KORDI organizes the 2nd GOCI PI Workshop

-Experts from NASA, JAXA and other foreign organizations to attend

The Republic of Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute (President Kang Jung-keuk) will organize the 2nd international workshop for principal investigators (PI) on the utilization of the Chollian Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), a geostationary earth observation satellite, in the main auditorium of its headquarters in Ansan, Gyeongdi-do, on Jan. 11-12. The purpose of this workshop is to examine the effects of the international efforts aimed at developing technology that utilizes the GOCI and the results of case studies.

The 2nd GOCI PI Workshop will be attended by geostationary ocean observation satellites scholars and researchers from the United States, Japan, France, China and Belgium as well as researchers from domestic organizations and related businesses. The participants will be briefed on the current operational status of the Cheollian GOCI and share information on how best to employ the satellite. They are also expected to discuss ways to expand the utilization of information derived from the satellite in the marine and other fields.

In particular, many experts from world-renowned space research centers, including NASA of the United States and JAXA of Japan, have shown much interest in the information collected by the GOCI and will attend the workshop. Views on the development of an algorism to produce more precise and stable satellite data and the improvement of the related software will be exchanged.

In addition, the participants are expected to hold in-depth discussions on the development of the Cheollian GOCI？II to be launched in 2018.

Ryu Joo-hyung, director of the Republic of Korea Ocean Satellite Center, said, "The information gathered through the GOCI is useful not only in marine-related research. It also can contribute to development in such fields as earth and air studies and disaster predictions." He said he expected the participants to discuss new and advanced ways of utilizing the GOCI during the workshop. 

Meanwhile, the GOCI, launched in June 2010, has been carrying out regular operations since April 2011, after a successful pilot operation. It observes, in real time, the seas around Republic of Korea and its neighbors, Japan, China and North Korea.

The KORDI provides the satellite derived information to various organizations around the world at their request, including NASA, US Navy, SOA, the Japan Meteorological Agency and NOWPAP (Northwest Pacific Action Plan). The analysis of the data obtained from the GOCI is also available on the Republic of Korea Ocean Satellite Center’s website: KORDI (http://kosc.kordi.re.kr).

□ Summary

○ Title: The 2nd GOCI PI Workshop

○ Time/Place: Jan. 11-12, 2012 / KORDI main auditorium

○ Sponsor/Organizer: Ministry of Land, Transport and Marine Affairs / Republic of Korea Ocean Satellite Center, KORDI

○ Participants: About 130, including researchers from GOCI-related foreign and local organizations (NASA, JAXA, FIO, SOA, etc.) and professors from foreign and local universities, including Tokyo University and Oregon State University

□ Major programs

○ Briefings on the current activities of the GOCI and case study reports for expansion of the international scope of the research utilizing the GOCI

○ Reports on the current activities of the GOCI

○ Reports on case studies utilizing the Chollian GOCI 

○ Reports on the CAL/VAL activities of the GOCI

○ Reports and discussions on research to utilize the GOCI and the various available data treatment techniques (foreign case)

□ Expected outcomes

○ Promotion, among local and foreign experts, of international research cooperation to utilize the GOCI

○ Promotion of the research capability and expertise of GOCI user groups, in and out of the country, through the presentation of diverse case studies

○ Production of data for the prediction of marine environmental changes through international cooperation in the utilization of GOCI data and utilization of this data to support economic activities and deal with marine-related accidents and disasters