Access to IPY data and other data sources

IPY Project Data

"Users of IPY data must formally acknowledge data authors (contributors) and sources. Where possible, this acknowledgment should take the form of a formal citation, such as when citing a book or journal article. Journals should require the formal citation of data used in articles they publish."

—IPY Data Policy (PDF)

Although there is no single or comprehensive IPY data system, IPY investigators are making their data available through a network of existing and specially funded data centers, repositories, and distribution systems including project web sites. The DADDI (Discovery, Access, and Delivery of Data for IPY) search interface is designed to enable the discovery and access of Arctic data holdings at multiple archives. The DADDI search also encompasses the IPY data harvested by the Global Change Master Directory. The DADDI search system does not replace the GCMD but augments it by providing a different search and results presentation interface, including filters and faceted search options. Direct links to data are included in the DADDI search output where sufficient information is provided from the data source, For more information, see the DADDI web site or go directly to the DADDI search interface.

Other systems designed to aid discovery across the broad distributed IPY network include:

• The Global Change Master Directory catalog of IPY data. This catalog is accessible through the IPY Metadata Portal.
• The directory of IPYDIS partners and services created by The IPYDIS coordination office. If you or your organization is interested in being listed in that directory, please contact .
• IPY in Google Earth: This layer for Google Earth allows users to browse information on IPY projects in a 3-D virtual globe.
• The Arctic Research Mapping Application (ARMAP), a map-based interface to browse US-funded projects in the Arctic. IPY projects will be added to this interface.
• The Arctic Portal, which provides maps, data links, and project information for projects under the Arctic Council.

Other Data

Many organizations around the world are serving data relevant to IPY. The IPYDIS coordination office is creating a directory of IPYDIS partners and services. This will be available soon. If you or your organization is interested in being listed in that directory, please contact .

Operational Data

An IPY Operational Data Coordination office has been established the Norwegian Meteorological Institute led by Øystein Godøy. Contact for more information.

• The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) will provide, for all IPY researchers, a full set of high-resolution model products for the IPY observing period. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute is developing a system to access these data. The first version of the system available this fall will contain a metadatabase and data download mechanisms (including data subsetting and THREDDS). Later versions will slowly migrate towards a WMO Information System (WIS) solution as this becomes available.
• The IPY Ice-Logistics Portal provides daily detailed ice charts for all regions of the poles. As part of the broader PolarView site, it offers sea ice information (charts and forecasts), snow maps, and glacier and iceberg monitoring data.

Remote Sensing Data

The Global Inter-agency IPY Polar Snapshot Year (GIIPSY) project is defining requirements to obtain spaceborne snapshots of the Polar Regions during IPY, and is working with the IPY Space Task Group to coordinate access to satellite remote sensing form many countries. The following are some access mechanisms:

• The European Space Agency Data Access provides information for IPY participants to access ESA remote sensing and campaign data.
• The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) provides access to U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) data.
  • The Alaska Satellite Facility DAAC in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency, provides extensive synthetic aperature radar data of the polar regions.
  • The NSIDC DAAC provides passive microwave, visable/infrared, and laser altimetry remote sensing products of the polar regions
• The Earth Observations Portal provides information and discovery tools for a broad array of Earth observations from different countries.

Other Large Data Sources

• The Australian Antarctic Data Center manages most data associated with Australia's Antarctic science program.
• The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSDIC) provides a broad array of data on the world's frozen realms: the snow, ice, glacier, frozen ground, and climate interactions that make up Earth's cryosphere. NSIDC's Atlas of the Cryosphere provides a set of base maps of snow, sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, and more.
• PANGAEA, the Publishing Network for Geoscientific & Environmental Data, is a public digital library for science aimed at archiving, publishing and distributing georeferenced data with special emphasis on environmental, marine, and geological basic research.
• The SCAR-Marine Biodiversity Information Network (SCAR-MarBIN) Web portal provides access to a distributed system of interoperable databases of marine biodiversity information.
• The Tasmanian Partnership for Advanced Computing (TPAC) is the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (APAC) expertise centre for Earth Systems Science. The TPAC Digital Library for Oceans and Climate brings together the resources and unique data libraries held by several Australian climate and marine research institutions.
• The World Glacier Monitoring Service actively supports IPY by providing monitoring standards for glaciers and ice caps, making readily available the existing data, and compiling, storing and publishing standardized glacier data.

Please send information on other IPY Data access mechanisms to or post to the IPY Data & Information Services Discussion Forum.