Thursday, August 25, 2011

NGS Provides Precise Positioning Support for Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

NOAA's State Geodetic Advisor to Hawaii, Ed Carlson, is currently in Pohnpei, the largest island within the Federated States of Micronesia (Pacific Islands Region), providing accurate elevations and training to support a high-accuracy geodetic control network. In collaboration with the Pacific region of NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS), the project will establish a Global Positioning System (GPS) Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) on the island. Additionally, NOAA will establish a network of survey control monuments, perform approximately 80 kilometers of high-precision geodetic leveling, and train local island personnel in high-accuracy GPS and leveling techniques. The project will be completed by the end of September. As a result of upgrading the geodetic network, the State of Pohnpei will have many new tools to prepare them for coastal hazards and sea level change. Accurate positions and continuous GPS observations will support products, such as shoreline delineation, digital elevation models, and floodplain mapping. These data and products will enable NOAA's NWS and the International Tsunami Office to better predict coastal flooding, tsunami inundation, storm surge, and the impacts of sea level change on the coastal community in Pohnpei. For more information, contact Ed Carlson.