IN11F-1802
A Summary of Proposed Changes to the Current ICARTT Format Standards and their Implications to Future Airborne Studies
Monday, 14 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Emily Ann Northup1,2, John Kusterer1, Brandi Quam1, Gao Chen3, Amanda Benson Early1 and Aubrey Lee Beach III1, (1)NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, United States, (2)NASA Langley Research Center, Atmospheric Science Data Center, Hampton, VA, United States, (3)NASA Langley Research Ctr, Hampton, VA, United States
Abstract:
The current ICARTT file format standards were developed for the purpose of fulfilling the data management needs for the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) campaign in 2004. The goal of the ICARTT file format was to establish a common and simple to use data file format to promote data exchange and collaboration among science teams with similar science objectives. ICARTT has been the NASA standard since 2010, and is widely used by NOAA, NSF, and international partners (DLR, FAAM). Despite its level of acceptance, there are a number of issues with the current ICARTT format, especially concerning the machine readability. To enhance usability, the ICARTT Refresh Earth Science Data Systems Working Group (ESDSWG) was established to enable a platform for atmospheric science data producers, users (e.g. modelers) and data managers to collaborate on developing criteria for this file format. Ultimately, this is a cross agency effort to improve and aggregate the metadata records being produced. After conducting a survey to identify deficiencies in the current format, we determined which are considered most important to the various communities. Numerous recommendations were made to improve upon the file format while maintaining backward compatibility. The recommendations made to date and their advantages and limitations will be discussed.
