The data center community must work to allow researchers more time to spend on analyzing results and less time coding and worrying about file formats and data transfers. We identify some of the existing limitations of traditional archives, discuss examples of model data diagnostics, and explore the many benefits of providing archive-based computational resources on peta-scale databases.
OGC netCDF: Powerful Tool for Science
A widely used “fluid earth systems” data model and data access standard called netCDF now provides an important bridge between GIS and the complex 4-D processing systems used in oceanography and atmospheric sciences. By bringing netCDF into the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards organization, the netCDF community has given climate scientists, for example, a streamlined method for bringing virtually all types of spatial/temporal data and processing into climate science models and workflows.
What is GEO? A Quick Look at the Group on Earth Observations
The 10th GEO Plenary in January marked an opportunity for the organization to celebrate its accomplishments and set goals for the future. At Earthzine, this gathering also provided an opportunity to highlight the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) in new articles and reflect back on the origins of the group.
Swarm: ESA’s Magnetic Field Mission
Launched in November 2013, three Swarm satellites will provide new insights into many natural processes related to Earth’s magnetic field: from those occurring deep inside the planet to the near-Earth electromagnetic environment and the influences of the solar wind. Each of the Swarm satellites provides high-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variation of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer, plasma and electric field measurements.
Blue Planet Initiative Works Toward Atlantic Ocean Observing System
Oceans and Society: Blue Planet, a task of the latest Group on Earth Observations work plan, will present its vision for a new Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System at an upcoming GEO-X session.
The Future of Earth Observation – GEO-X
At the Group on Earth Observations’ 10th Plenary and Ministerial Summit in Switzerland, Jan. 12-17, delegates from 90 countries and 77 international organizations charted a course for a second decade of “unleashing the power of open data to improve the quality of life for people everywhere.” Earthzine science writer Osha Gray Davidson was there, providing live coverage of this historic event.
The Group on Earth Observations Looks Toward a Second Decade of Data Sharing
Since 2005, the international Group of Earth Observations has been working to make vital data about our planet widely available and create a Global Earth Observation System of Systems. The group meets in Geneva starting on Jan. 12, to assess past work and chart a course for another decade.
Call for Papers — Using Crowdsourcing to Further Earth Observation
Earthzine.org’s ÛÏCitizens and Science: Using Crowdsourcing to Further Earth ObservationsÛ theme will explore the technologies, people, and organizations that enable the use of public knowledge and activity to further our understanding of the natural worlds.