Review of NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers (1999) / Chapter Skim
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8 National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC
8 National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC
Pages 147-164
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From page 147... ...
Along with the NSIDC and the World Data Center (WDC) for Glaciology, with which it is inextricably intertwined, the DAAC manages data related to snow and ice, climate, and the cryosphere the part of the Earth's surface that is perennially frozen.
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From page 148... ...
The panel also recommends that the DAAC develop and implement a transition plan describing the critical path of DAAC activities prior to site acceptance of the ECS. INTRODUCTION The National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC was created by NASA in 1991 (Box 8.1~.
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From page 149... ...
HOLDINGS The snow and ice data archived and distributed by the DAAC (see Box 8.2) are a critical resource for the cryosphere research community.
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From page 150... ...
Examples of other high-priority areas include the mass balance of glacial ice, which has implications for freshwater input into the marine environment, which in turn determines sea level rise and influences oceanic water column structure. Ice cover also affects surface albedo, modifying the energy balance of polar regions, thereby affecting global climate.
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From page 151... ...
Some scientists need access to these data sets, sometimes in real time, and it is important for all the data holdings to be made visible in the catalog. For the upcoming missions, NASA is considering transferring responsibility for data processing from the DAACs to the instrument teams on an instrumentby-instrument basis.
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From page 152... ...
Finally, the NSIDC DAAC will receive Level 2 MODIS snow and ice products from the GSFC DAAC and will create Level 3 "ridded daily and composite products, which are not covered in the current MODIS instrument team processing proposals. To prepare for MODIS product production, the DAAC has tested early versions of three out of four of the Product Generation Executables (PGEs)
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From page 153... ...
The users of data and data products are multinational and diverse in discipline and technological sophistication. High priorities of the DAAC include determining the scientific impact of data sets and ensuring customer satisfaction.
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From page 154... ...
The panel notes that this cooperative and proactive attitude is a strong positive attribute and that the in-house scientific competence adds value to the data sets. The cryospheric and polar science research communities will continue to increase their use of satellite remotely sensed data, as scientists who are not currently among the remote sensing specialists recognize the value of the data products and become users.
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From page 155... ...
In addition, collaborative ties could be fostered through joint research proposals by NSIDC DAAC personnel and outside scientists. The latter strategy represents a significant step beyond the practice of sending representatives to a workshop and submitting a proposal to serve as the data archive for a particular program (e.g., NSF's Arctic System Science initiative)
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From page 156... ...
Consequently, polar projections are essential to the cryospheric and polar science communities. The National Snow and Ice Data Center has developed the Equal Area Scalable Earth grid, which has been adopted by the community for the Polar Pathfinder data sets.
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From page 157... ...
, a detailed evaluation of the test reports, of outstanding hardware and software defects, of workarounds, and so forth, must follow as part of the assessment of operational readiness. At the time of the review, installation, checkout, and testing of the hardware were being performed by ECS contractors, and operational testing had not yet begun.
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From page 158... ...
The latter is particularly important because of the clout it brings with the host university. The DAAC leverages considerable scientific and technical expertise through its association with the University of Colorado, its role as a World Data Center for Glaciology, and its many connections with international science programs such as the World Climate Research Program.
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From page 159... ...
This depth of scientific expertise has allowed the DAAC to develop a program and services that meet the real needs of its user base. In addition, the technical staff responsible for day-to-day operations, budgeting, and data set development were found to be knowledgeable, capable, and highly motivated.
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From page 160... ...
In either case, the DAAC risks failing its user community if sufficient funds are not available to produce the snow and ice products, or if implementing the contingency plans leads to a reduction in the number of geographic areas that can be processed cryospheric science requires global coverage. Strategic Plans Future broad directions for the DAAC include delivering near-real-time data, creating a relationship with the modeling and climate assessment communities, and developing MODIS products.
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From page 161... ...
Consequently, the DAAC gains visibility and clout within the university. Relation to NOAA The National Snow and Ice Data Center is administered as a component of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center complex of data centers and is located in a building adjacent to NGDC.
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From page 162... ...
Two-way communication will presumably help solve some of the frustrations that the DAAC has had with the ECS contractor, such as receiving incomplete and inconsistent documentation. It may also help reduce conflicts arising from the DAAC's desire to customize the ECS and the ECS contractor's desire to maintain a standard ECS configuration at all sites.
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From page 163... ...
The DAAC's relationship with NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center, on the other hand, seems pro forma and the potential for a stronger, beneficial relationship has yet to be realized. A better relationship with NOAA could help smooth the transition for the long-term archive of NSIDC DAAC data.
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