Science strategy for Core Science Systems in the U.S. Geological Survey, 2013–2023—public review release

Product Type: Open-file Report

Year: 2012

Author(s): Bristol, R.S., N.H. Euliss, Jr., N.L. Booth, N. Burkardt, J.E. Diffendorfer, D.B. Gesch, B.E. McCallum, D.M. Miller, S.A. Morman, B.S. Poore, R.P. Signell, and R.J. Viger

Suggested Citation:
Bristol, R.S., N.H. Euliss, Jr., N.L. Booth, N. Burkardt, J.E. Diffendorfer, D.B. Gesch, B.E. McCallum, D.M. Miller, S.A. Morman, B.S. Poore, R.P. Signell, and R.J. Viger. 2012. Science strategy for Core Science Systems in the U.S. Geological Survey, 2013–2023—public review release: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1093. 29 p.

Abstract

Public Review Release—Feedback on this report will be accepted through August 1, 2012. To provide comments, please click below, then go to section marked "Offer your comments on our draft strategies": http://www.usgs.gov/start_with_science/

Core Science Systems is a new mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that grew out of the 2007 Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges: U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007–2017.” This report describes the vision for this USGS mission and outlines a strategy for Core Science Systems to facilitate integrated characterization and understanding of the complex earth system. The vision and suggested actions are bold and far-reaching, describing a conceptual model and framework to enhance the ability of USGS to bring its core strengths to bear on pressing societal problems through data integration and scientific synthesis across the breadth of science.

The context of this report is inspired by a direction set forth in the 2007 Science Strategy. Specifically, ecosystem-based approaches provide the underpinnings for essentially all science themes that define the USGS. Every point on earth falls within a specific ecosystem where data, other information assets, and the expertise of USGS and its many partners can be employed to quantitatively understand how that ecosystem functions and how it responds to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Every benefit society obtains from the planet—food, water, raw materials to build infrastructure, homes and automobiles, fuel to heat homes and cities, and many others, are derived from or effect ecosystems.

The vision for Core Science Systems builds on core strengths of the USGS in characterizing and understanding complex earth and biological systems through research, modeling, mapping, and the production of high quality data on the nation’s natural resource infrastructure. Together, these research activities provide a foundation for ecosystem-based approaches through geologic mapping, topographic mapping, and biodiversity mapping. The vision describes a framework founded on these core mapping strengths that makes it easier for USGS scientists to discover critical information, share and publish results, and identify potential collaborations that transcend all USGS missions. The framework is designed to improve the efficiency of scientific work within USGS by establishing a means to preserve and recall data for future applications, organizing existing scientific knowledge and data to facilitate new use of older information, and establishing a future workflow that naturally integrates new data, applications, and other science products to make it easier and more efficient to conduct interdisciplinary research over time. Given the increasing need for integrated data and interdisciplinary approaches to solve modern problems, leadership by the Core Science Systems mission will facilitate problem solving by all USGS missions in ways not formerly possible...