The Planetary Vital Signs Initiative
Earth's medical records are at risk of being lost. Forever.
For decades, scientists have tracked our planet's vital signs — the temperature of the ocean, the carbon in the air, the flow of rivers, the retreat of ice. This initiative is going to strengthen the Earth observation systems and community in the US by building resilience and demonstrating the value of Earth data. The Planetary Vital Signs Initiative (PVSI) is a bold idea to make sure Earth science will always be sustained – and stronger than ever.
The PVSI strategy is a collaborative effort amongst the Keeling Curve Foundation, our Science Advisory Council, the Long Term Ecological Research Network (our first Affiliate Organization) and new partners to be announced.
Earth observations are the planet's vital signs
Earth Observations measure the planet's physical, chemical, and biological systems — its oceans, waterways, atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems, and cryosphere. Collectively, they describe our planet's health.
The biosphere varies widely year to year. These long term measurements are exactly what the Keeling Curve does, and are what other long-term Earth observations (LTEOs) will keep doing if we make them stronger. Every sector runs on measurements that need to be continually taken.
A plot of global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from the Mauna Loa Observatory and Antarctic Ice Cores. The visualization starts by showing the Mauna Loa data which begins in 1958. There is a seasonal variation (maximum in May and minimum in September) and a steady year over year rise. The graph transforms from the monthly view to a line plot (The Keeling Curve). Finally the graph zooms out to show the full 800,000 year record from the Antarctic Ice Cores.
The country runs on long-term Earth observations
Data is not an academic luxury — it is operational infrastructure. Every sector runs on measurements somebody has to keep making.
Emergency response
Surface weather stations, radiosondes, streamgages and buoys behind tornado, hurricane, fire, flood, and heat warnings.
National security
Ocean, atmospheric, terrestrial, and satellite profiles underpinning operations, infrastructure, planning, and readiness.
Insurance & risk
Streamgages, tide gauges, and century-long climate stations setting flood and fire maps and premiums.
Agriculture
Soil moisture and temperature, drought monitors, precipitation records, and phenology guiding planting and harvest.
Fisheries
Ocean temperature, plankton and algal toxin sampling governing stock assessments and harvest openings.
Shipping & navigation
Tide gauges, water levels, currents and ice observations keeping channels and ports open.
Energy
Streamflow for hydropower, solar radiation and wind records, cooling-water temperatures.
Public health
Algal toxin sampling, aerosol and air-quality monitoring, heat and water-quality records.
Water supply
Streamgages, snowpack surveys, groundwater levels and reservoir inflows.
Aviation
Upper-air soundings, surface observations and space weather behind routing and turbulence forecasts.
City & county planning
Rainfall frequency statistics, flood recurrence and sea-level records setting codes and engineering design.
Climate models
Long-run records of temperature, CO₂, ocean heat and ice calibrating the models everyone uses.
US federal priorities have shifted dramatically. The FY27 request proposes deep cuts to research, terminates science missions and closes key facilities. On top of these new threats, pre-existing challenges include the loss of experienced scientists and the absence of a unified Earth observation advocacy forum. Collectively, these threats endanger the multi-decadal records that, when used, ensure our communities are safe and strong. While Congress has rejected the worst cuts to long-term Earth observations for now, it’s clear we need a new approach to ensuring science is secure.
From reactive rescue to proactive resilience
In 2025, KCF's Science Advisory Council surveyed the US long-term Earth observation landscape and identified 25 must-save scientific nodes — organizations that together manage thousands of vital observing sites. The Planetary Vital Signs Initiative marks a deliberate shift: from rescuing programs one at a time to strengthening the Earth observation system of systems. We will do this together, strengthening, connecting and convening Earth observation nodes, scientists and funders so the US Earth observation community emerges stronger, more resilient and more valuable than ever.
Tools include
Financial & contingency analyses, early-career and succession planning, how to build endowments, how to find and approach foundations, and alternative host-institution agreements.
How the funding flows
Macro-grants: ~20 two-year grants of $400K each, plus early-career scholarships — half unrestricted.
Micro-grants: ~20–30 grants of $150K, keeping critical LTEO staff and programs running — half unrestricted.
Tools & trainings: community-wide support for AI data management, succession planning, communications, and more.
The Keeling Prize: $50,000 awarded annually at the congress to the next generation of scientists — the Charles Keelings of tomorrow.
Three years, three roles
2027 — Launch: co-create the Vital Signs 3.0 report and award the inaugural Keeling Prize.
2028 — Expand: grow internationally and pressure-test the framework with a wider community.
2029 — Institutionalize: establish the convening for the long term and publish the three-year impact report.
We're going to see a loss of information that will make the burning of the Library of Alexandria look like nothing. And it's going to happen before anybody notices.Participant — Repository Resilience in Practice, ESIP, July 2026
Some systems are running with people on renewable three-month contracts. It's inherent that the system is going to fail if the critical staff are all on short-term contracts.Participant — Repository Resilience in Practice, ESIP, July 2026
What if we get this right?
All 25 must-save nodes are still reporting — with diversified funding, stronger advocates, and wider appreciation of their value.
Long-term science is a great career again, not a chain of three-month contracts. Expertise passes from experienced scientists to tomorrow's leaders.
Three orders of magnitude more users — farmers, insurers, city planners, engineers, emergency responders. Every new user is a new advocate.
Help make this vision real
PVSI is a three-year, $16.8M idea that funders and scientists co-developed. It's a proactive first move, not just a rescue fund. Almost 80% of the funds will flow directly to Earth observation scientific nodes they will use to strengthen themselves.