IN41C-3662:
NSF Antarctic and Arctic Data Consortium; Scientific Research Support & Data Services for the Polar Community

Thursday, 18 December 2014
Paul J Morin1, Jonathan W Pundsack1, Suzanne M Carbotte2, Craig E Tweedie3, Anne Grunow4, Matthew Anthony Lazzara5, Paul Carpenter6, Charlotte M Sjunneskog7, Lynn Yarmey8, Rob Bauer8, Betty Marie Adrian9 and Joe Pettit10, (1)Polar Geospatial Center, St Paul, MN, United States, (2)Lamont-Doherty Earth Obs, Palisades, NY, United States, (3)University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States, (4)Byrd Park Research Ctr, Columbus, OH, United States, (5)UWM-Space Sci & Eng Ctr, Madison, WI, United States, (6)IRIS PASSCAL Instrument Center, Socorro, NM, United States, (7)Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States, (8)National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO, United States, (9)US National Ice Core Laboratory, Denver, CO, United States, (10)UNAVCO, Inc. Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
The U.S. National Science Foundation Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium (a2dc) is a collaboration of research centers and support organizations that provide polar scientists with data and tools to complete their research objectives. From searching historical weather observations to submitting geologic samples, polar researchers utilize the a2dc to search andcontribute to the wealth of polar scientific and geospatial data.

The goals of the Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium are to increase visibility in the research community of the services provided by resource and support facilities. Closer integration of individual facilities into a “one stop shop” will make it easier for researchers to take advantage of services and products provided by consortium members. The a2dc provides a common web portal where investigators can go to access data and samples needed to build research projects, develop student projects, or to do virtual field reconnaissance without having to utilize expensive logistics to go into the field.

Participation by the international community is crucial for the success of a2dc. There are 48 nations that are signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, and 8 sovereign nations in the Arctic. Many of these organizations have unique capabilities and data that would benefit US ­funded polar science and vice versa.

We’ll present an overview of the Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium, current participating organizations, challenges & opportunities, and plans to better coordinate data through a geospatial strategy and infrastructure.