sea Ice North of Greenland – Summer 2009

Four images of the same area of sea ice, drifting

across the Arctic Ocean

July 7, 2009 July 8, 2009

Shifting of Arctic Sea Ice North of Greenland

July 7, 2009 July 8, 2009

Shifting of Arctic Sea Ice North of Greenland

Snow Monitoring at Mammoth Mountain, CA

The Mountain is a NASA snow surface energy exchange study supersite. Scientists are studying the snow-water equivalency, capacity, timing of runoff for reservoir management, and prevention of flooding in times of excessive precipitation.

Snow Monitoring at Mammoth Mountain, CA

Comparison between the 4 seasonal collections in one year – (intra-annual variability of snow accumulation)