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Plan and milestones

Deliverables

No.

Deliverable name

Lead

Del.  date

Status

D1

Updated information model enabling linkages on dataset to WIGOS metadata

MET

2020Q2

Complete

D2

Dynamic visualisation of time series from NetCDF-CF and OPeNDAP

MET

2020Q2

Complete

D3

Updated harvesting of discovery metadata supporting OAI-PMH, OGC CSW and OpenSearch

MET

2021Q2

In progress

D4

NetCDF-CF guidelines for timeseries and profiles (e.g. permafrost)

MET

2021Q3

In progress

D5

Mapping harvested discovery metadata to WMO Core Profile

MET

2021Q3

In progress

D6

Extension of metadata harvesting to support Schema.org provided current ESIP activities are approved by Schema.org

MET

2022Q3

Pending funding

D7

Conversion of NetCDF-CF to WMO BUFR for permafrost profiles

MET

2023Q2

Pending funding

D8

Web service converting non standardised data to NetCDF-CF using MeteoIO

WSL/SLF

2023Q4

Pending funding

 

Milestones

No.

Milestone name

Lead

Due

Status

M1

New information model implemented

MET

2021Q1

In progress

M2

Selected permafrost datasets available online and in real time

MET

2021Q4

In progress

M3

Harvested discovery metadata exposed through WIS

MET

2022Q1

Not started

M4

Transformation of NetCDF-CF to WMO BUFR for selected datasets

MET

2023

Not started

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The GCW Data Portal is connected to a number of observing stations (CryoNet stations) that feed the GCW value chain with observations. These may be operated by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) or resear research institutes. Complementary meteorological data is measured by Contributing Stations. Academia and projects provide additional data. Once registered, all station information and standardized WIGOS metadata can be accessed through OSCAR/Surface.

The table below summarizes all types of metadata involved in the GCW Data Portal.

Type

Purpose

Description

Examples

Discovery metadata

Used to find relevant data

Discovery metadata are also called index metadata and are a digital version of the library index card. It describes who did what, where and when, how to access data and potential constraints on the data. It shall also link to further information on the data like site metadata. GCW is required to expose this information through WMO Information System as well. Discovery metadata are thus WIS metadata, although the GCW portal can translate to WIS for those not using WMO standards directly.

ISO19115

ISO19115 (WIS)

GCMD DIF

Use metadata

Used to understand data found

Use metadata describe the actual content of a dataset and how it is encoded. The purpose is to enable the user to understand the data without any further communication. It describes content of variables using standardised vocabularies, units of variable, encoding of missing values, map projections etc.

Climate and Forecast Convention

BUFR

GRIB

Configuration metadata

Used to tune portal services for datasets for users.

Configuration metadata are used to improve the services offered through a portal to the user community. This can be e.g. how to best visualise a product. This information is maintained by the GCW portal and is not covered by discovery or use metadata standards.

 

Site metadata

Use to understand data found

Site metadata are used to describe the context of observational data. It describes the location of an observation, the instrumentation, procedures etc. To a certain extent it overlaps with discovery metadata, but also extends it. Site metadata can be used for observation network design.

WIGOS

OGC O&M

The GCW Data Portal is hosted by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MetNo). In order to keep it manageable, it is necessary to establish a system where adding new data sources (i.e. new stations) comes with very low overhead and where all data assimilation steps are operating automatically. Moreover, the system offers both, a distributed operation (so the data producers retain full control over their data) and a centralized operation (offering more convenience for the smaller data producers) hosted by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF). Offering a centralized operation significantly lowers the requirements on the side of smaller data providers (with limited resources and capabilities) since raw data and metadata can be sent without additional processing. Distributed operation on the other hand allows larger data providers to set up a customized processing chain that is hosted by the data provider itself. In this case the data, use and discovery metadata needs to be exposed in the interface of the provider to be harvested by the GCW Data Portal. The setup of data processing and sharing mechanisms is facilitated by the GCW/SLF Open Source Software Package, which includes among others the data processing software MeteoIO and the User Interface for structured metadata submission ENVIDAT.

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