1. Availability to Observation data. Kjetil Tørseth, NILU
Availability to Observation data Kjetil Tørseth, NILU - Introduction to data flow
- NRT-initiatives - Monitoring strategies and funding frameworks
database – definition; A computer database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system so that a computer program or person using a query language can consult it to answer queries (Wikipedia)
A tool to store data and metadata
A tool to find, analyse and disseminate information
Complicated mixture of hardware, software and ”know”ware
Important limitations; what is measured, what is reported/updated, what is not restricted....

2. Why databases of observations?
Facilitate access to data for users
Ensure long-term preservation of measurements
Compliance monitoring
Transparency
Provide a framework for funding of observations
Facilitate data integration

3. What is so special with atmospheric composition observations
Data originate from a large number of data originators (many not IT-experts)
Mixture of operational and scientific activites
IPR and compliance issues – openness vs restrictions
Quality and representativity is highly variable
Often significant efforts are required in generate data
Large number of parameters reported
Complex data formats to accommodate meta data provision
Different frameworks have different standards
Same data ends in different databases (duplicates, snapshots etc)
Funding situation may encourage data restrictions
Data reporting is a result of either encouragement or force

4. What is so special with atmospheric composition observations (cont.)
High cost of single data values;
- O3 by monitor ~ 1 €
- SO4 by filterpack ~100 €
- POPs ~ 600 €
- Aerosol lidar profile ~2000€
- Research aircraft ….
One dataset of 30 year duration -> 1 mill. €
Ebas hosts more than datasets !

5. Virtual access
Users
Secondary reporting
(other obligations or voluntary contributions (WDCs etc))
Reporting to the organisation
from where monitoring obligations arise
Funding
QAQC
Formats
Deadlines
Restrictions
Sites and national organisations

6. Databases at NILU OECD database ~ 1975 EMEP-CCC ~ 1980
NADIR data centre ~ 1990
Inclusion of AMAP, OSPAR and HELCOM in EMEP database – new version developed ~ 1995 (EBAS)
Envisat Cal/Val database ~ 2002
ESA Campaign Database ~ 2004 (CDB)
CREATE/EUSAAR, GEOMON
EMEP HTAP

7. Some definitions
Near Real Time (NRT), data available within ~3 hours delay
Rapid delivery (RD), data available within weeks to months (< ~3 months)

8. EMEP data flow timeline
EMEP public
Limited availability
National db
To CCC/AirBase
AQ – online services
Jan
Dec
June
Oct
Apr
Sep
Annual submission of about 4500 datasets (one parameter at one site), more than 100 data originators. ~2 persons on full time to import data (including interactions with DO’s for revisions, adding meta info, etc)

9. Why an EMEP NRT-initiative?
EMEP sites provide essential information related to regional scale pollution events
EMEP sites have a well documented spatial representativeness and offer high quality data
EMEP sites offer a wide suite of chemical and physical parameters relevant for process understanding, many can now be provided with shorter time delay.
Many EMEP sites are acting as supersites (EMEP/GAW) and includes advanced instrumentation which has a potential to support research applications including satellite RS cal/val
EMEP sites have a large scientific community involved (TFMM, HTAP others), many requesting data at an earlier stage than currently provided
EMEP is the funding framework for a large fraction of the rural monitoring capacity in Europe
EMEP can develop its monitoring strategy to include additional parameters to be measured by on-line methodologies
EMEP is a GEOSS member and should be one ”system among other systems of systems….”
EMEP has a well established ”open data policy”
EMEP has well established data infrastructures (also applied in relevant initiatives elsewhere)
EMEP Parties and others have indicated a strong support

10. Important considerations:
Considers both NRT and RD data delivery
Focus is to address the needs of the Convention; understand and improve the descritption of LRTAP
Facilitate the access of data to EMEP users
No focus on providing ”public awareness”
Other initiatives partly overlaps with the EMEP initiative

11. Response by SB members or monitoring agencies
is shown on map
Only positive feedback !
Also support from several ”Supersites”
(not shown on map)
Support expressed also by
DG ENV
MSC-W
ECMWF
Lotos

12. Initiatives “dataflow”
National systems (Prevair, luftkvalitet.info....)
EEA; ozone and PM web
DG Env; HTAP, others?
DG Ent (Space); GEMS, GMES GAS, MACC, GNU, ...
DG Res (GCE); GEOMON, ACCENT,...
FP7 Capacities; IMECC, EUSAAR, GENESI-DR (ICT)…
APREORI, others ?
ESA; Envisat CDB, Promote, GAS...
CLRTAP/EMEP; EMEP strategy
WMO/GAW; IGACO/GAW strategy
COST ES0602, Chemical Weather forecasting…