Transcript World Data Centers - MARGINS

World Data Centers
Presented by
Christopher G. Fox
Acting Director, World Data Center for
Marine Geology and Geophysics,
Boulder, CO
FAGS Meeting, April 2, 2007
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World Data Centers…
…were created nearly 50 years ago, after
the IGY, to manage geophysical and solar
data on a global scale
…operate under the guidance of an ICSU
(International Council for Science) panel
…are supported by host nations
…archive and disseminate data and
information
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WDC principles
“Full and Open Access”
• “WDCs will provide data to scientists in any country free
of charge or at a cost not to exceed the cost of copying
and sending the requested data.”
• “WDCs operate … for the benefit of the international
scientific community and provide a mechanism for
international exchange of data in all disciplines related to
the Earth, its environment, and the Sun.”
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WDC Guiding Principles
• Open to all scientists
• Non-discriminatory access to data
• Data exchanged free or for the cost of copying and
dissemination
• Host institutions support long-term operations
– In USA - Coordinated by NAS; host institutions are NOAA,
NASA, USGS, US Navy, DOE, Columbia University,
University of Colorado; Similar in China and Russia.
– In Europe and Japan, institutions desiring to join the WDC
system apply to ICSU through the national representatives
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The Centers
• Originally were focused on physical sciences:
– Solar-terrestrial, geomagnetism, oceanography, meteorology,
glaciology
• Centers today are more broadly environmental:
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Soils
Climate & paleoclimate
Biodiversity & ecology
Human interactions in the environment
Land processes
• 51 centers in 12 countries
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Benefits of WDC System
• Current:
– Scientist-to-scientist interaction (instead of country-to-country)
• Facilitates data exchanges which might not normally occur
– International coordination and cooperation in the compilation of
databases
– Long-term preservation and curation of data sets
• Future:
– Consistent level of capability using modern data management
techniques
– Adherence to National and International standards
– International (digital) network of data centers
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WDC Panel, March 2007
Jean-Bernard Minster, Scripps Institution of Oceanography - Chair
Hartmut Grassl, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology – Vice Chair
David Clark, NOAA/NGDC –Secretary
Michael Chinnery, Treasurer
Takashi Watanabe, Ibaraki University – Japan Representative
Gennady Sobolev, Russian Academy of Sciences – Russia
Representative
SUN Honglie, Chinese Academy of Sciences – China
Representative
Ferris Webster, University of Delaware – US Representative
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Today’s challenges for WDCs
• Meet new scientific & societal needs
– The WDCs can focus on long-term data on environmental
processes and their interaction with human systems
– However, some types of data needed for this are not yet covered
by this or any other network
• Build the capacity to manage and archive
scientific data throughout the world
– Nearly all centers are in developed countries
– In the Northern Hemisphere
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Strategies to meet the challenges
• Extend the network
– New centers, partner sites
• Modernize
– Exploit new technology
• Ensure data stewardship
– Long-term archiving, data rescue
• Improve communication and collaboration
– Liaisons with key international science programs
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Extend the network
• WDCs can serve as a bridge
– Once bridged between East & West
– Today, the challenge is to bridge between North & South
– Most data are collected by scientists in developed countries
• Add new centers or partners in emerging countries
– Mirror sites in Russia, England, South Africa, France, China, India
– Partners sites (mirror sites that have added local content) have been
established in Kenya, Argentina
– (Mirror sites are technical; partner sites involve local scientists)
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WDC World-wide Connectivity
WDC Home Pages
Space Environment
Paleoclimatology
WDC Home Pages
Space Environment
WDC Home Pages
Paleoclimatology
Space Environment
Space Environment
Paleoclimatology
Space Environment
Space Environment
Paleoclimatology
Space Environment
Paleoclimatology
Paleoclimatology
Space Environment
= “Mirror” and Partner Sites established by WDCs
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Modernize the System
• Technology enables WDCs to work better
– There remains a technological gap between many of the WDCs
– Some WDCs need hardware, software, training
• Data directory and catalogue
– Help users find data
• Interoperability
– Exploit new technology for storage, communication, data entry, display
– Adopt and implement common standards
• Formal periodic review process (US, China,
Japan, Russia, Europe) should be sustained.
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Ensure data stewardship
• Manage data from new observing programs
– Develop strategies to manage data from new observing systems
• Assure long-term archiving
– Assure preservation of data for the next generations of scientists
– A test: can data be used effectively 20 years later?
– Maintain complete and accurate metadata
• Establish a process to prioritize data rescue
– “At risk” data collections (old paper records, private collections, old
digital tapes, etc…)
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Communication & collaboration
• Establish liaisons with major international scientific
programs
– GEO/GEOSS, IGBP, WCRP, IPY, eGY
• Visiting scientist programs
• Strengthen sense of community among the centers
– There are major differences in the capability among centers in
different parts of the world
– Improve communication between centers
– Not all regions can use the Internet effectively
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ICSU Priority Assessment Area for
Scientific Data and Information
• Establish a Strategic Data and Information
Committee
– Develop a long term integrated framework for data and
information
– Establish a Scientific Data and Information Forum
(SciDIF)
• Recommendations for the World Data Centers
– Implementation of new data management technologies
– Adaptation to new scientific data collection methods
– Relevance to existing ICSU programs
– Relevance to new programs including GEO/GEOSS, IPY
and eGY
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Strategic Committee on Information
and Data (SCID)
• Taking the report of the CSPR Assessment Panel on
Scientific Data and Information as its starting point, and
in the light of developments subsequent to that report:
– Guide and oversee the reform of the World Data Centre (WDC)
system and Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical data
analysis Services (FAGS);
– Liaise with CODATA in the development of its strategic plan;
– Advise CSPR on any other actions that might be appropriate for
ICSU to consider in order to facilitate a coordinated global
approach to scientific data and information, including the
potential need for a Scientific Data and Information Forum
(SciDIF).
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A look to the future
• Emerging environment for international
collaboration and data exchange through
GEO/GEOSS.
• GEO/GEOSS enhances the motivations
originally set forth by the IGY in 1957
• Offers a unique opportunity in coming years
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WDC Directors Conference
Bremen, Germany, May 7-9 2007
• Attendance by WDC Directors, and many others (ICSU,
GEO, CODATA, National Data Center Directors, etc.)
• Agenda updated and refined by WDC Panel meeting,
included splinter group sessions on:
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Data quality and accessibility (open access)
Networking (infrastructures)
WDCs and GEOSS
Support of IPY
• Closer coordination with FAGS and CODATA; Seek
participation of southern hemisphere collaborators
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Questions?
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