The Global Ecosystems Database Version 1.0 from the Environmental Protection

Agency and the National Geophysical Data Center on CD-ROM

BRIEF

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration produced a geographic database on CD-ROM for modeling terrestrial climate-biosphere interactions. This CD-ROM includes complementary multi-thematic data sets on compatible grids, registered to a common origin and projection (latitude/longitude), along with display and access software. Other contributors to this disc include the Interagency Working Group on Data Management for Global Change (IWGDMGC), International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), National Academy of Sciences, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, NOAA/NESDIS National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) Satellite Data Services Division (SDSD), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the United Nations Environment Program/Global Resource Information Database (UNEP/GRID). The database has been structured to be operable with several existing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), so that a complete analytical package could be provided to reviewers and other scientists for evaluation, experimentation, and further development. The main focus of this overall cooperative effort is on modeling environmental and ecological change at the continental to global level, and on time scales from years to decades. The CD-ROM costs $101.

The data sets include the NGDC and NESDIS monthly global vegetation index from NOAA-9 and NOAA-11; Leemans and Cramer IIASA mean monthly global temperature, precipitation, and cloudiness; Legates and Wilmott average monthly air temperature and precipitation; Olson world ecosystems; Leemans Holdridge life zone classifications; Matthews vegetation, land use, and seasonal albedo; Lerner, Matthews, and Fung methane emissions from animals; Matthews, and Fung global distribution, characteristics, and methane emissions of natural wetlands; Wilson and Henderson-Sellers global land cover and soils data for GCM's; Staub and Rosenzweig Zobler soil type, soil texture, surface slope and other properties; Webb, Rosenzweig, and Levine global soil particle size properties; Fleet Numerical Oceanographic Center (FNOC) elevation, terrain, and surface characteristics; Pospeschil Micro World Data Bank II; Edwards global gridded elevation and bathymetry; and the UNEP/GRID gridded UNESCO/FAO soil units;

The data base consists of a collection of raster (cell) and vector (point, line, or polygon) data files each of which contain a global image-map, and all data are provided in a geographic (latitude/longitude) projection. Each dataset is accompanied by an ASCII documentation file containing information necessary for using the GIS or other software. The CD-ROM format is readable on IBM-DOS compatible machines, Apple Macintoshes, UNIX workstations, and other computers that support the ISO 9660 standard.

Software is provided to browse, visualize, and select appropriate portions of the data base for your work. Primarily, however, the data base is designed to interface with many statistical, image analysis, and geographic information systems. Data and sample setups are provided in two highly accessible geographic information systems, GRASS and IDRISI, to show how they can be useful in other GIS's. The structure of the data base has demonstrated its adaptability by passing several tests by software vendors for quick and easy importation into their systems.

ATTRIBUTES

Entry_ID: EPA_CDROM (MD Identifier: 4516)
 
Temporal Coverage:
     From: 1920-01-01                 TO: 1988-12-31 
 
Geographic Coverage:
     Southwest Extent: 90S,180W    Northeast Extent:  90N,180E
 
Source:
     GROUND STATIONS
     NOAA>NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION SERIES
     NOAA 11
     NOAA 9
     SHIP/BUOYS
 
Sensor:
     AVHRR>ADVANCED VERY HIGH RESOLUTION RADIOMETER
 
Storage Media:
     CD-ROM
 
Campaign/Project:
     EPA GCRP>EPA Global Change Research Program
 
Discipline, Subdiscipline:
     EARTH SCIENCE                   > ATMOSPHERE
     EARTH SCIENCE                   > LAND
     EARTH SCIENCE                   > OCEAN
 
Location Keyword:
     GLOBAL
 
Parameter Group, Parameter:
     ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION         > CLOUDS
     ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION         > HUMIDITY
     ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION         > METHANE
     ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION         > TRACE GASES
     ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS            > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE
     ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS            > CLOUD TYPES
     ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS            > EVAPORATION
     ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS            > HUMIDITY
     ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS            > PRECIPITATION
     ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS            > SOLAR RADIATION
     BIOLOGICAL ENTITIES             > OCEAN VEGETATION
     BIOLOGICAL ENTITIES             > SURFACE VEGETATION
     EARTH RADIATIVE PROCESSES       > ALBEDO
     EARTH RADIATIVE PROCESSES       > SOLAR ACTIVITY
     GEODYNAMIC FEATURES             > TERRAIN ELEVATION
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > ALBEDO
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > ELEVATION
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > GLACIERS
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > ICE
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > LAKES
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > LANDFORMS
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > SOILS
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > SURFACE VEGETATION
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > TOPOGRAPHIC DATA
     GEOGRAPHY AND LAND COVER        > WETLANDS
     GEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS           > SOILS
     HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS           > EVAPORATION
     HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS           > PRECIPITATION
     HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS           > RIVERS
     HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS           > TEMPERATURE
     HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS           > WETLANDS
     OCEAN COMPOSITION               > SEA ICE
     OCEAN DYNAMICS                  > EVAPORATION
     OCEAN DYNAMICS                  > PRESSURE
     OCEAN DYNAMICS                  > SEA ICE
     OCEAN DYNAMICS                  > SEA LEVEL
 
General Keywords:
     CD-ROM
     CLIMATOLOGY
     ECOSYSTEMS
     EPA
     GED
     GLOBAL CHANGE
     GLOBAL ECOSYSTEMS DATABASE
     GLOBAL VEGETATION INDEX
     IDN_NODE GSFC/NGDC
     LAND USE
     LIFE ZONE CLASSIFICATIONS
     PARTICLE SIZE PROPERTIES
     SEASONAL ALBEDO
     SOIL MOISTURE
     SOIL TEMPERATURES
     SOIL TEXTURE
     SOIL TYPE
     SURFACE
     SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
     UNEP/GRID
     UNESCO/FAO
     VEGETATION
     WORLD ECOSYSTEMS
 
Revision Date: 1994-02-08
 
Quality Statement:
 

The data have undergone extensive quality control and preparation of
documentation (300+ pages), for improved data synergy and usefulness for
integrated multivariate spatial analysis. Several new techniques have been
developed in this process. This process included format and grid conversion,
registration and/or reprojection, creating documentation as needed etc., while
preserving the original nature and context of the data. Over 100 scientists
have reviewed the data resulting in significant improvements in design,
documentation, and content. Peer review comments are summarized with the
data base and this process continues, supporting future updates.

                                             

DATACENTER

Archive: 
   NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC>National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA
   Data Set ID: GLOBAL ECOSYSTEMS CD-ROM 
 
   Contact: NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC,  
 
            Electronic Mail: NSI/DECNET> 9555::RCONKRIGHT
                             TELEMAIL> [JHALLEN/NESDIS]
 
            Phone: (303) 497-6215
                   FAX (303) 497-6513
                   FTS 320-6215
                                             

PERSONNEL

Investigator: KINEMAN, JOHN J.
 
              Electronic Mail: INTERNET> info@mail.ngdc.noaa.gov
                               OMNET> J.Kineman
 
              Phone: (303) 497-6513 FAX
                     (303) 497-6900
 
Entry Author: SCIALDONE, JOHN N.
 
              Electronic Mail: INTERNET> SCIALDONE@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV
                               NSI/DECnet> NCF::SCIALDONE
 
              Phone: (301) 441-4214
 
 
Information in this entry provided by NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC
                                             

REFERENCE


NOAA/EPA Global Ecosystem Database Version 1.0 User's Guide, Documentation
Manual, 1992.

                                             

SUP_MENU

   1. Source: NOAA>NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION SERIES
  
   2. Source: NOAA 11
  
   3. Source: NOAA 9
  
   4. Sensor: ADVANCED VERY HIGH RESOL. RAD.>ADVANCED VERY HIGH RESOLUTION ...