The Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) and the World Data Center System

¹ICSU Panel on World Data Centers, Boulder, Co., USA
²World Data Center for Solar Terrestrial Physics, Boulder, Co., USA

Abstract

[1]  The WDC system was created to archive and distribute data collected from the observational programs of the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year. Originally established in the United States, Europe, Russia, and Japan, the WDC system has since expanded to other countries and to new scientific disciplines. The WDC system now includes over 51 Centers in 12 countries. The WDCs have been very successful over the last 50 years in meeting the needs of ICSU programs. However, in the next 50 years, the WDC system will need to evolve to accommodate the changing needs of ICSU and the global scientific community. Advances in information technology, as promoted by the electronic Geophysical Year, the implementation of new global scientific programs and the rapid increase in global, high-speed network connectivity will require the WDC system to adapt their current infrastructure, reorient their activities and implement new modes of operation. New requirements of existing ICSU programs like the IGBP, the activities of the new international science years (IPY, IHY, eGY, IYPE) and the implementation of the far reaching, long-term, Global Earth Observation System of Systems, will make new demands on the WDCs. The WDC system will respond by placing emphasis on modernizing its capabilities, expanding the WDCs into new disciplines, broadening the System geographically, especially into developing countries, and being more proactive in addressing new requirements from the ICSU and global scientific community.

Received 17 September 2007; revised 11 March 2008; accepted 11 March 2008; published 17 March 2008.

Keywords: Electronic Geophysical Year, WDC System, GEOSS, space weather, monitoring systems, data mining, near-earth space environment.

Index Terms: 1794 History of Geophysics: Instruments and techniques; 1799 History of Geophysics: General or miscellaneous; 0525 Computational Geophysics: Data management; 9820 General or Miscellaneous: Techniques applicable in three or more fields.