IN54A-01
Operational Data Management Within the IPY Framework, Relations to WIS and DAMOCLES
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute (METNO) is hosting a data coordination service for operational data during IPY. Using WMO Information System technology, not only local datasets, but also remote datasets are visible and available for download by users if allowed by the data centre hosting them. It is the intention of METNO to add OGC services to the WIS-implementation chosen. With IPY services in mind METNO has evaluated a WIS demonstrator named SIMDAT which is being developed at the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting. The core part of the SIMDAT system is the catalogue node which exchanges data and metadata with other WIS implementations (e.g. CDP) and maintains a metadatabase of its own. The European Union sponsored project DAMOCLES is an IPY project, but preparations and development started before IPY requirements were clear. The main requirement when developing the data management system was that it should be a low cost solution leaving as much funding as possible to science. The basic implementation is using a PostGRES database for metadata and a data repository accessed also by HTTP/OpeNDAP. The metadatabase is automatically fed by extracting metadata from netCDF files following the CF standard. netCDF are used both for point/trajectory and gridded datasets. The implementation is quite similar to the one used by projects like MERSEA, Coriolis. The DAMOCLES data management portal provides standard search mechanisms quite similar to GCMD, direct linking of OpeNDAP objects, and output presentation configurable by the user. The latter is also available as two-way tables where e.g. data sets can be presented for various regions or topic categories. DAMOCLES and SEARCH is linked through a European Union Specific Support Action called SEARCH for DAMOCLES (S4D). Data management coordination between SEARCH and DAMOCLES through S4D relies on IPY data management mechanisms.
IN54A-02
The Arctic Observing Network (AON)Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (CADIS)
The Arctic Observing Network (AON) is intended to be a federation of 34 land, atmosphere and ocean observation sites, some already operating and some newly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. This International Polar Year (IPY) initiative will acquire a major portion of the data coming from the interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH). AON will succeed in supporting the science envisioned by its planners only if it functions as a system and not as a collection of independent observation programs. Development and implementation of a comprehensive data management strategy will key a key to the success of this effort. AON planners envision an ideal data management system that includes a portal through which scientists can submit metadata and datasets at a single location; search the complete archive and find all data relevant to a location or process; all data have browse imagery and complete documentation; time series or fields can be plotted on line, and all data are in a relational database so that multiple data sets and sources can be queried and retrieved. The Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (CADIS) will provide near-real-time data delivery, a long-term repository for data, a portal for data discovery, and tools to manipulate data by building on existing tools like the Unidata Integrated Data Viewer (IDV). Our approach to the data integration challenge is to start by asking investigators to provide metadata via a general purpose user interface. An entry tool assists PIs in writing metadata and submitting data. Data can be submitted to the archive in NetCDF with Climate and Forecast conventions or in one of several other standard formats where possible. CADIS is a joint effort of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). In the first year, we are concentrating on establishing metadata protocols that are compatible with international standards, and on demonstrating data submission, search and visualization tools with a subset of AON data. These capabilities will be expanded in years 2 and 3. By working with AON investigators and by using evolving conventions for in situ data formats as they mature, we hope to bring CADIS to the full level of data integration imagined by AON planners. The CADIS development will be described in terms of challenges, implementation strategies and progress to date. The developers are making a conscious effort to integrate this system and its data holdings with the complementary efforts in the SEARCH and IPY programs. The interdisciplinary content of the data, the variations in format and documentation, as well as its geographic coverage across the Arctic Basin all impact the form and effectiveness of the CADIS system architecture. The clever solutions to the complexity of implementing a comprehensive data management strategy implied in this diversity will be a focus of the presentation. http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/aon-cadis/
IN54A-03
Information And Data-Sharing Plan of IPY China Activity
Polar Data-Sharing is an effective resolution to global system and polar science problems and to interdisciplinary and sustainable study, as well as an important means to deal with IPY scientific heritages and realize IPY goals. Corresponding to IPY Data-Sharing policies, Information and Data-Sharing Plan was listed in five sub-plans of IPY Chinese Programme launched in March, 2007,they are Scientific research program of the Prydz Bay, Amery Ice Shelf and Dome A transects(short title:'PANDA'), the Arctic Scientific Research Expedition Plan, International Cooperation Plan, Information and Data-Sharing Plan, Education and Outreach. China, since the foundation of Antarctic Zhongshan Station in 1989, has carried out systematic scientific expeditions and researches in Larsemann Hills, Prydz Bay and the neighbouring sea areas, organized 14 Prydz Bay oceanographic investigations, 3 Amery Ice Shelf expeditions, 4 Grove Mountains expeditions and 5 inland ice cap scientific expeditions. 2 comprehensive oceanographic investigations in the Arctic Ocean were conducted in 1999 and 2003, acquired a large amount of data and samples in PANDA section and fan areas of Pacific Ocean in the Arctic Ocean. A mechanism of basic data submitting ,sharing and archiving has been gradually set up since 2000. Presently, Polar Science Database and Polar Sample Resource Sharing Platform of China with the aim of sharing polar data and samples has been initially established and began to provide sharing service to domestic and oversea users. According to IPY Chinese Activity, 2 scientific expeditions in the Arctic Ocean, 3 in the South Ocean, 2 at Amery Ice Shelf, 1 on Grove Mountains and 2 inland ice cap expeditions on Dome A will be carried out during IPY period. According to the experiences accumulated in the past and the jobs in the future, the Information and Data- Sharing Plan, during 2007-2010, will save, archive, and provide exchange and sharing services upon the data obtained by scientific expeditions on the site of IPY Chinese Programme. Meanwhile, focusing on areas in east Antarctic Dome A-Grove Mountain-Zhongshan Station-Amery Ice Shelf-Prydz Bay Section and the fan areas of Pacific Ocean in the Arctic Ocean, the Plan will also collect and integrate IPY data and historical data and establish database of PANDA Section and the Arctic Ocean. The details are as follows: On the basis of integrating the observed data acquired during the expeditions of China, the Plan will, adopting portal technology, develop 5 subject databases (English version included):(1) Database of Zhongshan Station- Dome A inner land ice cap section;(2) Database of interaction of ocean-ice-atmosphere-ice shelf in east Antarctica;(3) Database of geological and glaciological advance and retreat evolvement in Grove Mountains; (4) Database of Solar Terrestrial Physics at Zhongshan Station; (5) Oceanographic database of fan area of Pacific Ocean in the Arctic Ocean. CN-NADC of PRIC is the institute which assumes the responsibility for the Plan, specifically, it coordinates and organizes the operation of the Plan which includes data management, developing the portal of data and information sharing, and international exchanges. The specific assignments under the Plan will be carried out by research institutes under CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences), SOA ( State Oceanic Administration), State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping and Ministry of Education.
IN54A-04
First high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution optical imagery of polar regions from Formosat-2
Coordinating and collecting satellite data of changing polar environments is one of the prime activities during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008. Earlier efforts in manoeuvring Radarsat-1 in a special mode provided the radar images with a spatial resolution of 30m of the entirety of Antarctica during September to October 1997. Limited to their swath and pointing capability, however, the operation of optical satellites with high-spatial- resolution sensors is generally restricted to certain latitudes. For example, Landsat and SPOT missions have been able to provide high-spatial-resolution optical imagery only to latitude ~81 degree North and South since 1980s. The coverage is now extended to ~86 degree by ASTER since 2000s, but there is still no space-borne optical image of the polar regions with latitudes higher than 86 degree. Another limitation is the temporal- resolution of the optical satellite operated in the general near-polar orbit, which is usually low from a few days to a few tens of days. To detect the subtle and dynamic changes occurred in the polar region of higher latitude, we need to resort to a new system with both high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution. The successful operation of Formosat-2 launched on 21 May 2004 proved the concept that the temporal resolution of a remote sensing system can be much improved by deploying a high-spatial-resolution sensor in a daily revisit orbit, and each accessible scene can be systematically observed from the same angle under the similar illumination conditions. These characteristics make Formosat-2 an ideal satellite for site surveillance, particular in the polar regions. To support IPY 2007-2008, the National Space Organization (NSPO) of Taiwan launched a Polar Imaging Campaign (PIC) from March 2006. In this paper, we describe the imaging procedure and present (1) the first high-spatial-resolution (2m) and multi-spectral (red, green, blue and near-infrared) image of Amundsen-Scoot South Polar Station taken by Formosat-2, (2) the digital elevation model of Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, generated from the across-track stereo images taken by Formosat-2, and (3) the daily change of the ice shelf and the track of floating ice with size of tens of meters for five consecutive days. The results demonstrate that the high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution optical imagery of polar regions taken from Formosat-2 could be a very useful source of data for researches in polar regions. To support IPY 2007-2008, NSPO provides access to all of its Formosat-2 imagery collected during PIC.
IN54A-05
Toward Unified Global Access to Polar Satellite Remote Sensing Data
Because of the polar regions' remoteness and inaccessibility, climate change science must often rely on satellite remote sensing to address key problems. Since the 1970s, there have been dedicated satellite instruments for polar research, and also numerous serendipitous uses of satellite instruments intended for lower latitude observations. Many satellite databases exist in several nations, some spanning more than two decades, but the full extent of this distributed data set is not well known. Additionally, there is an enormous body of pioneering polar remote sensing data from Russia, whose legacy has yet to be fully appreciated. This survey research, supported by the NSF Information Technology Research (ITR) program, reveals the known polar satellite data holdings worldwide. This presentation discusses their specific scientific contributions, discusses the potential applications of a global data catalogue, and recommends infrastructure for greater community access to remote sensing data.
IN54A-06
A web Accessible Framework for Discovery, Visualization and Dissemination of Polar Data
A web accessible information framework, currently under development within the Physical Sciences Division of the British Antarctic Survey is described. The datasets accessed are generally heterogeneous in nature from fields including space physics, meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, ice physics, and oceanography. Many of these are returned in near real time over a 24/7 limited bandwidth link from remote Antarctic Stations and ships. The requirement is to provide various user groups - each with disparate interests and demands - a system incorporating a browsable and searchable catalogue; bespoke data summary visualization, metadata access facilities and download utilities. The system allows timely access to raw and processed datasets through an easily navigable discovery interface. Once discovered, a summary of the dataset can be visualized in a manner prescribed by the particular projects and user communities or the dataset may be downloaded, subject to accessibility restrictions that may exist. In addition, access to related ancillary information including software, documentation, related URL's and information concerning non-electronic media (of particular relevance to some legacy datasets) is made directly available having automatically been associated with a dataset during the discovery phase. Major components of the framework include the relational database containing the catalogue, the organizational structure of the systems holding the data - enabling automatic updates of the system catalogue and real-time access to data -, the user interface design, and administrative and data management scripts allowing straightforward incorporation of utilities, datasets and system maintenance.
IN54A-07
Online Geophysical Databases for the Southern Ocean
With funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, the Antarctic Multibeam Bathymetry Synthesis (AMBS, http://www.marine-geo.org/antarctic/) is an integrated web-accessible bathymetry and geophysical database for the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, serving data from the US research vessels Nathaniel B. Palmer and Laurence M. Gould, amongst others. Interdisciplinary polar data can be downloaded for free through the Data Link web browser interface (http://www.marine-geo.org/link/) which enables keyword searches by data and instrument type, geographical bounds, scientist, expedition name and dates. The free, platform-independent data visualization tool GeoMapApp (http://www.geomapapp.org/) supports dynamic exploration of a wide range of data sets on a Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis, including the polar regions, allowing users to generate custom grids and maps and import their own data sets and grids. A specialised polar stereographic map projection incorporating multibeam swath bathymetry and the BEDMAP under-ice seafloor topography is available for the Southern Ocean. The GMRT global digital elevation model is served freely as a Web Map Service layer and is available for viewing with OGC-compliant clients including Google Earth (http://www.marine-geo.org/Data4GoogleEarth.html). To promote interoperability and data sharing, we are working with research partners including the Marine Metadata Interoperability (MMI) project and the National Geophysical Data Center to develop standardised metadata and best practices that comply with existing FGDC and ISO standards. We are also taking on the US Antarctic Data Coordination Center function, assisting NSF-funded investigators in documenting and archiving their data in accordance with the IPY Data Policy. http://www.marine-geo.org/antarctic/
IN54A-08
Data Discovery, Access, and Delivery Architecture for Arctic Coastal Process Data from the International Polar Year
Discovery, access and integration of Arctic data collected during the International Polar Year (IPY) are crucial for understanding Arctic coastal processes. Through the NASA-supported Discovery, Access, and Delivery of Data for IPY (DADDI) project, a working prototype system is being developed based on an open architecture that draws from relevant international standards for data documentation and sharing. This paper presents the draft architecture and describes the participatory development process used in its creation. The architecture components include functions for discovery (metadata documentation, catalogs), access (order systems), visualization (web map services, geobrowsers), and integration (distributed service access via clients). An example of data discovery and integration that links services from participating organizations using the prototype system is presented. http://nsidc.org/daddi/