What is 'World Data Center'?

Selection

Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. History
  3. General principles
  4. Responsibilities of a WDC
  5. Contribution of Data to the WDCs
  6. Current WDC system

  1. Introduction

    Much geophysical research is based on time and/or space dependent data. Many geophysical data have important secondary uses, beyond the immediate concern of the original observer. World Data Centres first came into being in 1957 as part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY).

    The basic purpose of the WDCs was to ensure that observational data from the IGY programme would be readily available to scientific workers in all countries. The arrangements for the IGY worked well; the WDC system was continued on a permanent basis to deal with relevant data taken after the IGY.


  2. History

    The World Data Centers (WDCs) were established in 1957 to provide archives for the observational data resulting from the "International Geophysical Year" (IGY). In 1958 the WDCs were invoked to deal with the data resulting from the "International Geophysical Cooperation 1959", the one-year extension of the IGY. In 1960, the ICSU Comite International de Geophysique (CIG), invited the scientific community to continue to send to the WDCs similar kinds of data from observations in 1960 and following years, and undertook to provide a revised Guide to International Data Exchange for that purpose. In parallel the CIG inquired of the IGY WDCs whether they were willing to treat the post-IGY data; with a few exceptions, the WDCs agreed to do so. Thus the WDCs have been serving the scientific community continuously since the IGY and many of them archive selected data for earlier periods.

    The various WDCs came into existence in the following way. The ICSU committee which organized the IGY, the Comite Special de l'Annee Ceophysique Internationale (CSACI), invited the participating academies of science to establish WDCs for one or more of the IGY disciplines, to operate them at their own expense in accord with. the principles laid down by CSACI, to archive the IGY data specified in the IGY Guide, and to serve the scientific community with IGY data for the indefinite future.

    There were many offers to establish and operate WDCs. The CSACI decided to recognize, generally, three WDCs for a discipline which would hold duplicate data sets for the IGY period (July 1957 through December 1958). The reasons for having duplicate WDCs were: (1) to avoid data loss in case of a catastrophe at one WDC, and (2) to make data exchange more convenient for data suppliers and data users. The Academies of Sciences of the USA and the USSR each offered to establish WDCs for each of the IGY disciplines. These were identified as WDC-A and WDC-B, respectively. The Academies of other countries offered to establish WDCs for some individual disciplines; these became known as WDC-C. In some cases, similar centers were established in. Western Europe (designated WDC-C1) and in Asia and Australasia (designated WDC-C2). Thus in some disciplines, e.g. Ionosphere, Ceomagnetism, there were four duplicate WDCs, in some others, e.g. Oceanography, there were only two, WDC-A and WDC-B. Some of the WDC-C centers were identical to a "Permanent Service" coordinated by FAGS (Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Services of ICSU), such that their major role was specified data analysis and processing, and not necessarily comprehensive archiving of IGY data.

    For the IGY period, the activities of the WDCs were guided by an IGY Coordinator in Brussels. Thus was monitored the data flow from IGY stations to the WDCs and the copying, where necessary, of data received by one WDC to the other WDCs for that discipline. As might have been expected, the flow of data began slowly, but by the end of 1959 had progressed well enough to demonstrate the practical working of the system and its value to scientific users of the data. It was on this basis that the CIG in 1960 recommended the use of the WDC system for an indefinite period.

    Since 1968 the WDC system has been guided and coordinated by the ICSU Panel on WDCs, made up of representatives of the ICSU organizations concerned and of the WDCs themselves. The Panel oversees the revisions to the Guide and the extension to new data types or international programs. It sponsors open meetings on data exchange matters at various General Assemblies of ICSU bodies. It recognizes changes in the roster of WDCs and facilitates the transfer of archives and various housekeeping activities related to the WDC system.


  3. General principles
    1. World Data Centers (WDCs) operate under the auspices of the fit of the international scientific community and provide a mechanism for international exchange of data in all disciplines related to the Earth, its environment, and the Sun.
    2. World Data Centers in the United States are designated as WDC-A. Those in the Soviet Union are designated WDC-B. The WDC-C centers, C1 and C2, are located in other countries. An individual WDC may treat one or several of the disciplines or programs covered in the Guide to the World Data Center System.
    3. World Data Centers, to the extent their resources allow, acqutre and store data from national and international sources, in accordance with procedures and standards recommended by various international scientific bodies in the ICSU family, or other appropriate international organizations, and approved by the ICSU Panel on World Data Centres. These procedures are published periodically in the Guide to the World Data Center System.
    4. World Data Centers exchange data among themselves on a mutually agreed, reciprocal basis.
    5. Data held by a World Data Center must be completely accessible by scientists in all countries, upon written request or personal visit. Charges may be imposed to cover the costs of providing services to users.
    6. The resources required for the activities of a World Data Center are the responsibility of the host country or institution. In order to provide continuity, the host country is expected to provide these resources on a long-term basis.
    7. The coordination of WDC activities within a country is the responsibility of the appropriate national committee or scientific institution under which it is established.
    8. The designation of institutions as WDCs is normally the responsibility of the host country acting with the approval of the ICSU Panel.
    9. A WDC which for some reason may not be able to continue its activities and services is invited to make its holdings and records available to another WDC in the same discipline, and so notify the ICSU Panel through the A, B, C1 or C2 representative.
    10. WDC is expected to report on its activities as requested by ICSU.

  4. Responsibilities of a World Data Center
    1. In accord with the General Principles, World Data Centers will fulfill data exchange requirements set out in the current version of the Guide to the World Data Center System. To the extent possible they will also respond to resolutions and recommendations from appropriate international organizations.
    2. Duplication of data collections between WDCs may be specified in some disciplines.
    3. Whenever possible the exchange of data between World Data Centers will take place without charge.
    4. The provision of WDC data to an individual scientist or institution will normally require a charge to cover the costs of duplication and handling. This charge may be waived when the individual or institution is a contributor to the WDC concerned.
    5. A WDC may also provide a mechanism for a scientist to request data not explicitly described in the Guide to the World Data Center System. In response to a bona fide request for such data, the WDC will attempt to obtain the data or forward the request to another WDC for action.
    6. Where a WDC maintains a data collection, it must provide proper facilities for data storage and maintenance, and ensure that data copies are subject to adequate standards of accuracy, clarity and durability.
    7. World Data Centers will explore the utilization of modern technology for data storage, data communications and user access.
    8. Each World Data Center must be open to visitors and guest workers from any country and all data held under WDC auspices must be accessible to such visitors and workers.
    9. Each World Data Center has a responsibility to make available to other WDCs and the scientific community a detailed description of the data available through We WDC.
    10. Where more than one WDC holds or has access to data in a given discipline, joint data catalogs or inventories should be compiled.
    11. World Data Centers endeavor to coordinate their activities, standardise data formats and cooperate in international projects and to this end visits by WDC staff to other WDCs and to international scientific meetings are encouraged.
    12. World Data Centers receive data from many sources. While every attempt will be made to assure reasonable standards of data quality and related documentation, the ultimate responsibility for data reliability lies with the data contributor, not the WDC.

  5. Contribution of Data to the World Data Centers

    World Data Centers receive data from individual scientists, projects, institutions, local and national data centers, and WDCs.

    There are three primary mechanisms that lead to this flow of data into the World Data Center system:

    1. Statements or recommendations by a variety of international scientific organizations, subsequently approved and adopted by the ICSU Panel on World Data Centres, and eventually published in the appropriate discipline section of the current Guide to the World Data Center System.
    2. Statements contained in data management plans of major international projects, as approved by the ICSU Panel on World Data Centres.
    3. Voluntary data contributions made by agreement with a World Data Center. A World Data Center is not obliged to accept all such data offered to it.

    For each discipline or major international program, these mechanisms are described in detail in the appropriate volume of this Guide. While it is expected that these volumes will be updated and reprinted at reasonably frequent intervals, there will inevitably be new requirements, as scientific needs and projects evolve, that are not included in the Guide.


  6. Current WDC system

    WDC System/Members (PDF Version) (as of 1999)

    List of World Data Centers. (link to NOAA, USA)