Global-scene Architecture for Integrated atmosphere, terrain, and cloud Analysis (GAIA)

GAIA is a robust computer code for simulating terrain and cloud imagery to characterize the background ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and infrared (IR) radiation battlespace environment in order to develop effective next generation ballistic missile warning, defense, and surveillance systems. The rationale for GAIA is to have a model and infrastructure that is designed to provide a collection of standard interfaces that efficiently and seamlessly unifies existing, improved, and/or new computer code in a consistent and fully integrated computer environment, and allows for the integration of satellite imagery and data products.

Current GAIA prototype development is focused on incorporating terrain altitude and land cover, terrain material optical and thermal properties, cloud structure and microphysics, and ingestion of satellite imagery and data products. A state-of-the-art capability for representing scene observables in the UV/VIS/IR portions of the spectrum is also being implemented. GAIA will possess an architecture that can be efficiently and consistently interfaced with existing computer modeling environments, such as the FLITES or SSGM codes. When complete, GAIA will provide the missile defense community with the ability to generate high resolution, high fidelity scenes of the earth's surface. This verified and validated first principles model of the terrain and clouds as seen from space will be of significant value both commercially, and for military uses such as missile defense, remote sensing, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

An altitude map with a land cover overlay produced by GAIA. The image is of Seattle, Washington at 90 m spatial resolution (land cover is at 500 m, and down sampled) with North to the top right. The major water areas appearing in the image are Puget Sound and Elliot Bay to the west, and Lake Washington and Lake Sammish in the south east.

More details on the modeling capabilities can be found in the GAIA brochure.