HR: 17:15h
AN: IN54A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: A web Accessible Framework for Discovery, Visualization and Dissemination of Polar Data
AU: * Kirsch, P J
EM: pjki@bas.ac.uk
AF: British Antarctic Survey, High Cross Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
AU: Breen, P
EM: pbree@bas.ac.uk
AF: British Antarctic Survey, High Cross Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
AU: Barnes, T D
EM: tdba@bas.ac.uk
AF: British Antarctic Survey, High Cross Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
AB: 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.
DE: 0525 Data management
DE: 0530 Data presentation and visualization
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting