Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
Global distributive computer processing systems for environmental 
monitoring, analysis and trend modeling in early warning and 
natural disaster mitigation 
J.O.Brumfield 
Marshall University, Huntington, W. Va., USA 
H.H.L.Bloemer 
Ohio University, Athens, USA 
ABSTRACT: Hierarchial levels of environmental data availability and processing capabilities care discussed 
and illustrated for the following global configuration of components based on experimental design results: 1. 
National Analysis and Early Warning Workstations; 2. International/Regional Processing Nodes; 3. Interna 
tional Data and Processing Facilities; 4. Global Telecommunication Networking for Computers and Early Warning 
Systems. In as much as the components of computer hardware/software systems and source data are spatially 
distributed on a global scale, workstations and nodes must be able to communicate effectively (analog and/or 
digital) to maximize information exchange and decision making potential on a national or regional basis. 
Further information/data from global data bases are often necessary to supplement or augment locally or 
regionally derived information (e.g. climate data from NOAA and NASA in the USA and WMO in Switzerland and 
AVHRR and/or GOES data from NOAA in the USA). Also through global networking various national and 
international laboratories/centers and universities are accessible for scientific and technical expertise in 
problem solving in resource monitoring, management, and disaster mitigation. Furthermore, analog 
telecommunication links, such as facsimile transmission capabilities, can provide an alternative, effective 
early warning system/emergency 38.4 kbit/sec equivalent transmission rate for disaster mitigation. 
Introduction 
Global distributive computer processing systems for 
environmental monitoring and analysis must be capable 
of providing modeling senarios and telecommunications 
among systems components for early warning and 
national disaster mitigation. An example of modeling 
senarios might include: specifying in advance areas 
of impact and intensity thereof, predicting crop 
productivity/yield, estimating food shortages, 
determining disaster assistance needs, improving 
policy and food scarcity management decisions, 
relocating existing stocks of food or bumper crops in 
neighboring regions and recommending alternate crops 
capable of growing under expected weather conditions 
(Steyaert, 1984). 
In recent years government agencies have recognized 
the potential of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 
as a technology suited for rapid data analysis. GIS 
can be viewed as an integral necessary component in 
spatial problem analysis and assessment. 
In order to decrease the devastating effects of 
severe environmental episodes, advanced data handling 
and analysis systems (ie. GIS) may be utilized to 
respond in a more timely fashion. A GIS that will 
meet the requirements of regional/global environ 
mental modeling must be capable of automated data 
collection, data storage, data retrieval, and data 
manipulation, along with spatial/statistical 
analysis, modeling, and display capabilities for 
spatial georeferenced data (Brumfield 1983). To 
facilitate natural hazard analysis at a global scale, 
a GIS must include telecommunication linkage 
capabilities to worldwide computer information and 
processing systems to monitor, assess and predict 
trends for disaster mitigation (Boyd, 1983; 
Brumfield, 1985). 
The International/National (Regional) Processing 
Nodes & Workstation 
The global distributive computer processing systems, 
including software, must be capable of encoding, 
inputting and processing both nonspatial and digital 
graphics along with image data (digital/analog) and 
provide efficient data management through 
manipulative and analytic modeling operations. Also, 
a global system should have telecommunication/ 
networking capability providing an adaptable tool to 
different users and for different applications. 
Figure 1 represents a international/regional 
processing node and workstation configuration we 
suggest incorporated into natural disaster trend 
assessment and forecasting systems. A complete 
hardware/software modeling system, in addition to a 
VMS or UNIX type operating system, with compilers and 
utilities might include: 
1) Real time or near real time data link capability 
to GOES or polar orbiter type satellite weather data. 
2) The ability to enhance and register multiple 
data sets to each other and animate sequential 
temporal data sets. 
3) The ability to transmit/receive facsimile data 
by telephone, microwave, or satellite telecommunica 
tion for 38.4 kbit/sec. data transmission backup. 
4) Software for image processing/geographic 
information systems. 
5) Data base management software. 
6) Statistical analysis software. 
7) Data reformatting and package linkage capabili 
ties among software systems. 
8) Data capture systems and input/ouput 
peripherals, e.g. digitizers, tape drives, disc 
drives, high resolution video camera, with analog to 
digital and digital to analog conversion capability: 
video/facsimile, transmission/reception capability to 
facilitate 38.4 kbit/sec. equivalent transmission 
rate for standard telephone service with particular 
application in developing countries. 
9) Spatial data/information file retrieval/transfer 
systems directory of available location, type and 
command codes; system software processing 
accessibility between computer network station nodes 
e.g. EARTHNET/Bitnet. 
10) Off the shelf components and software system 
compatibility and reliability; minimum requirements 
for operational expertise and training; ease of 
system repair, component replacement and software 
upgrade with emphasis on meeting developing countries 
operating conditions. 
The logical. candidate to meet the hardware needs 
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