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Integrated Data Management for ARCSS Projects
JOSS Breaks the Ice on Field Data Archival and Exchange
This article was prepared by James A. Moore,Gregory J. Stossmeister,and Steven D. Roberts,all of the Joint Office for Science Support,University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
The University Corporation for AtmosphericResearch (UCAR) Joint Office for Science Sup-port (JOSS) provides scientific, technical, andadministrative support to the scientific communityin planning, organizing, and implementing researchprograms associated with field projects world-wide. The National Science Foundation and theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion are its principal sponsors.Access to and integration of multidisciplinarydata from field projects recently completed orunderway is critical to the timely and accurateunderstanding of the rapid changes that are nowoccurring in the Arctic. The NSF Arctic SystemScience (ARCSS) program is committed to facili-tating data archival and providing easy mechanismsfor data exchange among researchers interestedin the Arctic system. JOSS offers some specificcapabilities that address these two importantARCSS objectives.JOSS has been involved in data managementsupport for a number of ARCSS field projects,both domestic and international, including theSurface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean(SHEBA), Arctic Transitions in the Land–Atmosphere System (ATLAS), the InternationalTundra Experiment (ITEX), the Western ArcticShelf–Basin Interactions (SBI) project, and theArctic Regional Climate Modeling Intercompari-son Project (ARCMIP). JOSS also participateson committees to further improve the collection,archival, and dissemination of all manner of Arctic data sets.This paper discusses the organization of JOSSin the context of field project support and relateddata management activities, describes data man-agement strategies that have been successfullyimplemented in ARCSS projects, provides someexamples of specific support to projects, anddiscusses some of what the future holds for datamanagement support to ARCSS field research.
Overview of JOSSSupport Services
JOSS has a staff of skilled and experiencedscientific, technical, and administrative specialistswho collaborate extensively with geophysicalscientists and organizations to assist them in plan-ning, organizing, and conducting research by sup-porting scientific planning efforts, collaborativeresearch programs, field experiments, and datamanagement. Collectively the JOSS staff hasdecades of experience at these tasks, and the officehas supported programs of all sizes worldwide formore than 20 years. JOSS adds value to the scien-tific endeavor through an integrated approach tothe full life of projects (science, technology, datamanagement, logistics, and administration).
JOSS Data Services
JOSS has worked for over 15 years to developits data management support capabilities, whichhave contributed to the success of research projectsin many locations and disciplines. Services includecollecting complete, high-resolution, high-qualitydata sets, supporting project objectives, and pro-viding tools to view these data during both the fieldand analysis phases of a project. One such tool isthe JOSS field catalog, which has proven particu-larly useful for distributing preliminary data sets
inthe field, providing access to data products neededfor operational decision making, and maintaininga running assessment of project accomplishments.JOSS has developed and maintains a state-of-the-art data archive and dissemination system
thatprovides single-source access to complete projectdata sets.
Most data are accessible for browsingand ordering online, with connectivity to distrib-uted archives. Early versions of data sets can beshared with limited access (under password pro-
71plinary field projects around the world. The fiveARCSS projects are:•Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean(SHEBA), a multiphase international projectto investigate the role of Arctic climate inglobal change;•Arctic Transitions in the Land–AtmosphereSystem (ATLAS), a coordinated program thatwill examine the geographical patterns andcontrols over climate–land surface exchangeand develop reasonable scenarios of futurechange in the Arctic;•International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), aMAB NSN (Man and the Biosphere NorthernSciences Network) initiative established in1990 to monitor the performance of plantspecies and communities on a circumpolarbasis in undisturbed habitats with and with-out environmental manipulations;•Western Arctic Shelf–Basin Interactions(SBI) project, a multiyear, interdisciplinaryprogram to investigate the impact of globalchange on physical, biological, and geochem-ical processes over the Chukchi and BeaufortSea shelf basin region in the western ArcticOcean; and•Arctic Regional Climate Modeling Intercom-parison Project (ARCMIP), an internationalintercomparison of Arctic regional climateand mesoscale model simulations
JOSS data archives for ARCSS field projects.
A total of 60.4 GB of data have been archived,processed, and made available to researchers.Volume of DataProject NameYears of Support(GBytes)SHEBA1997–200349.7ATLAS1999–20032.7ITEX1999–20030.8SBI2001–20062.1ARCMIP2001–20045.1
A Workable Strategy
An integrated data management strategy isimportant to assure that complete data archivesare provided to project scientists and the largerscience community in a timely and efficient man-ner. Field projects benefit from the implementationof sound data management procedures and proto-cols before any data are collected. This includesthe specification of a data policy, consideration of the data format, and development of documentationguidelines that maximize the ease of data exchangeand archival. JOSS has implemented a datatection) to expedite the timely exchange andintegration of related measurements. Data aredelivered at no charge over the Internet or viaCD-ROMs or other media.Capabilities are available to provide value-addeddata processing and quality control procedures toensure the best possible research-quality data sets.A range of data processing, quality control, anddocumentation procedures is available, includingformat conversions, automated and visual dataconsistency checks, confirmation of uniformmetadata, and formation of data composites.The details of the data system will be describedin the context of how it supports the Arcticresearcher. This includes the ability to displayand download data sets online, extract parametersfrom different data sets and create new compositedata sets, and prepare and distribute project CDs.These capabilities are critical for supporting anumber of Arctic regional data and model inter-comparison efforts now underway or planned, aswell as outreach activities to better inform thepublic of ARCSS research.
Field Project Support
JOSS is organized to help investigators withall facets of field project support, including guid-ing and assisting in developing sampling strategies,implementing support services such as an opera-tions center or field catalog, and directly support-ing field operations, including operations coordi-nation and field data management services. Thesupport may include organizing and leading siteselection and a broad range of site arrangementsincluding site preparation and modifications, con-tracting, workspace and laboratory infrastructure,communications, and information management.Project logistics including shipping and travelarrangements can be provided. JOSS has broadexperience coordinating multi-agency and multi-national facilities (aircraft, ships, and ground-based) at both domestic and remote foreign sites infield campaigns led by both U.S. and internationalscientists from numerous scientific disciplines.
Data Management Support to ARCSS Field Projects
The following description of support providedto NSF ARCSS field projects is based on 7 yearsof dedicated support to ARCSS-funded projectsand 20 years of experience supporting multidisci-
72management system to facilitate submission, archi-val, and distribution of project-related data sets.JOSS works with the science managementoffices, project offices, and individual investiga-tors to support ongoing projects while fostering aconsistent data management strategy that makessense for the project’s science objectives. JOSSassists the project scientists in determining datamanagement requirements for the field phasesand associated analysis periods to maximize effi-cient and timely data exchange. JOSS also collab-orates with the Arctic Data Coordination Center(ADCC) at the National Snow and Ice Data Cen-ter (NSIDC) in the project planning phase to pro-vide guidance to project investigators on effectivedata management strategies. This includes the pro-vision of initial metadata for anticipated data sets.The ADCC provides a permanent archive locationfor data from all ARCSS projects.
The Field Catalog
If the project includes field phases, JOSScan provide a web-based, online field catalog orproject web pages to support near-real-time docu-mentation of activities and selected data displays.This also includes interactive access to commondata sets of interest and sharing of preliminarydata and analyses among project scientists whoare in the field and elsewhere. The field catalogallows automatic and/or semi-automatic submis-sion of field reports and data products (such assatellite images or preliminary research productsand plots) for review and exchange while the fieldproject is underway. Operational summaries, instru-ment status reports, daily mission plans, and otherspecialized reports are also ingested into the catalog.The JOSS field catalogs in ARCSS-supportedprojects have proven to be valuable for reportingand monitoring operational activities and as a per-manent archive of field activities. The catalogs fromeach field deployment, including ship cruises andmultiyear field deployments, are kept in the JOSSarchive and can be accessed at any future time.
Archival of Supporting Data Sets
Some field projects may require the collectionof supporting data sets that add to the richness of the complete project data archive. JOSS typicallycompletes a search of relevant available data andestablishes data quality. High-resolution opera-tional data (such as data available from national,regional, or local agencies) are often not routinelyarchived. Examples of these types of data includesatellite imagery, numerical model products, high-time-resolution surface data from national orregional networks, and complementary data fromnearby research projects. JOSS often makesspecial arrangements to archive these data forlater access by project scientists.
Data Archive and Distribution System
JOSS has developed and implemented a DataManagement System (termed CODIAC) that offersscientists a means to submit their data and accom-panying metadata, identify and download other datasets of interest, display selected data sets online,and update data sets and documentation as neces-sary during the life of the project. For ARCSS,JOSS acts as an interim archive for field projectdata sets. This system provides a rapid turn-aroundof preliminary and updated data sets and pass-word protection during the initial analysis period.Since JOSS operates as an interim archive forARCSS data sets, it is important to maintain closecoordination with permanent archive centers. JOSSworks with ADCC to assure timely transfer of dataand documentation in a way that minimizes dis-ruption to the access of project-related data sets.
Special Data Processing
It is possible to provide specialized processingfor selected data sets, including quality control of data sets, parameter extraction from different datasets, and data set compositing (combining param-eters from different data files or merging multipledata files). In addition, JOSS works with dataproviders and investigators to maintain consistentdata formats and documentation for the supportedproject.Finally, JOSS provides support to project sci-entists in integrating their data sets for educationand outreach. This is done through online accessto data and publications from the project and thecompilation of CD-ROMs that focus on activitiesat a single site or region of the field deployment.
Specific Examples of Customized Support
The general information presented above refersto services that JOSS provides to ARCSS projectsas requested. The following examples show spe-cific assistance that JOSS has given to projects.
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