INDOEX Data Protocol and Management

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Resolution 40 (26 October 1995) will comprise the basis for the INDOEX data protocol to be adopted and practiced by each of the INDOEX data centers:
"As a fundamental principle of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and in consonance with the expanding requirements for its scientific and technical expertise, WMO commits itself to broadening and enhancing the free and unrestricted international exchange of meteorological and related data and products."

Full details of logistics such as exchange policy, written agreements, Memorandum of Understandings, etc., to implement this protocol will be addressed in the INDOEX Data Management Plan currently in preparation.

The data will be available through a variety of INDOEX data centers. Final data archives will be established at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Joint Office for Science Support (JOSS), Boulder, Colorado, USA [U.S. Datasets] and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi, India [Indian Datasets]. European datasets will be archived at a data center to be determined. Data exchange between data centers and INDOEX participants will take place initially through the C4 Integrated Data System (CIDS) centers. CIDS centers will facilitate data exchange of derived products through the use of a common data format. CIDS software and format converters will be installed at the Scripps and NPL INDOEX data centers. Should the proposed European site come on-line, the software and converters will be installed at the designated European location as well. The CIDS site managers are responsible for the timely exchange of data between centers. The Scripps site will distribute all initial data submitted by INDOEX participants, and CIDS conversion products, to UCAR for archival purposes. INDOEX participants should request complete datasets directly form UCAR. CIDS sites will provide data subsets and collocated products on-line through the World Wide Web.

A data survey questionnaire will be developed between the various data centers and distributed to the INDOEX 1998 Cruise participants. The questionnaire will obtain detailed information regarding the various datasets (i.e., data format, dataset size, data frequency and resolution, real-time operational requirements, etc.), and will provide detailed descriptions of the requirements needed to coordinate data collection and ensure proper data archiving. The questionnaire will be distributed during Autumn 1997 and individual sample datasets will be requested. This will assist the data centers in handling and processing the data as well as developing necessary format converters. Results from this survey will be summarized in the INDOEX Data Management Plan.

A data survey questionnaire will be developed between the various data centers and distributed to the INDOEX 1998 Cruise participants. The questionnaire will obtain detailed information regarding the various datasets (i.e., data format, dataset size, data frequency and resolution, real-time operational requirements, etc.). The questionnaire will be distributed during Autumn 1997 and individual sample datasets will be requested. This will assist the data centers in handling and processing the data as well as developing any format converters necessary. Results from this survey will be summarized in the INDOEX Data Management Plan.

At the January 1997 INDOEX Planning Meeting (New Delhi), the Data Management Working Group discussed and agreed upon the following timeline (following the INDOEX field campaigns) for data submission to the respective data centers:

• 6 months (or earlier) for operational datasets ONLY (e.g., satellite, upper air soundings, surface observations, model output, etc.). All field documentation (daily operations summaries, mission summaries, status reports, etc.) will also be available at this time.
• 12 months (or earlier) for processed research datasets. Complete metadata (including dataset descriptions, documentation, calibrations, quality assurance results, etc.) must accompany the data. These data will be distributed to INDOEX participants ONLY. The Investigator will be notified by the data center when a request for the data is received.
• 12 - 24 months for final review of the data by the data centers and the INDOEX Investigators. Any discovered data problems will be corrected and reprocessed by the appropriate data source. Updated versions will be submitted to the data centers.
• 24 months for open distribution to the general scientific community. Data centers will be responsible for making arrangements on data distribution (e.g., cost, method of distribution, etc.).

NOTE: To keep the various data-center archives up to date and consistent with latest dataset versions, the data centers will exchange current inventories at least every three months following the cruise.

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