Technical note: Harmonising metocean model data via standard web services within small research groups

Abstract

Abstract. Work over the last decade has resulted in standardised web services and tools that can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of working with meteorological and ocean model data. While many operational modelling centres have enabled query and access to data via common web services, most small research groups have not. The penetration of this approach into the research community, where IT resources are limited, can be dramatically improved by (1) making it simple for providers to enable web service access to existing output files; (2) using free technologies that are easy to deploy and configure; and (3) providing standardised, service-based tools that work in existing research environments. We present a simple, local brokering approach that lets modellers continue to use their existing files and tools, while serving virtual data sets that can be used with standardised tools. The goal of this paper is to convince modellers that a standardised framework is not only useful but can be implemented with modest effort using free software components.

Dynamic Reusable Workflows for Ocean Science

“…In this case the participants did not already have an established vocabulary or established custom services, so IOOS provided best-practice suggestions for both software and service configuration to enable their approved services. IOOS data providers who wish to have their data plugged into the system can either follow the procedures described in [22] or see if one of the regional associations or Federal backbone partners can host their data and provide services. To enable workflows like this across communities with a variety of established services and vocabularies, brokering approaches for web services [38] and semantic approaches [39] will be necessary.…”

“…Typically in IOOS these services are provided by the Unidata THREDDS Data Server (TDS) [15], free open-source software which allows collections of NetCDF [16] files to be virtually aggregated and supplemented with metadata via NcML [17] (Figure 3). For more information on the benefits of the TDS approach and how data providers can establish standard services, see [18][19][20][21][22]. .…”

Preface: Oceanographic processes on the continental shelf: observations and modeling

“…Most of the coastal measurements and data available in coastal regions rely on state-of-the-art measurements such as CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) or ADCPs (acoustic current doppler profilers), which nowadays constitute the benchmark for improving our understanding and assessing numerical models. However, relatively uncommon, but very useful, data exploring the small scale are becoming more available (Thorpe, 2005;Carniel et al, 2012). As an example, Falcieri et al (2016, this special issue) present the very first turbulence observations in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea), acquired during different water column stratifications.…”