HR: 1330h
AN: U22A-0027    [PDF]
TI: Creating Access to Data of Worldwide Volcanic Unrest
AU: * Venezky, D Y
EM: dvenezky@usgs.gov
AF: U. S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 910, Menlo Park, CA 94025 United States
AU: Newhall, C G
EM: cnewhall@ess.washington.edu
AF: U. S. Geological Survey, Univ. of Washington, Dept. Earth and Space Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AU: Malone, S D
EM: steve@ess.washington.edu
AF: University of Washington, Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences, Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AB: We are creating a pilot database (WOVOdat - the World Organization of Volcano Observatories database) using an open source database and content generation software, allowing web access to data of worldwide volcanic seismicity, ground deformation, fumarolic activity, and other changes within or adjacent to a volcanic system. After three years of discussions with volcano observatories of the WOVO community and institutional databases such as IRIS, UNAVCO, and the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program about how to link global data of volcanic unrest for use during crisis situations and for research, we are now developing the pilot database. We already have created the core tables and have written simple queries that access some of the available data using pull-down menus on a website. Over the next year, we plan to complete schema realization, expand querying capabilities, and then open the pilot database for a multi-year data-loading process. Many of the challenges we are encountering are common to multidisciplinary projects and include determining standard data formats, choosing levels of data detail (raw vs. minimally processed data, summary intervals vs. continuous data, etc.), and organizing the extant but variable data into a useable schema. Additionally, we are working on how best to enter the varied data into the database (scripts for digital data and web-entry tools for non-digital data) and what standard sets of queries are most important. An essential during an evolving volcanic crisis would be: `Has any volcano shown the behavior being observed here and what happened?'. We believe that with a systematic aggregation of all datasets on volcanic unrest, we should be able to find patterns that were previously inaccessible or unrecognized. The second WOVOdat workshop in 2002 provided a recent forum for discussion of data formats, database access, and schemas. The formats and units for the discussed parameters can be viewed at http://www.wovo.org/WOVOdat/parameters.htm. Comments, suggestions, and participation in all aspects of the WOVOdat project are welcome and appreciated.
UR: http://www.wovo.org/wovodat.htm
DE: 9800 GENERAL OR MISCELLANEOUS
SC: U
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting