International Council for Science - World Data Center System

Please note that, as of the end of 2008 following the ICSU General Assembly in Maputo, Mozambique, the Panel on World Data Centers no longer exists and that the World Data Centers will be incorporated into the new ICSU World Data System (WDS) in 2009. A similar procedure will involve members of the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical data-analysis Services (FAGS) grouping of ICSU. In addition, it is envisaged that additional (i.e. non-FAGS and non-WDC) organizations will be encouraged to join the new WDS. When the WDS has its own web site, this WDC web site will be discontinued. At the time of writing, a Transition Team composed of former WDC Panel and FAGS Council members is discussing how best to organize the transition arrangements to the new WDS without interruptions in the services provided by existing organizations.

PANEL ON WORLD DATA CenterS
(Geophysical, Solar and Environmental)

GUIDE
to the
WORLD DATA CENTER SYSTEM

Issued by the Secretariat of the
ICSU Panel on World Data Centers
Produced by World Data Centers USA
NOAA / NGDC

International Council for Science
51 Boulevard de Montmorency
F-75016 PARIS FRANCE
Cover design by Paul Kanciruk

The World Data Center System Guide (1987 release) can also be accessed through WORD or PDF.

CONTENTS

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE WORLD DATA CENTER SYSTEM

PREFACE

EDITOR'S NOTE

1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE WORLD DATA CENTER SYSTEM
   1. Principles and Responsibilities of ICSU World Data Centers
   2. Rules for Opening and Closing World Data Centers
   3. Contribution of Data to World Data Centers
   4. Summary of the Activities of World Data Centers
   5. The Modern WDC System: Opportunities and Problems
   6. Using the WDC System
3. WDCs in the USA
   Atmospheric Trace Gases
   Biodiversity and Ecology
   Glaciology
   Human Interactions in the Environment
   Land Cover Data
   Marine Geology and Geophysics
   Meteorology
   Oceanography
   Paleoclimatology
   Remotely Sensed Land Data
   Rockets and Satellites
   Rotation of the Earth
   Seismology
   Solar-Terrestrial Physics
   Solid Earth Geophysics
4. WDCs in Russia
   Marine Geology and Geophysics
   Meteorology
   Oceanography
   Rockets and Satellites
   Rotation of the Earth
   Solar-Terrestrial Physics
   Solid Earth Physics
5. WDCs in Europe
   Climate
   Earth Tides
   Geomagnetism-Copenhagen
   Geomagnetism-Edinburgh
   Glaciology
   Marine Environmental Sciences
   Recent Crustal Movements - decommissioned 01/2006
   Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere
   Soils
   Solar Activity
   Solar-Terrestrial Physics
   Sunspot Index
6. WDCs in Australia, India, and Japan
   Airglow
   Aurora
   Cosmic Rays
   Geomagnetism-Bombay
   Geomagnetism-Kyoto
   Ionosphere
   Nuclear Radiation
   Solar Radio Emission
   Solar-Terrestrial Sciences-Sydney
   Space Science Satellites
7. WDCs in China
   Astronomy
   Geology
   Geophysics
   Glaciology and Geocryology
   Meteorology
   Oceanography
   Renewable Resources and Environment
   Seismology
   Space Sciences

APPENDICES

1. ICSU Organizations and Programs
2. World Meteorological Organization Data Centers
3. Resolutions Adopted by ICSU
4. Principles and Responsibilities of WDCs, 1987 Version
5. List of Acronyms