Data Needs in a Changing Climate: Highlights from the 116th Congress

This briefing summarizes testimony and discussions from the 116th Congress regarding the necessity of up-to-date geophysical, hydrologic, and planetary-scale data, as well as the role of artificial intelligence, in understanding Earth processes and informing climate adaptation and disaster response.

• The 3-Dimensional Elevation Program (3DEP), managed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) since 2016, utilizes Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to create accurate 3D representations of terrain and buildings. This data supports 600 applications, including the creation of flood maps used by FEMA to manage risks. While flood maps have prevented $100 billion in losses over 40 years, only 67 percent of the United States has been mapped to date, necessitating continued funding to modernize maps for a changing climate.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides critical hydrologic data and tools for flood risk assessment, including the Digital Coast repository, which features the Sea Level Rise Viewer and the Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper. Additionally, bathymetry data from 3DEP combined with NOAA's hydrologic modeling assists in flood prediction and preparation.
• Extreme weather forecasting by the National Weather Service (NWS) has been enhanced by the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, which created the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) community weather model. Experts emphasize that continuous data collection and a constant observational network are essential for the ongoing improvement of climate models.
• Planetary-scale observations from NASA and NOAA satellites, such as Landsat, provide high-resolution global data used for resource management and the Fourth National Climate Assessment. Data from polar-orbiting satellites, radar, aircraft, and weather balloons are specifically used to monitor atmosphere composition, vegetation changes, desertification, cryosphere changes, and sea surface temperature.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) can improve disaster prediction and recovery by using algorithms that integrate real-time data with engineering, hydrology, and atmospheric science. To support this, the 116th Congress considered the Growing Artificial Intelligence Through Research Act (H.R.2202) and the Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act (S.1558), which would create a National AI Initiative involving the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

APA

Neal, A. (2020). Data Needs in a Changing Climate: Highlights from the 116th Congress. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-needs-in-a-changing-climate-highlights-from-the-116th-congress

Chicago

Neal, Abby. Data Needs in a Changing Climate: Highlights from the 116th Congress. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2020. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-needs-in-a-changing-climate-highlights-from-the-116th-congress.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Neal |first1=Abby |title=Data Needs in a Changing Climate: Highlights from the 116th Congress |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=13 April 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-needs-in-a-changing-climate-highlights-from-the-116th-congress |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{neal2020data, author = {Neal, Abby}, title = {{Data Needs in a Changing Climate: Highlights from the 116th Congress}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-needs-in-a-changing-climate-highlights-from-the-116th-congress}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }