A multi-agency research center to improve the use of satellite data for analyzing and predicting the weather, the ocean, the climate and the environment
Effective environmental prediction requires several elements. One of these is accurate, well-distributed observations of the Earth's environment, for which satellite sensors are the largest source. Numerical models that embody the physical and chemical laws governing the behavior of the Earth's land surface, oceans, and atmosphere are another element, as are powerful computing systems to run these models rapidly to provide timely forecasts.
The science of data assimilation is the mortar that binds these elements into successful prediction systems for weather, oceans, climatology, and ecosystems. The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) is dedicated to developing and improving the ability to exploit satellite data more effectively in the United States. The JCSDA is a distributed collaborative effort that allows the work required to use the billions of satellite observations available daily to be shared several operational agencies in the United States.
This activity is best accomplished with a coordinated multi-agency basis as the common development work necessary to assimilate these many thousands of millions of satellite observations each day would otherwise be duplicated across the agencies.