HR: 0800h
AN: C21A-0962    [Abstracts]
TI: The International Polar Year: Making Data and Information Available for the Long Term
AU: * Duerr, R E
EM: rduerr@nsidc.org
AF: National Snow and Ice Data Center, CIRES/Univ. of Colorado-Boulder 449 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0449 United States
AU: Parsons, M A
EM: parsonsm@kryos.colorado.edu
AF: National Snow and Ice Data Center, CIRES/Univ. of Colorado-Boulder 449 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0449 United States
AU: Weaver, R
EM: weaverr@kryos.colorado.edu
AF: National Snow and Ice Data Center, CIRES/Univ. of Colorado-Boulder 449 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0449 United States
AB: Planning is currently underway for an International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007-2008. Like its predecessors, the IPYs of 1882-83 and 1932-33 and the International Geophysical Year in 1957-58 IPY's (and IGY's), the upcoming IPY will undoubtedly produce a wide variety of data and information useful not only to the current generation; but also for future generations. However, unlike previous IPY/IGYs, the bulk of that data and information is likely to be digital not analog. While preservation of anything for the long term is problematic at best, at least the technologies needed for preserving analog materials (paper documents, photos, maps, etc.) are well understood and have passed the test of time. The same can not yet be said for digital data. As NSF and the Library of Congress have so eloquently stated, "digital objects require constant and perpetual maintenance, and they depend on elaborate systems of hardware, software, data and information models, and standards that are upgraded or replaced every few years." How future generations judge the success of the IPY of 2007-08 will be based, at least partly on whether the data and information collected is still readily accessible. This presentation will discuss what is needed in order to ensure the availability of IPY data for future generations.
DE: 9820 Techniques applicable in three or more fields
DE: 1699 General or miscellaneous
DE: 1800 HYDROLOGY
DE: 1640 Remote sensing
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting