The Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services (FAGS) was formed by the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) in 1956 and includes today eleven Permanent Services each operating under the authority of

Review of FAGS. Report by Graham Alcock

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. EARTH DATA SOURCES - ICSU

2.1 Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services

2.2 World Data Centre System

2.3 Global Environmental Change Programmes

2.4 Other ICSU sources

3. EARTH DATA SOURCES - INTERGOVERNMENTAL

3.1 World Meteorological Organisation

3.2 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

3.3 Joint IOC/WMO Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology

4. EARTH DATA SOURCES - GOVERNMENTAL

4.1 NASA’s Earth Observing System

4.2 NOAA’s Data Centers

5. EARTH DATA SOURCES - JOINT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND ICSU

5.1 Global Observing Systems

5.2 World Climate Research Programme

6. EARTH DATA DIRECTORIES AND SEARCH ENGINES

6.1 Center for International Earth Science Information Network

6.2 Centre for Earth Observation Information Exchange System

6.3 Committee on Earth Observation Satellites International Directory Network

6.4 Distributed Oceanographic Data System

6.5 G7 Environment and Natural Resources Management System

6.6 Global Observing System Information Centre

6.7 IOC International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange

6.8 UNEP Environmental Information Network Global Resources Information Database

6.9 U.S. Global Change Data and Information System and NASA’s Global Change Master Directory

6.10 WMO Climate Data Information Referral System Service

7. ACCESSIBILITY OF EARTH DATA - SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

9. ACRONYMS

10. ANNEXES

1. INTRODUCTION

The Council of the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services (FAGS), at its March 2000 meeting, set up a working group to look at the role of FAGS in relation to the wider spectrum of Earth observing and analysis systems. As a first step, this report has been prepared to provide a background to the overall context of environmental data activities undertaken by governmental and non-governmental organisations. It first considers Earth Data Sources, and then Earth Data Directories and Search Engines. ‘Sources’ refers to the observation systems and the data management systems that integrate and analyse the data, produce data products, deliver data and data products to users, and provide for long-term archival of the data and products for future users.

The nature and range of Earth data is huge, in terms of parameters measured, geographic location and time range. Processes are observed and measured in the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, oceans and the land. Earth data covers many disciplines, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, geodesy, geophysics, meteorology and physics. Data is collected by stations on land, by ships and buoys, by aircraft and by satellites; with space scales ranging from 1,000s of square kilometres to 1 metre, and time scales from seconds to millennia. The intended scope of this report is therefore ambitious, and inevitably some data sources or directories may have been overlooked.

Why is the data collected and analysed? The reasons are nearly as numerous as the data types! Earth data support numerous scientific research and operational applications, covering environmental forecasting, planetary management, detection of and response to climate change, sustainable environmental development, protection of public health and safety and conservation of the environment.

In most of these uses and applications, scientists are the ‘proxy’ user or customer on behalf of the public. Often, a major scientific research programme and a major data collection system are mutually re-inforcing and parallel and complementary. In fact, the development of operational data systems for forecasting is in many cases linked to and stemming from scientific research programmes. For example, the success of the World Weather Watch (WWW) operations, Section 3.1, particularly in the early stages of implementation, depended on its ability to accomplish the scientific objectives of the Global Atmospheric Research Programme (GARP). Thus the full participation of the world scientific community was engaged in the formulation and development of the WWW, initially to meet the needs of the research programme. GARP required a strong global operational weather system to provide the needed data and the WWW depended on scientific and technological advances to make the improvements required for more accurate forecast services. As a result, GARP became a synergistic research element for the development and planning of the WWW.

The importance of an integrated Earth data observing programme (e.g. covering both ocean and atmosphere), is illustrated by the creation of the Joint IOC/WMO Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM, Section 3.3). The co-operation and resource sharing of ocean buoy platforms that measure both atmospheric and oceanographic variables provides a useful tool for jointly monitoring of the ocean and atmosphere including climate. The same is true for the polar orbiting meteorological satellites that provide high-resolution sea surface temperature.

JCOMM also illustrates the usefulness of an Earth data-observing programme that is both dependent on, and provides service to, specific user groups. For example, this dependence is apparent in meteorology with respect to aircraft observations. Aircraft observations at flight level as well as on ascent and descent provide an increasingly significant part of the WWW database. In turn the WWW data processing component provides key guidance needed for warnings and forecasts of turbulence, icing, and other significant weather that affects the air safety of commercial and general aviation.

Ultimately, the biggest user group of Earth data is the public and operational data systems and services have them as a direct ‘customer’. In particular, the real-time reporting or short-term forecasting of geophysical or environmental conditions needs Earth data; especially for monitoring changes, whether gradual or sudden, foreseen or unexpected, natural or man-made. For longer term planning on behalf of the public, policy makers and resource managers need the Earth data, usually in analysed and interpreted form, to detect, quantify, locate and understand changes (especially reductions) in the capacity of the earth system to support sustainable development.

A major new ‘user’ of Earth data in the last decade, on behalf of the public, is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Recognising the problem of potential global climate change, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the IPCC in 1988, with a role of assessing the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change. All three IPCC Working Groups need Earth data. Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change; Working Group II addresses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it; and Working Group III assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating climate change. The IPCC completed its First Assessment Report in 1990 and its Second Assessment Report in 1995, the latter leading to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change in 1997. The Third Assessment Report, due to be published in early 2001, will be a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the scientific, technical, and socio-economic dimensions of climate change. It will concentrate on new findings since 1995 and pay greater attention to the regional (in addition to the global) scale of climate change and its consequences. Its assessment will crucially depend on the Earth data collected since 1995, and the analysis and interpretation of that, and earlier, observations.

Therefore, the economic and ‘political’ importance and justification for collecting, analysing and disseminating Earth data is more relevant now than ever before; whether the need is for short-term forecasting or the evaluation of a potential global climate change. It is timely that FAGS is re-examining its role in relation to Earth observing and analysis systems.

Most Earth data observing, analysis and management is done, and paid for, at the national level, by both government and non-government organisations; with a lot of international co-ordination and some international funding. This report first considers Earth data observing, analysis and management systems (referred to here as ‘sources’) which are co-ordinated by the major international non-government scientific organisation, the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). It then considers the major international, intergovernmental, sources of the WMO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Next, the USA’s Earth Observing System and National Data Centers are described, as the major example of national government sources. However, the needs of having effective (both science and cost) Earth data means that there is increasing co-operation, co-location and integration of these different types of sources. Therefore the final Section on data sources considers those of a joint intergovernmental and non-governmental nature – the Global Observing System (G3OS) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). Specific information on where the Earth data is held, or how it can be obtained, is given in bold type.

2. EARTH DATA SOURCES - ICSU

The International Council of Scientific Unions is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1931 to bring together natural scientists in international scientific endeavour. The Council seeks to break down the barriers of specialisation by initiating and co-ordinating major international interdisciplinary programmes and by creating interdisciplinary bodies that undertake activities and research programmes of interest to several members. A number of bodies set up within ICSU also address matters of common concern to all scientists, such as capacity building and the free conduct of science. In particular, its interdisciplinary Scientific Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) was formed in 1966 to promote and encourage, on a worldwide basis, the compilation, evaluation and dissemination of reliable numerical data of importance to science and technology.

The ICSU currently has 26 single-discipline International Scientific Union Members, which are professional organisations devoted to the promotion of activities in a particular area of science which have been in existence for at least six years. In addition, there are 24 International Scientific Associates and 4 Regional Scientific Associates. (International Scientific Associates are organisations in fields related to those of the ICSU, whose scientific activities do not fall primarily within the scope of a single International Scientific Union Member. Regional Scientific Associates fulfil the same criteria but have a purely regional membership.) There are also currently 98 National Scientific Members, which are scientific research councils or science academies. The Members and Associates provide a wide spectrum of scientific expertise, enabling members to address major international, interdisciplinary issues which none could handle alone.

Annex 1 gives further details of the ICSU Members and Associates, and of CODATA.

2.1 FEDERATION OF ASTRONOMICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL DATA ANALYSIS SERVICES (FAGS)

Internet Website: http://www.kms.dk/fags

FAGS was formed by the ICSU in 1956 and now includes twelve Permanent Services each operating under the authority of one or more of the relevant Scientific Unions: the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and the Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale (URSI). The tasks of the Permanent Services are to:

· Collect, as a continuous activity, observations, information and data related to astronomy, geodesy, geophysics and allied sciences;

· Validate, analyse and synthesise the data; and

· Publish and distribute the data.

In general, in order to fulfil the requirement of a continuous activity, the Services provide operational services such as short-term forecasting or real-time reporting of geophysical or environmental conditions. The ICSU, the IUGG, the IAU, the URSI and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) make grants to FAGS, but most of the costs of the Services and data acquisition are borne by the host institutions at a national level.

The current Permanent Services within FAGS are:

1. International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) (Operating authority: IAU and IUGG)

2. Bureau Gravimetrique International (BGI) (IUGG)

3. International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS) (IUGG)

4. International Centre for Earth Tides (ICET) (IUGG)

5. Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) (IUGG)

6. International Service of Geomagnetic Indices (ISGI) (IUGG)

7. Quarterly Bulletin on Solar Activity (QBSA) (IAU)

8. International Space Environment Service (ISES) (IAU, IUGG and URSI)

9. World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) (IUGG)

10. Centre des Donnees Stellaires (CDS) (IAU)

11. Sunspot Index Data Centre (SIDC) (IAU, IUGG and URSI).

12. International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) (IUGG and IAU)

Most Services publish data or data products in the form of a hard-copy Bulletin or Calendar, issued several times during the year, or annually. Most of the Services disseminate also data by CD-ROM, e-mail, and/or the Internet (using file transfer protocol (ftp) or the Web). Also, there are inter-connections with the World Data Centre (WDC) System, Section 2.2. For example, ICET is the WDC for Earth Tides and SIDC is the WDC for Sunspot Index; data from the ISGI is available through the WDCs for Geomagnetism; the International Geophysical Calendar is prepared for ISES by the WDC for Solar Terrestrial Physics, Boulder; ISES’ Spacewarn Bulletin is produced by the WDC for Rockets and Satellites, Greenbelt; and data from WGMS flows into the WDC for Glaciology, Boulder.

Further details of FAGS and each Service are given in Annex 2.

2.2 THE WORLD DATA CENTRE SYSTEM (WDC)

Internet website: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/wdc

http://wdc.rl.ac.uk/wdcmain

http://plato.wdcb.rssi.ru/wdc/

The WDC System works to guarantee access to solar, geophysical and related environmental data, by assembling, scrutinising, organising and disseminating data and information to scientists in all countries. It was created to support the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-1958. It covers similar areas of science to those of FAGS, but the functions are different because, in general, World Data Centres do not provide operational services, though some WDCs do contribute to these activities. Most WDCs use electronic networks to meet requests, exchange catalogue information and transfer data.

The WDC system is based on national contributions, but an ICSU Panel on WDCs was established in 1968 to advise ICSU on their management and to carry out related activities. (It succeeded the other ICSU bodies that supervised the WDC system’s operation during and after the IGY.) Therefore the WDCs are supported by national organisations according to principles laid down by the ICSU Panel. Today, under the Chairmanship of Ferris Webster, the Panel oversees about forty WDCs that are maintained by their host countries and are responsible for collecting, archiving and distributing a wide range of data. A list of the WDCs and their data speciality is given in Annex 3.

World Data Centres in the United States used to be designated as WDC-A, in Russia as WDC-B, in other European countries as WDC-C1, in Japan or India as WDC-C2, and in China as WDC-D. However this designation is no longer used, and WDCs are now grouped into regions - China, Europe, Japan and India and the USA. In the case of there being more than one centre for the same discipline, the WDCs are differentiated using the name of their location, e.g. the WDC for Geomagnetism, Edinburgh or the WDC for Geomagnetism, Kyoto.

The Centres, subject to their financial resources, accept data according to the data management plans of appropriate ICSU scientific programs or monitoring activities, and store these data safely and in good condition. WDCs may enhance their holdings by seeking and collecting related data sets from other national or international scientific programmes, e.g. from those of the IOC, Section 3.2. They may prepare higher-order data products such as indices of activity and collated or condensed data sets. They prepare and publish catalogues of their data holdings, or otherwise make freely available information on their holdings, e.g. by electronic access. They exchange data among themselves, as mutually agreed and whenever possible without charge, to facilitate data availability, to provide back-up copies, and to aid the preparation of higher order data products.

A scientist who needs data should approach a WDC that serves the discipline concerned. The WDCs response to a data request will depend on where the data are held. If the data are held by the WDC, they can normally be provided quickly, at cost of copying and sending. If the data are held in a national Data Centre, which may be co-located with a WDC, the WDC will forward the request. Data held in a national centre may be available to any scientist, though their use may be subject to certain rules, and there are no rights of free or cheap copying to other WDCs. Sometimes a WDC can act as a referral service, suggesting possible sources of the required data. If the data are held in another country, the WDC may transmit the request to another WDC.

2.3 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE PROGRAMMES

IGBP Internet Website: http://www.igbp.kva.se/

IHDP Internet Website: http://www.uni-bonn.de/ihdp

WCRP Internet Website: http://www.ch/web/wcrp/wcrp-home.html

The ICSU and the International Social Science Council (ISSC) have initiated major programmes dealing with Global Environmental Change (GEC). Thus, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme (IHDP) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) provide the international framework for non-governmental scientific co-operation in the study of global change; focussing on climatic, biogeochemical, socio-economic and biodiversity processes related to GEC. However, the WCRP is now jointly operated by ICSU, IOC and WMO and is described in Section 5.2, as an example of a joint intergovernmental and non-governmental programme. Data from these programmes is deposited in the appropriate WDCs.

2.3.1 The eight Core Projects of the IGBP are:

· The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC), organised jointly with the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP);

· Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE);

· Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC), organised jointly with the IHDP;

· Biospheric Aspects of the Hydrological Cycle (BAHC);

· Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ);

· Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), organised jointly with the ICSU Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR);

· Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) Project, in collaboration with SCOR, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the IOC and the North Pacific Marine Science Organisation; and

· Past Global Changes (PAGES).

The integration of IGBP Core Projects is assisted by two crosscutting Framework Activities on modelling and data: Global Analysis, Interpretation and Modelling, and the IGBP Data and Information System (IGBP-DIS, Internet web site http://www.pik-potsdam.de/igbp-site). The role of the IGBP-DIS is to assist, as needed, IGBP Core Projects in the development of their individual data system plans; help provide an overall data system plan for IGBP; carry out activities leading directly to the generation of data sets; ensure the development of effective data management systems and act, where appropriate, to ensure the meeting of the data and information needs of IGBP through international and national organisations and agencies. IGBP-DIS responds to requests for data by either providing information on data availability and access arrangements, or by directly supplying data if appropriate transfer arrangements exist. Data is deposited in the relevant WDC.

2.3.2 The IHDP’s four major international Science Projects are:

· Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC), (co-sponsored by IGBP);

· Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS);

· Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC); and

· Industrial Transformation (IT).

Earth data is of particular importance to Focus 2 of the LUCC, which is concerned with Land-Cover Dynamics and carries out regional assessments of land-cover change as determined from direct observations (e.g. satellite imagery, field studies and national censuses.) Most of the Earth data used has already been collected under other programmes and projects, but any data generated by the LUCC, usually of a social science nature, is deposited in the WDC for Human Interactions in the Environment, Annex 3.

Similar to the IGBP-DIS, the IHDP Data and Information System (IHDP-DIS) is the data management portion of IHDP, and links social science data centres and scientists researching global change. There should be a link to the IHDP-DIS website via the CIESIN home website, Section 6.1, but the page could not be displayed at the time of writing in Autumn 2000.

Further details of the IGBP and IHDP Programmes and Core Projects are given in Annex 1.

2.4 OTHER ICSU SOURCES

The FAGS Permanent Services operate under the authority of one or more of the relevant Scientific Unions: the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and the Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale (URSI). There are other activities prompting the collection of Earth data in ICSU’s Unions, principally within the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).

The IUGG comprises seven semi-autonomous Associations, each responsible for a specific range of topics or themes within the overall scope of the Union's activities and each with a sub-structure. The seven International Associations cover Geodesy, Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior, Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, Hydrological Sciences and Physical Sciences of the Ocean.

2.4.1 International Association of Geodesy (IAG). The purpose of IAG’s Commission X - Global and Regional Geodetic Networks (GRGN, http://www.gfy.ku.dk/~iag/) is to focus on the variety of existing geodetic control networks (horizontal or vertical, national or continental, global-from-space techniques) as well as their connections and evolutions. Sub-commissions for large geographical areas deal with all types of networks (horizontal, vertical and three-dimensional) and all related projects that belong to the geographical area. GRGN plays mainly a role of stimulation and co-ordination by helping the dissemination of information, standardisation, co-operation and education.

2.4.2 International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI). The Federation of Digital Broadband Seismograph Networks (FDSN) is an independent international organisation affiliated with, and with commission status in, IASPEI. It was formed in 1986, at a time when several nations were deploying regional or global networks of state-of-the-art seismographs, and provides a global system of broadband seismographs with high dynamic range. This is supplemented by many regional and local networks capable of high-resolution monitoring of the frequent smaller earthquakes in seismically active places. Working groups of FDSN provide forums for developing common minimum standards for seismographs and recording characteristics, for developing standards for quality control and procedures for archiving and exchanging data among component networks, and for co-ordinating the siting of additional stations in locations that will provide optimum global coverage. Data is deposited in national Geological Data Centres and Surveys, national Seismology Surveys, and the WDCs for Seismology and Solid Earth Geophysics.

IASPEI also has another commission, the International Ocean Network (ION), which seeks to establish permanent seismic observatories in the deep ocean. The primary purpose is to compensate for the limited sampling of the Earth's interior that is possible when using only land-based stations. In addition, active processes in selected sea-bottom settings can be adequately monitored. Data is deposited in the WDC for Marine Geology and Geophysics.

2.4.3 The International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) controls the World Organisation of Volcano Observatories. Its web site (http://www.iavcei.org/wovo.htm) was unobtainable at the time of writing in Autumn 2000, but http://volcano.ipgp.jussieu.fr:8080/wovo/intro.html contains a Directory of Volcanic Observatories, last updated in 1997. Data is deposited in national Geological Data Centres and Surveys and national organisations like the Smithsonian Institute and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

2.4.4 Working Group V-1 of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) is concerned with Geomagnetic Observatories, Instruments and Standards, (website http://www.meteo.oma.be/IAGA_WG_V.1/). The Observatories measure the geomagnetic vector with a sampling of 1/hour or faster, with 1/minute becoming standard now. Time series of the field’s components are the main output, in the form of minute, hourly, daily, monthly or yearly means. They are published in yearbooks, are archived in the Observatories databases and in the WDCs for Geomagnetism, Section 2.2 and Annex 3. Also, the ISGI, Section 2.1, publishes compiles and publishes geomagnetic indices in Bulletins and its website provides indices and access to all the available geomagnetic data sets. More and more Observatories are now joining the global INTERMAG network and have their data accessible in near real time (http://www.intermagnet.org/english/welcom_e.html).

2.4.5 The International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS) has no structural element dedicated to an observing system.

2.4.6 Within the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), the International Commission on Water Resource Systems (ICWRS) has the broad objective to advance the science of hydrology in the planning and operation of water resources systems. Its major activity is to encourage information exchange by organising or co-organising Meetings, Symposia and Workshops, but it does not organise data networks. Its website, http://www.ce.umanitoba.ca/~simon/icwrs was unobtainable in Autumn 2000, but there is a link to information via the IAHS homepage, http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/.

Following an IAHS Workshop in 1999, a Web-based meta-data listing of key water-related data sets has been created (http://www.watsys.sr.unh.edu/metadata). Currently, the listings represent specific data sets associated with the Workshop participants, but holdings are expected to grow as more data sets are located. The current data entries represent a broad spectrum of water science research; for example, current topics include River discharge and runoff, Precipitation, Temperature and Lakes’ surface water level.

2.4.7 The International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean (IAPSO) has the prime goal of "promoting the study of scientific problems relating to the oceans and the interactions taking places at the sea floor, coastal, and atmospheric boundaries insofar as such research is conducted by the use of mathematics, physics, and chemistry." IAPSO organises and sponsors international forums; encourages and co-ordinates research activities; provides basic services significant to the conduct of physical oceanography; and publishes proceedings of symposia, meetings, and workshops, and fundamental references on the current state-of-the art and knowledge of physical oceanography. However, there is no structural element dedicated to an observing system.

3. EARTH DATA SOURCES - GOVERNMENTAL

3.1 THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION (WMO)

Internet Website: http://www.wmo.ch

The WMO is a UN specialised Agency; intergovernmental since 1951. Its mission is the co-ordination, standardisation and improvement of world meteorological and related activities, and encouragement of an efficient exchange of meteorological and related information between countries. There are six Regional Associations, tasked with furthering the Organisation's aims and programme of work within each Region.

Much of the WMO’s work is done within its Technical Commissions: Basic Systems, Instruments and Methods of Observation, Hydrology, Atmospheric Sciences, Aeronautical Meteorology, Agricultural Meteorology, and Climatology. Another one, Marine Meteorology, was replaced in 1999 by a Joint IOC/WMO Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM, Section 3.3).

Data is collected through the World Weather Watch (WWW) Programme, the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) and the World Hydrological Cycle Observing System (WHYCOS).

3.1.1 The World Weather Watch is an integrated service system with national, regional, and global elements, established and operated by individual countries that are members of WMO. Its design is built on a cascading set of centres, telecommunication systems, and observing networks. While the emphasis of the WWW is global in nature, much of its robustness is focussed at the regional level. Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) perform the major data processing and provide forecast and warning guidance to all nations. An example of this feature is the Hurricane Centre in Miami, Florida that provides the basic guidance for tropical cyclone advisories for all the nations in the area of the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

The WWW combines observing systems, telecommunication facilities and data-processing centres, to make available meteorological and related geophysical information needed to provide efficient services in all countries. It has three components: the Global Observing System (GOS), the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) and the Global Data Processing System (GDPS). The GOS is both surface and space based. It is a composite system of methods, techniques and facilities for making measurements of meteorological and related environmental parameters. Observations are made by about 10,000 stations on land, by ships and buoys, by aircraft and by ten operational satellites. The GTS is used to transmit observations from the observing stations to the Meteorological Centres, and to transmit analyses and forecast products from the GDPS to WMO Members. The GPDS is organised as a three-level system of World Meteorological Centres (WMCs) at Melbourne, Moscow and Washington, 25 RSMCs and National Meteorological Centres (NMCs), which carry out GDPS functions at the global, regional and national levels, respectively. Annex 5 has more information on the Meteorological Centres and the GDPS.

3.1.2 The Global Atmospheric Watch is a measurement program for detecting and forecasting changes and trends in the chemical composition and related physical characteristics of the atmosphere which have effects on climate and ecosystems. Measurements include greenhouse gases (CO2, CFCs, CH4, N2O, O3, water vapour), solar radiation, UV radiation, atmospheric turbidity, aerosols, precipitation chemistry, reactive gas species (SO2, NOx, CO) and radionuclides. There are approximately 30 global sites measuring the global background of long-lived atmospheric constituents and several hundred regional sites that determine regional patterns. The WMO has established six World Data Centres to collect, process, analyse and distribute data obtained from the GAW stations, at Toronto (ozone and UV), Tokyo (other greenhouse gases), Albany (precipitation chemistry), Kjeller (surface ozone), St. Petersburg (solar radiation) and Ispra (aerosols). (These World Data Centres are not part of the ICSU WDC System, Section 2.2).

3.1.3 The World Hydrological Cycle Observing System is composed of regional Hydrological Cycle Observing Systems (HYCOSs) implemented by co-operating nations. WHYCOS is modelled on the WWW, and uses the same information and telecommunications technology. The system consists of observing stations, transmitting data via satellites (METEOSAT, GOES, etc.), the GTS and the Internet, to national and regional data receiving centres.

The stations measure a minimum set of observations to describe the state of the local water and weather conditions. These are water level/flow, precipitation, temperature and humidity. Other variables required to estimate potential evapotranspiration and to describe the physical and chemical characteristics of the water also will be measured at many locations. The observing stations are nationally and regionally important benchmark sites, most of which already exist, but many require upgrading.

The worldwide WHYCOS network will initially consist of about 1,000 benchmark stations sited on major or critical rivers, lakes and reservoirs. In its initial phase WHYCOS has focused on establishing components in international river basins, in the catchment areas of enclosed seas, and in regions of Africa which are poorly served by hydrological information. Therefore the first steps in implementing WHYCOS have been made through regional HYCOSs in the Mediterranean, Southern Africa, and West-Central Africa, by collaboration between WMO, the World Bank, the European Union, and the Government of France. Other regional components are planned to cover the Aral Sea, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Caribbean, the Congo basin, the Danube basin, and the area covered by the African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.

It is intended that participating Hydrological Services establish sites on the World Wide Web to enable easy access to selected information. Raw data will be available in near-real time, although the service responsible for each monitoring station will subsequently carry out data quality assurance, according to WHYCOS criteria of data standards and timeliness. Derived products, such as maps of specific runoff, may be subject to cost recovery, to generate revenue for the hydrological services.

3.1.4 The WMO Climate Data Information Referral Service (INFOCLIMA) is a service for the collection and dissemination of information on the existence and availability of climate data, see Section 6.10.

With respect to hydrological data, metadata is collected in the Hydrological Information Referral Service (INFOHYDRO), see Section 6.10.

3.2 THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION (IOC)

Internet Website: http://ioc.unesco.org

The IOC was founded in 1960 to promote marine scientific investigations and related ocean services, to learn more about the nature and resources of the oceans. The IOC now focuses on four major themes, to:

· Develop, promote and facilitate international oceanographic research programmes to improve our understanding of critical global and regional ocean processes and their relationship to the sustainable development and stewardship of ocean resources;

· Ensure effective planning, establishment and co-ordination of an operational global ocean observing system to provide the information needed for oceanic and atmospheric forecasting, for oceans and coastal zone management by coastal nations, and for global environmental change research; and

· Provide international leadership for education and training programmes and technical assistance essential for systematic observations of the global ocean and its coastal zone and related research; and

· Ensure that ocean data and information obtained through research, observation and monitoring are efficiently handled and made widely available.

Annex 5 contains details of the IOC programme, which includes the major subject areas of Ocean Science in Relation to Living Resources (OSLR), Ocean Science in Relation to Non-Living Resources (OSNLR), Ocean Mapping, Marine Pollution Research and Monitoring and related programmes, and Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM).

Data collected for the IOC Programmes are submitted by National Oceanographic Data Centres, marine science organisations and individual scientists to the WDCs for Oceanography at Silver Spring, Obninsk and Tianjin, Section 2.2 and Annex 3.

The IOC International Oceanographic Data and Exchange (IODE) system was established in 1961 by the IOC to act as the co-ordination mechanism for international oceanographic data and information management practices, with 71 countries now participating. IODE has published an IODE manual, CD-ROMs of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO, Annex 5), CD-ROMs of the Global Level Observing System (GLOSS, Annex 5), a Marine Environmental Data Information (MEDI) catalogue and World Ocean Atlas CD-ROMs. There are three web-based facilities within the framework of the IODE system: MEDI, OceanPortal and Sea-Search; and further details are given in Section 6.7.

3.3 THE JOINT IOC/WMO TECHNICAL COMMISSION FOR OCEANOGRAPHY AND MARINE METEOROLOGY (JCOMM)

The early results of WMO’s Global Atmosphere Research Programme clearly showed that the prediction of the atmosphere out to ranges beyond a day or two would require systematic ocean observations. As a result, WMO and the IOC set up a Joint Commission for Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS) in order to enhance integrated observation of the earth's atmosphere and oceans. Therefore IGOSS became the international system for the collection and exchange of ocean data (such as temperature and salinity) and the preparation and dissemination of oceanic products and services.

In 1999, the IGOSS was joined with WMO's Commission on Marine Meteorology to form the WMO-IOC Joint Technical Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM). Its task is to undertake co-ordination, regulation and management of co-operative operational marine observing programmes, develop global exchange mechanisms for ocean data, and co-ordinate the provision of enhanced ocean services for all marine users. It is expected to eventually develop a worldwide system for ocean monitoring and forecasting similar to that now in place for atmospheric monitoring.

JCOMM co-ordinates and manages the implementation of an operational ocean observing system in support of GCOS and GOOS, Sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2. The existing system consists of three components:

· The Observing System, including research vessels, ships of opportunity, fixed and floating buoys and satellites;

· The Data Processing and Services System, consisting of national, specialised and world data centres for processing and disseminating data and data products; and

· The Telecommunications Arrangements, which uses the WMO’s GTS and radio, radio facsimile, and various electronic and hard copy mail systems to rapidly and reliably collect and distribute data and information.

Observations, analyses and predictions are available to users on an operational basis, normally within 30 days or less. Also, operational data are submitted to the archives of the IOC's International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE, Section 6.7) and held at the WDCs for Oceanography at Silver Spring, Obninsk and Tianjin.

JCOMM oversees the Argo Programme, a global array of profiling floats to provide subsurface ocean information to complement and amplify the climate-relevant information of the remote-sensing network. About 3,000 sub-surface floats are planned to be deployed during the next five years (some have already been deployed and there are already commitments to deploy 2100 in the next three years). The web site http://www.argo.ucsd.edu gives further details of Argo.

The first electronic version of the JCOMM Electronic Products Bulletin was set up in 2000, (web site http://iri.Ideo.columbia.edu/climate/monitoring/ipb/introduction). It provides users with information about products from operational, continuous monitoring GOOS programmes, thus complementing the Global Observing Systems Information Center (GOSIC, Section 6.6) which has information about non-operational data products. The Bulletin allows users to access weekly to monthly global and regional oceanographic data sets, including sea surface temperature, surface winds and surface currents; some of which are linked to an animation viewer.

4. EARTH DATA SOURCES - GOVERNMENTAL

There are many national governmental sources of Earth data, e.g. for oceanography alone there are about 60 National Data Centres listed on the IODE’s OceanPortal website (http://ioc.unesco.org/oceanportal, see Section 6.7.2). Rather than attempt to cover all these data sources, this section concentrates on those set up by the USA government.

4.1 NASA’s EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM (EOS)

Internet Website: http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov

The EOS is the comprehensive data and information system developed by NASA under the Earth Science Enterprise Program (formally, ‘Mission to Planet Earth’), a long-term global change research programme designed to improve the understanding of the Earth's interrelated processes involving the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, and polar regions. The EOS Data and Information System (EODIS) manages data from NASA's past and current Earth science research satellites and field measurement programmes.

EOSDIS operates polar-orbiting satellites and instruments, captures the satellite data, generates Earth science data products, and makes these products available to users in the U.S. and throughout the world.

The EOSDIS Mission System commands and controls EOS spacecraft and instruments, monitors their health and safety, and performs mission planning and scheduling, initial data capture, and initial data processing.

The EOSDIS Science System processes EOS data, and Distributed Active Archive Centres (DAACs) archive and distribute all data to the user community. The seven DAACs have User Support Services to assist users in data acquisition, search, access, and usage. Their discipline responsibilities are:

· Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility DAAC (Polar processes and SAR products);

· EROS Data Center Land Processes DAAC;

· Goddard Space Flight Center DAAC (Upper atmosphere, global biosphere, atmospheric dynamics, and geophysics);

· Jet Propulsion Laboratory Physical Oceanography DAAC;

· Langley Research Center DAAC (radiation budget, tropospheric chemistry, clouds and aerosols);

· National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC (Snow and ice, cryosphere (non-SAR) and climate); and

· Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (Biogeochemical dynamics).

An eighth one, the Socio-economic Data and Applications Center DAAC, (SEDAC), acts as a link between the EOS Program and the socio-economic and educational user community, and deals with human interactions in the environment, see Section 6.1 on CIESIN.

The EOS Data Gateway (EDG) (http://eos.nasa.gov/imswelcome) is the primary interface to all data available in EODIS, and provides links to the DAAC home pages. With EDG, a user can search for and acquire a large variety of earth, ocean and atmospheric science data obtained from EOS instruments and others such as Landsat. In addition, specialised services at each of the EOSDIS DAACs can be accessed via their individual interfaces. Data can be accessed by Mission (e.g. Landsat) or Discipline (Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Human Dimensions, Hydrosphere, Land Surface, Ocean and Radiance/Imagery.).

4.2 NOAA’s DATA CENTERS

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce operates three data centres: the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), Asheville; the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), Boulder; and the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), Silver Spring. These discipline-oriented centres serve as USA national repositories and dissemination facilities for global environmental data. Working co-operatively, the centres provide data products and services to scientists, engineers, resource managers, policy makers, and other users in the United States and around the world.

The Centers receive data collected by U.S. Federal and local government agencies, universities and research institutions, and private industry. They acquire and exchange global data through the World Data Centre System, Section 2.2, and other international programmes.

The Centers support many forms of data and information. Copies of specified data sets or data selected from the databases can be provided on magnetic media or on CD-ROM. Moderately sized data sets can also be transmitted over computer networks via the net or ftp. There is a NOAA Server link (http://www.websites.noaa.gov) to search for data available across NOAA, categorised by ‘Atmospheric/Space Sciences’, ‘Earth Sciences’, ‘Ocean Sciences’ and ‘Technology’.

4.2.1 The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

Internet Website: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov

The NCDC's mission is to manage the U.S. resource of global climatological in-situ and remotely sensed data and information to promote global environmental stewardship; to describe, monitor and assess the climate; and to support efforts to predict changes in the Earth's environment. This effort requires the acquisition, quality control, processing, summarisation, dissemination, and preservation of a vast array of climatological data generated by the national and international meteorological services. NCDC also operates the WDC for Meteorology, Asheville, see Section 2.2.

The NCDC is the world's largest active archive of weather data, and has more than 150 years of data on hand with 55 gigabytes of new information added each day - equivalent to 18 million pages a day. It archives 99 percent of all NOAA data, including over 320 million paper records; 2.5 million microfiche records; over 500,000 tape cartridges/magnetic tapes, and has satellite weather images back to 1960. It maintains over 500 digital data sets and annually publishes over 1.2 million copies of climate publications that are sent to individual users and 33,000 subscribers.

For example, climatological publications have been produced and disseminated for over 100 years. The Local Climatological Data publication is produced monthly and annually for some 270 U.S. cities, containing 3-hourly, daily, and monthly values. The annual issue contains the year in review plus normals, means and extremes. The Climatological Data publication, also produced monthly and annually, contains daily temperature and precipitation data for over 8,000 U.S. locations, by state or region. The Hourly Precipitation Data is produced monthly, containing data on nearly 3,000 hourly precipitation stations. The Storm Data publication documents significant U.S. storms and contains statistics on property damage and human injuries and deaths. The Monthly Climatic Data for the World provides monthly statistics for some 1,500 surface stations and approximately 800 upper air stations. In addition to these routine publications, NCDC also generates many nonperiodicals including normals, probabilities, long-term station and state summaries, and several atlases covering the land areas, coastal zones, and oceans of the world.

4.2.2 The National Geophysical Data Centre (NGDC)

Internet Website: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/ngdc.html

The NGDC is the U.S. repository for geophysical data, providing a wide range of science data services and information. It provides long-term stewardship for and access to geophysical data, compiles new, well-documented databases from many sources, and offers value-added data services to researchers and the general public.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Boulder, is affiliated to the NDGC, and is an information and referral centre supporting polar and cryospheric research. Together, the data holdings of the two Centers contain more than 300 digital and analogue databases, covering the following disciplines and topics:

· Glaciology - Snow and ice;

· Marine Geology and Geophysics - Bathymetry and relief, Great Lakes data, Marine sediment and rock, Marine trackline geophysics, and Shorelines/digital coastlines;

· Paleoclimatology - Multidisciplinary data and Climate models;

· Solar-Terrestrial Physics - GOES satellites, Geomagnetic variations, Ionosphere and Solar and upper atmosphere; and

· Solid Earth Geophysics - Geomagnetic fields, Geothermal resources, Gravity, Habitat and Ecosystems, Natural hazards and Topography/elevations.

4.2.3 The National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC)

Internet Website: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov

The NODC serves to acquire, process, preserve, and disseminate physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic data. Its primary mission is to ensure that global oceanographic data is in a permanent archive that is easily accessible to the world science community and to other users. It does not conduct any data collection programs of its own; it serves solely as a repository and dissemination facility for data collected by others A large percentage of the oceanographic data held by NODC is of non-U.S. origin. NODC acquires foreign data through direct bilateral exchanges with other countries and through the facilities of the WDC for Oceanography, Silver Spring, which is operated by NODC (Section 2.2).

The NODC also manages the NOAA Library and Information Network, which includes the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, regional libraries in Miami and Seattle and field libraries or information centers at about 30 NOAA sites throughout the United States. The combined libraries contain more than 1 million volumes, including books, journals, data and information CD-ROMs, and audio and videotapes.

Major products are the World Ocean Atlas and Database, with the latest version issued on CD-ROM in 1998, and available via the web (http://www.nodc.gov/OC5/wod98.html).

5. EARTH DATA SOURCES - JOINT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND ICSU

5.1 THE GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM (G3OS)

The G3OS concept is based on the enhanced co-operation and in some cases sharing of resources among the Earth observing systems covering the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, oceans and the land.

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), and the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) are referred to collectively as the Global Observing Systems (with the acronym G3OS, to distinguish it from the WMO’s GOS, Section 3.1). The three observing systems are implemented to provide global and regional data sets and analyses needed for research into global change, operational oceanographic and meteorological services, monitoring, detection of change, and prediction of future conditions.

To achieve these objectives, the G3OS designs and supports implementation of the observation systems and the data management systems that integrate and analyse the data, produce data products, deliver data and data products to users, and provide for long-term archival of the data and products for future users. In addition, the G3OS is identifying existing data sets that contain past data that are of use in understanding the present state of global environment and change that has already taken place.

The global observing systems share observing systems and data flows with other programs. Thus a data flow established for the purpose of the WMO’s WWW (see Section 3.1) may also serve the needs of GCOS and be identified as a GCOS data flow. Other existing national and international organisations deal with global data collection, analysis, and exchange; and G3OS builds on or within the programs of these organisations. Examples include ICSU’s IGBP-DIS (Section 2.3.), IOC’s IODE (Section 6.7) and NASA’s Global Change Master Directory (Section 6.9). These existing programs are generally designed to deal with all data of a specific type that are available for national and international distribution or exchange. G3OS data will be a subset of these data that have been collected, analysed, and documented with special care and which will have arisen from observational networks that have been designed for a specific purpose.

Data from the G3OS is collected and archived in the relevant ICSU and WMO World Data Centres, and specialised centres like the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre in Offenbach, which was established for the World Climate Research Programme, Section 5.2, but also acts as a GCOS specified global data centre for precipitation. The Global Observing System Information Centre (GOSIC) provides information on the observing requirements, the operational data systems, and the access procedures for finding and obtaining data and products of the G3OS, see Section 6.6 for further details.

5.1.1 The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

Internet Website: http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos.html

The Global Climate Observing System was established in 1992 and is sponsored by the ICSU, the IOC, the UNEP and the WMO. Its Secretariat is based in the WMO at Geneva. It is a long-term, user-driven operational system capable of providing the comprehensive observations required for monitoring the climate system, for detecting and attributing climate change, for assessing the impacts of climate variability and change, and for supporting research toward improved understanding, modelling and prediction of the climate system. It addresses the total climate system including physical, chemical and biological properties, and processes in the atmosphere, ocean, hydrosphere, cryosphere and on the land.

GCOS priorities are seasonal-to-interannual climate prediction; the earliest possible detection of climate trends and climate change due to human activities; reduction of the major uncertainties in long-term climate prediction; and improved data for impact analysis.

Data are collected through the GCOS Surface Network and Upper Air Network, and transmitted to national and international centres on the WMO’s GTS. The international centres perform quality control on the data, prepare data products for users, and archive it for future users.

5.1.1.1 The GCOS Surface Network (GSN) of about 1000 stations collects and manages surface meteorological data such as temperature, pressures, winds, clouds, precipitation etc. SYNOP reports are of the set of observations made at a station on the regular 6 hourly observing cycle for surface stations. CLIMAT messages are sent monthly and contain averages of observed variables for the previous month.

Surface meteorological observation for the Earth’s oceans are provided by observers on voluntary observing ships (VOS). Member countries receive the logs of marine surface data from the ships they are responsible for by mail, in journals or on discs. The corresponding national centres ensure a minimum quality standard, as defined by the JCOMM, Section 3.3. The data are provided quarterly to the two Global Collecting Centres located at the Deutscher Wetterdienst in Hamburg, and the UK Meteorological Office in Bracknell. These ensure the monitoring and quality control procedures have been applied and then send the controlled data to eight Responsible Members of the WMO on a quarterly basis. These prepare and distribute climatological summaries for the ocean areas of their responsibility.

5.1.1.2 The GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN) consists of approximately 150 stations measuring full wind, temperature, and humidity information. The data collected by the network of GUAN stations, usually twice-daily observations, are transmitted on the GTS in the form of upper-air reports. Meta data supporting the observations are not transmitted on the GTS, but are made available to the final archives at a later date by the national collecting centres.

The European Centre for Medium-term Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) is the "Lead Centre" for the Upper-air Network, and compiles information on the availability and quality of upper-air data obtained from the GUAN stations. Quality is assessed through differences from a 6-hour forecast and from neighbouring observations, and a list of intermittent or suspect stations every 6 months. On this basis, ECMWF, directly or through WMO, requests National Meteorological Services to instigate improvements where appropriate. Further quality control of all daily radiosonde and aircraft data is done through reanalyses and near-real-time analyses.

The Hadley Centre in the UK and the US National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) co-operate to act as a joint analysis centre for the GCOS upper air data. These centres also co-operate with the ECMWF so that the quality control work done on the real time data flow by that centre is taken into account in further processing, analysis, and improvement of the global GUAN data set. In addition the NCDC also acts as a long-term archive for the data and supporting meta data.

The GCOS requirements for atmospheric chemistry observations are implemented within the WMO’s GAW global network of monitoring stations, which has about 20 global stations measuring atmospheric chemistry, surface meteorological data, and with an upper air station nearby, Section 3.1. Glaciers are monitored through the World Glacier Monitoring System (WGMS) which is a component of GCOS. In hydrology, operational programmes through WMO and research-based systems through UNESCO have been enlisted as GCOS contributions, such as WMO’s WHYCOS (Section 3.1.3).

5.1.2 The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

Internet Website: http://ioc.unesco.org/goos

GOOS is being developed largely in response to the recommendations of the UN Conference on the Environment and Development that took place in 1992 in Brazil. It was initiated by the IOC in co-operation with ICSU, UNEP and WMO, and is intended to be a permanent global system for physical, chemical and biological observations, modelling and analysis of marine and ocean variables needed to support operational ocean services world-wide. Its Secretariat is located in the IOC at Paris. GOOS is not a functional organisation in itself; it is being implemented through the contributions of national agencies, organisations and industries, making use of existing systems and bodies. It is planned to provide accurate descriptions of the present state of the oceans, including living resources; continuous forecasts of the future conditions of the sea for as far ahead as possible; and the basis for forecasts of climate change.

Over the past few years, design plans for GOOS have been developed in modules by four panels of experts: Coastal Seas, Health of the Ocean, Living Marine Resources and Climate. (There are plans to merge the first three into a single integrated Coastal Ocean Observations Panel, COOP. This would reorganise GOOS into two main themes, (i) coastal and shelf monitoring and modelling, and (ii) global open-ocean monitoring and modelling). Obviously there are interconnections between GOOS and GCOS, for example the climate module of GOOS forms the ocean component of GCOS.

5.1.2.1 The GOOS Initial Observing System is based on an amalgam of existing systems, and includes four types of contributions.

Level 1 contributions are from IOC and WMO programs declared to be contributions to GOOS as well as to their existing users. They are the IOC Ship of Opportunity Program (SOOP) network and the WMO Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) network; the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS); the WMO's GTS; the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network; the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme; ocean data buoys co-ordinated by the Data Buoy Co-operation Panel and the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array of moored buoys in the equatorial Pacific.

Level 2 contributions are ones assumed for the future but not yet negotiated. They are the ocean observing satellites; appropriate parts of IODE; appropriate national observing systems; appropriate commercial observing systems (including oil platforms); the International Mussel Watch; marine pollution monitoring (MARPOLMON/GIPME); harmful algal bloom programme; continuous plankton recorder and various operational meteorological and oceanographic observations, data management and services activities of JCOMM.

Details of Level 3 contributions (data collected by GOOS pilot projects) and Level 4 contributions (data collected from GOOS regional programs) are given in Annex 6.

5.1.2.2 The Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS) was set up by IOC to be a data acquisition and management system forming, with other existing systems, the "Marine Meteorological and Oceanographic Operational Services" Module of the GOOS. However now it is encompassed within JCOMM - the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology, Section 3.3.

5.1.2.3 A prototype GOOS Products and Services Bulletin is now established on the web, with access through either http://ioc.unesco.org/gpsbulletin or via the GOOS home page. It contains examples of what GOOS subsystems can do, mainly through linkages to already existing web sites of relevance to GOOS. It is not a metadata system so does not substitute for the GOSIC system, Section 6.6, and neither is it a substitute for the JCOMM Electronic Products Bulletin, Section 3.3, which generates and displays products in real time. Rather it provides regular and continuous information on the range of products and services associated with GOOS, and it illustrates the point that GOOS is about the construction and operation of an end-to-end data and information management system.

It includes operational products that are considered consistent with and comply to GOOS standards, products from GOOS Pilot Projects being developed, Annex 6, and products that are related to GOOS, be they operational or experimental. The bulletin provides the context (scenarios) within which the products have been developed, and provides attribution to the contributors of the products, identifying the bodies and individuals who are the guardians/providers of the products. Products are accompanied by pointers to the data and files associated with them.

5.1.3 The Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS)

Internet Website: http://www.fao.org/gtos/home.htm

Concerns on intensifying human pressures on the Earth’s land, water and atmosphere, and the 1992 Earth summit, prompted the ICSU, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the UNEP, UNESCO and the WMO to establish the Global Terrestrial Observing System in 1996. Its Secretariat is located in the FAO at Rome. It is a long-term observing system for monitoring the extent, form and function of terrestrial ecosystems, and detecting and measuring alterations in them resulting form climate change, changes in human activities like land-use and industrial development, and changes from other causes. It is concerned with the whole ecosystem complex, including coastal systems, and thus considers biological, chemical and physical properties as well as terrestrial, oceanic, hydrological and atmospheric processes.

The core of GTOS is a permanent observing system for the world’s key managed and natural ecosystems. The system is based on a five-tier Global Hierarchical Observing Strategy (GHOST), with a sampling system that allows at one extreme for many variables to collected at a few sites, and at the other extreme a few variables to be collected at many sites. Thus the system ranges from large-scale (1,000 km2) studies of the Earth’s major environmental gradients (e.g. boundary layer gas exchange); ‘field station’ observations over about 1km of, for example, crop yield, ecosystem productivity and land use; to frequent low-resolution (1 metre to 1 kilometre) sampling of variables like leaf area dynamics and land cover. Much of the larger scale sampling system (tiers 1 to 3) is already in place, since almost 3,000 natural and agricultural ecosystem sites are already funded and provide monitoring relevant to GTOS needs. (About 350 of them have already expressed interest in becoming part of GTOS.) But there is a need to upgrade some of the existing ecosystem monitoring sites and fill significant gaps in spatial coverage below 1kms, especially in developing countries.

Further information on GTOS is given in Annex 5.

5.2 THE WORLD CLIMATE RESEARCH PROGRAMME (WCRP)

Originally, the International Council of Scientific Unions initiated the WCRP as part of the international framework for non-governmental scientific co-operation in the study of global change. However, the WCRP is now jointly operated by the ICSU, the IOC and the WMO and so is included in this Section as an example of a joint intergovernmental and non-governmental programme. Its objectives are to develop the fundamental scientific understanding of the physical climate system and climate processes needed to determine to what extent climate can be predicted and the extent of human influence on climate. The programme encompasses studies of the global atmosphere, oceans, sea and land ice, and the land surface, which together constitute the Earth's physical climate system. WCRP studies are specifically directed to provide scientifically founded quantitative answers to the questions being raised on climate and the range of natural climate variability, as well as to establish the basis for predictions of global and regional climatic variations and of changes in the frequency and severity of extreme events.

There are a number of linkages with the Global Observing System (G3OS). The WCRP co-sponsors the Ocean Observation Panel for Climate (OOPC) with the Global Climate Observing System, Section 5.1.1, and the Global Ocean Observing System, Section 5.1.2. This oversees the implementation of an ocean observation system for GCOS (or, equivalently, the climate component for GOOS). With GCOS, it co-sponsors the Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC), and collaborates with IGBP and IHDP in the development of the System for Analysis, Research and Training (START), see Annex 1.

The existing WCRP core-projects are the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX), Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR), the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), and the Arctic Climate System Study (ACSYS). Further details of these are given in Annex 1. The data from the WCRP programmes is deposited in the appropriate World Data Centres, and in the following two specialised data centres dealing with global precipitation and runoff.

5.2.1 The Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC, email: rudolf@k7-wzn.za-offenbach.dwd.d400.de) was established by the WMO/ICSU Joint Scientific Committee for the WCRP in 1988 at the Deutscher Wetterdienst in Offenbach, starting with a research and development phase, but is now operational. It also acts as a GCOS specified global data centre for precipitation. It collects rain gauge data worldwide and produces a global monthly-mean climatology of precipitation.

The main input information for land-surface consists of conventionally measured rain-gauge data, which are representative for points and have to be transferred to reliable area-means. Satellite data provide additional area-integrated information; however, it is based on an indirectly observed information of the precipitation at the ground. Satellite-based precipitation estimates have to be adjusted to ground-based information from direct measurements, but with regard to the reliability of those. For all oceanic areas, satellite data are the most important input information. Data received via the WMO’s GTS with several collections of historical precipitation data. Monthly precipitation data from more than 30,000 stations of more than 100 countries have been provided for the period 1986 to 1990.

The GPCP products consist of gridded precipitation data for the land-surface, analysed using raingauge data only, and complete global products combined using raingauge data for the continents and satellite estimates for the oceans and model results to fill remaining gaps.

5.2.2 The Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC) is located at the Federal Institute of Hydrology in Koblenz, (email: rdc@koblenz.bfg.bund400.de), and provides a mechanism for the international exchange of data pertaining to river flows on a continuous, long-term basis. Its principal objective is to collect and disseminate hydrological data specifically to support projects within the World Climate Research Programme. It also supports projects such as WMO’s World Hydrological Climate Observing System, Section 3.1.3.

The scope of data collection is global, regional and on catchment scale; and it holds general hydrological data with daily and monthly stream flow, discharge and runoff data for over 3,600 stations monitoring approximately 2,900 rivers from 147 countries. The data is collected for rivers with mean annual discharge greater than 100 cubic m/s, from rivers with catchment areas greater than 1,000,000 square km and from river basins with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants. As a principal GRDC policy, the responsibility for the quality of data lies with the national hydrological services. The GRDC performs plausibility tests and communicates with the data providers.

The Centre operates a Databank Management System that ensures fast data entry and retrieval services, complex queries and fast response to data requests. The database is continuously updated.

6. EARTH DATA DIRECTORIES AND SEARCH ENGINES

Some details of data catalogues, directories or information sites related to specific programmes are given in previous Sections. This Section contains details on the more general data directories or search engines, which provide metadata information, and/or access to data itself. (The term ''metadata'' is defined as reference data about the content and location of data and information holdings. Meta-data are the high-level ''overview'' or informational abstract that describes (and points to) a particular dataset, report, map or institute.)

6.1 CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EARTH SCIENCE INFORMATION NETWORK (CIESIN)

Internet Website: http://ciesin.org

The Center was established at Columbia University in 1989 as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation to archive and disseminate data and information on human interactions with the environment, global environmental change and sustainable development. It is the World Data Centre for Human Interactions in the Environment. CIESIN also operates the Socio-economic Data Applications Center (SEDAC), (http://sedac.ciesin.org), which provides a similar service for socio-economic data related to climate change.

The CIESIN/SEDAC web sites act as both a host for original data held by CIESIN and as a gateway to data held at organisations and agencies which are partners in its network of sites throughout the World, like NASA’s GCMD, Section 6.9. The sites offer background information on these partners, descriptions of some of the major data sets held, applications to display data, and a searchable directory. The data sets are a mixture of types: statistical, directory, bibliographical, full text and GIS data.

Interactive applications on the website include ordering and mapping of the decennial U.S. censuses of 1970-1990; a searchable relational database containing international environmental treaties, treaty summaries, treaty status files and natural resource indicators; model visualisation and analysis for integrated assessment models of climate change; and on-screen visualisation of hourly, daily, and monthly UV dose variables from selected locations across the USA.

Users can access a large collection of data resources on the People's Republic of China and Mexico; world and continental population counts and density on a 5 minute grid, and population data on a 20 minute by 30 minute grid for more than 100 nations. There is an interactive query of the World Bank's dataset containing 125 socio-economic variables from more than 170 economies for the period 1965-1993.

6.2 CENTRE FOR EARTH OBSERVATION INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM

Internet Website: http://www.infeo.org/

The CEO Programme is a European Community funded programme for advancing the use of Earth observation data. CEO’s Information Exchange System (INFEO) is an online information service that provides access to EO information and services, and to data catalogues around the world. It can be used to search for, and access, satellite images.

A subject area, and sub-topic, is selected first; then a geographical location, either by specifying N, W, E, S co-ordinates or selecting areas from a map; and finally a time range by either specifying start and end times or by selecting a predefined range, e.g. “today”, “last 24h”, “this month”, “last 365 d”, “last year”. Based on these criteria, INFEO identifies the appropriate catalogues, and the user can then search all of the catalogues for data products and/or satellite images. Subject areas are Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Human Dimensions (e.g. Human health), Hydrosphere, Land Surface, Oceans, Paleoclimate, Radiance or Imagery and Solid Earth.

6.3 COMMITTEE ON EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY NETWORK (CEOS IDN)

Internet website: http://www.ceos.org

African website: http://gridg.grid.unep.ch/idn/

American Node website: http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa..gov/ceosidn/map/html

Antarctic Node website: http://www.jcadm.scar.org/

Asian Node website: http://gcmd.eo.nasada.go.jp/

European Node website: http://earth1.esrin.esa.it/idn/hp.html

(This was not available at the time of writing, Autumn 2000, due to an upgrade of the system.)

The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) was created in 1984 and co-ordinates the data activities of a wide range of civil space agencies and international organisations concerned with Earth Observation satellite programmes. At its 1990 Plenary meeting in Brazil, CEOS enhanced its outreach to include international user organisations, such as the WMO and the GCOS, which now have affiliate status in CEOS. Approximately 40 Earth Observation missions have been launched since the establishment of CEOS; over 50 more are planned for launch within the next five years; and a further 16 are already planned for the following five years.

The International Directory Network (IDN) was implemented by the national space agencies of the United States, Europe, and Japan under the auspices of the CEOS, to provide universal access to data located in different countries and relating to different disciplines. Within the IDN, the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD, Section 6.9) is the agency responsible for the development of DIF, supporting software and technical support.

The CEOS IDN provides free, on-line access to information on worldwide scientific data including Earth sciences (geoscience, hydrospheric, biospheric, satellite remote sensing, atmospheric sciences), space physics, solar physics, planetary science and astronomy/astrophysics. It describes data held by university departments, government agencies, and other organisations. Datasets are searchable by keyword, and the Directory services also include supplementary descriptions about the data centres, projects and data sources. Where possible, a link is offered to the data itself, as well as metadata description.

There are five co-ordinating nodes of the CEOS IDN for the African, American, Antarctic, Asian and European continents. The African node is operated by the UNEP, the American node by NASA's GCDC, the Antarctic node by the Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management, the Asian node by the Japanese National Space Development Agency and the European node by the European Space Agency. Each co-ordinating node has affiliated directories that co-operate with it. These nodes provide a path for researchers within a country or region to participate in the CEOS IDN. Co-operating nodes may support directories specialising in a specific subject or may maintain a complete copy of NASA’s Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) database (Section 6.9). (Currently the American, Asian and European nodes maintain a copy of the GCMD. The Antarctic node incorporates the Antarctic Master Directory (AMD), which is a central directory system containing all Antarctic data set descriptions gathered by National Antarctic Data Centres. The AMD is being moved to the GCMD to minimise duplication of resources and metadata.)

Automatic transfer of new or revised entries takes place between the three co-ordinating nodes every month. This information is then passed to the respective co-operating nodes should they wish to receive it. This procedure assures that data set descriptions and supplementary information obtained from various parts of the world are exchanged with other areas, thus expanding the base of information available to researchers worldwide.

6.4 DISTRIBUTED OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA SYSTEM (DODS)

Internet Website: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/dods/

The Distributed Oceanographic Data System enables users to access oceanographic data in widely varied formats anywhere on the Internet using data analysis and visualisation packages like Matlab or Ferret. The DODS software converts a user's data analysis software into a specialised web browser. It incorporates a powerful data translation facility, so that data may be stored in data structures and formats defined by the data provider, but may be accessed by the user in a manner identical to the access of local data files on the user's own system. A user may not need to know that data from one set are stored in a format different from data in another set. Further, it may be possible that neither data set is stored in a format readable by the original (i.e. without DODS) version of the data analysis and display program he or she uses.

DOS uses the client-server model, with a client sending a data request across the Internet to a server, which answers with the requested data. The client is an application that uses DODS functions for getting data. The server is a Web server that can retrieve data from particular datasets. Because the expected data formats vary, there are different kinds of DODS clients; for example a DODS client from IGBP’s Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), furnishes data in JGOFS format. The combination of the DODS network communication model and the data translation facility make DODS a powerful tool for the retrieval, sampling, and display of large distributed datasets.

NASA’s GCMD, Section 6.9 functions as the DODS Data Locator.

6.5 G7 ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ENRM)

Internet Website: http://enrm.ceo.org/

The G7 ENRM project is an initiative of the G7 nations, involving the collaboration of organisations from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and the European Community. The project's main objective is to create a global virtual distributed library of ENRM data and resources about the environment, natural resources, climate change and biodiversity. It does this by interconnecting catalogues and directories around the world, to ensure their accessibility to developed and developing countries, and to facilitate the exchange and integration of data and information.

The prototype ENRM information server was developed in 1996 by the European Commission's Centre for Earth Observation on behalf of the G7-ENRM project, to allow free online registration and interactive editing of records for global environmental information resources.

In theory, the current service should provide the following features:

· Searchable database of worldwide environmental resources on the Internet, using free text, geographical and keyword searching;

· Dynamically updateable entries: once a user has registered, they can contribute, edit and update data into the ENRM database.

However, at the time of writing, Autumn 2000, accessing the website only provides a connection to a commercial website for ordering non-scientific CD-ROM software!

6.6 GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS INFORMATION CENTRE (GOSIC)

Internet Website: http://gos.udel.edu

GOSIC is an initiative of the University of Delaware, and serves as the focus to sources of data for the G3OS data and information system (Section 5.1), i.e. the Global Climate Observing System, the Global Ocean Observing System and the Global Terrestrial Observing System. It provides basic user services explaining the G3OS data system and provides an overview of the data and information that are available. In addition, it offers a search capability, optimised for G3OS data centres, which facilitates access to a worldwide set of observations and derived products. It is not a repository for data, but points to the data centres where the data and information can be obtained, and identifies the scientific programme that was the source of data and information. It does not create or modify the presentation of data.

GOSIC is under development to:

· Provide for searches for data and information across all participating G3OS data centres;

· Return results regardless of the data format, or where the data are located;

· Provide results back in a standard easy-to-read, easy-to-understand format;

· Allow users to determine the type and quality of the data through documentation provided by the participating data centres; and

· Allow users to obtain data sets from the relevant data centre.

The data set registry is operated by NASA, and based on its GCMD, Section 6.9. It consists of a directory-level catalogue of historical and operational data sets that have been identified as a component of one of the three observing systems. To date, thirty-one records identified by GTOS and one record identified by GOOS have been entered, but the GCOS science panels have not yet approved datasets for the registry. Data-flow diagrams are used to represent the operational observing system components that have been established to provide data. These diagrams identify all participating centres that are involved in the data management and show the flow of data from collection to final archive. The diagrams have links that enable the user to connect to the various centres; view the data, products, and services available; and then download or order data or products.

GOSIC contains information about non-operational oceanographic data products, and therefore complements the JCOMM Electronic Products Bulletin, Section 3.3, which provides users with information about products from operational, continuous monitoring GOOS programmes.

As not all member states of the sponsoring organisations have access to the World Wide Web and the technology to take advantage of a distributed information system, GOSIC will periodically assist with the publication of a CD-ROM version of the holdings at its home site, the University of Delaware, for reproduction and distribution to member states of the sponsoring organisations.

6.7 IOC INTERNATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE (IODE)

Internet Website: http://ioc.unesco.org/iode

IODE was established in 1961 by the IOC, and acts as the co-ordination mechanism for international oceanographic data and information management practices, with 71 countries now participating. IODE has published an IODE manual, CD-ROMs of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO, Annex 5), CD-ROMs of the Global Level Observing System (GLOSS, Annex 5), a Marine Environmental Data Information (MEDI) catalogue and World Ocean Atlas CD-ROMs.

The data included on the latter has been augmented through the Global Ocean Data Archaeology and Rescue (GODAR) Project. In co-operation with the IOC, the U.S. NODC and the collocated WDC for Oceanography, Silver Spring lead GODAR, which seeks to increase the volume of historical oceanographic data available by locating data sets not yet in digital form and ensuring their submission to one of the national data centers. The Project has resulted in the submission to the NODC of many thousands of bathythermograph temperature profiles, water bottle casts, chlorophyll profiles and plankton observations.

These newly acquired data are included in the latest version of the World Ocean Atlas and Database CD-ROMs released in 1998.

There are three web-based facilities within the framework of the IODE system: MEDI, OceanPortal and Sea-Search.

6.7.1 The MEDI system has been operational within IODE since 1979, initially published as IOC Manuals and Guides. Now there is a Pilot Project to set up MEDI on the web as a directory system for datasets, data catalogues and data inventories (http://www.aodc.gov.au/IODE/MEDI). The objectives of MEDI are to develop a global database of information on data holdings held in the IOC Member States and agencies with the following specifications:

· The database will be a compilation of input assembled by IOC Member States and relevant agencies;

· A central database will allow the end-user to search, as a minimum, on location, data type, temporal resolution and organisational parameters;

· A central database will provide the end-user with information describing the selected data holdings and their sources; and

· The system will be designed in such a manner as to ensure the widest possible coverage of data holdings in Member States.

MEDI is seen as an offline input to the GCMD/GOSIC systems, and also as a stand alone metadata information system for GOOS. To facilitate this, MEDI is being redesigned to have format compatibility with GCMD and GOSIC.

6.7.2 The OceanPortal (http://oceanportal.org) is a high-level directory of Ocean data and information related web sites. Its objective is to help scientists and other ocean experts in locating such data and information. Drop-down menus for ‘Data’ include Metadata (directories of data sources), Government and International Data Centres, Ocean science Programmes and Projects and Specialised datasets (covering one or a few parameters over a wide area, or very comprehensive sets for limited areas). Drop-down menus for ‘Information’ include e-journals (e.g. the IOC electronic library), abstract databases, bibliographic data bases, libraries, expertise sources and research ship information.

6.7.2 The Sea-Search infrastructure, services and website (http://www.sea-search.net/) are developed and operated by a partnership of 16 institutes/centres from 14 different European states and the European Union. The website is designed to provide an effective search tool to data and information sources in Europe, to oceanographic data and information, managed by European centres, and to centres in Europe with expertise and skills in oceanographic and marine data and information management. Sea-Search incorporates the European Directory of Marine Environmental Data (EDMED), which was developed in 1991 by the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) as an inventory of data sets and data holdings from over 500 European centres. (The EDMED inventory is being updated through Sea-Search). The Sea-Search website provides links to other websites and a search facility.

6.8 UN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME GLOBAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DATABASE (UNEP GRID)

Internet Website: http://www-vie.unep.net/service/cedar-website/unep/grid/

The UNEP GRID is a clearing house of environmental data and information, whose mission is “to provide timely and reliable geo-referenced environmental information and access to a unique international data service to help address environmental issues at global, regional and national levels.” Central to this is an archive of environmental datasets, accessed and maintained through a system of Co-operating Centres.

The Meta-data Directory provides environmental information to users via a user-friendly interface, and contains catalogues of available Institutes and available Data sets. The tool is designed to allow simple data entry, uncomplicated data queries and easy data exchange between any organisations that use a basic international metadata standard, such NASA’s Directory Interchange Format. The metadata directory allows users to search for environmental information by institute name or dataset (title) contact person (author), theme, keyword and location (subject), as well as other criteria.

GRID centres collectively hold thousands of digital maps at various scales (global, continental, regional, national and sub-national) covering a wide variety of human and natural environmental themes. Public- domain data sets (e.g., a digital elevation model of Europe) are made available to all non-commercial users and non-private persons (i.e. those with an affiliation) at no cost. Any individual is free to download and/or use GRID public-domain data sets available on-line, as long as they give proper attribution. GRID does not charge for the distribution of data, but does request that users cite GRID (and any other sources mentioned in documentation of the data provided) as data furnisher(s).

6.9 US GLOBAL CHANGE DATA AND INFORMATION SYSTEM (GCDIS)

and NASA’s GLOBAL CHANGE MASTER DIRECTORY (GCMD)

Internet Website: http://globalchange.gov and http://gcmd.nasa.gov

The Global Change Data and Information System is a collection of distributed information systems, operated by U.S. government agencies involved in global change research, and providing global change data to scientists, policy makers, educators, industry and the public at large. The site contains pull-down menus for accessing Data Centres and Datasets, and there are links to U.S. Agency programmes, data policies and publications. To find a Data Centre or a data set, there is a direct link to the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD).

The GCMD is NASA's contribution to GCDIS, and is a comprehensive directory of Data Centres and data sets of relevance to global change research. To find a Data Centre, the user searches by discipline (Agriculture, Atmosphere, Carbon, Ecology + Biology, Geology, Human dimension, Hydrology, Land surface, Oceans, Paleoclimate, Snow + Ice and Solar physics). To find a data set, the user uses an hierachial keyword search; an example is given in Annex 7. The resulting metadata records provide information on the nature of the data (e.g., parameters measured, geographic location, time range) and where the data are stored. For those with data, a web-based registration form lets them enter a URL or description of the data and ensures them proper recognition for their data collection efforts.

6.10 THE WMO CLIMATE DATA INFORMATION REFERRAL SERVICE (INFOCLIMA)

Internet Website: http://www.wmo.ch/web/wcp/wcdmp/infoclim/

or http://www.wmo.ch/

and then enter INFOCLIMA in ‘search by alphabetical topics’

INFOCLIMA is a service for the collection and dissemination of information on the existence and availability of climate data in the world. It does not handle actual climate data. INFOCLIMA information is obtained from Member countries of WMO and also from contributions by individual data centres and international organisations. The information comprises descriptions of data centres and available data sets held at scientific and operational data centres and/or published. Information on data sets submitted to the WMO Secretariat by Members and international centres is edited and entered into the INFOCLIMA computerised database in a standardised format after verification with centres involved.

Data centre descriptions are sorted by WMO Regions, with each Region having its own centres file containing details of each centre and a list of data sets held by each centre. The data set descriptions are sorted by data categories, which are:

· Upper-air data based on sounding in the troposphere and lower stratosphere by radiosonde, rocket, and satellite;

· Surface climatological data from meteorological, hydrological, agrometeorological and other special networks;

· Radiation (surface) data, including solar radiation data and data concerning the surface radiation balance;

· Maritime and Ocean data, based on surface meteorological observations at sea stations and/or observations of the ocean surface and in the upper-layers of the sea;

· Cryosphere data over the land and oceans;

· Atmospheric composition data, concerning the chemical and particulate composition of the troposphere and lower stratosphere, including data on pollutants;

· Hydrological data, concerning surface and groundwater, sediment discharges, ice regime in rivers and lakes, droughts and floods; and

· Historical and proxy data, giving an indirect indication of climate in recent, historical and ancient times (e.g. floods, sediments, harvest dates, tree rings, etc.), as well as data on palaeo-climates.

Cross-references are inserted where data sets could be included under more than one category. Contributions are on going and currently include information on more than 1250 data sets held by more than 300 centres in more than 125 countries. A Web version of the INFOCLIMA Catalogue of Climate System Data Sets includes all the standard fields for centres and data sets but not yet the descriptive text fields.

With respect to hydrological data, metadata is collected in the Hydrological Information Referral Service (INFOHYDRO, http://www.wmo.ch/web/homs/infohydro.html). It contains information on national, regional and international hydrological agencies, networks and data centres of WMO members.

7 ACCESSIBILITY OF EARTH DATA AND INFORMATION - SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

7.1 Unfortunately, web sites of the following systems or organisations were unavailable at the time of writing, Autumn 2000:

· The IHDP Data and Information System (IHDP-DIS);

· The World Organisation of Volcano Observatories of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI);

· The International Commission on Water Resource Systems (ICWRS) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS);

· The European Node of the CEOS International Directory Network (CEOS IDN);and

· The G7 Environment and Natural Resources Management System (ENRM).

One, the CEOS IDN European node, was being upgraded at the time, but others may have been unobtainable due to a technical fault or the inability of the host organisation to maintain the site, either through lack of funds or staff.

7.2 All the other web sites mentioned in Section 6 are operational, and provide easy access to metadata and some to data. However the most comprehensive is NASA’s Global Change Master Directory (GCMD), and there are a number of interconnections between it and other data directories and search engines:

The IGBP-DIS (Section 2.3.1) uses GCMD’s standard format, the Directory Interchange Format, to document IGBP data sets, and the IGBP’s Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), Annex 5, also adopted it as its metadata standard. Also, the GCMD contributes to the CIESIN, Section 6.1, by allowing access to its database of information from the distributed CIESIN Gateway. It can be searched through the G7 ENRM's gateway, Section 6.5 (if that website was operational!).

The GCMD is the entry-level directory of information for NASA’s Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS), Section 4.1. It is the basis for the CEOS IDN, Section 6.3, providing software, search interfaces and metadata writing tools, with three of the nodes maintaining a complete copy of the GCMD and the Antarctic Master Directory being moved to it to minimise duplication of resources and metadata. The GCMD functions as the DODS Data Locator, Section 6.4. The GOSIC data set registry, Section 6.6 is operated by NASA and based on the GCMD. It collaborates with the UNEP GRID, Section 6.8, to make available through data set descriptions from many nations throughout the world.

The GCMD has a very comprehensive directory of Data Centres and data sets of relevance to Earth science. Data Centres can be searched by discipline, and a data set by an hierachial keyword search (an example is given in Annex 7). The resulting metadata records provide information on the nature of the data (e.g., parameters measured, geographic location, time range) and where the data are stored, with links to web pages if available.

Should FAGS consider greater use of the Internet to give information and allow access to its datasets, then the comprehensiveness, ease of use, and wide spread use of the GCMD by other data directories and search engines, suggests that interconnection to the GCMD would be useful.

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to the following for the provision of information, either directly or through a third party:

Trevor Baker Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory

R Frauenfelder WGMS

Daniel Gambis IERS

Francoise Genova FAGS

Meirion Jones British Oceanographic Data Centre

JoAnn Joseyn Secretary General of IUGG

Brian Kennett President of IASPEI

David Pugh FAGS

Lesley Rickards British Oceanographic Data Centre

John Rodda IAHS

Steve Sparks IAVCEI

Kuniyoshi Takeuchi IAAS President-elect

Phil Woodworth Director of the PSMSL

9. ACRONYMS

ACSYS Arctic Climate System Study (of the WCRP)

AMD Antarctic Master Directory

AOPC Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate

BAHC Biospheric Aspects of the Hydrological Cycle Project (of the IGBP)

BGI Bureau Gravimetrique International

BODC British Oceanographic Data Centre

CDS Centre des Donnees Stellaires

CEO Centre for Earth Observation (of the EC)

CEOS Committee on Earth Observation Satellites

CIESIN Center for International Earth Science Information Network

CLIVAR Climate Variability and Predictability Programme (of the WCRP)

CODATA Committee on Data for Science and Technology (of the ICSU)

COOP Coastal Oceans Observation Panel (of the IOC)

DAAC Distributed Active Archive Center (of the NASA)

DODS Distributed Oceanographic Data System

ECMWF European Centre for Medium-term Weather Forecasting

EDG Data Gateway (of the EOS)

EDMED European Directory of Marine Environmental Data

ENRM G7 Environment and Natural Resources Management System

EOS Earth Observing System (of the NASA)

EOSDIS Earth Observation System Data and Information

FAGS Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services

FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation (of the UN)

FDSN Federation of Digital Broadband Seismograph Networks (of the IASPEI)

ftp file transfer protocol

GARP Global Atmospheric Research Programme

GAW Global Atmosphere Watch (of the WMO)

GCDIS Global Change Data and Information System (of the USA)

GCOS Global Climate Observing System

GCMD Global Change Master Directory (of the NASA)

GCTE Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems Project (of the IGDP)

GDPS Global Data Processing System (of the WMO)

GEBCO General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans

GEC Global Environmental Change

GECHS Global Environmental Change and Human Security Project (of the IHDP)

GEWEX Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (of the WCRP)

GHOST Global Hierarchical Observing Strategy (of the GTOS)

GIPME Global Investigation of Pollution in the Marine Environment (of the IOC)

GLOBEC Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics Project (of the IGBP)

GLOSS Global Sea Level Observing System

GODAR Global Ocean Data Archaeology and Rescue Project

GOOS Global Ocean Observing System

GOS Global Observing System (of the WMO)

GOSIC Global Observing System Information Centre

GPCC Global Precipitation Climatology Centre

GRDC Global Runoff Data Centre

GRGN Global and Regional Geodetic Networks (of FAGS)

GRID Environmental Information Network Global Resources Information Database (of the UNEP)

GSN Global Surface Network (of the GCOS)

GTOS Global Terrestrial Observing System

GTS Global Telecommunications System

GUAN Global Upper-Air Network (of the GCOS)

G3OS Global Climate, Ocean and Terrestrial Observing Systems (of the ICSU)

HYCOS Hydrological Cycle Observation System (of the WMO)

IAG International Association of Geodesy

IAGA International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy

IAHS International Association of Hydrological Sciences

IAMAS International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

IAPSO International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean

IASPEI International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior

IAU International Astronomical Union

IAVCEI International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior

ICACGP International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution

ICAM Integrated Coastal Area Management (of the IOC)

ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

ICET International Centre for Earth Tides

ICSU International Council of Scientific Unions

ICWRS International Commission on Water Resource Systems (of the IAHS)

IDGEC Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Project (of the IHDP)

IDN International Directory Network (of the CEOS)

IERS International Earth Rotation Service

IGAC International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (of the IGBP)

IGBP International Geosphere-Biosphere Program

IGBP-DIS Data and Information System (of the IGBP)

IGOSS Integrated Global Ocean Services System (of the IOC)

IGS International GPS Service for Geodynamics

IGY International Geophysical Year (of 1957-1958)

IHDP International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme

IHDP-DIS Data and Information System (of the IHDP)

IHO International Hydrographic Organisation

IMO International Maritime Organisation

INFEO Information Exchange System (of the CEO)

INFOCLIMA Climate Data Information Referral Service (of the WMO)

INFOHYDRO Hydrological Information Referral Service (of the WMO)

IOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

IODE International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (of the IOC)

ION International Ocean Network (of the IASPEI)

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

ISES International Space Environment Service

ISGI International Service of Geomagnetic Indices

ISSC International Social Science Council

IT Industrial Transformation Project (of the IHDP)

IUGG International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

IVS International Service for Geodesy and Astrometry

JCOMM Joint IOC/WMO Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology

JGOFS Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (of the IGBP)

LOICZ Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone project (of the IGDP)

LUCC Land-Use and Land-Cover Change Project (of the IHDP)

MEDI Marine Environmental Data Information

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration (of the USA)

NCDC National Climate Data Center (of the USA)

NGDC National Geophysical Data Center (of the USA)

NMC National Meteorological Centre

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (of the USA)

NODC National Oceanographic Data Center (of the USA)

NSIDC National Snow and Ice Data Center (of the USA)

OOPC Ocean Observation Panel for Climate

OSLR Ocean Science in Relation to Living Resources Programme (of the IOC)

OSNLR Ocean Science in Relation to Non-Living Resources Programme (of the IOC)

PAGES Past Global Changes Project (of the IGBP)

PSMSL Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level

QBSA Quarterly Bulletin on Solar Activity

RSMC Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (of the WMO)

SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar

SCOR Scientific Committee on Ocean Research (of the ICSU)

SEDAC Socio-economic Data and Applications Center

SIDC Sunspot Index Data Centre

SOOP Ship of Opportunity Programme (of the IOC)

START SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

URSI Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale

VLBI Very Long Baseline Interferometry

VOS Voluntary Observing Ships Programme (of the WMO)

WCRP World Climate Research Programme

WDC World Data Centre (of both the ICSU and the WMO)

WGMS World Glacier Monitoring Service

WHYCOS World Hydrological Cycle Observing System (of the WMO)

WMC World Meteorological Centre

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WOCE World Ocean Circulation Experiment (of the WCRP)

WWW World Weather Watch (of the WMO)

ANNEX 1 THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC UNIONS (ICSU)

Internet Website: http://www.icsu.org

1.1 International Scientific Union Members:

International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES)

International Astronomical Union (IAU)

International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)

International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)

International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB)

International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO)

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)

International Union of Crystallography (IUC)

International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST)

International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)

International Geographical Union (IGU)

International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)

International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS)

International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)

International Mathematical Union (IMU)

International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM)

International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS)

International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS)

International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR)

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)

International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS)

International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS)

Union Radio Scientifique International (URSI)

International Union of Soil Science (IUSS)

International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX)

International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM)

1.2 International Scientific Associates:

International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA)

International Union Against Cancer (UICC)

International Cartographic Association (ICA)

International Cell Research Organisation (ICRO)

International Dairy Federation (IDF)

International Federation of Societies for Electron Microscopy (IFSEM)

International Society of Endocrinology (ISE)

Engineering Committee on Oceanic Resources (ECOR)

International Union of Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO)

International Foundation for Science (IFS)

International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID)

International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP)

International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS)

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)

International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)

International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)

International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA)

International Federation of Science Editors (IFSE)

International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI)

International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)

International Union for Vacuum Science Technique and Applications (IUVSTA)

International Association on Water Quality (IAWQ)

International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR)

1.3 Regional Scientific Associates:

Academia de Ciencias de America Latina (ACAL)

Federation of Asian scientific Academies and Societies (FASAS)

Pacific Science Association (PSA)

Third world Academy of Science (TWAS)

1.4 Interdisciplinary ICSU Bodies are created by the General Assembly as the need for these arises in order to facilitate and co-ordinate interdisciplinary scientific and educational activities on an international basis. There are currently 18 such bodies, including the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA, Internet Website: http://www.codata.org). CODATA’s general objectives are to:

· Improve the quality and accessibility of data, as well as the methods by which data are acquired, managed, analysed and evaluated;

· Facilitate international co-operation among those collecting, organising and using data;

· Promote an increased awareness in the scientific and technical community of the importance of these activities; and

· Consider data access and intellectual property issues.

Today 23 countries are members, and 14 International Scientific Unions have assigned liaison delegates. The national committees of CODATA often organise data activities on a national level. Much of the most important work of CODATA, however, lies outside its formal activities in its providing an environment in which data experts from different countries can interact, co-operate directly, develop bilateral collaborations outside of CODATA, and exchange ideas and knowledge.

CODATA is concerned with all types of data resulting from experimental measurements, observations and calculations in every field of science and technology, including the physical sciences, biology, geology, astronomy, engineering, environmental science, ecology and others. Its wide range is indicated by some of its Task and Working Groups:

· Biological Macromolecules;

· Data/Information and Visualisation;

· Environmental Ecosystem Conservation;

· Environmental Life Cycle Inventories;

· Fundamental Constants;

· Global Plant Checklist Network;

· Materials Database Management;

· Molten Salts;

· Outreach, Education and Communication; and

· Survey of Data Sources in Asian-Oceanic Countries.

ICSU has encouraged co-operation between FAGS, CODATA and the WDC system. In particular, the CODATA Working Group on Data and Information deals with data issues of common concern to the three bodies. It examines problems, policies, and possible solutions to issues of international access and exchange of data for scientific research. It develops positions on behalf of CODATA and ICSU and presents those positions as necessary to outside organisations and individuals concerned with scientific data access.

1.5 Joint Initiatives are international programmes organised by ICSU or its Members in partnership with other inter- or non-governmental organisations. Co-operation in such programmes is particularly close with various UN agencies, such as UNESCO, WMO, UNEP and FAO. Currently, ICSU has nine major joint initiatives in a variety of areas.

1.6 The ICSU Year Book contains information on the Council, its Members, Committees, Associates and Partners with details of their activities and chief scientific officers. In addition to an alphabetical address list of over 2,000 leading scientists throughout the world, the Year Book contains a comprehensive calendar of international scientific meetings from the present to the year 2000. It is distributed free of charge to all Members of the ICSU family, as well as any individual scientists or groups from developing countries and is available commercially for institutions and individuals in the developed world.

A brief Annual Report of Activities is published in the ICSU Year Book at the beginning of each year and a fuller report, containing also annual reports of the Unions, interdisciplinary bodies and Associates, is published in the first half of each year. The Proceedings of that year's General Assembly or General Committee meeting is contained as a part of the Annual Report. An on-line Annual Report is also available.

1.7 “Science International” appears three times a year and gives information on the activities, programmes and meetings of the members of the ICSU family and of related events of interest to members. An on-line version is available.

1.8 The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP)

Internet Website: http://www.igbp.kva.se/

Instituted by ICSU in 1986, the IGBP is focused on acquiring basic scientific knowledge about the interactive processes of biology and chemistry of the earth as they relate to GEC. The goal of the programme is to describe and understand the interactive physical, chemical and biological processes that regulate the total Earth system; the unique environment that it provides for life, the changes that are occurring in this system; and the manner in which they are influenced by human actions. Priority is placed on those areas in each of the fields involved that deal with key interactions and significant changes on time scales of decades to centuries, that most affect the biosphere, that are most susceptible to human perturbations, and which will most likely lead to a practical, predictive capability.

IGBP addresses six questions, and has eight Core Projects:

· How is the chemistry of the global atmosphere regulated and what is the role of biological processes in producing and consuming trace gases?

International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC) organised jointly with the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP).

· How will global changes effect terrestrial ecosystems?

Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE), and

Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) organised jointly with the IHDP.

· How does vegetation interact with physical processes of the hydrological cycle?

Biospheric Aspects of the Hydrological Cycle (BAHC).

· How will changes in land-use, sea level and climate alter coastal ecosystems, and what are the wider consequences?

Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ).

· How do ocean biogeochemical processes influence and respond to climate change?

Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) jointly with the ICSU Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR),

Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) project, in collaboration with SCOR, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Committee (IOC) and the North Pacific Marine Science Organisation (PICES).

· What significant climate and environmental changes have occurred in the past and what were their causes?

Past Global Changes (PAGES).

1.9 The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP)

Internet Website: http://www.uni-bonn.de/ihdp

The IHDP was initially launched in 1990 by the ISSC as the Human Dimensions Programme, with the ICSU joining as a co-sponsor in 1996. It is an interdisciplinary science programme dedicated to promoting and co-ordinating research aimed at describing, analysing and understanding the human dimensions of global environmental change. IHDP’s four major international Science Projects are designed to address the following questions:

· How do human actions contribute to global environmental change?

· Why are these actions taken?

· How does global environmental change feed back into people’s lives?

· What actions can be taken by whom to respond to, reduce and mitigate the effects of global environmental change?

The Projects are:

· Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC), (co-sponsored by IGBP);

· Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS);

· Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC); and

· Industrial Transformation (IT).

1.10 World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)

Internet Website: http://www.ch/web/wcrp/wcrp-home.html

The WCRP was established in 1980, under the joint sponsorship of ICSU and the WMO, and has also been sponsored by the IOC since 1993. (It appears here, under ICSU, for completeness of the ICSU GEC Programmes.) It is one of the components of the World Climate Programme, sponsored by the ICSU, the IOC, UNEP and the WMO. Its objectives are to develop the fundamental scientific understanding of the physical climate system and climate processes needed to determine to what extent climate can be predicted and the extent of human influence on climate. The programme encompasses studies of the global atmosphere, oceans, sea and land ice, and the land surface, which together constitute the Earth's physical climate system. WCRP studies are specifically directed to provide scientifically founded quantitative answers to the questions being raised on climate and the range of natural climate variability, as well as to establish the basis for predictions of global and regional climatic variations and of changes in the frequency and severity of extreme events.

GEWEX is the scientific focus in WCRP for studies of atmospheric and thermodynamic processes that determine the Global hydrological cycle and water budget and their adjustment to global changes such as the increase in greenhouse gases. Observational projects include the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), the International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP), Global Water Vapour Project (GVaP), and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP).

CLIVAR is the main focus in WCRP for studies of climate variability, extending effective predictions of climate variation and refining the estimates of anthropogenic climate change. It is attempting particularly to exploit the "memory" in the slowly changing oceans and to develop understanding of the coupled behaviour of the rapidly changing atmosphere and slowly varying land surface, oceans and ice masses as they respond to natural processes, human influences and changes in the Earth's chemistry and biota. CLIVAR will advance the findings of the successfully completed Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere (TOGA) project, and will expand on work now underway in WOCE.

WOCE is a fundamental element of the WCRP scientific strategy to understand and predict changes in the world ocean circulation, volume and heat storage, which would result from changes in atmospheric climate and net radiation, by means of a combination of in situ oceanographic measurements, observations from space and global ocean modelling.

ACSYS, concentrating on the understanding of Arctic Ocean Variability and change including sea ice processes, will be expanded into the Climate and Cryosphere Initiative (CLIC) investigating the role of the entire cryosphere for global climate and as an early indicator of change.

1.11 System for Analysis, Research and Training (START)

Internet Website: http://www.start.org

START’s mission is to develop a system of regional networks of collaborating scientists and institutions:

· To conduct research on regional aspects of global change;

· To assess the causes and impacts of regional global change; and

· To provide relevant information to policy makers and governments.

Priority is given by START to establishing regional research networks in the developing world where the needs are greatest. Its Programme themes are:

· Regional climate variability and change;

· Changes in composition of the atmosphere;

· Land use/cover change;

· Global change and terrestrial ecosystems/biodiversity; and

· Global change and coastal zones.

ANNEX 2 THE PERMANENT SERVICES OF FAGS

2.1 International Earth Rotation Service (IERS)

http://www.iers.org

The IERS was established in 1987 by merging the International Polar Motion Service (formed 1895) and the Bureau International de l’Heure (formed 1911), and it started its operations at the Observatoire de Paris in 1988. Its activities involve the voluntary contributions of many groups through out the world, supported by their national institutions.

The International Earth Rotation Service continued its operation from January 1, 2001 onwards with a new structure. The previous Sections and Sub-Bureaus of the Central Bureau are now autonomous components within the IERS and are called Product Centres. The Central Bureau moved from Paris to Frankfurt am Main in Germany and has now primarily administrative functions but will operate a data base for the relevant IERS products and data in the future. New elements of the structure are Combination Research Centres, ITRS Combination Centres and the Analysis Coordinator. External services like IGS, ILRS and IVS serve as Technique Centres for the IERS.

The IERS permanently provides homogeneous celestial and terrestrial references and Earth orientation parameters with an accuracy of 0.2 milli-arcsecond (about 6mm at the surface of the Earth). It is responsible for:

· Defining and maintaining a conventional terrestrial reference system based on observing stations that use high-precision techniques in space geodesy;

· Defining and maintaining a conventional celestial reference system based on extra-galactic radio sources and relating it to other celestial reference systems (fundamental stars catalogues);

· Evaluating the Earth rotation for these systems, in particular the co-ordinates of the pole and the universal time;

· Organising operational activities for observation and data analysis, collecting and archiving appropriate data and results, and disseminating these results to meet the needs of users.

For monitoring reference frames and Earth orientation, the IERS is based on various observing techniques: Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Global Positioning System (GPS) and DORIS (Doppler Orbit determination and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite); with world-wide networks totalling about 250 sites in 2000. The analyses performed by about 20 product centres / groups in 10 countries provide Earth orientation parameters as well as the maintenance of the celestial and terrestrial reference frames and the necessary research and development. The IERS publications are sent, e-mailed, or provided by ftp and www to 2000 users in over 60 countries.

2.2 The Bureau Gravimetrique International (BGI)

http://bgi.cnes.fr

The BGI was founded in 1951, to collect, on a world-wide basis, all existing gravity measurements and pertinent information about the gravity field of the Earth, to compile them and store them in a computerised data base in order to redistribute them on request to a large variety of users for scientific purposes. It operates at the Observatoire Midi-Pyranees, Toulouse, where it is supported by the French Space Agency, the National Geographic Institute, the Geological and Mining Research Bureau and the National Centre of Scientific Research.

The data consist of gravimeter observations, mean or point free air gravity values, gravity maps, reference station descriptions and publications dealing with the Earth's gravity. BGI also has at its disposal through one of its host agencies: grids of satellite altimetry derived geoid heights (Geosat, Topex-Poseidon, ERS1 and ERS2 missions), spherical harmonic coefficients of current global geopotential models and mean topographic heights.

The BGI holdings now total 12,702,874 point measurements, consisting of 10,534,635 marine measurements and 2,168,239 land measurements. Since the end of 1995, BGI has been providing non-confidential land and marine point gravity measurements on CD-ROMs, together with retrieval software for UNIX systems. The records information are limited to the most essential quantities (location, g-value, measurement type, free-air and Bouguer anomalies, terrain correction when available, epoch of observation). Other services include data screening, provision of gravity base station information, data evaluation and gridding, computation of mean values, contouring, and the supply of, or information on, existing maps.

The BGI can provide data retrieval over a limited area. It issues a Bulletin d'Information twice a year (generally in June and December). It contains general information in the field, about the Bureau itself, about new available data sets, contributing papers in gravimetry and communications at meetings dealing with gravimetry. Every four years, an issue (which may be an additional one) contains the National Reports of Activities in Gravimetry. The catalogue of the holdings is issued approximately every two years.

2.3 The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS)

http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov

The IGS was established in 1993, began formal operation in 1994 and became a FAGS Permanent Service in 1996. It provides GPS orbits, tracking data and other data products in support of geodetic and geophysical research. The IGS has a number of components: an international network of nearly 200 continuously operating dual-frequency GPS stations, more than a dozen regional and operational data centres, three global data centres, seven analysis centres and a number of associate or regional analysis centres. The Central Bureau for the service is located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which maintains the Central Bureau Information System and ensures access to IGS products and information.

The IGS global network of permanent tracking stations generates raw orbit and tracking data. The operational data centres, which are in direct contact with the tracking sites, collect the raw receiver data and format them according to a common standard. The formatted data are then forwarded to the regional or global data centres. Data not used for global analyses are archived and available for online access at the regional data centres. The global data centres archive and provide on-line access to tracking data and data products.

The data and products satisfy the objectives of a wide range of applications and experimentation in geodetic and geophysical research activities. In particular, the accuracies of IGS products are sufficient for the improvement and extension of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), the monitoring of solid Earth deformations, the monitoring of Earth rotation and variations in the liquid Earth (sea level, ice-sheets, etc.), for scientific satellite orbit determinations, ionosphere monitoring, and recovery of precipitable water vapour measurements. The service develops the necessary standards/specifications and encourages international adherence to its conventions.

2.4 The International Centre for Earth Tides (ICET)

http://www.oma.be/KSB-ORB/ICET/index.html

The ICET was founded in 1966 and is hosted by the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels. Its terms of reference were updated in 2000, and are:

· As the World Data Centre for Earth Tides, to collect all available measurements on Earth tides;

· To evaluate and analyse these data, to provide parameters containing all the desired and needed geophysical information;

· To compare the data from different instruments and different stations, and evaluate their precision and accuracy;

· To help solve the basic problem of calibration by organising reference stations or realising calibration devices;

· To fill gaps in information and data;

· To build a data bank allowing immediate and easy comparison of earth tides parameters with different Earth models and other geodetic and geophysical parameters; and

· To ensure a broad diffusion of the results and information to all interested laboratories and individual scientists.

Data from 360 world-wide tidal gravity stations is held: hourly values, main tidal waves obtained by least squares analyses, residual vectors, oceanic attraction and loading vectors. The Data Bank contains also data from tiltmeters and extensometers.

ICET is the computing centre and the data bank of the Global Geodynamics Project, which is a three years world-wide campaign of tidal gravity observations using a network of more than 15 continuously recording cryogenic gravimeters.

ICET publishes the Bulletin d'Informations Marees Terrestres twice a year. A General Bibliography on earth tides is also regularly maintained.

2.5 The Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL)

http://www.pol.ac.uk/psmsl

The PSMSL was founded in 1933, with the objective of collecting, publishing, analysing and interpreting sea level data from the global network of tide gauges. It is based at the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Bidston Observatory, which is a component of the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The PSMSL is supported by FAGS, the IOC and NERC.

As of April 2000, the database of the PSMSL contains over 47000 station-years of monthly and annual mean values of sea level from over 1800 tide gauge stations around the world received from almost 200 national authorities. On average, approximately 2000 station-years of data are entered into the database each year. Data for all stations are included in the PSMSL METRIC (or total) data set. The METRIC monthly and annual means for any one station-year are necessarily required to be measured to a common datum, although, at this stage, datum continuity between years is not essential. The year-to-year datum checks become essential, however, if the data are subsequently to be included in the PSMSL 'Revised Local Reference (RLR)' component of the data set.

The RLR dataset of the PSMSL contains records for which time series analysis of sea level changes can be performed. Long records from this dataset have been the basis of all analyses of secular changes in global sea level during the last century. The geographical distribution of longer RLR records contains significant geographical bias towards the Northern Hemisphere, a situation that is slowly being rectified by the establishment of the GLOSS global sea level network.

Recent years have seen major efforts to collect higher frequency (typically hourly) sea level data in order to provide an 'in-situ' World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) dataset, primarily for comparison to and validation of sea level data obtained from satellite radar altimetry. The designated 'WOCE tide gauges' are mostly GLOSS island sites and pairs of gauges across straits and total about 100 stations. There are two WOCE Sea Level Centres (WSLCs); one at the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) at Bidston Observatory alongside the PSMSL (the so-called `delayed mode centre'), and the other at the University of Hawaii Sea Level Centre (the so-called `fast centre').

The PSMSL has management responsibility with BODC for the Bidston WOCE Centre and in future years the PSMSL and WOCE sea level activities at Bidston will be merged.

A wide range of publications is produced by the PSMSL, including a newsletter (the GLOSS Bulletin) on its website twice a year. Printed publications include brochures, two manuals on tide gauge techniques, workshop reports and reports to IOC and IUGG for large international conferences.

2.6 The International Service of Geomagnetic Indices (ISGI)

http://www.cetp.ipsl.fr/|isgi/homepage.htm

The ISGI was founded in 1932 to give information on the disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field at various time scales, which result from the interaction between the solar radiations and the earth’s environment. Since 1997, it is based at the Centre d’etudes des Environnements Terrestre et Planetaires at Saint Maur, France. It collects, compiles, validates and distributes geomagnetic indices and other geomagnetic data in real time by electronic communication, based on the report of magnetic observatories, with the help of collaborating institutes.

The data is available through World Data Centres. Also, the ISGI publishes monthly bulletins with provisional geomagnetic indices, usually about six weeks after the end of the month. A yearly Bulletin contains definitive values of the indices, and is normally published within two years after the end of the year. The Web homepage provides quick look values of indices, available on day D+2, and access to all the available geomagnetic data sets.

2.7 Quarterly Bulletin on Solar Activity (QBSA)

Fax: +81-267-98-4444

A quarterly bulletin of daily variation indices of various solar phenomena has been published since 1928, known since 1939 as the QBSA. The publication of the bulletin from 1928 to 1976 was undertaken by Swiss Federal Observatory at Zürich, and then by the National Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo.

The aim of publishing the bulletin is to provide a definitive record of selected key data on solar activity in the form of publications. Immediate information on solar activity is covered adequately by other reports and bulletins of a provisional character. The service has been affiliated with FAGS since 1956, and the publication has been continued with the support from FAGS. The number of contributing observatories has increased from 16 to about 135, and the volume of the publications from 20 to more than 200 pages per year.

2.8 The International Space Environment Service (ISES)

http://www.sel.noaa.gov/iuwds/

The world's real-time space weather services are provided by the 10 Regional Warning Centres of the ISES, formerly known as the International Ursigram and World Days Service. These international centres monitor and predict solar-terrestrial activity and provide space weather forecasts and warnings for users who plan or conduct activities sensitive to solar terrestrial conditions.

The ISES co-ordinates the exchange of data between organisations around the world that are involved in forecasting solar terrestrial conditions. These centres, known as Regional Warning Centres, have the responsibility for collecting data from their geographical areas and exchanging these data through the ISES network. The data exchanged are highly varied in nature and in format, ranging from simple forecasts or coded information up to more complicated information such as images. At present, there are ten Regional Warning Centres scattered around the globe, located in Beijing, Boulder, Moscow, Paris, New Delhi, Ottawa, Prague, Tokyo, Sydney and Warsaw. (In 2000, the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels replaced Paris, activity having been stopped there at the end of 1999.)

The ISES prepares the International Geophysical Calendar each year, giving a list of "World Days" which scientists are encouraged to use for carrying out their experiments. Prepared for ISES by the World Data Centre for Solar Terrestrial Physics, Boulder, the Calendar is distributed widely to the scientific community and is published in a number of scientific journals.

The ISES operates the International Ursigram Service for assisting those who need a specific state of solar activity, earth atmosphere or magnetosphere at the time of their experiment.

Each month ISES summarises the status of satellite orbits around the earth and of space probes in the interplanetary medium in the Spacewarn Bulletin. Future launches are announced, actual launches are reported, new satellites receive an international designation, decays in the earth atmosphere are predicted and announced, and finally series of satellites useful for international participation are listed. This bulletin is produced by the World Data Centre for Rockets and Satellites, Greenbelt.

Since 1984, the ISES has arranged Solar Terrestrial Prediction Workshops, each producing a published collection of papers as important reference material for the field.

The involvement of ISES in solar terrestrial data exchange leads naturally to an involvement in the analysis and interpretation of these data. ISES has organised five Solar Terrestrial Prediction Workshops since 1979, with the aim of bringing together scientists, forecasters, and the users of these forecasts. An important outcome of each meeting has been the collection of papers into the Workshop Proceedings, which have served as invaluable reference material for those interested in the field.

2.9 The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS)

http://www.geo.unizh.ch/phys/wgms

The worldwide collection of information about ongoing glacier changes was initiated in 1894 with the foundation of the International Glacier Commission. The WGMS was founded in 1967, and, based at Zurich, collects standardised observations on changes in mass, volume, area and length of glaciers with time, as well as statistical information on the distribution of perennial surface ice in space (glacier inventories). Such data are high priority key variables in climate system monitoring; they form a basis for hydrological modelling with respect to possible effects of atmospheric warming, and provide fundamental information in glaciology, glacial geomorphology and quaternary geology. The highest information density is found for the Alps and Scandinavia, where long and uninterrupted records are available.

The tasks of the WGMS are to:

· Collect and publish standardised data on glacier fluctuations at 5-yearly intervals;

· Manage and upgrade the existing inventory of glaciers and ice caps;

· Prepare and publish a bulletin reporting mass balance results of selected reference glaciers at 2-yearly intervals;

· Stimulate satellite observations of remote glaciers in order to reach global coverage; and

· Periodically assess ongoing changes.

General information on the WGMS and links to other glaciological sites is available on the Web homepage, together with a list of relevant publications within the framework of the activities of the service. Special information is given on the monitoring strategy, and mass balance results are reported one year after the measurement data. Data are available from the WGMS data bank, as well as from the mirror site at the WDC for Glaciology, Boulder.

2.10 The Centre Donees Stellaires (CDS)

Fax: +33(0) 3-88150760

E-mail: genova@astro.u-strasbg.fr

Founded in 1985, and based in Strasbourg, the CDS collects, compiles, validates and distributes Astronomical Catalogues and related material. Its own astronomical database is known as SIMBAD (set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data); and currently contains information about 600,000 stars and 100,000 non-stellar objects (essentially galaxies). (Inclusion of the Guide Star Catalogue of the Hubble Space telescope is planned – of the order of 30 million objects.) CDS enables user access to this database, and also provides access to more than 500 individual catalogues. CDS sets standards for astronomical data centres in other countries, often helping them to establish themselves. Simbad is available through data networks including the French TELETEL public service.

CDS publishes a sixth monthly Bulletin, updating CDS services and latest developments, and also general papers and news about other data centres’ activities. The CDS publishes a Special Publication series, gathering all practical data available on astronomical associations, societies, and institutes.

2.11 The Sunspot Index Data Center (SIDC)

http://www.oma.be/KSB-ORB/SIDC/index.html

The objective of the SIDC is to carry out and collect observations of sunspots, and compute, forecast and distribute the International Sun Spot Number (Ri). The Sunspot Index Data Centre was founded in 1981 at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels, to continue the work of the Zürich Observatory, and started in January 1981 the computation and the distribution of Ri. The main task is to compute and to broadcast the daily, monthly, yearly international sunspot numbers, with middle range predictions (up to 12 months).

The following data are sent to a primary network of about 80 users (by fax, e-mail, anonymous ftp and web) on the first of the month, and to a more extended customers network (460 correspondents) around the 5th of the month:

Since 1981 monthly: daily provisional sunspot number,

monthly and monthly smoothed sunspot number, and

12 months forecasting.

quarterly: definitive daily and monthly sunspot numbers.

yearly: yearly definitive sunspot number.

Since 1992 monthly: provisional daily and monthly North and South sunspot numbers.

Since 1994 quarterly: definitive daily and monthly North and South sunspot numbers.

The Centre is also in charge of computing once a year, for the Quarterly Bulletin on Solar Activity, central zone sunspot numbers and averaged spotted areas. It also computes a daily Prompt Photometric Sunspot Index, based on spotted area data. The Centre provides also tables of the positions and evolution of the sunspot groups, per solar rotation.

The definitive sunspot numbers are published quarterly in SIDC News, together with comments related to solar activity, predictions, etc. The Sunspot Numbers are also sent to Solar-Geophysical Data for publication.

2.12 International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS)

http://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov/

The IVS was established in 1999 and became a FAGS Permanent Service in 2001. IVS is an international collaboration of organizations which operate or support Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) components.

The goals of IVS are:

1. To provide a service to support geodetic, geophysical and astrometric research and operational activities.

2. To promote research and development activities in all aspects of the geodetic and astrometric VLBI technique.

3. To interact with the community of users of VLBI products and to integrate VLBI into a global Earth observing system.

IVS consists of permanent components that include: Network Stations that acquire high performance VLBI data; Operation Centers that coordinate the activities of the stations; Correlators that process the acquired data and provide the data to analysts; Data Centers that distribute products to users; Analysis Centers that analyze the data and produce the results and products; Technology Development Centers that develop new technology; and the Coordinating Center that coordinates daily and long term activities.

IVS products include monitoring of Universal Time (UT1) and length of day (LOD), coordinates of the celestial pole (nutation andprecession), all components of Earth Orientation Parameters, extragalactic radio source positions defining the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF), and station coordinates and velocity vectors for the International Terrestrial Reference Frame.

All VLBI data and results are archived in data centers and publically available for research in related areas of geodesy, geophysics, and astrometry.

ANNEX 3 THE WORLD DATA CENTRE SYSTEM

3.1 World Data Centers in the USA

WDC for Atmospheric Trace Gases, Oak Ridge

http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/cdiac/wdcinfo.html

Varied data on emissions of radiatively active trace gases and their concentrations in the atmosphere, oceans and the biosphere.

WDC for Glaciology, Boulder

http://www-nsidc.colorado.edu/NOAA/wdc-a.html

Digital data on snow depth and extent, sea ice extent, ice cores and freshwater ice. Imagery, glacier photographs and published information on all aspects of snow, ice and permafrost research.

WDC for Human Interactions in the Environment, Saginaw

http://www.gateway.ciesin.org/wdc/

Varied data on global population, resources and social indicators.

WDC for Marine Geology and Geophysics, Boulder

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/wdcmgg

Varied data from the ocean floor, coastlines and plate boundaries. Geophysical data include bathymetry, gravity, and magnetics, and single-channel and multi-channel sub-bottom profiles from more than 4,000 oceanographic surveys.

WDC for Meteorology, Asheville

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/wdcamet.html

Various data sets from international programs and experiments, including the WCRP.

WDC for Oceanography, Silver Spring

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-dataexchange/NODC-wdca.html

Various oceanographic data sets from international projects and observational programs.

WDC for Paleoclimatology, Boulder

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/paleo.html

Estimates of past environments derived from tree rings, ice cores, marine and lake sediments, etc. Most data are for the Quaternary (the past 700,000 years), some for earlier climates. Archives include the raw data used to reconstruct climate variables.

WDC for Remotely Sensed Land Data, Sioux Falls http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/world/wdcguide.html

Digital and photographic images of land areas, with extensive "metadata” over 2 million images acquired from satellites and over 8 million aerial photographs.

WDC for Rockets and Satellite, Greenbelt

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov

Information about rocket, satellite, and space probe launches; satellite orbit elements and ephemerides; descriptions of spacecraft and experiments.

WDC for Rotation of the Earth, Washington

http://maia.usno.navy.mil

Earth rotation data from rotation rate, polar motion, astronomical observations and satellite laser ranging.

WDC for Seismology, Denver

http://wwwmeic.cr.usgs.gov

Seismograms from worldwide stations for Earthquakes. Data from the Worldwide Standardised Seismograph Network (WWSSN) (1961 onwards).

WDC for Solar Terrestrial Physics, Boulder

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/wdc/stp.html

Collects, analyses, archives, and disseminates data that describe the space environment from the Sun’s surface to the Earth’s surface; including the sun, interplanetary space, the magnetosphere, the ionosphere, the thermosphere, geomagnetism, and cosmic rays.

WDC for Solid Earth Geophysics, Boulder

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/wdc/wdcseg.shtml

Manages all types of data from the solid Earth, including topography, geomagnetism, ecosystems, gravity, seismology, natural hazards, and other global phenomena. Special emphasis is given to data supporting IUGG and UNEP programs.

3.2 World Data Centres in Russia

WDC for Marine Geology and Geophysics, Gelendzhik

http://www.gbdgi.ru/cmgd/index.htm

Data from geological stations, the Deep Sea Drilling Project, and the Ocean Drilling Programme. Collections of geological samples, bottom photos, TV survey, microfilms of seismic, side scan sonar and seismoacoustic profiles. GIS data and maps for geology, geotechnical properties, hydrogeology and ecology of the Black Sea region.

WDC for Meteorology, Obninsk

http://www.meteo.ru/

Data for surface meteorology, marine meteorology and aerology.

WDC for Oceanography, Obninsk

http://www.meteo.ru/

Data from research vessel cruises from 64 countries (including former Soviet Republics); containing data from oceanographic stations, BathyThermograph profiles, CTD profiles, and deep sea and surface current meters.

WDC for Rockets and Satellites, Obninsk

http://www.meto.ru

Publications with summarised data for 1960-1994.

WDC for Rotation of the Earth, Obninsk

http://www.meteo.ru/

3000 publications with summarised data for 1957-1994.

WDC for Solar Terrestrial Physics, Moscow

http://www.wdcb.rssi.ru/WDCB/wdcb_stp.shtml

Data on solar phenomena, interplanetary phenomena, geomagnetic variations, the ionosphere and cosmic rays.

WDC for Solid Earth Physics, Moscow

http://www.wdcb.rssi.ru/WDCB/wdcbsep.shtml

Data, maps and catalogues for seismology, gravimetry, magnetic measurements, archeomagnetism and paleomagnetism, heat flow, and marine geology and geophysics.

3.3 World Data Centres in Europe

WDC for Earth Tides, Brussels

http://www.oma.be/KSB-ORB/ICET

Data from about 360 worldwide gravity stations.

WDC for Geomagnetism, Copenhagen

http://www.dmi.dk/projects/wdcc1/

Analogue and digital data from 223 observatories, mostly held as microfilm, microfiche, publications and sheets.

WDC for Geomagnetism, Edinburgh

http://ub.nmh.ac.uk

Data from worldwide observatories, including three U.K. observatories from 1979 onwards. Selected land, marine and aeromagnetic survey data. Archived magnetograms for U.K. stations from c.1850. Yearbooks, expedition memoirs, original survey observations, etc. from c.1850.

WDC for Glaciology, Cambridge

http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/wdcc/home.htm

Published data related to glaciers, sea ice, ice sheets, snow and ice engineering, avalanches, glaciohydrology, frozen ground engineering, permafrost, frost action on rocks and soil, ice ages, physics and chemistry of ice, remote sensing methods and techniques, astronomical and biological aspects of glaciology.

WDC for Recent Crustal Movements, Prague

No Website.

Email: vugtk@earn.cvut.cz

Digital data on recent crustal movements. Bibliographical data on publications relating to recent crustal movement studies.

WDC for Soils, Wageningen

http://www.isric.nl

Field and soil analytical data in digital format; database for global environmental research; a GIS-referenced soil and terrain database for selected countries and continents; maps, slides, reports.

WDC for Solar Activity, Meudon

Web site under construction.

Email: lantosp@mesioa.obspm.fr

Observation reports and survey intervals from the Solar Flare Patrol Network.

WDC for Solar Terrestrial Physics, Chilton

http://www.wdc.rl.ac.uk

Data from vertical soundings of the ionosphere; solar geophysical indices; reports and forecasts of solar-geophysical conditions and solar activity; and solar wind data.

WDC for Sunspot Index, Brussels

http://www.oma.be/KSB-ORB/SIDC/index.html

Data and products for sunspot numbers, observed by a global network of stations.

3.4 World Data Centres in Japan and India

WDC for Airglow, Tokyo

http://solarwww.mtk.nao.ac.jp/english/wdc.html

Data on airglow at several stations since 1957, including raw photometric data obtained at the National Astronomical Observatory.

WDC for Aurora, Tokyo

http://www.nipr.ac.jp/english/aurora.html

Auroral and associated data obtained by Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions since 1957. Auroral image and particle data obtained by satellites, including worldwide data from Southern Hemisphere.

WDC for Cosmic Rays, Toyokawa

http://www.env.sci.ibaraki.ac.jp/database/html/WDCCR/wdccr.html

Data on cosmic rays from worldwide observatories since 1953, and related solar-interplanetary data.

WDC for Geomagnetism, Bombay

No Website.

Email: singh@iigm0.ernet.in or dkrao@iigm0.ernet.in

Magnetogram data.

WDC for Geomagnetism, Kyoto

http://swdcdb.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Magnetogram, tellurigram, Earth current, geomagnetic indices and lists of special events.

WDC for Ionosphere, Tokyo

http://wdc-c2.crl.go.jp/indexeng.html

Ionospheric data from Japanese and worldwide stations.

WDC for Nuclear Radiation, Tokyo

http://www.kishou.go.jp/english/index.html

Data on atmospheric radioactivity, from 1957 IGY onwards.

WDC for Solar Radio Emission, Nagano

http://splar.nro.nao.ac.jp

Worldwide solar radio data.

WDC for Space Science Satellites, Kanagana

http://www.isas.ac.jp

(previously the WDC for Solar-Terrestrial Activity).

Data from Japanese satellites.

3.5 World Data Centres in China

WDC for Astronomy, Beijing

No Website.

Email: kdr@bao01.bao.ac.cn

Chinese Solar-Geophysical Data from 1971 onward. Ancient records of sunspots and phenomena related to Solar-Terrestrial Physics.

WDC for Geology, Beijing

http://www.wdcdgdc.org

Stratigraphy, palaeontology, petrology, mineralogy, laboratory geology, isotope geology and field geology, metallogenic models, and ore searching models.

WDC for Geophysics, Beijing

No Website.

Fax: +86 10 203 1995

Geomagnetic, paleomagnetic, archaeomagnetic, geothermal and seismic data.

WDC for Glaciology and Geocryology, Lanzhou

No Website.

Fax: +86 931 888 5241

Data on glaciers, snow cover, frozen ground and meltwater runoff; general observation data of hydrology, climatology in Tianshan Glaciological Station, and the Qinghai-Xizang plateau. Glacier inventories of Qilian Shan, Altay Mountains, and Tianshan Mountains.

WDC for Meteorology, Beijing

No Website.

Fax: +86 10 832 7390

Synoptic meteorology in real-time from 2000 surface stations, 128 upper air stations and ships. Climatic data, atmospheric chemistry. Data from special observations (rockets, drifting buoys, low-level balloons, and aircraft). Satellite data. Dendroclimatology data.

WDC for Oceanography, Tianjin

No Website.

Email: houwf@bepc2.ihep.ac.cn

Data from Chinese and international marine research projects, ships of opportunity, marine research vessels and offshore platforms.

WDC for Renewable Resources and Environment, Beijing

http://www.CERN.ac.cn/wdc-d

Resource data on land, water, climate, forest, grassland, minerals, energy, etc. Environmental data on pollution, environmental quality, change, natural disasters, soil erosion, etc. Biological resources data on animals, plants, and wildlife. Social economic data on agriculture, industry, transport, commerce, infrastructure, etc. Data on population and labour.

WDC for Seismology, Beijing

http://gt.csgi.ac.cn/w8

Seismograms on microfilm. Geomagnetic and seismological Reports.

WDC for Space Sciences, Beijing

Email: duheng@20.cssar.ac.cn or qjliu@sun20.cssar.ac.cn

Raw data from Chinese satellites. Observational data from Chinese cosmic ray, geomagnetic and ionospheric observatories.

ANNEX 4 THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION

4.1 The Meteorological Centres

4.1.1 The World Meteorological Centres (WMCs) at Melbourne, Moscow and Washington use sophisticated high-resolution global NWP models. They prepare for distribution to Members and other GDPS centres the following products:

· Global (hemispheric) analysis products;

· Short-, medium-, extended- and long-range forecasts and products with a global coverage, but presented separately, if required, for the tropical belt; the middle and high latitudes or any other geographical area according to Members’ requirements;

· Climate-related diagnostic products, particularly for tropical regions.

WMCs also carry out verification and inter-comparison of products, support the inclusion of research results into operational models and their supporting systems, and provide training courses on the use of WMC products.

4.1.2 Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs)

4.1.2.1 Centres with geographical specialisation are located at Algiers, Beijing, Bracknell, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Dakar, Darwin, Jeddah, Khabarovsk, Melbourne, Miami, Montreal, Moscow, Nairobi, New Delhi, Novosibirsk, Offenbach, Pretoria, Rome, Tashkent, Tokyo, Tunis/ Casablanca, Washington and Wellington. They are either existing national or regional centres that have accepted responsibilities by multilateral or regional agreement, or centres implemented by a joint co-operative effort by several countries in a Region. The functions of RSMCs with geographical specialisation include:

· Providing the interface between WMCs and NMCs by formatting and distributing global products to meet the needs in a particular Region;

· Providing regional analysis and forecast products for 12–48 hours, for designated areas;

· Providing meteorological assistance to United Nations humanitarian missions, in the event the relevant associated NMC is facing an emergency or is in catastrophic distress and out of service;

· Co-ordinating with other RSMCs as appropriate.

4.1.2.2 Centres with activity specialisation provide:

· Long-, extended- and/or medium-range forecasting products;

· Advisories for tropical cyclones, severe storms and other dangerous weather phenomena;

· Tailored specialised products to service users in a particular area;

· Trajectories or dispersion of pollutants in case of environmental emergencies

· Information on prolonged adverse weather conditions, including drought monitoring;

· Activities related to the WCP and other WMO international programmes. This includes providing climate diagnostic, climate analysis and prediction products to assist in climate monitoring.

RSMCs with activity specialisation for tropical cyclone forecasting are the Miami Hurricane Centre, the Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre, the New Delhi Tropical Cyclone Centre, the Saint Denis (La Reunion) Tropical Cyclone Centre, and the Tokyo Typhoon Centre; for Medium-range weather forecasting at the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF), Reading; and for the provision of transport model products for environmental emergency response at Beijing, Bracknell, Melbourne, Montreal, Obninsk, Tokyo, Toulouse and Washington.

4.1.2.3 Centres carrying out verification and intercomparison of products and arrange regional workshops and seminars on centres’ products and their use in national weather forecasting.

4.1.2.4 Centres designated by WMO for the provision of atmospheric transport model products for environmental emergency response implement regional and global arrangements and related procedures.

4.1.3 National Meteorological Centres (NMCs) carry out functions to meet their national and international requirements. Typically, the functions of NMCs include the preparation of:

· Nowcasts and very short-range forecasts;

· Short-, medium-, extended- and long-range forecasts by applying objective or subjective interpretation methods to products received from World and Regional SMCs or by integrating regional models using boundary conditions based on these products;

· Special application-user products, including warnings of severe weather, climate and environmental quality monitoring and prediction products;

· Specific products and their delivery in support of United Nations humanitarian missions;

· Non-real-time climate-related analyses and diagnosis.

NMCs are linked via suitable terminals to computer systems at other GDPS centres in order to carry out inter-processing activities between centres, according to bilateral or multilateral agreements among Members.

4.2 The Global Data Processing System (GPDS)

The GDPS prepares and makes available meteorological analyses and forecast products.

Its real-time functions include:

· Pre-processing of data, e.g. retrieval, quality control, decoding, sorting of data stored in a database for use in preparing output products;

· Preparation of analyses of the three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere with up-to-global coverage;

· Preparation of forecast products (fields of basic and derived atmospheric parameters) with up-to-global coverage for one to 10 days ahead;

· Preparation of specialised products such as limited area very fine-mesh short-, medium-, extended-, and long-range forecasts, tailored products for marine, aviation, environmental quality monitoring, and other purposes;

· Monitoring of observational data quality; and

· Post-processing of NWP data using workstation and PC based systems with a view to producing tailored value added products and generation of weather and climate forecasts directly from model output.

Its non-real-time functions include:

· Preparation of special products for climate-related diagnosis (i.e. 10-day or 30-day means, summaries, frequencies and anomalies) on a global or regional scale;

· Intercomparison of analysis and forecast products, monitoring of observational data quality, verification of the accuracy of prepared forecast fields, diagnostic studies and NWP model development;

· Long-term storage of GOS data and GDPS products, as well as verification results for operational and research use;

· Maintenance of a continuously updated catalogue of data and products stored in the system;

· Exchange between GDPS centres of ad hoc information via distributed databases; and

· Conduct of workshops and seminars on the preparation and use of GDPS output products.

ANNEX 5 THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION

Internet Website: http://ioc.unesco.org

The IOC programme includes the major subject areas of Ocean Science in Relation to Living Resources (OSLR), Ocean Science in Relation to Non-Living Resources (OSNLR), Ocean Mapping, Marine Pollution Research and Monitoring and related programmes, and Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM). A recent major initiative is the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS).

5.1 The objective of the OSLR Programme is to carry out research needed (i) to provide estimates of ecosystem carrying capacities, (ii) to improve the indices of ecosystem resilience, and (iii) to identify appropriate variables for monitoring that maybe indicative of ecosystem conditions and their response to change. Fisheries recruitment studies were the core of the programme from 1983 to 1993, and current components of the OSLR programme include the Harmful Algal Bloom Programme and the Large Marine Ecosystem Programme. OSLR is co-ordinating the Living Marine Resource Module and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network; which, when operational, will become part of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) programme, see Section 3.3.2.

5.2 The objectives of OSNLR are assessment of the mineral and energy resources of the sea-floor and the coastal zone, environmental evaluation of sound development and utilisation of those resources, conservation of the marine environment, strengthening of co-operation in marine geoscience and related research, and provision of training to improve the marine scientific research capabilities of all coastal states.

5.3 The contributions to the Ocean Mapping activities are the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), the International Geological-Geophysical Atlases of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and Regional Ocean Mapping projects. The latter include International Bathymetric Charts of the Central Eastern Atlantic, Western Indian Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and the Western Pacific.

5.3.1 GEBCO was originally produced as a series of 18 separate sheets, with scientific input compiled by prominent marine geologists/geophysicists specialised in morphological mapping of the seafloor. Now it has been produced as a digital atlas, and is maintained by the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) on behalf of the IOC and the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO, http://www.iho.shom.fr/). It represents the first seamless, high quality, digital bathymetric contour chart of the world’s oceans. The second release of the atlas, GEBCO-97, was published on CD-ROM in March 1997, accompanied by a powerful and user friendly PC-based software interface and an extensive supporting volume. The IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB), at the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is the collecting centre for new digital bathymetric data from contributing agencies.

5.3.2 The regional ocean mapping programmes aim at developing regional series of bathymetric maps at scale 1:1 million, followed by geological/geophysical series. With the participation of the IHO, the IOC sponsors several regional International Bathymetric Chart projects, covering the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the Central Eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Western Indian Ocean, the Western Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean.

5.4 The Global Investigation of Pollution in the Marine Environment (GIPME) Programme is an international co-operative programme of scientific investigations focussed on marine contamination and pollution. GIPME is co-sponsored by the IOC, UNEP, and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Objectives of GIPME are the authoritative evaluations of the state of the marine environment at both regional and global levels; the identification of the requirements for measures to prevent, or correct, marine pollution; procedures for assessing and improving compliance and surveillance; and the monitoring of conditions and effects in the marine environment. GIPME investigations focus primarily on the coastal zone and shelf seas but also deal, where appropriate, with the open ocean e.g. the open ocean baseline study. The Programme assesses the presence of contaminants and their effects on human health, marine ecosystems, and marine resources and amenities, both living and non-living. There is a clear relevance in GIPME products to the Health of the Oceans module of GOOS, Section 5.1.2.

5.5 Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) is an interdisciplinary activity where natural and social scientists, coastal managers and policy makers, focus on how to manage the diverse problems of coastal areas in the long term.

5.6 A recent major initiative is the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), an international programme co-ordinated by the IOC for the establishment of high quality global and regional sea level networks for application to climate, oceanographic and coastal sea level research. (The programme became known as GLOSS as it provides data for deriving the 'Global Level of the Sea Surface'.) GLOSS was originated in order to improve the quantity and quality of mean sea level data supplied to the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), one of the FAGS Services, Section 2.1.

The main component of GLOSS is the 'Global Core Network' of 287 sea level stations for long term climate change and oceanographic sea level monitoring; designed to provide an approximately evenly distributed sampling of global coastal sea level variations. Another component is the GLOSS Long-Term Trends set of gauge sites for monitoring long-term trends and accelerations in global sea level. These are priority sites for GPS receiver installations to monitor vertical land movements, and their data will contribute to long term climate change studies such as those of the IPCC. The GLOSS altimeter calibration set consists mostly of island stations, and will provide an ongoing facility for mission intercalibrations. A GLOSS ocean circulation set, including in particular gauge pairs at straits, complements altimetric coverage of the open deep ocean within programmes such as WOCE and CLIVAR (Section 2.4.3). Time series plots of GLOSS station data obtained from the PSMSL RLR database can be obtained from the PSMSL.

GLOSS can be considered a GOOS component (Section 3.3.2), particularly of its Climate Change and Coast Modules. However, instead of reporting to GOOS, GLOSS reports to the Joint Committee for Oceanography and Marine Met (JCOMM), which is WMO’s and IOC’s marine monitoring activity (Section 3.3).

ANNEX 6 THE GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS (G3OS)

GCOS Internet Website: http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos.html

GOOS Internet Website: http://ioc.unesco.org/goos

GTOS Internet Website: http://www.fao.org/gtos/home.htm

6.1 Pilot Projects of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) are:

GODAE

· a program with the general objective "to provide a practical demonstration of real-time global ocean data assimilation in order to provide regular, complete depictions of the ocean circulation, at high temporal and spatial resolution, consistent with a suite of space and direct measurements and appropriate dynamical and physical constraints".

PIRATA

· The Pilot Research Moored Array in the tropical Atlantic designed as a counterpart of the TAO array in the tropical Pacific.

GLOUP

· Global Undersea Pressures (GLOUP) is a proposal submitted to the IAPSO Commission on Mean Sea Level and Tides by the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory for agencies with experience on bottom pressure measurements (historically for tidal measurements) to co-operate in co-ordinated campaigns for the determination of bottom pressure coherence, and thereby dynamical signals which are clearer than those accessible from surface pressure (i.e. sea level).

ATOC

The Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate is a proposal to test the ability of acoustic techniques to measure variability in thermal structure and heat content over 3000 to 10000 km and seasonal scales.

6.2 GOOS Regional GOOS activities are:

NEAR-GOOS

· is the NorthEast Asian Regional GOOS program. It is being implemented by China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation as a WESTPAC project. It is intended to provide an operational demonstration of the usefulness of a regional ocean observing system in the achievement of its own specific goals and as a pilot project for other parts of the world.

EuroGOOS

· is the European Association for the Global Ocean Observing System. It was established to maximise the benefits to Europe from operational oceanography within the framework of GOOS. Members of EuroGOOS are agencies who share a common set of goals and aims and are committed to work under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding.

WIOMAP

· is the Western Indian Ocean Marine Application Project. It is a developing IOC regional project; to address the identified needs for improved and expanded marine meteorological and oceanographic services in support of living and non-living resource management, industrial development, marine pollution, disaster mitigation, climate monitoring, environmental protection and sea transport.

6.3 The Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS)

GTOS aims to improve the quality and coverage of terrestrial ecosystem data, and to integrate them into a worldwide knowledge base. Its mission is to provide policy makers, resource managers and researchers with the data they need to detect, quantify, locate and understand changes (especially reductions) in the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to support sustainable development.

GTOS focuses on five issues of global concern:

· Changes in land quality;

· Availability of freshwater resources;

· Loss of biodiversity;

· Climate change; and

· Impacts of pollution and toxicity.

GTOS is concerned with five key questions:

· What are the impacts of land use change and degradation on sustainable development? Can the land produce enough food for the world's future population (projected at 12,000 million by 2050)?

· Where, when and by how much will demand for freshwater exceed supplies?

· Where and when will toxic pollutants cause major threats to human and environmental health and the capacity of ecosystems to detoxify them?

· Where and what type of biological resources are being lost, and will these losses irreversibly damage ecosystems or human progress?

· What are the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems?

Through GTOS, developing countries have access to globally comparable data sets that will help them in implementing international environmental agreements and protocols. GTOS also help governments to add a global dimension to national environmental strategy formulation, and develop better policy planning tools.

GTOS promotes transfer of modern environmental assessment and management technology, strengthens the technical capacities of national institutions and provides training for professional staff in measurement and data handling techniques. It also makes a contribution to socio-economic development by helping to identify opportunities for development projects at all scales. By drawing together existing but disparate databases, sites and networks into a common framework, and harmonising measurements and terminology, GTOS increases substantially the usage and value of terrestrial ecosystem data and information for scientific assessment, development planning purposes and policy formulation.

By providing globally comprehensive and timely information on anthropogenic impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, it will help United Nations agencies, scientific research programmes and the secretariats of conventions and treaties on climate, biodiversity, desertification and ozone to fulfil their mandates.

Finally, GTOS activities will increase returns to major investments in independent in situ observation networks by providing complementary regional or global data, and in earth observation by satellites by providing comprehensive ground truthing through its sampling system.

ANNEX 7 NASA’s GLOBAL CHANGE MASTER DIRECTORY

An example of an hierachial keyword search on SOLID EARTH, with the number of records.

Text search across topic of SOLID EARTH:

SOLID EARTH: GEOCHEMISTRY

BIOGEOCHEMISTRY (31) ISOTOPES (26)

CHEMICAL WEATHERING (8) MAJOR ELEMENTS (6)

FIXATION (4) MINOR ELEMENTS (5)

HYDRATION (4) OXIDATION/REDUCTION (3)

ION EXCHANGE (5) TRACE ELEMENTS (7)

SOLID EARTH: GEODETICS/GRAVITY

CONTROL SURVEYS (21) OCEAN CRUST DEFORMATION (4)

CRUSTAL MOTION (21) POLAR MOTION (23)

GRAVITATIONAL FIELD (95) REFERENCE SYSTEMS (46)

GRAVITY (13) ROTATIONAL VARIATIONS (4)

SATELLITE ORBITS (32)

SOLID EARTH: GEOMAGNETISM

ELECTRICAL FIELD (17) MAGNETIC DECLINATION (31)

GEOMAGNETIC FORECASTS (3) MAGNETIC FIELD (122

GEOMAGNETIC INDICES (36) MAGNETIC INCLINATION (28)

GEOMAGNETIC INDUCTION (2) MAGNETIC INTENSITY (42)

MAGNETIC ANOMALIES (13) PALEOMAGNETISM (14)

REFERENCE FIELDS (29)

SOLID EARTH: GEOTHERMAL

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY (14) GEOTHERMAL TEMPERATURE (14)

SOLID EARTH: NATURAL RESOURCES

COAL (23) NON-METALLIC MINERALS (24)

GAS HYDRATES (1) PETROLEUM (70)

METALS (23) RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS (10)

NATURAL GAS (28) RECLAMATION/REVEGETATION/

RESTORATION (2)

SOLID EARTH: ROCKS/MINERALS

AGE DETERMINATIONS (76) METAMORPHIC ROCKS (78)

BEDROCK LITHOLOGY (68) METEORITES (78)

CRYSTALS (20) MINERALS (57)

IGNEOUS ROCKS (77) SEDIMENTARY ROCKS (121)

SOLID EARTH: SEISMOLOGY

EARTHQUAKE DYNAMICS (50) SEISMIC BODY WAVES (17)

EARTHQUAKE OCCURRENCES (74) SEISMIC PROFILE (68)

EARTHQUAKE PREDICTIONS (15) SEISMIC SURFACE WAVES (15)

SOLID EARTH: TECTONICS

CONTINENTAL TECTONICS (12) FOLDS (23)

CONVERGENCE/DIVERGENCE (4) ISOSTATIC REBOUND (5)

CORE PROCESSES (1) NEOTECTONICS (1)

CRUSTAL MOTION (31) STRAIN (13)

FAULTS (35) STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE (49)

STRESS (12)

SOLID EARTH: VOLCANOES

ERUPTION DYNAMICS (18) PYROCLASTICS (4)

LAVA (6) VOLCANIC ASH/DUST (12)

MAGMA (5) VOLCANIC GASES (14)