Improving Numerical Weather Prediction Models and Data-Access Latencies

EarthzineArticles, Earth Science Informatics, Informatics Theme, Original, Sections, Themed Articles

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

EarthzineArticles, Climate, Earth Observation, Earth Science Informatics, Informatics Theme, Oceans, Original, Sections, Themed Articles

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.

Swarm: ESA’s Magnetic Field Mission

Rune Flobergaghen and Giuseppe OttavianelliOriginal

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.

The Future of Earth Observation – GEO-X

Osha Gray DavidsonEarth Observation, GEO/GEOSS News, Original, Plenary

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.