International Environmental Data Rescue Organization Description of IEDRO’s Strip Chart Digitization Program Dr. Rick Crouthamel, D.Sc. Executive Director

What is IEDRO? International – any country in our worldwide community that needs help getting started with organizing a data rescue program. Environmental – is meant to include not only Meteorological, Oceanographic, Hydrological, data, but also other types of data that relate to the environment. Data – is defined to mean conversion of any scripted and autographic records presently archived on deteriorating medium such as paper, microfilm, microfiche, glass slides, magnetic tape, etc. Rescue – means to convert the data at risk into digital images and secondly into a standard ASCII format that can be read by computers. Organization –our nonprofit 501(c)(3) group whose mission is to assist data rescue programs in any way possible.

Example Data Formats Being Evaluated by IEDRO Relative Humidity Temperature Wind Movement Data Wind Gust Recorder Data

Additional Example Data Formats Being Reviewed by IEDRO: Station Pressure Data Solar (Pyroheliometer) Data

Polar Sea Ice Data Sea-ice locations contained in bound volumes or in loose sheets

Current Data Being Rescued by IEDRO: Precipitation

Storage Locations Vary From: New Stylish A/C Buildings Older Ventilated Warehouse Buildings Older unventilated warehouse buildings with hot metal roofs and concrete or sometimes dirt floors.

Data Storage within Facilities Pyroheliometer charts stored in cardboard boxes and sitting on tables or on concrete floors Records stored on shelving raised off floor

Data Storage Within The Facilities: Archive in need of rescue

Data Storage Within The Facilities: Archive really in need of rescue

How Does IEDRO Work? I. First IEDRO must be approached by the “Data Holder” and asked to consider their request. II. The Data Holder must furnish a written request for assistance that includes: Data types – surface, upper air, hydrologic, … Periods of record and frequency of observation Current storage medium (paper, microfilm, microfiche, magnetic tapes, autographic strip charts, etc.) . If possible furnish samples of the medium records. Approximate volume (number of pages, reels of film, number of microfiche, etc.) Current condition of the medium to be “rescued”

How Does IEDRO Work? I. First we must be approached by the “Data Holder” and asked to consider their request. II. The Data Holder must furnish a written request for assistance that includes: Data types – surface, upper air, hydrologic, … Periods of Record and frequency of observation Current Storage Medium (paper, microfilm, microfiche, magnetic tapes, Autographic strip charts, etc.) If possible furnish samples of the medium records. Approximate volume (number of pages, reels of film, number of microfiche, etc.) Current condition of the medium to be “rescued”

How Does IEDRO Work? III. IEDRO will evaluate the request and advise as to feasibility of rescuing the data. IV. IEDRO will attempt to obtain funding before proceeding with data rescue. V. The project then enters a 2nd phase called the “Digitization Process” which is outlined as follows

IEDRO Automated Digitization Processing Phase 1 - Data Acquisition & Raw Data Digitization 2 Transfer Images to Server Acquisition & Receipt at IEDRO Headquarters Charts Imaged / Scanned 3 5 4 Charts & Images Returned to Country Chart Digitizing Program: 1. Derive Digitized Data 2. O/P to Corresponding Data Files 3. Problem Charts Separated Charts QC’d, Metadata & Dates Recorded 7 Images : Prepare Batches Zero Data Separated 6 End Phase 1 Data Derived from Problem Charts QC of O/P Data (Visual Inspection) 8 9

IEDRO Automated Digitization Processing Phase 1 - Data Acquisition & Raw Data Digitization 2 Transfer Images to Server Acquisition & Receipt at IEDRO Headquarters Charts Imaged / Scanned 3 5 4 Charts & images Returned to Country Chart Digitizing Program: 1. Derive Digitized Data 2. O/P to Corresponding Data Files 3. Problem Charts Separated Charts QC’d, Metadata & Dates Recorded 7 Images : Prepare Batches Zero Data Separated 6 End Phase 1 Data Derived from Problem Charts QC of O/P Data (Visual Inspection) 8 9

IEDRO Digitization Processing Flow Phase 2 - Data Conversion & Archival Preparation End Phase 1 11 10 Re-Format Converted Data Convert O/P Data (Phase 1) Derived points to 5-min Intervals Day 1 8:00-8:05 8:05-8:10 8:10-8:15 . 23:55-24:00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Day 2 00:00-00:05 00:05-00:10 08:00-08:05 12 O/P Archive Precipitation Event Format Stn#|Year|Mon|Day|HR|00|05|10|15| ……|55|00| Max Pcp|Total 13 14 Send to Country With “Value Added” Product(s) Submit to NCDC for Archiving

Master Index of Each CD Static Header Labels: Hyperlink Header Labels: - Station Number - Date Time Hyperlink Header Labels: - Table: Tabular display of derived data appears. - Raw Data: File containing derived data in a Comma Separated Value (CSV) format. Image: The original chart from which the derived data was extracted.

Original Data Image

DIGITIZATION TIME REQUIRED 16,500 PRECIPITATION STRIP CHARTS 5 MINUTE INTERVALS Manual 15 min./chart Current IEDRO Program 50 sec./chart 2010 IEDRO Program 15 sec./chart Manual 2+ years Current IEDRO Program 7 weeks 2010 IEDRO Program 2 weeks

Dr. Rick Crouthamel, D.Sc. Executive Director International Environmental Data Rescue Organization 901 Main Street, Deale, Maryland 20751 USA (410) 867-1124 (410) 867-9259 FAX WEB SITE: http://IEDRO.ORG E-MAIL: R.Crouthamel@IEDRO.ORG